- We've got to move,' Foster says sharply. The longer we stay here, the more of a target we become.
Lïanna nodded, clumsily picking up her weapon. She was limping slightly, a wound in her hip making her gait uncertain. Foster led the way, his sword ready, his gaze scanning every shadow.
Every step was a test. The forest, still shrouded in darkness, seemed alive. The foliage rustled like ominous whispers, and the creaking in the distance reminded Foster that they were not alone. He wasn't naive: other predators were out there, lurking, waiting.
After a hundred metres or so, they came across a corpse. A recruit, barely identifiable, so torn up that his face was a shapeless mass. Lïanna looked away, but Foster remained motionless for a moment. His icy gaze lingered on the body.
- This is the future of our people if we don't become stronger,' he breathed, almost to himself.
- We'll avenge his memory, Foster,' retorted Lïanna, a note of arrogance piercing through her tiredness. I don't intend to end up like that.
Foster didn't reply. Lïanna's words were typical of her cold assurance, but he perceived a crack in her voice, a hesitation he had never noticed before.
They moved forward in silence, Foster using his enhanced perception to avoid dangerous areas. He guided Lïanna with brief gestures, telling her to stop or avoid certain areas. Every time he felt a presence, a tiny vibration in the air, he crouched down, observed and waited.
- It's almost a cheat, this perception,' he thought.
At the bend in the path, they spotted a pack of glowing-eyed creatures. Smaller beasts, but still deadly in packs. Foster raised his hand to warn Lïanna not to move. He backed away slowly, guiding the young woman to a hollow tree where she could hide. They stayed there for half an hour, holding their breath as the creatures prowled nearby.
- We can't go on like this,' murmured Lïanna. Not without reinforcements.
- We have to survive until dawn,' replied Foster. Nothing else matters.
The night wasn't just a physical ordeal. It was also weighing on their minds. Foster could still hear the screams of the other recruits echoing in his head, screams of pain and terror. His fist tightened on the hilt of his sword. There was nothing he could do for them, but he could survive. He had to survive.
Lïanna, for her part, seemed lost in thought. Her usual arrogance had given way to a sullen, almost desperate silence.
- Get used to it,' Foster demanded without looking at her.
- You psychopath,' she replied with a bitter laugh.
Foster stopped dead in his tracks, his senses alert. His instincts immediately put him on the defensive. He scanned the shadows, sword at the ready, while Lïanna placed a hand on his wounded side, her breath ragged.
- Wolves,' she murmured, her tone low.
- Probably attracted by the smell of blood,' Foster replied, his eyes scanning the area. We can't face them out in the open.
But before they could take cover, the pack emerged from the shadows. A dozen wolves, bigger and more massive than ordinary wolves, surrounded the two recruits. Their fangs gleamed in the pale starlight and their growls seemed to vibrate in Foster's chest. Their yellow eyes burned with animal intelligence and ferocious hunger.
One of the wolves stepped forward, his dark grey coat bristling, his muscles taut beneath his skin. The leader of the pack. The others followed his example, advancing slowly, their hushed steps forming a perfect circle around Foster and Lïanna.
- We're trapped,' whispered Lïanna. Fight or die.
- Then we'll fight,' replied Foster with cold resolve.
The first wolf pounced, a flash of muscle and fangs. Foster barely dodged, swinging his sword in a wide arc. The blade found its target, cutting deep into the beast's side. A restrained howl, but already, two other wolves were attacking in concert.
Lïanna parried one of them with her own blade, but her weakened state put her at a disadvantage. The other tripped her, pushing her violently back against a tree. Foster pivoted to defend her, thrusting his sword into the side of the wolf that threatened her. Blood spurted out in a dark arc, splattering the ground.
- Concentrate,' Foster shouted as he quickly pulled her to her feet.
But the wolves didn't slow down. Their coordination was terrifying, almost strategic. They attacked in pairs, trying to exhaust their prey. Foster, already weakened by his wounds, felt his arm tremble with each blow. His movements became less fluid, each strike more laborious.
As for Lïanna, she struggled to keep her balance. Nevertheless, she managed to kill a wolf, her blade piercing its heart with a precise movement. But another wolf jumped on her before she could get away, throwing her violently to the ground. Foster saw this and charged without hesitation. He smashed the beast's head with a blow from his guard before finishing it off with a clean backhand.
The ground was covered in blood and half-torn bodies. Foster and Lïanna were still standing, but only just. Their clothes were in tatters, their faces splattered with blood and their breathing ragged.
A howl pierced the air, louder and deeper than the others. The leader of the pack charged at last, seeing his pack decimated. He leapt at Foster with lightning speed. Foster raised his sword, but too late. The beast slammed into him, crushing him to the ground. Its fangs were coming dangerously close to his throat.
Using all his strength to keep the wolf's jaws at bay. He felt the terrible pressure, the heat of the beast's breath on his face. His mind lit up with a single thought: survive.
- Die!' he shouted as he struck the alpha's side with his hunting knife, again and again. The beast howled in pain, retreating slightly, allowing Foster to get up and strike a final blow, thrusting his blade to the hilt into the wolf's chest.
It fell heavily, its body collapsing with a final sigh. The few surviving wolves fled, their howls fading into the darkness of the forest.
Foster dropped to his knees, gasping for breath. His left hand was shaking violently and he was having trouble holding his sword. Lïanna leaned against a tree, her face pale.
- We'll never survive...' she murmured, her voice weak.