“No, I think you may be right, something else, something evil, is at work in these parts.” He cut off his chanting to reply, suddenly noticing that the girl in the centre of town stood alone. The howls… they were the first sign.

“Werewolves?” He asked quickly, staring out into the perpetual night. They approached quickly, though they resembled more hound than wolf, they still reeked with the same menace. They encroached on the town perimeter, charging the girl in the centre, the Father’s chanting intensified as he prepared to jump down, but a quick look from his student halted him.

With simple ease, Mercedes sped away and traversed several rooftops to close the distance, diving down into the town centre to save the innocent child from the hungry creatures. The priest finished his chant, and let loose a bright ray of sunlight from his staff directly into the eyes of the leading beast, when it leapt up to rend the flesh of his swiftly retreating ally. It was momentarily blinded, and fell with a squeal to the rough ground below. 

The Father sprinted over to the rooftop’s edge and jumped, dropping low on impact with the ground to absorb the force. He whistled, and the sides of his lips turned briefly in a grim smile.

“Heel.” He yelled, ensuring he had the attention of the pack. Other townspeople may be in danger around him, and there was no time to waste. 

The yapping and barking and howling was enough to tell him his plan was successful, but now he needed to look to his own safety. He sprinted rightwards, towards the other side of the street, the pack close on his tail. With a final leap he dived over a low fence between two houses and landed in a tight alley way, the dogs pursuing him even as he turned with his staff upraised.

The alpha impaled himself upon the protruding point of the staff, activated even as the Father was running, and yelped once as it coughed up blood. Its face was terrible up-close, undead of some form, but it could still be killed by his holy weaponry. The weight of the creature had pushed him back, forcing the warrior-priest to brace himself even as another of the dogs dived at him over the fence. He forced the corpse and its fellow back, tore his staff from the body and jabbed again, ripping half of another dog’s face from its head.

As the grisly battle continued, some of the smarter dogs peeled off to seek easier prey. However, the bulk roared in anger and massed outside the alley-way, taking it in almost orderly turns to test their mettle against Jack. The corpses were piling up, and he was almost standing atop a small hill of the dead.

“God is my shield, while I am his sword.” The priest chanted as he struck again and again, dealing lethal wounds to each dog. Suddenly, unexpectedly, a dog dived from the rooftop and collided with Jack, clawing at his body and face as they tumbled and fell from the pile of bodies, deeper into the darkness of the alley.