Chapter 45 - 44

I quickly take the situation in while I'm still running, dashing forward like a rhinoceros, bending trees and rolling over obstacles as I go, opening a very visible path as I pass by, but I don't care since I have a dreadful feeling of the situation I am in.

And these wounds, even though the mere scratches were already healed, left an afterimage in my mind, screeching and pulling, a reminder of what may be of me if that human gets hurts, if he dies.

I don't have time to think further into it when I see that the fox is on top of the cold-eyed man, gun in between, holding its jaws at bay and away from the man's face, but it is only a matter of time, a matter of seconds, until that deadly embrace of its tentacles limbs stretch out and coil around him like a snake.

I react by instincts, almost as if the attack is aimed at myself; which might as well be; and swing my tail forwards like a gigantic whip, hitting the fox-snake square in the face and pushing it backward and far with the strength of my attack, hearing some bones break under the contact of my scales with its face.

And yet I growl, unsatisfied, for I knew that those wounds were for naught as the creature could heal them soon after and annoyed because it seems that I have, somehow, gain a weak spot against these enemies that could not even hurt pass my scales.

They found a way to hit me that's for sure, all about that chitchat about Mark Bearer and Protector thing, otherwise the fox-snake creature would have never left the fight and come here if that wasn't the case, it would have just ran away.

And I'm not a big fan of risking my life like this, not even used to it I may add, few things impose danger against me, so maybe I will have to keep this human alive and safe, but it doesn't mean well, at least not in the same terms he may considerate 'well'.

I could always go back to the wild, figure things out, lock him up in a cave, a pit in the darkness were not even him would manage to escape, feed him only enough until I could solve how to get rid of him..

Plus I would still have his meat to savor later… Yeah, that sounded like a plan to me.

So when I turn around, instead of holding my ground and risking trampling over him, I reach out for the human with one of my big hands, looking away while doing so to keep an eye at the jungle place where the fox creature had being, knowing for sure that we were not alone in this forest for a second, always being watched, hunted down by clinical eyes, so I could not turn my back around otherwise they may attack.

However instead of grabbing the cold-eyed man like I intended to I encounter a numbing strange pain that ricochets right up from my arm to my shoulder, an electric yet numbing sensation that makes me recoil my arm and shot my head back to see what had happened, only to see a bright blue and white crystal looking thing covering the outer skin of my wrist, and a wound carved it pass the scales, small, but frozen.

That's it, it had been frozen by a piercing object, and later on I would see the sword myself but, for now, as I looked over and about for the one responsible for such attack   I find out that he is nowhere in sight and that the matter of seconds it took me to do all this was enough for the cold-eyed man to sneak up and do something unpredictable and very bold; or very stupid; as he dashes towards my rear.

He simply climbs up my back!

I turn my head to the side, then the other, unable to see him right at the blind spot behind my head, and ready to slash him out of there with my tail he surprises me once more by not attacking and, instead, embracing my back with his legs and pulling at the chains that circled around me with one hand like one would do to a horse!

What. The. Actual. Fuck!

I try to shake him off like a wet dog, but he proves to have a strong grip on me and strong legs to boost, and knowing that any attack may end backfiring at me I'm left with my fuming rage as I claw the air!

"Behave." I don't understand his words, but his commanding tone doesn't help calming me down.

And yet, as I claw back trying to grab him, but reaching as far as my shoulder and thick muscles would let me; not by much mind you; I have no time to grab him with my tail or simply try to crush him against a tree or something because soon after we are once more attacked, and the Fungus Ghouls force me to cover my eyes with my scales, however this time my free hands come up to cover the cocky bastard at my back from being melt away by the acid.

The barrier is effective in keeping him alive, but is not helping improve my mood I tell you.

Who this human thinks he is using and treating me like a goddamnit horse! That makes my core boil with a restless fire pit!

A dilemma however unfolds quickly before my eyes; for I cannot turn around, otherwise the ghouls will have a clear shot at the cold-eyed man, and yet behind me is the downhill side where I had the pleasure to have fallen over once already, and had no intention of repeating the experience by walking backward.

And yet I'm left with no choice for the ghouls are not as dumb as they used to, and seeing the flaw in my plan start spreading to the sides, trying to trap us into a circle of death here my arms could not protect him.

So I jump back, clicking my big lower teeth together as I try to keep the creatures at an angle where they cannot reach him, even worst when I'm deliberately giving them the high ground.

At that the chains rattle and tighten around me, one even coming up and locking around my neck, and even if the muscles and scales prevented it from choking me the sensation wasn't pleasant at all.

I growl my cougar low-high pitch roar, clearly showing my dissatisfaction at him and his actions.

"Don't fall back, advance. Dash forward, now!" He uses his commanding voice, plus the chains and the weight of his body, to force me forward, and I don't even consider his plan for receiving orders like this only angers me further. 

However, to add to my fury, he acts like one does to an undisciplined horse and takes the sword out and slashes it on my rear, making me dash forward by instinct!

The prick! I'll make him pay in double, no, triple for sure, he just waits!