Back in the Jungle

The familiar sense of being watched overcame me. Or rather it felt like something was stalking me. Unlike before it was like the presence of the tiger was immediately known to me. Of course, for several nights now I had this same dream.

My memory was perfect, down to the smell and even the feel of the humid air. Sometimes it would be raining and others it was this sticky heat that made my clothes stick to my skin. I hated that the most.

There was no point in staying in one place and I had already explored this dungeon with Kei. So I headed towards the exit in the shortest route possible. Soon the familiar orange stripes appeared through the large and tangled trees in front of me.

Since the ground was dense and vines hung from virtually everywhere I was relatively close to the tiger before I saw it. It seemed to be taking a nap in front of the entrance of the exit. I did not let its leisurely appearance distract me.

I was very much aware that the tiger was aware of my presence. There was no point to linger anywhere else in this massive jungle. I would have to go through that doorway to leave and it knew it.

The tiger lifted the eyelid of its left eye to glare at me as I exited the tree line. I held back the fear that made me want to flee back into the trees. The two large fangs looked menacing to me as the tiger yawned.

Now that I was this close I could tell that this tiger was different from the one that Kei and I came across. For one it was a lot less aggressive. I knew that if I tried to make it to the door that it would attack me. Kei had used a long two handed sword against the tiger from before, but I was more used to the knives I had grown accustomed to using.

I had a short frame, so any large weapons were too unwieldy for me to handle. I did get a lighter one handed sword from the guild that was made out of monster parts. It was fashioned from some kind of insect in another dungeon that I had not visited yet.

I pulled it out of my bag and the unfamiliar grip felt uncomfortable. I felt like a novice holding a sword for the first time. Yes, I had spent several years honing many weapon abilities to prepare for the dungeon, but nothing really prepared you for the real thing.

My arms were shaking. I must have looked terrified, because the tiger stretched while arching its back as it finally decided to deal with me. When I looked at the frame of the tiger it looked like the monster that had killed Kei was overlapping this one and I began to try to reason with myself to run away.

There was no point in running away. The only way out of this place was through this giant monster in front of me. If I wasn't forced to this floor I would have never come back. How could someone be so cruel as to just deposit me back to this place?

The blood stains on the jungle floor were gone, but I knew where he had died. It was a few meters away from where I stood now. The place where only a bundle of blood and flesh lay.

A huff of hot breath filled my face as my eyes refocused. My legs felt frozen as I realized the tiger had gotten much too close while my mind was replaying my awful memory. What was I doing? I deserved to die for blanking out in a battle.

A tingling sensation started coursing through the veins in my legs. No, I needed to survive this time. I didn't need to make it any easier for this tiger. Using my whole body I raised the sword up over my head and struck at the tiger.

I could see the look of confusion on its face as I struck it dead in the center of its head. A growl ripped from its jaws as it took a step back and shook its head. Despite using my full strength I did not seem to damage its thick hide.

'Did I just anger it without doing any damage? What am I going to do?'

While the monster shook its head I put some distance in between us. It seemed my luck still had not run out. If the tiger had chosen to attack me while I was standing there like an idiot then I would probably be just like Kei.

I needed to value my life more. I probably wouldn't get sent to the past again if I die. The tiger crouched as it got ready to leap upon me. A growl had been rumbling out of its chest ever since I smacked it on the head. It seemed to be some kind of attack on its own.

Every time the growl started I felt an almost terrifying fear bubble up from my chest. However, the feeling of dying helped me push past it. Was this some sort of status affect? That is probably why it just walked up to me without attacking. I was under the influence of its attack.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead. The jungle atmosphere was really rough. The tiger and I circled each other. It could tell I was not under the influence of its attack any longer. The real battle would begin soon. I wish I had a better quality weapon, but if I pulled my knives out for those sharp claws I would most definitely lose.

The exit was directly behind me, but I knew if I turned and ran that I would never make it. The tiger went to crouch again, but this time instead of just growling at me it leapt into the air. I deflected its sharp claws and sent up a prayer thankful that the thin blade did not break in the clash.

Its thick tail flicked back and forth as it turned to face me once more.

'I get it. It is annoying when the puny human doesn't die on the first strike. You were just enjoying a nice nap on this hot, humid day and your day was interrupted by me.'

The tiger leaped once more, but this time I moved forward so I was positioned under its soft belly as it started to pass me. I dug my foot into the ground as the blade cut through the fur above me. It was so heavy. I gritted my teeth as I held on through the protest in my arms and shoulders.

An ear piercing scream made my ears ring and my hearing left me. I looked around wildly and saw the tiger a few meters behind me. Gone was the playful demeanor from before and it almost felt like an aura was coming off the tiger. Pure anger.

I could not help myself from taking a step back. Even as blood dripped down its back leg it did not seem like I had done much damage to it. My blade was still intact, a small thing to be grateful for. The tiger did not leap at me this time. Instead, it approached me with caution, having learned from its past mistake.

It was at this time that movement behind the tiger caught my eye. For just a moment a figure blinked into existence. A familiar figure. I wanted to focus on the figure, but the tiger was close enough to launch a strike at me with its paw.

I managed to deflect its claws and looked to where I saw the figure. It was gone. I gritted my teeth and refocused back on the tiger. Another attack came at my hip this time. I pivot my foot and just barely managed to escape.

Each time I tried to put distance in between myself and the tiger it closed the distance. My strength was starting to wane and I knew that I would not last much longer. When I dodged its claws, it tried to get me with its teeth. I needed to somehow deal a finishing blow.

This little war of attrition seemed to tire out the tiger as well. I could see blood splattered all around the small clearing around the exit. The blood loss seemed to be weakening it as we fought.

If I tried to close my distance to the exit, the tiger would attack me more fiercely as if it was programmed to defend the exit at all costs. I took a large step towards the door. It was difficult to keep my eyes on the tiger and the exit at the same time.

My hearing didn't seem to come back at all so I was basically reliant on my sight. A searing pain ripped into my side. The claws had ripped through my new armor. I wanted to curse, but it would do no good in this situation.

Instead of taking one step toward the door, I took three. The pain in my side was unbearable, but I forced air into my lungs and slashed at the tiger beside me.