I fought against an unseen enemy for what felt like an eternity.
On countless occasions, I bore witness as my comrades fell to that invisible beast, then attacked me in turn. There were many times when I, too, felt myself giving in to the darkness. Time and time again, I readied myself for the end—and yet, I survived.
Even so, my time was swiftly approaching. I couldn’t cling on much longer. Few of my brethren remained, and they too were nearing their limits. We wandered the forest, searching for a haven in which we could at least wait for death in comfort. I could only suppose that the cave we found must have been shaped by one of the monarchs. There we made our final stand, huddled fur-to-fur, fighting against the might of the Magic Eye.
Time had lost all meaning when a pleasant breeze drifted through the cave, disturbing both the stagnant air and my stagnant thoughts. The smothering grip on my conscience was released. It was like a great weight had been lifted.
What happened?
I lifted my head—something I hadn’t been able to accomplish in some time—but there was no explanation to be found in the cave around me. Something had changed, though, and these days, any change in the forest was undoubtedly connected to that dreadful spell. Panic coursed through me. With great difficulty, I managed to sit up, preparing for whatever was to come. But what came next wasn’t an attack but that same pleasant breeze. Mana coursed past me, carried on the air like the scent of spring. It was a gentle, healing mana. It flowed into me, penetrating every fiber of my tired body and healing it anew. The foul touch of the Magic Eye faded from my blood, my muscles, my bones. The others seemed to have felt it too, stretching their newly freed bodies in surprise.
My strength didn’t return as easily as my mind, however. I could sit up, but nothing more. I wanted to investigate the forest—find the source of the strange happenings—but I knew it would be impossible as I was now.
I’ll wait a while longer... See if my strength returns. Then—to the forest.
Days passed after the wind had saved us, though I couldn’t say how many. My body was weaker than I’d realized. It took quite a while before I could venture beyond the cave. When I finally did, I found that the touch of the Magic Eye had faded, not just from us but from the forest itself. Instead, that strange, reassuring mana drifted between the trees, protecting the entire forest. I wasn’t foolish enough to assume the danger was gone forever, but even so, I breathed a sigh of relief.
In spite of the healing wind, several of my brethren were nearing demise. They’d already been too close to the edge. I wanted to hunt something, to bring them nourishment, but I was still too weak. The magical breeze still floated past in the air, and my strength was slowly but surely returning.
A few more days. Hold on for a few more days, and I’ll surely be able to conquer something, even if it’s just a small beast.
It was a small beast—barely enough to feed one Garm, let alone all of us. However, the hunt had left me exhausted. It was all I could manage.
I was more thankful than ever for the healing wind. It restored my withered stamina more quickly, and as each day passed, I became stronger and stronger. It wasn’t enough yet. While I remained a shadow of my former self, I lacked the power to heal my brethren. But I could feed them at least. I could give them enough strength to cling to life until my own returned—and then, I could save them.
I’ll make it in time. I have to.
I rested for a few days before I felt strong enough to venture out again. I stretched my still-weary limbs, loosening them up for the hunt that would follow.
Clunk.
A muffled sound came from the entrance to the cave. All thoughts of the hunt vanished, as I—and the others capable of standing—moved to guard our weaker brethren. We waited.
A Fenrir...? One of the monarchs, no less. And... Beside her, is that a dire wolf? Why would they be here together? And above them—an Arumearenie? I’ve never seen an Arumearenie hanging from the ceiling, but it’s definitely one of those creatures. But why are they all—?
A human...? Why?! Why is a human here?! Enemy!
A growl escaped my throat, to which the Fenrir and the dire wolf responded with angry snarls. The dire wolf, in particular, made me uneasy. He was massive—unnaturally so. He, like the Fenrir beside him, had colossified—magically enhanced their size.
But dire wolves hunted in packs. They didn’t need to perform such magic. They couldn’t perform such magic.
Something was wrong—very wrong. I’d focused my sights on the human, but each and every one of the intruders were stronger than me, let alone my brethren. All we could do was surrender and see what would happen next.
The human drew near.
Fear coursed through me. Attack. Attack. The Fenrir queen must have sensed my instinctual thought for she let out another snarl, rendering us immobile. We were defenseless.
The first wave hit us, quickly followed by three more. Mana washed over me, through me. It wasn’t an attack. It was... What was it?
It’s the same feeling. The healing wind.
Magic left a different trace depending on the being who had cast it, and this magic penetrating me now was the same magic that had dispelled the Magic Eye and saved us. Shock now rendered me immobile rather than magic. My exhaustion faded. My wounds vanished.
I see... This human is the one who saved us.
His magic was powerful. Powerful enough to bend a Fenrir to his service. Powerful enough to grant a dire wolf control over unattainable magic. Powerful enough to force the Arumearenie to evolve.
Before I realized it, my tail was wagging with excitement. It was only natural.