It worked! You nearly fall over as the beast roars its fury, but the howl is a confirmation that you struck it and maybe - if you're very lucky - proof that your plan was working, that by striking the monster would drive it from your friend. Hope rises again in your breath, and you freeze for a moment, staring at the stumbling beast, trying to gauge how far you are from victory.

Only a few more blows, you think. And then Mesec will be free.

It had better happen soon. In your youth and inexperience, this is quite a bit of pain and fighting- it feels like you've been terrified for hours, though dawn is still barely working its way through the trees. You're not sure you can take much more. Your shoulder hurts where it struck the creature, the dull pain radiating out and joining the ache of the rest of your wing. Still, it is not as bad as your leg, which continues to very slightly bleed, since every time you do something stupid (like try to slay a giant wolf) you seem to tear the coagulation apart. You are desperately tired, and your sides are darker than usual with streaks of sweat.

You only have a second to catch your breath before the monster rebounds, literally throwing itself at you as you stare, helpless, through wide sunbeam eyes.Couldn't he have given me a minute?, a very stupid part of your mind whines, while a louder, much smarter part screams: Move, idiot! Mercifully you listen to the second voice and move, your slate hooves scrambling for purchase on the leafy ground as you try to escape yo your left. But you're too slow to escape the onslaught of teeth and claws, and the beast is upon you, his toothy grin filling your eyes to the brim. You raise your wing instinctively, trying to protect the appendage you treasure most (a rather foolish sentiment, seeing that it's thoroughly useless so long as you have only one...), and in doing so allow the wolf access to your exposed right side.

And the wolf takes advantage, as giant murderous wolf demons are wont to do.

You scream as teeth tear into your tender flank, leaving deep gashes in their wake. Pain sends stars to your eyes, and you forget, for a minute... well, everything. Your panic is too complete, your terror to intense; you retreat into the mind of a primitive being, hell-bent on nothing but pure and simple survival. Your large wing comes crashing back down, pulling tight against your body before shoving out in a desperate attempt to move the beast away. That is all you really want- to get away, to get it away, and as you try to pull forward and left you kick out with your right hind for good measure, your teeth snapping in a furious panic at whatever they can possibly reach, be that tail or air- you are willing to do anything to dislodge this monster from your side.

Because while the monster is becoming Mesec in its internal struggle, in your mind the opposite is taking place- Mesec, your friend, who you wanted so much to save, is slowly crumbling into nothing but the monster.

[3/?? | 542 words]