Chapter 3 Bridge-slide
"This thing again, I can't lose focus I should aim to reach the river. There should be a bridge in a couple of kilometers, I'll try to shake that thing of there."
Rohan let out a sigh and quickly rested for a minute before continuing downwards. He was a bit more than halfway down the mountain, and hoping he had enough of a headstart to make it.
"I can check this status thing or how should it work"
As if the system could hear Rohan, a next screen appeared showing what was probably Rohan's status.
[Status]
Name: Rohan
Species: Human
Level: 0
Experience: 0/10
Titles: [Human]
"What the shit is this, this doesn't explain anything, just more questions and questions that are coming up to me. Shit, at least I now know I am human… damn. But that means there are also other species than humans, well I have sadly seen one already."
"uugh, why did this have to happen. It looks like one of those game leveling systems with experience and levels, but it doesn't have anything else that can help me."
Reaching a small clearing in the forest, Rohan looked up the mountain to the top, he had come a long way in this half an hour running downhill.
"Hopefully it will be enough to outrun that bastard thing."
Picking up the pace again Rohan kept runnin down as the mountainous path became more flat and easier to run on. Within another kilometre the path evened out and he was close to the river now.
"Shit finally" Rohan exclaimed as he saw the trees disappear and the turbulent river came into view. Looking at the river Rohan knew he couldn't swim across it, it would sweep him away downstream.
"There is a bridge a little bit more south from here, it should be one of the only ones in the area so I can shake it off there."
Rohan started walking next to the river down as he slowly saw the bridge come closer. But there seemed to be a slight problem. A big tree was leaning against the metal hanging bridge, straining the rope on the left side of the bridge while the right one was hanging limp.
"shit, it's kind lucky and unlucky, I'll have to pray that the bridge will hold me until I cross, then I can try to break the bridge. Don't think I have the power to snap a metal rope."
Checking the base of the bridge Rohan was satisfied, the anchors were still holding on, but the tree had put a dent in the flooring of the walkway. The metal kept on creaking with every blow of the wind the tree would move and push on the bridge. Rohan put one foot on the bridge and slowly put some weight on it, the bridge groaned under the newly added weight as he stood with both feet on it. But it managed to hold him.
"alright, alright this will work"
Looking back he didn't spot his pursuer, so Rohan started to move to the other side of the bridge slowly. It was around 15 meters long, but smaller than a meter in width. The hardest part was to move around the tree in the center with the half broken walkway. Reaching the tree Rohan grabbed its branches for support and moved between them without his backpack, and then took it with him.
Making it through the first couple of branches he helt rather confident, but then the whole bridge started shaking as Rohan barely caught a branch to keep his balance.
"Shit that almost went bad, I shouldn't have jinxed it." Just as he regained his balance he heard a loud metal noise.
"Clank, Clank"
"Shit" Looking back he thought the ropes had snapped, but no, it would have been better if the ropes had snapped. Looking at Rohan was the thing that had been chasing him. It stood at least 3 meters tall, clad in dark onyx armor with an onyx sword at its waist. It had 2 large goat horns from its human-like head and 2 deep red eyes, looking straight at Rohan without any feeling in it. It's legs were completely covered with fur and looked like goat legs, thin and strong.
"It's a satyr." Rohan recognized it from one of the few interesting school classes he had on old mythology. It normally was a small and peaceful creature that would take care of nature, but this one was out for blood.
Making Rohan shiver, the satyr took its sword from the hilt and pointed it at Rohan, but didn't come any closer. Slowly Rohan tried to go back, but the tree branches were in his way. Then the satyr made its move.
"Swish swisshhhh, Clank"
"shit"
The satyr had cut the metal rope like it was made out of butter. It looked Rohan straight in the eye as it sheeted the sword and pushed the last part of the walkway of the foundation block.
The bridge started shaking as the tree started pushing against it and the ropes on the other side started to groan and parts started ripping. Rohan tried to make a run for it, but the tree held him back. The ropes snapped and the bridge fell in the water. Just before Rohan hit the water he saw the satyr look him in the eyes, and then turn around and leave again not sparing him another moment of its time.
"Splasshh"
The cold water shocked Rohan awake in a second as he knew he needed to ditch his backpack and get out of the branches of the tree to survive. He quickly moved out of his backpack but couldn't go against the strong currents of the river nor the branches of the tree. Close to him, branches started snapping in the river as the tree got stuck in some rocks and the water pushed it loose. Seconds felt like hours as Rohan felt the tree get pulled by the current, his clothes were stuck oh some branches. His lungs started burning, but the branches breaking saved Rohan for a few minutes as the weight shifted of the tree and Rohan was lifted slightly above the water, just enough to catch his breath as the tree made its way down the river.
Knowing his time was short, Rohan started to twist his body to get loose of the tree, but the only thing it did was bend the branches and cut himself on the tree. The big tree turned and twisted in the water, branches snapping off and shaking Rohan when hitting rocks.
Suddenly the tree shook and stood in the same place, it got wedged between two massive boulders. But it wouldn't last long guessing on the creaking sounds the tree made, Rohan made a final try to break of the branch that was holding him back, as finally it broke and he could move freely again. Carefully getting on his knees, he started moving on the branches to the boulders. The tree shook in the current but Rohan managed to keep his balance and crouch to reach the main branch.
"only a couple of meters, you can do this"
Step after step Rohan got closer to the side, as finally he managed to grab on the the boulder and pull himself on the rock and laid on his back.
"Shit, that hurt"