A different kind of cavalry [TryxieMora]

Hey, TheDespaxas here. A new graduate from our new sponsor system is here! To answer the time immemorial question, what happens when a sloth hatches the egg of a very lewd slime? Well, it gives us our first girl author contributing on this story. If you're here you already read my blurb at the start of Izix branch on how things will vary in our usual alternate reality shenanigans. I've reviewed what's already written and at the end of it, all I could say was: where's the rest? I want more.
What are you still doing here? Go read it!
But first a word from her sponsor.

Hey all, Calamitous here. I'm very proud to take part in introducing our newest author, Tryxie! Looking for a tale of beasts and men? Of savagery and honor? Of brutality and civility? Then look no further, as that is just the itch she intends to fill. Just keep in mind that appearances may be deceiving...

John’s lungs screamed in protest as he waited for his life to end. When the final blow never came, he opened his eyes a moment later in confusion. The air was uncommonly still, as if time itself had frozen, leaving the creature’s cold eyes looking into his, arm still raised to strike. He wanted to move, to run or try to dodge, but his muscles wouldn’t respond. That was when he noticed there was some kind of giant dog with its jaws locked around the monster’s neck. He watched a grotesque stream of black ichor-like blood as it oozed from the wound and trailed to soak into the forest floor as time seemed to resume, the dog growling as it snapped the creature’s neck. Fighting the bile rising in the back of his throat at the rotting smell, John turned to run at this new chance at life.

The screech of another creature’s angered roar reverberated through the woods and sent a fresh wave of fear down the gamer’s spine, causing him to duck behind a tree and cast Camouflage in hopes it would keep him from being followed. Peeking from his sanctuary, he watched as the monsters were attacked by a pack of what had to be wolves, though they were bigger than any he’d ever seen in pictures or film. The canines tore into the creatures, taking them apart as the summoner backed away only to find himself surrounded when he tried to run. With a low howl, the wolves launched at the deformed mage, ripping both cloth and flesh apart in a twisted show of strength.

The dogs kept to pairs or groups of three, but the one that had saved him was alone. John shouted out as the broken horror in its jaws somehow stood up, reached back, and grabbed the lone wolf, throwing it into the sturdy trunk of a nearby tree. The wolf’s startled cry of pain sounded unnaturally human and snapped something within him. Watching the creature turn its attention to the defenseless wolf, John roared in anger, a wave of adrenaline coursing through him as he charged into the fray.

The slow stuttering movements of the thing were emphasized as the rest of the world fell into slow motion. Before he could understand what happened, John raced over and tackled the thing away, saving the stone grey wolf it was about to strike down. His momentum gave him the power to knock them both to the ground. The rough landing threw the teenager off and knocked the wind from his weak lungs, costing him -14 hp. Coughing as he struggled to breathe, dazed on the ground, John could do nothing but watch the malformed living nightmare as it got back up, blood still seeping from its broken neck as it lumbered its way towards him.

A nearby pair of wolves had just executed their target when the smaller one that saved him whined loudly, calling their attention to the monstrosity between it and John. In a whirl of black fur, they launched their attack on this last creature, snarls and snapping teeth echoing through the woods. When they began tearing chunks from its flesh, he was to look away, dismissing a few pop-ups to instead focus on the wolf that had saved him twice now. Its lungs were heaving as it fought to get up, and John cast Observe, reading as he himself to his hands and knees, blinking a few times to get the words to come into focus.

Tala Onida
Lvl 16
Lycan Hunter
Relationship +35

‘Lycan, like a werewolf? The hell is going on?!’

Looking at the young lycan in fear, his heart lurched when she collapsed back to the ground with a weak whine. Conflicted, he watched her starting to go limp. Sure, she was dangerous, but she was also pretty human and she saved his life. Determined to do anything but nothing, his resolve fought through a growing, throbbing pain in his back. Every movement burned in his chest as he crawled over to her, but he didn’t stop until he was at her side.

Gently touching her coarse fur in thanks, a wave of dread washed over him as his hand was met with a warm, sticky substance. He stared at his blood-stained hand and started shouting around him. “Help! Somebody, anybody! She’s hurt! Please!” Shouting, human shouting, met John’s ears and his shoulders slumped in relief.

“Don’t worry, Tala. You’ll be okay. I’m right here with you. I won’t go anywhere,” he struggled to reassure her as he instinctively put pressure on her wound as a small grouping of people started to approach them.

Tala licked his hand as a strong middle aged man knelt before him and carefully took the young lycan from under the nerd’s hands, nodding at the young man as he stood, an almost pure white wolf trailing along at his side. John scrambled to get up grunting in nauseating pain, blinking away more damned pop-up windows, wanting to follow them, but a gruff looking man, maybe two or three years older than himself, barred his way.

“Please. I promised her I’d stay with her,” John tried to move around the wall of muscle, but the man continued to block his path. Casting Observe on him in annoyance, the gamer took a step back.

Bly Wulf
Lvl 22
Lycan Beta
Relationship -16

“Who are you to call this hunt?” The angry boom of Bly’s voice made John flinch slightly, the pain in his back flaring and making him hiss as he looked over the lycan’s human form, barely registering words as he continued to speak. “You are no pack member, nor do you have a pact with Artemis.” Each word seemed to tense the muscles across the man’s bare chest, light scars streaking across his tanned skin. “Speak, boy!”

With a start, John snapped back at him, “Back the fuck off, Bly. I told Tala I’d stay with her. She saved my life and I intend to keep my promise. Get out of my way!” The shock of using their names gave him the chance to shove past, chasing after the guy carrying his savior, ignoring the shouts from the man behind him.

As he caught up, he noticed a flashing notification icon in his peripheral vision, and he opened them to see what he had missed.

Observe leveled up!
The use of Observe will now show you the reasoning behind the relationship score and display in a window.

Achievement Unlocked - Not a coward after all
Stand up for yourself and what you believe in.
+ $100,00
+ 1 wait, what do you mean there’s no self-respect stat? Ugh, whatever. Have some wisdom, I guess…

With an annoyed grumble at the comments, he cast Observe on the man carrying Tala, waving away the remaining unread messages.

John’s step faltered and the white wolf turned to him, its bright blue eyes watching him as he gulped, “Dakota, Sir..? I, uh, promised her, Tala, your, uhm, daughter…” His chest hurt worse the more he tried to speak, and he looked down, his vision blurring. A soft, rhythmic beeping in the distance seemed to come more into focus, reminding him of a heart monitor. He heard a whine, but when he tried to lean against a nearby tree, a sudden, sharp pain blocked out everything else.