The silver moon lit up the black sky and dimmed all the stars. The bright center was like a precious piece of gem dropping into the vast murkiness with its halo stretched wide like time-stopped ripples. I was standing on the balcony, be blown by the night wind, looking up.
The beauty of the moon couldn't pull me away from the itchy thought about Leon. I had not really believed Fayn before because Leon seemed a nice lad—what's with the animals and all—but with Master Derek's strange reaction to the name this afternoon, I had a second thought.
Something moved at the lower edge of my vision. My gaze quickly moved down and it caught a shadow flitting swiftly from bush to bush. I screwed my eyes and the outline started to become clear when the shadow lurched again, it briefly got trapped in the moon light, and I saw Leon. He looked restless.
Maybe this is a chance for me to find out, I thought but my instinct held back my step since I usually would not just go out and do this kind of things. But this isn't the 'Dry world,'—I told the instinct—there's no mum or dad to prevent me, no responsibility to be taken care of, I have nothing here so I could do any adventurous things like I always longed for. Besides, I have Magic. I can fight. And there are numerous soldiers in the castle. There is no need to fear. I countered the auto-instinct with reasons and went down to the garden.
Leon was skirting the woods. His way of walking was strange. Sometimes he archly ran. I hid behind a shrub and observed, did not know what to make of those weird gaits. A flutter pulled me out of the scene and I saw a hawk landing on Fayn's window again—it's been a lot more frequent these days. I was worried if the King had been smuggling Coronale information for his Kingdom's benefits, but the worry stopped as Leon sprinted into the forest.
Abandoning my hiding, I went over to where he disappeared. The forest at night did not look very inviting and everyone (animal friends) I knew must be sleeping by now. I wondered if I should track him further.
At that moment, something leaped out of a black trench between big trees landing with a thud on top of me. I sank backward and down to the ground from the force. My sight still wavered when I felt sharp things pierce through my right shoulder. I screamed and summoned all of my power to push it off. It wouldn't budge and wouldn't release its bite. It growled balefully.
The thing turned out to be Leon as I took a better look through tears. "Leon!" At the call, he sank his fangs deeper into my flesh. I was convinced my collar bone had already broken. "It's me!" I called again. "What are you doing? Argg!!!" Warm blood poured out of my shoulder. "Let go!"
No matter how much I called, Leon would not react. I was getting very frightened. My hand moved per my instinct and a ball of magic gathered there. I shoved it into Leon knocking him back.
Despite the dreadful agony, I instantly got up for fear he would pin me to earth again. Leon was on all four, mouth smeared red with—to my horror—myblood, snarling. I had never seen this much of myblood in my life. I wanted to run, but his vilely wild stares rooted me to the spot. He was like a wild animal on loose.
"L−Leon−?"
That was a mistake. Leon bounded at me biting into the same wound. He was going to tear my arm off. I screamed again but very briefly this time and, care not if it's dear Prince of Whatever-Kingdom, striking magic into him with my left hand non-stop.
The body of a Beastskin possessed strength surpassed those of any human. Fayn taught me that and it proved to be true since my magic could not do much damage to this crazy-Leon. Driving him away was the only thing it achieved. I used my last resource on my legs and started to run. But Leon caught up with me within a second, of course, their speed outperformed us too. I had never thought I would have to experience what Fayn taught me in such situation.
This time he bit into my left arm, the arm which was used to throw magic at him. I toppled hitting my knees with a tree's root. Leon got me again.
"Ar—aren't we good friends?" I said desperately but he could not hear it. Leon peered down at me with cold gazes and I lost my messy-rhythmic breath. It was such heartless eyes, heartless enough to make me realize this was the end of me. It somehow brought me back to my consciousness too.
I inhaled a deep breath and looked back. I fought, I begged, I ran, I did everything but Leon would not spare me. Calming down, the last way out I could think of was to talk reason. But seriously, how could one talk reason to a lunatic?
"Are you angry?" I said in a placid tone. "Can I help you? Take a deep breath and calm down."
Miraculously, Leon—lights flickered in his eyes—stood up taking steps back. So a lunatic rather listen to reason?
"Kara!!"
"Princess!!"
I was going to return the call but Leon fell down losing his consciousness then. My brain deciphered the scene as danger-clear and I gave in too.
"Kara! Kara! God, blood!!"
"Princess!"
The voices beside my ears slowly faded as I went deeper into the unconsciousness realm where no pain could hurt me.