Nova could feel the pressure from the wolves even before any of them moved.
Five pairs of eyes remained fixed on him. Their growls were low and continuous, filling the narrow passage with a sound that made it difficult to judge which one was about to attack. Every time he shifted his weight, one of the creatures answered by stepping closer.
Their anger was obvious. He had killed one of their own, and they had followed its scent straight to him. Apparently, they were not interested in accepting an apology.
Not that I was planning to offer one, Nova thought. But I wouldn't mind leaving with all my limbs attached.
He kept his fists raised and tried to steady his breathing. His chest was already rising too quickly from everything he had done since entering the maze. Escaping the vines had taken more energy than he wanted to admit, and the wolf he had just faced hadn't helped.
He looked from one animal to the next, listening for the scrape of claws or the slightest change in their breathing. The meditation technique he had used earlier was still sharpening his awareness, though maintaining that focus was becoming difficult. He could distinguish small movements within roughly ten meters, but knowing where an attack came from was not the same as being fast enough to avoid it.
If they all rush me together, I'm finished. I need them to make a mistake.
The biggest wolf stood a little ahead of the others. It was broader through the shoulders, with darker fur along its neck and a scar near one eye. Nova assumed it was the leader, especially since the remaining wolves seemed to wait for it before advancing.
"Seriously?" Nova muttered. "You're trying to scare me now?"
The leader dipped its shoulders, then stopped after a false lunge. Nova flinched despite himself. When it feinted again, he caught something strange. Immediately before it moved, its body tightened, and its paws seemed to hesitate for a fraction of a second.
It was so brief that he nearly missed it.
Is it scared? Of me? He almost laughed at the idea. No, there's something making it stop. Whatever it is, I can use that moment.
He didn't have time to work out the reason. The leader lowered its head, gathered its hind legs beneath it, and launched itself toward his chest.
Nova threw himself to the side. His shoulder came dangerously close to the stone wall, and he twisted his body to avoid striking it. The wolf's claws passed through the space where he had been standing. Unable to halt its own weight, it crashed into another wolf waiting beside the passage.
Both animals stumbled together. One snapped at the other, and for a moment the formation around Nova broke apart.
There!
He ran straight through the opening before either animal regained its footing. The fur of one wolf brushed against his forearm, and he heard teeth snap behind him. He refused to look back. Otherwise, he might end up as wolf stew.
Another wolf lunged from his right, trying to cut him off. Nova ducked beneath its first swipe, but the next came much closer. Its claws struck the stone wall and caught in a shallow crack.
He saw his chance and jumped.
His foot landed on the creature's back. He pushed off as hard as his tired legs allowed, using the wolf's body to carry himself past its snapping jaws. He landed badly on the other side, almost losing his balance before dropping into a roll.
Pain shot through his shoulder when it struck the ground. Nova scrambled back to his feet and sprinted.
"Nope!" he shouted over his shoulder. "You can keep the maze. I don't want it!"
A chorus of furious howls answered him.
He turned the first corner, then another. He heard claws scraping against the ground, bodies knocking into walls, and the deep breathing of creatures that refused to give up.
His own breathing was worse.
It was exciting. He couldn't deny that.
But it was also a great deal more frightening when there was no guarantee he would survive long enough to laugh about it afterward.
If I get caught, they'll tear me apart before the tournament takes me out. And then I get disqualified. Fantastic. Everything I wanted.
He tried to keep his steps measured instead of wasting energy on wild movements. His legs burned, and the back of his throat felt dry. Whenever the path split, he chose whichever turn offered the most distance between him and the approaching footsteps.
"Oh, come on!"
The sharper awareness from his meditation began to fade. First the softer sounds disappeared beneath his own heartbeat. Then he could no longer distinguish the wolves' individual movements. He tried to concentrate again, but his breath kept breaking his focus.
The technique hadn't stopped working because he was suddenly weak-minded. He was exhausted, and forcing himself to maintain it while sprinting was costing him more than he had left to spare.
He let it go and concentrated on his feet.
Need to keep moving. That's all. Keep moving until they lose interest.
Unfortunately, the wolves appeared to have an unreasonable amount of interest in him.
* * *
Adam was getting closer to the volcano, although he still couldn't find a route that led directly to it.
He had passed several dead ends and doubled back twice. Whenever a corridor seemed promising, another wall appeared and forced him to choose a different direction. The volcano towered over the maze, close enough to give him hope, yet somehow remaining out of reach.
He had not encountered a single wolf. There were no strange vines in his path either, and he had avoided the few people whose voices he'd heard through the walls.
Where is everyone? Adam wondered. I know Nova told me to avoid other people, but this place feels empty.
He remembered Nova's warning before they separated. Not everyone offering help would be friendly, and Adam was supposed to survive until Nova found him. The instructions had sounded simple when Nova gave them. Following them alone was another matter.
Then he heard footsteps.
Not one set. Several, moving fast, with something heavier striking the ground between them.
Adam stopped. He listened again, trying to understand what was approaching. A human footstep sounded beneath the louder thudding, followed by a distant howl.
His stomach tightened.
That does not sound friendly.
He turned around and hurried back the way he'd come. The sounds followed, growing louder as he reached the next corner. His hurried walk became a run, and he slipped into an adjoining passage just before the approaching group reached him.
Adam pressed himself against the wall, holding his breath.
Someone rushed past the opening.
For a moment, all he saw was a blur of black clothing and familiar hair. Then he leaned forward and recognized the runner.
"Nova?"
His friend was sprinting as though his life depended on it.
A heartbeat later, Adam understood why.
Five enormous wolves came charging after Nova. They barely slowed as they passed Adam's hiding place. One briefly turned its head toward him, but the pack continued after its original target without breaking formation.
Adam stood frozen.
They didn't even stop for me, he thought. I mean, that's good. Obviously, that's good. But still...
He shook his head at himself. Being ignored by monsters was hardly worth complaining about when his friend was in danger.
Nova had been the one to help him at the guild, even when getting involved meant facing people with abilities. He had spoken to Adam like an equal instead of treating him as someone useless. Now Nova was running alone, and Adam was watching from behind a wall.
His hands began to shake.
If I stay here, I'll be safe. He looked toward the passage Nova had taken. But if he doesn't get away, what happens to him?
Adam stepped out from his hiding place, then stopped again. He had no weapon and no ability he knew how to use against a pack of wolves. Charging at them would accomplish nothing except giving them another target.
He forced himself to breathe slowly, just as Nova had encouraged him to do when he'd become nervous earlier.
Think. You don't have to beat them. You only have to help him.
He spotted a loose stone near the wall. It was large enough to hurt if it struck the right place, but small enough for him to throw with one hand.
Adam picked it up, moved to the edge of the passage, and watched the wolves disappear around a bend ahead of him.
"Please work," he whispered.
* * *
Nova heard a different sound behind him. It was lighter than the wolves' paws and came from much farther back, but he was too busy running to investigate.
He turned toward a wider stretch of passage, hoping to gain enough space to dodge if the pack caught up. The leader was closing fast. Its claws scraped along the ground as it gathered itself to leap.
Nova glanced over his shoulder and noticed the same brief hesitation he had seen before.
There it is again.
He prepared to throw himself aside, but something small flew past him.
A rock struck the leader near its temple just as the creature lunged.
The impact knocked its head sideways. Already committed to the jump, the wolf lost its balance and hit the ground awkwardly, sliding across the stone before struggling to rise. The remaining wolves hesitated as their leader fell in front of them.
Nova stumbled to a stop.
"What the...?"
He looked back toward the corner and saw Adam standing there, his throwing arm still extended.
"Adam!"
Adam's face was pale. "I didn't think I'd hit it!"
"Well, you did!" Nova shouted. "Good throw!"
The wolves were already moving again. Their leader was not unconscious for long, and the others kept looking between it and Nova, unsure whether to pursue him or stay beside it.
Nova turned back toward the passage and examined everything he could see.
The route behind him was open. One of the walls to his left was too high to climb without leaving his back exposed. The right side was lower, but the stone was smooth and offered no reliable foothold.
Then he noticed a break between two sections of wall.
It was narrow, barely wide enough for a person to squeeze through. A wolf might force its head and shoulders into the opening, but the pack would never fit through together.
A choke point.
Nova remembered the basic tactics he had read about while preparing for the tournament. When the enemy had greater numbers, a narrow passage could stop it from using all of them at once.
He looked toward Adam, then back at the wolves.
If I lead them there, they have to come one at a time. I might have a chance. And Adam won't need to fight them at all.
The idea was dangerous. If he became trapped in the opening, a single mistake would leave him nowhere to retreat. But remaining in the open meant facing five creatures at once, and he knew which option offered better odds.
"Stay back!" Nova called to Adam. "Don't follow me!"
Adam looked ready to protest, but the wolves began shifting toward Nova again.
Nova drew in a deep breath. He raised his arms and shouted at the pack, loud enough for every creature to hear him.
"Hey! Over here!"
The wolves snapped their heads toward him. Their growls deepened, and the leader pushed itself upright, anger plain in its eyes.
Nova took one step backward toward the narrow opening.
All five wolves moved after him.