Leo's breathing was steady as he stood by the entrance to the cave, looking at the little wolf cub. Its gray coat was dirty, with fragments of twigs and leaves stuck to it, but its gold eyes shone with curiosity.
Neither of them moved for a long time.
Then the cub wagged its tail.
Leo tensed, instinctively gripping his spear tighter. Was it waiting for the rest of the pack? Was this a trap?
But instead of running off or attacking, the little cub trotted forward with an awkward, clumsy gait and nuzzled against his leg.
Leo immediately took a step back. "You've gotta be kidding me."
The cub yipped happily, as if it had just found its mother.
Leo winced. This thing was a wolf. Same creatures that had assaulted his team on the first night of this realm. His right eye still tingled from recalling the feel of the claws of Blood Claw Ursan raking across his cheek.
And this cub did not seem. threatening.
Leo took a deep breath, rubbing at his temple. He had bigger fish to fry. His mind came back around to the gigantic creature he'd caught a glimpse of earlier.
The Blood Claw Ursan.
That beast was still loose, and with all the harm that had been suffered from fighting with the wolves, it was only a matter of time before it started seeking easier targets.
Like him.
Leo crouched down next to the fire pit, thinking. He needed to expect the Blood Claw Ursan was going to reach his cave eventually. Begging and expecting it not to was suicide.
If he was going to fight, then he needed to make the battlefield work for him.
Possible strategies:
1. Traps – A direct combat would be a death sentence. The Ursan was bigger, faster, and had crazy regen. But what if he disabled it first? He could dig pitfalls or set spikes traps in front of the entrance to the cave. The problem was time—it would take too long to dig anything deep enough.
2. Spears & Distance Fighting – If he stayed at distance and used long spears, he might manage a critical hit. The catch? If the Ursan closed with him, he was dead.
3. Fire – The Blood Claw Ursan was not a ferocious beast of mindlessness, but an animal nonetheless. If it had a vulnerable spot, it was fire. If Leo cased his cave perimeter with fire or torches, then maybe he could get it to stall. But would fire kill it?
Leo blew out air. There was no perfect solution.
But fire and spears seemed his best bet.
He'd need to stockpile firewood, sharpen spears, and prepare his location ahead of the Ursan showing up sniffing around.
Enjoying a challenge, Leo shouldered his gear and stepped into the forest to start foraging.
The wolf cub followed along behind him.
Leo scowled. "Why are you still here?"
The cub just tilted its head, wagging its tail.
Leo ignored it and went on with his work. He stripped bark, gathered sturdy branches, and even collected more resin to use as fire starter. As he was dragging a log back to the cave, he suddenly noticed movement from the corner of his eye.
The cub trotted up to him—dragging a dead rabbit in its jaws.
Leo blinked. "…You're kidding."
The cub dropped the rabbit proudly, looking up at him as if expecting praise.
For a moment, Leo just stared.
Then, he let out a short chuckle. "Guess you're not completely useless."
The cub barked happily.
Leo wasn't sure if it actually understood him or was just happy he wasn't shooing it away anymore. Either way, it had proven useful.
Still, he couldn't let himself get attached.
It was a wolf.
By the time Leo went back to the cave, night fell outside. His muscles ached from lugging supplies, but he wasn't finished yet.
The stranger still slept, unmoving in his position. He'd been that way all day.
Leo furrowed his brow. He ought to have woken up at least once, shouldn't he?
Barring that thought, he set the rabbit aside to clean it for the pot. The cub was curled by the door, watching him with curiosity.
Then—
Something shifted at the edge of his vision.
Leo's fist automatically tightened on his spear.
He turned his head slowly.
Out of the blackness of the trees, he saw glimpses of silver. Then a second. A third.
Four wolves.
They weren't chasing. They weren't attacking.
They were watching.
Their unnatural shine in the dark, their eyes focused on the cub beside him.
Leo did not move.
The wolves did not either.
The fire crackled between them, a thin barrier of flickering flames. The cub whined and crept nearer to Leo.
The wolves took one step nearer.
Leo tightened his hold on his spear.
To Be Continued…