Dive Beyond Your Boundary

Clutching the binoculars tightly in his tiny palm, Zuzu ran forward toward his father's distinct figure. The tall man wore an odd coat which was passed down through the line of village hunters. Apparently, it was some old relic from a trip taken by one of the village founders, not that it interested Zuzu very much. As Zuzu got closer the man turned to face him and Zuzu peered into his dead, unmoving, eyes. Atop his shoulder was a special contraption Zuzu had only seen a few times when his father returned to the village after a hunt. It was an oddly shaped brown with a black barrel on top of it and a scope just above that.

"It's a hunting rifle. It's a type of gun made specifically for hunting beasts. Today you'll be using it."

The two then began walking towards the edge of the forest. The young boy puffed his chest and replied, "Of course, I knew that!" As he walked through the dense forest Zuzu began to shake. "Damn it! I've never been this far out from the village before. Aren't there scary monsters out here or something?! I remember Elly told me about the Larks that live around here, large scary birds with the power to blow down a whole house with a single flap of their wings!"

"The only creatures that inhabit the Nether Realm are demons, plant life, and hell beasts. There are so many species of the last two that you can't predict what you'll come across."

Walking further ahead, Shikari used his hand to motion to Zuzu to stop walking. Not noticing this, Zuzu only stopped after walking into his father's hand. "Scared?"

"N-No! I'm just shaking with excitement!"

"Good. Now look further ahead."

Moving his head and standing up on his tiptoes Zuzu spotted something moving in the distance from above the tall greenery. A small white creature that seemed to move quickly. It hopped using its back legs and ate a small berry off a bush.

"That white thing?"

"It's called a rabbit. Don't see many of them around here."

Shikari grabbed a knife from his coat's pocket and flung it at the rabbit. Just as the rabbit's head turned to face the two hunters the knife lodged itself in the creature's small skull. "It wasn't worth the ammo. The next creature we kill is going to be a big one that'll last for a while. Now go pick it up."

"Yes!"

Walking forward, there was a weird feeling building up in Zuzu's stomach. With every step, the sight of what his father had done to that animal became clearer. A mere few moments ago it was moving and alive but now that all had vanished. A pool of scarlet blood pooled around the rabbit's body and its once pure white fur was dyed a shade of red. Zuzu bent down to pick up the body of the rabbit but couldn't bring himself to touch the body. Just a second ago it was eating and looking and feeling and thinking and... alive. Seeing his father bring home the bodies of all types of hell beasts hadn't bothered Zuzu before. In fact, seeing the work of his father filled him with a strong sense of pride. So why did he feel this way?

"Hurry it up. I sense something in that direction."

"Of course father!"

Without another second to think Zuzu picked up the dead rabbit and carried it in both his arms, blood leaking out onto his clothing. With his father once again taking the lead Zuzu hurried to catch up. Not seeing another option the boy swallowed all doubt and anxiety that dwelled within his mind. After all, if his father didn't mind then why should he?

Zuzu tried his best to keep up and focused all of his attention on his father's back. His lack of attention to his surroundings caused him to trip on a tree root and fall over. "Ah!" Not wanting to be left behind, the young boy quickly picked himself back up. The fall had caused the rabbit's blood to splatter all across the front of his shirt with some drops even getting on his face. By now though he didn't pay it any mind and instead rushed over to his father's side. Shikari had been crouched over next to a bush and once Zuzu came closer he realized that he was overlooking a cliff. Loud noises and screams could be heard from below and Zuzu soon came close enough to see the source.

A young-looking man with pale skin and long white hair stood extremely injured and backed into a corner. In one hand he clutched a shattered sword with his other hand torn to shreds. The creature that stood right in front of him was a large brown bird with white on its underside. The bird was the size of a house. The creature had its wings extended out, its wingspan larger than anything Zuzu had seen before in his entire life. At the bottom ends of both wings were whip-like tentacles that lashed out wildly and had enough power to uproot every tree they touched. The bird's general build resembled a small songbird albeit it had a second set of eyes above the normal set.

"A Happysong Lark. They lure prey with their songs while flying high up. Then when you're close they'll swoop down and snatch you. Usually, they eat things like Iron Deer or Pandadogs but this idiot fell for it."

The bird slowly moved forward while the man was trapped. To his back was the solid rock of the cliff and if he attempted to run to the sides the bird's tentacles would tear into him with ease. Zuzu, captivated by the unfolding drama, found himself invested in the stranger's plight, despite their brief acquaintance. He put the rabbit's body down on the dirt next to him as he watched. Amidst the tension, Zuzu noticed that one of the bird's four eyes stared directly at him, unblinking. Just as he was about to say something he felt a force hit his back before he began falling. Zuzu blacked out only for a short period but the next time he opened his eyes he was laying flat on the harsh ground. Surges of pain made their way through his body as he got up. At first, his vision was blurry but once he regained himself he saw that he was face to face with that vicious creature.

Every last one of the creature's eyes was fixated solely on Zuzu. The once-deafening noise of the tentacles thrashing and obliterating their surroundings ceased, as the creature paused to observe this new arrival. Zuzu let out heavy breaths as fear grabbed hold of his entire being. He shook with an indescribable fear that stemmed from the primal instincts of being prey to an unstoppable predator. Unable to endure the densely suffocating atmosphere any longer Zuzu took a step back and stammered out, "Please Fa-!"

All of the creature's tentacles instantly shot toward Zuzu's body and by reflex, he shut his eyes and raised up his arms up in a futile attempt to defend himself. However, the white-haired man, who had been standing behind Zuzu, charged forward with a bloodcurdling scream. Brandishing his broken sword he managed to deflect two of the tentacles coming from above. As another tentacle neared his foot, he stomped on it to halt its advance, then swiftly swung his blade, severing the tip of a tentacle that threatened to pierce his neck. At this point, Zuzu finally opened his eyes once more and watched as this complete stranger, a man not even the same skin tone as him, put his life on the line to save him. But his incredibly heroic display didn't last for very long as a tentacle he failed to notice slammed into his side.

The man was sent flying off with his limp body flailing out randomly. He only stopped once he slammed into a tree quite a bit away. Just out of the reach of the bird's tentacles. The young boy fell onto the ground with tears streaming from his eyes. A trail of blood cover the ground that the man had just flown over and as Zuzu looked back at what was in front of him he lost all hope. The bird began taking steps forward and with each one Zuzu tried crawling backward.

"Go away... Go away!"

It felt as though all of the air had been squeezed out of Zuzu's lungs as he was left there to fend for himself. Even still he attempted to muster any courage that his body had to offer. In this desperate attempt, something sprang forth. A powerful burning sensation covered Zuzu's back as two mysterious black substances escaped from Zuzu's shoulder blade area. As if the very essence of darkness had taken shape, Zuzu's back convulsed with a surge of energy. The two substances were pitch black and devoid of solid form. They resembled tendrils of swirling energy and branched off a few inches from his with an otherworldly presence. This new development only served to make the young boy feel even weaker and didn't hinder the bird's advance in the slightest.

Just then as Zuzu thought it was all over a powerful noise boomed and a small projectile flew through the air at incredible speeds, crashing into the skull of the Lark. The lifeless body of the bird collapsed sideways, subdued by the sudden attack.

Zuzu's father jumped down from the top of the cliff onto the ground below with both his rifle and the rabbit in hand. "Damn. Can't bring back Lark meat. Can't eat it without killing yourself in the process. Son hurry and-"

By this point, Zuzu had lost the ability to hear anymore. Not only that but all of his senses began to fade out. Before he completely lost consciousness he managed to lift his arm up and point to the white-haired man who saved him earlier. In that position, he would lose consciousness.