Fallen Worlds

Chapter 6: Into the Wild

Morning came slowly. Soft gray light filtered through the canvas of the tent while birdsong drifted lazily through the forest beyond. The air carried the crisp chill that lingered before sunrise, and somewhere outside came the faint crackle of a fire being coaxed back to life. Wolf stirred. She shifted slightly— and stopped. "...Hm." Something was in the way. She frowned beneath her mask before glancing to her right. Sometime during the night… She had drifted across the bedroll. She was now pressed against König's side. The giant of a man hadn't seemed to mind. If anything… He'd unconsciously shifted closer. Wolf stared at him for a long moment. Well… That explains why I couldn't move. She briefly considered trying to slip away. One look at the size difference changed her mind. I'd probably wake him. Before she could decide what to do— "Just so you're aware..." König's sleepy voice rumbled behind her. "...You were the one who moved." Wolf blinked. "So that's your version of events?" His shoulders shifted as he slowly woke. "It is." A hint of amusement slipped into her voice. "Is that so?" "...Ja." Wolf chuckled quietly. "I'll allow you to keep believing that." Carefully, she untangled herself and stood. She adjusted the cloak around her shoulders before glancing back toward him. "I hope you're ready to move soon." She brushed a bit of dirt from one sleeve. "I don't wait around very long." Without another word, she ducked through the tent flap.

König watched the canvas settle closed behind her. Silence returned. Ghost was already gone. Only an empty bedroll remained where he'd slept. König leaned back onto one elbow, staring at the tent ceiling for a moment. A slow breath escaped him. ...I'd like that to happen again. The thought caught him off guard. He rubbed the back of his neck beneath the hood. She's… His eyes drifted toward the place she'd been lying only moments ago. ...so small. He sighed quietly. "...Scheiße." Then pushed himself to his feet.

The campsite was already awake. Soap crouched beside the fire attempting to convince damp wood to cooperate. Gaz sorted what little remained of their rations. Ghost checked magazines with practiced efficiency. Price looked up as Wolf approached. "You lot have been busy." Price smiled faintly. "No sense wasting daylight." He motioned around the clearing. "Figured while you were sleeping we'd get camp broken down." Wolf followed him through the camp. Everything had already been packed neatly into organized piles. Bedrolls. Equipment. Ammunition. Medical supplies. Only the cooking gear remained beside the fire. "It looks like you've packed nearly everything." "We left out what we'll need for breakfast." Price glanced toward the horses grazing nearby. "Didn't seem fair loading them before we were ready to move." "They've earned the rest." Wolf looked toward the horses. Then back to Price. A small nod. "Good thinking." Price shrugged. "They've carried us this far." "No reason to make the day harder than it already will be." For a brief moment...

Wolf simply looked at him. Then nodded again. "I appreciate that." Before Price could respond— The tent flap opened. König ducked outside, stretching his shoulders as the cool morning air greeted him. Soap looked over. "'Bout time, Sleeping Beauty." König ignored him. Wolf didn't. Her golden eyes shifted toward the towering Austrian. "Looks like my hunting partner finally decided to wake up." König walked over. "I was awake." "Barely." "I was thinking." Wolf tilted her head. "Dangerous." Soap snorted loudly into the fire. Even Ghost's shoulders shifted ever so slightly. König sighed. "...Very funny." Wolf looked back toward Price. "Well." She adjusted the strap securing her cloak. "Time to see whether a giant can actually move quietly." Price folded his arms, watching König glance between the trees ahead. A smile crept onto the captain's face. "I'll be interested to hear the results." Wolf gave a small wave over one shoulder. "So am I." Without another word… She stepped into the forest. König followed close behind. The trees swallowed them both within moments. Leaving the rest of Task Force 141 to prepare breakfast... and quietly wonder how that hunt was going to go.

The forest had awakened long before they had. Birds called high overhead while unseen insects hummed somewhere beneath the brush. Morning dew clung stubbornly to every blade of grass, soaking the hems of their trousers as they walked. Sunlight filtered through the towering canopy in broken shafts of gold, painting shifting patterns across the forest floor. For several minutes… Neither of them spoke. Wolf walked at an unhurried pace, her eyes constantly drifting from the trail to the trees and back again. König did much the same. Eventually… Wolf turned around. She continued walking. Backwards. "So..." Her voice carried that familiar hint of amusement. "I noticed something." König looked at her. "...And what's that?" "You switch between two languages." She tilted her head. "The second one..." "...I've never heard before." König blinked. "You've never heard German?" Wolf frowned thoughtfully. "...Ger-man?" She tested the unfamiliar word carefully. "No." "I haven't." König sighed. "...Could you stop walking backwards?" Wolf's head tilted again. "Does it bother you?" She continued walking without missing a step. "It does." "...Why?" "Because eventually..." He gestured toward the uneven forest floor. "...You're going to trip." Wolf gave a small shrug beneath her cloak. "If I fall..." "I'll stand back up." König quickened his pace until he stepped in front of her, forcing her to stop. "No." His tone remained calm. "If you get hurt..." He hesitated. "...I'll feel responsible." For just a heartbeat… Wolf simply stared at him. Then she let out the quietest laugh. "Falling on my ass isn't going to kill me." She stepped around him and continued down the trail. König shook his head beneath his hood before falling back into step beside her. "...You're impossible." "So I've been told."

The silence returned. This time… It felt easier. König eventually broke it. "What exactly are we hunting?" Wolf slowed near a patch of disturbed earth. She crouched, one gloved hand brushing gently across the soil. Several deep impressions cut through the mud. Sharp. Angular. Fresh. "Something that eats well..." She studied another print. "...and doesn't take all day to dress." König crouched beside her. His eyes followed the trail. "...Those aren't deer." Wolf rose smoothly. "They're not any deer you've seen." She looked toward the trees. "They're fresh." "Very." Without another word… She started following them.

The forest changed. Gradually at first. Then all at once. The birds stopped singing. The breeze seemed to disappear beneath the dense canopy. Even the insects had gone quiet. König frowned. "You hear that?" Wolf stopped walking. "...Exactly." Silence. Real silence. Not peaceful. Watching. She slowly raised one hand. König froze immediately. Neither moved. Neither breathed. A low… Rolling grunt echoed somewhere ahead. Deep. Powerful. Close. Wolf's voice dropped to barely above a whisper. "Stay behind me." Together they edged toward a break in the trees. The clearing beyond came into view. Something stood there. Massive. Its coat was so black it seemed to absorb the morning light itself. Heavy muscles rolled beneath thick fur as it pawed once at the earth. Its antlers spread outward like sharpened pikes, each tine glistening with fresh dew. Then… It lifted its head. Crimson eyes locked onto them instantly. König's breathing caught. It wasn't simply large. It was built to hunt. To kill. Every instinct he possessed screamed at him to leave. Wolf didn't move. She watched it. Measured it. Quietly… "Alright." She never took her eyes off the creature. "I'll draw it." König looked toward her. "You move wide." "Look for an opening." "...Where?" "Behind the front shoulder." She answered immediately. "If you get the chance." A beat. "If you don't..." She finally glanced at him. "...Run." Before König could answer— The beast exploded forward. The ground shook beneath its weight. It crossed the clearing in seconds. Too fast. Far too fast. Wolf vanished sideways. Her cloak snapped behind her as she narrowly avoided the charging antlers. "König!" He was already moving. Breaking wide exactly as she'd instructed. The creature pivoted. Far faster than something its size should have been capable of. Its massive head whipped sideways. The antlers came with it. König barely had time to raise an arm. The impact lifted him completely off his feet. He slammed into the trunk of an ancient pine with enough force to shake loose a shower of needles. Pain exploded across his ribs. The air vanished from his lungs. His rifle flew from his hands, disappearing into the undergrowth somewhere beyond the trees. He hit the ground hard. Everything rang. His vision blurred. The creature turned. Slowly. Deliberately. Those burning crimson eyes settled onto him once again. König forced one arm beneath himself. Tried to stand. His body refused. The beast lowered its head. Steam curled from its nostrils. One step. Then another. Closing the distance. Wolf was already moving. But she wasn't close enough. Not yet. And König knew it. The monster lunged.

The creature's muscles coiled. Its antlers lowered. König forced one knee beneath himself. Too slow. The beast lunged. Something struck it from the side. The impact sounded like two trees colliding. The monstrous deer rolled violently across the clearing, tearing deep trenches through the earth before crashing into a boulder hard enough to split the stone. König blinked. His vision finally steadied. Something stood between him and the creature. It wasn't human. Towering nearly ten feet tall, the beast stood balanced on powerful hind legs. Midnight-black fur swallowed the morning light, each movement revealing dense muscle beneath its coat. Its forearms ended in claws longer than hunting knives, flexing against the earth as it slowly straightened to its full height.

Its head… Was unmistakably wolf. Long ears stood alert. Its jaws parted just enough to reveal rows of ivory fangs. Golden eyes burned beneath a heavy brow. A growl rolled from its chest. Low. Deep. The sound vibrated through König's ribs more than his ears. The creature answered with a furious bellow. Then charged. The wolf moved first. It stepped aside with impossible grace. One claw swept across the King's shoulder. Steel-like talons ripped through flesh. Dark blood sprayed across the clearing. The King Foul barely reacted. It twisted. Antlers slashed through empty air. The wolf was already gone. It reappeared at the monster's flank. Another rake. Another roar. Another wound. Every movement was deliberate. Nothing wasted. The King Foul fought with raw power. The wolf fought with precision. König struggled upright, one hand pressed against the tree behind him for support. His rifle was gone. His ribs screamed. His lungs still refused to cooperate. He couldn't help. So he watched. The fight became a blur. Black fur. Towering antlers. Flying dirt. Blood. The King Foul charged again. The wolf lowered itself. Waited. One heartbeat. Two. Then exploded upward. Its claws buried deep beneath the monster's jaw. The other arm wrapped around its neck. With a savage twist—

CRACK.

The sound echoed through the forest. The King's neck broke. Momentum carried both monsters several more feet before they crashed to the ground. Silence. The King Foul twitched once. Then lay still. The wolf remained standing over it. Its chest rose and fell heavily. Dark blood clung to its fur. Some belonged to the King Foul. Some… Did not. For several long moments… Neither it nor König moved. Then those golden eyes turned toward him. Not hostile. Not friendly. Studying. Measuring. The massive wolf slowly lowered itself onto all fours. Its approach was cautious. Almost… Careful. König didn't move. Didn't breathe. The beast stopped only inches away. Its enormous muzzle hovered beside his face. Warm breath rolled across his skin. It sniffed once. Twice. A quiet chuff escaped it. As though satisfied by whatever it had found. "...Easy..." König whispered. His voice trembled despite every effort to steady it. "I'm not going to hurt you..." A faint smile tugged beneath the hood. "...So don't hurt me either." The wolf blinked. Its ears twitched. For the briefest instant… König caught something familiar in those golden eyes. Not recognition. Something else. Something he couldn't place. The beast stepped back. Its head tilted once. Then, without warning… It disappeared into the undergrowth. Gone.

Only broken branches marked where it had passed. König stared after it. "What..." His voice barely carried. "...the hell..." Reality slammed back into him. "Wolf!" He pushed away from the tree despite the pain. "Wolf!" Panic tightened his chest. She'd been right beside him. She should've— "I'm here." Her voice answered calmly from behind him. König spun. Wolf stepped from the trees. Leaves clung to her cloak. She brushed one from her shoulder almost absently. Her mask concealed every trace of expression. Only those golden eyes watched him carefully. Relief hit him harder than the King Foul had. Before he could stop himself— He crossed the distance. Wrapped both arms around her. It lasted only a moment. Wolf stiffened in surprise. Then… She didn't pull away. König stepped back almost immediately. "...Sorry." His hands hovered awkwardly for a second before instinct took over. He looked her over. Searching for blood. Cuts. Anything. "Are you hurt?" Wolf's answer came quietly. "I'm fine." A pause. "You're the one that hit a tree." König let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "You disappeared." Wolf was silent. Long enough for him to notice. She was thinking. Choosing. "You saw something."

It wasn't a question. König nodded. "...Yeah." Wolf looked toward the dead King Foul. Then back to him. "You didn't shoot." "My rifle was somewhere over there." He gestured vaguely into the forest. "And..." He hesitated. "I wasn't sure what I was looking at." Wolf nodded once. "...Fair." Silence settled between them. Finally… König asked. "What was it?" Wolf's gaze held his. No hesitation. No dramatic pause. Just a simple answer. "...Me." He blinked. "...What?" "I can shift." The words hung between them. His mind replayed the fight. Black fur. Golden eyes. The impossible speed. The careful way it had approached him afterward. "...That..." He looked toward the dead King Foul. "...That was you?" Wolf inclined her head. "I don't do it unless I have to." König remained quiet. Trying to make sense of a world that refused to obey any rules he'd ever known. Finally… "Why didn't you tell me?" Wolf's answer came immediately. "Because we met yesterday." Despite everything… König let out a tired laugh. "...Ja." They stood there another moment before Wolf looked toward the trail. "We should get this back." König glanced one last time toward the King Foul. Then back at Wolf. Without another word… The two started walking. Behind them, the forest slowly reclaimed its silence.

The camp had settled into an easy rhythm. Price sat on one of the logs near the fire, sharpening a knife with slow, practiced strokes. Every so often his eyes drifted toward the forest where Wolf and König had disappeared. They'd been gone longer than he'd expected. Soap tossed another split log onto the fire. It caught almost immediately, sending sparks twisting into the cool morning air. "You think they'll bring back anything decent?" He tried to sound casual. Nobody bought it. Gaz looked up from folding the larger of the two tents while Ghost worked silently beside him. "Knowing Wolf?" He shrugged. "It'll probably be something that tries to kill us first." Soap grimaced. "...Fair." Ghost cinched another strap around the folded canvas. "They'll be back." Price glanced toward the tree line again. "When they do..." He sheathed the knife. "We eat." "Then we move." "We've already spent more time here than I wanted." Soap stretched. "Good." "I'm getting restless." Ghost didn't even look at him. "You're always restless." Soap pointed dramatically. "That's slander." "It isn't." Gaz answered. "It's an observation." Soap muttered something under his breath that made Gaz grin. For a little while… The only sounds were birdsong, crackling firewood, and the steady work of breaking camp. Then...

Snap.

A branch broke somewhere in the trees. Not close enough to see. Close enough to hear. Everyone stopped. Another snap. Heavier this time. Price was on his feet before anyone else. His hand instinctively settled on the grip of his rifle. "Something's coming." Gaz slowly turned toward the forest. "...Sounds big." Ghost stepped away from the tents, giving himself a clearer line of sight between the trees. The forest fell strangely quiet. No birds. No insects. Just… Heavy footsteps. A dark figure emerged between the trunks. Soap relaxed first. "...König." The Austrian stepped into the clearing, brushing low branches aside as he walked. Then something enormous slid out behind him. No… Not behind him. Beside him. Wolf walked into view, one hand gripping the antlers of a massive black-furred carcass. Its body dragged through the dirt with a heavy scraping sound. Long spear-like antlers carved furrows through the earth behind it. Price's eyebrows rose. Soap simply stared. "...Bloody hell." Gaz stepped forward. "...You actually killed that?" The carcass looked even larger up close. Price recovered first. "As expected." A small nod. "Good work." Ghost studied the creature. Then looked toward Wolf. "...That'll feed us for a while." Wolf let the enormous body fall. It landed with a heavy THUD, shaking loose a cloud of dust. She brushed her hands together. "Breakfast." Soap looked between the carcass… And Wolf. "...Right." König remained quiet. Only once did his eyes drift toward Wolf. Just for a moment. Then he looked away again. Price pointed toward the carcass. "Gaz." "Soap." The two immediately stepped forward. "Get it dressed." "We'll cook what we can now." "The rest gets packed." Soap cracked his knuckles. "Finally." "Something I'm good at." Gaz laughed. "I'll believe it when I see it." Wolf watched them for only a second before letting out a slow breath. It sounded heavier than she'd intended. "...I need to sit." She lowered herself onto one of the logs beside the fire. Far less gracefully than usual. Price noticed. His eyes lingered on her a second longer than before. Then he looked back toward Soap and Gaz. "Get that cleaned up." He nodded toward the carcass. "Wolf went through the trouble of bringing it back." "Let's not waste it." "You got it, Cap."

König walked quietly around the fire. He stopped in front of Wolf. Then lowered himself onto one knee. She looked up at him. "...What?" "Let me see." Wolf tilted her head. "See what?" "The bandage." His voice stayed calm. "From last night." She immediately shook her head. "I'm fin—" The words died. The world tilted. Wolf swayed. "...Hey." Before she could fall backwards— König caught her. One arm slipped behind her shoulders, steadying her. "Stay with me." His voice had sharpened. Price turned immediately. "What happened?" He crossed the distance in only a few strides. Wolf blinked several times. "I'm..." Her voice sounded much smaller than she intended. "...Fine." "No." Price answered before anyone else could. "You're not." He looked directly at König. "Take her to the tent." "Don't let her get back up." Wolf frowned beneath her mask. "Price—" "No." His tone left no room for argument. "You've pushed yourself enough." König didn't hesitate. He slipped one arm beneath Wolf's knees, the other around her back, lifting her effortlessly. She let out a small noise of protest. "...Hey." "What are you doing?" "Following orders." He answered simply. "And ignoring mine?" "You didn't give any." Before Wolf could think of a response… He was already carrying her toward the tent. Soap looked up from the carcass. "...She weighs about as much as my pack." Gaz elbowed him. "Not helping."

König ducked inside the tent before gently lowering Wolf onto her bedroll. She immediately started to sit up. He placed one hand lightly on her shoulder. "Stay." Wolf looked up at him. Annoyance practically radiated from behind the mask. "...Bossy." "So I've been told." A tiny silence settled between them. Finally… He spoke. "Will you let me look now?" He leaned forward just enough for their eyes to meet. "If the bandage tore open..." He glanced briefly toward her side. "...I need to know." "You could be bleeding again." Wolf closed her eyes for a moment. The lingering pain along her side reminded her that the demon's attack had never truly stopped bothering her. She sighed. "...Fine." The single word carried every ounce of reluctant surrender. "But you're enjoying this entirely too much." König blinked. "...Enjoying?" Wolf folded her arms. "Winning." Realization dawned. A quiet chuckle escaped him. "...Maybe a little." Despite herself… The corner of Wolf's cloak shifted ever so slightly as she shook her head. "...Unbelievable." She carefully loosened the side of her cloak. "...Go on, then." "Before I change my mind."