No one wanted the end of the day. As Mr. Riley told the students to return to their rooms for a final night here. They huffed, puffed, showing their dissatisfaction. Many wanted to stay longer. Crescent was one of them. Ahni didn't mind returning.
The small vacation here at Hilla Cure, exempt from school work reminded him of his life before. Free of rules and regulations. The small hit of a drug called freedom wasn't enough. He wished he could skip out on going back. Return to the wild and hunt along with the animals.
Wild imagination, a small smile on his lips. Raising one hand, adjusting his glasses the brunette walked quietly down a path. Warned about wandering yet he couldn't contain his curiosity.
At night, these woods were dark, the only light being gasoline lanterns dangling from nearby branches and the whitish glow of the moon through thick trees.
The air dipping in temperature, brought his thin arms close to his chest for comfort. No denying the satisfaction this place gave off. He had to enjoy it just one more time. Here at Hilla Cure, they adored the public bath together, hot tub filled with bubbles, and what Ahni called fancy food.
Their beds were large enough to fit both of them in one; bathroom fit for a king. The carvings on the walls mimicked old Indigenous tales they tried to debunk to no avail.
Ahni often laughed, picturing himself dressed in such attire having Crescent spit back that he wasn't muscular enough. The two had a great time despite the bbq drama and Diamond threatening his life.
He was able to tell Saikai what went on as Phantom wished. They agreed on working together for the time being. In the end, Crescent carried the power to stop Asho. Saikai gave his strength to deal with Diamond and he knew Kisha wasn't mad at him.
Everything was going to be ok, he just had to believe in it. He had to do his part.
Crescent's small scuffs led him up a hill, where the path turned into a vehicle-made dirt road. Seems the island's staff took this road often. The tire tracks were fresh. He decided on following it.
Swaying trees danced in the cool wind, a shiver of desired warmth rippled his frame and he laughed to himself. Was he still afraid? Of course, but what could he do except fight back? Crescent didn't plan to go down without showing everyone who he had been. Maybe through all this struggle and recognition, it would be easier to get to the top. The top where Diamond had been sitting for far too long.
Dreams of becoming God Of The Academy still lingered within his mind, but he first needed to make it through the threats being hurled his way. A plan that would secure him as a candidate. Where would he start? Climbing through a rank of members would take years unless he thwarts the higher-ups.
His mind soon wandered, thoughts of Kisha pushing his worries away. He wondered what he was doing. Maybe pacing back and forth like an angry child? Is Saikai being scolded? Yeah right, Kisha hardly spoke. The images made him laugh even harder, his eyes closing. A male that was hard to pinpoint, maybe he was doing the unthinkable.
Crescent soon led himself further into the woods, not minding beside him a large dangling sign reading warning do not proceed beyond this point. He was too much into his amusement.
The woods were deathly quiet, with no sound of animal life. The constant rustling of bushes and trees masked the singing bugs. His gaze scanned for somewhere to go, maybe a small area he could sit. There was none thus far. Nothing but more fixed dirt. He decided to continue his path, a few yellow poles blocked off a path to his left.
It had to lead somewhere as the chain dangled with clips on both sides. The night was young. Mr. Riley made sure everyone tucked in before he turned in. By now, all authority was asleep as well as the majority of students. An early start for the bus's arrival and departure. After the inn went silent, Crescent snuck out. The lady at the front desk decided to take a nap.
She curled up in her arms, head tucked, heavy snoring. It was easy walking right by. The fundraising day, bbq, and cleaning of the hotel was a success. People who were once long-term visitors were sending emails, willing to offer their services once more according to the staff.
Being live, many residents here spoke about Nirvana Academy. They saved this little heaven on an island.
In the near future, Crescent hoped Hilla Cure would continue to get their messages out. In a week or two, he would check online, to see if everything was ok.
The granddaughter even sent her thank you's informing Mr. Riley she would welcome them back anytime for free. She was also willing to give the Academy a small donation once Hilla Cure's funds were sorted out.
Little did she know, she got helped by a bunch of thugs.
Taking in a deep breath, Crescent's gaze turned, spotting a small break in the trees, leading up to a cleared spot. Finally. It looked perfect. Smell of water and the sound of waves engulfed his senses before his eyes landed on the area he traveled to. It was a cliff.
Pushing through a bush, he stepped into the clearing, eyes widened with excitement. In the distance, separated by dark waves of top glowing foam, the city. The place he called home. As if he was on a different planet, the bright buildings, colors of white, and yellow seemed unreal. They were beautiful. Crescent wasn't sure what side of the city his gaze laid upon. He was always secluded in a few spots.
The night was boisterous just across the bridge while the island seemed to be asleep.
He stepped closer to the edge. Crashing waves against the island splashed cool mist in his direction, hands brought up blocking the salt-filled liquid.
His glasses dampened with particles, Crescent removed them from his face, sleeve used at clearing them. Heaven on earth. He'd kill to have this image in his mind every night. A peace he didn't think he could obtain.
As Crescent focused on remembering what he was seeing, his ears suddenly caught the sound of whimpers. From behind an animal engulfed him alert.
He froze narrowed eyes. Crescent forgot there was still animal life here. Heart jolting, he stood like a statue wishing whatever lurked behind him would go away but the constant whimpering seemed to intensify.
So did his nerves. A wounded animal could do damage if it thought he was a threat. Maybe sitting still and blending as a tree would keep him as safe as possible. The anticipation to know what it was burned him the most.
Neither coming close nor moving, he felt the eyes on him. Watching him. Waiting for him. He didn't want to turn, but he knew he had to. The only way from the edge was behind him.
Hands shaking from cold and fear, he rose them slowly. Trying to remain unseen, glasses placed back on his face. Crescent inhaled slowly. Make a run for it. The thoughts that are buried within him.
His heel dug into soft dirt, and his foot rotated. His frame whipped around, taking off when suddenly he stopped dead in his tracks.
There beside a tree, blood dripping from its side, a young female doe sat curled up. She was in pain, cold, bitten by shivers. He doubted she even knew he existed. Her eyes were closed. A small amount of blood dripped from her snout. Crescent felt bad for her. To have to go out like this. At least he didn't plan to leave her alone.
Crescent wasn't sure of what to do. This was nature. Should he allow it to take its course? But he couldn't find himself to put an animal out of its misery. Why had he been afraid? The hard thumping in his chest seized, releasing his nerves with warm exhales.
He didn't have the courage to keep this up. The small painful huffs won his wavering mind and Crescent slowly approached. The rise and falling of the doe's chest was rapid, trying to regulate the oxygen within her body. Did she want to live? Should he alert the staff? Were animals the same as human's when they were injured or dying?
"Hey there, I'm not gonna hurt you. Don't kick me."
He wasn't sure if she had the strength to even fight, but she was defeated. Climbing to one knee, the young man scooting close until he could lightly share his warmth with her. The doe never opened her eyes, never looked his way.
As he scooted nudge by nudge, the deer's breathing increased, whimpers falling to a hush. Why was life always so cruel? Brutal to those that didn't have much strength? He oftentimes felt like this doe. Helpless and wandering if life was going to end young.
With his brother attached to his hip, he had believed they could do anything, but Crescent began to understand what it meant to have his life in someone else's hands. He only hoped that nothing bad ever happened. It would devastate him to have to witness himself leaving Ahni behind or Ahni... as this doe.
With one last puff of air, it was heavy, hard and the frontal limbs twitched a little. Her breath slowly drifted from her body and just as she suffered; she let go. The animal fell to its injuries.
Letting out a sigh, he reached out to rub her on the head. First time seeing such a large animal up close. The fur felt stale, but the colors were beautiful. A light tan, followed by specs of white. Was this the spotted deer the inn staff spoke of?
Amazing. His eyes wandered towards the injury. A deep slash, four distinct claws running a path downward. Her insides were nearly dangling from her open wound. The animal that attacked her was big. The width of the prints was larger than his foot. He winced thinking of what could've done this.
This girl was being hunted.
Fresh kill...
With the thought jumping into his mind, Crescent gasped. Whatever hunted this doe... Hunted...
Crack.
The noise rushed to his side, his eyes shooting in that direction.
Approaching from the bushes, rustling the leaves, the creature haunting Hilla Cure phased in like a nightmare. As if he was trapped in a horror movie-- the silhouette of a viscous monster filled his wide eyes.
Brown in fur, lowered head, jaws wide open it growled. Those amber eyes locked on him with fierce fixation. It shook its head, drool dripping from large canines as hard breaths sent its chest to expand. It was huge in a tucked position. Grey hairs at its face and snout, a seasoned killer.
The beast was hungry.
Crescent sat hovered over its prey and now found himself stuck in the gaze of a wolf that wanted no part in his survival.
The large wolf snapped jagged teeth, drool flying in all directions, splattering at the environment. The heavy developing saliva flicked away by the constant lick of its tongue against his small front teeth.
He didn't know what to do. His heart felt like it stopped, body weighed a ton. The deer was only a warning of an approaching predator and Crescent was naive to not listen. The closer the wolf got, the more Crescent knew his escape was slimming.
He needed to go. Now!
All summoned strength hurled his frame forward. Leaping over the deer, he burst through the bushes, pushing himself frantically back to the path. Which way had he come?! A quick glance left and right gave him no answer. He needed to find the right path or he feared he'd risk being lost within the forest.
Stumbling over the weight of his legs, Crescent scrambled back up, running as fast he could as he desperately went to shift his direction right. If he wasn't mistaken Hilla Cure was kept behind him, no matter the direction he walked. If he ran this way, he'd find it. It didn't take long before he could hear it, the heavy thudding of paws behind him as it too burst through the bushes. Snapping twigs and sticks in its path. It wasted no time in chasing him.
He wasn't faster than a wolf. He knew that, but he needed to try. The time back to the inn wasn't long, but the distance only seemed extended in his vision.
He felt his body hyperventilating. His view became blurred, heart beating too fast for his panting to keep up. He couldn't do this. Crescent was pretty athletic, but he found it hard to push himself. Weight within his feet told him he wouldn't be able to run any longer. He was too afraid. Crescent tumbled over his foot, body slamming into the dirt almost knocking the air out of him.
The wolf's speed didn't slow but rather increase in the opportunity. Crescent rolled on his back, drawing his arm up to block his face. The only thing he could think of as a defense method.
Those documentaries always said animals aimed for the throat. Swift kill. If he could get his arm into the wolf's mouth, maybe it would take that for an equivalent exchange. That deer that it had, why didn't it just go for it?!
Hilla Cure staff never said their wolves were human eaters!
"Please, don't!" He was alone; however, that didn't stop him from hope. His yelps may scare the predator-- with a lot of doubt it would work. Clenched eyes and the brunette braced for impact, the wolf closing distance echoed throughout his frame. Crescent didn't even make it that far. His body would turn up tomorrow mauled and Hilla Cure's reputation would be tarnished.
"I-I'm sorry. Ahni!!"
He heard the wolf leap. This was his end. To die like this. Unable to see his brother one last time. He wasn't ready, but with no set skills and no weapons, he needed to quickly realize that he may not come out of this alive.
Fear of his last images, the darkness behind his lids. At least it wasn't the face of his killer. Drawing his legs up, the front of his frame exposed to whatever the animal desired to sink its teeth into first.
Crescent waited for the landing and the pain. He hoped it was quick and his death was with minimum suffering, but what he heard was only a shattered sound of another animal colliding into something; everything went into confusion.
The heavy gust of a larger object quickly passing over him ran through his sweating skin; instincts telling him that something had happened. He flinched, thinking it was the wolf landing on him. He could hear it, the whimpering, the fast scuffling sounds, and panicking of a wolf. The... fighting?
Crescent opened his eyes slowly looking to his side. The brown wolf lay struggling, thrashing its arms beneath something. It couldn't move, whining, snapping at whatever held it down by the neck.
It wasn't until a small shift in its jowls did Crescent see the camouflaged beast.
Standing three times the size of the brown wolf, pitch black, long tail swishing back and forth, another wolf? Its growl deep and strong, rumbled the air and sent his senses into overdrive. The expectations of being spared drained from his frame. The ground vibrated, like the base in a suped-up vehicle or the drums of the band, and so did Crescent's insides.
He watched with eyes dancing in confusion. The larger wolf drives its teeth into the small wolf. With a thunderous outcry, and the snapping of bones the brown wolf fell limp. It was over in a matter of seconds. He parted his lips, the air choking him. Frozen fear set in. He needed to get away while he had the chance. He'd take dealing with the small wolf over this monstrosity. Crescent's heart picked up in speed when the wolf shifted focus, ears darting in his direction.
Crescent could see thick glops of blood dripping from its mouth, stained teeth, clumps of fur falling loosely to the ground. It tore the throat of the brown wolf out. The sheer size of the darkened figure reflected every space in his widened glossed eyes.
He grew cold, breath caught in his lungs. This thing was huge! Was he next? Was this just a battle of predator vs predator, claiming its human prize?!
The wolf turned slowly, its large tongue licked one side of its jaw before it shot Crescent a lowered glance; his existence acknowledged. Paws reflecting the size and weight of medium disks left indents in soft dirt. The wolf seemed to be uninterested, calming the once-riled aggression as he lay only a few feet away.
Those eyes! A shudder radiated through him. There was only individual with those special colors. Crescent frantically pushed himself to his feet and the alerted wolf raised its head just as fast. This wasn't an ordinary wolf. He's seen this one before. The terrain in the pictures was different so how could this very animal be here at Hilla Cure? And why did Kisha have in his possession pictures of it?
"Wait!"
Crescent started to run toward the wolf, but the large beast suddenly picked up speed before vanishing into some shrubbery. It didn't want anything to do with him. He couldn't afford to let it go.
"Wait!" He called again, an arm reached out at the air. He needed to make sure what he was feeling wasn't just some hunch. It couldn't be. The wolf began to jog, dipping through bushes in the distance. The rustling sound alerted Crescent of its path and he followed.
Twigs, limbs, and leaves scraped at his face. A wince, his clothing snagged, holding him back. He pushed through until his foot caught something and he fell to his knees.
"No, I can't lose you..." He whispered as his fingers clenched up a ball of dirt. Pressing on his feet, fear turned into determination. Crescent had irrational excuses holding his mind. He could at least thank the wolf, but that wasn't his real reason for chasing something that had the ease of killing him. The cold brisk air hit his lungs as ice would against heat.
The wolf was vanishing in the distance, lost in the darkness of the woods; until it turned suddenly to throw him off. Dipped quietly into another bush.
This was his opportunity. Crescent turned and burst through a nearby bush, landing right in the wolf's direction. It halted, immediately turned the other way, and began walking, dipping itself to seem as small as possible.
Impossible.
Not aggressive towards him. No growling no nothing. A wild animal having no desire to hurt saved him. That isn't normal and this wasn't some fairytale movie. He expected to be eaten and the wolves were just fighting over a kill. It was just going to save him and then move along without what follows.
He knew his strength wasn't good enough to chase this thing all night long. So, he needed something else to get it to stop.
Anthropomorphism... The art of an animal turning into a human. This was the only shot he had to know the truth. If it was nothing then he'd go on, living without any thoughts. If somehow it was all true, he would have to deal with it. How could he, when he was entering into a world he knew nothing of?
He was afraid, shocked but over the past few days, he came to realize that he failed Kisha. Before him stood a being, the same icy blue stare. It was... Him... He had to know.
"K-Kisha?! You asshole!!!" Crescent yelled at the top of his lungs, the chill of the wind blowing at the same time carried his voice. Fists balled up at his side, arms stiffened and legs planted. He looked like a child throwing a tantrum.
Everything rushed from his core when in mid-stride the large wolf's paw suddenly.... froze.
(A/N
Crescent is a little selfish don't ya think? Or maybe he's a little stupid?
Nearly falling prey to a wolf hunt, he's saved by something much bigger.
However, it's now or never, right?
Don't be afraid to tell me what you think by commenting.❤️❤️
Drop a vote if you liked. 👍👍))