[Memory] Seeing Blind III.
Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2020 3:20 pm
3rd day of Sundered Rise, Season of Searing, Year 57 of Age of Steel
[indent=20]Arlen’s roar grew to an outcry of pain. Outrage flooded his mind as adrenaline burst through his body. He wasn’t fast enough. He couldn’t outmanoeuvre a predator in a split second when the forest was its domain.
[indent=20]And now blood was pouring down his arm.
[indent=20]Survival instinct and intuition.
[indent=20]Perhaps that’s what saved him from teeth to the throat. It couldn’t have been luck. He had nothing to offer to that fickle mistress.
[indent=20]The claw marks across his deltoid shot a surge of pain through his arm. The anelace trembled in his hand before it took a dive for the ground. He saw it in the dying light as much as he saw the beast landing. It was smaller than a wolf with a coat of light brown fur.
[indent=20]Arlen dove after his weapon.
[indent=20]In the dying light, the predator growled. Its body twisting in the air, hind legs digging into the dirt.
[indent=20]Arlen caught the long dagger moments before it fell on the ground and a fresh flare of brilliant light covered them as the beast propelled itself forward.
[indent=20]He had no time to react.
[indent=20]The beast landed on his back.
[indent=20]Breath thudded out of his lungs with an audible oomph.
[indent=20]Survival instinct. The dire need to live because death wasn’t an option. And it wasn’t one for Arlen. He would not suffer this pathetic death by a forest animal.
[indent=20]The sudden brightness of the blade must have blinded the animal for a moment again because it did not immediately tear at Arlen’s neck. That split second was long enough for the man to mobilize his will to live.
[indent=20]Ignoring the screaming pain in his arm, Arlen deployed the strength packed into his muscles honed over the years. He pressed upwards and sideways to throw the animal off.
[indent=20]Claws were scratching against the leather armour as the beast tried to find purchase.
[indent=20]With a twist of his torso and swing of the blade in his off-hand, Arlen forced the animal to bounce off and away. It was time to face his enemy, level the ground and fully eliminate the element of surprise. Lothas illuminated it in all its lethal glory.
[indent=20]Not a wolf, he thought as he stared into the hungry eyes of a forest caracal. Its emerald eyes were shining even through the squinting slits. Its large ears with frayed ends laid flat against its head and it bore its razor-sharp teeth at Arlen. No doubt it wanted to taste the mixed-blood’s meat, not only smell his blood in the air.
[indent=20]Arlen could as much smell it as feel it - the warm blood dripping down his skin. That’s what kept the animal here. Until either was dead, or something bigger showed up, it would stay.
[indent=20]It knew it. Arlen knew it. So it paced once. It paced twice.
[indent=20]Then it pounced again.
[indent=20]The one thing about animals in mid-jump that Arlen knew was that it was harder for them to change directions. So the moment its paws left the ground, Arlen pushed off his feet. The ground lent him support and he moved to the right so that the blade in his left hand curved upwards at the beast’s side.
[indent=20]It yelped and landed with a stutter. Arlen noticed a glint of darkness on the shining blade and smelled singed hair in the air.
[indent=20]Now we’re equal, Arlen thought, baring his own teeth in a grimace akin to growl. The beast must have realized it too since it did not launch straight away. Instead, it considered the man cautiously but otherwise remained undeterred. For what Arlen thought was a good hit, seemed to had been only a scratch.
[indent=20]The two danced a few steps around each other, measuring each other anew.
[indent=20]But it was the beast’s call once more. It was more experienced. It learnt faster than Arlen.
[indent=20]This time, it stayed close to the ground, swiping its sharp claws at Arlen’s midriff. Its paw wasn’t as hefty as wolf’s but it did equal damage. Arlen’s arm could testify. The black-haired man attempted to evade the flurry of movement, the beast pushing him backwards. And here and there its claws scraped against the leather protection.
[indent=20]Desperation started to crawl up Arlen’s back. He couldn’t go on like this forever.
[indent=20]At one point, he took his chance. As the caracal drew its paw back for another slap, Arlen rammed into it.
[indent=20]The big cat shrieked in frustration as well as surprise. This was not meant to happen the sound exclaimed. Its powerful hind legs pushed it away from the man. With its lighting reflexes, as soon as it was a slapping distance away, it swept at Arlen’s feet.
[indent=20]Stay back! It warned him. But Arlen would not give its desired rest.
[indent=20]He saw a pattern it the beast’s attack or at least came to anticipate the speed of its response. Sweeping one foot close to the beast and back, the distraction was laid. The caracal swept at the foot, not seeing what was happening up above.
[indent=20]At least, not at first.
[indent=20]The bright anelace cut through the air, leaving a bright trace as it rushed down towards the predator’s body.
[indent=20]A rumbling growl resonated from the large cat as it jumped away yet again on time. The blade sliced empty air.
[indent=20]Arlen wished he had a sword. The anelace was a handy little weapon, but it didn’t offer him as much reach as he was used to...as he needed.
[indent=20]After the push, the cat seemed to have realized something else. Arlen wasn’t going to be easy prey. It was now or never. For both of them.
[indent=20]They both snapped at the same time.
[indent=20]The caracal launched itself low at Arlen’s hips while Arlen went in with another high swipe. But his left hand was weaker and slower. And the beast had lightning reflexes that Arlen could not even begin to hope to match.
[indent=20]The cat dodged, hissing and delivering one severe blow to the man’s hand. The claws caught across Arlen’s wrist and hand. The anelace flew through the air.
[indent=20]Darkness cloaked Arlen’s vision.
[indent=20]The black-haired man screamed out.
[indent=20]Strong front legs wrapped around Arlen’s hips. The claws dug in for purchase. Uncompromising set of a hungry predator’s teeth bit into the leather armour.
[indent=20]Arlen’s hands shot down, burying into the fur. He would not end like this!
[indent=20]It became a wrestling match. A fight to keep the jaws as far away from his body as possible. Arlen did not know what he was holding but he knew it worked. The caracal choked at some point, lashing out and trying to bite one of his hands.
[indent=20]It was the movement of muscles under his fingers that helped Arlen predict where the beast would strike.
[indent=20]The two swayed in a deathly embrace.
[indent=20]The beast growled, strained. Sweat trickled down Arlen’s face and he thought he could taste his own demise at the back of his throat. His arms were shaking and he didn’t know how much longer he could hold. But neither could he tell with the beast because its intention of shredding him to bits with its teeth turned to failed attempts at getting his hands away from its throat.
[indent=20]Then the beast broke. Or at least that’s what it felt like to Arlen. Its spine and body must have curved sideways as it was trying to break the lock by pushing one of Arlen’s hands towards the ground. It only served one thing. Arlen got the upper hand.
[indent=20]Or more like...upper elbow.
[indent=20]Arlen let the energy of the movement lead the next strike. He allowed the beast to push down his hand as he lifted the other elbow, transferring power and intention behind it. Then hand on the underside grasped the fur even tighter.
[indent=20]At that moment, he brought the elbow down. His shoulder was screaming but so was his whole body to survive.
[indent=20]He saw nothing, knew nothing and this time prayed for luck and chance to be on his side.
[indent=20]The beats yelped.
[indent=20]Perhaps it was the speed, maybe the beast was tired. Or it was a combination of anything in between, but the elbow connected. With what exactly? Arlen didn’t know.
[indent=20]All he knew was that the strong legs around his hips were suddenly kicking to get away. Arlen complied, giving it an extra shove. The beast was released. And Arlen fell to his knees, frantically searching the ground.
[indent=20]He heard the caracal’s sneezing not far off. It’s noises pathetic but he couldn’t count on them.
[indent=20]Not enough time! His chest tightened. He was exposed. So exposed!
[indent=20]His fingers stumbled across something hard. It erupted with glow, drowning the world around him in light so that he could see again.
[indent=20]The beast was shaking its head, sneezing and stumbling away. He must have hit it across the bridge of the nose.
[indent=20]Arlen roared. It was a spur of the moment, sudden urge to do so.
[indent=20]The beast startled.
[indent=20]He shouted again, rising to his feet and bulking his body.
[indent=20]The beast retreated, ears flat against its head.
[indent=20]Arlen continued to scream the raw war cry of ‘come and try again you little piece of filth’. It was a daredevil call with the fire of victory burning in his veins.
[indent=20]Yet there was no more fight to be had. The beast lost its appetite and a will to challenge the man. It has its own survival instinct and intuition. Those now lead it to retreat a safe distance before it turned and dashed away.
[indent=20]Arlen was suddenly left alone in the middle of Wild King’s Forge. Out of breath, drenched in blood and sweat and completely out of his mind.
