I Almost Die of Boar-dom
Not-again-not-again-not-again!
I put forth every ounce of effort to escape the source of the massive squeal. With Ashe barely conscious in my arms, I struggled to pick up the pace. My arms and legs screamed for me to stop, to rest. After all, only ten minutes prior, I was showing this girl the time of her life. Funny how, in that moment, I was running for mine.
Even in her semi-delirious state, Ashe understood the severity of the situation. She hugged me tight as I carried her, unaware of the bleeding crescents she left in my skin. The occasional whimper left her lips, but most of the sounds I heard came from my own haggard breathing.
REEEEEEEET!
It sounded closer. No doubt, whatever was chasing us was drawing in; and I doubted it wanted to sit down for a game of Mythomagic.
If I can just get to the house, there'll be plenty of girls itching to fight this thing off.
I stopped dead in my tracks, nearly flinging Ashe from my arms. She clung to me with a weak yelp.
"What are you doing?" Ashe looked to me with fearful and exhausted eyes.
In those few precious seconds, I could only think of one thing. But they won't see this coming. And if it's what I think it is, then not only will the house be destroyed, but… if they aren't prepared…
Thunderous claps of fallen trees echoed across the forest. Each one drew nearer.
"Can you walk?" I looked down to Ashe.
Her eyes widened in panic. She motioned to free herself from my arms. As soon as her feet hit the ground, her legs buckled from underneath her. I caught her before she fell to the floor.
She shook her head with tears in her eyes. "I still can't feel them."
REEEEEEET!
I cursed to myself and pondered those brief moments. When I came to a decision, I laid Ashe against the base of short palm tree.
"When you can, get to the house. Tell anyone you can what's going on. Have them prepare and join me when they can."
"Don't do this! Please! We don't know what that is!"
"I can't let it reach the house. I'll hold it back for as long as I can. None of you will get hurt as long as I'm still breathing."
A splintered CRACK drew my attention to the distant treeline.
Her eyes widened and she went quiet. From beneath her shuddering sniffles, she whispered "Please come back to us."
I gave her a crooked smile and pulled out my pen. "Be safe. Do what you can."
And with that, I turned to the source and rushed towards it.
You're insane!
And exhausted; but thank you for the vote of confidence…
With all of the commotion, I almost forgot to uncap Riptide. I could only imagine the laughter of Charon if I told him I charged a monster with only a pen in my hand.
By the time the three foot xiphos extended in my hand, the treeline exploded. The monster responsible trampled forward, snorting at me as it glared me down with beady black eyes.
I recoiled as I took in the familiar sight of a massive boar standing a hundred meters in front of me. Capable of sending most elephants running for the hills, the massive pig snorted with its dripping gray nose capping off its oversized brown body. Its legs matched the girth of the trees it crushed underhoof. As if trying to make me feel incompetent, the tusks sticking out from its mouth doubled the size of the blade in my hand.
REEEEEEET!
Without skipping another beat, it pawed the ground with its oversized cloven hoof and charged. The beady eyed glare froze me in place as I considered my options.
Eighty meters… sixty…
It's big and heavy.
Forty…
Lots of momentum.
Twenty…
Just like a familiar adversary.
Ten…
As it freight trained towards me, I vaulted to the side at the last second. Swift and clean, I slashed my blade across the beast's massive shoulder.
THUNK!
As if I were striking the Nemean Lion, my blade bounced off the thick hide and bristles of the overgrown hog.
Pain flared in my wrist as my blade returned to me in a precarious manner. After ducking away from my own ricocheting blade, I whirled around to see the twelve foot boar turning with more ease than I anticipated.
Not just big and tough; it's nimble too… If only I brushed up in my pig fighting classes.
It bounded towards me once again, its overgrown tusks ready to skewer me at any turn.
My wrist throbbed, along with the rest of my worn out body. I needed a second wind, but my chances of catching it any time soon were slim at best.
As the beast drew near, it swayed its head back and forth, turning its bony spears into an arc of death.
I couldn't risk another sidestep. Not with the tusks swinging around.
Can't go right, can't go left, can't go back… I'm insane…
Like a bullfighter on meth, I charged forward with my sword in hand. I timed its swinging head. Just as its tusks grazed the ground, I dove headfirst between its legs. Timing never was my strong suit.
Though I dodged the first tusk, the second grazed my legs with enough force to turn my dive into a fumbled roll.
The boar charged forward and left me a few seconds to question how I was still alive.
I groaned and rolled onto my feet. Upon seeing my leg, I could only wonder how my foot was still attached. A massive gash stretched from my knee to my ankle. Though I wanted to scream from the pain, the massive boar turned to face me once more.
REEEEEEEEET!
"Look, I'm sorry I killed your grandma or whatever. Can you stop taking it so personally!?"
It didn't stay put and chat. Rather, it brandished its tusks once more and charged with an angry squeal.
Vlackas!
I hobbled towards a nearby tree and ducked behind it. My leg screamed as blood soaked my sock. The rumbling ground increased in tremors as the boar grew nearer. When the ground shook to the point that I started bouncing, I closed my eyes and dove away from the tree.
As expected, the boar barreled through the massive fig tree and knocked it aside in a shower of soggy splinters and sticky fruit. It shook its head, dazed.
I took the brief seconds to leap forward and plunge my sword into its side. My bad leg burned as I fell on it. Even through its thick hide and bristles, I managed to drive my blade hilt deep right where I was sure its lungs should be. The beast reeled in pain, but didn't dissolve.
"Uh oh."
The beast twisted and whirled around. With my hand still gripping my sword, I was pivoted away and sent flying through the air.
CRUNCH!
Tears welled in my eyes as I registered the pain of my mauled leg. My vision blurred and pulsed with black dots. Through my hazy sight, I took a look at the thick tree branch I flew through.
My head swam as the sight of the boar flailing around darkened. I could barely make out my sword still lodged in its ribcage. It wouldn't stay distracted forever, and I needed a way out.
As if toying with the cruelest possible scenario, I could hear the flowing creek nearby. I attempted to steady my breathing, but all I could do was groan as my leg sent flares of pain across my body. In a desperate attempt, I closed my eyes and called for the sea.
The ground shook as the boar closed in on me, no longer caring for the sword in its flank, but for the person who put it there.
From the rumbling of the earth and the flaring pain in my leg, every effort of calling for the water was wasted. I couldn't focus anymore. My head swam. My vision dimmed.
No longer did the beast charge. It sensed its kill was near. It knew exactly how easy I was to take out.
I dragged myself towards the creek. If I could just make it there, I stood a chance. Maybe I could bait out the boar. Make it believe I was giving up.
My heavy arms burned from the cuts and scrapes as I pulled myself along the forest floor. Dozens of splinters punctured my hands. My bleeding and broken leg soaked the fertile earth. And through it all, I continued towards the creek.
The massive pig lumbered forward. It buried its nose into the ground and sniffed the bloody soil. Its tusks churned the earth wherever they touched.
Fifty feet away, the creek teased me. Its soothing waters gurgled along as if it didn't realize I needed it. Stupid water.
As if reading my thoughts, the boar grew tired of its slow approach and squealed. The ground beneath it rumbled once more as it closed in, its razor like tusks ready to turn me into a kebab.
By some miraculous demigod magic, I rolled right between its tusks. The beast plowed the ground to either side of me. As it passed over, I stuck my hand up and grasped its tail. The momentum propelled me forward and snapped my already screwed up wrist. My shoulder flared as it nearly ripped from the socket.
I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream in pain louder than the boar ever could. But the moment I felt weightless, I could only think about how pitiful the situation was.
If only I never went so far with Ashe. I'd have the energy to fight.
Despite my hand begging me to let go, I held on. The boar bounded back and forth in an effort to throw me away from its tail. Thank the gods it didn't think of sitting down and crushing me under its gigantic backside.
Across the woods and through the trees, the beast strove to get me away. The beast plowed through the foliage with no trouble, knocking aside massive trees like Jenga blocks. I cried silently as the remaining tree stumps knocked at my legs or scraped my back with every pass over them.
After what seemed like an eternity, the boar whipped around and launched me from its tail. In the weightless seconds, I watched as the ground blurred into nothing but a brown streak. As I hit the ground, my body tumbled and rolled down a slight slope. Every touch hurt. Every rock and blade of grass seemed to beat or cut me as I rolled downhill.
SPLASH!
Pain pulsed across my body once more as the beast stomped its cloven hoof to charge. I doubted it was going to take the slow stroll approach again. The ground shook and the tremors managed to send ripples across the already flowing water.
Wait, water?
I almost sobbed from the irony. The downhill slope sent me rolling into the creek. The cool waters passed over me. The pain in my body subsided. My vision cleared. Still, my leg and arm were in no condition to move, much less fight. My wounds healed much more slowly. Injuries that may have taken seconds stayed for much longer. Even with the pain subsiding, I couldn't bring myself to move my arm or leg. Despite my setback, I refused to allow the beast to overcome me again.
I called for the sea once more.
The gurgle of the creek turned to a roar as a wave of water crashed into the charging swine. My stomach twisted and churned as I kept up the pressure, slamming the pig boar with one wave after another.
The boar squealed with every hit. Disoriented and reeling in all directions, it snorted in frustration as I put up a bigger fight than it expected.
After the first dozen or so waves, each subsequent wall of water shrunk in size. My head grew dizzy despite being submerged in the creek. Before I realized it, my waves barely reached halfway up the boar's body.
It snorted and squealed once more. By the time I could bring myself to erect a barrier of water in front of me, its tusks were close enough to splash the water on either side of me.
THOOM!
I blasted across the creek, skidding across the water's surface head first like an out of control jet ski. After fifty feet, I slowed myself to a halt.
REEEEEEET!
The beast turned and charged for me once again. Its beady black eyes burned with hatred. Slimy mucus dripped from its oversized nostrils.
The few seconds let me catch my breath. A second before the razor tusks reached me, I propelled myself away once again, opposite the direction of the mansion. The water danced along my back and healed the slight grazes along my arm. Still, my leg blazed in agony. I heaved for all I was worth as the salty spray dusted my tongue.
Salt…
My second wind presented itself as the water along my back grew brinier with every passing second. Before I could appreciate the full extent of touching saltwater, the boar barreled down on me with an unbridled malice in its eyes.
Until I could regain my energy to fighting strength, I sought to continue our little game of cat and mouse. Every time it reached me, I propelled myself away. In the seconds in between, I let the saltwater soak into my pores and revitalize me.
If I can just make it to the coast.
It never came.
As the water skidded along my back, the trees to either side of me melted away to a grassy field. The water increased by a few degrees. My curiosity forced me to glance ahead and stop dead in my tracks. In the moment, I realized what one of the final life sources was; obvious as it may have been. A steaming hot spring bubbled against the midday air. All to familiar was I with what events took place in that very spring.
Before I could reminisce, the raging boar pulled me out of my thoughts. I couldn't continue along as I had. Not with a hot spring at my back. I pulled myself from the stream with a cast of water around my leg. With a wave of my hand, a wall of water formed between me and the boar.
The boar's head slammed into the aquatic barrier. In its moment of confusion, I took the opportunity to call forth every ounce of water I could muster. The spring emptied, the stream heeded my call. Seconds later, a cocoon of water trapped the wild animal in place. It thrashed and squealed, but I never relented. Seeking to bring the fight to a close, I squeezed the water.
The beast reeled in pain. Its tusks cracked under the pressure.
REEEEEEE—
Among the floating shell of water, a single tusk remained, the first that broke off. I felt Riptide return to my pocket. With the last of the energy I could spare, I returned the water to its rightful place.
I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of the spring. My head pulsed and my vision seemed fuzzy, but the soft bubbling still brought a smile to my lips.
My knees buckled. Mere feet away, the stream teased me with its refreshing spray. Yet still, I could not bring myself forward. Too exhausted, too spent to ever bring the water to me.
At least they're safe...
As my sight darkened to nothing but eigengrau, I could barely make out a voice in the distance. Feminine and regal even by sound, the voice I recognized all too well. I slipped from consciousness as the voice yelled at me and cursed me in Old English.
A/N - And thus another chapter is brought to a close. I have to admit, all of the guesses about the monster were pretty entertaining. You weren't really supposed to get it right. Still, good job to those who gave it a shot. I'm sure everyone is frothing at the mouth due to the cliffhanger. What happened to Percy? What the heck was that boar to begin with? Will he survive (is that even a question)? Guess you'll have to wait and see.
To everyone who supported the Discord server (almost everyone who commented last time), congratulations. With some tweaks from Ignis Cogitare (this guy seriously deserves some recognition), a Discord server has been made just for you. You can find the Discord code in my profile. Abide by the rules on it and we won't have any issues. Hope to see you all there!
What else is there...? Oh, right! The questions. Hmm... If you could become a mythical creature of any mythology (real world mythos please), what would you become and why?
Take a good look at my profile pic. Need I say more? Honestly, phoenixes are so underutilized in media nowadays. If they are included, they're either nerfed or evil, if not both. But the rebirth cycle they go through and the way they seem to transcend multiple mythologies, like dragons, made them stand out as awe inspiring to me.
So what's your pick?
That brings this chapter to an end. Finally broke two hundred thousand words. Phew, what an undertaking. And we still have so far to go... Yay, me... Regardless, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and the chapters to come. Leave a review. Join the Discord. Kiss a girl (or guy). This is Ronin signing off.