Tales of the Frozen Tundra: Part Four

by diamonn

The badly bruised Lupe stood on all fours and watched as the Snow Beast stood in astonishment. The blotched red liquid on his fur dried up as his back straightened. The only explanation was a word muttered from the majestic wolf.

"Heal." Up from the ground a mist arose, thickening into black smoke and engulfed him.

"Smoke screen," it was labeled.

The ghoulish beast stumbled through the corridor and around the catacomb, into the open field , where the astute Lupe was waiting. Here, he had an advantage. While the beast was clumsy and could easily be spotted, the Lupe was smaller and sleeker, swifter and sweeter and was white as snow - making him almost undetectable. It was his natural stealth. He crouched low to the ground, and as the beast scoured the area, he dove into his ribs, teeth out. Pushing away, the Lupe landed back on his feet. He slowly opened up his mouth to emanate a piercing wave of fire aimed at the injured side of the beast.

"Fiery Roar!!," he shouted.

"I see you have found a niche, my feisty feast," noted the slightly impressed beast. "Sadly you cannot keep this up. "

"If I were you, responded Synicle, standing up in the howling wind. "I would not speak for my breath would escape through the gaping hole in my side!"

Enraged, the hairy monstrosity charged. He leapt high into the air, his wide body almost pausing before he landed all two tons. Raising himself, he could see that he had indeed missed his mark. The camouflaged Lupe was almost invisible if it were not for the light emerging from deep within his body. Synicle arose head first out his hiding place. Pulsating, streams of light passed around his torso as he raised his head to the heavens. Almost in acceptance, Synicle received light from the sky as his hind legs drew back and his glowing eyes released a wide - spanning ray of lightning wider than the body of his predator. Head down, the beast conceded, accepting the overwhelming energy from the Lupe who was simply too much.

"Grand Lightning Beam!!," exclaimed Synicle as his body smoked from the heat...

"Surely you did not forget me," assumed a voice, ruining the moment. Synicle knew who it was - the second beast. As proud a true a warrior he was, he knew he could not endure another battle. Turning around, one could see his worn body shudder at thought of receiving further punishment. Still, he stood silent...waiting for attack...

***

He was enormous. Now standing, he was nearly twice the size of his talkative cohort. His fur was rough where his brother's was smooth. His eyes were empty - showing neither anger nor jubilee...just purpose. His arms were a massive off white - all muscle. In short, the Lupe had more than met his match.

Though he had defeated prior opponent, he could not fight a teenage Chia now. His weak legs wobbled from trauma. His mind said. "Go," even when his heart stopped. Before he could think of a means of escape, the beast was in dissension. He scooped up the battered Lupe and batted him with clenched fists. Running, he kicked the Lupe up into the black sky - now glittered with falling snow, and shoulder tackled him with shoulders comparable to ice.

The proud Lupe never screamed or yelped, only accepted his punishment. On his back, he looked into their looming black clouds as he fought back tears of pain. He merely asked the heavens for 'one more'.

Now, he had to buy some time. He sidestepped an incoming blow. The tension from landing on his feet nearly broken his hip. Shaking, half from pain and half still from anger, his body seemed to fade out as the scene was bombarded with a bright white light.

"Flash!" Synicle announced.

The beast closed its eyes, but still could not the blinding light. In frustration, the beast yelled; not in pain, but in a conjuring roar. It was the kind of roar preceding a Warlock's mightiest spell or even a Kougra's charge. The whole forest shook in anticipation. The ice on the hills was lifted, as was the snow beneath them. Frostbitten was the wind as it rushed to the side of the powerful creature. The bitter air would have been ice itself given enough water, as if this wasn't already bad enough. Leaning, the beast now drew its arms back and proclaimed the event.

"SNOW STORM!!"

Synicle now understood while the giant before him had merely stood in its last moments. There was no use in fighting, he was finished. But Synicle was no snow beast and broken or not, he would face the might blast face-first...

***

Silent, he lay gazing at the snow fall upon this rag that he now was. The only movement was in the still forest was the faint sound of a body approaching. It was no doubt the savage beast coming to finish him off.

"Hey there," fainted a voice approaching. "You all right?"

Synicle didn't bother lifting his head to see who it was, but one thing was for sure, it was no beast.

"You were pretty impressive out there," repeated the voice, now registering as...a Lupe?!

Synicle's eyes wandered over to the face if his fellow man...or fellow woman. As he focused in on a hazy image of a white wolf, he felt his mouth grin that same lustful grin he had seen from the beast. All he could think was 'beauty'.

Raising him to his feet, the pure white Lupe smiled and stepped aside to introduce him to the rest of her pack. There were ten in all...every single one...magnificent.

"Wha-Wha...What happened to--" started Synicle before he saw the skull and partial skeleton of the beast scattered around Lupes.

Standing up, Synicle could see that the Light Faerie's words were true, for just behind the Snow white Lupe was the round shadow a blue Jubjub, specifically a smiling Fortuneon.

"We saw your plight from atop the mountain and we had a score to settle with that one anyway. We all thought you were amazing the way you took on two Snow Beasts by yourself like that...and we'd like you to do that for us."

"What do you mean?"

"We elect you as our new leader."

"I..." began Synicle, "I have my own pack to lead."

Understanding, the Snow white wolf turned with her pack and walked off; slowly...after all they had just eaten. The furry blue Jubjub resumed his smile as he waddled up to the Lupe, with just one question to ask as they began a long walk home.

"Why?" he asked. Eyes sparkling, his cute nose pointing upwards. Pausing, Synicle pondered the question and then responded. "I would hate to think I did all that fighting for nothing."

The End