NOVEL WEB Chapter-64 Yurn
The pack lay lifeless in their own pool of blood, their bodies mangled. The alpha stood atop their death, unsteady and panting, blood dripping down its furs, but still growled at Ewan, its eyes bloodshot.
“Let’s end that undying pride of yours,” he muttered, raising both his hands to the sides, casting his <Ice Daggers>.
The four daggers amplified his Ryvia, his range stretched and reached the alpha. Its prolonged usage and the non-stop casting spells already gave him a pulsating headache, the amplification only worsened it, but he endured. He could rest after taking care of this nuisance.
Orange.
The little monkey bellowed a war cry and launched at the alpha from one of the invisible platforms, zipping past the gap between the buildings.
The alpha roared, orange-glazed orbs of fire condensed around him, orbiting him in a pattern of ‘eight’. Orange feinted a punch, then vaulted up from another platform, and pounded down on him. The fire orb defended against the attack as the alpha howled and backed away. The punch exploded the orb; the concrete floor cracked with a burst of fire.
Ewan lifted his brows. The alpha preserved his Anima for this fight, his pack couldn’t even bring out his best.
Go, stand by.
Frost floated to the other building with his Ryvia, his eyes squeezed shut when he flew over the gap, and stood to the side, ready to support with his ice.
Orange blasted left and right and up and down, exploding from platform to platform that Ewan created one after another, clobbering the orbs with his erupting Fire-Anima. His afterimages trailed him, and his salvo boomed in the area. The alpha always reacted a step too late, but his regenerating orbs protected him. He howled, Orange roared back in his childlike voice and belted him, another orb came in between.
Ewan checked his Blood-Anima, it had recovered enough for one more cast.
Should be fine…
Bloodlust!
He aimed at Orange, his heart pounding with anxiety, he gulped and exhaled a parched breath. This was the first time he cast this spell on his own Astylind. His confidence in his Pa propelled this decision, but his Astylinds were his family, even a slight chance of any negative impact scared him.
The little monkey’s eyes reddened, he tried a deep mature growl that his throat couldn’t cash, Fire-Anima billowing around him. Ewan readied the Ryvia platforms as Orange flashed, leaving a lasting afterimage behind. One orb shattered, the second fractured, and the third exploded, their regeneration couldn’t keep up with Orange anymore.
Punches rained on the alpha, their reverberating echoes flattening in a single boom. He evaded left and right, but Orange followed, and Ewan supported him. The final orb dimmed down; the alpha’s Anima must be running low.
Now!
Orange zoomed in front of the wolf and pummeled him, punches after punches. The last orb burst, and the final punch hammered down, burying the wolf’s head in the concrete with a ground shaking thud, blood seeping out from the hole.
There was no life left in the alpha anymore, Ewan confirmed it when Frost signaled at its soul.
“Go, eat. Bring back the cores too,” he said.
He called Orange back to rest and brought Toast out. The kitten meowed and jumped on his chest, snuggling and getting comfortable in his arms.
“Stop lazing around, go help Frost.”
Ewan flicked his jaw and floated him to the other building. The little kitten flailed and whined, but his Ryvia didn’t stop. Orange met Toast in the air and smacked him with his weary face, cackling. The kitten screeched and resisted harder, trying to scratch Orange, but his Ryvia still didn’t stop. It finally delivered Toast to the other side, and gently dropped him.
“How many do you have?” Nana asked, staring at the grumpy kitten reluctantly following the imp.
“Four,” Ewan said. “What’s your limit?”
“Three.”
“Contract another as soon as you can then. Did you sell both the scorpions? You should have enough to buy one more, right?” He caught Orange and petted him as the little monkey curled up in his arms.
“Hmm.” Nana nodded. “I’ll start looking.”
Ewan glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. “Choose properly this time.”
“I-I will,” she said.
…….
“Where’re we going?” Nana asked, following Ewan out of the building.
“Let’s stay in the area. Their marking is still fresh, other Astylinds will consider it the pack’s territory. I need some rest, we’ll move again when I break through,” Ewan said, minding his steps over the rubble, his Ryvia reined in to rest his spirit.
“Ewan.” She grabbed his sleeve. “I-I made this for you, your birthday gift,” she said, handing him a charcoal-black neck gaiter with faint alabaster runes striping around it—velour to touch with a soft elastic stretch.
“Is this what you were making?” he asked, gliding his finger on the velvet cloth. “How much did you spend?” The fabric alone would cost a fortune.
“I-I was making it with normal clothes at first, but then I found the materials that dad left for me in the hub, so I switched to an artifact. It didn’t cost much,” she said.
“So, it’s cheap then.” Ewan smirked.
“Give it back if you don’t want it.” She reached for the gaiter.
“Nope,” Ewan said, putting it on. “It’s mine now.”
He adjusted it to his comfort, pulled it up to cover half his face then pulled it down. The fit was perfect, and he loved the aesthetics. The cloth didn’t hinder his nose either, custom made artifacts were indeed the best, especially when the creator was his fiancé and knew him inside out.
“What’s this for?” he tapped on the runes and asked.
“It’ll protect against <Identify> and dim your presence,” she said. “Mark it with your spirit, it’ll start working. It can also keep up with you.”
“Did you give it a name yet?”
“No.”
“Call it ‘Yurn’ then.” He pronounced it ‘yearn’ with the ‘Atarin’ phonetic, smiling and caressing his neck gaiter.
“Shadow? It fits.”
