Chapter 37 - Magical Beast's Attack II
Bryn ran, but no matter how much effort he put in, there was no sign of Michelle or the village. Still, he kept going. Not knowing how many steps he had taken, the idea of time seemed to escape his grasp. Luca was facing an unknown force, Michelle was much faster than him, and there was no guarantee she would reach the village before it was too late. The running and avoiding obstacles became automatic as his mind twisted.
What is this that I'm feeling? Why am I so worried about a child I just met? As long as I can escape, I should be fine… Then why is my body working so hard to reach the village? Why do I think I must help should something happen with Michelle on the way? Conflicted with his thoughts, Bryn was startled by a figure that blocked his path.
"Mr. Jonas, is that you?" Asked Bryn. In front of him was the rigorous and arrogant man from the village: Gabriel's right hand and the one who defeated Daniel. The difference was that he wore battle armor instead of his regular clothes and had a sword on his waist. The armor was red with white outlines. His left shoulder plate had golden inscriptions and was almost double from the right. Similar inscriptions were visible on the plates protecting his elbows and knees. The plates on the joints also had sharper edges than the rest, almost looking like spikes. On his back, a banner was tangling from his waist, respecting the armor's color. The difference in stature from the first time they met was staggering.
"Hey, Bryn, we should go before it is over. You are gonna wanna see this…" answered Jonas.
As he spoke, he had left Bryn's eye of sight, arriving in a flash next to Bryn and taking him from the ground. "Hold on," he said as he ran full speed towards where Bryn had come.
"Whaaaa-" Bryn tried to speak, but the acceleration was so strong that he concentrated as hard as he could on not getting sick or fainting. His eyes bulged as the wind began to blow his cheeks.
Jonas realized Bryn was unwell by the speed at which they moved, "Ah, sorry about that…" he said as a red light, invisible to Bryn's eyes, emerged from Jonas, engulfing them. As the Light finished covering every bit of the two, Bryn could finally breathe normally. It took them another second to suddenly halt their movement.
"What is happening?!"
"Calm down and look there. It is about to end!" said Jonas, pointing at the clearing as Luca and the leopard dashed at each other.
"AHHHHHHH!" Luca screamed.
"Rwaaaaaaarrr" raged the panther.
That was it, the decisive moment of their duel.
As they clashed, blood spilled from both bodies on the white snow. It was hard to see what happened in the last moments; both were still over the other. Luca was able to push his prey to the side. His body was covered in blood; he lowered his hands to grab the hilt of his sword once again. As his hands held the weapon, one foot was on the leopard to help remove the sword from its chest. The silence after the battle, the smell of iron and the carnage around him engraved his memories as he screamed in celebration.
Claps began to sound across the clearing. Luca couldn't make sense of what was happening. As he heard claps, his mind started to process, and as a movie, he remembered using his earth control to raise his body from the floor, making the leopard's bite miss his neck or any vital area while his shortsword made its way into the creature's heart. Still breathing heavily from his extensive injuries and the close-death encounter, Luca looked around only to find his father walking towards him, Michelle in his arms.
"You did well, my son. Not using your magic before the last exchange allowed you to take the creature by surprise. I'm glad you listened to me and your uncle even in such a situation." Said Gabriel.
"Dad, what are you doing here?! Is Michel-!" Asked Luca, coughing blood before he could finish. Trying to walk, his body limped towards his father and sister.
"She is fine, she was scared about you… Now, worry about yourself a little more. Look at you thinking about something else when bleeding, barely able to walk, and when the fight is not over."
"WHAT? I felt my sword penetrating the leopar-" Luca's voice and body stopped halfway. Every hair on his body raised as his senses screamed. He had never felt such a thing. The strength of that killing intent was palpable, and it felt as if death itself was coming his way.
Four creatures made themselves visible at the back of the clearing. The first three were double the size of the one lying on the snow. The fourth one walked in the middle of the rest. It would be difficult to see the creature if not for blue eyes and claws emanating bright mana as it walked. Its fur is as white as the snow.
Gabriel looked at his injured son, waiting for his reaction, but it never came. The four creatures approached, stopping right next to their fallen. One of the blue-eyed leopards lowered its head, leaving out a small roar as he sniffed and pushed the small one with its nose. The head of the beast was as big as the belly of the one Luca had fought. As it moved the corps, the leopard accepted its suspicion.
"Luca, that is enough time for you to be spacing out. Pay attention; we are about to fight an adult Ice Leopard. Remember it because, depending on your ability, you may never survive another encounter like this. Are you observing, son?" said Gabriel as he reached his son's side. His words woke Luca from daydreaming, the creatures just a few meters away.
The alpha looked at Gabriel as its fangs started to show. "RWAAAAAAAR!" roared the leopard. The sound echoed the whole mountain range. Air gushed past Gabriel as he extended his energy to surround Luca and Michelle. Snow fell from the top of trees near the area as the branches trembled from the sound waves. It looked at the other three leopards and roared again, not as challenging as before. It looked directly at Gabriel's eyes as it started to walk sideways to an open area, leaving the other three to take care of their fallen.
"I accept…" said Gabriel, putting Michelle on the floor beside Luca. Looking back towards the entrance, he glanced at Jonas - Bryn next to him - as his friend nodded up and down.
Gabriel started walking to the side as he said. "Luca, take your sister to your uncle in the back."
Luca turned around to see Jonas wearing his battle armor and Bryn beside him. "Sis, we have to go towards Uncle…" Michelle didn't move a muscle. He shook Michelle for her to see that he was fine. "SIS, COME ON! IT'S ME, LUCA; I'M FINE!!"
She blinked excessively, coming to her senses from the shock. "BIG BROTHER!!!" She screamed as her eyes got swollen and filled with water.
Realizing Michelle was back, Luca kept limping towards Jonas and Bryn, holding her hand.
Bryn was amazed at those displays of strength. He and Jonas arrived at the clearing as Luca and the leopard dashed. Bryn couldn't perceive all their movements to perfection, but from his angle, it was clear that the leopard's claws and fangs were perfectly aligned to catch Luca's neck. It was only when the young man suddenly rose with the snow on the ground that Bryn remembered he knew magic. If Luca hadn't used magic before, nothing could prepare the leopard for that final exchange.
When Gabriel approached, Bryn focused on catching every glimpse of detail he could. The armor he wore was much more detailed than Jonas's. The only resemblance was the difference in shoulder plates. His left shoulder plate was also more prominent than the right. It was mainly white, with golden outlines and inscriptions. His left forearm kept the pattern to his gloved fingers. The remainder of his armor is primarily made with a metallic black material. All armor portions looked like black scales with white gems and gold outlines. Unlike Jonas's armor, Gabriel's didn't have plates on his joints. The pieces right after the joint were big enough to protect it from any attack from its sides, be it the glove and forearm covering the elbow, shin guard protecting the knee, or thigh plates over the hips. Behind his waist was the same banner Jonas had on his armor.
Bryn could now see that on the black banner with the emblem of a white lion's head coming out of a shield with two swords crossed behind it and wings at its sides. Bryn had no idea what the emblem meant, but it was imposing and noble at the same time. The materials shined as the sunlight hit Gabriel's armor. Bryn was lost trying to comprehend the marvel before him, but the majestic scene was cut short.
Four creatures had started to walk in his direction. The beauty of the beast in the middle captured his eyes.
"Mr. Jonas, what is that?" Bryn asked.
"That is an adult, Ice Leopard, a strong one…" Jonas answered.
"But that is huge! It is as big, if not bigger than the elk we hunted!" The white fur was only possible to perceive thanks to the shadow outline of its muscles created by the sunlight. Its bright blue eyes were not pointed at Bryn, but he felt it could look into his soul. The claws on its paw were light blue as well as if made out of the most condensed ice bry had ever seen.
When it roared, Bryn got so scared that he used both arms to protect his face from the scene. He had experienced many things in this and his previous life, but nothing like this. The creature started to walk to the side, and Bryn heard Gabriel say something, putting Michelle down and looking at him and Jonas. Both kids took a second to walk in their direction, but they soon arrived. Similarly, the three other leopards reached their companion. One of the creatures bit the back of its neck and pulled the body with them.
The once white and calm clearing now looked like a miniature battlefield. First, the traces from the elk, then the blood spilled during its fight with Luca, Michelle and Bryn. Then, the damage done by Luca's encounter with the small leopard. Blood from the elk's, Luca's and the leopard's body were everywhere, with two big pools where the animals died.
Looking at each other as they walked, neither Gabriel nor the alpha approached the other until they noticed both parties were safe.
As the leopards reached the edge of the clearing, they howled to their alpha. As if the bell of a boxing match sounded, the howled made the alpha unleash a surge of mana, covering his body entirely and rushing forward. Its speed, white fur, bright blue eyes, and claws created a lightning afterimage wherever it passed. Bryn lost the ability to see the creature as soon as it started running.
What sort of speed is that?! How huge is its agi status? Bryn thought.
It approached Gabriel as it circled him. Looking from above, it seemed as if a lightning storm was about to come crashing down over the man. During the approach, it used feints to test its prey's reaction. Gabriel still had to make any movement. From the beast's perspective, Gabriel couldn't accompany its speed. None of the feints had even turned his eyes from looking at the initial position the alpha was in. The distance diminished with each fraction of a second. As the Leopard decided when to strike, Gabriel blinked his eyes. The creature didn't lose the opportunity and leaped at its target.