Shadow Field Chapter Two- Attack in the Forest

Part One

Chapter Two:
Attack in the Forest

Luke sighed as he faced the edge of the forest that the men had run from. His heart was racing around wildly in his chest, and try as he might to calm it, he couldn't. He was scared, he knew, but he couldn't help it. No matter how strong he tried to act, he was still a kid. He was only seventeen; he was still a scared little kid. He didn't like fighting things in the forest; it was too dangerous. The creatures that lived there frightened him, though he wouldn't admit it to anyone else. He was accustomed to the forest, sure, but the dangers were still there, and they still scared him. But he had a job to do; he had to protect the people there, or at least try to. He'd promised, and he never broke his word. At least as long as he could help it, anyway. Damn it, he didn't want to fight. But he had to; he couldn't let these people down.

He had the power of fire, he knew. He wasn't sure why or how, but he had it. It gave him strength to go on, to face the battle that would soon happen. He could feel his power coursing througout his veins, a comforting throb in the back of his mind. If all else failed, there was still his power. Whatever was out there was hungry, and had already gotten a taste for human blood. It was going to be a dangerous battle. He could feel the men's fear as if it were on his own and knew they were looking to him to lead them, though he wasn't sure why. He wasn't a leader; he wasn't anything. Just a thief without a loving family. He was a nobody. Not a leader. He wanted to tell them that, but knew there wasn't time.

Howls and low, rumbling growls could be heard in the distance, getting nearer and nearer, and a shiver ran down his spine. The fear was quickly rising within him, and he struggled to send it away. It was futile, he knew, but he still had to try. Why was he so frightened? It was just another fight; he'd been in plenty, so why was this one so different? No, it wasn't any different. He'd always been terrified before a fight, before he was too caught up in the heat of the battle to think about fear or pain or anything else. It was the same.

'Kanashi, are you with me?' he asked of his Crusian.

'Yes,' came his answer. 'I am always with you, Luke. But there are many on their way; you must be careful.'

'I know. Aren't I always?'

'Seriously-'

'I know, I know. Killjoy,' he grumbled at his guardian. He took ina shaky breath, trying to calm himself. It was no use. He was just too scared. He hated fighting; absolutely hated it. He hated everything about fighting, but here he was, getting ready to do the thing he hated most. It was strange how he was always doing things to contradict himself; he hated fighting, yet here he was.

With a sigh, he heard the growls close in on them.

Six large, wolf-looking creatures came out from behind the trees, growling and snarling ferociously as they did so. They were standing at about five-foot-two, and they were on four floors. Slowly, they stalked forward, drool dripping from their massive fangs.

Luke felt a hand on his shoulder, and stiffened. There was a small, nervous chuckle, and he turned his head to see his friend Chase standing there, hazel eyes worried.

"Think we can take them?" Chase questioned of him. Chase was a good friend, and was a defender of the people, yet he looked to Luke for leadership. Luke saw it in his eyes.

Luke took in a slow, steady breath and looked back to the wolves as they drew nearer, getting closer and closer with each step that they took. They would be upon them in mere seconds. Men all around them were getting ready for the battle, getting swords and knives and blades. Someone tossed one at him, and he grasped it tightly. It was a small side blade, but it would do for the battle at hand. He glanced back at his friend, and offered a small, reassuring smile. "Yeah...we can take them..." he whispered.

'At least, I hope we can take them,' he thought to himself.

'We can,' Kanashi assured him. 'Don't worry so much.'

'Sorry. I can't help but worry when I'm about to get eaten. Call me crazy, but death by teeth and claws just isn't my thing.'

In his mind, Kanashi rolled his eyes. 'Always sarcastic, huh?'

'Yup, that's me,' he said, and took a breath.

One of the wolves lurched forward...directly at him. He stiffened and got ready, dodging just before the wolf could hit him. the wolf's claws whipped right by his head, and he flinched, but was out of danger for now. He heard Chase take a sharp intake of breath, and knew he was worried.

A second wolf leaped forward, and he braced himself, as he knew he wouldn't be able to dodge. The wolf tackled him to the ground, snapping repeatedly at his neck. He brought the side blade up and slashed at the wolf, pushing it away. The wolf slowly backed up, hungrily snapping at him, and managed to nip his arm, sinking its teeth into him. He let out a gasp and brought the blade down. the wolf moved just in time, and he pulled his arm back, holidng it tightly against himself as he got to his feet.

Chase was next to him in a heartbeat, prying his arm away from him. He frowned, inspecting it. "Luke-" he started in a worried tone of voice.

"I know," Luke cut in. "I don't care. Look out!" he suddenly shouted, and dove forward, tackling Chase to the ground. A wolf went flying over their heads, and Luke gave a grunt as they hit the ground. He rolled over off of Chase and got to his feet. Chase did the same.

Another wolf dove for them, and Luke lashed out at it with his side blade, cutting the wolf's head open. The wolf gave a wild yelp and backed up, racing back into the trees and out of sight. With a breath to calm his nerves, he dove forward and started slashing at the remained four, as one had gone off after someone else. He got two in the paw, and they yelped, but didn't leave.

He was suddenly hit from behind, and felt a painful stinging in his back, as if fire were suddenly coursing throughout his body. With a breathless gasp, he sank to his knees, his mind fogged by pain. It felt like he was on fire, which was ironic, since he oculd control fire.

"Luke!" Chase called out, and raced to him. Or, at least he tried to. A wolf attacked him, causing him to halt.

'Luke,' Kanashi called out to him. Even in his mind, the voice sounded so far away. 'Luke, can you hear me? You have to get up. If you don't you're dead meat.'

'I...I know...' he told his guardian. He took in a deep, wincing breath, and slowly staggered to his feet, only to be knocked back down as a claw came in contact with his left shoulder. He spun around for a second, and then went down hard on his back. His back stung even more as it hit the dirt, and he let out a hiss of pain.

"Luke! Hold on!" came Chase's voice, but it sounded so very, very far away.

Slowly, he struggled to his feet again, swaying slightly. The world spun for a moment, but then stopped. With a shaky breath, he lashed out at a wolf, slicking it's side open. It howled and lunged for him at the same time as another. He couldn't move. One tore into his side with its razor-sharp claws, and he cried out. The other tackled him and he hit the ground hard, lying on his back, the wolf snapping at him. His vision blurred, he struggled to keep the wolf from biting through his neck.

The wolf, snarling savagely, pushed hard, and bit into his shoulder, right by his neck,a nd began shaking its head. He howled out in pain, but it was weak, and he felt the blood leaving him.

'Luke,' Kanashi cried out in his mind. 'Luke, get the wolf off of you and get help!'

Luke weakly raised his blade and slammed it on the wolf's shoulder, causing it to release him and back up. Snarling, it charged forward again, but he was ready, and weakly sliced it through the wolf's side. It yelped and backed away into the bushes, out of sight.

Lying there, panting, he knew what he had to do...

"Luke! Ariiu, hold on!" came Chase's frightened, worried voice. Luke knew he was worried for him, and he gave a weak smile.

"...Chase..." he whispered, and he knew Chase had heard him.

"Get...away. I...fire..."

Somehow, Chase understood. He began moving away, but it was hard,a s the wolf fighting with him wanted to get a bite out of him so badly.

Closing his eyes, Luke summoned his strength. It wasn't as strong as he was used to, but he could feel it all the same. It was there, waiting for him to use it.

'Luke,' cautioned Kanashi. 'Don't do this. You're weakened. There's no telling what could happen to you if you do it. Don't do it.'

'I don't care,' said Luke. 'I said I'd protect them, and I will. As best I can, anyway. I have to do this, Kanashi.'

'...Good luck, then. I will try to help as much as I can, but I make no promises...you...you may not live, Luke...'

'I understand,' he said to the guardian.

"Burn...only the wolves. Only hurt the wolves...burn..." he uttered under his breath. He felt the power all around him, felt the strength leaving him, felt Kanashi trying to help him. He felt everything. He felt, more than heard, Chase call out his name. 'Burn the wolves...all of them...' he thought to himself.

The area around him grew hotter and hotter, and he felt himself growing weaker. He would soon be out of strength, and who knew hwat would happen then. The wolves yelped and began making their way back toward the trees. Men backed up in the other direction, further into the clearing.

And then the power was leaving him, his strength gone, his vision failing.

"Luke! No!" was the last thing he heard before he slipped out of consciousness, and all went black.
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"I think he's waking up," a soft voice said quietly. It sounded worried, but Luke dind't know for sure. His mind was fogged, and he was dimly aware of something moving back and forth across his forehead. He felt so dizzy, and felt like he was going to puke. Clenching his eyes tightly closed, he waited for the feeling to pass. Something was nagging at him in the back of his mind, but he couldn't figure it out. "Luke?" a voice called out to him. "Can you hear me? Luke?"

He didn't bother answering, for he was far too weak and tired to do so. The voice sounded oddly familiar, but he just couldn't place who it was. The pain gripped him hard, and he struggled to control his ragged breathing. Each breath, each beat o fhis heart, sent pain coursing throughout his body, like a deadly fire that was slowly eating away at him from the inside out. HE winced and tried to move, but that just made the pain so much worse. Sweat raced down his face and his eyebrows knitted together as he tried to cope with the deadly fire, but it was just too much...

'Luke, can you hear me?' a voice called inside his head, but it sounded so faint, so very far away. 'Luke?'

He couldn't figure out who the voice was, and it frustrate him. His mind was fogged in pain, making it impossible tot hink straight.

A small, child-like hand gripped his shoulder tightly, frantically. "Luke? Luke, wake up...Luke, please!" came a small, frightened voice.

That voice sounded familiar to him too, but he couldn't place who it was. He struggled to think past the fog in his mind, but it was far too painful, and he quickly gave up trying, and let the fog take him over.

"Please!" the hand gripping his shoulder tightened. Sounds of struggle were heard, and his shoulder shook along with the hand, making his head move slightly, sending a fiery pain pounding inside his head. "Luke, wake up! Please, you have to!"

The hand was jerked away from him, and then there was nothing more. No more noise. No more sound. Nothing.

'Luke, can you hear me? It's me, Kanashi. Remember?' came Kanashi's pleading voice, desperately trying to get through to him.

'Hurts...' he said in his mind. A picture of a male about his height with short black hair and dark green eyes appeared in his mind, frowning greatly.

'I know it hurts, LUke. I'm trying to stop it. Give me a minute, and the pain will ease,' his guardian assure him.

He said no more to the Cursian, and let the pain flow through him, trusting the guardian. And suddenly, the pain began to ease, slipping away from his mind, his body. There was still a throbbing pain, but it was nowhere near as bad as it had been. 'Thank you,' he told Kanashi. Kanashi nodde din his mind, smiling softly.

'You're welcome, Luke. You have me scared there for a minute, you know. What where you thinking, doing something liket hat in your condition?' the guardian scolded, scowling. 'You could ahve easily gotten yourself killed.'

'But I didn't,' he assured him. 'Did I?'

'No, you didn't. But still, you idiot, you had me worried. Are you feeling okay? You took quite a blow to the back and to the side, and the fire drained your energy. You lost a lot of blood from that shoulder wound. How are you feeling?'

'...I guess I'm feeling okay,' he told Kanashi. 'I'll live, don't worry.

'Oh, I know you'll live. If you were going to die, I'd either be very, very upset, or very angry with you. I'm neither. You'll live, that's for sure. But it was close, you know. You had Keyen and Warin terrified when they ran down and found you on the ground.'

'...They found me?'

'Well, yeah. They broke free of their mother and came onto the battlefield. They got to you before anyone else did. Keyen was looking to his elder brother for help, but Warin didn't really have any help to give. Kip was scared, too. He thought you were either dead, or were going to die, when they brought you back here.'

'Who was just in here?'

'Warin was. He's scared that you'll die. You seem to have made quite an impression on them.'

'Yeah, I guess I have,' he said. Kanashi smiled in his mind. 'Wait...how long have I been out, Kanashi?'

Kanashi sighed in his mind. 'About three or four days, I'd say. They weren't too sure you'd make it, ut you're doing better now. You should be just fine.'

'That's good. Hey...where's Terin? Is he okay?'

'He's just fine. Relax. He's worried about you, but he's just fine. He's been staying with Drake. Drake was here earlier, looking you over. He's worried as well.'

'...Everyone's worried, huh?'

'Pretty much. You've made quite an impression on these people. They care for you. You're like...a hero or something to them.'

'I guess...'

'Well, rest a little more. You're still weakened,' said his guardian. 'When you wake up again, you should feel a little better. I'm trying to completely take the pain away, but it'll take me a few more minutes to make it numb. Get some rest, and we'll talk again soon.'

'...Okay,' he said to Kanashi, and he felt himself sinking into unconsciousness. He tried to fight it, to stay awake for just a little longer, but the pull of the darkness was just too powerful, and, with an intense wave of dizziness, he was out again.