The howls were closing at an alarming rate. Reist cast a wary glance over his shoulder.  At the top of the ridge they sat waiting as if time had lost its meaning.  Glowing rows of glittering eyes spoke of the nine hells worth of torture they would inflict when their jaws finally found his flesh. The pack’s leader rose from it’s laurels stampeding down the slope with a great beating of paws, clouds of dust wafted skyward as the pack followed.

Reist ran. His feet pounding the dead earth under heel as he pushed his body through the paces not allowing cramping muscles to slow him. He hadn’t stopped for nearly an hour up until risking a peek behind. Now a moments respite would cost him his life.  Sentimental fingers stroked the curve of the long bow’s smooth bone and lacquered surface, falling to feathers of arrows resting high in his quiver. It was the last touch one last embrace.  An old set of friends, lovers that would spill blood before they fell at his side. His own death sang in his ears to the rhythmic war drumming of his heart . It was time to make a stand, his last.

He wheeled around two arrows drawn tight against the bow string. He waited, waited both to deliver and receive death. At the first glimmering of golden eyes crowning the slope he loosed both. Engulfing spectral flames streaked the four hundred paces setting the darkness ablaze. Howls of pain cut the air sharper and surer than any arrow’s flight. The mournful call of the fallens’ brethren answered the dead and dying wailing vengeance. Reist sighted down the arrow’s shaft the bow again sang death with the twang of the release. Eleven of the demonic wolf pack remained and he was down to his last arrow. Relaxing his eyes Reist controlled his breathing, letting out a long drawn out breath as he dropped to his knee drawing the arrow back. The packs leader bounded ahead of the rest it’s path serpentine in movement making it all the harder to hit. The last arrow left his fingertips dividing the darkness in a blinding bolt It pierced the devil dogs side slanting through its chest as it landed claiming three others in the ensuing inferno.

The well-oiled blade slid like butter free from the scabbard, he drew the long sword from over his shoulder. His war cry echoed as he sprinted toward nine faces of death. He would die well, he would die with honor. Gaping jaws clapped at his face captured in the bright blue light that shined along the swords razor edge. The blade pierced the open mouth traveling through the throat penetrating the skull. It’s demonic carcass spouted flames as he shrugged skeletal remains free from biting steel.  In the same motion he spun with the force of the swing cleaving the next dog from stem to stern. Tearing claws ripped into his back taking him hard to the ground, he rose to his knees. Teeth sank into his scalp. The pain wasn’t real muted almost entirely by pure adrenaline. The sword rose stabbing backwards he pierced the things throat. It’s body started to smolder it’s head sliding down to  meet the blades hilt. He regained his footing barely able to defensively brandish the blade before the remaining five struck all at once. Jagged teeth descended toward his face and it was only now he realized he was on the ground. His hands grabbed the gaping maw forcibly halting death. Teeth sank in his arm, leg and chest. He stared the demonic entity face to face. It snarled ready to chew off his head. His arms gave next would be a moments pain climaxing in the form of the silence eternal.

Than all at once it seemed everything stopped than moved backwards. The wolves were flying, flying as if flung skyward like tiny motes of dust stirred by the sweeping of some giant broom. Their figures winked out of sight as Reist’s head fell weary and hard to the unforgiving earth. Someone stood over him

The hooves and legs of a graceful deer melded with the flesh of womanly thighs, remaining woman to the advent horizon of her bare breasts partially concealed by the large talisman of beaten gold about her neck. Her skin glowed the faintest blue, doe eyes peeked out between winding horns like those of a ram branching through the tangle of green jungle that was her hair.

“Mi Lady you saved my life…”