Left in the woods

My spear is still in the air flying in the beast's direction. Me together with it. Estel looks at my thrust with hope… Please Do it!

The spear went in… But I missed its heart… The beast wounded fell back and freed Estel from its grasp. I pierced its lungs. The animal screams in pain with its blood dripping on the dark ground. Fire vaporizing it the moment it lands. But after three seconds of looking at it, the fire slowly started getting colder.

"What do we do now?! It still lives!" I panicked and almost shouted.

"The spear inside its body won't burn… It's flames got much weaker. We have to take it out to let the blood flow." He went into a crouching position ready to jump in whatever direction. I also prepared myself. The animal wounded isn't walking properly. It seemed slow and sluggish. We have a chance!

The animal is going around in circles together with Estel. I joined them in this weird but very stressful thing. Each step could be the beginning of the fight. Like a devilish dance.

"I will bait him and you will take it out." He whispered. It's scary… His life is in my hands… I have to do it. I have to.

Still making circles. Each step is scarier than the one before. The tiger's wound cauterized but the spear was still in there and probably is now helping it survive.

"Now!" Estel jumped in the beast's direction. "Come on!" He shouted to the beast and the beast also leaped onto him. Estel was already tired but the tiger's claws still scratched him. When should I go in? When will I have a chance?

Again going in circles. Now quickly. Estel now resembling a beast more than a man jumped in the beast's direction and punched it! The beast fell down on the ground. I ran to it and when I was about to take the spear its claws flashed before my eyes. I jumped back and from the pumping blood, I slowly started losing my breath. Scared for my life. But I'm not done yet.

"I won't be able to do it too many times Hayden!" He shouted at me. I heard hope in that voice. Trust.

They once again in their prowler's positions ready to jump on each other. This moment felt like ages. They are going in the same circles for the fifth time. Estel then stepped on a branch and they both jumped onto each other. Estel was faster since the tiger was already badly wounded. In his dodge, he scratched the spear with his hand.

The tiger fell down on his side and something like a scream came out of its mouth. A cry, lament. Its fire is even weaker but still hot. I hopped right before the tiger. His paw in the air trying to kill me but it was just so slow… I took the pike with both of my hands… And pulled. Pulled harder. It didn't come out at first, I had to put more strength into it. The animal screamed. Trying to get away but I felt the spear coming out. Slower. And then in a single moment after it slid out in one instant.

I backed away and looked like the hole in its lungs was bleeding. His fire is fading away… The beast's paw only ticks its last seconds… The paw fell down on the ground making a small shake because of its size. The spear again in my hands almost crumbling in my hands.

Estel sitting under a tree. The beast's flames didn't fade completely yet. It was still nice warm… I'm tired. He also is incredibly exhausted.

"We did it…" He said while scratching his legs. They looked a little burnt, with no body hair on them anymore. Sad. And will be painful in this cold forest. I looked at my burnt hands… The scar from a long time ago. From when I was seven. My brother… He will pay for it. As the whole city of Laylia. For… Killing Flora. They will pay!

"What now though? Do we take the body?" Some very minor flames were still burning. All around us were dry branches some scorched to ashes but not all.

"We don't need food… Let's just take the branches and go back…" I started taking some branches from around us. Trying to get as many just to let the fire on and then we can use its heat to defrost more branches. They will be a little wet but if the fire will be hot enough it won't matter.

"Hayden… Can you help me stand up?" I came to him and by the hand helped him stand up. He is also getting some branches but I see him hobble around. His legs must hurt a lot.

"Don't pick up more. I will help you walk." I need to help him. I don't want him to do it with that pain.

"I can't… Let you just do it alone." Don't think about me as a kid… I don't want to say it out loud. It could be a little rude.

"You can't even walk properly… Just let me help you." I can't let him walk on his own if he is in such pain. I see his face almost screaming for help.

"Okay… Okay. But I will still take some wood with us." Why is he so persistent? I feel refreshed after that fight. But my goal… How far is it going to lead me… He leaned on me and we then slowly started walking to our cave leaving the beast's still warm corpse behind. Some flames are still around on the way and a lot of branches on the ground. I didn't count them but I felt their weight and how uncomfortable it was to hold them.

"How far was that?" I asked. Both his weight and the weight of those damn branches were slowly annoying me. But I didn't show it with my voice.

"Before… We walked for several minutes. Finding that fire from before took us some time… Oh shit. By the way, what did you see on the other side." He held his stomach while walking.

"Hmm… I saw a guy trying to pick something from the ground. After that, he said something like 'I know you are here!'. I froze in place and almost stopped breathing. I thought he actually knew that I was there but he then said something that made it sound like a joke." I smiled slightly.

"Good that you didn't jump on him." Estel really cares about me…

"I hope this wood will be enough."

"I think it will be alright. I hope that they didn't slack off. That would be much worse." He nodded and stood on his own. "I'm alright now." The wind in the woods blew really strong. I felt goosebumps around my whole body while walking. It's a sign that we should speed up.

"Can we go a little faster?" I know he is in pain but if this wind is gonna keep up we will probably die. We should speed up then rest.

"I can try…" He took a deep breath and started walking faster together with me. Hissing with each step from pain.

"How big are those mountains?" On our floors there are already hundreds of prisoners so how is it possible that I didn't meet anyone besides that man?

"I don't know exactly, but it is actually very big. I mean it. Extremely big. Bigger than most cities that you often see. Maybe even a couple of times bigger. When you compare the giant tree to that mountain… In radius, it's maybe one twentieth of the mountain. You could probably build three cities here. That's how big it is." He explained and looked in front of him with passion. At those dark cold woods. "When I saw it on the map… It covered a really huge land. It's like a big volcano in the middle of all of existence. I don't remember how they were called though… I think something like 'Lost world'? It's so big it looks as if it was completely another country. But I'm not sure. I don't remember, it was a long time ago."

"It's still… Incredibly big. Very weird… How is that in here? Connected to that tree." How is this so big? Why is it? And how is that tree so high? Its crown is covering half of this place. And when I look in the entrances way. The leaves aren't frozen... They are alive.

"My teacher… When he was still alive explain that it's how God wanted it. A great mountain for people… Different people." Estel nodded and looked down. "Not like this."

"God huh… Imagine if someone built a country in this place. Cities, even some small villages. And even the villages from down the mountain. This whole range of rocks as one country." I even imagined that those woods here are surrounded by small houses. This place even if it's cold, is just so beautiful… The clearest of skies I would say. Closed but some mountain peaks. Trees and more. Amazing. I could stay here forever if not for the cold. And not for… Imprisonment

"It would look amazing… But it would be hard to live here. Weather. Low amount of food because of the lack of rain." He explained. Well, it would still be amazing if someone made a city here… "We are getting close." I realized it when I saw the trees with signs from before. We are really close. I hope nothing happened to them. We can make fire and… Finally, I can train with Estel.