Arthur tensed, "Amazing…" he said sarcastically, wing tightening protectively around Kyle, every sense alert as he searched for any sign of the creatures. "How big are we talking? And are they magic resistant?" Asked Arthur calmly, The last thing I need is to have to use fangs and claws on them….
"Depends. The adults can get as big as me but it's rare, most are a little shorter then me," Kyle explained, eyes flicking from one corner of the trees to the other, "Adults are magic resistant. Children are not."
"Awesome" said Arthur, "Listen… if there are as many as I think there are… this is gonna get nasty in a sec… especially if magic won't work on them…" He looked down at Kyle, "I can fight them off, but I need you to trust me…" his left hand twitched, and the metal band, became a jagged edged Sabre.
Kyle's eyes widened a little but he nodded, "Yeah, I trust you." It was then that one emerged from the trees. It walked on all fours, almost ape like but it's skin was ghostly pale, a mix between silver and white with a pastel purple. Blue and red veins were clearly seen running along the body of the thing, mixing with its skin colour. It looked slightly human, only where a human's eyes would be was just skin. It had two slits for a nose and a mouth that was salivating with a set of fangs on the top, and bottom row of its sharp teeth. The night stalker had sharp claws and looked like it had skin under its arms, much like a flying fox.
"Well aren't you just a lovely sight" said Arthur, completely sarcastic as two more came out of the trees. Arthur pushed Kyle behind him, wings flaring to hide the other from view. A low growl swept up in his throat.
It's been awhile since you've fought
It's very hard to lose the skills you've been honing your whole life
Arthur shifted, leaping for the first in wolf form, wings vanishing in smoke as he caught it in his jaws, bit down hard, and threw it into the other one, shifting again, to slash at the third.
Kyle cursed under his breath but his attention was quickly taken away from Arthur when one of the creatures lunged at him while the other was distracted. Kyle grabbed a stick, lodging it in between his mouth before kicking him over the edge of the cliff, not without a couple scratches, though.
Arthur saw it, distracted only for a second as he dodged the thing, quickly erecting a shield around Kyle. Slashing at the creatures leg he wounded it, stabbing it through the skull with his sword, before going for the last one in wolf form.
Kyle put a hand on the cut on his arm, watching Arthur carefully. The creature seemed to be putting up a fight, but was still not much of a match for the other.
Arthur had sliced the second one's skull open, and the first one had been kicked off a cliff. He growled as he circled the third, watching it's every move. Suddenly it lunged for him, Arthur shifted, ducked, and rolled. Quickly getting back to his feet to lunge at it in wolf form. He slammed into the thing, knocking it over, so he could pin it tummy side up. He went for it's throat without a second thought, ripping it's throat out, killing it.
Kyle had to look away when the last one was killed. He wasn't a strange to stuff like this, and the night stalkers too, but he couldn't stomach watching Arthur kill one of those things. It didn't sit well with him for some reason.
Arthur huffed, quickly retching at the taste of blood. Letting his shield around Kyle, drop he created a portal that sent the two creatures elsewhere, then dug his muzzle into a snowbank in an attempt to wash the blood away before shifting. Finally shifting he pulled his head out of the snowbank, his ears frozen as he rubbed more snow on his face.
Kyle wiped the blood on his hand on his pants before he made his way over to Arthur, "You okay?" He asked, glancing around in case anymore showed up.
"Downside of being half wolf," said Arthur, attempting to scrub the last of it off of his face. "I hate the taste of blood…."
Kyle nodded a little, "You didn't get hurt, did you? No scratches or anything?"
"Nah" said Arthur, finally getting to his feet. '"You?"
"Just a little cut, nothing too bad," Kyle shrugged a shoulder, "We need to go, their friends probably heard the commotion and are coming to see what it was about."
Arthur shifted again, ignoring the leftover blood on his muzzle. "Then let's go"
Kyle nodded and climbed back onto him, "Yeah, let's go."
Arthur sprinted off in the direction of home just as soon as Kyle was settled, eager to get back and wash th unnerving tang of blood out of his mouth.
Kyle was on edge the entire way home. Night Stalkers weren’t the worst creature that lived in those woods and the thought made him shiver.
Arthur loped silently through the trees, ears alert for any danger.
Once they got back to the edge of the forest, Kyle hopped off of Arthur.
Arthur shifted once more, spitting in the snow as he did so, hating the tang of blood. "I don't suppose you're cold yet?"
“I’ll be fine until we’re somewhere safe.” Kyle replied, already stepping onto the path.
"I was asking if we could go home." Said Arthur wryly, following him.