The Cult of Light (2)

Even though Aris was a naive girl, she eyed the wolves fiercely. Noticing that they were coming from opposite directions, trying to circle her, she knew she was at a disadvantage. Not only were the wolves perfect predators, but she was also just a kid.

However, now she was at the Second Stage of Body Tempering. She could easily carry her own father! She trusted the power the book gave her.

Without waiting to be attacked, she decided to strike first. Pushing her small feet on the snow-covered ground, she advanced towards the leftmost wolf.

Aris didn't even enhance her body with Qi, relying solely on the brute strength she had acquired through cultivation.

With a determined shout, she swung her fist at the wolf's face. Her lack of battle experience showed, as her punch didn't land perfectly as it should. The blow struck the side of the wolf's snout, sending it stumbling sideways, but not inflicting significant damage. The wolf shook its head, dazed, its balance momentarily thrown off.

Aris' quick movement, however, caused the other wolf behind her to miss its target. It lunged forward, expecting to sink its teeth into her neck, but instead, it snapped at empty air. It landed awkwardly, skidding on the snowy ground and briefly losing its footing.

Seeing her chance, Aris spun around to face the wolf that had just missed her. Her heart pounded, adrenaline surging through her veins. She knew she had to act fast. 

She lunged at the wolf and with a swift kick, she aimed for the wolf's midsection.

Unfortunately, the wolf was quicker, leaping backward just in time. Her small legs lacked the necessary reach, and her kick cut through nothing but thin air.

Grrr! 

The predators snarled fiercely at her and attacked in coordination. One of them lunged forward trying to bite her left leg while the other jumped for her neck!

Scared, she managed to dodge at the last moment by ducking down, feeling only the wolf's fangs pass close to her neck. However, as soon as she stood up, Aris felt a sharp pain on her left leg. 

She looked down to see the wolf's big teeth deep in the flesh of her thigh. The wolf's sharp teeth easily pierced her clothing, and when it tugged back, trying to tear her leg, blood spurted onto the snow.

"AHHHH!" Aris yelled. The pain was so intense that she felt like passing out for a moment. Even though she lived in the woods, this was the first time she had been hurt so badly. Fortunately, as the Qi circulated through her body, the pain lessened a bit, and she persisted—she had to protect her father!

Looking at that damned wolf on her leg. Aris quickly concentrated the Qi in her right fist and punched downwards with all the strength she had!

The wolf, not expecting that kind of reaction, couldn't get away!

*BANG!*

*CRACK!*

The impact of her punch was devastating. The wolf's skull cracked under the force, and fragments of bone and brain matter splattered onto the snowy ground. The beast collapsed instantly, lifeless.

Aris shifted her eyes, trying not to look at the gruesome scene. Yet, some of the blood splattered onto her face. Striving hard not to throw up, she focused on the second wolf. Panting heavily, blood dripping from her leg, she glared at it with fierce determination. She was not going to let these wolves harm her father.

The remaining wolf, sensing the change in the air, backed away slowly. with a low growl, it continued to retreat, its eyes never leaving the small girl. That little human was terrifying!

*AWOOOO!*

It howled and immediately turned back, running and disappearing between the woods, leaving Aris standing victorious, though battered and bleeding, in the snow.

Aris Stroud sat heavily in a small snowdrift, exhaustion overtaking her. Tears streamed down her face, freezing before they touched the ground. The emotions coursing through her were overwhelming: fear, relief, sorrow, and many others all at once.

At that moment, she didn't realize it, but her personality was subtly changing. The naive girl who had lived a peaceful life in the woods was being forged into someone stronger, more resilient. The battle would leave its marks, not just physically but deep within her soul.

"W-what happened, girl?" her father asked with a hoarse voice. He stood up painfully, stunned by the sight of a dead wolf and the wound on his daughter's leg.

Immediately, Aris got up and ran to his embrace, crying.

"Bad wolf…" she said between breaths.

"It's okay now, my little girl. Let's go to Aunt Andressa," he said, his voice gentle despite the turmoil inside him. The man's heart hurt more than the wound on his chest. His daughter was injured protecting him, and he had been unable to protect her. What kind of man was he? Yet, Edvar maintained a calm face, determined not to scare her even more.

******** 

The duo limped through the snow for about ten more minutes, each step more arduous than the last. Aris fought to ignore the throbbing pain in her leg, pushing herself forward with sheer determination. Her father, though severely wounded, kept a steady pace, his eyes constantly scanning their surroundings for any signs of danger. 

Then finally, the small town where Aunt Andressa lived came into view.

The town was nestled in a valley, surrounded by dense forests and rolling hills, now blanketed in a thick layer of snow. It was a quiet place, the kind of town where everyone knew each other, and the pace of life was slow and steady.

Aunt Andressa's house was on the outskirts, a charming wooden structure with a big garden. The house had two floors, three bedrooms, and a spacious area around it, marked by trees now laden with snow.

Even though Andressa had a bigger house than his father, she lived alone. 

The father and daughter limped towards the house. As the adrenaline wore off she kept putting pressure on her injured leg, Aris felt increasing pain in her thigh. Fortunately, the wound had clotted and was no longer bleeding as much.

Edvar, however, was in a sorry state. His face was pale, his breathing was ragged, and he had to lean on his daughter for support with every step.

Finally, they climbed the few steps to the porch and knocked on the door. After a minute, they heard the hurried footsteps of Andressa approaching.

"Oh my gosh! What happened to you?!" Andressa exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock and her face paling as she opened the door to see them both covered in blood.

Aris and her father couldn't utter a word before Andressa rushed to them, frantically inspecting their wounds. She examined every part of Aris's body, her concern evident. Only now did Aris fully realize that she was drenched in blood and looked much worse than she felt.

"Look at your leg!" Andressa finally found the source of Aris's injury and became even more alarmed, barely glancing at Edvar's much more severe wounds. "Are these wolf bites?!"

Andressa was the older sister of Aris' mother, and they bore a striking resemblance, at least in the photos Aris had seen. The older woman had long blonde hair and green eyes, matching her tall and slim physique. Despite being in her fifties, her smooth skin made her look like she was in her thirties.

"Ouch!" Aris winced when her aunt touched the wound. "Wolves attacked us, but Papa scared them away!" she explained between breaths.

"Oh gosh! I'll call the doctor right away!" Andressa exclaimed, her worry palpable. Even though they weren't bleeding out, she quickly helped them into the house and brought clean gauzes. As she called the doctor, she shot glances at Edvar with barely concealed contempt.

Thankfully, she didn't start an argument, but Edvar knew he wouldn't be able to escape her scolding later.

The city was small, with barely five thousand inhabitants, so there was only one doctor in town. Fortunately, he received the call promptly and arrived quickly.

Minutes later, the group heard the noise of wheels on the street, and an old man rushed through the door, concern etched on his face. He carried a white suitcase of medical equipment, ready to tend to their wounds.

"Where are they!?" The doctor burst into the house, not bothering with greetings. His eyes scanned the room and soon found the father and daughter in the kitchen.

Suddenly, he stopped, furrowing his brows as he looked at Andressa. "From the way you said it, I thought they had lost a leg or an arm, Andressa!"

"But look at them!" She moved closer to her niece and pointed at Aris's leg. "These are wolf bites!"

"Okay, okay, let me take a look." The doctor sighed, knowing he couldn't argue with her. Andressa was known in the city for being headstrong.

The old man walked inside the kitchen and, noticing that Edvar's condition was worse, decided to start with him. He helped the man lay down on the table and slowly took off the bloodied shirt.

""Let me clean this wound," he said, at the same time taking a saline solution from his bag to clean the wound. Afterwards the doctor took a syringe and aspirated a translucent liquid. "How did it happen? I'm not a hunter, but don't wolves tend to avoid people?"

"Normally, ouch!" Edvar exclaimed as the doctor injected the local anesthetic into his chest.

"It'll stop hurting in a second, then I'll stitch it," the doctor explained. As he calmly analyzed the wound, he noticed something unusual. "This wound on your chest is not from a bite. Why would a wolf attack with its claws?"

Edvar winced, the memory flashing before his eyes. "It wasn't just any wolf. It was... different. More aggressive. It felt like it was driven by something. I've never seen anything like it."

The doctor shook his head in disbelief as he began to stitch the wound. He had tended a few wolves' attacks during his career, but that was the first time he saw a wound like this. Wolves used to bite people and not attack with their claws! 

"Something must have triggered this behavior. Wolves don't usually act like this." He turned to Andressa. "We need to keep an eye on this. If there are more attacks, we need to inform the authorities."

Andressa nodded, worry etched on her face. "Of course. We'll be vigilant."

Aris, still clutching her father's hand, looked up at the doctor with wide eyes. "Will Papa be okay?"

The doctor gave her a reassuring smile. "Yes, your father will be fine. We'll get him patched up, and with some rest, he'll recover. You're a brave girl, Aris."

As the doctor continued to treat Edvar's wounds, Andressa hugged her niece tightly. "You did well, Aris. We'll take care of you."

"They were indeed acting weirder today, even after shooting they didn't back down. In fact, I've never seen them act like that!" Edvar explained as the doctor stitched his chest.

"Hmm… the Cult of Light must be right." Suddenly, Andressa chimed in. Her face was filled with worry. "At first that demonic forest and those strange books, now the wolves are acting like crazy. It must be the Devil's work!"

"Do you really believe in that nonsense?" Edvar asked incredulously. He never thought his sister-in-law would come up with such ridiculous excuses.

"That is the only reasonable explanation!" She exclaimed.

The doctor remained silent, but Edvar noticed a slight shake of the man's head, indicating he didn't share Andressa's belief. A few minutes passed in silence, the only sound being the steady stitching of the doctor.

"Done!" The doctor finally said, removing his bloodied gloves. "It wasn't easy, but the result is satisfying. Both wounds – in the chest and the leg – are completely stitched. You must rest, or the wound may open again. A cut that size can take months to heal completely. Use the antibiotics I prescribed; they will help."

T-thank you." Edvar thanked him and got up slowly. Fortunately, the local anesthetic was still working, and he felt almost no pain.

"Now, let me help this little girl." The old doctor approached Aris, smiling. After putting her on the table, he cleaned the wound and inspected it. "It seems that no bones are broken. You are really strong, girl!"

Aris smiled back, but her mind was occupied with what her aunt had just said.

"Hm, your skin is pretty hard for your age…" The doctor murmured to himself while stitching her. The surgical needle was sharp, but the doctor had to exert more pressure than usual to stitch her wound. Fortunately, everything went smoothly, and after a few minutes, he finished.

"It's done!" The doctor stretched his back and smiled.

The doctor was friendly, and after explaining the correct procedures for wound care, he left. Knowing Andressa's personality well, he said that she could pay him later. Once he was gone, Aunt Andressa tidied up the rooms, and everyone went to sleep.