Be Healed.

I knew full well I wasn't going to be happy when I got back to the castle, but I didn't care. I was already out there, so I was going to enjoy myself.

I walked around the canyon, imagining fictional sieges and wars, tactics that could be used defensively and offensively, how different cultures would do battle there, and what the fights would look like.

For instance, the empire to our west had massive spider-like monsters that could be ridden. It wasn't a seig engine but certainly could be a factor in seizing a cliffside fortress.

I could see a massive battle playing out in my head as if I were right there in the middle of it, letting my imagination run completely wild.

In the end, the defenders of the fortress won, at least in my head. I was a bit biased though. I loved defensive victories. And of course, with victories came parties.

Just like before I imagined the whole area decorated with streamers and banners, fireworks going off in the distance, and confetti slowly falling down the canyon walls. Before I even knew it, hours had passed.

'That would be quite a sight…'

I reached down and rubbed Frit'z's neck. I still wasn't ready to go back, but I knew the longer I waited the more I would feel that way. "We should head back…" I muttered softly.

She lowered her head, silently accepting my request, even though she clearly didn't want to either

I chuckled. "What are you upset about, it's not like they can lock you in a stall…" I joked, remembering how fast the door flew off its hinges when she kicked it. 

She reared slightly, just enough to make me slide a bit on her back, and joined me as I laughed some more, "Imagine the guard's faces." I knew I'd probably get chewed out by someone or another, but harsh words hardly phased me. If anything they'd be a welcome change. And so I continued to laugh.

"Thank you Frits…" I said again as she started walking back towards the castle, taking steps so small it was as if we weren't even moving.

"Ha…ha…" I said sarcastically. 'I guess you still do whatever you want don't you.'

She froze stiff, her hair standing up on end as she widened her stance, digging her hooves into the ground.

"Fritz?" I looked up, but all I could see was snow. I focused manna around my eyes and looked again as several wolves walked into my vision.

[Dire wolf.]

They were silent as the night, with no growl, no howling, even their steps were silent. They had glowing blue eyes and several patches of fur on their neck and knees that came to a sharp point and were a different color from the rest of them. "Great…" I whispered under my breath.

I had heard about them, but never actually seen live ones before. They slowly walked closer… and closer, creeping up towards us. Frits planted her feet firmly on the ground and I could feel every muscle in her body tense.

'There are five of them in a semi-circle in front of us. Breaking through would be dangerous. Even though frits can outrun them I'm not sure I could hold on if she was going full speed.'

I wrapped a part of her mane around my arm and tied it in a knot. The wolves stopped in place and all mirrored the others' images stretching back, ready to pounce like tigers.

Each one had an AGI of over 200 and as far as I was concerned its strength didn't matter when it had claws sharper than my father's orichalcum axe.

One of them, more eager than the others, leaped straight for me from the side, all too eager to prove himself to the pack.

Fritz managed to turn and kick it straight out of the air, redirecting it off the cliff. 'Welcome to the show I guess…'

The others slowly looked at each other, growling louder than before and quickly becoming more cautious.

'Ok, I have plenty of magic left, even if I'm still a bit sore. But if I use it like last time I'm not the only one I could accidentally hurt… I don't think I'm going to be able to break their necks all that easy this time either…'

They all attacked together, lunging out and bearing fangs as sharp as diamond blades.

Fritz whipped herself in a circle biting one and flinging it into another while kicking a third, bucking so hard I quickly became glad I tied her mane around my hand.

Despite Fritz's best efforts she was still heavily outnumbered, and still just a horse, an herbivore against 6… well, now 5, predators, three of which were hurt. 'Am I… just worried for nothing?'

The fourth lunged out and caught her front leg, but she instantly stomped her other hoove, crushing its ribs at killing it on the spot.

'Two down, that leaves four.' I looked back to the other three shaking off their bruises. 'Three…? No there were'

The moment the thought crossed my mind I turned my head to see the last wolf barreling towards me through the air. Time froze. I was once again able to see everything from a bird's eye view. 'I let my guard down…'

Fritz was still spinning. I realized that if I could move with the spin I would be able to narrowly dodge the wolf's claws, but it would be close.

I tried my best, but I wasn't quite fast enough. The wolf claws grabbed a hold of me, snagging my arm and digging into my side, dragging me to the ground and cutting Fritz's mane as it sliced its claws at the air.

We both twisted around and I landed on top of it, breaking my fall. I tried my best to push myself away but it continued trying to bite at me while it was scampering to its feet.

Just before it succeeded, time froze again. Everything fit together in my mind perfectly. Fritz was delivering a powerful kick but it was going to miss, 'she's probably being cautious because I'm so close to where she's aiming. The wolf is biting at my neck, and my hands are both on the ground, I probably shouldn't have been trying to crawl backwards but here I am… My feet are free at least.'

All of the information came together and in an instant time began and the process played out just like it did in my mind. I crossed my arms across my chest dropping flat onto my back, and coiling up like a spring, then I kicked the wolf in the head. I didn't have a lot of force behind it, but it was my best, and it was enough. 

The wolf's neck lifted up and back just enough to move its head directly into the path of Fritz's powerful strike that snapped its neck in an instant, twisting it completely around.

Its corpse fell on top of me, and after a short pause, the remaining wolves dispersed, running away with their tails between their legs.

It was over in an instant. It almost seemed like we didn't even fight at all, but I had the gash to prove it. At first, I just sprawled on the ground, thankful I was still alive, laughing at the fight. "Fritz, that was amazing!" I cheered before looking at the broken corpse on top of me. 

My laugh quickly changed pitch. " Egh… This is so gross…" The wolf's corpse was far too heavy for me to move on my own but Fritz picked it up with her mouth and dropped it to the side. "Are you sure you're a horse?" I asked jokingly, still lying there in the snow.

I looked down at my side, feeling the wound already soak through my shirt. "Ahhh, come on… I just got this shirt!" I cried out, annoyed that it had a massive three-pronged tear in the side.

I lifted it up to look at the gash and paused, only then realizing how deep it was. 'I guess the shirt is the least of my worries…' I thought back to when Airsidh asked if I was ok, saying he didn't think I had that much blood in me, and I was starting to worry about the same thing.

The wound itself wasn't fatal, but I had been losing blood faster than I had been recovering, and my body could only take so much.

"Fritz… I think we need to go…" I applied pressure to the wound as best I could, and my legs started to grow cold. "I guess their claws really are wicked sharp…" I chuckled, realizing my body reinforcement might as well have not done anything.

She picked me up with her teeth like a dog grabbing a pup's scruff, something I knew horses didn't do.

Placing me back on my feet she walked up and wrapped her head around me, holding me right up against her chest. I could feel her heart. It was beating just as fast as mine.

"I love you too, but… Right now, we really need to get back…"

She stepped back.

Since it was already torn pretty badly, I tore my shirt even more, deciding to add to the other bandages that were already covering my back and chest. Just as I was about to start tying them though, Fritz licked my cuts.

It stung so bad I flinched and fell over, catching myself on my hands and knee. 'What… on earth…'

I lifted my arm up to look at it expecting my arm to be half attached from the pain. Instead, I saw nothing more than a few scrapes, rapidly healing and turning into nothing more than a deep red scar that had all but healed.

'Fritz…?'

My head pounded, my body suddenly felt faint, and then somehow I felt fine again. I couldn't make any sense of it. I certainly didn't use magic, and even if I did, the amount I would have needed would have killed me from starvation.

I put my shirt back on and buttoned it, well, what was left of it, and let out a long heavy sigh. "You couldn't have done that before I tore up my shirt?"

After climbing back on I looked down at the dead wolves. Somehow Fritz had killed all of them without taking so much as a scratch. 'Their hides actually aren't that thick, but those claws would make good daggers. I wonder if there would be a way to drag these back with me.'

I sat back down to let the tension slowly leave my body and looked over to Fritz. "That was actually pretty fun all things considered."

She rolled her eyes.

Laying back I looked at the bright clouds above me, it was oddly surreal, with how many corpses were lying next to me, and how much blood was spilled across the snow. 'I can't believe I said this was fun… I guess it's official, I'm definitely not a normal kid.'

Fritz kicked a pile of snow over my face making me quickly sit up and try to brush it off. "Fine fine we need to get going I know… You know, you're not remotely normal either."

I used status out of curiosity, but everything was blurred and static, the only thing legible was her name, [Fritz], and her species, [Horse godbeast] Which was shall we say… a bit dramatic. At least it explained her healing powers though.