Desperately, I pushed with my toes, tearing through the cheap material of my shoe, calf stretching unnaturally, I felt a crack in at least four of my toes, but it didn't matter.
I had my bag- bloody skies, I had my bag. I quickly ruffled through it, feeling for—-' Where was my knife? The sharp one? The one used to kill? I had stupidly left with the dull one. Number one rule of hunting. You never move around unarmed, and a dull weapon is almost as bad as none.'
"Skreeeeeee" The beast lurched
It was on my back—neck. No!
I turned around placing my bag in between its sharp teeth, I had never noticed them in such detail. They were yellow. I don't know why I remembered that detail.
It had foul breath, and a long scaly tongue, it was blue. Why was I noticing these things?
The bag prolonged my knife, but only for a few seconds. The beast had its fangs through the material. Damn it. This was from my father. It had to pay, I pushed against the beast's maws, using the bag as a sort of shield.
Bad idea. Did I mention its scaly tongue before? Turns out it was flexible. The thing wrapped its tongue around my right arm, my dominant arm… and licked.
"AAAAH." The pain was like being burnt with boiling oil, smoke steamed off my skin. I was angry. Definitely angry, but scared. It was stupid to come out here, what did it matter if I was a coward? Cowards lived long, didn't they?
But, No, I had let my pride let me get stuck here. And now, I had to fight
Fight or die
No. Win or die
I tried to kick the beast but it wasn't long enough to reach my feet, I was hitting nothing. The place had gone quiet, predators and prey alike fleeing the area.
Should tell you how much sense I had.
I was effectively grasping at the air here, I had to find a way. I rolled, and pushed, why was this thing so strong? It felt like a grown man packed into a small beast.
Finally, I had it on its back, Tongue still on my arm, steam broiling off, the bag quickly tearing away, and malicious hate in the spirit beast's eyes. I crossed a line with its children, I shouldn't have.
But it had crossed a line with me as well, and one of the things you learn whilst out in the wild, is its kill or be killed. Predator or prey.
I'd seen it multiple times, when the wolf cub was alone, or the leopard had gone off to hunt for its cubs, a wild boar, maybe even a chimp, they'd take their chance, and stomp out their lives. Stomp out a threat.
We were doing the same, but today it was clear who was predator or prey.
I pushed, as hard as I could, dragging the spirit beast across the ground, over as many sharp, jagged rocks I could find, finally coming to a stop, pounding the top of its head on a wide tree, leaves and fruits fell alike, it was like a play.
But this was real life, I had just enraged the beast. It got stronger, somehow.
I was really running headfirst into a patch of bad luck. It let go of the bag. Quickly, it ran up and around the tree, bark flying off like flakes. It was in the branches now.
I couldn't see it.
My luck had just gotten worse. Quickly I rummaged through the torn-up bag, hands fumbling over and missing the very thing I was looking for in my nervousness.
All the while, I could hear the beast in the branches, like a dagger in the knight, stalking me.
Finally! I had found it, I hastily pulled it out of the bag with my left hand, it hurt too much to use my right. In the process I cut my hand, fresh blood spilling out moments later.
I couldn't spend time on the hand, I switched to my right, arm screaming in agony, pulses of raw pain hitting me like the waves of a river.
If I survived this, I was going to keep that thing's head above the door to my house.
I had forgotten one thing, the beast's screech. It shrieked "Eiiiaaaaaa". I had trembled, struggling to hold on to the knife through the shock and the pain, I had to resist the urge to cover my bleeding ears.
The beast jumped, but slower now, with an almost graceful laziness, or exhaustion, its movements still, effortlessly exuding power, like a tired bear.
Damn it.
I almost closed my eyes, but years of training and experience kept them open. The beast didn't care, it coked its head to the side, dodging the blade. It was on my right arm again.
'Hssshhh" I hissed.
But it was slower now, its teeth a darker shade, almost like a burnt yellow. Its tongue was so blue it was purple.
What was happening? It definitely is not my knife. That thing had harmed me more than it.
I shook my arm as hard as I could, which was a worse idea, it only tore through more muscle, There was no bag in between us now. Not that it would have helped.
It was poisoned!!!!! I had covered all the stakes in oakres blood!! I was a genius!!!!
Thank you past me!!
Now, I just had to outlast it, then I remembered what Yao Po had said. This thing would probably outlast me, and outlive me too.
I was betting against time, and I'd never heard of someone who won. I wasn't a cultivator.
I had to play a different game.
I ran toward a boulder, smashing the beast against it. I took my left hand, still bleeding, and held the knife in my other hand, it was useless with the beast so close to it.
But I had forgotten that the thing was smart. It immediately started kicking and scratching with its claws, like a dog held by the scruff of its neck, or a cat, a cat was better, the thing was just much worse. Magnitudes worse.
I switched the dagger to my left hand and stabbed the beast, it groaned a muffled cry, but still refused to let go. Smart move,
But I didn't care that the wound was already starting to steam. It was healing. I was going to stab again.
Then it finally caught me, the claw on its back foot it had leaned back enough, even with the boulder behind it, to raise its foot far enough to touch my neck, I pulled back immediately, only for its sword-like claw to drag a long, vertical line from the top of my chest to my belly.
I inch more, 1 cùn, and I'd be dead,
It had let go of my hand at this point, and we were both catching our breath, but I wouldn't have any more breath to catch if I was dead.
'Maybe, just maybe, if I could keep it underwater, it would be enough to kill it—or give me a fighting chance.' I rushed forward, grabbed it by its neck, then ran towards the river. I was going to drown it.
I sunk the beast in, bubbles forming on the surface. It was struggling. Good. I couldn't keep this up for much longer, Every ounce of strength I was using was another struggle I had to win.
'It was… wait.'
It wasn't struggling, it was positioning itself properly, this was an aquatic beast. I was an idiot!
I was going to drown.
The thing dragged me in.
Its scarred lips curled, revealing more of its teeth, bubbles leaving its mouth quickly and periodically,
I wasn't deep enough yet, I could still fight back.
I tried to pull away, to come up for air. To run. The beast wasn't having that it dragged me deeper, farther into the river.
Has it always been this deep?
Why was it so fast? My knife was still in my hand, I tried to stab, but then it started spinning, and I spun with it. Slowly at first, the faster.
I was going to drown.
I kept stabbing, but it hit air or water, I didn't know, I was functionally blind, the blood from my wounds mixing into the water to create a small spot in the river, blurring out both are visions like nature had created an arena just for us.
May the best man win.
I couldn't stop spinning, so I kicked out, my other hand flailing along with the rest of my body, I was rapidly going closer to the middle of the river, catching a current.
Was this how all those beavers felt?
No, I had to look for something, I had to get out of this.
I had to get air–I nee-
A branch, a thin but long one. Roots still attached to the banks of the water, it felt like it had appeared at just the right time. Like a spectator throwing a handful of dust at the other fighter's eyes in a fight.
I held on to it for dear life. Trying to pull myself up for air.
The beast stopped spinning, mostly because I was holding on to the branch too tight for it to spin me anymore, so, instead, it tugged harder.
I feel like my hand had been caught in one of those windmills, my arm was being pulled out of its socket,
I Was like a man chained between two pillars, one representing life and the other representing death. I chose life.
I pulled myself up, as far as up was concerned, I couldn't tell. Only the tip of my nose coming up confirming my efforts. I choked on the water I inhaled. But I couldn't cough, that would only bring in more water. Death.
I raised myself up again using the branch as a way to help myself up, the beast pulling down, every so often. Tugging, to null my efforts,
"Suuuh" I inhaled.
Air
It tasted so good, but then I was dragged in again, this thing was relentless, and so was I. I pulled harder on the branch, not to get up for more air, but to get closer to the bank. I was too close to the river's main current, if I got in, I would never get out.
I pulled, a root tearing out of the riverside, I had to hurry, this wasn't going to last much longer, the beast kept tugging, but with less strength, I was winning,
Take that time!
But that was a bit too early, I was running out of breath again, If I got out of the water again, the beast would attack some other part of my body, and his time it would be lethal, I could see it in the things eyes, as the water cleared.
This was my last chance,
I pulled using only one hand timing my pulls for whenever the beast paused to regain strength for its next tug.
Inch, by a terrible inch, I got closer, and so did the beast, it was coming up my arm. This wasn't going to work, I had to stake it all on this next tug.
I waited for the beast to tug again.
Tug,
I waited, I had to let loose enough strength and hope for it to be enough
Tug
I was running out of breath
Tug
This thing's eyes were boring into me. Wondering what I was doing? Was I giving up?
Tug
Here. it was here, it was far weaker this time
But I was almost delirious, my lungs pushing against my chest, forcing my body to inhale air.
I pulled,
Strength coming out of nowhere, maybe it was the last kick of a dying man, but it was enough. I was on the shallow side now. I ran out, the water weighing me down, far more than I imagined, we had both bled but most of that was from me.
I dropped onto the ground, the banks of the river, half of my body still submerged, but now, I had air. Glorious air,
The beast, however, was far more energetic than I was, seeing me at such a weak point, it let go of my hand, stomping its way to my head, I angled my body away from it, as it aimed for my head, making sure it was always facing my legs, but that now meant my head was getting closer to the water.
I had to get rid of this thing, but I couldn't take my eyes off it, I had to find something to kill it.
The traps, id made sure to build them close to the rover, where where…Aha!!
Now I was angling towards the trap, the beats didn't realize, still stalking me, thinking I'd be stupid enough to put my head in the water again.
Just a little more, a bit more. A bit more,
Then I scrunched my body up and kicked, the beast realized too late as it tried to run. I kicked it towards the trap, and it skidded towards the trap, frantically trying to use it claws tp stop it. But the water dripping from it had made the already wet bank muddy, and it constantly turning the mud over with its claws didn't help. It slipped,
"Yaaaaaaaooooowwwww" It was in again, but it'd be out just as spoon
Where was my knife? It was beside me. It had fallen to my side as I ran out of the water, I was just glad the water tide didn't swallow it and brought it in.
I ran towards the other trap, the one where I had kept its children.
Before that the beast was out again, this time the meat coming of it had turned grey instead of white,I opened the cub out of the trap, and just as the beast got behind me
It paused. Eyeing the cub in my right hand, mangled as it was, and the knife in my other.
I wasn't going to let the beast get out of here alive, but it'd kill me if I killed the cub, I was too slow to be able to run over to the other traps to get more.
We were at a standoff, but I couldn't wait it out, time was on the beast's side, doubly poisoned as it was.
I had to do something. But what?
My arrows and bow weren't anywhere close, and the beast would be upon me before I could use it.
Water dripped from my brow.
The beast took a step forward. I took a step back
Dagger in hand held out, if I could see myself doubt I'd seem very intimidating,
"Yip yip"
I whipped my head around to the noise, as did the beast, it was the other cub, the one I had kept on me instead of keeping in a trap, it was the bigger of all the beasts, with clearer eyes, and darker gills.
It ran and jumped onto my leg, nibbling it with its underdeveloped fangs.
The beast took this moment of unawareness to pounce, but I didn't survive years of hunting in the forests and wilderness to be that unobservant.
I watch it out of the corner of my eye. Closer, I wanted it to be closer, this was my one chance. If I missed this I'd be as good as dead, all the beast would have to do was wait.
I whipped around, dagger like a scythe, I was going to take this thing's life away.
I plunged the dagger into its throat, its momentum pulling it deeper into my life-sucking embrace.
I dropped the club was holding, the other one still nibbling on my leg, yipping louder as if that would help its mom,
I held the back of its head, pushing my dagger deeper, I'd make sure this thing could never bother me again.
The little nibbler yipped, louder this time, actually drawing blood.
The beast struggled, moving its body in short energetic spasms, but I didn't have the time to wait, its mist coming out again, trying to heal it through the wound, but it wasn't healing around the knife.
I pulled my knife out, arm throbbing at the back of its nape, then slit its throat with my left.
All the cubs started to yip now. Loudly. The one that drew blood yipping the loudest. It was dead
I dropped to my knees. Boddy next to me, its eyes wide open,
The two cubs—out of the trap surrounding the mother.
I won.
At the scene of death and destruction, I stood victorious, the cub's yips irrelevant.
**This world was cruel, I'd write years later—and I'd have to grow crueler to survive it, to rule it.**
"Hahahahha!"
I burst out in maniacal laughter, not at the beast but in the face of The Skies.
My enemy lay severed at my feet.
No cultivator, no emperor, just me—an orphaned hunter spitting at fate.
What mortal had killed spirit beasts like me?
What mortal had spit in the face of his destiny like I had?
I may not be equal to the cultivators, but I couldn't be just a nobody anymore. I was a spirit beast killer.
"Hahahahaha."
I took a few minutes to myself, ripping strips from my mangled clothes to wrap around the wound on my arm. I stopped the bleeding—well, slowed it, now it was like a deeply crimson red flower, slowly blooming as it seeped through the makeshift dressing.
But, every twitch of my arm sent bolts of raising fire up my nerves. I smashed my teeth together, the lesser pain distracting me from the greater one. Cub by cub, I pulled the little spirit beasts from the traps. Their palm-sized bodies squirmed against my loose grip and set them next to their mother. Well, except for the biter—- I chose to call him Chi Ya.
Cruel? Yes. Efficient? Most definitely.
But that brought in a different question.
*******************************************************
Should I kill them? I looked at Chi Ya. Its eyes glinted with what looked like some sort of awareness.
What if it remembered? What if these were the vindictive type of spirit beast? Tracking me down years from now?
Were these even spirit beasts? Would they grow into one?
Those were questions for another day—leave it up to Azul to decide.
He could sell them or kill them. That didn't matter now. They were his problem.
The wildlife around here had fled, but with so much blood around here, scavengers would be all over the place soon.
I couldn't make a sled, not with all the damage to my right arm and the constant shivers. So I improvised.
'Why was it so cold?'
I stuffed the spirit beast's corpse into what was left of the sack—the bag my father had made me. Its weight dragging at my good arm, at least I had gotten some revenge, and tucked the cubs in close.
Chi Ya went in with its mother—my ethics be damned, I wasn't coddling these things, especially not the nibbler.
I almost didn't walk back, the thought alone daunting, filling my mind and body with more exhaustion.
I trudged through the forest, making sure to move as fast as I could with blood still flowing off my torso and other wounds dripping onto the dirt underneath me, creating a trail of puddles wherever I walked, my right arm still throbbing, and the feeling of burning remaining the same, but I forced myself to move, clutching the sack tighter.
With such a clear path to me, I would have thought the predators would have tried to do something harmful. But they knew better than that.
I smelt of spirit beast blood.
By the time the city gates came into view, it was still early, my breath was ragged, steaming the morning air.
Every inhale tasted like copper and sweat…and mud. The guards were at the gate. This time I only saw Jerki and not Michael.
I waved from afar, a frail swipe of my hand, but they couldn't see me, Jerki, and the other guard having some conversation. No doubt it was about either women, food, or bribes.
"Heeey" I hollered, voice hoarse. "You guys have a cart?"
They perked up, eyes narrowing against the dim torches of the night, wary of any danger before realizing it was me.
I had become some sort of a familiar face, having to constantly run around hunting and hauling things back.
They waited for me to come nearer though, none of them stepping forward. Letting me stumble closer.
"When did you leave? We haven't seen you in days," the nameless one said.
I glared at the soldier, I didn't know his name. But I didn't like his attitude. Maybe it was the blood loss.
"Hunting"
"Hunting, eh? What for?"
Jerki held him aside "Let the guy go," he shook his head, then fixed me with a look, Michael and I haven't taken you up on your offer yet. I hope you haven't forgotten"
"I was just wondering when you guys would come by." I wasn't. That was a lie.
He raised an eyebrow. "Hmmph" head in
The one good thing about being so early was that there were barely any people around. Sure it was dark, but my eyes had adjusted to seeing in the dark for a while now. It wasn't too hard to find my way to Azul's tannery.
This time, he was there, working some late-night job. I didn't care, just wanted to lie down, my head was heavy. Like it was made of metal.
I raised my hand to knock but he noticed me first, through the window.
"Ah," he ran forward, opening the door hastily and dragging me in, not noticing that he had blood on his hands now.
He looked around, for a bit, figuring out something to say, hesitating, "...all this from some beavers?"
I shook my head, too exhausted to speak. 'Where had my energy gone?'
I had some stacked away beaver carcasses from when I was hunting the spirit beast, some of them should still be in good condition. This would just have to do.
I dropped the makeshift sack at his feet, Chi Ya and its mother spilling out of it, and the other cubs falling after it—the ones I had tucked away in my arm, out of sight,
My knees crumbled. Then, the floor started rising upwards. What was happening? Another fight?
But I was so…worn…out.