Chapter 12
A nother week passed by quickly. I had been training each night and had become much quicker and stronger, but I had realised that I had reached a bottleneck. Doing the same routine now, wasn’t yielding much results and I was limited on what I could do by myself.
In the facility I had been forced to fight, whether it was beasts or mutated creatures. It pushed me beyond my limits, survival being the only thing that mattered.
It wasn’t something I wanted to go through again, but I needed to do something that would push me further and help me grow more.
I had kept to my little clearing while training at night, but I could feel a shift in the air in the forest lately. Less animals were moving about, and there was an eerie feeling from the forest and near where I trained.
Maybe the beast that had killed that bear was coming closer to my little training spot.
And with most of the students having left earlier for their weekend, now was the perfect time to find out.
I stealthily make my way past the courtyard and into the forest. I head in the opposite direction of my little clearing and move deeper into it, the glow from the setting sun still lighting my way and giving the eerie forest a less horror movie vibe.
I watch my footing as I make my way over the uneven forest floor bed.
Twisted tree roots sprawl under my feet with thick pointed branches lacking foliage jut out from the surrounding trees. Nature itself telling trespassers to keep away.
The further I walk, the harder the terrain becomes, and with the light now quickly fading to night, a cold mist begins to seep in around the forest surrounding me.
An eerie silence fills the area, not even the wind willing to blow through here.
I catch my palm on a sharp piece of bark jutting from a tree to my right.
Stopping to check the small wound, I hear a sound rustling to my left.
I turn around quickly, grabbing the dagger I’d sneakily taken from the training grounds locker. The small metal blade gleams as I grip it.
It wasn’t the best weapon against a beast, especially a large one, but it was better than the small metal forks in the cafeteria.
A feral growl falls from the bushes as I take a defensive stance, my heartbeat kicking up a notch as I imagine all the creatures it could be.
I grip the dagger tightly as the creature pounces from the bushes and bares its fangs just feet from me. Its greenish-gold eyes gleaming and narrowed in my direction.
The thrum of my heart calms at the sight of the animal. A mountain lion.
It had to be the biggest I’d ever seen, stretching out at seven foot long, but I’d fought bigger and badder. A mountain lion I could take.
I pull my body lower and into a crouching position as I flip the dagger in my hand.
By the looks of the animal's eyes, it wasn’t planning on letting me leave without a taste.
It growls again, taking a slow step closer as its eyes watch my movements.
I twist the blade in my hand, preparing for the attack that's soon to come, when suddenly it freezes.
It takes a shaky step back and then turns and runs away quickly.
I watch on as it dashes through the forest, never once turning back my way.
Pulling myself up straight, my mind tries to understand what just happened. There's no way such a large mountain lion was afraid of the flicker of a dagger.
My brows scrunch together as I look back toward the forest, the mountain lion now completely gone from sight.
A small sigh leaves my lips. It would have been a good way to push my training up a notch.
Nothing beats training like trying to survive an animal that wants to eat you.
I turn around, going to make my way to my little training area to work out instead, when suddenly I freeze. The air drains from my lungs all at once.
Two dark ice-blue eyes stare at me from the treeline opposite from where I stand. Too large to be any human or natural animal of the forest.
The night's dark sky and dim lighting make it difficult to make out what magical beast it is.
It's covered by the dark forest and trees around it, but the ice cold shiver working its way over my skin tells me it's something I should be running from.
It takes a slow step forward, its eyes focused fully on me as its enormous body shakes the trees around it with the slight movement.
My breath catches in my throat with just the sheer size of the beast. Even walking on all fours it must be over eight feet tall.
Its fur is as black as night, tipped with white and blue strands that look almost like ice, and the nature around it seems to freeze up or shrivel with just its appearance.
A cold mist surrounds the forest floor around it, but I can make out four paws, all tipped with razor sharp claws and a large bristly tail.
The beast reminds me of something similar to a wolf shifter or a hellhound, but stands at three times their size.
And with a power so dark and murderous, it emanates from its every pore.
A low growl pours from its large mouth, shaking the trees beside it with its vibration.
It takes another step, stalking closer to me.
Every fibre of my being screams for me to run, to turn away and flee. That whatever this beast is, he has the look of a predator who always gets its prey, and tonight, that was me.
Another shiver runs up my spine as the beast stalks closer, my body frozen in place as its eyes stay fixated solely on me.
I bite the inside of my lip, tasting the coppery blood that trickles from it. It helps to drag me from my frozen state, and pull me back together.
My eyes close in on the beast.
Never again would I run away.
Never again would I give up without a fight.
If I ran from this beast now, it would surely follow me, and with its sheer size alone, it could easily catch me in seconds.
I needed to fight.
I grip the dagger in my hand and slightly bend lower, preparing for the attack that's soon to follow.
I had gotten stronger and faster with my training, and wouldn’t be giving this life to anyone, or anything, this time around.
I had to survive this. I would.
And whatever this beast was, I would beat it.
I watch as it stalks nearer to me, now just a few feet away as a deep growl falls from its lips and it bares its sharp fangs toward me. Its lips spread, looking almost as if the beast was grinning as it watched me.
Suddenly it leaps forward, its claws extended as it reaches for me.
I dodge, rolling to my left and down into an open area. I twist and flip, pulling myself onto my feet as the beast dashes toward me. The tree that stood behind me just moments ago, now lays shredded at the beast's feet with chunks of bark torn to splinters.
And by the looks of it, this was the beast that ripped the brown grizzly bear to pieces. Literally.
I hold the dagger in my hand, the shape of its hilt now embedded into my skin with my tightened grip.
Watching the beast's movements, I wait for it to come to me, slowing my heavy breaths and my beating heart. I won’t fall here.
I died once before, but I won’t let it happen a second time.
I lift my hands slightly, the blade flipped in my right hand as I narrow my gaze at the beast making its way toward me.
It charges again, this time I meet it halfway in my own run toward it.
It lashes out toward me, but I dodge, sliding under its extended claws and beneath its large body.
Slashing the blade outwards and along the beast's side, I catch it before it manoeuvres away from me. I flip out of the way, just as its large fangs gnash down just inches from my face.
I’m crouched on the forest floor, blade at the ready, waiting for its next attack, when suddenly the beast bends down, its body almost an imitation of my own.
Another shiver runs across my skin as its dark eyes gleam, watching mine.
Those weren’t the eyes of some wild mindless beast, they were bloodthirsty alright, but somehow also calculating.
This beast held an intelligence like no other magical creature I’d seen before. Its movements alone proved that.
Its icy blue eyes glow as the moon trickles down on us, its dark fur bristling with the cold mist surrounding its body.
Everything quickly falls to darkness as clouds cover the last remaining light from the moon, almost as if a signal to the beast to attack again.
Its large body veers toward me before it swiftly turns to the right just as I’m swiping my foot out to unsteady it. It leaps into the air, anticipating my move and uses a large oak tree as leverage to jump.
It twists midair before I can land a blow, knocking me across the forest floor bed and slamming me into a twisted and torn tree trunk.
The bark slices into my side, drawing blood.
The beast rushes toward me as I back up further into the large broken trunk, pulling my knees to me.
The wound on my side widens and I wince with the pain, but lean back further into the tree, using it as leverage, as the beast makes its way nearer.
It's on me in seconds, its teeth too close for comfort as I make my move, pushing every ounce of strength I have into my legs and toward the beast's large face.
It buys me only a moment.
I flip the dagger still gripped in my hand and thrust it into the beast's side, trying, but failing to catch its neck.
The beast knocks me backward, smacking my head against the thick wood as a deep guttural snarl pours from its throat.
My head aches with the hit, but as I try to turn and get away, the beast growls, his breath brushing across the side of my face as it stands over me.
Its teeth are bared, each point sharp and glistening. Its icy eyes narrowed toward me as my movements still, my mind falling blank on how to escape this ferocious creature.
It's cold breath sweeps over my skin, chills running down every nerve of my body, as I see the only weapon I had laying too far across the forest to reach, with the beast's blood coating its metal blade.
Another snarl pulls me back to its glowing blue eyes.
Its lips pull back, a strange sound unlike the growls and snarls before, almost like a chuffing noise, as if the beast was laughing.
Its cold breath brushes past my face with the noise. Its so close to me I can feel the fur from its face touch my skin.
My heart races in my chest as I hold my breath.
Was this my end? To be eaten by a beast? To die in the cold woods, once again alone and unknown to anyone?
No…I couldn’t die like this. Not again.
I don’t know why I was given this second chance, but I doubt I would get a third.
Clenching my fist, I ignore the pain slicing up my side and thrumming through my head.
I didn’t go quietly the first time, even locked away and burning in that hell alone. And this time I was free, there were no shackles, just an oversized mutt who needed leashing.
I watch the beast as it watches me.
“Take a bite…” An unfamiliar gravelly voice flows from my lips as I allow all my anger to surface with each word. “But I won't go down easy.”
A strange noise rolls up its throat, a blue gleam growing brighter in its eyes as it watches me. But before I can make a move, a large gust of cold wind blows around us, the mist covering us completely and the surrounding area. It forces my eyes to close with the icy chill lashing against my face.
I quickly force them open again and watch on as the icy white mist blankets the area around us.
My vision is overtaken and clouded before the mist slowly recedes back into the forest. The large beast follows it, disappearing into the distance with only one final glance back toward me with its hauntingly bright blue eyes.
When it and the strange mist is gone, I flicker my eyes around the surrounding area, pushing my sight to scan every inch to see where the creature went.
He couldn’t hide a body like that so easily.
What was going on?
Was he planning to jump out and kill me when I thought I was safe?
My eyes find nothing, my ears also picking up no noise, other than some small creatures moving in the distance.
It was gone. But why?
It had me where it wanted me. Why would it leave?
My shoulders sag as I lean back onto the broken tree trunk behind me.
A bitter chuckle leaves my lips. Round one to you then beast…
I wanted to be pushed harder but not die.
But now was not my time.
I had to get stronger.
This wasn’t nearly enough.
I sit there, watching until all the mist has faded from the distance and I hear nothing moving around the area.
Slowly I pull myself up, pain searing up my side and my head throbbing with each move I make. I slowly drag myself through the forest and watch for movement around me as I make my way toward the academy.
Placing my hand on my side where my wound sits, the cut is still bleeding and the pain there is still sharp, but I could feel it slowly heal and mend itself.
There were definitely some broken or fractured bones there as well from the hit, and it would probably take all night before those fully healed.
After what feels like an hour, I finally see the dormitory in the distance, but just as I’m about to make my way out of the treeline, I hear voices.
I duck back behind the trees, my body screaming from the sudden movement.
I wait until the voices pass and fade further into the distance, adding another couple of minutes before I pull myself up again.
It wasn’t unusual for some students to sneak out or break curfew, as long as you didn’t get caught, it went overlooked by the faculty.
I slink from shadow to shadow, at an annoyingly slow pace, until I’m back in the dorms and in my room.
I fall on top of the bed, the room around me slowly darkening to the pull of sleep, the aches and wounds on my body slowly healing as my body relaxes.
Aching and exhausted from the night, I drift off to sleep, my last thoughts of needing to become stronger. And find a way to win round two with the beast.