I stood stock still. This timber wolf had spoken, and it knew. My breathing became ragged. I was starting to feel panic. A frightened whimper from behind me snapped me back to reality. She hadn't run. Why was she still there? Why had this monster not ended me yet?

I looked more carefully the two, slightly, smaller ones had taken positions flanking the one that had spoken. It was then I heard a quaking voice behind me. "Y-you leave Alpha you big m-meanie...if you don't mind."

What was she doing? Alpha? As in the pack alpha?

Alpha spoke, "The pact of peace for your sanctuary still holds pegasus.  This killer of his own kind is not of the Everfree. He is not of the pact. He is ours to take as we please. He has taken three of the pack. Now we will take him and grow stronger." The beast before me growled out.

So this is it, revenge of some sort for breaking some kind of pact. Yes I had killed the three smaller ones. Were they sapient too as this one seems to be? The thought that I had perhaps taken the lives of three thinking beings made me sick. Focus Bear, keep your mind in the now. Why wasn't Fluttershy retreating?

"Y-you aren't welcome here! Your m-mean pack attacked M-mister B-bear and me too!" She was nearly shouting. I had never seen the little pegasus so bold.

"Those three attacked without the blessing of the pack. I apologize. The killer of his own kind must pay for their deaths. He is not of the Everfree. He is not of the pact." Snarled the Alpha.

"Fluttershy save yourself and my cat, get Twilight. GO!" I screamed.

With hesitation Fluttershy grabbed my bag and took to the air, tears streaming down her face. It was now just myself and the wolves, as it should be. Two predators facing each other down. I looked to the Alpha, "What are you waiting for. Finish me! Take my life if you would have it!"

It twisted its face and and said, "Beta, Gamma, take him."

Immediately the two smaller ones began to circle me. Why were they not attacking, they had every advantage?

They can not hope to defeat you, only slow you.

Those words. Those words echoed clearly in my mind. I had thought something similar during the first encounter but these came unbidden in my mind and not in my voice. It was as if many voices spoke precisely as one.

They fear the hand of man.

Again! But wait, fear. The circling and the lack of attack. They are afraid of me. Why? I can not hope to hurt them, I have nothing but my own two hands. Hands...magic. I have magic now...I have no idea how to use magic.

The one on the left, Gamma, took initiative and charged, I managed to leap out of the way, ten feet out of the way. I stood from where I had fallen and noticed a faint golden glow from my feet. Magic! Does my magic work on instinct? I had no time to ponder as Beta charged me, a deafening howling erupting from it's wooden maw. Mustering my courage I made a choice, if I was going to go down then I would go down fighting. After all, I came in to this world screaming and covered in blood, why not go out the same way?

Operating on pure instinct I cocked my right arm back and punched forward connecting with the beast's muzzle as it came in to range. There was a flash of golden light and a deafening crack like a sonic boom as the monster flew backwards with its head reduced to kindling. After a moment the beast fell in to a pile of rotting wood.

Gamma turned from it's missed charge in time to see its pack mate destroyed. It hesitated but with a barked order from the Alpha it charged me again. I stood my ground trying to will myself rooted to the spot. I felt warmth in my feet as the beast collided with me as I grabbed it by one of it's front legs and heaved. Both my hands glowed with the arcane light as I was able to effortlessly lift the car-sized timber wolf over my head and swing it in to the ground like a limp rag. After repeating this motion a few times its leg sheared clean off in my hands and I was left holding what amounted to a large club. I admit it made me feel a bit cocky.

Hubris was almost my own downfall. As I sat there reveling in adrenaline and self-congratulatory affirmations Alpha charged. I was able to bring Beta's severed leg up in time for Alpha to clamp down on it instead of my head. I stood straining as Alpha thrashed about biting the leg I had shoved in to its maw. My mind raced as I tried to come up with some strategy to counter this beast. It was smarter than the others, surprise and luck wouldn't save me.

The eyes are the windows of the soul.

The voices again. Focus Bear, figure out going crazy later.  My eyes connected with the Alpha's baleful gaze. At that moment time seemed to slow down. Then came the vision.

I was dressed in, well not really anything, looking down I am lean and swarthy. Hair everywhere. In my hands is a crude and heavy torch, in front of me is a large timber wolf...no just a large regular wolf. Around me my tribe circled it, spears keeping it at bay. My tribe? I strode forward, my flaming club held in two hands. I screamed a cry to Mother Earth and Father Sky asking for strength and charge, pummeling the wolf about the head. The fight was fierce and I suffered many bites but in the end I slew the beast. My tribesmen hoisted me on their shoulders singing songs of praise. I was now a man in the eyes of the tribe and would be allowed my choice of woman to marry. There, that one, with kind face, dark hair, and gentle eyes.

I snapped back to the here and now. No time to think on what happened must act. Must live. Must protect. With a burst of strength I pushed Alpha backwards and was now on the offensive. Charging forward I slammed it repeatedly with the leg of Beta. Each hit knocked off chunks of Alpha as it slowly began backing away, fighting defensively instead of on the offense.

Recovering from a back swing it took a change and lunged forward snapping. With unnatural speed I sidestepped and swiped my hand downwards, fingers bent like claws, and ripped away part of the foul beast's face including its left eye. The creature called Alpha let out a roar of pain and furry shaking its head back and forth pawing at the gouged out hole where it's eye once was. In my hand, gripped firmly, was its still glowing eye.

Alpha moved as if disoriented and I realized it could still see out of the eye in my hand. It dawned on me, I literally held part of this thing's soul. At that moment black rage swept through me, I had the power now. I could hurt that which tried to hurt my friends. Looking at the amalgam of wood and magic I spoke one word. "Burn."

Fire engulfed my hand and the eye within. Alpha began to scream a very human scream. Beta struggled to its feet and backed away while Gamma was slowly reforming but in the process backing away as well. I paid them no mind. I was the monster now. I would teach them to fear the hand of man.

I approached Alpha who now lay writhing in pain. Though I know not how I willed the flames out. In my hand now sat a blacked lump of wood with a faint green light in the middle. I stood over Alpha and looked it in it's one good eye.  I spoke, "You have brought violence and hate to this peaceful place beast of the Everfree. Know this. Your life is mine to take at will. This day and no other do I grant you mercy. You will respect this sanctuary now and forever. Do we have an accord?"

Alpha looked at me and whimpered, "Yes! Yes! We have an accord! Spare Alpha killer of your own kind!"

I shook with anger, there was no courage in this one, only brutality. I bent down squeezing the charred lump in my hand and whispered just loud enough for the fallen beast to hear, "Yes, I am a killer of my own kind, but you will call me Alpha."

The beast whimpered and shrank back. With a surge of magical strength I shattered the charred wood in my hand causing the the former Alpha to give a prolong yelp of anguish and pain.

I turned to the newly reformed timber wolf and addressed it as Gamma while addressing the former Gamma as Delta. "You two have born witness to this accord. You will go now and tell of it later to your pack. Tell all creatures of the Everfree, this land is protected. Tell them to fear the hand of man."

They hesitantly looked at their stricken leader who was already slinking back to the forest then back to me. As quickly as possible they both made their way back to the forest. After they were out of sight I collapsed to my knees feeling more exhausted than I ever had and on the verge of passing out.

At that moment Fluttershy and Twilight came flying back each landing beside me. Without hesitation Tripod hopped out of my bag and pounced on my shoulder purring loudly and nuzzling my cheek.

"Oh my gosh! Fluttershy told me there were three giant timber wolves waiting for you but we saw them run off just as we landed!" Exclaimed Twilight. "What happened? Why did they run off?"

Fluttershy hunkered down beside my heaving form and draped a wing over me nuzzling my cheek and pressing her body against me, "Twilight he is freezing, I think he might be going in to shock!" She said with authority.

Both mares and one little kitten helped me back in to the cottage and on to the guest bed. Twilight hit me with her body scan spell again and I felt like purple mint was infusing my body once more, though this time nothing felt painful, just minty.

"He overloaded his ley lines again." Twilight said, "You used magic again didn't you? How? Why!?"

"It's how I drove them off." I said keeping myself calm. "I don't know how I did it. I just...willed...things to happen. Like instinct."

I chose to keep the voices to myself.

Twilight stood there, a look of shock on her face, I heard her quietly say, "It cant be..."

She then scurried out the room saying all in a rush, "Ihavetogostudysomethingjustrestandyouwillbefinebye!"

I heard the downstairs door slam in short order.

Tripod hopped on to the pillow beside me and made himself comfortable watching me. I guess cats never change, they take care of their pet humans. Fluttershy in the meantime dug an extra blanket from beneath the bed. "You need to rest and keep warm Mister. I told you I have put too much work in you to die on me." She said quite sternly. I simply nodded. She made me sit up and take off my party wear, which was to my satisfaction undamaged and only in need of only some washing.

Fluttershy examined me thoroughly for cuts and scrapes and found none. Satisfied she tucked me in under the extra blanket. She reached over and put out the candle illuminating the room. What happened next is still a vivid memory to this day. She climbed in to the bed next to me and wrapped a wing and her forehooves around me and kissed me. Kissing a pony is strange but I can't say I didn't like it. After a moment she pulled back and whispered, "Thank you for saving me again..."

Fluttershy laid her head on my chest and was soon fast asleep. I lay there in the dark staring upwards at the ceiling realizing what just happened. Next Chapter: 09 - Alcheringa Estimated time remaining: 4 Hours, 20 Minutes