The fight was somehow at a standstill.
Toby and the wolf were locked at each other's throats.. almost literally.
Toby leapt from a tree, aiming to slash his sword across the beast's neck.
But just as he closed in, a massive paw swiped up, trying to smack him away like a fly.
Reacting quickly, Toby braced himself, using the paw as the ground.
He kicked off it, flipping backward and rolling as he landed to soften the impact.
They circled each other, eyes locked, moving slow and steady.
The beast suddenly slammed its paws onto the ground, sending a faint tremor through the earth.
A green hue began to seep into the surroundings, and Toby could feel a strange shift in the air.
Soon, he heard the slithering of vines and the crack of branches. The trees around him had begun to transform..
' The beast is using its territorial advantage. '
The change was swift.
Trees around him bent and twisted, their forms reshaping as Toby watched, helpless to intervene.
The transformation happened just behind the Wolf, so all he could do was curse his luck and swallow the bitter pill.
The once-heavy trunks and sprawling branches reshaped themselves into towering figures that resembled the Wolf.
There were now five of them but unlike the beast, these were devoid of flesh and blood.
They were made only of wood and leaves, but underestimating them would be a death sentence.
Biting his lip, Toby took his stance.
He was ready for another round, and this time, death felt closer than ever.
* Clang! Claaang!! Clang, clang, clang!! Claaang!! Claaang! Clang, clang, clank, clang, clank, clang!! *
The four tree Wolves launched their relentless assault from all sides.. left, right, below, and above.
They were fierce and precise, but Toby was no pushover. He held his ground, countering their attacks with equal ferocity.
He tried to see the flow of each incoming attack.
Things like pre-movement, the eyes, breathing, muscles twitching, the direction of magic energy, etc.
His sensory perception pushed to the absolute limit tried to accurately read each and every one of the enemies' attacks.
'....I can see it.'
His eyes pained and thin trails of blood began to seep from the corners.
Droplets trickled down his face, yet he kept his gaze steady, eyes locked and focused.
Experience rarely betrayed anyone, and Toby was no exception.
The numbers game was a bitch; he had hoped to subdue the beast by playing it, but the wolf beat him to it.
"Haha... how the tables have turned." Toby found the situation hilarious, even as he was being pushed back.
The situation was bad. The fragile balance had shattered, and now he was frankly speaking.. fucked.
But instead of wasting time lamenting, Toby did what he could, he tried his best.
Sirius could show up any moment now, and Toby was just waiting for that exact opportunity.
Sirius was one hell of a motherfucker..he lacked the elegance, but his raw power far outmatched Toby's.
The time they'd spent hunting duskrens together had only made Sirius more terrifying.
He learned a lot at that time, both by killing and with his guidance.
Toby was sure that with both of them here, and the guardian injured, their odds could actually improve.
Toby pulled out several elemental bombs, charged them with the Air element, and threw them all at once.
* Boom! Boom boom boom! *
Explosions rocked the area, and unlike the previous one, there was no fire but wind current flowing all around.
One of the tree Wolves was sliced through its midsection and destroyed on the spot.
Another took a hit to its legs, leaving it crippled.
The others, positioned further away, reacted quickly and dodged the blasts.
"Two down, three left," Toby counted under his breath.
His gaze scanned the area, narrowing on the guardian, who hadn't moved an inch since summoning its minions.
Toby stayed on edge, wary of whatever the guardian was planning.
It made no sense for the beast to hold back while Toby was occupied with the tree Wolves.
"Why hasn't it attacked? Is it unable to?" he muttered, barely audible.
The only plausible explanation Toby could come up with was the same... the guardian was wounded and needed to focus to control its minions, staying rooted to its spot to maintain command over its creations.
It was only a theory, so Toby kept a close eye on the guardian.
He wasn't about to let it pull a fast one on him.
The two remaining tree Wolves closed in, one charging straight at him while the other stood back, waiting for a chance to catch him off guard.
The Wolf lunged, claws aimed to tear into his chest. Toby raised his sword to block, but the creature's paw suddenly burst into a ring of leaves, blinding him.
Caught off guard, Toby stumbled back, disoriented by the swirling leaves that scratched at his face and clung to his skin.
He swung wildly, hoping to land a hit.. or at least clear his sight.
He could sense the second Wolf closing in, and time was running out fast.
As Toby swiped at the leaves, his mind raced. He knew it was only a matter of seconds before the second tree Wolf closed in.
Right on cue, there was a faint rumble from behind.
Toby barely had time to glance back before a figure came crashing down, landing directly atop the wolf that had been lurking in the shadows.
Dirt flew everywhere as the weight of Sirius' arrival flattened the wooden creature beneath his boots.
" See? I warned you about the Wolves, didn't I? " Sirius said, grinning in that annoying smug way of his.
"Well, You were always a bad luck, " Toby shot back, shaking leaves out of his hair and smirking. "Took you long enough though. I was about ready to sign my will."
Sirius chuckled and stepped forward, the faint glow of his dark aura intensifying. "Guess I just wanted to let you get your exercise in first."
Toby scoffed, narrowly dodging a swipe from the remaining tree Wolf. "I was about to get crushed out here. Just admit it, you wanted to make a dramatic entrance."
"Fine," Sirius shrugged, the grin never leaving his face. "But dramatic entrances are all I've got. Besides, it would indeed have been hilarious if you died by wolves.. just like I predicted "
With a roar, Sirius slammed his fist down, causing the earth to ripple beneath their feet.
The remaining Wolves faltered just enough for Toby to regain his footing and join in the fight.
Now with Sirius beside him, Toby felt a flicker of hope ignite.
Behind the jokes and smirk, Toby noticed a flicker of tension and relief in Sirius.
He must've been worried sick and was only now letting himself relax, seeing Toby was alright.
'A softy inside, after all,' Toby thought with a smirk. He knew how much of a worrier Sirius could be.. and his guess had been right on the mark.
" Let's make this quick, shall we?" Toby muttered, rolling his shoulders.
With a shared nod, the two launched back into the fray, this time in perfect sync.