Ren leapt into the air only to realize that they were still halfway up of a cliff.
Eyes wide with fear, despite his fear, something solid clamped around his legs causing Ren's vision to go briefly white.
Eye sight returning in what seemed like mere moments later, Ren found himself flying right back into the cave.
And nearly missing a left leg at that as a portion of his lower leg had disappeared with a tiger sized bite.
'!?'
Nearly letting out a cry of pain, the person who was desperately clinging to his back flew off as Ren felt his vision go white again as the air left his lungs.
Collapsing onto the ground and desperately taking in the air, the Three eyed- No it should be called the One eyed tiger now glared at them as the skull visibly chewed on what should've been a part of Ren.
Swallowing it all with that absurdly large mouth again, the line splitting its body in half zipped shut, a low throaty growl exiting its mouth.
"You are a disappointing appetizer you damn farm animal."
'Can you not eat my leg if I'm so disappointing to eat?' Feeling the urge to hurl again, Ren instead substituted it with the biting of his lip, the clot giving way to the teeth as blood dripped.
"I hope you won't disappoint me." The one eyed tiger turned its head to look at Meredith who was trying to get up from where she was flung, dust coating her blue hair as the cave continued to shudder and shake. "Because I'm terribly pissed off by that stunt you pulled Girl of Liquid Fire."
Ren wouldn't bet a single Sat that this place would withstand another beating that the Tiger seemed willing to give it.
It seemed that Meredith was just as willing as her outstretched hand formed three fish, blood dripping from her nose.
"Running out of nature's essence to use yes? Soon you won't have to worry about that in my belly." Grinning, the line splitting its mouth soon spread to the rest of its body as the Tiger burst into a sprint, turning into a barely discernable blur.
Blur becoming just a bit more discernable as the flaming fish lit up the cave, the Tiger's mouth opened wide as its entire skeleton suddenly appeared.
Claws outstretched, as if the Magical fish never even existed, the One eyed Tiger collided against the Summer Magic, a haughty gaze filling its one eye as Meredith hurriedly dodged to the side.
Slamming into the wall behind, the cave shuddered again, the ceiling giving way as large boulders fell onto the ground, the entrance being partially covered.
"You move fast." Turning to look at Meredith as the white tiger skin returned again and closed over its one eyed body, the two of them watched with stunned eyes as the Boulders fell right through its body and hit the ground.
Confidently walking forwards and revealing itself to the two more flaming fish, a laugh that sounded like a growl exited its throat. "Let's see if you can move just as fast with the knowledge that you can't kill me."
Opening its mouth and biting onto the fish with its skull all the while rocks fell through its body, Meredith Lorelai, heiress of the barony stood frozen as she stared at her hand creating the two flaming fish.
Making a show of how the magic was unable to damage it, the One eyed Tiger now less pissed off than before opened its jaw and bit into the second fish, snuffing out the light reflecting off of the Heiress's eyes.
"I find magic to taste rather bland, your blood would serve as a fine accompaniment."
Jaw opening as the Tiger neared its teeth at Meredith's face, she closed her eyes in acceptance despite the exit of the cave being right behind her.
But would've it mattered?
As far as she could tell, the tiger was much faster than she was and that was without the sword wound and swollen ankle slowing her down. Hells gates, she couldn't even use magic to slow the One eyed beast down as for the first time in her life, the magic she prided herself on was completely useless.
So as the Tiger neared her face with agonizingly slow movements as if savoring the moments before her death, the Heiress tightened her eyes.
The Teeth closed with an audible snap, her body flinching in anticipation for something that never came.
Opening her eyes to see what had just happened, she was stunned to find out that Ren was the culprit again.
Staring at him in shock as he held a spear like a sword in his hands, Ren raised the spear again, but instead of using butt end of the spear used to slam the Tiger skull to the ground, the spear head pointed dangerously downwards.
Hurriedly transforming into its ghostly form, the spear head slammed into the ground and broke off from the spear, creating a stick from which Ren could support his lopsided body with.
"Miss Meredith! Are you alright!?" Turning to look at her face which was bleeding from the nose, she turned her head away.
"...I now owe you four favors"
"Sorry?" Blinking at the strangely spoken statement, Ren didn't put a single word of it in his mind as he hurriedly turned to look at the ghostly one eyed tiger and hurriedly explained to Meredith.
"Anyways, that's not the point here, the point is that that one eyed tiger glaring at us over there has two forms, and by connecting the dots, I think I understand how it works."
Hurriedly grabbing the spear head from the ground and shoving it into his pocket, Ren balanced on one leg as he pointed at the Tiger who continued to glare at them.
"When it's in that ghost form, Nothing we can touch can hurt or hit it and I don't think it can touch us, but when in that skeleton form that becomes the opposite and now it can hurt us the same way we can hurt it"
Staring warily at the Tiger who's mouth continued to travel in a line until its tail, Ren continued his explanation.
"And the reason why I think that your magic doesn't work is because the exact opposite happens when it's in that ghost form."
"When in that ghost form, magic can hurt it, but in the skeleton form, it can't" Ren Finished, his eye lingering on the tiger who's head remained bowed.
"That seems very unfair."
Shaking her head, both hands were raised above her head, four fish with hyper realized forms now floating above their heads.
"I agree." Nodding his head, Ren moved backwards and placed his body in front of Meredith who looked at his back with a strange expression on her face that swiftly disappeared.
"Congratulations... you discovered my secret faster than most" Ren and Meredith both tensed simultaneously as a voice entirely devoid of emotion echoed throughout the settling cave.
Lifting its head with had now given way for a skull, the four fishes with scales and gills serenely swam through the air despite being hyper focused on the tiger previously.
Looking at the two of them with what looked a grin on that skull of theirs, the Tiger looked at the two of them before looking around.
"But you seem to have forgotten where you are."
"..."
Recalling the incredibly far off drop that would no doubt spell death if they were to make even a single misstep, despite remembering how wide the steps were, they were just wide enough to accomodate a tiger as well
One that would try and spell their deaths at that.
Biting his lip again, Ren and Meredith slowly backed towards the exit.
"A chance is better than no chance at all."
"That I agree" The Tiger stared at the duo and stepped forwards once, causing the both of them to flinch and tense.
Staring at them as they stopped in place, the Tiger spoke quietly.
"But you can't make a single mistake once otherwise you'll die."
"It's a higher chance than staying here." Ren hopped backwards one step as the Tiger one step forwards.
Two steps
Three steps
Four Steps
Five
Six
Seven
"Ren, we're getting near the exit."
Hearing Meredith whisper behind him, he whispered back. "How far?'
"About three more meters-"
The Tiger suddenly burst into a sprint causing Ren to flinch and swing the spear in front of him in hopes of diverting the Tiger's course into the wall.
Using the spear training that Ren thought he would never be able to use, despite the lack of an arm and a part of his leg and the fact that the Tiger was lighter than its large appearance suggested at first glance, it was an entirely feasible option.
If the Tiger chose to face them head on that is.
Claw striking at the wall besides it, the once settling and somewhat stable cave instantly showed signs of instability.
"Watch out from above." Laughing uproariously as they disappeared.
Hurriedly snapping their heads to above them, several bits of loose debris instantly started to cascade towards the mostly blocked exit.
With this final addition of stones coming from the ceiling, the exit would be completely blocked and they would be at the mercy of the tiger.
"Run!" Shouting loudly as the tiger disappeared into the darkness, Ren tried to turn and hobble to the entrance as fast as he could only to be stunned to find Meredith grabbing his arm and looping it around her shoulder.
Bearing his weight just like that despite there being three meters left to the exit and a few seconds until the Entrance was covered, despite how important time was at the current moment
"That's now three favors."
"What is it with you and favors-!?"
Feeling something grab his leg and pull him out from underneath him, collapsing Ren and Meredith both.
Hurriedly turning around to see a tiger chewing on what remained of Ren's leg, it looked them and swallowed the rest of his leg as rocks flew through its ghostly body.
"You didn't think I would let you escape so easily would I?" A gaze filled with amusement flashed through the orange eye. "I still haven't gotten the chance to taste the Blood of Liquid Fire."
"Your agony would serve as a delicious appetizer at that."
The Tiger glanced above where the rocks continued to fall and pile up around the exit of the cave.
"Once you cattle die underneath the rocks I shall find it fitting to arrange some funeral rites in my belly, be honored."
Laughing loudly as rubble continued to fall from above, Ren stared at the disappearing tiger and looked up at the Exit that got smaller and smaller by the second.
By the time that he got there with Meredith's support, the size of the hole was barely able to fit a single person, not to say two.
"You go first"
"You go first"
Both speaking at the same time, Ren stared at her before calmly placing the broken spear he was using against the stones.
That would by them a few more seconds before the exit closed.
"As the Future heir of the land and your current superior, I Meredith Lorelai of the Lorelai house decree that you-"
"You said that I have four favors right?"
Meredith Lorelai blinked before hurriedly trying to continue her sentence only to be stopped by Ren who gestured at the spear beginning to strain under the weight.
"I want to use one of my favors before this snaps, you get out first. And don't worry, I'll be right behind you."
Ren smiled brightly as he waggled his left leg, or what remained of it as he glanced backwards
"Besides, If I get stuck, there's less of me to get stuck so that you can pull me out."
Biting her lip, Ren spoke up again since he wasn't sure if Meredith heard him.
"I said that I'm using one of my fa-"
"Fine!" Exploding with what seemed like anger, or was it sadness? She hurriedly crawled into the barely open hole.
Turning around to look at the dark cave behind, Ren heard Meredith's voice echo out.
"I'm nearly out! Now get the hell out of there!"
"I don't think you completed the favor completely Miss Meredith."
Staring at the cave as a tiger appeared with a happy looking disposition, Ren turned to look at the Blue Haired Girl his age hurriedly gesturing for him to come.
"What are you doing!? Get out of there!"
"Like I said Miss Meredith, you haven't got out of here completely yet."
Gesturing at the tiger who was slowly appearing out of the darkness, Meredith's face paled even further than it had already, her hand glowing with the tell tale sign of magic.
"Get out of the way! I'll blast that damned Tiger to Kingdom come! Then you can come out and-"
"Second favor. Take care of my family for me."
Taking the nearly broken remnants of the spear stick supporting the loose rock, a shocked shout came from the other side as thick broken stones rolled along, covering the exit completely.
"How self sacrificing of you." The Tiger mocked. "I can just feast on your body right here and then phase through the rocks and get at the girl with the blood of liquid fire."
An orange eye locked onto Ren's as the rumbling stones stopped, Ren laughed as he put his weight against the rather solid barrier, the one leg gaining some leeway as he looked at the one eyed tiger.
"If you could've phased through the rocks to eat miss Meredith, you would've done it long ago."
Looking up at it, Ren laughed deliriously. "Maybe I'm going crazy after losing to much blood in such a short time, but if you could've phased wherever you wanted, you would've moved through the walls and floor to get at us easier."
"So why did you not do that and instead go through the long way of running after us? Doesn't exactly scream fast." Ren slowly slumped to the ground, the stick helping somewhat before it snapped from all of the accumulated pressure.
Barely feeling the wooden splinters sticking to his skin that was now unsettlingly pale, Ren felt something stick accumulate around his thighs as he pointed at the Tiger.
"The answer is you can't"
A sense of heaviness began to weigh on Ren's eyes as he held the broken and splintered stick.
"And if I'm right again, you can't do anything to me the same way I can't do anything to you when you're in your ghost form."
Ren laughed. "But I might be crazy... I made some crazy friends as well."
"Pray tell who are these friends? I may just pay them a visit."
Ren snapped out of his drowsiness as he glared at the tiger who had stepped closer in the moments he was slowly fading out of consciousness.
"I may be dizzy from the lack of blood, but I'm not stupid enough to sell out my friends."
"...You are smarter than most, and you shall die smarter than most."
"Hah." Ren snorted while brandishing the broken spear digging into his hand, the tiger now face to face with him now "Try me."
"Gladly" Opening its skull mouth which swiftly snapped off what little remained of the wood stick, Ren's hand instantly let go of the stick as he grabbed at the Spearhead in his pocket.
One eye widening as the hand stabbed at the open skull, despite the fact that it was half transformed back into the ghost form, the knife was able to slice apart the eye into two neat orbs.
"The next thing I noticed is that you always tried to avoid damage to your eyes no matter the state, so you probably couldn't shift them into different states of death, but I guess you found that out already."
"GRAAHHHHHH!!!!"
Letting out a terrible roar that made the ringing sound in Ren's ear get worse and worse, the Tiger's mouth morphed into a terrible snarl before it revealed its skeletal form in all of its glory
Ethereal blue glow echoing from deep within its chest, several pairs of claws cleaved at Ren's chest, the sound of lacerations piercing even the ringing noise plaguing Ren's ears.
And there was the pain.
Oh the pain.
Unable to breath both from the pain and the lack of a breathing apparatus, Ren's twisted as the Tiger continued to strike at the stones behind him, turning it into dust.
'Problem.'
Barely able to comprehend why this was a problem again, something solid struck what remained of his upper body and sent his sight flying somewhere.
If Ren still had a stomach with stomach contents, he was pretty sure he would've vomited.
Slamming into a nearby wall and feeling something crack despite not knowing what, the Tiger continued to strike at the numerous boulders covering the exit only to stop suddenly.
Letting out a roar that was filled to the brim with frustration even to Ren's ringing ears, he laughed.
'Heh, Funny.'
Watching the tiger glance his way before disappearing into the darkness of the cave, Ren felt his eyes get heavier and heavier.
Ren closed his eyes.
The Dove opened its eyes.
This was the day that marked Ren's death
---
Meredith opened her eyes.
Having been rescued by her father of all people, she should've been given reason to be happy.
But she wasn't.
Recalling the face of the man who had probably died in that cave up there, Meredith Lorelai stared up at the medical tent, the once present discomfort in her abdomen all gone.
The discomfort in her heart still lingered.
She still had three favors to give after all, and since one of them was to support his family, that left two favors left.
Two favors until she could truly forget.
'...One of them can be used to retrieve that white dove thing that he had, it seemed pretty important to him.'
Recalling the scene of said boy vomiting on the ground after having a panic attack where he instantly recovered after holding that dove under his shirt, she rolled over on the bedspread.
'And that last favor can be used to murder that Tiger so that I can hang its skin on the wall.'
Closing her eyes and recalling the face of the man she had given four favors to, she belatedly recalled the teen called Amber who also had a favor she had to cash in.
---
Meeting of Nature transcription: 508
GrandM: Now begins the 508th convergence of nature, all discussions can now begin in matters of importance. First topic, the possible reappearance of the Fallen and the Eventual End dubbed. Abyss. SuM
SuM: The Blazing lifeblood has began to boil over, volcanic activity is at an all time high. Evidence suggests the Abyss.
AM: Counterpoint, Fallen sealed by The Ancients have been stirred by the power of the Abyss, perhaps provoking more tectonic activity.
SuM: Are you calling my research wrong?
AM: I'm just stating that there are always possibilities, not my fault that you overlooked such an obvious fact.
SuM: You!
*Su Magic and A Magic form
SpM: Please, please, let's not fight.
*Despite SpM's words, SuM and AM fight for an undisclosed amount of time before GrandM stopped them.
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