From behind, five wolves lunged at Fay. Their strength sat around peak Breath Tempering, nothing like the pack leader, but they came with teeth and numbers.
Fay answered with qi and a spray of crimson flame. It flared bright. The wolves balked midair and veered.
Two took the heat across their coats and hit the ground with yelps, fur scorched and curling.
The rest of the pack sniffed at the huge missing patch of fur and realized it had done no real damage.
The pack grew bolder. Frenzied. Their eyes sharpened with the hunger.
Fay did not give them the time to build courage. She kept pummeling the huge leader with her shield, each impact a dull jolt up her arm.
The beast was peak Cornerstone, four meters of muscle and tyranny, and even it began to sway. Dizzy. Off balance.
It rolled hard, trying to crush her. Fay shifted to dismount, to reset her footing, and her leg caught.
