Leaves crackled under their feet as Sen and Murdin worked their way through the forest. Sen carried one wardstone, while Murdin carried another two. They had already found and replaced one of the damaged wardstones. Murdin left the old one where they found it, uncovered. It would burn out soon enough, he said, and it might help reinforce the new one while it lasted.

  Sen shrugged. He wasn’t wrong, and a part of him almost wanted to explain mana to the old mage, but something held him back. He had considered the possibility he might be called insane. After thinking it over a bit more, he thought it didn’t hold as much water as he initially feared. He could show his magic, and that would be proof enough that something was going on. Maybe he would be called blessed by some god - somehow, considering he’d never heard of someone who gained the ability to manipulate fire or any of the other things he could do with his magic. Regardless, Sen thought it might be more annoying than it was worth.

  It wasn’t as though he could do anything special with his magic, anyway - most of the spells he used most had been through meticulous scrollwork inscriptions, and he had never learned the spells in their entirety. That meant, without some reference to copy the runes from, he had no way to use those spells anymore.

  If he did somehow rediscover those spells, this new body of his had none of the skill and ability to use mana that his old body had. It was simple enough to regain those skills, since mana itself worked like a muscle and increased the more it was used, but Sen hadn’t had much use for his mana so far. Not only that, but using it, frankly, reminded him of things he didn’t want to remember.

  They arrived at the next wardstone after only a few more minutes of walking. This one was out of the way, and nestled in the shade of a large rock overhang. Murdin pulled the old cylinder from its home at the base of the rock, nearly indistinguishable from the rock itself. How did Murdin know where they all were?

  He placed the new one in, and then Sen heard a soft scraping sound before everything went to chaos.

  He turned to see a giant shadow leaping toward him, only to be pushed, hard. Sen landed on the rough dirt nearby, disoriented, confusion filling his mind.

  He looked up to see a giant wolf-like creature, with sharp claws and giant teeth, one leg extended and pushing Murdin against the rocky overhang.

  The mage looked dazed, but surprisingly managed to bring his sword to bear in only a short moment. He struck at the creature, and to Sen’s surprise, managed to pierce its eye.

  The giant wolf cried out in pain as it jumped away from Murdin. It looked toward the two of them with hatred and anger in its eyes. A murderous growl fell from its throat, hackles rising along its back. The thing stood taller than Sen at the shoulder. Its body flowed long and sinuous, large teeth peeking out from its mouth. Several drips of saliva flew from its mouth as the grating sound clawed its way from the creature’s throat. Sen might have called it beautiful, in a deadly way, if the thing hadn’t been ready to kill him.

  It took far too long, but Sen regained his feet, using his staff to pull him up. Murdin looked to be in rough shape. Sen saw no injuries on him, aside from a long white mark across the man’s robes where the creature smashed him against the wall, but that didn’t mean there was no damage.

  A blunt weapon was still a weapon, and Sen shivered at the idea of a giant wolf smashing him into a rock. Even as Sen glanced toward the mage, he saw blood begin to run from the mage’s mouth.

  “Murdin! Are you alright?” Sen called out.

  “…Fine,” the mage murmured, breath ragged. He spat to the side, crimson splattering on the ground. With a wild howl, the creature rushed forward once more. It ignored Sen, its single working eye aimed directly toward Murdin.

  Sen moved forward, attempting to poke at the creature, but it ducked under his weapon. He mentally kicked himself as he realized the staff was still missing its tip. A simple thrust would be nearly useless. He tried to adjust his strike and swing down against the creature, but his attack did little more than glance off its huge hide.

  Murdin stepped forward and met the monster’s teeth against his blade. The two struggled against each other, and Sen felt his mouth open in awe. Murdin had just held his own against a monster that towered over him.

  The clash was short-lived. Murdin’s struggle was clear, and instead of letting the creature push him against the wall and crush him underneath, he jumped out of the way. He gave the monster a parting shot against its open mouth as he moved.

  The sudden shift left the wolf-thing off balance, and it headbutted the overhanging wall, body crumpling up as it crashed. Sen wanted to laugh at the sight, but the threat of imminent death was too much. He scrambled to pull the spear-tip from his bag, connecting the pieces as quickly as he could. By the time he had assembled the spear, the giant wolf was back on its feet, looking between Sen and Murdin.

  Murdin held a hand to his side, and Sen saw a slight limp in each step. It wasn’t much, and hopefully not enough to take him out of the fight, but it was enough to be a problem. Sen stepped forward, spear at the ready.

  The creature eyed him warily, following the spear as Sen moved it in a short pattern meant to disguise when he actually attacked. Sen feinted with the spear, and the creature fell back onto two legs, standing tall, and towering over both Sen and Murdin several times over. That its body was long and thin served as little consolation.

  A stone sailed through the air, striking the creature’s wide open belly. It seemed to do nothing for an infinitely short moment, but Sen was used to the slight, usually unnoticeable delay.

  A slight pop, and the stone shattered against the giant wolf’s stomach. It cried a sickening whimper, and collapsed against the floor. Sen jumped forward, stabbing against its legs with his spear. At the same time, he pulled a stone free from his bag, and tossed it toward the creature’s face. It exploded with just as much effect as the first, leaving the creature dazed. Sen managed to stab it several times before the creature scrambled its way back up and forced him to retreat. Murdin stood back, pain obvious on his face.

  The more telling sign, though, was that he hadn’t taken the chance to attack when it was available. Sen’s worry skyrocketed at that, but he couldn’t let that distract him.

  The wolf rushed at him, a howl of rage ripping free from its throat. Instead of attacking him directly, it jumped to the side, and Sen realized the creature flipped to send its tail toward him. A wall of fur and muscle swept its way toward him.

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  Sen ducked, but the tail still managed to swipe him away and send him sprawling. Mentally cursing, Sen stood as fast as he could, but the wolf was already working its way back toward him. Sen only barely managed to avoid the snap of its jaws. He attempted to fend it off with his spear, and he felt the weight of flesh under the tip of the spear, but it only seemed to stoke the creature’s anger.

  Another stone landed against its paw, thrown by Murdin. It did damage, but not nearly enough. It looked toward the mage with murder in its eyes, then howled and leapt forward.

  Murdin stepped back, avoiding bite after bite with deft steps. He held his own, but it was clear that wouldn’t last much longer. Sen could see the hesitation in his steps, and he moved significantly slower than during their spars. Sen rushed forward, seeing an opening. His spear jammed into the creature’s side, where the foreleg met the body. He pushed it in, deep, hoping to hit something important. Most creatures had a heart near there, and hopefully this one did, too.

  The thing yelped and jerked away, pulling the spear with it. Blood oozed down the shaft in a small river, but it still wasn’t enough. Murdin, slightly recovered, peppered the creature with exploding stones, but the creature has already started to avoid them.

  How troublesome.

  The situation seemed bleak, but Sen felt no worry - not for himself, at least. He’d been through worse than this, after all. If anything, the fear that he should have felt had transformed itself into a sharp excitement that worked its way through his veins. He felt alive.

  Unfortunately, he might not be for much longer. Head down, eyes alive with hatred, the creature stalked forward, one step after another. Its size towered large enough that each footfall thumped against the ground, and its claws tapped an ominous beat.

  It jumped forward, and Sen held out both hands. The feel of mana ran through his body. From his left, a bright light, rapidly flashing between many different colors. The creature cried out at that, but that wasn’t everything he had for it. From his other hand, Sen let forth a ball of flame. It moved quickly, and aimed directly toward the creature’s open mouth. It struck true.

  Pain and panic spasmed through the monster before them, faint howls and yips of pain escaping its burnt mouth. The creature turned and ran, it’s bulk moving with incredible speed.

  A soft thud sounded behind him, and Sen turned to see Murdin on his knees, face pale. His breath came in soft wheezes. “Murdin!” Sen called toward the other man.

  His words are airy and labored, each one a struggle. “We can’t let that thing get away,” Murdin said.

  “Are you crazy? I need to take you back to town.” Sen put an arm around the mage’s shoulder and lightly pulled him up. Murdin didn’t argue, but Sen could see the pain on his face as the man stood. “I’m sorry,” he said after they began walking. “You took that hit for me. You should have let it get me.”

  “No,” Murdin wheezed. “Can’t let my apprentice die before I can make something of him,” the mage said, a slight smirk on his face. It might have been endearing, but for the dribble of blood that ran from his mouth.

  Sen redoubled his efforts. The walk through the forest was, thankfully, uneventful. Murdin walked slowly, but he kept a steady pace, despite the pain. They didn’t speak - Murdin for obvious reasons, and Sen because nothing he could say would solve anything.

  He needed to go back for the wardstones, but that could be dealt with later. Murdin needed help, and Sen had no ability to heal. He hoped someone in Shiren did.

  They entered the town to a slight buzz as several people saw Murdin and whispered. Sen saw someone run off, and they had barely made it into town before a group of people showed up, Mayor Metra at the head.

  “Murdin! Sen! What happened?” Concern and worry filled her voice.

  “Attacked,” Murdin tried to say, but it came out as only a soft whisper, too quiet for anyone other than Sen to hear.

  “We were attacked,” Sen explained in his stead. “A giant wolf-like monster. Taller than either of us at the shoulder, and fierce.

  “A garoush,” Tudan said, face dark. Someone in the group gasped, a guardsman dressed in leather armors with a short spear and a small shield covered with leather. Tane knew his name - Boret.

  A man and a woman ran up to Murdin. Sen recognized the man as a doctor who lived in Shiren. He presumed the woman was his assistant. “What happened?” The man asked.

  “Smashed against a stone wall,” Sen explained as the doctor searched Murdin for injuries, all the while leading the two of them. The doctor pulled Murdin’s other arm across his shoulders, leading the mage down one road as Sen followed, mostly just there to help support Murdin.

  Sen heard Boret mutter behind him, the mayor and her group following quietly. “A garoush? Here? And something strong enough to injure Murdin?”

  Another man whispered back, but Sen couldn’t hear any more of the conversation as they sped up, the doctor’s assistance helping to drag Murdin faster than he could push himself to move. His breaths were coming harder, now, a gasping wheeze with each step.

  Soon enough, they reached a large, squat stone building. The doctor and his assistant pulled Murdin inside, but told Sen to stay. He turned, worry for his new master coursing through him.

  Metra stood before him, eyes stern. “What happened,” she demanded.

  “We were replacing the wardstones. Then, out of nowhere, the - A garoush? - It attacked us. Murdin pushed me out of the way. It got him, smashed him against the wall.”

  “Did you kill it?” The mayor asked.

  “No,” Sen shook his head.

  With a furious tone, Metra looked away, toward the mountains in the distance. She stepped away from him, arms crossed. Sighing, she turned back. “Anything that can injure Murdin is too dangerous to let live,” she said. “Tudan, begin preparations to organize a hunt. Call all able-bodied men.”

  Tudan looked at her sharply. “Are you sure, mayor?”

  She nodded. “We have no choice. The destruction a monster like that could wreak havoc all across the town if left unchecked. It can’t be allowed to live.”

  “I can hunt it,” Sen said.

  “I expect you to join the hunting group,” Metra said. “Have no doubt about that.”

  “I can hunt it,” Sen repeated himself, “alone.”

  Metra looked at him, and so did Tudan. A group of guardsmen that accompanied the two stared at him, jaws agape.

  “Apprentice, calm yourself. I understand you feel guilty for Murdin’s injury, but attempting to kill that thing by yourself is a death wish. You’ll just get yourself killed.”

  “I can do it,” Sen said. He tried to project confidence, but he could tell she didn’t agree.

  “Wait for the hunt, Tane. If, somehow, Murdin doesn’t make it, you’re the closest thing we have to a mage.” Sen could hear the unspoken words in her tone. Even if Sen was only an apprentice mage, the town needed him to stick around. Losing both Murdin and Sen would cause tremendous problems, no matter how inexperienced Sen was.

  Mages were monster hunters. Murdin was the town’s protector, the one who culled anything that could harm the people.

  Now that he was injured, the town didn’t have a solution for anything that came. He could see on the mayor’s face that nothing he said would get her to believe him, so he stopped trying. He couldn’t really disagree with it when he looked at it from her perspective. She knew him only as Tane, a newly minted apprentice. It was unlikely he would be able to kill a monster that had left a master mage as injured as it had Murdin.

  So far as they knew, at least.

  Sen knew he could kill it.

  It would just take a bit of preparation.