"Ah!" I cried out. I spun about with one open hand raised and
forward, and the other as a closed fist up by my chest: this was the
defensive position Meta Knight had taught me. You could start an attack, or
stop one from this stance.
"Wha' are ye doin' now?" Rumbled my attacker. I lowered both hands. "Brutus!" I shouted. He smiled warmly at me.
"I was wonderin' when ye wou' be back!" He chuckled. He patted me on the shoulder brotherly. "Bu' I didn' mean to su'prise ye loik tha'." I nodded in understanding. I knew he didn't mean to.
I would have been happy to talk with the friendly giant, but I was eager to be off: and Brutus could see it in my eyes. "Are ye goin' to loo' for Masadona?" He whispered to me, leaning down to talk into my ear. I nodded again, mentally mapping out which way she might have gone up the mountain, if she'd tried to get to my old home. Brutus stood straight and stuck out his chest while he shouldered a new looking oak club, studded with slate chips.
"Then I'm goin' wit' ye." He said confidently. I was about to turn him down, afraid that he would be too big and slow: but then recalled the speed he had exhibited on the first day I'd seen him, when he crossed the room. Plus, even though I was an excellent fighter now, I was still inexperienced with real warriors. Meta Knight had refused to let me fight the random soldier who crossed our path. Instead, he taught me how to hide, back in shadows where no one could see me.
I smiled. "Sure, Brutus. I'd be honored to have you along with me. I'm going to need all the help I can get." He smiled back, with a grin like a split watermelon. I noticed for the first time that his teeth were all pick axe sharp. Where in the galaxies had this man come from? "I hope you can run," I told him, "Cause that's all I'm going to be doing until we reach the mid mark!"
(The mid mark was a cave with a tree growing over it, exactly half way up the eastern side of the mountain. Tuff had taken Magnum down to it after crossing over the top of the mountain (for they lived near the top of the western side) but he had never let Magnum go much farther down than that.)
Brutus was unsure of what I meant by 'the mid mark' but he seemed ready to meet the challenge. In a flash, we were both off. I was ahead quickly, running so fast that I seemed to barely touch the ground. I was sure I was going to get there first . . .
But a little after getting up the trail on the steep mountainside, I was forced to slow down. It was too steep to run! I forced my way up the trail, wondering if I would have to trigger the fury to get to the mid mark. It was that difficult for me. I lifted my head, and saw Brutus way off the trail, contentedly jumping from ledge to ledge with his strong legs. I was starting to get curious. Maybe Goliath's dad really wasn't dead . . . I mean, same looks, accents, and abilities? There had to be a connection.
I stopped in the middle of this thought. The paved path in front of me went straight up for about 30 or 40 feet. There was no way I could get up that. Unless . . .
"'Ey, are ye all roight down there?" Called Brutus. I wondered if I should try to . . . maybe . . . I did. I lurched suddenly to the left, jumping as hard as I could. While I did, I triggered the fury. I felt the heat race through my body, and my vision began to redden as my blood rose. But I controlled it as I had been taught to. It worked!
I landed on the ledge I had been aiming for, more than 25 feet away and 5 feet above my starting point. I jumped to my right now, pushing up and sideways. My adrenaline-saturated system boosted me up, and I landed on another ledge, higher up than last time. I did it again and again, until I was standing side by side with Brutus. He shook his head with amazement, and chuckled softly. "Come on then, ye li'le grass hopper!"
I laughed, trying to ignore the slight fatigue spreading through my legs. "If I'm a grass hopper, than you're a toad!" He laughed heartily, and jumped. I watched the muscles in his legs stretch and retract, and copied the movement. This time, my jumps didn't take so much energy. I laughed again, and we kept going, faster and faster, until we had reached the top.
We hadn't expected to be at the summit so soon, but it was good we had gotten there earlier. Both of us were exhausted, worn out from our race up the mountainside, completely missing the middle mark. I munched a handful of wild strawberries, and passed some to Brutus. He took them happily, and shredded them. Red juice ran thinly over his bottom lip, and I had a sudden, strange sort of thought. I imagined him chewing heads, not berries: and the red liquid running from his lips wasn't juice.
I shook the image out of my head. I had to stop thinking of those teeth! I looked into the darkening sky, concentrating on the light of the setting sun. The sky had already darkened to a warm purple/red hue, and as I gazed upon its beauty, A memory came to me, full of pleasant sensations and laughter . . .
. Pretending not to notice he was there, I turned my back to him, and gazed into the now violet sky, still a rich red wine color on the horizon. I heard my stalker take a few more wary steps towards my position. Smiling, I bided my time. I waited until he was directly behind me. "Ha-HA!" He cried, confident he had taken me by surprise. I ducked and jumped, planting my feet firmly into my attacker's back. We rolled into the surf, laughing madly and wrestling like the children we once were. Wiping sand from his eyes, Tuff sat up. "How are ya . . .?"
"What?" I murmured. I couldn't remember that ever happening to me, but it seemed to fit me . . . in at least some strange way. I shook my head again, and turned to see what Brutus was doing. He was moving a few bushes aside, tearing them up by the roots. "Brutus! What are you up to?" He turned, wiping sweat from his face. He grinned and shouted back: "There is som' sor' of cave over here, but it's 'alf buried. Land slide I guess. . ." I ran over to help him, but he had already finished.
"Good job, Brutus!" I said, patting the small of his back (since I was way too short to pat his shoulder.) "You found our shelter for the night!"
We crawled inside (Brutus really had to squeeze) and shoved out all the sharp, jagged rocks. The part of the cave we were in was full of them, but farther back; there was a big cavern. Both Brutus and I had a bad feeling about the spacious area, and decided to stay where we were. We lit a small fire near the entrance of the strange cave, and slept: Brutus on one side of the cave, and I on the other. Our feet touched, but still, neither one of us would go into the large, dark part of the cave. It seemed almost cozy, and I knew there was a word for the strange little cave we were in . . . it wouldn't come to mind, and so I went to sleep . . . only to be met with a nightmare.
I kept running, and behind me, I could hear heavy paws pounding the ground. It was one of the wolves! My heart pounded, and I was starting to slow down. I suddenly remembered the fury, and laughed. "You can't catch me!" I cried, but my words were drowned in the creature's roar.
I triggered the fury, but lost control. I was blind and numb to the world. I could hear some one in front of me. They were going to try to hurt me! I bellowed out in my rage. Both of my hands swung, and I hit some thing. A sick pleasure washed through me, and I swung my paws again. PAWS?!
I was no longer the fury. I looked up, and saw blank golden eyes hovering over a mouth of horrible, jagged teeth. The paws swung again, and knocked me to the ground. I cried out, and tried to swing back. A paw pinned me to the ground, and the teeth closed over my head . . .
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------
"AAHH!" I screamed. My breathing was harsh, and sweat poured off of me. I clutched my chest, and felt my heart racing. "Wow," I whispered. "Just . . . wow." I began to calm down. It was just a dream, after all. I curled up to go back to sleep, in the now almost pitch black cave. I rolled over, and faced the opening to the cavern beyond my sleeping area. Red eyes stared back at me, and a rumbling growl issued from between sharp, white teeth . . .
(MUWAHAHAHAH! Well, you know the drill. Suspense and all. Thanks for all the reviews! *Hugs self, and smiles happily* any way, keep on reading, and tell me what you think! Also, can you guess what is staring at Magnum?)
"Wha' are ye doin' now?" Rumbled my attacker. I lowered both hands. "Brutus!" I shouted. He smiled warmly at me.
"I was wonderin' when ye wou' be back!" He chuckled. He patted me on the shoulder brotherly. "Bu' I didn' mean to su'prise ye loik tha'." I nodded in understanding. I knew he didn't mean to.
I would have been happy to talk with the friendly giant, but I was eager to be off: and Brutus could see it in my eyes. "Are ye goin' to loo' for Masadona?" He whispered to me, leaning down to talk into my ear. I nodded again, mentally mapping out which way she might have gone up the mountain, if she'd tried to get to my old home. Brutus stood straight and stuck out his chest while he shouldered a new looking oak club, studded with slate chips.
"Then I'm goin' wit' ye." He said confidently. I was about to turn him down, afraid that he would be too big and slow: but then recalled the speed he had exhibited on the first day I'd seen him, when he crossed the room. Plus, even though I was an excellent fighter now, I was still inexperienced with real warriors. Meta Knight had refused to let me fight the random soldier who crossed our path. Instead, he taught me how to hide, back in shadows where no one could see me.
I smiled. "Sure, Brutus. I'd be honored to have you along with me. I'm going to need all the help I can get." He smiled back, with a grin like a split watermelon. I noticed for the first time that his teeth were all pick axe sharp. Where in the galaxies had this man come from? "I hope you can run," I told him, "Cause that's all I'm going to be doing until we reach the mid mark!"
(The mid mark was a cave with a tree growing over it, exactly half way up the eastern side of the mountain. Tuff had taken Magnum down to it after crossing over the top of the mountain (for they lived near the top of the western side) but he had never let Magnum go much farther down than that.)
Brutus was unsure of what I meant by 'the mid mark' but he seemed ready to meet the challenge. In a flash, we were both off. I was ahead quickly, running so fast that I seemed to barely touch the ground. I was sure I was going to get there first . . .
But a little after getting up the trail on the steep mountainside, I was forced to slow down. It was too steep to run! I forced my way up the trail, wondering if I would have to trigger the fury to get to the mid mark. It was that difficult for me. I lifted my head, and saw Brutus way off the trail, contentedly jumping from ledge to ledge with his strong legs. I was starting to get curious. Maybe Goliath's dad really wasn't dead . . . I mean, same looks, accents, and abilities? There had to be a connection.
I stopped in the middle of this thought. The paved path in front of me went straight up for about 30 or 40 feet. There was no way I could get up that. Unless . . .
"'Ey, are ye all roight down there?" Called Brutus. I wondered if I should try to . . . maybe . . . I did. I lurched suddenly to the left, jumping as hard as I could. While I did, I triggered the fury. I felt the heat race through my body, and my vision began to redden as my blood rose. But I controlled it as I had been taught to. It worked!
I landed on the ledge I had been aiming for, more than 25 feet away and 5 feet above my starting point. I jumped to my right now, pushing up and sideways. My adrenaline-saturated system boosted me up, and I landed on another ledge, higher up than last time. I did it again and again, until I was standing side by side with Brutus. He shook his head with amazement, and chuckled softly. "Come on then, ye li'le grass hopper!"
I laughed, trying to ignore the slight fatigue spreading through my legs. "If I'm a grass hopper, than you're a toad!" He laughed heartily, and jumped. I watched the muscles in his legs stretch and retract, and copied the movement. This time, my jumps didn't take so much energy. I laughed again, and we kept going, faster and faster, until we had reached the top.
We hadn't expected to be at the summit so soon, but it was good we had gotten there earlier. Both of us were exhausted, worn out from our race up the mountainside, completely missing the middle mark. I munched a handful of wild strawberries, and passed some to Brutus. He took them happily, and shredded them. Red juice ran thinly over his bottom lip, and I had a sudden, strange sort of thought. I imagined him chewing heads, not berries: and the red liquid running from his lips wasn't juice.
I shook the image out of my head. I had to stop thinking of those teeth! I looked into the darkening sky, concentrating on the light of the setting sun. The sky had already darkened to a warm purple/red hue, and as I gazed upon its beauty, A memory came to me, full of pleasant sensations and laughter . . .
. Pretending not to notice he was there, I turned my back to him, and gazed into the now violet sky, still a rich red wine color on the horizon. I heard my stalker take a few more wary steps towards my position. Smiling, I bided my time. I waited until he was directly behind me. "Ha-HA!" He cried, confident he had taken me by surprise. I ducked and jumped, planting my feet firmly into my attacker's back. We rolled into the surf, laughing madly and wrestling like the children we once were. Wiping sand from his eyes, Tuff sat up. "How are ya . . .?"
"What?" I murmured. I couldn't remember that ever happening to me, but it seemed to fit me . . . in at least some strange way. I shook my head again, and turned to see what Brutus was doing. He was moving a few bushes aside, tearing them up by the roots. "Brutus! What are you up to?" He turned, wiping sweat from his face. He grinned and shouted back: "There is som' sor' of cave over here, but it's 'alf buried. Land slide I guess. . ." I ran over to help him, but he had already finished.
"Good job, Brutus!" I said, patting the small of his back (since I was way too short to pat his shoulder.) "You found our shelter for the night!"
We crawled inside (Brutus really had to squeeze) and shoved out all the sharp, jagged rocks. The part of the cave we were in was full of them, but farther back; there was a big cavern. Both Brutus and I had a bad feeling about the spacious area, and decided to stay where we were. We lit a small fire near the entrance of the strange cave, and slept: Brutus on one side of the cave, and I on the other. Our feet touched, but still, neither one of us would go into the large, dark part of the cave. It seemed almost cozy, and I knew there was a word for the strange little cave we were in . . . it wouldn't come to mind, and so I went to sleep . . . only to be met with a nightmare.
I kept running, and behind me, I could hear heavy paws pounding the ground. It was one of the wolves! My heart pounded, and I was starting to slow down. I suddenly remembered the fury, and laughed. "You can't catch me!" I cried, but my words were drowned in the creature's roar.
I triggered the fury, but lost control. I was blind and numb to the world. I could hear some one in front of me. They were going to try to hurt me! I bellowed out in my rage. Both of my hands swung, and I hit some thing. A sick pleasure washed through me, and I swung my paws again. PAWS?!
I was no longer the fury. I looked up, and saw blank golden eyes hovering over a mouth of horrible, jagged teeth. The paws swung again, and knocked me to the ground. I cried out, and tried to swing back. A paw pinned me to the ground, and the teeth closed over my head . . .
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------
"AAHH!" I screamed. My breathing was harsh, and sweat poured off of me. I clutched my chest, and felt my heart racing. "Wow," I whispered. "Just . . . wow." I began to calm down. It was just a dream, after all. I curled up to go back to sleep, in the now almost pitch black cave. I rolled over, and faced the opening to the cavern beyond my sleeping area. Red eyes stared back at me, and a rumbling growl issued from between sharp, white teeth . . .
(MUWAHAHAHAH! Well, you know the drill. Suspense and all. Thanks for all the reviews! *Hugs self, and smiles happily* any way, keep on reading, and tell me what you think! Also, can you guess what is staring at Magnum?)