Aron's powerful cheetah legs propelled him forward as he chased after Leriat. His sharp eyesight allowed him to navigate the dark forest with ease as he closed in on his prey.
Leriat could hear the sound of Aron's footsteps getting closer and closer behind him, causing him to panic and spur the horse on even faster.
With lightning-fast reflexes, Aron leaped towards Leriat. In a split second, he tackled the boy off the horse, causing them both to tumble and roll on the ground, sending nearby leaves and dirt flying up into the air.
As Leriat caught his breath and got a hold of himself, his eyes darted back and forth, searching for any sign of his pursuer. He knew he had to act fast, so he conjured the Praesidium barrier around himself.
"Giving up now? Heh, you know that this wall is just a piece of paper to me." Aron smirked, slowly walking closer to Leriat.
He then rested his paw on the barrier, sensing its vulnerability that it was conjured by a small amount of Vis.
As he transformed back to his human form, Aron raised his hand, then stabbed a short Visblade of Telum to the barrier, cracking it effortlessly into pieces.
But this was the moment that Leriat had been waiting for. With his another Vis reserve that he charged along the way, he quickly conjured a more potent barrier of Praesidium that enveloped Aron in a glowing dome.
Seeing how Aron did not see it coming, Leriat grinned triumphantly. With his heart still pumping up fast, Leriat turned away from him and got back on his escape.
Aron swung his Visblade in a heartbeat. But not even a scratch formed on the barrier.
"Bastard, you're lucky that your father wants you in one piece." Aron gritted his teeth as fiery anger burned in his crimson iris. He had enough playing catch-the-mice.
Without warning, the sky opened up, and rain came pouring down, suddenly drenching everything in sight.
It took a while for Aron to channel enough Vis that was capable of breaking the tougher barrier in one swing. At that time, Leriat had nowhere to be seen. He could feel that Leriat's Vis level had grown much from the last time they had a spar.
Aron leisurely transformed back into his cheetah Visbeast, still adorning his tightly flexible leather clothing and pants that were custom-made to adapt his changing form.
He flexed his muscles and launched himself forward, relying on his hearing to pinpoint Leriat's position in the darkness.
Fortunately, besides the screeching of a nearby night owl and the pouring rain, there was not much that muffle the sound of Leriat's footsteps crunching on the leaves beneath his feet.
Leriat's heart was pounding so hard in his chest that he could barely breathe. He ran blindly through the forest, his eyes darting back and forth in search of any obstacles that might trip him up. The rain just made everything worse.
The branches and bushes slapped against his face and armor, leaving scratches and bruises behind. He pushed himself to keep running, hoping not to fall into some kind of pit or hole.
No matter how fast he was, Aron was quickly catching up to him. Once Leriat heard the trampling bushes behind him with alarming speed, he sped up his pace, running rampant like a loose horde.
"H-hey! Stop running!!! Leriat—" Aron suddenly stopped and voiced with concern.
Not knowing what was in front of him, Leriat screamed as he tumbled down the steep hill. He desperately tried to grab onto something to stop his fall, but none was able to reduce his momentum.
The sound of his own breathing and the rustling of leaves were the only things he could hear as he tumbled down, branches and rocks scraping against his skin.
"Shit!"
Aron could not do anything about it. There was nothing to hold his footing.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Leriat's fall did not yet come to a stop. There was a river at the bottom of the steep hill.
Leriat's body plunged into the water with a loud splash. He struggled to swim to the surface, gasping for air as he coughed out water from his lungs.
The river had turned into a raging torrent thanks to the unrelenting downpour.
"Leriat!!! Look at me! Come on, I'll help you out!!!"
Aron tiptoed down the hill. The rain made the ground slippery and unstable, causing him to struggle to keep his balance. He had to focus all his attention on where to put his paws to avoid slipping into the rushing river.
The dark cloud made the moonlight almost nonexistent. The thick foliage along the hill also made it impossible for Aron to make use of his eagle wings formed by the Vis of Bestia.
Leriat's gasps for air grew more desperate as the strong current carried him away.
His feet barely touched anything below, and the churning water made it difficult for him to keep his head above the surface.
Aron's shouts were only muffled sounds, lost in the roar of the river and the thunderous rain.
"Hey!!!"
Aron ran along the riverbank, his eyes intently following Leriat as he was carried along with the current.
As soon as he was close enough, Aron leaped into the water while also undoing his Visbeast transformation, feeling the icy chill engulf his body as he swam towards Leriat.
He managed to grab Leriat's hand and pulled him close, allowing them both to catch their breath for a moment.
Coughing out water, Leriat couldn't help feeling grateful for Aron pulling him out of the strong current.
However, he couldn't betray his determination to get as far away as possible from his pursuer.
As Aron made his way out of the river current, Leriat held onto him tightly while secretly channeling another reserve of Praesidium Vis in his hands.
He knew that he had to act fast, but at the same time, he didn't want to arouse Aron's suspicion.
"Listen to me," Aron said firmly as he caught his breath. "Don't try to run away again. I just saved your life, and if it weren't for me, you'd be a goner by now. So be thankful and stay put."