Breaking Lies: Stars and Fire

Chapter Nine

I stopped where I was. That scream did not sound human. No, it was an animal. I felt breath coming fast, and focused every part of myself to breathing calmly.

Then, immeasurably slowly, I turned around.

A Fangou.

Towering and swiping its claws around, waving them high in the air and bringing them back down with a loud thud. It gave another ferocious roar that echoed off the trees. Birds squared and left their places in the trees, something I wished I could've done too.

The Fangou stood up on its hind legs, reaching fifteen feet in the air. I stumbled back and fell on my butt, nearly screaming but Cedric clamped a hand over my mouth just in time.

"Shut up!" Cedric hissed frantically, pulling me up from the arm and helping me away behind a tree, "They hunt by smell and sound! They're completely blind!"

He pushed me against a tree and stood beside me. With wide eyes, I peeked around and saw the huge animal up on its legs again, grabbing onto a tree and shaking it.

"What's it doing?" I breathed, my breaths coming out rapidly.

"Testing and scaring us," he responded in the same undertone.

It gave another echoing growl and pounded on the ground, in a humping movement.

A new thought came to mind. "Cedric, it hunts by smell, then why are we staying behind a tree?" I cried out in a maddened whisper.

He didn't have an answer. He only shook his head. I had no idea what that meant.

"Then let's move," I said, pulling on his arm.

He pulled back and whispered, "the more we move the more we make noise. Stay here. It smells us, but it doesn't know where exactly we are. Stay." he ordered.

We both had a mini stare down, both absolutely panicked and without any idea what to do.

"Your knife, Cedric," I elbowed him, "use your knife to kill it!"

He looked at me with huge eyes and said in a fierce, but terrified, whisper, "my knife won't kill it! Maybe just scratch it! It'll just make it more angry!"

I peeked back around, not being able to contain my sense of terrified curiosity, and found it coming closer to our hiding spot.

"It knows we're here!" I gripped Cedric's sleeve tightly and shook it, "it knows!"

He looked around in all directions, desperately seeking an escape route. "The underbelly."

I could've slapped him for not explaining. "What?" I whispered, "What about the underbelly?"

"It's it's weak spot. Directly under, where his stomach would be if he stood up. That's the only way to kill it!"

My hopes rose, but quickly dissipated as a massive paw swiped over our heads.

"Move!" Cedric screamed, pushing me down.

I rolled several times, leaves and dirt getting into my mouth and eyes. I coughed, trying to clear out my mouth, then clamped my mouth shut, and scrambled back up.

The Fangou was focused on Cedric, since he was the one who made the noise. It brought down a paw right where Cedric's head was if he hadn't ducked. Not waiting to give the Fangou another chance to kill him, Cedric ran.

He ran fast, but the animal was faster. The Fangou snarled and pounced forward, jumping six feet in one. All I could think to do was distract it while he could figure out a plan.

"Cedric!" I yelled, waving my hands in the air. "Cedric!"

The Fangou whipped its head around, its white eyes glittering hungrily. Saliva dripped off its fangs dropping onto the leaves below it. Dead leaves crunched under his paws.

I ran twenty feet before the animal caught up. It jumped on me, pinning me down, its paws on my lower half and arms. Four hundred pounds crushed me. It leaned down, anxious to rip off the bite of flesh it so dearly wanted, and all I could see was the insides of its mouth. I closed my eyes, waiting for it all.

Then suddenly, the beast screamed, jumping off me, allowing me to breathe again more easily. Once I regained my breath, I rolled over to see what happened.

A knife lay on the ground, and the Fangou only had a small scratch on its arm. But it must've hurt like Numaer's fist itself because the beast screamed.

"Aelia, the knife!" Cedric yelled, scrambling backwards, "grab the knife and do it!"

Without thinking, I snatched the knife and waited.

Everything played out as though we were moving through water. All sounds were muffled except for the Fangou's. I became aware of everything – every sound and movement.

The fall of the leaves.

Cedric's footfalls.

The mad roar of the beast.

It stood up tall, bending back, getting ready to swipe down at me one more time and I took my chance.

I gripped the knife and plunged it into the beast, and a moment later, it fell, laying still.

My arms remained flexed, but now shaking with fear of everything that had just happened.

"Is it...dead?" I managed to squeak out.

Cedric stepped forward, and took his knife out. "Definitely."

I leaned back against a tree for support. It was so close...

"You did good, Aelia. You acted fast and smart."

I numbly looked at Cedric. He smiled at me, holding me gently by the arms. He shook me a little, seeing that I was shocked and numb and said, "I'm telling you, you did great. I couldn't have acted faster."

"I– thanks, Cedric," I managed. I glanced back over at the massive beast, feeling calm spread through me. It was done. Over. We were safe.

Hey, sorry for long wait. Are people even still reading this anymore? Like, do you want these chapters? because no pressure or anything -- I think it's just a handful of you. Should i continue with the chapters?