The pressure and weight of the new wolf hit his sword as it lunged at him. Its fangs locked down tightly around it and Cypher struggled with all his might to wrench his weapon free. But his grip quickly failed and the wolf tore the blade from his hands. It bit down hard, shattering his weapon, and glared at him. With the tinkling of broken metal, the wolf tossed it aside and it slid over the edge of the cliff in two pieces. Without a weapon, he was all but doomed for sure, but Cypher immediately rolled to the ground and grabbed Eiden's blade without thinking.

It was heavier than his own and far more ornate. It had jewels embedded in its hilt and gave off a faint glow as it entered Cypher's hands. He felt something inside him around the area of his lower waist flutter, and great power filled his arms. His mind grew sharper, and with a roar of his own, he swung the blade. It caught the beast in its side and sent it flying away from him at high speed with a pained yelp.

It landed thirty feet away and skidded to a stop, its paws grinding against the rocky ground. In that same instant Cypher finished off the remaining wolves that had tried to attack him. They fell to the ground in pieces and the larger wolf snarled as it regained its footing. Now it was down to him and the larger wolf. In that exchange, Cypher had gotten a feel for the larger beast’s power and a terrible thought popped into his mind.

'It couldn't be could it?' He thought to himself. All the information seemed to make sense as he thought about it with his newly sharpened senses. Cypher remembered something he had read once and a look of understanding dawned on him, followed quickly by uncertainty and fear.

Horned wolves lived in packs. As they grew stronger an alpha wolf would eventually appear that was much stronger than the others. At that point, they would claim territory and consolidate their power so that the whole pack might grow stronger. The alpha would also take a mate and she would be the first to benefit from the growth the pack would undergo.

Cypher cursed under his breath and then said aloud, "Rank-two!" He was certain that he was now facing down a Rank-two horned wolf. A cold chill ran through him then. The Rank-one wolves were easy enough to kill and even in large numbers hadn't posed too much of a threat against him and Eiden. The one that now stood before him, however, had just taken a direct hit with all the force Cypher could use and it seemed completely unharmed. On top of that Eiden was still unconscious and he stood against the beast all alone.

He examined the snarling wolf from afar and saw that not a single drop of blood tainted its thick, silvery-brown fur. It was indeed unharmed. His thoughts came much faster then and he tried his best to think of a way to kill this dangerous foe. He glanced over to the cave and while the sounds of battle were dying down, the battle was still undecided.

If by some chance Jelroy lost to the Rank-three it wouldn't be long before Cypher was facing down both of the powerful wolves at the same time. That would be the end for him he was quite certain, assuming he didn’t die against this new foe. He considered his options and thought of his still untested spell. With Eiden out of commission and Jelroy occupied inside the cave, he could most likely cast it without being discovered.

However, what about the aftermath? If he did manage to kill the wolf it would be evident by the body that it had not been a sword that dealt the final blow. His secret would no doubt be exposed and Galex would likely know exactly what had happened. He also couldn’t just run away. As much as he hated it, he had to stay here and try to keep Eiden alive. If he died because Cypher ran away Galex would no doubt hunt him to the ends of the earth in revenge.

Besides, there was no guarantee he could even escape in the first place. What choice did he have?

The hide of the Rank-two was too tough for his twelve-year-old arms to cut through, even with this high-quality weapon he held. He still felt an immense power flowing through his arms as he held the weapon aloft. It was no doubt enchanted in some way. Galex wouldn’t dare send his only son out to face down dangerous creatures otherwise. But what good did an enchanted sword do against an opponent he couldn’t even hurt?

His thoughts snapped back to reality as he eyed the wolf slowly approaching him. It growled low and prowled towards him, saliva dripping from its mouth. There was no more time to decide. It was either do or die at this point and he had to hope that things would turn out well for him no matter the outcome.

He narrowed his eyes and reached for the magick. Inside his mind, the sigil he had spent months staring at began to glow a bright blue. Power welled up from within him and once again, he felt a tingle in his lower waist as the power began to swell. A low chant began to escape his lips, "Solo, Verse one, Cra-"

But before he could finish the spell the Rank-two charged at him, the snarl causing him to lose focus. Seeing the looming threat, he instinctively took a step back. The magick fizzled out and he had no time to start again.

He tried to retreat again, his mind focused only on escape and preservation of his own life, but tripped over Eiden's leg and stumbled back. The horned wolf took that opportunity and leapt at him jaws open, paws outstretched. Its serrated horn glowed with a faint light, and only hunger and rage could be seen in its large yellow eyes.

As Cypher hit the ground Eiden's sword fell from his grip and the hilt caught between a small fissure in the earth holding it in place upright. The wolf reluctantly continued forward right onto the tip of the sword and despite the wolf’s best efforts to avoid it, the blade sunk deep into its body. With a yelp and a squelching sound, the heart of the beast was pierced and it fell on top of Cypher and Eiden. In a last-ditch effort to take down its hated enemy its jaws locked around Cypher's torso.

Just before it died, it snarled and tried to bite down with its full power. Its fangs sank into Cypher's side causing him to cry out in pain. However, his sturdy leather armor held true and the strength of the beast was fading fast. Before it could clamp its jaws shut completely and kill him, it died instead. Cypher watched as the light in its eyes faded away and the two yellow orbs glossed over.

Cypher was breathing harder than he ever had. His heart raced, and adrenaline coursed through him as he pushed the heavy corpse of the Zightbeast off of him and Eiden. He stood up slowly and looked down at the beast that had nearly taken his life. Although short, his battle with the creature had shown him just how far he still had to go.

As it was now he was simply no match for a creature like that. The horned wolf had only been at the second rank and it was already far beyond his ability to handle. He looked up at the twinkling night sky and realized that in this world there had to be beings far beyond even the second rank and that one day, he might just find himself pitted against one of them.

It was only an idle thought and one that he didn’t pursue very thoroughly at that. His path would find him facing down powerful humans more often than not, but nothing quite like the various Zightbeasts that roamed the world. That kind of thing was something Conductors like Galex and Jelroy had to contend with, not some young aspiring knight only just now coming into his own.

Still, it placed itself at the back of his mind and silently served as motivation to get stronger. As he reached for Eiden's sword to free it from its sheath of flesh, the boulders in front of the cave cracked and flew apart as the sound of Jelroy’s hammer slamming against them rang out.

Cypher once again looked down at the deceased horned wolf. There was nothing of pride brewing within him. Only the satisfaction that he had survived a harrowing encounter mixed with a tinge of disappointment at yet another loss he had to add to his track record. Luck had been on his side once again. Was it truly a sign of luck though? Perhaps it was his lot in life to always come close to the cusp of victory, only to have it torn away by the reality of things.

As Cypher bitterly pulled the sword free, Jelroy hurriedly limped out of the cave towards the two boys, a shocked look on his face at the sight. He let his hammer fall to the ground and rushed over, ignoring the pain in his body. He kicked the lifeless beast away, which cracked the bones in its ribcage, and it skidded across the rocky ground. Satisfied that it was truly dead, Jelroy then looked back to Cypher and an unconscious Eiden.

"Cypher how on earth did you manage to kill a Rank-two Zightbeast?" Jelroy asked in astonishment. Cypher simply shrugged. He flinched as pain shot through his body and clutched his side where the fangs had sunk into him. The wounds were numerous but they weren't very serious, he would live.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to kill the alpha. I sensed your battle with the Rank-two and when I couldn't feel Eiden's presence anymore I rushed out as soon as I could. Is he..?" Jelroy spoke with caution and knelt down to check for a pulse, but Cypher shook his head, pushing his feelings of annoyance and disappointment away for later consideration.

"He'll be fine, he's only unconscious. He took a hit from the Rank-two and passed out after he hit these boulders. He might have broken something but I’m not completely sure. As for how I killed the Rank-two... Well, it sort of killed itself. I got lucky when I fell backward and Eiden's sword got lodged upright in a fissure."

Understanding spread across Jelroy's face then, and he calmed himself down with an exhausted sigh. "I'm glad the two of you aren't seriously injured. I was not told that a Rank-two would be here as well, though I should have suspected as much. In my haste to appease the young lord, I forgot myself and threw caution to the wind. This could have ended very badly, but thanks to you and lady luck, it didn't."

Jelroy picked Eiden up into his arms and carried him a distance away from the carnage and wolf corpses. Cypher followed behind him, carrying Eiden's sword with the blade pointed downwards. Jelroy laid the young heir down and propped his head up using the remains of his own leather chest piece. He sheathed the glittering sword at the young boy's hip and then turned to face Cypher.

He paused as if gathering his thoughts and then said, "You do realize that I cannot give you credit for killing the Rank-two right? Not that I don't want to of course. You performed admirably and I am quite proud that you were able to hold your own for as long as you did."

"If the young heir discovers that you not only used an heirloom of the Galvan family but also protected him and even had a hand in killing a Rank-two... Well, I don't think I have to tell you the punishment you’d receive for such a wound on his pride." Cypher nodded slowly in agreement.

"Still, I’m happy to see how much you’ve grown. It seems that your own weapon was lost in the battle. When we return to the mansion I might just have a suitable replacement for you. One from my own collection. I can at least do that much for you. You have proven to be more potent a warrior than young Eiden." Jelroy then bowed his head to Cypher out of respect.

Cypher sighed and then said, “I hardly think I’ve earned it though. I didn’t actually do anything worthy of a reward like that. It was chance that killed the beast, not skill. I even tried to retreat which is what ultimately led to its death.”

Jelroy let out a small chuckle and rubbed the back of his head, “Perhaps so, but surviving an encounter like this is something to be celebrated. That thing was much stronger than you seem to realize. Compared to your average human, Rank-Two Zightbeasts are in a league of their own. Even seasoned warriors would have no chance against them. Their skin is nearly impossible to penetrate with mortal strength. If not for a little trick that Conductors like myself use there would literally be nothing you could do to hurt it on your own.”

Cypher raised an eyebrow at that and wanted to ask about it but Jelroy crouched down to examine Eiden on the ground and continued speaking. “While they aren’t invincible, it takes strength on their same level to inflict lasting damage. Aye, luck was involved in the slaying of this Zightbeast, but you still managed to survive against an unkillable foe and used its own physical power against it. That you are still breathing shows that your skills have grown considerably.”

“How so?” asked Cypher.

“Well think about it, you saw a threat, tested its ability, and quickly came to the realization that you couldn’t win. Retreating was your only chance for survival. Even I can see that. Sometimes running away is the only thing you can do. It takes real skill to know when and when not to run away from a battle.”

Cypher mulled it over and sighed, “I’m still not so sure that’s something to be rewarded,”

“Well, in any event, you’ll need a new weapon. I might as well give you one that won’t break so easily. I can’t have one of my pupils dying because their weapon failed now can I?” asked Jelroy.

He straightened himself and continued speaking, "You have my sincerest thanks for doing what you could to protect Eiden. I know that must not have been an easy decision. However, I must ask that you allow me to fabricate a story to tell the young master when he awakens. I will tell him that when he was hit by the beast his sword also dealt it a nearly fatal blow. I’ll also mention that the Rank-two almost killed you and that I managed to slay it just in the nick of time. This is the only way I can think of to protect you."

Cypher thought about it for a moment and he knew that Jelroy spoke the truth. Eiden was an overly proud noble. And that was putting it kindly. If he discovered that he had been saved by a mere servant, especially Cypher of all people, the boy would be furious. Cypher agreed with Jelroy's decision but asked for an additional reward. If the man was handing them out willy-nilly he might as well take advantage of the situation.

"Name your price," Jelroy responded, a sly smile spreading across his face.