The Werewolves

Sitting by the campfire Justin and Keyla go over their remaining supplies.

"We don't have much left. We have to make it past those Werewolves tomorrow. We only have maybe 3 more days left of food."

"Do you think we can do it?" Keyla asks nervously. "I don't even know how many there are"

"I'm not sure. To be honest. Maybe w can make a plan like we did the first one?" Justin replies. "Either way we still have to travel atleast 3 more days to get to town. Even with scouts help."

They sit in silence for a time. Staring into the campfire.

"I have one more Skill point to use. What about you?" He asks.

"Me too I haven't really thought what to use it on. I got a buff type spell as an option but I'm just not sure if I should get it. We need to be able to kill those Werewolves."

"Oh what is the buff?"

"It's called Mana Leakage. Strange name but it apparently buffs mana regen for a time. I also have Chain lightning, but it takes a HUGE amount of mp to use. I can maybe cast it 4 times...maybe"

"Hmmm..." Justin hums thinking to himself. "I have 2 choices this time. The Aura choice from and heal over time spell. The Werewolves are fast if I get the Aura I don't think I can take on a bunch of them all at once. But then again if we are surrounded the dmg over time they would get just from being near me could really help."

They continue to talk over their options as the sky darkens to night, both allocating their points and skills as they come up with a plan. Neither one of them are able to sleep do to anticipation.

Morning comes, and with it readiness to get to safety, and to get this over with.

They pack all their things up and load Scout back up with their meager supplies, and head back towards the highway.

They stop at the treeline. Looking out over the road.

"I think we just stick to the plan. Save your mana as much as possible. Use Area attack spells ONLY if there is more than one. If we can draw them out one at a time we can do this." Justin says firmly.

Keyla nods but doesn't say anything, and they finally start towards the road. The husks of empty cars greet them once again. The emptiness and stillness making their hairs stand on end. They slowly make their way down the road jumping at almost every sound.

After what seems an eternity they start relaxing a tiny bit. Then they hear a noise. Justin peers at an overturned car. There is a disgusting slurping sound coming from behind it. A crunch and snapping that can only come from an animal that's eating. As they slowly creep closer a Werewolves head slowly lifts up mouth open as something slides down its mouth and it swallows. There is a dark red liquid staining it's muzzle.

Kelyla gasps, sucking in breath. And that's all it needed to hear them. It's head jerks in their direction and it's eyes focus on them.

Justin draws his sword, fear, disgust, and rage flowing through him as he sees what the werewolf is eating. He raises his sword at the werewolf and shoulders his shield preparing for the inevitable fight ahead. The werewolf doesn't need coaxing. Like a bolt of lightning it springs over the car straight at Justin.

Void Strike!

Justin's dark sword cuts an infinitely dark slash through the Werewolf. He sidesteps as he swings letting the Werewolf blast past him. There is a splash of hot liquid that sprays him in the face and he looks back at the werewolf body laying on the ground. It's body lay in two places, a shower of blood spilling out onto the ground from its two halve.

[LVL 28 JUVENILE WEREWOLF DEFEATED +215XP]

"Uh...." Justin stares in shock and horror at the werewolf. "That was....unexpected....Why did it die so quickly?!" He looks down at his sword in wonder. "Void Strike was so powerful." he thought to himself.

He looked at his mana and sighed. He could only do a few more of those though. He would have to use it more sparingly. Looking to keyla he nods and they move forward once again. As they make their way they finally come up on two more Werewolves, both dining on the remains of the former living.

Justin and Keyla look at each other. "Ok here is what we do. I will draw their attention. You need to try and hit both of them with an ice bolt. Slow them down as much as possible. Also..." He continues, laying out the plan to her.

Justin hoists his shield up and slowly heads to the Werewolves. He stops when he is just before two cars that are smashed together. A head on collision clearly being the cause of there positions. Taking his sword, he begins to beat on his shield.

"Come on you mangy dogs!!"

The Werewolves immediately abandon their dead snack in favor for the living one calling to them. They throw themselves towards him with a burst of speed, drool and blood dripping from their snouts. Coming to the car they each leap over them easily if not gracefully. Just as they clear the cars an ice bolt slams into the stomach of one of them almost stopping it in midair. In the corner of his mind, Justin recognizes the fact that the werewolf to his right has fallen down to the ground between him and the car. He is already acting though, performing a Shield Bash on the others helplessly air born body. His shield slams into the flying werewolf and sends it shooting back to literally cave in the cars.

"NOW!" he screams. His shield arm throbbing from the impact.

A wall of fire suddenly erupts length ways along the cars, engulfing both Werewolves. They scream in surprise and pain. Justin doesn't move , even though the heat is over bearing he stands his ground.

The werewolf he shield bashed surges out of the fire, desperate to get away from it. He is waiting for it. His void Strike meets its neck as soon as it comes into view. It's head seperates from its body with a disgusting squelch. The other werewolf takes this chance to jump forward, only to have another ice bolt slam into its shoulder. Justin kicks at its legs, a crunch is heard and the werewolf is back in the flames, only this time it has a broken leg. The werewolf howls in fury and pain and lunges at him again. Unable to get a chance to reset his shield and sword he is unable to arrest the Werewolves attack. It's claws find his thighs and the soft tissue parts with ease as it's deadly claws score deep furrows into his leg. Screaming he slams the pommel of his sword into the side of the wolf's head sending it reeling to the side. He activates Shield Bash once again sending back into the flames.

The next few minutes are a blur of anxiety as the two desperately beat back the crazed werewolf keeping it in the flames. Eventually though it finally succumbs to its wounds and finally slumps down and dies.

The flame wall dies out as Keyla deactivates the spell. They slump to the ground and gasp for breathe as they allow their mana, stamina, and health to recuperate. After casting heal a few times on the both of them.

"Whew. That was gruesome" Justin says wiping the blood off his sword on the seat of a nearby car. "But damned if that didn't work"

"It did work better than expected!" Keyla agrees happily and smiles. "We make a pretty good team"

The rest of the day is as terrifying and gruesome as the first hour. The two slowly make there way down the road, coming upon the occasional Werewolves. They leave a path of bodies behind as they get closer and closer to the end of the highway. After a day of nothing but walking, fighting and healing they are both exhausted. Justin leads them off the road and into the woods stopping at yet another overturned tree. They make camp, and after they sit by a small fire they both can finally rest.

"We have made pretty good time, all things considered" Justin finally says.

"I suppose...I am just ready to finally get to a town or city. God I could use a bath."

"Man! Me too! I stink like death and I can get the smell of blood off me" he chuckles. "I am thinking one more day of this and we can JUST make it to the closest town. If I remember right it's not very big, but if there are any survivors we might be able to trade for some food and water."

"Mmmm..." Keyla replies noncommitedly "I just hope it isn't a whole lord of the flies situation"

"Well on a better note we both have leveled up again! Twice!!"

They both settle in and start going over their statuses, knowing they will need every advantage they can get for the coming day.

Lvl: 17 Paladin of The Void

Race: Human

Health: 1720/1720

Mana: 1000/1000

Strength: 50 (+2 from gear)

Endurance: 40(+2 from gear)

Agility: 20

Intellegence: 34(+5 from gear)

Wisdom: 15 (+7 from gear)

Charisma: 10

Luck: 10

Stat points: 0

Skill point: 1

Exp: 20/1700

Skills: Minor Heal (5/20), Minor Remove Curse (2/20), Counter Strike (2/20), Paladin's Bulwark (3/20), Void Strike (2/20)