Chapter 1: The beast and the manly

Beta-read by ColdWinter12.

It started with a simple summoning ritual, one that many before me had done without a hitch.

"We can't just leave him here! Oh God! I didn't mean to hit him," my best friend Jahith cries, voice trembling.

I drew the ritual according to the book. I inscripted every letter and sigil with precision and practiced the incantation for weeks. It was supposed to be perfect.

"He's lost too much blood. It's already too late for him! He won't make it!" Samad, my other friend, screams and his words leave me staring at him with a mix of disbelief and horror. We always had our differences sure. But this...

My ears ring, and my eyes feel heavy. I thought that either way worst-case scenario, I would've acquired a weak Rafik.*

My companions yell at each other through the shallow background noise of the forest. The Shallal Spell* we put on the creature won't hold for much longer. My shoulders shudder at the thought of that beast.

I couldn't have summoned that thing.

There's an inch deep gash in my abdomen, and I feel numb. Cold sweat runs down my forehead and the horror in my chest grows with every exchanged scream between Samad and Jahith.

"We don't have time!" Samad pulls at his short blond hair in frustration, and Jahith looks down at me with hesitant brown eyes.

"No…" I say, but my voice ends up as a whisper. "Don't leave me…"

Jahith's hold against the gash on my abdomens loosens slightly. My head hurts, and my ears are still ringing from the noise. Panic clouds my senses. I have to do something.

"I can still stand…" I say feebly and will myself up but fail, my knees hitting the dirt. Jahith glances at me with regret and worry. Samad evades my eyes, and I feel a sudden hollowness inside me.

"I can... Just give me a second."

But then, a terrifying screech echoes through the forest and everything stills. Fear cuts through me, and my head turns sharply in horror. It's that creature.

Suddenly, the world around me explodes into chaos. The forest erupts as animals burst fleeing in a mad dash. Samad bolts in flight as well, "MOVE!" he screams, pulling Jahith along forcefully.

"No! Wait…" I wail.

"Oh God! I'm so sorry Khaled..." Jahith apologizes regretfully.

In a matter of seconds, Jahith and Samad are gone, leaving me wounded, defenceless, and on the verge of death. The sadness and despair quickly erupts into anger, and I dig my fingers into the muddy ground.

Even though we were supposed to be comrades, they still abandoned me. I push back the bitterness and anger of betrayal, and I force my trembling limbs back up again. In a useless effort to stop the blood from flowing, I clamp a hand over my stomach, but my feet protest in pain as I step forward. Shit. Shit. Shit.

I never expected to feel this much regret at deciding to recruit Samad into our team for the yearly Riaf tournament instead of Kais Zoumorrod, who is good at healing spells. I thought I could trust him.

My chest constricts as I feel the overwhelming presence of that beast nearing me. I gasp and fight for air, while trying to make sense of my surroundings. Trees intertwine, blocking and rendering my path difficult. Branches press against each other and block the evening's moonlight, not helping my already blurry vision.

I have to get out of here. I have to reach the Bab connecting to Kabila.

I freeze in mid step. Kabila... My stomach drops at the thought of the monster entering my hometown and killing all the villagers, especially my little brother, Youssef. I can't do that. I can't put anyone else in danger. The creature screeches again.

Now what?

Run? Where to? The beast is quick because of its long hind legs. It will reach me anytime now. I'm wounded and already exhausted from the ritual. I can't even protect myself. I'm going to die. A strangled sob escapes me, turning into a pathetic, disgusting wail as I lean on a random tree.

Blood drenches my clothes and pools to the ground. I hear the sound of swishing leaves and the restless growls emanating from the depths of the forest, quickly closing in on me. I hold my breath, and I can only bite the inside of my cheek as another shrill cry echoes throughout the forest.

Damn it! This isn't fair. I clench my fist and summon all my remaining strength to stagger up. I can't give up like this!

Suddenly, the humanoid creature that is supposed to be my Rafik emerges. Not far away from me, a pair of glaring slitted red eyes zero on my trembling form. As human as it appeared with its mud streaked dark hair, it has a death-like bluish skin and is twice the size of a human. Its face is covered in scars. It runs on four as if it were a child imitating a horse. With its bloodstained sharp claws extended, the being gallops awkwardly towards me. It has long, skinny legs and a bulging stomach that seems out of place. As the beast closes in on me with every second, the smell of its putrid rotting flesh invades my senses. For a moment, I think it smiled.

Silent screams of horror threaten to escape me, and I sprint off, fear guiding my trembling limbs forward. My thoughts mix into senseless cries of frenzy as my whole body goes into survival mode, the flaring pain in my abdomen becoming a secondary focus. But the monster is faster, and in a matter of seconds, it's behind me. Its rancid smell invades my senses and my heart sinks. This is the end.

The thought crushes any glimmer of hope and strength I had. My knees buckle, and I fall head first, my hands stretched out forward. The monster jumps over me and then rushes through the intertwining trees.

What? The relief hits me and I glance carefully at the retreating figure of the decaying beast. I don't know what is happening, and I don't think I want to know. All that matters is that I'm alive. I cover my head with both shivering hands and relish in the moment. I laugh, gasp, and then freeze.

It went north. To the Bab. To Kabila.

Thunder strikes the ground a couple of feet away from where the creature had disappeared. It leaves a crack through the fabric of space itself as a human hand emerges from it. Fingers wiggle out experimentally. And, I watch because I can't do anything else because I can't even move anymore. My heart wrenches, and my limbs tremble uncontrollably. This all my fault, and I can't do anything to stop that beast. Because I've already lost too much blood, my sight is blurring, and my body is turning numb.

Youssef…

Another hand breaks through the crack, clasps at its edges and tears it open as powerful Riaf leaks through. Eyes peer from behind the ever-growing tear, and suddenly the air is filled with a putrid smell.

From faraway, the decaying humanoid creature's shriek echoes through the forest, and I shudder. Such powerful Riaf. If only I were that strong.

The man smirks, "Jackpot."

Then he opens up a passage to stride through. The stench grows unbearable, and I feel suffocated.

"Finally!" he reaches out a sleeve and dries rolling tears from his face as the rip behind him closes. His eyes look red and his skin pale. He looks like a man running from a warzone.

"I can do this... I can save them." His lips pull up in a grin and a newfound hope rattles my heart.

Maybe, I can stop the monster from reaching Kabila.

He slowly stands up, his smudged coat ruffling behind him, and I yell, "HELP!"

Our eyes meet, and he madly rushes to me, inspecting my face with calloused hands. His black bloodshot eyes grow wider, and his gaze drops down to the puddles of blood coating my clothes and the ground. His lips part to say something, and I clamp a trembling hand on his shoulder. Darkness threatens to swallow me.

"That beast," I whisper," It went north...before it reaches my village… Destroy the Bab... Please."

The man glances down at my gash, and his expression tightens. He starts to say something, but I can't hear the rest of his words as my vision darkens. The last thing I feel is utter desperation and anger at myself.

I should've known better.

A/N:

*Rafik: familiar

*Shallal spell: paralyzing Spell