Chimera

Epione's thoughts began racing as she could feel her magic prowling around the bed. As if waiting for her to wake. She slightly opened her eyes to see what was awaiting her. It was dark so it was hard to see. It was a small creature about the size of a small dog with a miniaturised lion head with a fur-covered body until it reached the base of the tail which was very reptilian. It also had bat wings that flapped silently so that it could hover over Epione. It was very round and unexpectedly cute. As soon as it had locked eyes on Epione the creature landed at the end of the bed, circling around the spot it had just landed before laying on the bed like a cat.

She could only blink seeing a creature in her bed. So she carefully shuffled herself out of the bed to not disturb the creature but when she left the bed. It sleepily awoke itself so that it follow Epione. But, Epione ran out of the room to the closest room. Casimir's room. Casimir groggily woke up to his door closing somewhat loudly, "Epione?" He rubbed his eyes to see Epione rush over to him hiding behind him. Confusion was very evident on his face when Epione came into his bed to hide from something. But, he was quickly sobered once he heard a scratching noise on his door, "Stay here." He went to grab his sword from underneath his bed. He kept the sword sheathed just in case.

As soon as he opened the door, revealing a small round creature who stared at him. The two stood unmoving, "It's a chimera." Epione could finally see what the actual creature was that had come into her room. She had only heard legends about chimera from books. However, the goat head that was presumably supposed to be on its back was its wings as it was bat-like with tipped horns. It has a serpentine tail though.

Kneeling down to the small chimera before gently scooping it up, "It's a baby too." The baby chimera lay motionless in Casimir's arms. He went to sit in bed with Epione, giving her the baby chimera who nuzzle against her body. Epione was gentle with handling the chimera fearing that she might drop it. Staring at the scorpion tail which very much had a toxin that was fatal to anything that is stung by the stinger, however, that is under the condition that they consume a large number of poisonous creatures. Their body then metabolises the poison that the chimera consumes into a sack of poison that is stored within their body.

After a period of time where the chimera has reached maturity and after consuming a large number of poisonous creatures, "I thought chimeras were dangerous." It has created a unique toxin that is specific to that chimera and its environment, "I thought that chimera had long since been extinct after the end of the magic war." Right now the chimera is a baby so it only has a slight numbing toxin. Then it hit her. The magician that had taken her wings. Since her wings were quite big she knew that at least a quarter of usable mana could be made however there would be the other three quarters that would become waste mana. At least two chimeras could have been made from all that waste mana.

But, this chimera was small. So there had to be another one, much bigger and much more dangerous. All that waste mana could have created one massive chimera but there were most likely two of them. One small chimera that posed no danger and the other which would most likely be at a juvenile stage would be much easier to control than a fully mature chimera. There was very much a chance that the other one would be looking for her. The magician could easily place a tracking spell on the other chimera. Epione was scared for Casimir and his family being endangered because of a chimera that is being controlled by a dangerous wizard.

Epione carried the small chimera in hand before walking out of the room, "Where are you going?" Casimir grabbed her by the arm to prevent her from leaving the house. It was dangerous for her to leave out of the capital by herself especially since she was a woman. The nature of this world was cruel to anyone, especially women, "I'm coming with you." Casimir could only think of two places where Epione would want to do that involved the chimera either back home in the Ferdinand county or the dilapidated Monciaux Dukedom. He then wore his uniform with his sword at the ready so that he could accompany her on the trip.

However, Epione shook her head as she stood in front of the door, "I can't let you come with me." She knew that she was being tracked by the chimera with the magician who couldn't have been too far behind, "You will only endanger yourself, especially with a magician at my feet." Casimir was only a person who wasn't trained in fighting magicians and the fact that the one chasing Epione also was not someone to underestimate. Magic was something that you grow into as you age. This was more evident in long-living races.

However, Casimir immediately went to write a note down for his mother to read before taking Epione hands, "You going alone is even worse! Why do you insist to do things yourself?" He sighed as he took his jacket out from the coat stand to make Epione wear it, "You have people around who are willing to drop everything that they are doing so that they can help you." Casimir sighed as they walked in the direction of a nearby horse rental place so that they could rent some horses. He seemed to be able to speak words that had never been told to her before. When she was growing up she had never bothered to ask for help because she thought that nothing could bring her out of it. Epione's mind wandered as she mindlessly followed Casimir to the rental place.

Casimir went to speak with the rental owner to which he was led to a few options for horses. Some are suited for speed, endurance, or all-rounder. He went for an all-rounder horse with some good endurance to last the entire trip. As the horse was being saddled up for the trip Epoine gripped Casimir's sleeve, "We have to go now!" Her hushed voice urged Casimir to hurry the man who was confused by the urgency but complied since they were paying good money for the late-night rental. Casimir quickly jumped on top of the horse as he held out his hand for Epione to come on. A massive roar erupted throughout the capital alarming Epione who quickly got on the horse as well.

They began to ride through the capital before they saw a massive chimera wrapped in chain blazing through the capital causing an inferno. The flame was quick to spread through the capital as the pair rushed out of the capital to Ferdinand county. It wasn't too long before the chimera was chasing after them which meant that the damage that the chimera would have ensued if it remained in the capital any longer was minimized. But, it also meant that they were in massive danger. The small chimera in her arms was rustling around before it began to flap its wings to fly in the air, rushing to the other chimera. But, it was quickly disregarded as a blast of energy came knocking the small chimera down letting it fall to the ground.

A sea of fire was soon aimed at them which frightened the horse and knocked both Casimir and Epione off the horse's back before it ran away for safety. However, both of them were separated from each other as they rolled in different directions where the chimera went to attack Casimir who was closer. Epione weakly stood up as the dizziness soon began to subside but she was quickly restrained down to the ground, "You, child of magic, are very hard to locate." The magician's gravelly voice echoed behind the restrained Epione who was struggling to escape the magical binds which had dug into her skin.

However, as she was turned over to her back the magician did not look like what she had remembered him as. His skin was eroded with a dark purple substance as well as his limbs were distorted in shape, barely resembling a human. It was as if his skin was melting off his bones from using the mana that he had refined from her wings, "Get away from me!" Epione was scared of the magician as she knew what was going to happen to her. The magical bindings didn't allow her to escape from the magician who had wrapped his bony hands smearing the melted flesh around her neck.

His hands' bean tightening around her neck trying to choke the life out of her so that he could take control of the chimeras and combine them together. Her mana was so pure that made him think that he could open the portal to the magical realm to bring back the golden era of magic. Even though the girl's mana was strong in this realm it was not powerful enough to open the realm so he turned to the dark arts to bring another source of power to open the portal. Though that resulted in his current form where his old body barely handle the pure mana and the use of dark art clashing with each other, melting off his skin. It was the punishment of the fates for him daring to use such a taboo abomination of magic along with the use of mana of the magic race.

Epione could only helplessly writhe underneath the mage choking her until she began thrashing again bucking the weak wizard. She began rolling away from the mage who picked up his staff using it to support himself but he began to buckle under his own weight as he fell to the ground. He began to puke some black substance from his mouth as he groveled to the ground and began convulsing in a strange manner. The melted flesh that seem to ooze neverendingly seem to harden as he screamed. The magical binding soon came loose and Epione went scrambling to her feet as she ran for it trying to find Casimir because they had separated. It was hard for her to locate where he was, "Epione! Run!" Casimir clashed his sword close to his body as he went to stop the attack of the Chimera's hoof. Epione could only stay a distance away from him since she herself did not have the capabilities to help him let alone fight the beast.

Casimir was struggling to fight against the chimera as he could barely handle the speed and strength of the Chimera's attacks. He was not trained in any manner to combat any beast since he was a simple soldier patrolling the walls. He was a commoner that was all that he could attain. He thought that once the civil war was over that everything would go back to normal after that. But it began more complicated as he began know as a defender of the people and was awarded by His Majesty for his contribution to the safety of the people. Once he was exposed to the magic he had come to know of an entirely new world completely unknown to normal people. A rock was thrown at the beast which averted its attention onto Epione but it gave him enough time to stab the chimera through its underbelly which is known to be the softest part of any beast, magical or not.

He had managed to kill the terrifying beast but a scream caught his attention. A man dressed in mage attire was choking out Epione was a black skeleton. Casimir went to hit the skeleton with the bunt of his sword however it bounced away. It was incredibly hard. But, the skeletal mage still had its hands around Epione's throat. Its only aim is to kill Epione. So, Caismir then decided to use brute strength to pry off the skeleton. It was enough to allow Epione to escape from the clutches of the skeletal mage. Until the mage that he was holding off was incredibly strong despite there being no muscle yet the mage seemed to vaporise out of thin air which confused Casimir.

A figure appeared from the distance, "It seems that I was right on time." The high fairy man from the forest went to aid Epione from the ground, "Though I will be damned to have seen this type of phenomenon again." He rubbed the dust that was left behind by the mage that was consumed by magic. They were soon accompanied by the baby chimera who weakly walked up to Epione before falling to the ground.