Chapter 11: The Mana Leopard
As the chaos of the beast tide finally began to subside, the growls and pounding footsteps faded into the distance. Lady Emma stood in the center of her shimmering barrier, her breath labored but steady as the wild creatures dispersed, leaving a trail of trampled earth and broken trees in their wake. The children huddled together, relieved to be alive, though their faces still reflected the fear that had gripped them moments before.
Just as Lady Emma prepared to lower her barrier, her eyes narrowed. Something wasn't right. In the distance, through the translucent shield, she noticed a blurry shape—a figure moving impossibly fast, zigzagging through the trees and charging toward them. The figure blurred in and out of sight, a streak of color and motion too fast to be human.
Raven, standing beside Elara, felt it too. His heart skipped a beat. He couldn't make out the creature clearly, but the speed alone told him everything. His mind raced, recalling the many books he'd devoured at the orphanage, the sketches of various mana beasts he'd studied late at night. He had read about this one, or at least something similar.
That speed... It's a mana leopard, he thought, his body tensing in response.
The term "mana leopard" wasn't the official name for the creature, but it was the only fitting title Raven could think of when he'd read about it in a worn-out book. The creature was larger than any regular leopard, its muscular form reaching over five feet in length, its fur laced with dark blue mana patterns that pulsed like veins of lightning as it ran. These beasts were notorious for their speed; once they hit their top speed, they would have to run for several minutes before being able to slow down, or else risk injuring themselves from the sheer force of their momentum.
I have to do something! Raven thought, panic briefly gripping him. He had read how dangerous these creatures could be, especially at such high speeds. They were practically unstoppable when fully charging.
But before he could act, the creature was already upon them. It barreled toward the barrier like a streak of lightning, and in a matter of heartbeats, the mana leopard reached them, its eyes glowing with feral intensity.
BOOM!
The impact was jarring. The entire barrier shook violently as the mana leopard collided with it head-on, its body a blur of dark blue patterns and sinewy muscle. Raven's breath caught in his throat, and several of the children screamed in terror, instinctively backing away from the edge of the shield.
For a moment, it looked as though the barrier would hold, but the leopard wasn't finished. It growled, its voice a low, rumbling snarl, and it scratched and clawed at the translucent shield, trying to break through. Its claws, glowing with the same mana that coursed through its body, screeched against the barrier, leaving faint trails of blue light in their wake.
Lady Emma's brow furrowed deeper, her concentration fully focused on maintaining the shield. Raven could see the strain on her face. Though her domain was powerful, the mana leopard's relentless assault was clearly testing its limits.
Raven's mind raced. I can't just stand here... If that creature breaks through, it's over for us.
After what was less than a few milli seconds but seemed to be an eternity the leopard got deflected the cracks on the barrier healed and lady emma started panting heavily. But she know it wasn't over yet so she didn't remove her barrier as he firmly planted her feet in the ground and her hands straight maintaining the proper flow of mana in her barrier.