The party inched backward as the howls drew closer. The fliers could now see a small pack of wolf-like creatures cresting a low rise and galloping toward the Vanguardians.

"Just keeps on going, doesn't it?" Ozzy asked sardonically.

"I assumed they'd throw whatever they had at us," Sam answered. "I expect these are the wargs coming at us now."

Templar grinned. "Should be an apt challenge for Caliburn and myself." He paused. "Gods!" he cried. "What's he doing?"

Phil Smith was slowly walking toward the onrushing beasts.

"He'll get himself killed!" Brianna cried. "Ed! We have to get him out of there!"

The Raptor shook his head. "No," he answered. "He knows what he is doing."

The wargs came closer. Phil was less than a hundred yards from the first few.

"How do you know?" Epicenter asked nervously from behind them.

"We don't," Baxter replied. "All we can do is trust him."

The pack of wargs reached the spot where Phil was standing - and began running right past him.

"The hell?" Epicenter muttered, aghast.

The huge, crazed-looking canines were speeding by on either side of the telepath as though he wasn't even there. They wheeled around chaotically and began running about as one, but aimlessly, like a flock of birds trying to decide on a spot to roost.

One animal, which looked to be the largest, finally turned and charged toward Phil, whose head was down and didn't appear to be paying attention.

"Shit," Ozzy gasped.

The warg was less than twenty feet from crashing into him when Phil's head snapped up in one fluid motion to face the animal.

He stared at it blankly.

The warg stopped in its tracks one step short of him.

The rest of the Vanguardians froze, and the other wargs began milling about behind the apparent leader of the pack.

The warg growled at Phil.

Phil simply stared back.

The warg growled again, less intently.

Phil just stood there staring back at it.

The warg whimpered, sat down on its haunches, and put its head to Phil's chest.

Smith lightly patted the animal's burly head. "Good dog."

Epicenter's jaw dropped.

"I'll be damned," Ozzy murmured in astonishment.

Last edited by Grimm; 2004-02-17 9:35 PM.