9 Certainty

The creature didn't need to do this to know that it was only a matter of seconds before the monsters caught up with them and that they would do the same to them as they had done to all the other creatures that had the misfortune of being on their way. Moreover, he perfectly perceived the growing fear of the young girl who was riding him and her anger and her crushing sense of helplessness in front of such a terrible fate. But what she didn't know was the calm that had been in the creature for some time, a calm that had replaced his great fear, and that had nothing to do with his own magic, or hers, or even with fate. No, it was a cold, frightening calm because he knew, he even felt it with every fiber of his body, this person and his monstrous presence that these ignorant, naive monsters who never finished chasing them would probably never understand. He was there. He had come. Deep down, the beige beast knew it, it could only be so. For this dark person would never abandon any creature belonging to the upper echelons of the hierarchy. He was just that kind of person. He would take pity on the small fry, as they called them, and give them help here and there. But he would never stoop to their level, according to his own moral code. He was simply abominable. And the worst of it was that he was aware of it and liked himself that way.

- Beigie!" shouted Ivy.

With a howl of horror, one of the monsters jumped up and swung its sharp-clawed arm, and threw itself heavily at the targets, who could barely dodge the fatal blow, but in their dodging motion, caused them to be thrown off balance and fall hard to the ground. They tried to reduce their fall by their magic, but the blow of the monsters had caused violent shocks that greatly destroyed the place.

Satisfied, the monsters stopped with a grunt of contentment, seeing their future feasts hard hit, lying on the ravaged ground.

Ivy grumbled and tried to get up. Then, remembering what had happened, she looked around to see the creature that had helped her. She soon found it lying a little farther away from her. Relieved, she got up and ran painfully toward him. But her smile and relief quickly disappeared when she saw what her creature's large body had hidden from her. The sight of the monsters coming and soon grabbing the creature by the legs. For a moment, they fought fiercely for their right to their prey. Taking advantage of this unexpected quarrel, Ivy reached out and fired a magical shot at one of them. The monster suffered this attack without flinching. But when he noticed his right arm was scratched from the girl's attack, he turned to her and smiled horribly, flashing his greenish, stinking teeth at her, and then moved toward her, clearly revealing his deadly intent. Trembling with fear and despair, Ivy tried to back away, but she knew it was impossible. Somehow, she didn't even feel the fear anymore. Then, leaping as her companion had done a few minutes earlier, the monster swung its fist over the young target and struck the ridiculous magical shield she had created around to protect themselves, which shattered like glass before scattering and disappearing like fine sparkling dust.

The shock of this attack propelled her far away with a terrible violence, not to mention the high-pitched sound that made her wince with pain, tearing her ears to the bone. And as if that wasn't enough, the monster slammed its fists into the ground and caused a terrible shock that shook and collapsed everything around them while raising clouds of suffocating dust. Ivy did her best to protect herself from these attacks, using magic and concentration to get out of this horrific situation alive. But she didn't know exactly when she felt that everything around her had changed. That the sounds and grunts, the unbearable smell of the monsters, the sky becoming even darker and more starry, and even the nature of the dust stopped bothering her. And finally, everything fell silent, a silence even more heartbreaking and frightening than the terrible magic of her pursuers. She slowly opened her eyes and cautiously stretched her ears to perceive the slightest noise, but without success. Then she slowly got up and looked around. Everything seemed to have fallen into a kind of very powerful magic veil, a kind of extraordinary and uncontrollable spell, but she could not imagine, even for a moment, someone capable of such a miracle. A being with such fantastic magic that he could erase anything he wished to be. Ivy was so amazed that she couldn't do anything, say anything or even think anything.

- But what is this... ? She arrived all the same by putting in an inaudible murmur.

Then she heard a noise, a light and strange but sublime rustling, so singular that it succeeded in diverting her from this deadly situation in which she had sunk despite herself. So Ivy turned her head to identify the cause of the sound.

And that's how she saw him.

She didn't know the reason for it, at that moment, and no one could ever really explain it to her, but she knew with certainty that she would never forget that moment, and that it will radiate in her with as much blast forever. For what she saw not far above her, standing on a rock, was the darkest and most beautiful creature she could ever imagine existed.

It was a colossal beast with a long, slender body covered with transparent, shining scales, matching the wonderful brilliance of the stars. He wore his royal mane and crown of unknown metal adorned with precious stones, on his proud head with an almost unbearable majesty and arrogance.