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"We've got to stop this thing!" you cry. But, staring up at the giant wolf, you realize there's absolutely nothing you can do. You turn to Deke.

Deke turns to Merlyn.

Merlyn turns to Rial.

"Sure, give the new guy the dirty work," Rial grumbles. But he plants himself in front of the wolf. He bows with one arm behind his back, holds the other up, hand open and palm up, and begins muttering magic words. A firesnake, much like the ones he'd flung at you back in the burning building, heads for the wolf and hits it in the eye.

The wolf howls in pain. The sound alone knocks down some more walls that hadn't quite fallen in yet. Villagers flee, screaming, but the wolf's attention is now focused on your party alone. In a single bound it is upon you.

You cower in fear. Deke hangs back as well, knowing he can do nothing to help. Merlyn sends up weak firespell after weak firespell, but the waterwolf doesn't even notice. Streams of water shoot from the wolf's mouth at you, some of which Rial manages to neutralize with snakes of fire. A towering wave crashes into and you fall to the ground.

When you look up, the firespells have stopped, and Rial is kneeling on the ground. Oh no, even he can't defeat the creature! you think in despair. But looking closer, you realize that despite being bombarded with wave after wave, the red sorceror isn't falling. He's uttering a particularly long incantation. You hope he casts the spell quickly, because by now the wolf looks to have given up on its water power and turned to its teeth. It lowers its dirty, reeking muzzle toward the ground where you wait in fear. There is no possibility of escape.

Suddenly Rial jumps back up, shouting the final words of the spell. One second the wolf's head stops in its motion toward you; the next second it is engulfed in flame. Flames continue to burst up all over the wolf's body. You all stand to watch as the giant waterwolf gives one last cry, this one more of a yelp than a howl, and falls.

You gain 15 strength, 30 courage, and 15 luck points.
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