It was moving along the side of the path we walked on, blending into the trees that I swore would move in the corner of my eyes. I had to concentrate like really, really hard just to see it properly. I wished I didn't though because it was something you'd only see in nightmares. It was something I wish I could run from.
'Monster,' I thought, thinking of what my punishment was supposed to be, to slay monsters.
There was no way to describe what it looked like because everytime I tried to concentrate on it, the figure would change.
"Tyde..." I whispered, horrified and frozen on the spot.
"Shh. It's a shifter," He whispered back.
"A shifter?" I questioned, my voice soft.
"A class-B monster escaped from the depths of Hell, very dangerous if agitated, very stealthy but if approached correctly, it will hopefully show its true form and only then can be slayed," Tyde explained.
"Hopefully," I echoed.
"Shh," Tyde murmured as the shifter came closer and closer.
We stayed in that position until it walked past us, completely ignoring us. Tyde suddenly whipped out a weapon- that looked like a chakram- and proceeded to charge for the back of the shifter.
As his weapon made contact with the shifter, it turned around to face us, releasing a roar so loud it almost made my ears pop.
The shifter could use a breathmint or two the size of a puppy.... Or a really, really big stick of chewing gum- preferably mint flavoured.
Its figure shimmered as it turned into a two foot tall creature. It stood on all four legs growling at us. It looked like an agitated puppy except it had black reptilian-like skin and glowing magenta eyes, it also wasn't the size of normal puppies anymore.
"Aww.... It's so cute!!" I cooed, my child shifted in my arms, I glanced at him realizing his eyes shone with fear.
"Cute but deadly," Tyde grumbled.
It took one step forward before it appeared before me- "Dodge!" Tyde screamed- before it clawed my leg. When its claws made contact with my leg, I could feel them burning into my skin. My leg felt weak, I collapsed to my knees. My arms supporting me even though I had a sudden dizziness. I could hear my son cry- it was short- but I knew he landed quite a distance from me.
Tyde flashed forward, slashing the weapons at the shifter's long-ish tail. It proceeded to screech at him, standing on its hind legs, showing its red belly as it bared its fangs at him.Tyde thrusted one of his chakram-looking weapons right into its belly making the shifter whine softly before it dissolved into nothing.
"Hey," Tyde said, slapping my face.
"Hey, snap out of it!" Tyde exclaimed.?
"Ughh," I mumbled.
Tyde gently moved me, so that I was lying on my back. I heard soft ripping noises before something cool and jelly-like touched my leg.
I lifted my head weakly to look at him, my eyelids drooping down. Tyde seemed to be applying some kind of bluish paste on my leg before wrapping my injured calf with a black strip of cloth.
"What did it do to me?" I questioned.
"A shifter's claws are coated with poison. The side effect defers for each person," Tyde said, holding out a few brown spherical-shaped pills.
"What are-"
"It'll help ease the pain and the dizziness," He said, pressing two pills into my open palm.
Chapter 3
Start from the beginning
