The log with fire fell down. Blood splashed across the forest floor.
It painted the bark of the trees and soaked into the grass.
It even got splattered across the boy's face.
Metallic stench of the blood hit him just a moment later. It was thick and unmistakable.
He stood there frozen. Mind of his could not make sense of what he just saw.
That didn't just happen, did it?
For a small moment, he could not breathe. He could not blink. Nor could he scream.
His mind was still processing it.
Then the sensation hit him. Came all at once.
A broken cry escaped from his throat. His legs trembled and he collapsed hard into the blood soaked earth, his palm slipped on the blood as he scrambled backwards in panic.
"What's happening?" He could not keep himself shut for long and these world escaped from his mouth and echoed across the forest.
He cried hoarsely and his breathing became very fast.
His vision blurred and tears ran down through his blood soaked face as he struck the bas of a tree.
The bracelet.
His gaze moved towards the body.
The man's corpse lay twisted where it had fallen, it's head severed cleanely from the shoulders. The bracelet still remain in the dead man's hand, but now the red stone at its center pulsed with a deep glow.
That wasn't there a moment ago.
The boy's breath hitched.
The shadow around the bracelet still stirred there.
Darkness peeled away from the ground like wet ink lifting from a paper.
A single arm pushed itself out from the the glowing stone, it elongated itself and grew. Soon it became a whole figure. A figure with a body like a human but completely covered in darkness. As if a shadow took a place of human.
The boy shook his head.
"No... No, no... " He uttered in complete fear as he tried to get up on his feet but failed again and again.
The red stone in bracelet flared bright, as if it was responding to something.
He crawled away from the shadow as it swelled, thickened and condensed. It dragged itself upward, tearing more darkness from the forest floor as it rose.
Crimson eyes burned to life. The log with fire on it finally gave up and darkness consumed the area. The crimson eyes in darkness floated but did not move. It stood there for some time giving the boy enough time to get on his feets and run.
He ran without thinking of anything. He could not see anything in the darkness of forest and slammed into multiple trees. Branches whipped across his face but he tore through them and did not stop. Sweat ran down his face, tears too, his heart beat hammered violently it felt ready to burst and fail. He murmered in complete fear and couldn't even make a proper thought of what he has just seen.
That thing then screamed. The sound was sharp and unnatural. Like iron grinding on iron.
The boy screamed too. But he did not stop.
He did not look back not like he wanted to. The forest behind him went completely silent again.
It was too quite but just then the air shifted and something landed ahead of him.
He skidded to halt just as the shadow dropped from abovehim and blocked his path. It's eyes locked onto the boy, glowing brighter as it tilted it's head.
The boy truned around not wasting any time and began to run but the shadow did not let him. It streached its arm out and got hold of the boy. It's hand closed around the boy's wrist.
The pain was immediate.
A sickening crack echoed through the forest as the bone shattered. Agony exploded up his arm.
He screamed until his throat went sore.
The shadow did not let go, it tightened it's grip twisting the arm slowly and deliberately.
It leaned closer, as if wanting to see the expression on the boy's face. It looked fascinated by the sound of suffering.
It twisted his arm again.
"Stop... Please...!" Boy sobbed "please."
The pressure increased and so did the scream and agony.
Then
Thoom
The ground trembled.
The shadow hasitated.
Another sound came and shook the forest floor.
Thoom, again the sound came this time it was closer.
The shadow turned around and the boy lifted his tear filled eyes.
Something massive emerged from between the trees.
It stood tall, very tall with the darkness around it's body was not visible at all.
The giant thing moved with crashing weight.
In one single sweeping moting it struck.
The shadow was torn from the boy's arm and hurled aside, it crashed through several trees before vanishing into the darkness.
The sudden release sent the boy tumbling down. He hit the ground hard and pain flared through his broken arm, but it barely registered compare to the pain before.
The giant thing loomed over him for a brief moment and then turned in the direction of the shadow and went after him.
What is that thing. Did it help me? Thoughts appeared in his mind but he did not give them much attention.
Right now I should be running.
He did not wait. He clutched his shattered wrist and force himself to run again. He ran blindly and desperately, he did not know where he was going but the terror alone drove him run.
The forest behind him erupted.
The ground shook violently. The impact could be felt from a far. Trees snapped,the shadow screamed, the sound wraped unnaturally as they clashed.
His leg got stuck in a vine as he was running and he fell. Then the earth beneath his body gave away too.
He fell deep. The world dropped out as the ground under him collapsed, swallowing him whole. He struck a stone, rolled, struck again pain tearing through his body as darkness swallowed him whole.
He did not know how long he fell.
Only that when he finally stopped, he couldn't move.
His body lay twisted on the base of the cavern wall, breathing coming in shallow, broken gasps. Blood filled his mouth, his vision swam.
Even breathing hurt him a lot.
Above him, the hole sealed shut as earth and roots collapsed inwards.
The sound of battle faded
The silence settled.
The shadow landed. It dropped into the cavern with a cracking impact, it's form partially fractured, edges bleeding darkness.
It's eyes burned brighter as its staggered towards the boy.
He tried to crawl but his body refused to follow.
Cries filled the cavern, "I can't.... I can't do this anymore"
"I don't wanna die"
Tears rolled down as he wispered weakely and soaked his cheeks.
The shadow raised a hand. Finger pressee against his forehead.
Pain detonated behind his eyes.
Blood streamed out of his nose, his ears and his mouth. His consciousness began to unravel, his thoughts dissolved into complete silence.
Then
Air moved.
A pressure rolled inside the cavern. The air pushed the shadow backwards violently. It slammed into the farbwall with bone crushing force.
The boy's vision flickered.
From the darkness of the cave, something vast shifted.
Scales scrapes against stone.
A massive shape uncoiled, it filled the cavern with its presence. It's body rose like a living pillar, coiled and endless, it's eyes still closed.
The pain trembled as it drew breath.
Then two enormous eyes opened.