CHAPTER 46: CH 46: ELCIS.

The foot of the mountain.

"Argghh!" He groaned as he managed to muster up the last iota of adrenaline he had back into his muscles.

The mountain was there, a little far away but there. With every flash of light its jagged outline could be seen.

The brigade of thunderbolts all around him never faltered, so he moved low and swiftly.

To either of his sides, he could still see the hollowmen, running just like he was and, being struck down in seconds.

He turned back and looked up to the sky— like a clash between gods, the sky sparked with electricity, each one more blinding than the last.

But through the sparked clouds, Aegon finally saw it. What seemed to be a figure in the sky just as thunder split the heavens and singed the ground before him.

He jumped back in the nick of time but he’d seen it. Whatever this was, it wasn’t a natural storm— it was man-made.

The thought alone made his stomach drop before he thoughts were interrupted by the system.

[ WARNING: Anomalous entity spotted.

Classification: Elcid.

Remark: It finally noticed you. And will come for you.

Hostility Probability: 90.5%

Advice: Make it to the foot of the mountain, immediately. Lower anomalies cannot cross the domain of higher ones. ]

"Elcid?’’ He muttered as he stared blankly at the sky. Watching as the symposium of thunderclouds raged on.

He finally controlled himself. Turning back and tripping over some snow as he ran, uncoordinated, to the mountain.

~KR-BOOM!~

Aegon shifted left, then right. Haphazardly, in any direction to avoid the rain of thunder striking the ground all around him.

He raised his hands over his head, shut his eyes and kept moving forward.

He finally blinked to see something that made his blood run cold— well, colder.

Something. Something fast. Tearing through the snow like it was dry land. Its eyes glowed blue like the hollowmen, wolf-like form but this was way bigger.

Black hides like jagged quills, canines that could not be tamed by its maw, a wet twitching snout and claws made for the ice.

"Oh, shit!" He cursed as its eyes met his. It was previously running with the hollowmen, until it changed trajectory and made headway for Aegon.

If there was any adrenaline left in his body, there wasn’t anymore, his legs pedaled faster than he ever thought possible.

His legs cried, involuntarily, already slowing down as the hollowolf closed the distance between them like it was nothing.

’’Come on! Come on! Come on!" He barked at his body but it was already done with him.

All he could do was stumble as the wolf lunged into the air— maw open and claws raised for a slash.

He didn’t stop trying. Couldn’t. Just as it came crashing down—

~BOOM!~

A thunderbolt tore a gap between them. Tossing them both in opposite directions.

Aegon was thrust forward in an uncoordinated heap, tumbling several times before lying sprawled out on the ice. Every breath hurt like his lungs were both frozen and on fire.

Through his frozen eyelids, he saw the thunderbolt that struck him persist— it was still in the same position, still scorching the surface.

He realised his body, on no account, would even consider moving again. He didn’t even blame it, it had given him its best and, at this point, he just wanted to see everything unfold.

The hollowolf was tossed not very far, it snarled as it got back onto all fours and hissed at the thunderbolt— it’s maw already salivating.

The thunderbolt finally dispersed, leaving someone there in it’s wake. Human form apart from the faint sparks of electricity that still enveloped his body.

"Grrrgh!" The wolf snarled at him but he didn’t move, not even a flinch.

It lunged for him, maw open. He slapped it out of his face like a mere peasant.

"Fuck." Aegon muttered on the floor as he saw this. The wolf clearly wasn’t going to be able to win and he knew that after it... He was next.

He turned his head whilst still on the floor, the blast had thrown the things in his pack scattered over the snow.

"Awooo!" The screeching howl of the wolf rang out just before it turned and, again, lunged for him.

~KR-KOOM!~

A blinking light covered the terrain, temporarily blinking him, all he could hear were the whimpers of the wolf just before the light dimmed.

The being stood, it hadn’t moved since he arrived, legs planted to the floor as something dripped from his hands.

Aegon’s eyes trailed slightly up.

Blood. Over his hands and bare chest, the wolf’s head sat inches away from the body in a terrifying heap.

He slowly turned to Aegon. White blue eyes like the colour of the storm above them, a face and body riddled with scars and a soul that seemed anything but human.

Aegon hurriedly dragged his body, arms only, towards his pack’s items scattered not too far from him.

The anomaly took his first steps towards Aegon just before—

"AWOOO! AWOOO! AWOO!"

Howls, a symphony of them not too far from their current position and Aegon’s saving grace.

They both whipped their heads in its direction. Hollowolves, a whole pack of them as they sprinted towards the anomaly.

He wasted no time charging towards them as well, lightning wrapped his arms as he lifted off the ground and towards the wolves.

The anomaly hit the pack head-on. Snow bellowed up like dust.

The first Hollowolf leapt for his throat— he caught it mid-air by the jaw and ripped it downward, spine snapping like frozen twigs.

Before the corpse hit the snow he was already moving, electricity bleeding from his skin in violent arcs.

Two more circled him, low and fast, kicking up bursts of white powder. They lunged in tandem— coordinated, almost intelligent.

He stepped between them, palm to the first snout—

A flash. The wolf convulsed, legs buckling as steam poured from its fur.

The second clamped onto his shoulder. Its fangs broke skin— finally drawing blood.

Aegon’s eyes widened, occasionally glancing as he crawled for the pack. ’It actually hurt him.’

The anomaly didn’t roar. Didn’t flinch. He simply gripped the wolf by the throat and slammed it into the ground so forcefully the ice cracked beneath them.

But the rest of the pack didn’t hesitate.

Seven. Eight. Maybe more. All tearing toward him in a blur of black hides and blue-lit eyes.

They swarmed him— a cyclone of claws and teeth. For a moment, he disappeared under the mass of bodies, dragged down beneath their weight.

Aegon felt his stomach drop. ’They got him...?’

Then the sky split open.

A column of lightning crashed straight onto the pile, detonating outward in a sphere of blinding white.

Wolves were flung like ragdolls— some burning, some already limp, all of them dead before they hit the snow again.

Smoke curled off the anomaly’s body as he rose from the crater, skin glowing faintly with residual charge.

He brushed a charred wolf carcass off his shoulder like lint.

Then he turned.

Slowly. Purposefully.

Electric-blue eyes locked onto Aegon. Unblinking. Unhuman.

His last saving grace had just been obliterated.