The next day was quiet. Worry had leeched into the group.
It was easy to say there might be nothing to worry about, but it was hard to act like it.
Lacuna now traveled with her quarterstaff out, although it served as a heavy walking stick.
Sitis had no weapons to pull out, but even as Aureum thought it was impossible, he became even more severe and imposing.
And as for Aureum, she watched the skies.
No official plans had been discussed. Sitis seemed to take the burden of defense solely upon himself without asking. Lacuna was shaken by the mention of them, and Aureum was deemed useless.
She hadn't chosen to share the information about her needles. It's not like they would help out much with the beasts.
Beasts followed sorcerers in some principles but were different in others.
Like sorcerers, they had a source of mana, a pearl, condensed somewhere on or in the body. Unlike sorcerers, it occurred due to the mana concentration in their environment, food, or water supply. It was unintentional.
Therefore, they formed the same natural resilience that sorcerers had to malicious mana.
Most sorcerers could deal with malicious attacks of mana of a weaker level subconsciously. It was a bit like how a drop of water turns to steam in front of a fierce fire.
Elemental theory came into play. Wind fed fire, but found it difficult to move stone, and so on. Past a certain point of disparity, however, elemental weaknesses hardly meant anything.
A pebble is easily thrown by a hurricane.
And sorcerers who translated mana to physical force had better chances of ignoring the disparity, along with greater resistance to spells affecting them.
The mana was fed into their body, after all.
This is why Aureum needed Vitreum back at the party. The other sorcerers in attendance might not have even noticed her attempts to cause a disruption, let alone fall to it.
As long as Vitreum layered enough, Aureum's intent to steal her breath would eventually be naturally overwritten by the body's latent mana. It would seek equilibrium, while Aureum's mana would run out of strength as she walked away without focusing on it.
Maybe I can figure out a less violent way next time.
Aureum shook her head.
But back to the point of this when it came to beasts. It meant that they were often resistant to sorcerers' abilities.
Unlike sorcerers, beasts had extreme changes in the body from regular animals. They were usually larger, sometimes with an elemental mutation. Though mutation only occurred if the pearl contained a majority of a certain type of mana.
Beasts, unlike sorcerers, had impure pearls. These "muddy pearls" mixed mana types, potentially giving multiple benefits to the monsters. It made it difficult to tell all their strengths at first glance.
All attempts to replicate these pearls for humans ended poorly. The natural balance of a beast's pearl became destructive if minor variations of the elements were off. Even basic element combinations, like wind feeding fire, often led to the pearl making mana that was uncontrollable, or the pearl exploding.
They're treated as freaks of nature, but it seems more like nature's natural response to the amount of mana the wars between sorcerers caused.
Yet that still makes them unnatural, I suppose.
Beasts were far outnumbered by the people in Aeternitus with pearls, but their abilities also far outweighed the majority.
A beast's abilities were instinctive, so they converted a majority of their mana to brute force. They were natural physical sorcerers.
They gained the long lifespans of sorcerers, and once they learned to use the mana in more sophisticated ways, most sorcerers were useless against them.
The greatest advantages sorcerers usually had against them were numbers and intelligence.
Neither of which Aureum and company had.
They had no intelligence on the wolves. They barely knew the basics.
Sitis was an experienced beast hunter, but serpents and panthers were not wolves. He didn't know what elements or tactics the species usually relied on.
Aureum also had no useful knowledge when it came to that. She had spent most of her life listening to politics, dancing, and trying to fly.
The sorcerers of Nix would go on hunts against a certain beast if it veered too close to a nearby village, but it wasn't a common occasion. She didn't move in those circles at first, and later, when she would have plied them for information and tricks, she wasn't allowed to attend the smaller celebrations.
When it came to numbers, Aureum might as well not be counted.
Her needles wouldn't even pierce the hide of a stronger beast, even if they weren't a direct attack of mana.
Remember, beasts used mana to reinforce their bodies, which included their hides. She could aim for a place less protected, but only the eyes would be decent targets.
And they would be on the head, attached to a mouth of snarling teeth. Not to mention it wouldn't stand around to be hit.
Maybe if Sitis grabs one. But how would I get a clean shot?
Also, how many shots would she reasonably have? Three? Four?
"Aureum," Lacuna said, "Why do you think the wolves would come down here? Don't beasts usually avoid places where people come?"
"...That's a good point. Maybe the road doesn't have enough traffic right now for them to care?"
That didn't sound right. They'd passed a few merchants already and even hitched a short ride on one's wagon. The road from Triviis to Fluentem didn't have the full load of traffic from the Night of Lights, but it wasn't an empty one now either.
Of course, they'd mentioned the wolves to those they passed by. Some had wagons and guards and didn't put much worry into the words. Even the few without wagons were physical sorcerers, just to make carrying their goods easier.
We're probably the group moving the slowest.
"Right..." Lacuna's grip tightened on her staff.
"Hey, we'll be all right."
The words felt hollow as Aureum said them.
"We're probably worrying over nothing. Like you said, they might pass us right on by. Leaving us noisy humans alone."
"We can hope for that," Lacuna said.
My reassurances are so weak even Lacuna didn't fall for them. Mom would always give me a hug, but I can't really do that here. Can I?
In her hesitation, Sitis interjected.
"I'll protect you, Lacuna," Sitis said. "There's nothing to worry about."
"Thanks."
Lacuna looked again to the ground, a shy smile on her face.
And what about me? Do I get any protection? When is someone going to protect me?!
Aureum kept her lonely thoughts to herself. She'd protect herself, as she usually did. Even if her history was a bit of a spotted record on that front.
It'll be easier to protect myself without my hands being chained. I'll be fantastic alone!
However, that still left the question of what she would do if the wolves did come. What she could do.
It might be best to leave Sitis to hold them off and run for help with the cloak. At least that might help him focus on protecting Lacuna that way.
But from where? If they really did cause Sitis that much trouble, they'd need skilled help. Not the kind that would come from any village. Only a city-state would do. The city-state of Fluentem would have its own guard.
There might even be a division for hunting beasts. But even with the cloak, it would still take around a day and a half to get there.
By the time she returned, it would be too late to do any good.
Stop thinking about the worst outcome, nothing is set in stone yet.
The wolves could already be behind them. Even if they did follow they might not attack. And if they attack, they could be easy to deal with.
Problem was that there were a lot of ifs. Aureum wasn't settled with it, but come rain or shine, she could only do her best with what she had on hand.
One day, my life is going to be different than this. And I won't be running from the shadows of wolves.
She gritted her teeth.
The day wore on with little to ease the tension. It made Aureum feel like she had a constant itch she couldn't scratch.
Sitis, bearing the brunt of the responsibility for the situation, seemed the least changed. Although he was terse, he didn't snap at anyone.
Aureum quietly admitted to herself that she understood some of his appeal to Lacuna.
The hours wore on, and by evening, Aureum wondered if her luck had struck well this time.
It happened, on occasion.
But when they heard the howls, such optimism was dashed.
"Behind me!" Sitis said.
He stood his ground awaiting their approach. Lacuna stood behind him, her quarterstaff ready. Aureum pulled two needles out, one for each hand, and kept her distance.
It was a surprisingly decent strategy for not having planned it.
They came. There were two. One was gray, and the other white.
At first, it was difficult to see their size or details. There was no hurry for them. The pair kept a slow pace and stopped a few dozen yards away.
They're... keeping their distance on purpose, aren't they? Trying to make us panic before we even fight.
Two pairs of eyes filled with reflected fire burned in their direction. The sun that sunk was like Aureum's hope.
As every second dropped it down, she found herself wondering how far she could get from this situation if she used her cloak. With one leap she could make enough headway to get a good start.
But... No.
She looked at the two figures in front of her and stood her ground.
None of them dared to say a word.
Finally, the wolves began to move again. Barely shown in the dim light, their dark figures stepped closer. Each step was frighteningly smooth, especially as they came closer and their size could be seen.
Their height made Sitis, a man a good two feet taller than Aureum, look like a child. Twigs tangled out of their fur.
No, those aren't twigs tangled in the fur.
"Lacuna, Aureum," Sitis said, "Run!"
"NO—
"Come on, give him some faith!"
Out of everyone, a stone sorcerer that reinforced their body would stand the best chance of a direct confrontation with those teeth.
Lacuna and Aureum were just fresh meat.
Aureum gripped Lacuna's arm and jerked her back. She ran while almost dragging the other woman behind her.
Thunk!
A strange wooden sound made her glance back.
A large vine was blocked by Sitis. It came from the back of one of the wolves.
Oh. Not even a little bit!
Aureum turned back around and ran even faster.
Lacuna kept up, as best as she was able. Within moments they both were gasping. They pushed themselves to a breakneck pace.
One moment stretched into another. Sounds broke out from behind them, but they kept running until they became distant. It could have been minutes. It felt like decades.
Aureum sensed the whistle of the wind.
Quicker than a breath, she turned and shoved Lacuna to the ground. The vine shot overhead.
One of the wolves was coming after them. It looked like the white one.
Sitis had only managed to hold off one.
One hand pushed up. The other skidded on the gravel of the road. Before she fully understood it Aureum stood upright.
Hand in the pocket, she'd dropped the needles she held. Pull it out. Toss.
The throw was a failure. The needle spun out head over butt. Never straight. It was always a failure.
But the wind never failed.
With much more delicacy than her fingers, Aureum's mana caught the needle. With strength of focus, she righted its body and spun with all the force she could muster.
It shot in a curved trajectory, honing in on the beast's eye.
A howl broke forth from the beast as its head jerked back.
This all happened in a few short seconds.
Aureum turned to pick up Lacuna, who was half up. She pulled but Lacuna jerked out of her hand. She turned as Lacuna walked unsteadily in front of her.
"It's not dead! We need to run!"
Lacuna didn't respond, stumbling towards the beast holding her quarterstaff.
Has the fear made her senseless?
She pulled out a few more needles as she ran towards the woman and the beast.
It snarled down at Lacuna, towering over her demure frame.
"I'm so sorry," Lacuna murmured, as sharp light flickered around her.
The air itself crackled.
She lifted her staff up.
The beast charged her.
"Lacuna!"
At this point, Aureum understood Lacuna was trying something, but whether it would be enough, or if the beast would get there first, no one could tell.
She flung two more needles, the wind carrying them further. But they deflected harmlessly off the fur.
Lacuna brought the staff down.
Lightning struck.
In an arc that split the dark sky and bathed all in a flash of light, it struck the beast, flinging it a few yards back. Lacuna flew back as well, in the opposite direction.
In the sudden dark, the smell of burnt fur stank in the air.
Lacuna pulled herself up, but could only manage to sit. Aureum raced towards her.
"Are you all right?" She spoke as she crouched in front of her, holding her shoulders.
Lacuna nodded. She looked up, and Aureum saw the shine of tears in her eyes.
Aureum pulled Lacuna into a hug.
"You did great! You were so brave and cool—
"No!" Lacuna said, pushing Aureum away. "There's nothing cool about what I did."
Aureum stood up alongside her, as Lacuna used her staff to help her hubble towards the smoking mound of fur.
She looked down at it for a moment.
"Is it dead?"
Her voice rose into a panicked pitch at the words.
Oh, no. No, we don't have time for this.
"I don't know."
Aureum spoke as she walked in front of Lacuna's view. It took her will to turn her back on it, but she could sense it wasn't breathing.
"Can you do another one of those?"
Lacuna shook her head. Aureum resisted the urge to forcibly move her away from the body. There was no time to calm someone down.
"I need... time," she said. "Time to gather enough mana. And if somebody else is nearby, they'll get caught in it too! Sitis uses his bare hands!"
Her body shook.
"All right, so we'll—
Aureum caught the look of horror in Lacuna's eyes before she felt the wind move.
She pushed Lacuna back. Something sharp grazed her shoulder. Stumbling forward, Aureum turned.
There was the other wolf, the larger gray one.
"Sitis..." Lacuna said.