Will's mind was sent into an instant panic. He nearly dropped the knife and ran. But he knew that there was no way he was gonna out run the thing with a closer look at it.
It was some kind of rabid wolverine thing. It had the shape of a wolverine, black hide split by bone-white scars along its back measuring most of its body, similar to a medium sized dog, on all fours, its teeth bared at him, spit foaming from the mouth. It definitely had some kind of rabies that he didn't want to get, Will thought to himself. The thing that separated it from the normal animal from earth was Its tail burned, a living torch.
Its bush skunk's tail flowing, moving weirdly. Almost hypnotically.
"WAKE UP!" Coal's voice boomed.
Will and the wolverine flinched before the latter recovered quicker and attacked. Will was able to tear his eyes away from the sight of the tail with the help from Coal, just as the wolverine launched itself at him aiming to tear out his throat in an instant to end the fight.
Will was able to drop to the ground fast enough. The shape of the wolverine sent flying overhead. With it, he could feel the heat from its tail raise the already uncomfortable temperature around them.
"Its one of most danger creatures on mountain. It attacks strong and with power." Coal's chest swells a bit in pride. "Not easy to catch but only best for student"
'Gee thanks big guy, I don't know how to thank you. I'll figure that out if I live!' Will yelled in his head, dodging the second tackle from the creature.
"You kill it fast. Tail gets hotter when more mad." Coal chuckles. When he dodged again, not knowing what else to do. He could feel his skin nearly burn just from the brief moment it flew past him.
'So I have to end this fast, but this thing has got crazy long claws that can shred me, and if I'm too close, the heat will cook me. Awesome!' Will jokes in his mind. 'My abilities to calm them down don't seem to be working. Could be because wolverines are territorial and solitary, or it could be because it's been fighting or starved by Coal. It could be any mix of those things, but what mattered was he had been dodging enough to suck away some of its essence. Weakening it just a bit or maybe that was his imagination. Anyway, he could feel the extra essence strengthening him.
Deciding to go in for an attack, when the creature jumpers again, he ducks under it this time instead of just dropping or rolling away. With the knife and its momentum, the underbelly of the abomination was cut. A small amount of blood spraying on his face and chest. The blood itself was nearly scalding on his skin but he persevered. This little dance of theirs continued. Will drawing blood and stealing essence passively from the tenacious creature until its black and white fur was soaked in blood.
Will had even gotten a good stab and slice in, causing part of its organs to be protruding out of the wound on its stomach, but that didn't seem to phase the creature for even a second as it continued its insane attacks.
In return, he was scraped and scratched from barely evading the claws of the little abomination and hitting the rough ground, again and again.
"Enough" The command was punctuated with a rock the size of a marble impacting the side of the wolverine's head. It crumpled like a sack, twitching but otherwise still alive.
"Finish it. Strike quick but true." He taps his forehead with one finger, directing Will where he should place the sharp end of his knife.
"Yeah" Was all Will could muster in response. Out of breath from the battle, if you could call it that. Will braved the heat coming from the small creature. Bringing his dagger up once again, this time trying not to think too hard about killing it just swinging his dagger with force. It sinks deep with no hilt of any kind to stop him from going too far.
A whisper from the Spell enters his ear, much sweeter than the last time he heard it.
[You have slain a dormant beast, Rapid Blazetail.]
With a sigh, he drops to the ground exhausted, his chest burning from fatigue. The blaze from the creature slowly dies out, signalling to Coal that Will had really killed it. With a heavy hand on his shoulder he speaks just a few more words.
"You did well. You can be proud." His deep voice rumbles, taking the creature in his hands, couldn't let good food go to waste. Will couldn't help but let his chest swell with a bit of pride this time. If a warrior like him was congratulating him, then he had to have done decently. Right?
Anyway, the two men journey back to the normal spot where Will would normally have his rune lessons. As they wait, they share a meal in silence, until in the distance they can see a small figure hobbling over. Coal gets up, meeting her and picking her up, helping her clear 80% of the distance about 5 times as fast as she normally would.
"I see you survived. I would say I'm surprised but usually animals don't like to eat rocks." She jokes but with a small twinkle in her eyes giving away the fact that she was secretly happy her apprentice was still alive.
They began their lesson as usual but it was clear Will was in no state to keep up. Within 10 minutes, it looked like he was fighting a whole new war but was clearly losing the battle of the Eyelids. He ended up asleep with one end of his 'Brush' in his nose propping him up as if that would fool his teacher. Somehow that plan didn't work.
She chuckled to herself before looking at Coal sadly,
"Is everything prepared?"
Coal nods in affirmation. Granny sighs shakily.
"This will probably be our last shot, we won't get another specimen like him to help us again. It's do or die."
"I believe." Coal responds looking at Will's sleeping figure. "He will survive it"
Grandma seems to nod but can't make herself voice her concerns. Hopefully, if she doesn't speak them, they won't come into existence.
Coal is able to pick up Will without him waking up. He was experienced in lifting small creatures gently. Together, the trio go to their home for maybe the last night.
When morning comes Will gets up with a loud groan.
"No. No more. Let me sleep" His body was so sore.
Grandma lets loose with her typical cackle.
"Don't worry, you can rest. Our lesson will be in the afternoon with Coal joining us this time." She shuffles along with Coal to the door. "You just watch over him, and I will do some last checks on the lizard and make sure everything is ready." Coal just nods in response and Grandma leaves. Will thanks god that he can go back to sleep. Coal only raises an eyebrow at the thought of a singular god but says nothing as Will falls quickly back to sleep.
Awakened later by the gentle nudging from Coal.
"Get ready. Remember. Be Strong." Coal looks at Will in his tired eyes.
"Yeah of course. I don't want to die you know" He says with a yawn. Imagining what kind of terrible practice Coal would have prepared for him today if he didn't give him such a warning yesterday.
Together they silently move to his rune learning area. Waiting for them both was Grandma who looked a bit disheveled. She seemed like she had aged 10 years since this morning.
"Morning Teacher, how is the Salamander?" He waves to her still rubbing the last traces of sleep from his eyes.
"Bah, that grumpy thing. He's recovered quite well, it'll have to do. Let's review first. You understand the basics now. You're able to write the alphabet well enough, and together, we've been able to develop a key for the cages and such. Do you mind showing me you can write the Key Rune again?" She looks to him with her hands behind her back like the olden masters. She does that every time her lessons start.
Will nods. Quickly writing out the local alphabet, there were plenty of languages across the dream realm but this one is just his first. He didn't see a point in correcting her that it was just one of many alphabets he would have to learn and master.
Afterwards, he was able to draw the Key Rune several times. It lit up with power 8 out of 10 times so he had a good success rate in activating the basic rune.
Grandma nodded in satisfaction.
"This would have to do for now as well. I would like to make sure you were able to draw it to perfection 100% of the time but it would seem we have run out of time."
Will frowns at that last statement.
"What do you mean? Is the Tyrant demanding another sacrifice? Is something dangerous coming here?" Will tries to think of any issues that could end up destroying their whole plan.
Grandma shakes her head. Looking at him solemnly.
"No, nothing like that. I just won't be able to last here much longer. So we needed to move up our plans." She walks a bit away from him standing up as straight as her old body can.
"Now for your final lesson. Something you rocks seem to be bad at. Awareness." She points behind him.
Will spun—
The last thing he saw was Coal's fist — somehow he noticed his knuckles were scarred like old iron — connecting with his face.
Darkness.