A scar of bright light flashed in the cauldron-black sky, followed by the pitter-patter of tiny droplets of rain, mixing the stench of blood and decay with the earthy aroma of the forest.
Another arrow whizzed over my head, trying to claim my life as I hurriedly dodged to the side, kicking up dust and gore as I took cover behind an age-worn tree, now red from all the slaughter transpiring around it.
''You must be Nathan,'' a mysterious figure growled, his voice devoid of life, like an ossuary made of bone and gravel, carrying alongside it a stench of rot in its wake.
I tried to sneak a peek, employing some of the tree's branches as cover, hoping to locate him. Another arrow buzzed above my head, landing its deadly strike against a tree bark behind me, startling the birds settling it.
''That was a close one,'' I thought, sticking close to the bark, glancing back at the boulder Ciaphas had passed out.
''He was lucky to land there,'' I thought acidly, searching desperately around me for a weapon, noticing the spear impaling the poor woman.
The idea of holding the spear used to impale another human being, still ridden with her blood and guts, wasn't a comforting one.
''He is probably hiding twenty, maybe twenty-five meters ahead of me, using the thick foliage as camouflage. Considering the force and speed of the arrow he unleashed on the guide and then on the tree behind me, it is safe to assume he is also an Awakened one.'' Nathan concluded, thinking of a good enough distraction that would allow him to close the gap between him and the macabre spear, evening somehow the field.
Being pinned down with nowhere to run wouldn't cut it for long.
Nobody won a fight by hiding.
His wish came true an agonizing minute later in the form of a bear. A huge beast with a sharp countenance appeared near the meadow, lured by the decaying smell of death and blood. The eyebrows of this humongous bear were fire molten-black and snake-shaped. It banged its huge claw onto a nearby tree, announcing its presence, clearly having spotted both of us lurking near, considering the carnage that laid waste on our feet its rightful feast.
Waiting patiently for Nathan to pop his head and finally place his poison-coated arrow right between his eyes, squinting his snake-slit eyes from time to time with excitement, he couldn't help but curse when the massive bear locked its eyes with his own.
Forcing him to abandon his cover and run, he knew that Nathan had a window of opportunity to strike back.
''FUCK'' he screamed, rushing towards another set of trees, avoiding the impending charge of the beast that considered him his rival.
Killing another Awakened, someone who was sitting on this stage for most of his life, wasn't easy, so having him cornered like a rat was a godsent blessing for him.
With the bear keeping that grave-sounding foe of his occupied with their cat and mouse chase, I used most of my awakened energy.
Sprinting as fast as my legs could take me towards the spear, swiftly grabbing it, I was disgusted by the grime and slimy entrails coiling all over it.
Glancing towards him, I saw him trying to shake the bear off his back, hitting it with his bow on its enormous head whenever it gained ground.
''You look exactly like I imagined you would look,'' I loudly said, betting on him slipping or making a crucial mistake trying to retort.
Having a weapon in my hands, even if it was full of gore and torn flesh, brought back a sense of confidence to my weary hands.
Forced to ditch his bow, after breaking it on the bear's gigantic snout, attempting to scare it away, he turned his misshapen head, glaring at me with his tundra-cold eyes. They were blazing with shrewdness, wanting nothing more than to devour me whole.
Took him five whole minutes before managing to lose the mutated bear from his back, giving me plenty of time to think of my next move.
Outrunning him was impossible if I wanted to protect Ciaphas, and he, being passed out wasn't helping the situation much.
''At least he isn't attracting his attention,'' I mused, preparing my awakened energy for a brutal fight.
I slowly rested my back on a moss-covered tree, wielding my spear while patiently waiting for his return. Having lost his only way of sneakily shooting me with his arrows, he finally had to confront me.
This time face to face.