Forged Destiny [Book 1: Ch. 3]

The first Canis was upon me before I even realised it. Teeth snapped and tore towards my face. I knocked it aside with my shield, but the weight nearly bore me down. Crocea Mors thrust out, but the Grimm dodged with ease. I tried to track it as it sped by, but the second and third came up quickly after, forcing me to deal with them.

[...]

"Argh!" My celebration was cut off as something sharp and painful bit into the back of my leg. The shock knocked me onto one knee, even as the second Canis charged in. Crocea Mors swung horizontally, but it leapt at the last second, a curse slipping from my lips as its teeth bore down.

Where's the last one? Off to the side, it darted in to bite at my face but a wave of Crocea Mors pushed it back with a ferocious bark. Trapped as I was, with one Grimm gnawing on my arm and another looking for any opening... I'd never been more frightened in my life.

[...]

The Canis lunged. Dead ahead, I thrust Crocea Mors out, but it weaved to the side. My left! Its jaws clattered off the metal shield. I tried to cut down, whipping the shield back and slamming my blade home. But it had already gone, dashing by before swerving into another attack.

Damn but it was fast! Each time it struck I tried to catch it. Crocea Mors cut left and right, down from above – thrust, slash and swing. But each time I cut nothing more than air. Each time it escaped by a whisker's breadth. My bloody Dexterity, every damn time. The very stat that determined my ability to hit stuff in melee, my hand-to-eye co-ordination and skill with a weapon.

Also my worst stat… what use did a Blacksmith have for hitting a moving target? So long as I had enough to not crush my own fingers beneath a hammer, I didn't need any more.

—Forged Destiny [Book 1: Ch. 3]