The wind claws were headed straight towards me. It was coming too fast for me to dodge. So I dropped to the ground and scooped up a handful of small rocks on the river bank.
BOOM!
I threw the rocks applied heavy magic to as many as I could. It was my first time using my element on multiple objects. So, I could only use my heavy magic on half of the tiny rocks I threw.
The tiger's wind attack was negated and exploded on the spot. Creating a massive dust cloud. I used the cloud to conceal my movement as I ran down the river. I thought about jumping in the water myself, but I didn't want to deal with the leeches. I couldn't risk being slowly paralyzed while being chased by a bloodthirsty beast.
"Where do you think your going?"The tiger said. As soon as I cleared the dust cloud. The beast was there, running beside me. It swiped its massive claw at my face, but my reflexes kicked in, and I ducked the blow. I rolled to the ground and put my sword back in my storage ring. I didn't plan on fighting a layer six beast, and the blade would slow down my retreat.
I rolled to my feet and channeled Ki into my legs. I sprinted with all my might gaining a little distance from the beast. It came at me again. Before the big cat could send another attack my way, I threw a nut with heavy magic directly at the tiger's head.
Bang!
The tiger snorted at my attack, and instead of dodging the tiny nut, the beast ignored it. Taking the blow head-on. It looked like the animal had been punched by a giant as its head rocked to the side. Although the beast took a direct hit, it didn't seem to be hurt. It didn't matter to me if I injured the beast or not. I wasn't trying to kill it, only buy time for myself. I had already reached the trees by the time the tiger recovered from the attack.
"That's was a suprise! What else you got human!" The tiger screamed as it began pursuing me. I wasted no time a summoned my sword again. I poured Ki into the blade as I ran, making the blade vibrate.
Crack!
Creek!
Snap!
I began cutting down some of the smaller trees as I passed them. Tree after a tree fell behind me. I turned back for only a second seeing the tiger maneuver through fallen trees like it was nothing. (God damn it!) I thought as I kept moving.
"Hahahah! You don't disapoint. Never has my prey thrown trees at me." The beast said, laughing as it chased me. Then beast leaped high into the air, landing right in front of me.
"Hello there! The tiger said, grinning in front of me. I had to stop myself from running into the animal. Instead, I ran around the tiger, who simply let me pass him. The beast swung his spike tail towards me. I slid under the blow, and my broken arm grazed the ground sending a wave of pain through my body. I ignored it as I desperately crawled to my feet.
"I do enjoy watching you spirm!" The tiger joked. (it's just playing with me.) I thought as I kept running. The beast had stayed on my trail for hours now. Each time it got closer, I found a way to slip away. All the hunting I did with my hounds had increased my stamina tremendously. But I was slowing down.
"Whoa!" I shrieked as I had to stop myself from falling off a cliff. I could hardly see the drop in the dark. ( I'm screwed.) I thought as I looked over the tall cliff. I kicked a small rock down the fall to see how far it was. I listened for the sound of the rock hitting the ground, but it never came.
"Looks like theres no where else to run. It was fun while it lasted." The beast said as he slowly walked towards me. I was trapped like a rat. (Is this where I die?) I asked myself. I couldn't think of a way out. Even if I did, it would only be a matter of time before the tiger caught and killed me. I had a feeling the beast was just playing with his food. It was by luck that I hadn't been killed yet. My body ached, and my breath was ragged. I doubt I could run anymore.
"Out of tricks it seems. A pitty I was hoping you'd entertain me some more." The beast said, licking its lips. (It's over! Why did my father have to send me to this hell hole.) I thought as I stepped back. I was now on the edge of the cliff. Thinking about my father brought an idea to mind. The plan was crazy, and I had no idea if it would work.
I quickly summoned an item from my spacial ring. instantly a bracelet appeared in my hand. (Gods, I hope this works.) I thought, putting the bracelet on my wrist.
"Sorry little kitty, but play time has come to an end." I said as I fell backward. The beast charged as I fell but didn't make it to me in time.
"NOoooo! Your going to ruin the meat." The beast said as it stared down at me. The tiger didn't jump after me, however.
All I saw was darkness as I fell, picking up speed. (Please work.) I praised.
Shatter!
I heard something like glass shattering as my body hit the ground. Tiny specks of white fragments floated around. I noticed it for only a moment before I blacked out.
**********************************************************************
"Ugh!" I groaned as my eyes opened. I expected to see darkness when I awoke but was greeted by the light of the sun. ( How long was I out?) I thought while struggling to move. Every inch of my body was in agony. I used my one good arm to drag my injured body to a nearby tree. ( I guess the bracelet work.) I thought as I examined my wounds. My right arm was still broken, and I could tell my ribs had been cracked if not broken. Both my legs were fractured, but I had survived. If not for the bracelet, I'd be a pile of goo on the forest floor right now.
"I guess I owe my brother a thank you." I coughed. Gorro jr gave me the bracelet for my birthday. The bracelet was said to stop a fatal blow up to level six. I took a gamble by using the item this way. I had gotten lucky by surviving. Looking down at my wrist, I noticed that the once-solid black bracelet had turned grey. I figured the color change was because I had used up one of the items charges. ( I need to be careful from now on.) I thought as I scanned my surroundings. I was in an unknown territory, So I had to be alert. Unfortunately for me, I was in so much pain I could keep my eyes open.
"Can't rest here. It's not safe." I murmured to myself before I passed out. My eyes shot open to the feeling of something touching me. I saw a tiny monkey touching my face.
"Shoo, Shoo!" I shouted at the little animal. I didn't seem hostile, but you could never be sure in this forest. The monkey turned his head to the side in confusion but didn't move. I had to be careful how I handled the situation. In my injured state, the layer four beasts could be a real problem for me. ( Even this tiny chimp's a layer four. Damn these forests.) I cursed.
"Ouch! Stop that!" I yelled when the monkey picked up my broken arm. The animal shrieked at me and ran away. I waited a few minutes to make sure it was gone before I went back to sleep. It was only for a few minutes the pesky little creature had made its way back to me. This I caught the monkey playing with my hair. I tried to shoo it away again, but the monkey didn't listen. I summoned an apple from my ring.
"How about this? You leave me be and ill give you a treat. How does that sound?" I asked the creature, holding the fruit out to it. The monkey snatched the fruit with ease and scurried away. ( Now I can rest in peace.) I thought as I closed my weary eyes for the third time.
Ahhhhh!
A mighty roar woke me from my slumber. This time when my eyes opened, the sun had gotten much lower in the sky, meaning night was fast approaching. The roar that woke me came from far away, but it still puts fear in my heart. I needed to find a safe place to sleep at night. I examined my body and noticed that one of my fractured legs was almost healed. So, I stood up and gritted my teeth in pain. I was still tired, but i knew I couldn't sleep out in the open. I began limping further into the forest. I was going to have to find a place before the sun fully set.
I only got a few yards when I collapsed. ( Damn! This is as far as I can go.) I thought as I lay face down in the dirt. I was simply too weak to keep going. My mind raced with ideas as I tried to come up with a solution to my new problem. I was too weak to even walk, so sleeping in a tree was out of the question. My encounter with the tiger showed me that sleeping on the forest floor was out of the question. In fact, I was pretty sure the tiger was still on my trail. I had no clue how long it would take for the beast to make its way down the cliff. I was sure it wouldn't take too long for a layer six.
In desperation, I started to dig with my good hand. It took hours, and by the time I was done digging, I was sweating and out of breath. The job was done though, I had successfully dug a big enough hole to lay in. I then started the process of filling the hole with me still in it. The whole ordeal proved very challenging with only one arm. When I was finished, every part of my body was covered in dirt except my nose. I didn't know if my plan would keep me safe through the night, but it was all I could do.
( I hoped Canis and Canem were doing better than me.) I thought as I lay in the dirt. It would be the first night I went to bed without my two jackets in months. I missed them. I didn't know why, but I knew they were still alive. I had trained the pups so, I knew how resilient the hounds were. Jackels were known for tracking their masters from anywhere in the world. Meaning I didn't really worry about meeting back up with the two. They just needed to survive the forests, and eventually, we'd meet again.
I worried more about my own well-being than I did the two jackals. I wasn't in the best shape, and even if I was, my layer was far too low for me to survive. I had grossly overestimated my skills, or I had underestimated the beast of this woods. Either way, I had made a crucial mistake. ( I need to get much stronger.) I thought as I drifted off into sleep.