Axel gulped hard, his grip tightening around Gishiki. His hand trembled — partly fear, partly the pain still thrumming in his arm. The blue eyes didn't move, it blinked, but no movement. They just stared.
He slowly stepped backwards, his eyes fixed on the cave, the eyes staring back for a few more seconds, unmoving, then, after a heartbeat too long, they blinked out, the dark maw of the cave staring back at him.
Axel took a deep breath, a frown on his face, did it lose interest in me, or I wasn't worth its attention in the first place, that should be good but somehow it pisses me off, he grimaced and slowly moved back, refusing to turn his back to that cave.
After a few minutes and a satisfactory distance according to Axel, he turned and limped away, moving as fast as his battered body allowed.
Whatever that was he had to get as far away as possible, who knows it could take interest in me as food later.
The trek felt endless. Every step sent a sharp sting up his legs. His throat burned with thirst, his tongue dry and cracked. When he finally dropped against a black rock, his body sighed before he did. He needed to find a place to rest.
But first he removed the bagpack, luckily he had offered to take it, although it wasn't with the best intentions, but oh well.
He pulled out a water bottle from the back and frowned at the level, barely a few gulps left. "Well… that's depressing." He sighed.
Well it's not like anyone was planning for me to end up here.
Axel looked at the bottle, his body screaming at him to just take the gulp, he lifted it to his lips, hand shaking, the smell of cool water teasing him.
Then he stopped. "No. No, you idiot. This is how dumb side characters die." He slapped his cheek lightly and capped the bottle again. "I can endure," he muttered. His throat disagreed audibly.
He scanned the jagged landscape — dozens of cave mouths stared back at him like open jaws. "Perfect," he said dryly. "Pick your doom. Small one? Maybe a nest. Big one? Probably a buffet. Great options."
But I can't stay out here either, he sighed, "who's to say something worst isn't lurking out here."
Axel picked a cave, one which looked less suspicious than the others, it didn't look too deep, at least not deep enough for a big creature to hide in, but who's to say the small ones aren't dangerous, maybe even worse.
I'll just have to gamble, he unsheathed the Gishiki.
"Here goes nothing," he whispered, limping forward. "And by nothing, I mean probably everything."
The air inside was cooler, but heavy — thick with the scent of dust. Axel clicked on his flashlight; the beam cut through the dark, illuminating bones scattered across the floor. Some even bigger than him.
"Okay," he whispered. "Definitely not human. Definitely not comforting."
He exhaled slowly and lowered Gishiki. "But at least it's empty—"
Axel breathed a sigh of relief.
But, a grinding sound froze him, grip tightened around the Gishiki as one of the rocky outcrops moved. It turned, stone flaking away, revealing a deep blue eye with a black star for a pupil.
"Oh come on," Axel whispered, his stomach flipping. Then another outcrop moved. And another. Soon, a dozen pairs of eyes glowed around him, painting the cave in eerie blue light.
His pulse roared in his ears. "Don't move," he whispered to himself. "Maybe they're friendly. Maybe they—"
One screeched, its cry slicing the air, then unfurled wings, the others following suit. It lunged.
"Of course!" Axel barked, turning on instinct. He ran — or tried to. His legs protested, his lungs burned, his wounds screamed.
Then he felt it, blinding pain, something raking deep into his back, hot blood running down his side. He gritted his teeth. Move. Move!
The whole flock almost upon him, tears welling up in his eyes, the black rock he had rested on seemed so far now.
Unbeknownst to him, the thread of his necklace started glowing.
As the creatures were about to reach him, a golden light enveloped him, and he was gone, the creatures collided where he'd been.
Axel's body slammed into the black rock outside the cave, the impact cracking through his ribs. The creature that had clung to him was thrown off with a sickening thud. He groaned, rolling onto his back, pain lighting up his nerves.
But he suppressed that pain, he gritted his teeth and sat up, against the rock, Gishiki in hand, the cave in front of him, the creature that had injured him laying in front of him.
He was ready for it to pounce on him, but the creature screeched once then retreated into the cave, ignoring him.
Axel held the Gishiki with both hands, his hands trembling, then clank, the katana clattered onto the ground. Blood trickled down his spine, warm against the cold air.
Why didn't it attack, and why aren't they leaving the cave, and why haven't I seen anything else outside, he looked around scanning the environment, could they be scared of something, his chest tightening at the thought.
I don't want to find out, that just means I need to find shelter fast, but before that.
He touched the thread of infinity around his neck, "You finished bonding just in time huh,", he smiled weakly.
Will, belief and body huh, I must have met all three in my period of desperation, the body probably has to do with adrenaline.
He took out the water bottle and took a sip, "I've endured enough," he muttered, the cold water sliding down his throat.
A satisfied smile appeared on his face, hands moving to the thread of infinity.
"Let's see what you can do," he said, touching it, he closed his eyes, concentrating, focused.
After a few seconds, his eyes fluttered open, nothing happened. The third, body, I am not in a right state now.
I need to patch up and rest, but where?I can't risk entering another cave, I might not be as lucky.
Looking around, he spotted a crevice, big enough for him to fit in, albeit not comfortably, but it's either that or another unknown, he looked towards the cave again and sighed, then he stood up and using the Gishiki as a crutch he slowly limped towards the crevice.
But still something bordered him, why didn't the creature attack him, why did it rush back into the cave.
And the creature with those eyes, why did it not step out of the cave, at that time it seemed like it just ignored him, but what if it didn't, what if they're hiding from something, Axel shook his head, "I hope not, else I won't want to imagine what I'm out here with."
"I really do hope I'm wrong," Axel muttered to himself as he approached the crevice.
Then the air suddenly shifted — heavy, electric. His instincts screamed, the feeling of a prey about to be devoured.
Axel froze, heart hammering, hands trembling. "Oh no," he whispered.
Then came the roar — deep, ancient and primal.