The War Against Aberon (Rough Draft #1)

Chapter Three

 Zaffre froze. She froze at the worst possible time to freeze. Her mind was screaming at her to run, run, and never stop. Blood was rushing in her ears, her heartbeat a thunderstorm in her chest, and her knees shook like wind thrashed trees. In a couple of paces, the Volbrix would be upon her and she didn't know what to do. It was like she was stuck where she was, her body ten steps behind what her thoughts told her to do. She found herself rooted to the spot praying to whatever gods above that she made it through alive. 

    Then it was before her, its hard body heated in anger in front of her. Eyes crazed and clawed hand raised to strike her down in one fell swoop. It was at that time that her fear-stuck body decided to move and it did so quickly. Pushing her legs hard she flung herself to the side. The talons on the monstrous thing were mere breaths away from carving into her belly. She'd moved too quickly though, and found herself lying in the dirt. On her stomach, she heard the Volbrix on its wrath-fueled way. She flipped onto her back as quickly as she could. The sword somehow still in her grasp raised to block the oncoming threat. 

    Teeth bared the bird-like mammoth rushed toward her and roared like nothing Zaffre had ever heard before. It stood over her, heaving feather chest puffing with blood-lusting breaths. She stared the Volbrix in the eyes, a horror reaching into her gut and pulling it into her throat. She screamed. Its mouth on its way to claim her head as a stomach-filling prize. In a last-ditch effort, Zaffre moved the sword from its defensive position over her chest and attempted to plunge it into the soft flesh under the green feathers on the creature's chest. 

    Red blood spurted out over her face and covered her eyes. Blind Zaffre slashed wildly until the Volbrix growled in pain and jumped away. She rose to her feet as quickly as she good, wiping the blood from her vision and blinking her eyes clear. When she could once again see she was terrified. Instead of a deep clean stab like she intended she'd slashed the beast twice, only causing a further fury to enter the beast's mind. She backed up. 

    Her movement caught the attention of the Volbrix once more who'd been licking at its dripping wounds. Zaffre feared she would die. Praying for a miracle she slid her feet and backed away further into the horse's field. The animals having had long since hidden in their paddocks inside the barn. The monstrosity of an animal moved in, murder all over its feathered face. Zaffre had nothing to do but lift her now blood-tipped weapon and hope for a quick end. As she watched it prowl closer she wished she knew how to properly fight a monster. A job she'd always left for her parent's as a child she felt she was letting all their hard work go to waste. 

    As its chest rumbled in anticipation, Zaffre trembled where she stood. At the last second when Zaffre thought the behemoth would go for its life-ending slash it turned and swiped its tail far faster than Zaffre could move away. The blow struck hard. The crack of bone could've been heard for miles as she went flying into the grasses to her left. Wind knocked out of her, and her chest in agony, she gasped for air she knew wasn't there. Limply lying she could only watch in abject terror as she awaited the death she knew was coming. 

    The slightly bloody Volbrix approached its prey quickly after sending it onto its back. Boned tail flicking back and forth and clawed paws digging into the dirt after each step it arrived at Zaffre's panting body. Ears pinned back and yellow eyes large she stared as the beast presided over her. Taloned appendage lifted the bird-thing set its massive foot on her already pain-filled chest. Zaffre could only release a cry of anguish. The Volbrix dipped its head low and Zaffre smelt its horrendous breath as it was breathed over her face. Drool dripped down onto her cheek as she squinted her eyes closed. The pointed teeth of her maker were the last thing she glimpsed. 

    "Get off my daughter you fiend!"

    Zaffre's eyes flew open at the outraged cry a second before the Volbrix yelped and quickly moved off of her to stand defensively next to her. She lifted her head and couldn't believe her eyes. Her mother stood in front of their home with what looked like was a bean bag in her hand. She learned immediately that it was a projectile as Jahzarni threw it at the monster that a moment prior had been about to devour her head. The missile struck true and the bean bag liked object exploded into a cloud of pink as it made contact with the Volbrix's shoulder. The predator clearly disliked it by the whine that left its bloodied maw. 

   Zaffre saw her mother send one more of the bags at the beast before the horse devouring enemy had had enough of the powder and ran into the woods just behind their lands. Jahzarni stood defensively for a moment longer before losing her protective stance and rushing over to her only child a worried expression marring her face. The distraction of the quick ending standoff had taken Zaffre's cogitation on her pain away for a few minutes, but with immediate danger gone, it came back full force. Her head dropped back to the green.

    "Oh honey I should've come to help sooner, where did it get you?" Zaffre's mother kneeled down beside her. 

    "I got a full force tail hit to the ribs," she gasped out. At her admission, Jahzarni looked alarmed. 

    "Lord's have mercy, just lay there a minute, I'm going to get some supplies." Before she could get any words out, Zaffre watched her mother rush back to the house. There was no way she would be going anywhere when it felt like a tree had fallen onto her torso. Sighing in discomfort, she tried to settle herself into the ground, wincing at any minor movement. This day had not gone in the way she hoped. Zaffre could only dream that when the Volbrix came back, as it undoubtedly would, she would be ready. Though, the torture in her ribs told her that that was a far from likely scenario. 

Word Count-1092

A/N 

At the top of this chapter, there should be a basic map of what I envision Vale Havon to somewhat look like. Hope it helps your imagination! Thanks for reading and please vote and comment your thoughts!

Next time, 

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