Chapter 8

Test of Mettle

William's Perspective

My heart raced, thumping in my chest and reverberating through my shirt. The world spun around me, a dizzying blur of double vision. I strained to bring everything back into focus, but all I could make out was a tall, fuzzy black figure a few meters away. It emitted a sound, perhaps a roar, but it was lost in the deafening silence that enveloped me.

My attention is pulled away as another blurry figure appears before me. Its brown mess on top matches its blurry face. It looked familiar, but my mind didn't process what was happening as the world turned and rotated.

Eventually, the world started to come back into focus.

It was my father. He was speaking, his words lost in the piercing ring in my ears. My body felt a sensation, a discomfort that I couldn't quite place. It was like pain, but not entirely.

I felt my whole world jerk in many directions as my father shook me, I presume. He looked behind him, then turned back to me as I saw him open his mouth.

His voice was odd, sounding soft and quiet like a whisper. "William," my father said. "William." The more he said it, the louder it became.

That was until it felt like my head was slammed into the ground. My head throbbed every few seconds like someone was applying pressure. Everything returned at once, snapping me out of my daze as the black blob behind my father, Doctor Apple's bear, gave off a thunderous, earth-shaking roar.

"William! Snap out of it," my father bellowed. I could see the frustration, anger, and fear in his eyes. I shook my head as he let go of me to face the bear. "I need you here with me!"

I looked around to realize my sword, still in its sheath, was on the ground, and I started to crawl to it desperately as my lungs tried to collect as much oxygen as I could inhale.

Slamming my hand onto the hilt, I stood up and swung it onto my belt behind me, hearing the same click as the one back at the house. Pulling the blade out of its sheath, I readied myself as best as I could, lining up behind my father as he faced towards the bear.

The bear slammed its front claws down, forcing parts of the ground upward, making small boulders. Then, the bear swung its claws, smacking the boulders as they hurled toward us.

My father and I scattered away as he shot a few magic arrows at the bear, forcing it to cover its face. A few arrows started sizzling around the bear's claws until they exploded, but the bear didn't flinch. It didn't even recognize the attack.

The bear's roar sent shockwaves that made it difficult for me to move closer to it, so I took cover near the trees.

Even behind the trees, its roar made the whole forest tremble. Looking down at the black veins that plagued the floor, they connected to the trees. I soon watched the trees start to wither away, eventually twisting and contorting till it was nothing but a disfigurement of its glorious self.

I soon watched as the bear dashed towards my father. My father, however, shot an arrow at his feet as a wall of earth erupted underneath him, sending him over the bear as it charged straight through the wall, making it crumble on top of it and knocking over a few trees.

The ground rattled from the tremors as I came out of hiding to see the current condition of the bear.

"Well, silver is no good here!" my father proclaimed as he continued to fire more arrows at the bear as it emerged from the rubble.

"How so?" I ask, trying to collect my breath as much as I can, my mind still reeling at the idea of this being a companion to one of my father's friends.

"Silver affects the living; this thing is already dead!" my father answered, pulling a bottle from his pouch and tossing it at the bear as he shot it.

Liquid splashed all over the bear as its flesh started to burn, making it roar in pain. Its roar sent many twigs and tree branches flying.

It turned around to face us as it brought its arms into a cross, and many bone-looking spikes appeared out of its skin.

"Fan-fucking-tastic!" I yelled out. I was useless here. I didn't have anything that could help my father. The only thing I can do is stay out of the way.

The bear swung its arms open as many spikes flew out of it. I swung my sword out, cutting down some of the bone-looking spikes, but there were too many. Luckily, my father shot an arrow at my feet as an ice wall appeared before me, stopping a few of the spikes before they could hit me.

I felt the cold air from my father's magic around me as I ran back for more cover. I didn't know it could attack with range. What can I do?

I got some distance as the ground continued to break apart from the bear's strength, watching it battle my father. I have to help him. But how? I didn't have any magic to use. Nor was I a Dragon Rider.

I furrowed my brow in frustration, hating my lack of strength and ability. I wish I could be more helpful. Sweat dripped down my face as I tried to collect myself.

"Will!" my father uttered loudly at me. "I could use some help!"

I saw my father on the bear's neck, standing up as he shot two arrows at the bear's feet. Ice shards shot out of the ground as the arrows made impact, trapping the bear's legs in place. My father then proceeded to jump off the bear, firing more arrows. The arrows lunged into the bear's back, where the rib-like appendage protruded up and out like teeth, exploding as pieces of flesh flew out.

The wind of the explosion rushed past me as I ran up to my father. "How am I supposed to help?" I yelled at him. "I'm useless in this fight."

The bear managed to pull its legs out and roared at us. We started to slide back from the shockwaves, sliding across the forest floor as it turned into a churned and desolated battleground the longer we fought. The bear readied to charge at us.

My father scoffed. "Here!" he muttered as he tossed me a bottle. I caught it until I saw my father sweep my foot with his bow.

I wanted to curse him, but before I could say anything, I felt my back connect with the ground. Quickly turning to see, my father fired another arrow at my feet, making me turn to see the bear charging at me.

The ground slid forward with me on top of it as I screamed out. Panic filled me as I watched myself get pulled towards the charging beast. I held my breath, unable to close my eyes, as adrenaline pumped into my veins. I slowly watched as I slid in between the bear's legs, seeing its head follow my movements as its lifeless eyes widened in shock. Its dreadful stench filled my nose as I came to see its torso-like mouth; its ribs that protruded out tried to grab hold of me. It had a pitch-black mouth with a sickly red flesh that connected the ribs and another row of bones that would crunch down on anything that entered it.

Instinctively, I threw the bottle my father tossed to me up at it. Sliding behind it, I stopped screaming as the ground stopped pulling me. Standing up on my knees and turning around, I managed to spot my father firing another set of arrows that curved underneath the bear's body.

A loud bang erupted from the bear as I covered my face from incoming debris from the forest, feeling the twigs, sticks, and pebbles hitting my arm.

"Attack while it's distracted!"

Not second-guessing my father, I saw the bear lying flat on the ground. Crashed and disoriented from the explosion, I ran at it from behind, hacking and slashing its hide. The sword landed, cutting through the flesh with ease.

The bear howled in pain as it got back up, swinging its claws wide, forcing me to jump back to evade. I jumped farther back, only for it to swing its other arm at me again. I jumped farther back, only for it to swing its arms the opposite way, taking advantage of its sharpened-up knuckles. I luckily rolled forward underneath its arm and sliced at its side as I made my way to my father.

"You're welcome!" He proclaimed.

"Are you kidding me!" I yelled at him, angered at the idea he almost got me killed. "I almost died."

"You're too stuck in your head," he replied, firing more arrows at the bear as it slammed its claws down, sending pillars of rocks at us. We scattered as the rocks impaled a few trees behind us. "Will! The trees! Cut them!"

"What!?"

"Just do it!"

The bear rushed at my father as he fired arrows at the ground, making the bear slide on all fours. Following my father's advice, I made a mad dash to the trees behind us, noticing the large rocks impaled in them. I assumed the tree was thicker than my father had realized.

"You want me to cut this?!" Is he crazy? No one can cut this down without a better sword or equipment.

"Stop questioning and do it when I tell you!"

Looking up at the tree, I realized why he wanted me to cut it down—it was huge. But does he really believe in me to do so?

Hearing another roar, I see my father leading the bear towards me. "Now!"

I raised my sword, not questioning the stupidity of what I was doing. I swung with all I had, every ounce of strength my body could muster, as I clenched my eyes tight. I felt resistance, but I tried to push through.

Opening up my eyes, I saw what could only be a miracle.

I cut the tree. How?

I didn't cut all the way, though, just enough to realize it was falling over and approaching the ground. Parts of the tree stomp followed the tree, pulling the roots out of the ground. The sheer weight of it all overpowered mine, and the roots sent me flying up, howling out in surprise. Not noticing what was happening, I heard a loud thud along with a painful howl.

I gasped as I landed on something tough and furry. The putrid smell was nauseating, and I was surprised that I hadn't puked from the presence alone. I opened my eyes soon to discover I was on the bear's neck, dangling off its side as it tried to bite me.

"Will!" I heard my father shout at me.

Adrenaline got to me as I climbed up, holding onto my sword as if my life depended on it. I stood on the bear's shoulder, seeing it holding up the tree with its arm.

I cut the tree; I can cut this bear!

Swinging again, I brought my blade down to the bear's neck. It was as tough as the previous times I slashed at the bear. No. Thicker, as I felt something hard inside the bear. I pushed even harder as my sword cleaved through the bear's neck, decapitating it.

The bear's body slumped lifelessly and fell onto the ground as I jumped away from it. I tried to land on my feet but fell onto the ground, rolling out as my head spun. The tree the bear was holding up fell right on top of it, obliterating the remains.

My heart continued to race as dust and debris filled my nose, making me cough hard as my father tackled me, grabbing my face. "You good? Your safe? You aren't injured?"

He started turning my head left and right, up and down, then checked my arms and back. "I'm fine, father; I am unharmed." I coughed out.

Hearing him sigh in relief, he holstered me back off the ground. "That's good, but now isn't the time to rest. We must warn Hearthglen."

My heart started to slow down as my head finally no longer felt like someone was squeezing it every few seconds. I wiped the sweat off of my forehead as I finally was able to breathe normally.

"Why?" I asked.

We killed the Creature of the Blight. I took its head off. Me. I did it with one cut. I did that. Sure, my father helped me and put the monster into a position that allowed me to. But I cut its head off in one cut. I did!

Before my father spoke, a horde of screams and howls echoed throughout the forest behind us, farther up north. Some noises came from the hole as well—the Blight Nest.

I turned to face the direction with my father. Sword at the ready as black blood poured down the blade. Black blood?

The sky slowly darkened, and the forest was eerie black, like a shadow in brooding daylight. The only thing we could see was right in front of us: trees.

"We are on top of a Blight's Nest, William. Think about it." my father snarled as he readied his bow, backing away from the direction the sounds were coming from. "We are leaving. Now," he yelled out.

Turning around to my father, we started to sprint. My heart throbbed painfully as I ran as fast as possible—even faster than my father for brief moments. He stood ahead as I tried to maneuver around the bushes, logs, and trees. Vaulting over each log sloppily, my father did it perfectly, never losing momentum.

We continue to run together as if the devil is chasing us.

"I can't fucking believe you sent me sliding at the dam bear!" I blurted out loud. I was irritated that my father would make such a risky move.

"You were panicking!"

"That is a perfectly natural response to such a situation."

Before I could keep speaking, I was hit with a massive wave of nausea as I came to a complete stop. I emptied my stomach. I guess the disgusting body of the bear, the battle we just went through, and all the running was getting to my body. I started to hyperventilate. My mind clouded.

"No, no, no! Not here!" My father came to my side, tossing my arm over his shoulder as he started to carry me out of the forest. "Remember your dream. Becoming a Dragon rider and fighting the Blight so you can avenge your mother. To protect Drakelene. All of that stuff."

My breath was heavy and fast. My mind spun as my vision collapsed like looking down into a tunnel. Trying to resist as more bile spilled from my mouth. "I failed to be a rider, father," I mumbled weakly as my feet dragged on the ground, leaving a trail behind me. "I am a failure."

More eerie screams could be heard from the forest as we came into the clearing, where we saw Hearthglen and the mountain. "Don't talk like that! You killed that bear back there. You took its head off in one clean cut, even chopped down a tree! Don't quit on me now. You made it this far, didn't you?"

I threw myself off of my father as more bile spilled out of me. My vision split even more as my head felt like it was being crushed.

After puking one last time, my heart finally started to slow itself down, and my vision realigned, allowing me to see. I weakly stumbled onto my knees, using my sword to push myself up off the ground and onto my feet. "Ya. You're right," I responded half-heartedly.

I looked up at my father, who nodded in approval and made a dash to Hearthglen. I followed behind him, returning my sword to its sheath on my back as my mind continued to spiral down.

Even if I killed that bear in a single swing, my father did all the fighting while I was behind him like a coward. I use swords; he uses a bow, and I should be in the front. How would the Dragon Riders accept me?

I don't even want to imagine if Barren saw me.

"They aren't leaving the forest," my father remarked. His voice was filled with concern, seeing his face etched with confusion.

"Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe the Blight literally can't leave this forest."

"Impossible, the Blight doesn't care for anything, just mindless monsters."

We sprinted away from the forest, running across the grassy field towards Hearthglen, occasionally jumping over holes or rocks to avoid tripping.

I don't want a broken ankle out here.

The ground was steady, but it wasn't harsh like the ground where we fought the bear. The ground was brittle and mucky-like due to our battle and from all the black veins that sprouted across the floor. Here, the grass was green and healthy.

We continued to run. My feet kept digging into the ground with each step. I pushed my legs as hard as possible to run faster, making my feet hit the ground much harder than intended. We soon noticed that the screams from the forest went silent. I thought it was weird until I felt it.

My heart skipped a beat as cold air went down my spine. A very distinct presence came into my mind, sensing it. It was very far away, passing upon what I was feeling. I turned my head back towards Zarmen Forest.

What am I feeling? Something was telling me that something was there, off in the distance.

"What's wrong?" turning to see my father looking dead at me.

"Can you feel that?"

"No! What is it you feeling?"

"I don't know. It feels like something is out there." I don't understand it either. I could feel something familiar but different, like comparing two different-colored flowers. They are both flowers, but they are different. But what was it similar to?

"There!"

I soon realized we were at the gate to Hearthglen. I was so distracted that I didn't know how close we were. The gate was closed, however.

"Open the gate!" my father demanded, yelling fifty feet away.

The gate guards turned to us. "What's the rush?!" We heard an answer back.

"Blight! In the forest!" We both shouted at the guard.

We ran to the gate, the door still closed. We grabbed the bars and tried to lift them. "We must warn the City and the Riders now!" My father commanded.

"The Blight never comes this far north, nor do they spawn up here. Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

The gate guards looked at each other as one approached the wall tower and pulled a lever, opening the door. The other went over to grab a crossbow with a bottle on it. My father and I entered as the gate closed back up, running into the courtyard.

The guard fired his crossbow into the sky, and a black explosion detonated. Then he turned to us. "This will alert the riders of the so-called sighted Blight. Head home, lock yourself up until otherwise, and be ready for an evacuation if needed."

The guard ran off as I tried to say something, but my father pulled my arm, leading me deeper into the city.

"Father, where are we going? Our home is outside. Where are we supposed to go exactly?" I asked feebly.

"The Guild," he answered as he started to run off down the streets.

I sighed, slowly dragging my feet till I went into a light jog.

Why are we heading to the Guild? Especially now! What is the point?

"We are leaving tonight! I need to call on some favors and supplies." My head almost spun. I wanted to ask why but wasn't ready to question anything. If anything, I wanted to be left alone. My father had to stop and wait for me. "This is the perfect opportunity to leave. No one would question it."

"Figures," I muttered coldly as I caught up to him, as we turned to run together.

How much longer are we going to run? I'm exhausted. I can feel my veins pumping in my legs and arms. My breathing was shaky, and hoarse.

My legs were surprisingly relaxed. Usually, one's leg would start hurting after running for a long time. Yet, the only thing I can feel is my veins pumping. My whole body didn't ache in pain exactly. Sure, there are minor bruises and sores from battling, but nothing like being exhausted.

"What's wrong? Where's your loud and usual self?" my father asked as hundreds of Dragon Riders started to fly through the sky. Roars echoed throughout the city, making us stop moving for a moment until we turned down an avenue.

Many of the usual carts or beasts that people used to move around the city started to turn down alleyways. Everyone was starting to freak out as a few guards yelled out orders. Many massive beasts began to freak out.

They know what's coming.

"A lot just happened, Father. I'm just trying to process all of it." I managed to answer as a violet dragon roared out right above us.

A few other dragons that were grounded jumped on top of buildings, hoping from one to another as they took off.

"Well, good. We're almost there. You see it!" he said, pointing his finger out towards the familiar brick building we go to every time we finish hunting. It was the Guild house.

It was a few blocks away.

My heart throbbed from exhaustion. But we are close now. Just a few more steps, just a few more buildings an̸̘̑d̶͇̅̍́̆̊ Ị̶̛̦̩̹̥͌̂͠ c̷̡̝̉̓̓͂̑͛́͂̚ą̷̨̡̱̬̞̣̮͙̊̀̔͂̈̽̍̚̕ͅn̶̠̫̺̅̐͂͋́̅ ̵̛̰̋̉̂̔̈́̎̑̊̓͝r̴̩̹̱̯̆̈̈́̄̒͆́͝ḛ̵̭̙̯̏͌̃̓̚͝ś̶͔̟̻͕́̂͌̈̋̏̓͠t̶̢̥̹̘͉̖̮͈̦̏.

Я̲̲̝͖͌̌̓̚͞ͅі̢̱̥̾̐͑ↁ̨̨̉̏э͇̼͓̘͊̎͊̄͑͘͟͜ѓ͇̪̝́̈́͡ѕ̢̭̖̱͎͓̼̯͋̇̎̾͐͝͞͠

My eyes widened as I fell to my knees, feeling my pants starting to tear, my kneecaps scraping the pavement. But I couldn't feel anything. I couldn't hear anything. Nothing...

This sensation, ringing throughout my body and soul, forced me to listen, demanding a response. I can see my father running towards me, sliding onto the ground next to me, and yelling out my name, but I can't hear him. My head spun as if someone was grabbing it and turning it upside down, but there was no sickening feeling of discomfort. Everything slowed down until it felt like even time stopped.

҉̞̐G͕̲͚̠̙̗̍̾͐̃͌̑҉̛̭̯̫̗̠̝͈̔̍̈͊̕͠҉̬͑i̧̡̯̻̠͒̈́̍͂͐҉҉̧̝̜̲̜̺͓͚̊̌̓̈͛͆̈͘v̬̣̟̫͇̰̇̓͊̔͋̄͢͝҉̺̑͠ͅ҉͍̙̼̗̫́̒͗͂͘e̛̮̳̺̤͛̑̀̚͢͜͞͞ͅ҉̧̛͎͍̗͈̥̫̾̎̓̇͞͝ ̨̺͓̟͊̑̈́͠҉̥̳̩̺̊̂̾͠Ỷ̞҉̛͓̤̠̇̆҉̧̧̩̻̪̥̩͋̽̎̀̏͝͡ơ͔̫̫͎̭̄̃̈͐͜͜͠͝҉̧̙̼͖̻̝̭̿͛̎͋̆͊̔҉̡͔̝̘̦̌̉̑͘̕͟͠u̧͖̘͙̰̬̞̔̓̔̐̋̈̎̏͜҉̢̼̦̖̍̌̇̚̕͟҉̮̳̳̣̘̀̐̾̓͌̕͟r͙̺̫͗̓̄҉̗̩̮͓͚̣̩̫́̌̂̽͌͘̚͡ ̺̼͚͊̒̌͡ͅ҉̝͚̗̭̤̍̋̋͑̃W̧̪̺̺̬̹͒̆̆̆͐͌͟͝҉͍̱̤̞̍̂͂̌҉̦̤͈̙̓́́̇i̡̤̬͕̯̳̞̞̔͊͛͊̑͗̓̚҉͚̤͓̬̲̠̈͒͌̓͂̉̚͜҉̜͇̱̼̟̅̌͑́̇̀͢͟͝l͓͉̱̼̠̇̀͑̃̿̚͟҉҉̥͞l̠̘̤͍̼̮̓̓̊́̐̓̄͟҉̮͋ ̟̊̿͜҉̧̤̞͎̦̲̤͒̏̔̂̈̋̇̚ͅȚ̛̞̈́̾͢҉͓̆҉̲̜͇͊̚̚ó̢̞͙̻́̋̕͜͞҉̤̱̩̗̽͒͐͗ ̡̯̈́̔҉̡̖̗̯̔͐̈́̔҉̖̗̔͐M͇̦̀͝҉҉̞̤͓̘̪̗̜̔̾͒͋͢͝͠͡͠ḙ̯̇̎҉̤̹̯̮͓͔́̔͊̓̆̄̕͢͢͠͞

The only thing I felt after was pain.