The Fire Wolf

Dark embers glowed in the dimly lit room, placed against the jagged walls of the stone cavern. The warm air was still and silent, with the exception of the crackling of the fire around the walls. Five figures occupied the room, four of which guarded each corner. They stood still and solid, as if they were marbled statues. Their hands were folded behind their erect backs, their faces emotionless. Each feature appearing as if it were frozen in time. They each wore heavy chest armor that was covered in thick black leather and black leather pants and boots.
In the center of the room, a cold stone table rose from the floor. The fifth figure laid unconscious on this table, his breath silent and unnoticed. He had cuts and bruises on his muscular arms, dried blood running down the side of his face from a small gash above his eyebrow.
There was only one entrance to the room; through a tunnel that held no light. Footsteps echoed from the tunnel and there was soon the light of flame that lit the darkness. A large being covered by a dark cloak that hid his face and body entered the room. Only one tan, dirty hand could be seen. This hand held a staff. The pole was long and narrow, stretching from the hard smooth granite floor to the being’s shoulders, where it split and curled to hold the head of the staff. The head of the staff was four strips of metal, bent out in curves in the middle of each, but brought together to make points at the ends.
Two more men in leather-covered armor followed behind the cloaked being but their heavy steps echoed as one and the same. There was also a bird that followed, a black raven with thorns hidden in the feathers of its back and large rounded teeth protruding along its beak, the four front teeth pointed. This demonic raven flew around the cloaked being as he approached the table that held the wounded man, perching on his shoulder as he stood beside the stone table.
The cloaked being gazed upon the unconscious man, the room once again in eerie silence. He lifted his staff from the ground, holding the head of it above the man’s face. He began to chant in a strange language, his deep voice echoing throughout the cavern with every slight pause. The four bent pieces of metal in the head of the staff began to spin. They spun faster and faster until they looked like they were a solid object, blowing the man’s black hair from his forehead. The center of the object started to glow, as if it were holding blue light inside.
Suddenly, the light shot from the pointed tip of the staff and projected into the man’s forehead. All eyes now rested on the man’s forehead, the light reflecting in their eyes, even the beady black raven’s. A low chuckle came from the cloaked being, holding something like excitement and joy.
The unconscious man’s eyebrow twitched, then suddenly his eyes shot open. He quickly raised his arm, smacking the staff away with the back of his hand. The light broke from his forehead, causing the staff to stop spinning and the cloaked being to stumble back. Rolling back onto his shoulders, the man pushed up, jumping to his feet. He quickly glanced around to see the guards coming at him before he pushed off with his legs, curling forward in a flip off the table. Landing hard on his feet in a crouch in front of the doorway, he didn’t waste a second as he launched down the dark hallway. The rushed footsteps and voices of the guards echoed close behind him as they shouted to each other.
“Don’t let him get away!”
“Hurry up! Out of the way!”
The man rushed down the tunnel, his quick breaths echoing between the walls. He heard a sudden whistling sound that grew louder and faster, and he glanced around to see where it was coming from. Three sharp objects flew by him, being so close to hitting him that the tight fabric of his shirt rippled. He locked his eyes on a doorway ahead, growing nearer to it when he heard the whistling sound again. This time two flew by, one nicking the left side of his neck. The third one stuck into the back of his shoulder, making him grunt in pain and stumble to the side, holding himself up on the wall for a moment before he kept moving.
He turned right into the doorway, looking back over his shoulder at the object stuck in his back. He hid back behind a column in the large room before he reached back and gripped it in his hand. He took in a quick deep breath before jerking it back, pulling it free from where it protruded from his shoulder blade. He grunted in pain, releasing his breath slowly as he brought the object forward to look at it. It was a large thorn that was now black, coated in his blood. He threw it aside, panting as he looked around the large flame-lit room.
A row of columns were on either side of the room, each one holding a small window of flame. At the end of the room, there was a single step, and beyond that, a large circle carved into the floor.
He heard the loud steps of the guards enter the room and they slowed to careful, quiet steps as their words shrunk to quiet murmurs. They were looking for him. He looked back at the step, looking for a safe way to get to it.
There was none. He would have to run for it.
Glancing around the column, he tried to get a good idea of where the guards were but couldn‘t see them without giving himself away. Taking in a deep, quiet breath, he made a dash for the step. The moment he stepped out from behind the column, the guards’ voices raised to shouts as they tried to alert the others that they had found him. The man made it about halfway to the step when a sudden sharp, burning sensation broke across his chest, accompanied by a loud crackling sound and a flash of bright light that blinded him for a moment. The man stumbled against the steps, almost falling as he cried out in pain but quickly regained his footing.
Making it up the step, he entered the circle carved into the stone beneath him, making it glow red. The guards made one last frantic attempt at getting him out of the circle, but in a matter of seconds a bright red light encased the man, protecting him from the guards’ attacks. The light gradually started to glow brighter until its intensity turned white and blinded the guards.
When the light disappeared, they found the man had disappeared with it.