Author's Note:
Sometimes circumstance can force people to do queer things, often something completely against their personalities when fueled by adrenaline or pushed by fear. I wonder if one of my character ever does that, would my readers be mad, or would they be able to relate and understand why such things had to be done?
Chapter 75: Predator
Child Of The Sun
"Gah!"
With heavy breaths my frantic steps pushed me forward. I dared not look at my back for fear of catching sight of that grotesque appendage. I didn't need to, he was on my trail, his steps about as subtle as an elephant stampeding through the forest. Before I knew it I was stumbling, my arms clawing at the foliage-ridden forest, desperately yanking my body forward like an animal, getting mud and soil on my skin and prickling my fingers on the many thorns and pebbles.
Badump.
Yet, in intervals the bass of my heartbeat would throb ever so loudly, unsettling my senses as it kept on growing in volume.
How long has it been exactly since I ran? Why did I run? A million question assaulted the psyche of my mind unanswered. I should have known it was Duilio giving off the unnatural sensations; he was the reason why I was feeling so uneasy! Never will I forget what happened that fateful night. Never will I forget the horror that was my family's faces, mutilated and burned.
Worst of all, the very presence of Duilio on this island hatched a great deal of lingering thoughts in mind, most of which left me in shame. For I started to doubt everything. Even Amato.
Could this have been part of Kiera's plan to put me down? I don't recall mentioning my past to anyone, except Amato. He knew from the Legacy Arm. Does this mean it was Amato who planned for this? Arranged for Duilio to set foot on this uninhabited island, to lie in wait for me? If not for Amato, then how else could he have found me here otherwise?
"Dammit!" Out of nowhere I gave off the word in a yell, as my thoughts drove me close to tears.
Badump.
At the second wave of unease pressing down on my body, almost locking up my limbs, I realized this was no time to get emotional, no time to lose myself to thoughts. The murderous intent oozing out from Duilio had its claws snaking around me, nearly suffocating me as it inched closer and closer on my neck! From what was seen that night, I never thought there was any way he could be any more inhuman. Yet, there he was, hidden in the shadows when I caught sight of him, without a sound. With nothing but a crooked smile. His eyes pinned on me, watching my every move.
Like a predator keeping its eyes on its prey, wary of its every move, and savoring in the hunt...
"Huff..hah..hah.." Even with the stamina trained over the years, I couldn't keep up my speed for much longer. Amidst the strain and the dulled senses, I ended up neglecting the path at my feet in a blink of an eye...
Crack.
"Augh!" A sharp jolt of pain, and the feeling of my left feet twisted out of position sending me falling down, crying out in sudden pain!
"Swoosh!" By chance, I also caught sight of the silver axe cleaving through the air in a horizontal arc as I fell! Saved by probability and circumstance, it would have carved my head in two had I not slipped! Needless to say, it didn't take long before I pushed aside the pain, ignoring the fire ravaging my muscles to get back up to speed!
Turn around. Now.
Out of nowhere a familiar voice commanded me, the words ringing in my ears. The trees vanishing to the sides only made me more and more restless. At first I thought it was just a part of my psyche, the part too afraid and tired to go on, lulling me to my death, but a second instance all but confirmed clarified the source.
Coward. You spent seven years chasing shadows, spending millions in terms of resources. Wasted resources. Now he stands before you, and all you can do is cower and run?
...they were my own, and every word rang true, hurting now more than ever. With every step, the chance of ever facing Duilio again diminished. The faces of my parents, my friends, they begged and beckoned me for justice, vengeance. Even as they burned into ashes, lingering in the wind. Did I not swear to kill this man by my own hands?
At the thought, Kujaku came to life, pulsing with the same orange light as that night so long ago...
Badump.
He needs to burn within the sacred phoenix's flames. His very existence annihilated so that the same tragedy would not befall anyone else. The very image of the great fire of Akihabara may haunt me for the rest of my life, but at least this man will never take another life again!
Turn around and fight.
Badump.
Fight, for the justice so blatantly ignored! Fight, for the tragedy that had occurred! Fight, so that Mom and Dad may rest in peace!
Badump.
Fight, and kill him!
Between the beating tremble of my heart and the roaring thunder of my thoughts, a hand clamped itself down on my left shoulder out of nowhere, pulling me back!
"N-No! Let go of me! Get away from me!" The moment I twisted back, coming face to face with the murderer, instincts took over. With a scream and a wave of my left arm, accumulated mana exploded in a ring of fire around me, engulfing the area where Duilio would have stood in dancing orange flames. Yet, within the flickering flames, I could still make out the silhouette of the horrid eye still pinned on me...
?!
No way!
A second later, a tinge of despair ripped its way into my heart as the fire was immediately snuffed out right before my eyes.
Losing myself to fear, I turned around and continued running in the opposite direction, as a cave came into sight. Without much thought I plunged my way into the darkness with tears welling up, all while muttering a single line of words...
"...I couldn't do it.."
Nestled in the dark, I ended up crouching down and hugging my knees close to my chest. Exhausted, I nonetheless kept watch. I knew for a fact that Duilio would have followed me into this dark, damp place. As my eyes scanned from corner to corner, I saw no paths. There was nowhere else to go, the cave led to a dead end. Keeping myself conscious was difficult enough without the salty tears coming on every few minutes and the horrible feeling of shame threatening me to just throw myself out into the open.
I'm such a coward. The one thing I have been hoping to accomplish all these years, I threw it away in the face of fear. Why am I so afraid? I'm a bonafide mage now, I wield the primal forces in the palm of my hands. I'm not the same helpless girl from that night.
"Hah..hah..I need to get out of here. Get off this damn island!" Driven into frustration, I ended up dodging questions as I started inching my way deeper into the swirling shadows, with nothing but the pulsing light of Kujaku to guide the hands feeling across the walls.
"Crack!"
"W-What?! Whoa!" All of a sudden, the darkness drew me in. It felt as thought the ground itself opened up, and swallowed me whole.
No! I was so caught up with trying to find my way ahead that I didn't watch my steps! The last foothold I had must have been a protruding rock, sticking out over an edge! Twisting into a tumble, I could only close my eyes as the world turned itself upside down, funneling around me!
Thud! Thwack! Crack!
I lost count of how many sticks and stones were pelted against my skin as I floundered my way down what felt like a really steep hill, tearing at my shirt and scraping into my skin! Grasping out in an attempt to regain my bearings, the whole of my back met a rock wall as the momentum finally came to an end!
"Crack!"
"Gah!" The small cry of pain was squeezed out of me on reflex as the whole accident left me wholly disoriented, dizzy and wrecked with pain all over. My body felt numb, and welcomed the stillness and the invitation of rest of any kind with open arms, rendering me effectively paralyzed. Not budging an inch, I ended up opening my eyes only to caught sight of my body sprawled across the cave floor. In a daze, my consciousness would fade in and out as the throbbing pain around my feet got heavier...
"...Hayashi! Lady Hayashi!..."
"...can you move?!.."
"...hang tight, you're bleeding..."
In what felt like dreams I saw Kiera's black and white uniform, her golden hair barely visible in the dark. A second she was standing before me, shield in hand, and the next she was gone. God only knows how long passed every time I blacked out, but one can't help but feel each interval growing further apart.
"Grrr..."
"Huh?! Ah..hah..hah.." A low rumble all but drove me awake only to wince in the fiery stinging rending down my left feet. The air was thick with the pungent smell of blood. Despite thrashing around in a mix or sand, mud and coagulated blood, there little chance of me standing up anytime soon. Every effort caved the moment I rest my weight on my injury, my feet giving way almost immediately.
"..rrraugh.."
Upon hearing once more the sound that shook me to the core and drove my instincts wild, enough to urge me out of unconsciousness, I realized I'm not alone in this murky darkness. In shadows there flashed two spot of white, the pupils thinning out rapidly as they got closer and closer.
Part of me was relieved. The gaze was symmetrical, no glowing, misshapen eye; this is not Duilio. But it didn't matter much, the feeling of dread was still creeping up my body. When dragged into the light, the ever-present snarl and rows of teeth the size of my thumbs had me scrambling back.
"Guarrgh! Nyargh!" In a frenzy, the beast stood on its hind legs, towering above me with a height no less than two meters, bringing up both paws built of pure muscle and nails!
"B-B-B-Bear!" In my hopelessness, I could only utter out a single word before shutting my eyes down hard!
"A Marsican brown bear, to be exact!" Out of nowhere, Kiera leaped to my aid with nary a sound to her steps. With grace, she somehow managed to manipulate her tower shield, a giant hunk of metal nearing her height, in front of her in a sweep, planting it into the ground just as the bear slammed down on us!
"Klunk! Kashink!"
"Hup!" With a short battle cry, the ground almost gave off a tremor as Kiera lifted the shield off the ground like it was nothing, before charging right at the hulking animal with a glare! In fluent motion, the shield swung forth in a huge arc, slamming itself right into the bear's jaw and snout!
"Rwargh!" Unfazed by the attack, the bear brushed it off with no more than a grunt, before bringing down another huge arm of claw and muscle, forcing Kiera to guard!
"Crank! Shink!" Each blow dug into the shield like a wrecking ball was swung against it. Even Kiera had a hint of worry in her eyes, something so rare you can't help but panic. After three more slams and her body digging into the ground from the sheer weight of the blows, Kiera had to relent, dodging back before going on a reckless offensive!
It's insane! No man is said to be able to survive an encounter with a bear, being more likely to be mauled and eaten when caught in a brawl, but now the girl who's shorter than me is actually pressuring the beast back with the wrecking weight of her shield, bashing into the animal until even its thick muscles swell and bleed out of its fur! The aura of two beasts flooded into the air, rendering it suffocating and tense, and I don't know whose is more terrifying...
"Hah...hah..hah.." Between heavy breaths, the sheer presence of the clash had me inadvertently crawling back, powering through the pain. Anything to get away!
"Crack."
Out of nowhere, an ear-splitting crack broke its way into the battle, distracting both sides by a mere second. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Kiera went straight for the eyes!
"Krank! Thunk! Crash!"
"-Huh?!"
"Skrreetcchh!"
A gasp at the sight, unarmed before the claw dug through her flesh. Kiera's ornate shield, white as snow even splattered with blood, broke into three pieces with a throw of muscle from the bear! Within the next second, as Kiera was caught on by shock, the bear knocks away the metal, and ripped into Kiera's left shoulder as she were pulled to the side from the sheer force of the initial attack! It all but stole my breath away, ripping apart the hope of surviving this encounter and driving me into momentary despair.
"Cough!" Kiera's first reaction was a cough of blood, a streak of crimson blackening the sand and mud. After wiping it clean off her mouth, she calmed herself and took on a new stance just as the bear came charging!
However, it seemed like Kiera was more angry than hurt after being sucker punched...
"Nyargh!" The howl of the rampaging beast ended with a snap of its jaw at Kiera's feet, but all she had to do was take a step back. The chomp missed by mere centimeters, and before I knew it, the other feet was already raised, stomping down on the bear's eyes!
"Guurraagghh!" Bleeding from the eyes, what was a fearless predator hunting for its meal before was reduced to a cowering animal retaliating in pure desperation! Robbed of its sight, it thrashes around, throwing down its claws only to have them easily dodged by Kiera's fast steps, which exhibited both grace and power even amidst her heavy breaths and the painful trembling.
A kick to the jaw when the bear drew close!
Smashing down on the paws of the beast, sending cracks across its claws!
And finally, an elbow to the bear's skull in a counter!
"Ruuwwaaaarrgghh!" Much to my disbelief, the bear writhed in pain, crying out as it fell to the ground with a loud crash! I should be relieved at the fact that the beast has fallen, but seeing how it was beaten up into a bloody pulp only reminded me of what Kiera had in store for me! When she started making her way towards me, my body only reacted by scrambling even further away in haste!
"Cease your incessant struggling!" With an annoyed look in her eyes, Kiera glared down at me with such intensity I froze right where I was, too shook up to even respond as she stopped before me. In horror, my heart skipped a beat as I saw her drew out a dagger from her pockets!
"It is time to end your suffering..."
Yes, I'm done! I managed to break away from Pokemon long enough to finish this chapter! Sorry that it took a few days late, my dear readers! A shocking turn of events! Could it be that Kiera is not who she's all cracked up to be? What's going to happen to Yoko now?! Well I'm certainly not saying anything! You'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out! As usual, give me your thoughts in your reviews below!