The ground trembled beneath Arthur's feet as the massive wolf stalked forward, its glowing blue eyes fixated on him and Adora. The lesser wolves fanned out around their leader, their growls forming a chorus of impending doom. The air was thick with frost, the unnatural cold radiating from the beast making it harder to breathe.
Arthur cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders, ignoring the sharp sting from his wounds. "So, Adora, you ever fight something this big before?"
Adora, still catching her breath, twirled her blade. "Nope. But there is a first time for everything, right?"
Arthur grinned. "That's the spirit."
The enormous wolf let out a thunderous snarl and charged. Arthur barely had time to react before it swiped at him with a paw the size of his torso. He dodged at the last second, the force of the attack sending snow flying in all directions.
Adora sprinted forward, her blade glowing with light energy. She leapt, aiming for the wolf's exposed flank, but a lesser wolf intercepted her mid-air, knocking her to the ground. She rolled, slashing upward and cutting the creature's throat in one swift motion.
Arthur, meanwhile, was trying not to get turned into minced meat. "Damn, this thing doesn't fight like the Commander. No tactics, just pure power."
Adora stabbed another wolf in the side and kicked its body away. "Well, that's good, right?"
Arthur barely avoided another swipe. "Yeah, if we survive long enough to use that against it. I always like to say... Fighting a mindless enemy is easier than fighting a weaker but intelligent enemy."
The massive wolf howled, causing the air itself to vibrate. The remaining lesser wolves responded instantly, lunging in unison.
Arthur spun his blade in a wide arc, slashing through two at once, their icy blood spraying across his already stained armor. One managed to clamp onto his arm, its fangs sinking deep. He let out a pained grunt before grabbing its snout with his free hand and twisting violently. The sickening snap was drowned out by the chaos of the battlefield.
Adora dashed toward him, slicing down another wolf as she moved. "Arthur, I have an idea, but you're not gonna like it."
Arthur wiped blood from his mouth. "I already don't like it, but go on."
She glanced at the large wooden beams holding up what remained of the ruined structure behind them. "If we can bait it into charging, I can bring that whole thing down on it."
Arthur glanced at the unstable remains of the building, then back at the massive wolf currently trying to eat them. He grinned. "Alright, let's piss it off."
He ran forward, sword raised. "Hey, you overgrown mutt! I've seen bigger dogs in the slums back home!"
The leading wolf's ears flattened, its lips curling into a snarl realizing that it has been provoked. It lunged with a deafening roar, its claws slashing through the air. Arthur barely dodged, rolling past its massive form and slamming his sword into its hind leg. The wolf howled in fury, whipping around to snap at him, but he was already running.
"Adora, get ready!" Arthur yelled.
Adora stood positioned behind the weak beams, her hands glowing with light energy. "Just make sure you don't get crushed too, idiot!"
Arthur skidded to a stop just in front of the structure, turning to face the wolf. "Come on, big guy. You want me? Come and get me."
The beast roared, its fury overriding any sense of caution. It charged, its massive paws thundering against the icy ground, its breath steaming in the frigid air.
At the last second, Arthur dived out of the way. The wolf crashed into the wooden beams with all its weight, causing the weakened structure to groan and shudder.
"NOW!" Arthur shouted.
Adora unleashed a blast of energy at the top of the structure, shattering the last supports. The entire thing collapsed in an avalanche of wood and ice.
The alpha wolf let out one final, earsplitting howl before it was buried beneath the rubble.
Silence fell over the battlefield.
Arthur lay on his back in the snow, panting. "Please tell me that worked."
Adora limped over, holding her side. She peered at the wreckage, then smirked. "Looks pretty dead to me."
Arthur groaned as he sat up. "Good, because I really didn't feel like fighting that thing again."
He slowly got to his feet and walked toward the pile of broken beams. With a grunt, he grabbed hold of the massive wolf's fur and pulled its severed head free from the wreckage.
Adora wrinkled her nose. "That's disgusting."
Arthur grinned, holding the head up in victory. "Yeah, but it's also badass."
Adora sighed. "You're insufferable."
Arthur slung the wolf's head over his shoulder. "And yet, you keep sticking around."
Adora rolled her eyes but smirked. "It's not like i have any other choices. Come on, let's get back to the camp before something worse shows up, maybe we get wolf soup for dinner." she said laughing.
Together, they made their way back, leaving behind the battlefield littered with bodies, knowing full well that this was just the beginning of something much bigger.