"Damn this forest!" I said as I stared down two badgers. We had run into the creatures further down the river. I tried to sneak past them by going into the forest. The little demons had followed us, though. If it were only one of them, the situation wouldn't be so bad. But both of the badgers were layer four beasts. The hounds and I had been fighting the two enemies for quite some time. We had only managed to give them shallow injuries. The badgers were much faster than we were. Canis and I had suffered deep scratches. While Canem only got bit on her tail.
(We needed to end this soon.) I thought to myself. The beasts weren't that big of a threat, but if we got injured too severely. We'd be easy pickings for the other beast in the forest. Our enemies were fast, but they didn't hit that hard. What we had to do was separate them, and we would have a better chance.
"Canem your up!" I said as I pet the Jackel behind her head. The hound went into action and ran deeper into the forest. The badgers flinched a little at the sudden movement but still didn't go after her.
"Canis you ready, boy?" I shouted at the dog beside me, and he gave me a loud bark as his response. I charged the first with my sword drawn. The badgers prepared for their counterattack as I made my way to them. Canis was right behind me. Before I reacted to the two beasts, I flicked a small nut at them. I applied heavy magic before launching the fruit.
Boom!
The nut hit the ground in between the two badgers. Chunks of earth exploded, causing the tiny beast to jump apart from each other. I took the one on the left while Canis took the one on the right. I attach my opponent with a downward slash, planning to chop the beast in half. To my surprise, the beast was able to dodge my blow while in the air. Canis did his part and was able to catch his opponent by the hind leg. The jackal bit down on the badger's limb before tossing it further away for its friend.
My badger was busy, still falling. As soon as its feet hit the forest's floor, my sword was there. I had thrown it as soon as the beast dodged my first attack. My sword missed its target, who jumped to the side. This time I appeared in front of the beast and executed one of the new techniques I'd learned from the troll Ti-Ki manuals. (Stone palm!) I thought as I stretched my open hand at my opponent.
Bang!
I caught the badger mid-air, hitting it on its side. The beast flew through the air, crashing into the trees. At the same time, the other badger facing Canis was getting back up. I let out a loud whistle, and Canem leaped from behind the beast. The female jackal startled the badger and jumped right into Canis jaws—the male Jackel bit down, snapping the badger's neck, killing it instantly. I was proud of my two hounds. They had performed the plan flawlessly. When I first sent Canem away, I just wanted her to act as a distraction. I would have her jump in with a hit-and-run tactic to catch my opponents off guard. I didn't think they would kill the badger so fast, however. I couldn't reward my pets just yet. We still had one remaining badger. The tiny creature growled with rage after seeing the death of its friend. It didn't attack us, though. The beast only glared at us as it inched back. I figured now that he had lost his friend, it would run.
"And there it goes!" I said as the angry badger scurried off into the woods. I looked to my two Jackals, who seemed to be grinning. They already knew what I had planned next.
"Who's up for a liitle hunt?" I said as I stored the corpse of the dead badger into my ring. Both hounds gave me a confirmation bark, and then we were off, chasing after the lone badger.
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By the time we had caught and killed the last badger, the sun began to set. We weren't even close to the mountain. I decided to set up camp for the night a little ways away from the river. The dogs had gotten too big to sleep in the trees, so we had to sleep on the forest floor. The hounds had gotten good at sensing trouble, so I figured we'd be fine. I still summon my sword, just in case.
I lay on the hard ground while the jackals cuddled up to me. I took out some fruit to snack on while I relaxed. I gave the dogs some deer meat left from yesterday. I made sure to reward my pets for their help with belly rubs. If not for the two beasts, I don't think I would survive the attack from the two badgers. I did receive some deep wounds, but my satanic body was already healing itself. The Jackels had been hurt as well, but, beast healed much faster than people naturally.
"You guys did good today, thank you for your hard work." I said, cuddling up to both dogs. All three of us lay there as the forest buzzed with noise, but it wasn't going to stop me from falling asleep. I had gotten used to nighttime in the woods. It would be a long time before we reached the mountain. Although It would be a challenging adventure as long as I had Canis and Canem with me, I was sure I could do it. I rubbed the purple heart necklace given to me by Mog as I drifted off to sleep.
"Huh," I woke up to something cold and wet hitting my face. My eye shot open to see the nose of one of my jackals. It was Canem. I could tell by the two glowing eyes staring back at me. That was all I could make out in the dark of the forest. I could make out the silhouette of Canis, who was standing over me. I could feel something wasn't right. The forest had grown dead silent. Gone was the buzzing of flies and the chirping of crickets.
"Your wolves have very good noses, if it wasnt for them you'd be dead right now." A voice sounded in my head. (Was it a God?) I thought as I gripped my blade tightly. I doubted a God would visit me in the forest like this. So, my next guess was a beast, not just any ordinary one either. At layer five, all beings go through evolution. Beasts had a choice of either taking human form or evolving into mythical creatures, a creature that can use magic. Upon choosing either evolution, a beast is capable of communicating with other beings.
My blood ran cold, and I started to think of a way out. I hadn't seen the creature, so I had no idea what it was. I knew it was at least a layer five beast. I doubted me and the jackals would be able to defeat it, especially at night. The trees were blocking all the light from the moon, so I had to use Ki to help me scan my surroundings. I still could pick up the preditor.
"This will be fun. I haven't had human in so long." The beast said. Its voice was the low and grating tone. Before I could think, I sensed death from behind. As a veteran warrior in my old life, I could sense danger. It was a skill picked up from years of war and battle. I pulled my sword to block, only to be struck by a tremendous force.
Crack!
I had flown a few feet into the air before slamming my back into a tree. The blow knocked the wind out of me, and I could tell my arm was broken, if not fractured. I bit my lip, fighting the urge to scream in pain. Canis and Canem were knocked back as well. They both recovered quickly, but I could tell they were still hurt. I picked up my sword and kept my back to the tree as the Jackals made their way to me.
Arf!
I heard a whine come from my side, and I watched a Canem was knocked off her feet by an invisible force. The female hound stood up slowly. My heart ached for the poor dog. I knew the blow had caused a lot of damage. I gave up the tree and ran for Canem. She was the easiest target now. If I were the beast in the shadows, I would finisher her off to eliminate a potential threat.
Bang!
My theory proved right as I summoned my sword to block an attack headed straight for the wounded Canem. I made my sword as heavy as I could as I stuck it deep into the ground and took the blow head-on with my one good arm. I could feel my limb go numb, but it wasn't broken.
"Damn, if we kept the battle up, my canine companions may get seriously injured. Or worst, I might lose one. I didn't care about my life. However, I had no desire to kick the buck so soon. I also didn't want to see my pets get killed either. I summoned an apple I had packed up earlier. I covered it in heavy magic, and the red apple turned black just before it left my hand. I threw the apple in the direction of the last attack.
Boom!
I didn't wait to see if I hit anything and scooped up Canem while giving Canis the whistle for retreat. The male hound and I raced away from the scene as fast as we could. I moved slower with Canem in my arms, but she would be as good as dead if I put her down. Carrying the jackal with one arm proved quite tricky, but I kept moving. As we ran, I could hear the sounds of running water in the distance and got an idea.
"Where do you think your going, we just getting started." The voice entered my head again just as we reached the river. I threw Canem as hard as I could with my left arm just before I hit the ground stomach first.
Whoosh!
Ahhh!" I screamed as something cut from my lower back to my right shoulder. I felt like a massive beast had clawed me, but I could only see trees when I turned around. I heard a splash and saw Canem now floating in the river. The current started to take her further away from us. (At least she is safe.) I thought as I stood up. I was in so much pain, but I could let my guard down now.
"A shame the three of you would have made a wonderful meal. But to be honest i more intersted in the human. If you leave now pup I may let you live." The beast said he must be talking to Canis, now beside me, scanning the forest. That's when a tiger the size of a bear emerged from the bushes. There were fewer trees, meaning the moon's light was bright enough for me to see the newcomer. The tiger had horns like a deer's and a long tail with boney spikes on end. It was a level six beast with fangs the size of my forearm. Fear gripped me for the first time since entering this forest. I hadn't planned on running into a layer six beast so early.
"Canis, go with your sister." I said as the tiger slowly made its way to us. The creature only wanted me so. I would give Canis and Canem a way out. I had no hope of killing the layer six tigers, but I could escape by myself. At least I hoped I could. Canis growled at me in defiance and barked at the tiger.
"Don't be an idiot, Ill be fine. You guys can find me later." I said to the hound. It shook its head. The jackal was determined to stay by my side. I thanked the loyal animal as I bent down to pet him. He whined for a second, but I didn't feel like arguing. I picked the dog up and launched him into the river. I didn't look at the hound. I turned back to the approaching beast.
"What's your name little kitty?" I asked, hoping to provoke the beast. I wanted its attention solely on me. It said it would let Canis go, but a part of me didn't believe it entirely.
"I tell you while I slowly rip you apart!" The tiger announced before it cut the air with its meaty paws. Strong wind in the shape of claw marks came towards me. (Wind magic!) I thought as the attack came for me. I could block another blow, and the river was behind me, giving me no were to retreat.
"Okay Gora how you going to get out of this?" I asked myself. Time seemed too slow as I tried desperately to think of a way out.
Evolution: At layer five, all going through an evolution. Humanoid races get an upgrade in their element. In contrast, beasts get to choose whether to take human form or to become mythical creatures. More on this later.
Mythical creatures: Are layer five beasts that can use magic. They also develop the ability to communicate with people.