by Reece Dinn
His hand throbbed constantly now, as did his newly bulging chest. For days he'd walked, eating little, weakening with every step. He wanted to break down and give up, let the Enemy find and claim him, it took all of his strength just to keep going. It was a struggle to even remember why he was still bothering to. A tear ran down his face and he irritably wiped it away, a show of weakness unacceptable even in the state he was in.
Die.
He took a draught from his waterskin, the water unsatisfying. He'd not come across any rivers to refill it so he'd had to quench his thirst by melting snow, but the water tasted dirty and disagreed with his stomach.
He inspected Mutumuz, cringing at his reflection in its shiny, black metal, his scarred features twisted in pain. He turned away from the sun to hide his reflection from him, it was a mystery to him why he cared about his appearance at all, let alone at a time like this, but he did. Mutumuz's edge was ruined with chips, its tip beginning to blunt. He'd lost his wetstone at some point, probably during his tumble down the slope. His most trusted companion was nearly as useless as he was now, if it weren't for his scarred hand he wouldn't even be able to wield it.
Die.
Another tear came unbidden. That one word he heard whenever his scarred hand throbbed echoed through his mind with increased regularity now. It was grinding him down, what little will he had remaining being reduced to a pulp. To his relief he hadn't encountered a single ludenez in days, but the next one he faced would surely be his last, he knew.
Die.
He spotted a small alcove nearby and thought of curling up into a ball, hiding there from everything for a while, perhaps even forever. He slapped himself in the face. 'Stop,' he whispered. He hurried on, another tear running down his face.
Beroz entered a deep valley that twisted and turned like a river. It was populated by gola and, amazingly, shumdniz covered the sides of the valley too. He picked as much shumdniz as he could, it having been days since he'd last closed his eyes, despite his fatigue. Once again he found that most of the gola had been stripped bare, no doubt by lilnac. Within those that hadn't been stripped only small nuts remained, barely enough to sate him for a moment.
On down the valley he went, shuffling more than walking, legs threatening to buckle. His body felt twice as heavy as it had previously, despite being so weak, his bulging chest causing him to hunch over, and put a strain his heart.
An almighty bellow made him slip and fall. Then the ground began to rumble. Snow crumbled, then cascaded down both sides of the valley.
Beroz pushed himself to his feet and drew Mutumuz in his scarred hand, barely able to stay on his feet while holding the sword. The rumbling was coming up the valley towards him, growing in intensity by the moment. He focused his Raiz, preparing himself early in case he needed to fight. Doing so hurt his mind however, it refusing to do as he commanded of it. He fought against it, trying to regain control.
Die.
The valley curved around to the right, disappearing from view. Whatever was coming up towards him would be coming from around that bend. The snow above him cascaded down to the valley floor, kicking up into a cloud.
He rocked on his feet as the rumbling intensified. He grabbed hold of a gola's branches for support. There was no way out, everywhere he could run to was being swallowed up by snow, the snow hurtling towards him. He shoved himself into the gola and curled up tight.
The snow battered into it, engulfing it, clumps of snow shooting through the leaves to pelt him. He cried out, but his cry was lost in the roar of the cloud. Snow swiftly piled into his hide hole, reaching his waist in just a few moments, burying him. It reached his chest before the snow cloud finally settled.
Moans filled the air as the rumbling grew in volume. He recognised them, they were mirac moans.
Die.
With great effort Beroz dug his way out of the snow, breaking through the leaves. He heaved himself to his feet, spitting out a mouthful of snow.
Dozens and dozens of mirac stampeded around the corner, ploughing through the deep snow, their moans panicked, scared, their sleepy eyes wide with fear.
He attempted to feel his Raiz again, having lost focus on it, but couldn't. He just stood there directly in their path, transfixed.
More and more mirac charged around the corner, filling the whole valley, trampling down gola like they weren't even there. They were so close now, he could see the panic in their eyes. He made to jump up over the first mirac but was too slow, and it collided with him mid-jump. He managed to grab hold of fur with his free hand before he was knocked back, but doing so jerked his arm, pain tearing through it, and he was thrown back onto the mirac. The mirac rocked from side to side, his grip loosening with every shake.
The mirac hit another gola and he was flung from it. He flew through the air and crashed into another one, unwittingly stabbing Mutumuz into its side. The mirac cried out and jerked away. Beroz hung on tight to Mutumuz with both hands. The mirac veered again and collided with another one, crushing him between them both, squeezing the life out of him. The other mirac fell down, and the one he clung to tripped and crashed down too. He flew back, yanking Mutumuz out, then bounced off the back of another as it charged past, narrowly avoiding being gored on its horns. He grabbed hold of one before he fell from it, holding on tight with his scarred hand, clutching his sword in the other. The mirac frantically shook its head, trying to be rid of him.
At last he saw the back of the herd, it was at least ten dozen strong by Beroz's count. What....run...from?
Another mighty bellow split the air, as if in answer to his thought, this one louder than all the mirac combined.
Die.
A gigantic ludenez burst around the valley corner. Beroz nearly lost his grip on the mirac's horn as he jumped in fright. It was amost as tall as Nam-Lialaz. Massive, red glowing eyes flared in its giant, bulging face, their light making the snow glow red. Rocks protruded from the sides of its head, like they were a part of the ludenez itself. It bellowed again, louder, turning the pit of his stomach rancid. This.....how.....die?
Each of its stomps was louder than the stomps of ten mirac combined. The snow exploded under its feet as it quickly caught up to the herd.
The ludenez was like a horrifically mutated mirac. Two massive, crooked horns stuck out of its head, the horns as black as rock. Purple fur hung off it in tufts where there even was fur, the rest of it either leathery skin or rock. Rock covered its shoulders, most of its chest, parts of its legs and its rear, like it'd smashed through mountains and had taken pieces of them with it.
Nam-Ainez. It had to be. He cursed his own luck under his breath.
Die.
The herd had almost ran the whole distance back up the valley that Beroz had covered trekking down it. He clung onto the mirac as tight as he could, but was more concerned about holding onto Mutumuz than saving himself. With every shake of the mirac his grip on his sword loosened. If he lost it here he was never getting it back.
Nam-Ainez was almost on the herd. No....can....fight........that. The sheer terror the ludenez induced the only thing keeping him alert.
The valley narrowed at its top and the mirac squeezed together, trying to pass through it all at once. Panic set in amongst the herd. They gored each other with their horns as they jostled to get to the front and out of the valley. Beroz clambered onto the mirac's back, fearing being gored himself when his ride reached the squeeze.
Nam-Ainez sank its teeth into the first mirac it caught and flung it high into the air. Before it'd landed the ludenez was stomping on another one, squashing it underfoot. It lowered its head and impaled a third on one of its horns, the mirac tearing apart as Nam-Ainez raised its head again.
Die.
Another mirac crashed into the side of Beroz's, its horns gouging a hole into its side as it stampeded past. Beroz's mirac moaned, then collapsed, skidding to a halt. Another came charging up behind them and crashed into the downed mirac's rear, sending Beroz flying off it. H
e thudded into the side of another hurtling past, grabbing a hold of some fur before he could fall and be trampled. He stabbed Mutumuz into the creature's side before he lost his grip. The creature moaned and veered sharply to the left, crashing into two more mirac, who in turn knocked down two more.
Nam-Ainez tore through the back of the herd, ripping them apart with its teeth or squashing them with its feet.
He clambered up onto the back of the downed mirac, stabbed Mutumuz into its back, and hung on tight as the rest of herd thundered past. All Beroz could look at though was the huge ludenez rapidly demolishing the herd.
Die.
Nam-Ainez was almost on him. The pit of his stomach vibrated with every one of its stomps, Mutumuz shaking in his scarred hand. More and more of the herd were mercilessly slaughtered in the ludenez's blind fury. It threw a mirac in Beroz's direction and it crashed down onto the back of ones in its path.
Red eyes engulfed his vision.
Die.
Nam-Ainez grabbed one of the last mirac to go past him with its jaws, crushing the creature with its huge teeth, then tearing what remained of it apart as it opened them again and flung it into the air.
Nam-Ainez's head came within touching distance of Beroz. Without thinking he reached out with his free hand and grabbed hold of some of the purple fur on its face. He cried out in both surprise and pain as he was dragged up into the air, his arm feeling like it was being ripped out of its socket. He thudded into a rock on the side of its face, then was flung head over rear, hit something hard, bounced off its neck, then finally thudded into the rock again. He wheezed, struggling for breath as pain burned in his chest.
Nam-Ainez pounced on the downed mirac around it, finishing them off by squashing each one underfoot.
What remained of the herd had escaped the valley, a small victory at least.
Nam-Ainez didn't seem to notice Beroz clinging to it, even when he stabbed Mutumuz into its face to get a firmer grip. He held on, relying on the strength of his scarred hand to keep him from falling to his death, even if that strength came from the very thing that had created Nam-Ainez itself.
Die.
The ludenez whacked the rocks around it, sending more snow cascading down the sides of the valley. Nam-Ainez bellowed furiously, the sound making Beroz's ears ring, great pain shooting through his head.
Nam-Ainez reared up onto its hind legs, the sudden jerk nearly throwing him off it. He bounced off the rocks on its face again, a piece of rock leaving a gash in his side. It jerked its head and Beroz was flung head over rear once more. He lost grip of the fur, but kept hold of Mutumuz. This time he landed on its nose. He twisted around to find Nam-Ainez's red eyes fixed on him.
His stomach twisted into a knot. Die.
Nam-Ainez crashed down and Beroz fell from its face, Mutumuz sliding out of it as he dropped, and landed in a thick patch of snow, teeth chattering together. The ludenez opened its huge mouth, and bellowed at him, a torrent of hot, repugnant breath battering him, hot saliva pelting his face.
Beroz cried out in fear, desperately trying to remove himself from the patch of snow he was buried in.
Nam-Ainez sprang into motion, leaping into the air.
This........it.....this.......end.
He scrambled out of the hole and dove as Nam-Ainez's two huge front feet crashed down. Snow coated him as he landed, chilling him. Groaning, he rolled over to see a huge foot looming up above.
'Nukuk,' he screamed, and scrambled out of the snow as fast as he could.
The foot crashed down, narrowly missing him, but the force of the impact whipped him off his feet. He landed face first into more thick snow.
Nam-Ainez bellowed again.
Die.
Beroz screamed into the snow, shoving himself up out of it.
The ludenez reared up on its hind legs, casting a huge shadow over Beroz.
He scurried away, tripping and stumbling as he scrambled up the side of the valley, his legs protesting as he climbed.
Nam-Ainez crashed down, kicking up a wave of snow that sent Beroz sprawling as it hit him. He got back up and continued his climb, pleading to whoever could be listening for help. Nam-Ainez's huge eyes flared as it lowered it head, aiming those huge horns at him, then lunged at him. Doing the only thing Beroz's slow mind could think of he leapt at its face, a horn grazing his back as it smashed into the rocks. He crunched into its nose, grabbing hold of some fur before he fell as he did.
Nam-Ainez bellowed again, the force of its hot, foul breath nearly blowing him away. The ludenez reared up again, exposing a fleshy underbelly. Seeing an opening Beroz dropped towards it, stabbing Mutumuz into the spot before he hit the ground. Nam-Ainez crashed down and Mutumuz was jerked out of the wound it'd made in its underbelly. Before he fell Beroz grabbed hold of some fur. His arm jerked, yet more pain shooting down it, his grip loosening, but he kept hold, somehow.
It shook itself, throwing him from side to side, reared up and crashed down again, like a baby throwing a tantrum, only this baby couldn't be beaten to shut it up. Beroz held on for dear life, but he'd no idea how much longer he could. He stabbed Mutumuz into its chest again, then grabbed hold of the fur with both hands. Up it rose, and down it crashed, shaking itself in between. It tried to twist its head underneath itself to bite at him, but to Beroz's relief it couldn't reach. Fearing losing his grip at any moment, hands burning from the tension, he clambered up the ludenez's underbelly, looking for a better place to hide.
Suddenly Nam-Ainez spun around and charged back down the valley, Beroz's teeth chattering together as he was shaken. It bounded up the right hand side of the valley, leapt, and was out of it a moment later and rushing across an area of flat ground, then up a mountainside, scaling it with ease.
With great effort he resumed his climb up its belly, stopping every other movement as another impact shook the ludenez's body, then he climbed around its side, until finally he reached its back. He wrapped himself around a big rock protruding from it, clinging on for dear life.
Die.
Nam-Ainez continued up the mountain, leaping from one part to another, ascending it like it was skipping up a small hill.
The ludenez's back was covered with sharp black rock, with little exposed fur in sight. Nam-Ainez shook itself and the sharp rock Beroz clung to scratched him as he was thrown side to side.
What.....do? There was no way he could see to hurt this thing, even attacking its exposed flesh didn't seem to damage it. What........do?
Die.
Nam-Ainez jerked and Beroz was thrown and smashed into the rock behind him. He cried out.
Die. The throbbing in his hand became excruciating. He was very tempted to finally give it what it wanted. Why struggle? What was the point? Struggling only brought him more pain.
And yet, if the Enemy truly wanted him dead, why hadn't it claimed him when it'd had the chance. It didn't make sense.
Nam-Ainez jumped across to another mountain, then began clambering around the side of that one. The ground shrank away below them. The ludenez began to rise up the mountain, up to the peak. As they neared the top a bitter wind blew. The whole mountain range spread out before them, stretching all the way to the horizon, countless mountains rising high into the sky.
In the distance the Enemy swirled around above the clouds, surrounding several mountaintops.
Die. Beroz bit his tongue as he screamed from the pain in his hand and bulging chest.
Nam-Ainez leapt off the mountaintop.
Beroz cried out, bile rising up to his throat as panic set in. They flew across to a nearby mountain, touching down with a mighty crash, rock exploding and breaking apart beneath it. The impact threw Beroz into the air. He landed with a crunch on top of a small, jagged rock, the wind exploding out of his lungs, pain crippled him. He slid off it, landing with a grunt and a groan.
Nam-Ainez lurched into motion.
The Enemy came into view again, closer now than before. The sight of it made Beroz panic even more.
The ludenez leapt and hurtled towards another mountain. As they crashed down Beroz was thrown from his feet and landed on his back, new pain awakening there. Nam-Ainez shook itself and Beroz's head smacked against a rock.
The ludenez charged down the mountainside to the ground.
Beroz found that he couldn't move. He could still feel the agony of his body, but it no longer responded to his commands.
Nam-Ainez lifted its head, exposing a small patch on the back of it that looked like it'd been cut by something, the hole wet with blood, a fresh wound.
Maybe.
With great concentration he tried to focus his Raiz, seeing the ground hurtling towards them making it extremely difficult.
Nothing.
Nothing.
Nothing.
Nothing.
Nothing.
There.
He focused it. Lightning. With tremendous effort he pushed the Raiz out towards it, willing it to become lightning. Sparks surged across his body, converging at one spot and he formed them into a ball. Crying out he fired at the exposed part of it head.
The lightning burned into its wound and Nam-Ainez howled. He drew the Raiz back, managing to keep it focused.
The ludenez fell face first, striking the mountainside and sliding down it. Beroz crashed into one rock, then another, feeling several teeth come loose in his mouth. Before they reached the bottom Nam-Ainez recovered and drove its front legs into the ground, jerking itself to a halt.
Beroz was thrown towards it head, smacking his face on another sharp rock as he flew, a cut opening on his cheek. He landed on the very spot he'd just attacked.
Die.
'No,' growled Beroz and created more lightning. He sent it down through his back and into the ludenez.
Nam-Ainez howled and landed belly first on top of a massive rock with many sharp points. The ludenez cried out in pain as it slid from the rock, the rock crumbling underneath its weight. It fell the rest of the way to the ground.