The sudden cry hastened Dax's feet. He was running faster than his legs had ever carried him and his heart felt like it was about to jump from his chest. He turned to look and see if he was being followed. As he looked, he saw a shadowy figure burst from the cave. It no longer looked like Fey and instead appeared as a creature of pitch black and elongated limbs.
Glowing red eyes rested upon its head and its entire body seemed to be made of a hyper-elastic-polymer as it stretched and bent wildly in its pursuit of Dax.
"Shit!" He yelled out as he turned his attention back to the path in front of him. He was nearing the tree line and hoped that would mean the creature would abandon its chase. As he was about to cross, he felt something cold on his leg as his forward momentum caused him to fall onto his face. He then felt himself getting dragged across the ground and back to the cave.
He knew the creature had caught him. He rolled onto his back to look at his attacker. It had morphed into a giant mouth with tendrils. One of the tendrils was wrapped around Dax's leg. He couldn't do anything but watch helplessly as he was being dragged ever so closer to the gaping mouth.
"Help!" He cried out. "Someone, anyone!" He clawed at the ground and tried to stop his advance. But the tendril continued to pull and just ripped his fingers along the dirt and foliage. "No!" Dax yelled as he was inches away from being this monster's lunch. The beast had lifted him in the air by his leg and was dangling him above its mouth.
Suddenly the monster burst into flame and released Dax onto the ground with a thud. He hit the ground with such force that he became winded. The sudden explosion of the monster caused the dirt to kick up and made visibility poor. "Hello?" Dax called out, but he found it difficult to do since he could barely breathe.
"You alright there, lad?" A voice came from above.
Dax looked up to see a man wearing a white uniform riding a hoverboard. His uniform was full of awards and medals and Dax could tell the man was muscular. He had long brown hair and brown eyes with a decent tan and the only blemish on his face was a scar under his left eye.
"Dax?!" Fey called out.
As the dust settled Dax could see Fey holding on to the side of the man and sharing the hoverboard with him.
"Fey?" Dax asked.
She wasted no time and jumped down to him. "Are you alright?" She asked, she was visibly concerned. "I came as soon as you said you weren't okay."
"How?" Dax asked, still struggling to get his air.
"I went to my dad." Fey said. "He tracked you using your phone. He is the captain of the defense force so tracking a civilian is just part of the job."
"If you could leave that part out, that would be great." Fey's dad said as he landed the hoverboard. "Not exactly supposed to track civilians without a legal cause, but hey it saved your life so don't complain."
"I am not." Dax said. "Thank you. Both of you."
"Here you go kid." The man said. He placed his hand on Dax's chest. "Heal." His hand then glowed green, and Dax could feel his air returning to his buddy and the pain of his bruises vanish.
"Thanks again." Dax said.
"So, what exactly happened?" Fey asked.
"I must admit I am curious as well." Her dad said. "I have never seen a monster like that in all my years, nor have I seen one so far into the safe zone."
"I don't know." Dax said. "I was just resting and waiting for dinner when you started throwing rocks at my window. Only it wasn't you, it was the monster. It just looked and sounded and acted like you."
"Two of my daughter…" Fey's dad asked. "That sounds frightening."
"I am not that bad!" Fey said, stomping her foot. "At least not to you."
"Oh, I know. But who do you think your mother complains to?" He replied.
"Ignore my dad." Fey said. "Continue your story. So, there were two of me?"
"I guess?" Dax said. "It led me to this cave and tried to get me to go inside with it. Lucky you called when you did, because I was so conflicted about it."
"I mean leading you into a dark cave does sound like something my Fey would do." Her father said, with an evil grin.
"It does not!" Fey complained. "Be serious for a moment. What kind of monster can look like another person?"
"Also how did it know who to act and sound like you?" Dax asked.
"Yeah, how did a monster do that?" Fey asked her dad.
"I have no idea." He said. "At least it was so weak though! So, no more worries! I will let the eggheads at headquarters figure out what kind of monster it was. I am just happy you are safe… ugh… who is he again sweetie?"
"He is Dax." Fey said. "I told you he is the new friend I made at the academy today."
"Right, I knew that." He replied. "Well, I am going to head back to the house."
"Don't you want to investigate this cave Dax talked about?!" Fey asked her father.
"No, it is my day off." He replied. "I have it marked on my map. I will bring a squad and investigate it tomorrow."
"I am going to walk Dax home." Fey said.
"Just be home before dark sweetie!" Her father yelled as he flew away.
"Your dad seems like a nice guy." Dax said.
"He is the strongest." Fey said. "That is the only reason my mother married him, but in all honesty, I am glad he is my dad. Just never tell him I told you that."
Dax laughed. "Alright." He said. "I won't."