Sabertooth

Chapter 12) Recovery

The noise was like an avalanche of cliff-falling rocks. The forest seemed quiet all of a sudden, like all the morning birds and wild animals had fled. The morning dew still clung to the grass as the gigantic rock began to shrink and shrink till it resembled a human.

"God, it feels good to breath!" A boy cried out, his voice loud but low. The teenager began to trot around as well, then broke into a full out run.

When he made it a mile toward the beach he stopped and smiled brilliantly. "Damn, it feels great to move as well. Like I'm walking on air!"

A blade caught at his throat suddenly, it's metal solid and sharp. It was obviously crafted well. The boy couldn't see who it was either. It was very impressive for someone such as him to be snuck up on, at least that's what the boy thought.

"Who the f*ckin' Hell are you?" An assertive tone manifested itself, his voice sounding between the ages of twenty to forty.

"Whoa there, watch your language!" The kid sneered. "I'm only a kid, you want me talking to my mother like that when I grow up?"

The hand grasping the blade tightened. "Kid, I don't remember any children setting foot on this beach in the last 24 hours. Now talk!"

The kid groaned but obeyed, "My name is Aster Delta. I live approximately one mile from here near the lakes shore on the beach opposite this one! I live with my dad and we go fishing a lot. He told me to go catch some nightcrawlers so I came to this beach to get them. It was late by time I was done so I slept here! Honest, sir!"

"What's your name anyway, kid?"

I am Exe. And who are you?" Exe smirked.

The man grinned back. "Jesse. Now how about we about getting you home."

The boy looked confused for a moment and then Exe began to laugh. "But I am home!"

"No, your home you said was a mile from here..?" Jesse frowned.

At that, Exe grabbed his temple and started to puff with laughter as if it were another gas going in and out of his mouth like Nitrogen or Oxygen.

"Whatever you are, Jesse, you're stupid. Plain dumb!" He mused.

Jesse's mouth opened the closed and then he looked down. Fear glued to his insides. The sand below him had begun to eat him whole as if he were a sandwich it was having for lunch.

"What is this?" Jesse's voice rose, but Exe only continued to laugh.

"This is your earthly demise of course!" His eyes narrowed over the lieutenant and his face brightened like a star. "So I'll leave it to you, Sargent!"

The sounds of Jesse's yelling at the boy were muffled as the burning hot sand began to consume him. His body shrunk further and further until he could no longer be heard.

* * *

Raika's eyes couldn't comprehend exactly what they were seeing. The tree looked like a boulder that settled into the earth. But Raika wasn't beneath it, he wasn't even under it himself.

Raven was.

Raika's eyes looked on in disbelief. Her legs were pinned under the hull of its weight. He could see from so close away how her crest blazed like a star in the night even though it was still day. If it had been night, the crest's glow would've blinded him.

Nonetheless, looking on at his fallen friend drove him a little insane.

His voice scratched itself as he tried to say her name, but nothing came. "Raven!" His mind yelled as he inched closer.

He looked longingly at her face and then pressed two lengthened fingers to her neck. His heart quickened in response as he felt a faint ripple from her throat.

"Stay strong! Please!" Raika thought, starting to think she could actually hear him.

He started to raise the tree and turned to his side from where the timber fell. There was no sign of the mountain monster to which Raika was still deadly curious of. And another question, where had it gone?

Raven coughed suddenly, her eyes began to lift open. "Raik-a?" She said

Her voice filled him with determination and he went at hefting the fallen tree. His muscles felt like a piece of gum stretching to pick up a rock. It just couldn't fit the task it was given.

"Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit!" Raika felt like a weakling. He could see the damage put into her body. Raika's nerves felt like a live wire, shocking him all over.

Tears began to fall.

"I'm sorry!" Raika cried out, tears dropping from his face. His words finally broke through, verbal and literal.

"Pleas-don-" Raven cooed.

A bright shine pulsed through the air, through the land. Raika turned to see his arm blazing with a green light.

His Animagi!

"Alright, little guy. You're all I've got left. You're my trump card, so don't upset me. Let's get it done!"

Raika saw the green glow spiral to life. A long moment later a creature was summoned into existence.

It had horns and hooves. It's pelt was gray, white and brown. It looked like an angel in that moment. The green glow like a healthy and mysterious radioactive glow that wouldn't harm them, but help them.

"Grey, the Addax Animagi can push you out of there, Raven!"

"Hurry." Raven groaned under her breath.

It's body thrashed into the tree. It send shockwaves up and down the wood. It began to humm forward with the Addax's strength.

"Keep it up, Grey!" Raika cried out.

The horned goat grunted and began to lift the wood. It's horns began to heft and heft until the wood was suspended above Raven.

Raika fumbled toward Raven with empty eyes. "You ok?" He grasped the side of her head.

Raven nodded. Her leg looked terrible and her pants were ripped. The tears revealed the somewhat pale skin glowing white from her thigh.

"I'm ok." She blurted out, her arms like rope and her hands like knots as she hugged Raika for warmth.

"Grey, can you carry her on your back?" Raika asked the resting Addax.

It actually nodded its head. It's body straight and strong but it's breath a little ragged.

"Alright." Raika sighed.

"Do you need help?" A soft and young voice said.

Raika spun, his arm casting a blinding glow. "Who is it?" Jay crowed and then pecked the earth.

"I'm just a kid, relax!" He chuckled.

"What's your name, kid?" Raika requested as he tried to make Raven more comfortable.

"I'm Exe." He replied. "And I think I can help you with her."

"How so?" Raika doubted such a little kid could make a big impact. But he would hear him out.

"Like I helped your lieutenant." Exe grinned a wide smile.

A change was brought over the boy and Raika was staring at the unrecognizable.

A monster.