The World Has Grown Cold

He hurried them along in silence. Keeping an eye out for any potential threats along the way. Ignis and Actaea were quiet, something expected of them after what happened today. Halfway down the mountain, his ear twitched as he thought he caught a sound nearby. Eyes narrowed as they moved, his pace slowing just the smallest bit. He looked around, but nothing out of the ordinary came into view. All of a sudden, Ignis tripped after a strange and sudden noise sounded, causing his nephew to fall forward several feet.

Before he knew it, three smaller forms launched out from behind their hiding places, and Ace's heart plummeted. They threw themselves towards Ignis all too fast, but Ace was just a tad faster. He leaped over Actaea and came to land over Ignis, protecting the boy from the attackers. One coyote landed a bite on his foreleg and had he not moved into action sooner, then it would have been Ignis in its jaws. The other two put on the brakes, but not before colliding with Ace's body. Like a snake, Ace struck the coyote that had a hold on his leg, teeth sinking into the back of its neck and throwing it several yards away. The first coyote struck a boulder, momentarily dazed as it fell to the ground.

As the other two attempted to scramble out of reach, Ace turned on them in an instant. Blood red eyes were narrowed and wild, a fearsome look on his face as he lunged forward. He brought his weight down on one, holding it down with a heavy paw while the other one felt the brunt of his main attack. Teeth sunk into the animal's spine, and Ace lifted it up while shaking it viciously. He felt the spine crack beneath the pressure of his teeth, and the coyote went limp. He tossed that one before turning his attention on the one he pinned down. Jaws salivated as he regarded the creature without mercy. They had attempted to take his nephew's life, and now he was about to take all of theirs.

Tongue swiped across bloodstained lips and teeth, and just as he was about to make the killing blow, he felt teeth embedding themselves in his hind leg. With a roar of pain, Ace released his hold on the grounded coyote and turned on the one that attacked him. Through narrow eyes, he noted it was the first one he had attacked, and without hesitation, he launched himself at it. The coyote held no fear in its eyes, a possible result of its hunger for the red boy. It was fearless, much like Ace was. But in its fearlessness came foolishness. Ace batted a heavy paw at the smaller canine, knocking it away from him and forcing it to relinquish its grip on him. Almost instantly, Ace followed the downed creature and leaped on it. The coyote did its best to keep him at bay, kicking his underside with blunt claws and quick kicks. Its jaws closed over his chest, but the pain was not felt. With malice glittering in his eyes, Ace lunged for the coyote's face. Canines pierced the eye sockets, causing the creature to howl in pain. He bit into its face over, and over, and over. Reminding it that it had made the biggest mistake of its life.

After completely disfiguring its face, he picked it up by its nose and flung it over the side of the cliffs. The echoing cries of the coyote abruptly cut off as it hit its death bed. He turned then, eyes blazing as he sought out the last one, but the creature was already running off with its tail tucked. He thought about following it but then decided against it. He had won this fight and released a howl of victory into the air. He dared more to come, just so they could meet the same fate as those he had killed.

He returned to Ignis, nudging the boy up to his feet. "Let's go, we're almost out of here! Stay close to me, and watch your step." He warned as he continued to usher them forward.

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