Charkel took a step forward with a mug full of confidence, and so too did William. He wanted to top the other’s confidence and so he boasted, “Take a good look around you, old man! You’re up against two dinosaurs and someone who knows a thing or two about swordplay… It won’t take long before you and Willow are beings of the past. So how about you back off and give me the antidote, and I might just let you live?”.

The enemy took notice of the dinosaurs. First he stared at Boros, then Thalgar, before his eyes shuffled between Lucifer and William. It didn’t take long for his face to crack up in a pleased grin, “... I do understand the situation… And it brings me such joy to know that I finally have a worthy target to kill… Your male friend may be needed but his sins are unknown… I can’t say the same for yours, bonded girl!”.

Charkel passionately reached out his hands to let the others admire his gloves and the dominating power that hid beneath them. “Normally, I would threaten to poison you as well if you didn’t flee, but such an option I simply cannot allow for someone as insolent as you… But first-”. Charkel fetched a long thin flute from his robes, “Let me even the odds' “.

The first one to get hit by his blow dart was Boros. Once hit, it dawned on the others what the man was doing and that the flute was not an instrument but a lethal weapon.

The expert made sure to aim at their centers to make it harder for his targets to evade the blows, and yet Lucifer and William managed to do it a couple of times. For each successful miss they came closer.

Charkel noticed their abnormal speed, so before they were within 4 meters of range, he churned the blow dart’s outer shell, allowing for another mechanism to be used. He only saw a shimmer of Lucifer’s white pelt, but it was enough for him to know when to spread the mist.

As expected, Lucifer came chomping on Charkel’s arms, which were now used as a face-shield. He dared to sacrifice his arms, because he knew that he couldn’t have prevented the dinosaur’s assault; it was simply too swift and agile for him. But despite the challeng, Charkel still managed to protect his life while the other got infected, lost strength, and fell.

William stood behind the man, glad to have dodged the spray of chemicals that was now getting absorbed by the increasing rain. But now what? Should he kill the man? Or would such an action be unwise? For what if he was his only chance at acquiring an antidote?... With squinted eyes William stabbed at Charkel’s leg: He had decided to keep the man alive.

The sword edged itself into the man’s flesh before a kick was planted behind his knee-caps. Doing this combo the man was bound to fall and so he did. “Curse you!”, he grumbled, before he returned the favor, and kicked William’s foot with enough force to make it slip.

With a *THUMP*, William landed awkwardly on Charkel’s legs, which made the collector grind his teeth in agony. A flick of his wrist was made to allow his gloved hand some freedom. Once out in the naked, it folded itself like a claw ready to end someone’s life, but this never came to be as something more threatening etched ever so closer.

“Urgh… This is what you get, girl, for angering god! He has sent one of his heavenly messengers to finish you off… I just pray it doesn’t finish me off too!”, Charkel chuckled while a lightning strike flashed merely a kilometer away this time. William whipped his head back to see if the deadly light had spawned something dreadful. As he did, Charkel grabbed his arm and held it tightly. This gained him the girl’s attention again. Vivid eyes stared into William’s soul as a gruff voice begged, “Listen up! I have a bargain for you!… If you let me take your friend while you distract the Thunder Wolf, I’ll make sure he breathes till next time… That is, if you can survive the encounter…”.

William took his free hand and clenched the others obstructing one. This made Charkel understand that he hadn’t been explicit enough, “Worry not, bonded girl… The dinosaurs have merely suffered a blunt knock-out… They shall awake soon enough… Give me a yes and we might meet at the Silver fortress. To your luck, both alive”.

“Never!”, William growled as he tore off the other’s grip. Quickly, he stood up and pointed his shaking sword at Charkel’s throat, “If you can’t heal him then-”, Charkel coughed in panic, “Don’t point your blade at me! Point it at the WOLF!!!”.

An eerie feeling emanated from William’s back. He reacted to Charkel’s warning and managed to whip around in time to witness something come dashing at him. With his sword he blocked the attack and went to the side, however, he immediately regretted doing so. A boom as loud as the former thunder, tortured his ears while his sword turned from a metallic gold into a burning white.

Wild energy crashed into his system as his weapon flew far before it finally planted itself with a *shink* into the soft ground. Dazed, sat a bewildered William, fashioned with hair that defied gravity and hands that smelt like burnt flesh. No longer the target of the wolf.

William looked desperately back at the traitorous blade which sparkled with white strings running up and down its edges. He seriously doubted whether he should retrieve it or use something else as his weapon. Charkel screamed when he saw the creature approach him instead, with its gluttonous interest, knowing full well what it was capable of.

Said dangerous creature didn’t care for much other than going on killing sprees here and then. And who could deny it such a thing, when it was bonded to a dinosaur that had the fantastic ability to harness lightning?

Like William, the Thunder Wolf was an animal that had been lucky enough to be sought out by a distressed dinosaur at one point. Although these pairings between a dinosaur and an animal happen rarely, they do exist, to the humans’ dismay.

The Thunder Wolf was about to set its jaws into the hollering man’s gullet when it was rudely mauled by a rock. William’s only reason to save the despicable man was because he hoped for some compensation. For as long as he could use the other to acquire an antidote, it would be worth the effort. Even if that meant that he had to endure throwing sharp rocks with hands that were slightly grilled.

The interrupted beast sneered violently at William, then it haughtily tried to resume its former act. Another rock bumped against its skull and now the wolf was no longer just annoyed but thoroughly pissed. It howled a short tune, then it turned its thirsty eyes upon the inferior human. A gulp cramped its way down said person’s throat.

William knew that he had to ready himself, for they were now about to play a very dangerous game of tag.