After about two hours of walking, we reached the farm. I stared in awe, looking around at the massive field crops. The soil around here is notorious for not being able to bear a single crop. Yet here, they had whole fields of wheat growing.

"Iris wasn't kidding when she said they were rich," I muttered, staring at the farmhouse with wonder. Beside it, the squeals of farm animals echoed out of a bright red barn. They really need to clean that, I thought, pinching my nose at the rotten smell of the barn.

"We should go ask them where to look for the wolf, don't want to keep our customers waiting," Colt said, striding up to the house door. Three loud knocks sent the animals into another squealing frenzy and soon enough, a boy probably a few years older than myself peeking out.

"Hello! We're here about the wolf." Stated Colt.

"My dad is out but he gave me the money to give you once you kill the wolf. It should be in the woods by the fence closest here." Said the boy as he slid one hand out of the cracked door, dropping a few coins into Colt’s hand.

"Thank you, we appreciate the work. That wolf will be gone before you know it," replied Colt with a smile, the door shutting in his face. “What a delight,” he mumbled, turning round to toss the coins to me.

We headed over to the woods, watching them grow as we got closer. An eerie silence wrapped around us as we reached the edge of the woods.

Instead of entering the patch of forest, Colt bent down, placing his palms flat to the ground. Jade light flooded from between his fingers as the grass around his hands' shifts. The jade light exploding outwards as a pulse whipped through all the plants around us.

"The wolf is roughly a hundred yards northwest," Colt said, rising back to his feet. Mana trickled up from his fingertips, the blades of grass shifting and pointing like a massive compass.

"How come you're allowed to use magic but I'm not!" I whined, crossing my arms tight across my chest. "There hasn't been an outburst in months.."

"Until you can use it without any sign of a burst you know the rules" responded Colt, readying an arrow towards the northwest. “Besides, you can barely stay awake during a lesson. How do you expect to learn magic,” He grinned, releasing the string.

A single green and silver streak shot out from the bow as the arrow whizzed through the forest. Trees and bushes bent around the arrow only to return as a whining howl burst out from the wounded animal.

Following the path of the arrow, I dashed through the woods, spear slashing through any plants in my way until I reached the wounded wolf. With Colt on my heels, we stopped.

The moment we stopped, the wolf lunged forward. Colt, pushing me back with one arm and guarding with the other, grit his teeth as the wolf sank his fangs into his forearm. With Colt distracted by the wolf, I easily slid under his unharmed arm and plunged my spear into the wolf's stomach. A high pitched whine pierced through the forest as the wolf thrashed against the spear. The animal's jaw released as more and more blood dripped to the ground and soon enough, it was dead.

"I'm sorry,” Colt whispered, dragging the wolf’s eyes shut.

“Why do you always apologize,” I said, watching as a dull jade light wrapped around Colt’s injured forearm. In just a few seconds, the wound scabbed over.

“Animals aren’t like humans,” He said, stared firmly into the dirt. “They never did anything but exist. Yet still, we hunt them,”

Why does he sound so mad? I thought, tying the limbs of the beast and dragging it behind me.

The rest of the way back to the farmhouse went normal. The heavy weight that had dampened the mood just moments ago disappeared as Colt caught up to me.