More Than Three’s A Crowd

The voice came from above. A man dropped down from the branches, landing in front of her like it was nothing. He rested a huge double-bladed axe across his shoulders, carrying it as if it weighed no more than a stick. His red hair was a mess, his grin cocky, and his eyes focused, amused at the chaos around him.

Yuri looked him over, he was bare-chested and built like a fighter, bits of dark armor clung to his arms and waist. An orange coat hung open around him, silver patterns flashing in the light as it swayed with his steps. He gave the wolves a quick glance, smirk still fixed in place, before looking back at her.

“ Names Baro… Be sure to reserve the name of the man who saved you.” He said grinning.

Baro’s grin barely had time to settle before a wolf sprang from the left. He snapped his axe up, steel clashing against fangs, and shoved the beast back with a snarl. Another came straight at him. He grabbed Yuri by the waist and yanked her in, spinning them both aside. The axe swung low and smashed the wolf out of the air, sending it tumbling across the dirt.

With no chance to breathe, two more rushed him. He twisted the hilt of his axe, slid it to his other hand, and cut one down clean, the blade splitting fur and bone. The second lunged above. Baro ducked under, rammed his shoulder into its ribs, and tossed it over his back with a grunt.

The pack circled around them closer, growls vibrating in the ground under Baros boots. One darted from the side quickly, snapping at his leg. He dropped the axe blade down, clipping its muzzle, then kicked it hard enough to send it yelping. Another rushed him head-on. Baro planted his foot, swung wide, and caught it mid-stride, the axe cut deep, knocking the beast limp.

Another shadow lunged from his blind side. Yuri went to yell to watch out behind him but Baro spun too late…Suddenly, light broke through the treeline… it was pale blue with a shimmer of gold. The wolf jerked mid-leap, cut clean through, its body falling in two halves. Dust and light scattered in the air. A man stepped out of it, armored in silver and white with gold trim that caught the moonlight. His cape shifted in the breeze, and the light of the moon caught on the golden lines etched across his chestplate.

But on the next step his boot clipped a root. He stumbled, caught himself quick, and straightened like nothing happened. Baro held back a laugh, but the man didn’t so much as glance at him.

His eyes stayed on the wolves. His voice came out low and calm.

“Stay behind me.” He said, and then Baro laughed again.

“ She’s kinda on the floor, get it together Keito, we’re heroes right now!”

More wolves came from the trees, snarled and then …. They attacked.

Keito planted his feet, shield raised, and caught the first on his arm. The beast snapped at his face, but Keito twisted his wrist and shoved it aside. His sword followed instantly, thrusting straight through its chest. Baro on the other hand was already moving. He stepped onto Keito’s braced shield and used it like a ramp, launching himself upward. He came down hard, axe blade burying into the skull of the wolf behind Keito.

Another wolf snapped its teeth towards Keito’s leg. He dropped his shield, pinning it to the ground, while Baro swung his axe over his shoulder, cleaving through the beast’s spine.

They turned together as a wolf tried to leap past Keito for Yuri. Baro shoved Keito in the back, hard. Keito didn’t fight it, he stumbled forward just enough for his sword to slide up through the wolf’s ribs. In the same motion, Baro spun behind him, his axe cutting the head off another that had gone for Keito’s blind spot. They moved rough but in unison, covering each other without pause.

By the time the next wave of wolves came, the dirt was mixed with blood, and the wolves were circling warily. The two of them stood shoulder to shoulder, chests heaving, blades dripping. With one last push, one wolf feinted left, as another came from the right. Keito blocked the first with his shield but Baro felt a pang in his chest as the second one lunged at Keitos blind spot. It lunged for his side, jaws wide when Yuri screamed.

“Nooo!” She threw up her hand before she even knew what she was doing.

Between Keito and the wolf, water pulled itself out of the air, swirling fast into a sphere. It shimmered and rippled, wrapping him in a bubble that bent the wolf’s fangs away. The wolf snapped, clawed, but every strike slid harmlessly across the moving surface. Baro didn’t wait. He stepped in and split the wolf’s head clean with a single stroke. Blood sprayed over the bubble, then ran off as the water swirled and moved.

The gem on Yuri’s forehead glowed again. Her fingers trembled, but she pushed her hand forward. The bubble collapsed into a surge that exploded outward, smashing into another wolf and hurling it into a tree with a bone-cracking thud. Baro turned, chest heaving, a grin breaking across his face.

“Well, look at you.” He said.

Keito glanced back at her, his calm demeanor shaken just enough to show surprise. “Thank you” he said quietly, steadying himself behind the shimmer of fading water.

The pack hesitated. One took a step back. Another whimpered. Then, almost as one, they dispersed. Tails tucked, ears flat, the wolves slipped back into the trees, vanishing into the dark the same way they’d come. Yuri’s hand dropped. The glow on her forehead dimmed. Her knees buckled before she even realized it was over. Keito caught her as she collapsed, his sword still in one hand, shield sagging at his side.

“Easy,” he muttered, lowering her gently.

Baro wiped his axe against his leg and let out a sharp laugh, though his chest heaved with exhaustion.

“Hell of an entrance,” he said, glancing at Keito. Then he looked down at the unconscious girl in Keito’s arms, his grin softening just slightly.

“Didn’t know she had that in her.”

Keito didn’t answer. His eyes lingered on Yuri’s face, who was this girl ? And what the hell was she doing in the middle of the forest this late?

Flash.

A scream tore through the air, lungs then filled with water. Everything was confusing as the world seemed to spin around her. No matter how many times she forced her eyes open she couldn’t see anything. 

Flash. 

She is sitting at a table, drenched, her brothers and father were at the table with her just eating. She tried to speak but only water spilled from her mouth. She grabbed her throat, and tears filled her eyes. 

Flash. 

She was lying next to her mother, smiling up at her. She felt the warm of the sun on her, yet she couldn’t remember where she was. She looked at her mother. Then tears filled her eyes, there was so much she wanted to say to her. She sat up and opened her mouth, but then suddenly. 

Flash.

Her eyes opened again and she was in a dark room on a bed. She looked around. 

“ Calm down, we brought you to the nearest inn. You’re safe here.” 

She looked up and saw the two guys from earlier, and they were huddled on a bed opposite from her. The sight of both of them sitting on the small bed in the darkness just did something to her, and she burst into laughter. Their faces were very confused, but she couldn’t help but laugh and then with a nice sigh, she fell back asleep. These two definitely weren’t dangerous, and honestly she had just been through a lot , she’d start fresh in the morning.