Chapter 09: Chase

When Elan saw that his spear had hit the wild beast, he couldn't believe it. Relief washed over him as he realized he had managed to get the beast's attention. But his relief was short-lived as he saw his father collapse. Elan couldn't tell if his father was dead or merely unconscious. Worry filled his heart, and he wanted to run to his father, but the beast growled and pulled the spear from its leg, flinging it away.

The beast's focus shifted entirely to Elan. It began to walk slowly towards him, its eyes locked on him with deadly intent. Elan's heart pounded as he watched the beast pick up speed, walking faster and then breaking into a run.

"Oh, sh*t," Elan muttered, fear gripping him as he turned and fled from the charging beast. He sprinted along the clear path towards his village, his heart pounding. The beast thundered down the same clear path, relentless in its pursuit. Branches and leaves whipped at Elan's face from the sides of the path as he ran, desperately trying to put distance between himself and the beast. The open path offered no obstacles to slow the beast down, making Elan's escape even more desperate.

As he ran, Elan could feel the beast getting closer. He heard its snarls and the pounding of its paws. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his right shoulder and stumbled to the ground. Panic surged through him as he scrambled to his feet, expecting to see a gaping wound. But when he looked, there was no injury, despite the blood. Confused, he glanced back at the beast and saw blood streaming from its right leg.

Realization dawned on him. The beast must have used its injured right leg. 'The beast's leg injury must have weakened, that's why it didn't wound me when it swiped.'

Seeing now that the beast had blocked his path to the village, Elan knew he couldn't go back the way he had come. He had no choice but to run deeper into the dense forest. The thick underbrush would slow the beast down and give him a better chance to escape.

Without hesitation, Elan bolted into the forest. He ducked and weaved through the trees, using the dense foliage to his advantage. The beast chased him relentlessly, but every time it got close, Elan managed to dodge and use the trees to put distance between them. He grabbed branches and pushed them into the beast's path, using anything he could to slow it down.

The beast grew increasingly frustrated and angry, its roars echoing through the forest. Elan could hear the beast's snarls growing louder and more desperate. The pain in its leg seemed to make it even more furious, but it also slowed it down.

They ran for what felt like hours, the forest becoming darker and more treacherous. Elan's breath came in ragged gasps, and his legs burned with exhaustion. He could feel the beast's hot breath on his back, but he kept running, refusing to give up. He knew that stopping would mean certain death.

'I can't keep this up much longer, I have to find a way to lose this beast before I run out of energy.' His mind raced, panic rising within him. Searching for any idea, any possible escape. He scanned the dense forest around him, hoping to spot something he could use to his advantage. Then Elan saw a glimmer of hope when he spotted a narrow stream up ahead. With one last burst of energy, he sprinted towards it, hoping the water would help mask his scent and throw the beast off his trail.

As he ran towards the stream, he could feel his legs struggling to support his weight, and his pace was slowing down. He thought, 'No, no, not now, just a little more.' He pushed his legs to keep running, but they could barely hold him up. Elan felt the beast getting closer, sensing it was nearly upon him.

Elan spotted a fallen tree blocking his path. Summoning all his remaining strength, he forced his legs to keep moving and leaped over the fallen tree. He expected to land on solid ground, but to his horror, he fell through a hidden hole covered by branches and leaves. The sudden drop made his heart leap into his throat.

Meanwhile, the wild beast chasing him felt a surge of triumph. It had been pursuing the boy for hours and now saw him slowing down. The beast, despite the pain in its right paw, sped up, eager to catch its prey. Seeing Elan leap over the fallen tree, the beast followed suit, leaping after him with a powerful bound.

The beast swiped its left paw with all its might, aiming for Elan's head. The swipe was so close that Elan could feel the rush of air as the paw passed just inches from his head. Then he vanished from the beast's sight, leaving the creature confused and momentarily stunned by his sudden disappearance.

The beast skidded to a halt, bewildered, as its prey suddenly vanished. It snarled in frustration, its glowing eyes scanning the area where Elan had disappeared. The beast sniffed the air, trying to catch Elan's scent, but the narrow hole was concealed by a thick bush and branches.

The beast prowled around the area, its massive paws treading heavily on the ground. It growled and clawed at the earth, trying to uncover where its prey had gone. The dense forest echoed with the sounds of its angry roars and the frantic scraping of its claws against the ground.

Meanwhile, Elan was sliding down the hole and screaming, panic was rising in his chest. He thought he had the worst luck—first, he got chased by a massive wild beast and barely escaped by falling into a hole, but now he was sliding into a very dark area, leading to God knows where.

Elan's hands kept moving frantically, trying to find something to grab onto and stop his descent. But no matter how many times he stretched and touched the walls, he couldn't find anything to hold onto.

Without warning, the surface beneath him suddenly disappeared, and he was falling. Elan screamed loudly, not knowing how deep the fall would be or where he would end up, as he couldn't see anything in the pitch darkness. As he fell, his head struck a piece of wood, and he blacked out instantly and landed with a thud in the soft grass.

-----

The first kid, who had run away earlier, made it near the entrance of the village, his legs burning with exhaustion and his lungs heaving. As he stumbled towards the gate, he saw the familiar faces of the hunters who guarded the entrance.

"Help! Help! Please!" he shouted, his voice cracking with desperation. The hunters immediately rushed to him, their faces etched with concern.

One of the hunters, a tall man with a stern face, knelt down to the boy's level. "What's happened? Calm down and tell us."

The kid was speaking so fast and incoherently that the hunters had a hard time understanding him. "Beast... giant beast... attacked... Daren and the others... still out there!"

"Slow down," the hunter said, placing a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder. "Take a deep breath and tell us what happened."

The boy nodded, taking a few deep breaths to steady himself. "We were out on a hunt. Daren and Torin were leading us. Everything was fine until this massive beast appeared out of nowhere near the river. It circled us for a moment, then it showed itself to us, and it was a massive wild beast with very sharp two long teeth. Then Daren instructed us to move to the right so that the beast could see the carcasses of the cowbull, thinking it only wanted the cowbull, but when the massive beast was on the cowbull, it suddenly roared so loudly, and I panicked and ran. I don't know what's happened to them now."

Inside the village, some people had heard the commotion at the gate and began to gather, curious and concerned. Among them was an Elder of the Clan, his face lined with curiosity. He approached the hunters and the boy, his presence commanding attention.

"What has happened?" the Elder asked one of the hunters, his voice calm but urgent.

The hunter quickly relayed what the boy had told him. "The boy says that a massive wild beast appeared out of nowhere near the river. But the boy did not know what happened after he ran away, the others are still out there."

The Elder's eyes widened with concern. He didn't hesitate for a moment. "We must act quickly. Gather the remaining hunters. We need to find them before it's too late."

The hunter nodded and swiftly called for the remaining hunters, about ten in total. They quickly assembled, armed, and ready. The Elder turned to the boy. "Lead us back to where you last saw them. We will follow."

The boy, though exhausted and scared, nodded. "This way," he said, starting back down the path he had fled.