Fragarach

Fearless

[A few minutes earlier]

“Huh?” the man with the axe stood in fear as he saw more beast coming to his father, he immediately ran towards his father to assist him.

“Did that growl earlier meant to call some of its friends here?” his father asked his clueless son.

More beast are starting to show up, if a giant bull is not bad enough. Some large full-blown predators like wolves, tigers, and other carnivorous beasts decided that they are food.

*Huff* * Huff* *Huff*

Some of the beasts open their mouth and revealed their large blade-like teeth, the father and the son found it disturbing for a group of beast of different race to even group together and hunt.

“Father, I don’t think this is normal, do you?” he said as his eyes are busy moving around to catch even the slightest movements the beast are making.

“I don’t think this is normal as well.” he answered as he took a glance at his son who is starting to panic. “Hey calm down, you can’t make a good decision in you panic.” He reminded his son as he grips his hammer tightly.

His son heard him so he did what his father told him. Having his son calm down gave him a little relief.

[It’s not surprising since the guild have been only accepting commission involving only humans just until recently. Humans are much more predictable in combat. Unlike these beasts with their incredible instincts.] he thought as he look for a way to get them to safety.

With the humans backed in a corner, the giant bull eye’s locked on the one with the hammer. Still enrage of what happened earlier, he stomp his feet to ready himself for another round of charging.

*STOMP!* *STOMP!* *STOMP!*

The loud stomping alerted the father and son and made them more aware of their situation.

“It really had to charge at a bad timing.” His son said with his eyes locked on the bull. “Maybe it’s still pissed when I struck it earlier.” The father reminded as he pat his son’s back heavily.

“If that’s the case then were screwed.” His son answered in a nervous tone.

The bull’s eyes widen as it took a deep breath before charging towards the humans.

*Huff!* Huff!* *Huff!*

The moment it finish taking a deep breath it instantly ran towards the humans.

Seeing the bull charging towards them made his son’s face pale because he knows how strong the bull is and how you can lose your life with a single mistake.

His father smiles as he grab his son’s collar. “Hold on.” He warned as the bull missed them by a few inches. Armed with wind magic he started to float in the air away from the attack range of the beast below them. His son started to float using his wind magic as well. Glad of having not to clash with the giant bull his son laugh hard while looking at the beast below them looking up to them.

His joyful expression suddenly fades as the beast did not disperse after seeing their prey out of their reach. They felt something icky in their chest along with the hair on their bodies stood up. The next thing they noticed is that they floated in the sky but they are under of some sort of shade.

“Don’t tell me-.” His son look above them.

His face turned pale as he saw a giant bird gliding above them a hundred meters away.

His father did not bother to look up after seeing his son’s disturbing reaction.

“Were sitting ducks out here in the open.” He muttered. His son is incredibly speechless after realizing that they are not safe from harm yet. Both of them started to feel uncomfortable of the situation they are in.

*KOOOOOH!*

The giant bird started to fly in circles above them. The father and the son slowly descended to the ground when suddenly the felt a strong wind moving towards them.

“Hurry!” his father shouted as he saw the bird moving towards them with such speed.

The son panicked then lost control of the wind he manipulates to stay afloat and fell going straight to a boulder below them. “Ahhhhh!” he shouted his lungs out. His father manage to grab his arm before he could turn into dead meat.

*SMACK!*

“Don’t panic you i***t! Stay calm!” he shouted as he slap him on the cheek very hard to bring him back to his senses.

He saw his son’s eyes widen in shock while looking at his back. [Did I hit him too hard?] he thought.

Then he felt a really grim presence behind him. His son pointed behind him and shouted “BIRD!!” he shouted with a pale expression. The father look behind him and saw the large talons of the bird enough to grab his hips. He instantly threw his son to the ground free of giant boulders and rocks, then the bird grab him by his hips.

“Ah” he son fell on his back then stood suddenly and be on guard. [I can’t lay on my back leisurely. I need to help father, he is in danger.

*KOOOH!*

“UGH!” he groaned in pain when a talon manage to pierce his stomach.

He held his hammer tightly and smash the bird’s legs really hard that made the bird screech.

*KAAAAAAAAA!*

The giant bird felt his hard smash that it threw him straight to the ground where the bull and the other beast are waiting. They did not even bother to chase his son which made him a little relieved.

“Ah!” he cry in pain as he lands on his side in a pile of rocks. Even so, he still got up wrapping his arm to his left side where he landed on. He can barely stand straight as he look around searching where his hammer might have landed. Little did he know that his hammer is already gone, he felt the shaking abnormal shaking of the ground then he instantly look where the ground shaking beast came from. His face immediately turned pale as he saw the crimson enraged eyes of the bull focused on him, with his body in no condition to even run from the stampeding beast he forced himself to drag his body even though he knows that his struggle is futile.

*KUUUUUUUU!*

*Huff* *Huff* *Huff*

“Father!” he grew stiff as he saw his father trying to escape the beast. [Hey! Why won’t my body move?!] his shaking body is not responding to his command to protect his father who is in grave danger. He is frozen stiff with his fear of death. [Move it! G*******T!] even with his fear eating him away he manage to gain control of his body and the next thing he knows, he is already manipulating the wind to help him travel fast which surprised him. [Huh? When did I?].

With only a few steps behind the struggling man, the bull is about too ram the injured man and send him flying when, the man’s son, the guy with the axe appeared out of nowhere and tries to carry his injured father out of the beasts range of attack. “Hold on tight!” he scream as soon as he grab a hold of his father’s sleeves.

“What are you doing here?! Save yourself you fool!” his father yelled after coughing a mouthful of blood.

But even with his efforts to get to his father on time, his father is already in the range of the bull.

*KUUUUU!!*

*DUUUUG!*

“KUAAAAH!”

He got his instead of his father who is already injured, he became a shield that protected his father from being sent flying by the beast but it is still powerful enough to make him roll on the ground a couples of times before landing his back on a crudely shaped boulder.

With all the force directed at him, the beast c***k a few ribs and pierced his lungs. The beast sent him flying upwards and landed on his chest. “Fath-er.” He mumbled as he slowly got up. *cough* *cough* he spew a mouthful of blood as his vision is a little blurry because of the mild concussion that he got from fall on his chest.

*VUSHING!* his axe landed right next to him.

“Kuaaa! Ugh!” he groan in pain as blood started to flow from his nose. [A few broken ribs, and a dislocated right shoulder. If the fall earlier is not already bad, this is a lot dire. That beast manage to make me immobile with just as single strike.] he thought as he tries to move his limbs, to his demise, his body is in no condition to move around and he urgently needs medical attention. “Wait where did that kid land to?” he told himself as he scan around and found his son already walking towards him like a drunk man while dragging his axe.

[How unsightly of me, I am the one who is supposed to protect my son but he ended up protecting me instead.] tears started to break out form his eyes as he saw the dreadful state of his son’s body. “Stop, please don’t come here. Save yourself.” He cried as he tried to beg for his son to abandon him and leave the ruins.

The beasts started to approach them slowly, they know that an injured prey is very dangerous so they did not make any hasty move and wait for them to fall.

“Fa-ther, what a-re you talk-ing- about, did you honestly th-ink tha-t I will leave you –here to die alone?” he stuttered while clenching his teeth in pain.