Chereads / Enthralling Escapades of an Explorer / Chapter 9 - Chapter 9: A beast in the woods

Chapter 9 - Chapter 9: A beast in the woods

"I think we've lost them," Bonclyde said, panting as the trio ran through the forest, trying to evade their pursuers who seemed hell-bent on killing them. They have been on the run for more than an hour now, still, their pursuers have showed no signs of giving up the chase. For some reason Kante didn't feel exhausted from the run, he was still full of vigour and felt more agile than he normally does. 

"Why am I not getting tired? Don't you guys get tired? I feel only a little bit tired" said Kante, to which Lightning replied "seriously dude, we aren't weak like humans, ok! and I'm sure you've figured out you're not exactly human by now".

"We should rest, we could breakdown if we stretch our abilities too much" said Bonclyde.

"Speak for yourself sorceress!, I can do this all day" Lightning replied, in a reviling manner. 

Bonclyde stopped, trying not to let her emotions get the better of her. "Why did you call me that?" She said, "If you've got something to say to me, go ahead and say it, don't hold back, spit it out".

"Mages!" Lightning shouted, "they were warrior mages. I've seen mages burn an entire forest just by heating the temperature of the atmosphere till everything melts. I've seen mages make shards of ice, rain down from the heavens. I've seen mages seize the breath from a man's nostril and you expect me to believe that a common wizardess took down a host of warrior mages all by herself? Try someone else. sorceress!" She said, disgust written all over her face. 

She was going to say something else when she suddenly felt what was like a thousand punches to her face causing her to crash, in a split second, on the floor, like a car without brakes. She looked up from the ground where she lay to see an angry Bonclyde charging at her while reciting a spell, a grimoire which neither Kante nor Lightning knew from where it came, was glowing in her hand as she tapped from it's magic. Lightning was quick to regain her stance, avoiding Bonclyde's charge, she disappeared into the woods, running at lightning speed, she returned from the opposite direction behind Bonclyde and gave her a powerful punch at superspeed, tossing Bonclyde in the air like a weightless coin, causing her to spin like a wheel as she breaks through trees. 

Kante could not process what he is witnessing, it's all happening so fast to him and he was yet to believe it is actually happening. "Knock it out, you two" he screamed just when an airwave hit him, sending him falling a short distance. He looked up to see Lightning in the air, choking on nothing as Bonclyde kept chanting a spell from the grimoire. She moved, in a bizzare way, around Lightning, who was struggling, as if to take a sip of the air that was been choked out of her, slamming her on the floor and on trees with her telekinetic grip. Suddenly something that looked like a flaming spear came straight at Bonclyde with so much speed. She tried to stop it, stretching out her hands, as if to say stop and speaking a short spell which would normally stop any weapon of that sort thrown at her but this time, couldn't stop the attack. Bonclyde screamed as the missile went right through her, above her left chest, piercing through her shoulder blade and out her back. She fell to the ground with a thud, along with Lightning who was now free from her grip. At first, Kante thought the spear was Lightning's doing but was disappointed when Lightning looked at him and asked: "What the hell was that?". Kante hurried to Bonclyde's side as she lay in pain on the floor, getting his body drenched in the warm blood gushing out of her side as he tried to stop her bleeding.

"He he he!" came the voice of a kid, laughing mockingly at the sight. "What is a kid doing in the woods?" Kante wondered as he looked at the plump figure of a little girl standing and staring in a manner that gave him chills. Lightning seemed to be sharing his thoughts as she asked: "What are you doing here? Are you lost? Where are your parents?", walking toward the strange child. The strange little girl had a smirk on her face that widened as Lightning approached. To the surprise and dismay of Lightning, the child pointed a finger towards her and shot a black shadowy substance towards her. Lightning was quick to dodge the attack, swiftly moving to the side. She was taken aback when she saw the little girl transforming into a beastly creature and she tripped and fell at the sight. 

The blue skinned beast was terrifying with fearsome looks that spoke only of death. Rather than hair, it had a blue flame burning on it's head with bloodshot eyes that could drain the life from your soul. It's face was monstrous and it gnashed it's ugly, sharp teeth. It grew to more than 10ft tall and it's body was twice the size of Kante's. It's feet turned into what looked like a static tornado or vortex or a cloud in the shape of a tornado and it's stretched arms were fitted with sharp, long claws that Kante had never seen before. 

For a moment Kante thought he was going to die in the most painful way, getting torn to pieces by this dastardly monster who now charged in their direction, hovering forward to the kill. Just when Kante thought it was over, as the creature was about to strike him and a wounded Bonclyde, he felt something lift him into the air, moving him at a great speed. It was Lightning, who ran to the rescue of Kante and Bonclyde, carrying both of them on both her hands and running away swiftly just before the beast could strike. Kante was amazed by the amount of strength and energy a Verdillac possessed, he wondered how Lightning was able to lift him in one hand and Bonclyde in the other, and still manage to run that fast, perhaps it was adrenaline, he thought. As she ran, Lightning looked behind to see that the creature was in pursuit. Everytime she turned, she saw that the beast had gained on them, closing in swiftly on them. She only realized the creature was also teleporting while hovering, when she crashed into it as she turned forward after looking back and not finding it. 

The beast let out an evil laugh as the trio crashed on the bushy ground. It opened its mouth, which was so wide that Kante thought all three of them could fit in, as it launched another attack on the trio who were now cornered in a way. It was going to take a swipe at Kante just when a bright light flashed, and a man appeared in the light, shining so bright, Kante was almost blinded. The flash of light caused the creature to fall on it's back, partially blinded. The bright light suddenly went down and Kante could see the stranger who now saved them clearly and he thought it was the most divine sight he had beholded so far, the man radiated so much beauty, glory and power that Kante had never seen. The mysterious man walked up to the beast which was now whimpering like a beaten dog and blasted him with a ray of light that emanated from his index finger causing the beast to disintegrate into mere dust. Bonclyde and Lightning were equally awestruck by the mysterious man and his abilities and they were lost in thought, speechless as the man approached them. He walked up to Bonclyde, took her arm, placing his palm on the injury on her shoulder, took it off after a few seconds and Bonclyde was fully healed. 

The trio were stunned at the immense power this stranger possessed. Kante asked in wonderment, "We owe you our lives sir, thank you so much for saving us. We'll forever be grateful. But Who are you? Good sir? And why did you save us?".

The stranger looked at Kante with his beautiful bright eyes and a smile on his face and said:

"I am Lucifer, nice to make your acquaintance".