The predator watched as Elias pushed himself to his feet, its tails whipping the air, as if it were excited.
Elias planted his foot, taking a deep breath before launching himself forward, directly toward the shadow-like creature. It was a direct attack, the beast attempted to parry the obvious attack, but Elias shifted his weight, he was aiming at the creature's leg.
Surprised, it jumped back, but it was too late. He swung,
Ting!
His sickle bounced off the monster's hide. He staggered backward, the vibration ran through his arm, rattling his bones.
"It really is like striking iron."
The smell of blood snapped him out of the thought, it was attacking again. Its paw tore through the air, Elias pivoted, his body dropped low and dodged its mighty swing.
The force of the swing kicked up dust, smothering Elias in a light haze. The creature's red eyes allowed it to see Elias through the smoke, however, it wasn't the only thing that could see through the smoke.
"I have to find another weak point."
Elias' sickle broke through the cloud, striking the brute on its head.
Ting!
"Not Enough."
His sickle bounced off and skittered into the smoke. Only to reappear from a different direction, once again reflecting into the dust. Annoyed, the cat-like beast retaliated. It swung into the smoke, hoping to catch him, with no luck. Sweeping up more dust than before.
"If I can keep this up then..!"
A small orange light flickered in the distance, it was in the direction of the beast. Elias recognized this attack, quickly retreating but it was too late.
Shit..! He raised his arms, trying to minimize the damage.
Ka-Boom!
Through the ashes and smoke, the creature's red eyes glared. The smell of blood ever present.
Cough.. Cough.. Bleugh..
"Blood.."
His vision blurred and his arms shook. He was losing strength, he looked over at his parents, their colors were faint, fading like dying embers.
He needed to get up and fight. But after fighting with everything he had. He knew this creature was unbeatable. A mountain he could never climb.
"I.. have to get up.." He muttered, he rose to one knee, the world around him spun,
"They're counting on me..."
He grabbed his sickle. Its blade was shattered, due to the intense impact from the fireball.
"Shit.. Dad made me this.. And now.."
Doom..
Doom..
DOOM..
The beast towered over Elias' staring down at him, its face showing something like pity. It wanted a better fight, It wanted more action.
Elias' attempted to rise to his feet, but his legs buckled. His body was at its limit.
"No.. NO..! Move.. Body!"
The beast raised its paw, extending its claws, dripping with blood.
Playtime was over.
"I have to move! Please! If I dont.." He clawed at the ground, begging his body to move, If only he were stronger.
If only he weren't trapped, cursed to be nothing more than a bug on a branch.
He knew he had to move, to get up and fight, but, strangely, he felt as if he was satisfied. He knew that he did all he could to keep them safe, even going against death itself.
A bitter chuckle escaped him, "Yeah.. Go ahead and kill me." The battlefield was in ruins. His family, all lay motionless in the distance. The vibrant colors he once saw went dull.
"I was never meant to win anyway."
The words weren't from denial, but from acceptance.
As the beast brought down his paw, he recalled all of the memories that he and his family made. Filled with laughter, Warmth, a beacon of happiness.
"Is this what It's like to die..?"
"It's peaceful.."
Then, something inside him pulsed, deep in his chest. Not a heart beat, but a response.
The world around him slowed, at the tree line, stood a figure. Its features were all masked out by the subtle gold glow it gave off, no eyes, no mouth.
"What..?"
It smiled. Not a friendly smile. Its smile was impossibly big, with perfect teeth and a maw that didn't fit its face. It smiled from ear to ear.
It waved.
Then, without a word, it walked into the forest.
The feeling inside Elias began to swell. It throbbed then burst. That familiar golden glow ignited and pushed the creature back. Red-eyes wide from shock.
Elias stood, His long white hair flailing in the wind.
His body was warm, a fire ran through his veins. His once broken sickle, morphed with a bright light, stretching, unraveling into a chain of light, the same curved blade shined at the end.
He never wielded a weapon like this, yet, he knew how to use it.
This was it, the strength he was looking for.
The stench of blood flooded his nose and clouded his thoughts. The feeling was different from before. It was serious.
The cat-like creature lowered its ears, hissing. It shifted its stance, narrowing its red eyes into slits.
"What was I thinking..?"
"I was just going to give up like that? What's wrong with me?!"
He steadied himself. His red eyes brimming with determination,
"I will save them.. Even if I die trying."
Spark.
Elias knew that attack. Without a breath wasted he slung his chain forward, flinging the blade toward the throat of the creature.
Stab.
A harrowing roar.
The cut was too shallow, but just enough to stop the attack. The beast jumped and its four tails whipped the air, pointed at Elias. A dark void formed under his feet, luckily, he noticed early and hopped back.
Moments later a spike shot from the void, but Elias' once again had no time to think, there was another void under him. Every step he took, another void would appear, he hopped around the battlefield, narrowly avoiding the tips of the spikes by centimeters.
"This is annoying. I'm running out of time.."
Elias jumped in the air toward the beast. He figured that if he wasn't on the ground it wouldn't be able to catch him. The beast switched its stance now it was on its hind legs,
"It's planning to swipe me out of the air..?"
Whirl...
A void formed above him, he was too focused on the stance of the monster below, he failed to recognize the danger above.
Stab!
His shoulder was punctured.
"Agh!" He shouted, wincing through the pain.
He fell to the ground and slid. But he had no time to rest, he jumped to his feet and ran toward the cat-like creature, black voids littered the battlefield.
He dug his foot into the ground and launched himself forward as fast as he could. The wind stung his face as he accelerated, closing the distance in an instant. The brute swiped at him, he shifted, it was too slow. He brought his chain back.
Spark!
"That same attack won't work!"
He slung his chain forward, Then the spark and the orange light in its throat vanished. It was a fake.
"Wha.."
The breast bit down on Elias' chain and ripped it toward itself. Unwilling to release the chain, Elias was lifted into the air, the world spun.
Then the creature extended its claws, longer than before, they were wrapped in a withering black mist, which hissed like a rattle snake. Elias flew toward the creature at terrifying speeds, in the air he was unable to dodge. If he was hit with those claws he would meet a gruesome death.
Elias' eyes didn't falter for a moment, He denied that death with all he had.
He yanked the chain throwing himself sideways, Its jaw tightened, he knew it wouldn't budge. He dodged the attack. Claws tore through the air where his head had been. He landed on the ground, his feet slid, digging trenches through the dirt. But he wasn't finished. With the chain wrapped around his forearm he flung himself forward sweeping beneath the creature's neck, and wrapped around it. He leaped into the air, landing on the behemoths back.
It scratched at its back wildly, a vaguely familiar scene.
"This time, you'll be the one to die."
He gripped the chain with all his might, dug his feet into the ground and began to pull, but it resisted. Its pull greatly countered Elias. But he would not go down either.
It was a battle of stamina, who could keep up their strength the longest!