Chapter 22 - Akela

The pressure within his body was astounding. It felt like the blood in his body was about to leak from his pores.

"AGHHHH....AHHHHHH!"

Archers mind was beginning to go black as he felt like his conciousness was leaving him. The fire his body started to feel seemed to slip from him and just when his mind was fixing to slip into the black, a fist connected with the side of Archers skull. The blast jarred him back to reality as the warmth of his blood began to coat his red eyes. The monster looked at Archers face, almost appearing to smirk as he projected his words.

"We were told about you before we were released. The Morvlinsk household was supposedly the one that rallied the humans to fight before and were a force to be reckoned with. Even Alirick had fear of your name. But you? Your a pup. You can't challenge me and you expect to save your pathetic race."

"Be quiet." Archer replied quietly, diverting his eyes from the beast and closing them.

"Who are you to make demands?" The wolf sneered. Pivoting his body slightly, he slung Archer across the room and through the wood column helping support the ceiling above. That portion of the ceiling collapsed down on the prince, knocking the breath out of him all over again.

"Thuvren, your first ancestor, didn't agree with how we ran things before. After the war, it was commendable for him to sacrifice himself for your peoples sake, but we've had 800 years with him. And now that we are back, some of us have had our share and taste of your blood, henceforth; you should stay down."

Archer groaned slightly from under the wood and struggled back to his feet. Just as his second foot finally found solid footing on the ground, there were claws that raked across his back, lancing his back with pain as he was launched again. After bouncing off the wall, the wolf walked up and placed his big foot on Archers chest.

"Don't think you can handle me like the rest "prince." I'm known as Akela the Alpha, within my pack. That isn't a title that is just handed to our kind. It's earned through battle and trials. Don't mistake me for pointless fodder. Plus, if this is all you have to offer, then I guess this world is as good as ours to begin with.." Akela reached for Archer one last time, opening his mouth as he did, ready to finish off whatever potential threat there could be.

As the the stench of the beasts mouth smothered his senses, a lurch came from the monster that caused Archers head to poke the back of the monsters throat. There was a crash as he felt the monster fall over, crushing one of the few tables left in the room. The impact of the fall caused a tooth to puncture the small of Archers back, making him yell out in pain. The sound was muffled from where his head was located, but luckily, whatever caused the wolf to fall and bought him just enough opportunity to escape.

In one quick motion, Archer shoved a hand against the roof of Akelas mouth and used the sole of his boot on one of his bottom teeth. Pushing from both ends, the maw eventually opened just enough for him to slip out, but a hand grabbed the back of his leather vest and pulled him out. The flash of light caused Archers eyes to scrunch together as he tried to recollect his bearings. Looking up at his helper, he noticed the older lady from earlier, next to her were Shuien and Alora. The rest of the men seemed to keep their distance, but watched keenly from the hole that had become Archers entrance.

Shuien leaned down and helped Archer back to his feet. The pains that ravaged Archers body appeared worse than what he realized before. The puncture in his lower back made him barely able to walk. His back had large lacerations down them, exposing soft, glistening flesh underneath the leather vest. Archer was also pretty sure he had a head contusion from the punch he took from the beast earlier, this wasn't including anything that was wrong with him internally. Staggering back to the entrance with Aloras help, the Akela began to pick himself up from the ground.

"ALORA! You know what you have to do." Shuien yelled across the room at the princess, while drawing his sword from its sheath. The master turned to face the creature, removing his coat, gently tossing it aside and taking on a defensive stance that Archer had seen many times. The master let out a deep breath as he prepared himself.

"That was a cheap shot human.." Akela muttered through open speech. The words were barely legible but were still clear.

The master was un-moving, watching the beast as it lunged forward. Its mouth gaped open as it went to end Shuien with a single move. His experience showed as Shuien glanced his sword off of Akelas teeth, deflected his head away from him. The blow seemed to rattle the alpha as he shook his head slightly. Looking at the master with bloody gums, he snarled and stepped back towards Shuien.

Outside of the house, Alora laid Archer on the ground alongside the wall. She removed Archers vest as careful as she could and laid it under his head. The swelling along his body was immense and it seemed that he had slight internal bleeding as well. Alora continued to examine his body, making sure she didn't miss anything. Finally she placed her hands on the princes chest and closed her eyes.

A cold feeling entered Archer, an uncomfortable one. He knew that what he was feeling couldn't be natural. Alora used her consciousness to supress any resistance from the already weak prince. Unable to fight a battle of wits, Archer was at the princess's mercy. After several agonizing moments, the coldness seemed to fade and light began to form back into his eyes.

A yell jolted Archer from his stupor. Looking over to the the source, the princess was laying on the ground, writhing in pain. The lacerations that Archer once had on his back, now bled through the back of her dress. Archer knew what just happened and felt remorse for what had happened. "If I had been more careful, this wouldn't have happened."

Archer lifted Alora up slightly, cradling her in his arms for a moment and thanking her. She paused slightly in between the spasms of pain to flit a slight smile at Archer in acknowledgment. Archer beckoned one of the men over to him. He walked up cautiously, wary of the battle that was going on inside the house.

"Watch over her. No harm is to come to her or I'll have your head." The words escaped Archers lips before he could stop himself, but he didn't apologize for them either. The prince pick up Prides End that was laying next to him and walked back to the entrance of the building. After stepping over a pile of rubble, Archer saw his master again. The spot where his wound had finally almost healed seemed to be bothering Shuien again. Blood smothered his sword and Archer noticed the marks across Akelas chest that would surely add to his collection of scars.

Archer remeasured the weight of his hammer in his hand before hefting it to his right side. The wolf was enraged and distracted with the master and didn't notice till the last second that the prince had joined the fight. Akela managed to dodge the swing, remarkably nimble for such an old looking beast. Archer recovered and shouldered the hammer again. Looking over at Shuien, the master seemed happy despite the circumstances.

"Welcome back, m'lord." Shuien stated.

"Oh stop that Master." Archer smiled slightly.

Archer felt a rush of happiness slip through the cracks of fear as he thought about fighting next to his master again. This man was all that remained from his life and he refused to lose him, and the fact that he had someone he could trust to the level that he did, appeased him. Shuien felt the same way towards the prince, which brought relief to the the old mans tired body as well. He was like the son he had lost so many years ago and would die to protect him as a loved one, not just his king.

The two of them readied themselves as the wolf launched itself at the duo. The wolf aimed for Archer first, opening its mouth to swallow the prince at Akela had done earlier. Rolling out of the way, the teeth connected with an old chair. The jaws flexed only slightly, shattering the wood frame as though it was made of porcelain. Shuien used the opportuinty to plunge his sword into the Akelas flank, making him howl in pain. Out of reaction, the monster stood up, slinging his arm faster than Shuien could react and connected with his skull. There was a solid thud as his head ricocheted off the nearby wall, leaving a smear of blood where the impact occured.

"MASTER!!"

Archer felt his mind and heart grow empty as the fire enveloped him. Never before had he be so abused by anything, yet here stood a monster that seemed to match - even surpass his strength. Staring into the wolfs single eye, Archers vision blurred slightly before refocusing more intensely than it had before. Archer staggered over to a pile of rubble from when the wall shattered and picked Spada up. Archers mind was quiet, even from the monster before him. The only thing that rippled through his mind was rage and bloodlust. Each ripple of the beasts skin stood out to Archer like black wolf walking in white snow as the muscles flexed under the surface.

"First, you kill my people. Second, you caused my friend more pain than I can imagine. And last, that man you just hit is like a father to me.." Archer was almost whispering these words as they escaped his lip, but the wolfs keen ears still picked them up.

"Close to you, huh? Good..." Before the wolf could finish his words, there was a flash and before anyone could blink, Spada protruded from the chest of the monster, right where its heart was supposed to be, the thick hide stop it slightly however. The monster took a step back and Archer measured Prides End in his hand one more time as he channeled the overflowing fire in his body into his forearms again and gave another reckless and wild swing. The end of the hammer connected with the pommel of Spada.

*THUNCK* *RIP*

The impact caused the blade to slide through the beast. The cross guards didn't stop the blade as it continued through the monsters body. The ripping sound came before Spada lodged itself into the wall, with the still beating wolfs heart dripping blood off the sword. Akela staggered and dropped to his knees, already dead before he hit the ground. Archer walked over to the body and hefted his hammer up one more time as he brought it back down on the monsters skull.