Slay or Be Slayed

Seran appeared to be frozen in place uncertain of what to do he broke out into a weakened jog. The beast roars maliciously shaking the dark garden flower petals. Seran didn't turn back to see what was going on he kept going when until he felt a tingle of spine-chilling warning. Thiolana's voice he heard again cautioning him she said.

"Seran! Get down! "

Seran turned his head while ducking down the huge claws of the beast's swipe missing him and destroying a small radius of the flower pods. Seran remained shocked for a while opening his mouth in disbelief.

"No….No This isn't real! You're not real! "

Seran shouted as the beast raised its paws again.He also notices the numbness in his legs had returned restricting him from moving again. Seran's inner thoughts pleaded with his body saying to himself.

"Get up! Get up & move damn it!"

"I have to... "

"Run!!!!"

Seran's legs got a surge of power inside of them as he broke off into a burst of speed like a vehicle going a hundred miles per hour sprinting between the garden flower pods. Batting the petals away from blocking the field view Seran found himself in mid-air. Soaring nowhere far he crashed into a huge pile of mud grunting.

"That would've been … a nasty.. fall if not for this mud. At least got away from that thing."Seran sighed in relief

The beast suddenly lands inside of the muddy area circling Seran and shaking its fur from the slime from the flower pod residue off of itself Seran gasped uttering to himself.

No way… I-it caught up to me.

The beast walked by Seran without attacking him mysteriously. It begins to clean its paws it soon lowers its head sniffing the ground for scent. Getting to his feet the beast whipped its head around gazing into Seran's direction. Noticing something off about the beast's eyes Seran inspected carefully making no more sudden movements. Walking close to Seran its huge paws made thuds on the ground with each step reaching the proximity of Seran it halts.

Sniffing Seran continuously the beast was sightless to his surprise. Smelling nothing from Seran the beast walks away slowly. When it became out of sight Seran limped out of the mud quietly when he heard a snap.In pain Seran groaned falling onto his side.

Aagh!

Quickly covering his mouth Seran peered down at his broken ankle. Hearing a roar without being able to react the beast snatched Seran up by the forearm ramming Seran through pods and exploding them open full of liquid. Seran's eyebrows lowered squeezing his eyes shut. He clenched his teeth and made a fist uppercutting the beast in the stomach repeatedly. Seran groaned continuously bearing through the excruciating bite from the beast.

"Get off of me! "

Seran screamed.

Out of desperation from the body blow's ineffectiveness Seran digs his fingers into the beast's eyeball forcibly pulling it out with its optic nerve snapping from its socket squirting blood like a sprinkler. The beast went into a frenzy Seran took advantage tangling his good leg around the beast slipping it up they both plunged into the dirt tumbling & crashing through flower pods. They both rose to their feet again Seran numbed up again from the liquids, couldn't feel the shift in pain but the state of his body was weakening. Panting Seran stood his ground on one foot this time without hesitation.

I am sick! Of running away from you..you wanna play asshole!

The beast snapped its teeth growling, roaring ferociously like a tiger it stomped its paw into the dirt its fur stood up tall protracting the spikes from it.

Come get some you ugly son of bitch!

The beast charges at him & leaps with its mouth spread widely in a mutated state.

Seran reached down quickly picking up one of the huge broken steams from a flower sacrificing the same left arm, he shoved the steam of the flower down the neck of the beast pumping it full of its liquids. Rag dolling Seran's left arm a light sparked from the very corner of Seran's eyes.

"Upartale!"

A Shockwave knocks the beast off him sending it crashing into the dirt without movement. Seran's vision clouded as a face gazed upon him from overhead. Too fuzzy to make out what was happening or what was being said Seran's body started to pass unconscious hearing these very last words.

"Are you alright young flower?"

Haven faded to the sound of his voice after a few hours passed Seran jerked & twitched in his sleep mumbling. Witnessing the beast again in his dreams tearing him limb from limb with no remorse.

"No..Stay away from me. No-Nooooo!!"

He leaned upward in a panic attack full of sweat he quivered.

"Hey, at ease young flower you are safe now ."

The mysterious stranger resting his hand on Seran's chest lays him back onto his back. Popping & cackling noises accompanied by the smell of smoke as firewood burned keeping him warm. The mysterious stranger wearing a long brown cloak with a hood over his head that covered his face sat down beside him. Confused Seran's eyes cut to the left then the right noticing there was a group of them cloaked.

"Where am I & that thing where is it?"

Seran said, as he slowly lifted the covers off of his waist. Tossing more wood into the burning flames the mysterious man replied.

"You're in the Carcade Ruins a place just outside the outskirts of the Garden of Birth."

Seran seemed on edge shaking as he gripped the sheets a few tear drops dropped onto his knuckles he said to the man.

That Isn't what I asked! I wanna know what this place is & how the hell I got here in the first place.

The man tosses a few twigs into the fire before answering Seran.

"You're in the world called the Demifice young flower. As for how you manifested into this place."

The strange man shook his head in disagreement as he responded.

"That I do not know of all I'm certain of is that you're an Otherworldly being that's transverse into our world."

Another one of the cloaked strangers spoke out aggravated.

Cloaked Woman: Do not question my kin Outlander we don't wish you be here anymore than you if it were my decision I'd left you to perish by the fangs of that Karibius.

Cloaked Man: She is right Elder this creature is arrogant & has no gratitude for his lordship's shelter.

Cloaked Man 2: Elder the otherworld creature makes hateful eyes.

Unexpectedly the strange man put his thumb in his mouth wiggling his pinky finger as he blew creating a harmonic whistling that interrupted them short of further ranting.

"I shan't have arguments amongst the newly born, thou is not filled with hatred the young flower is afraid. Young flower I shall heed your questions with the utmost of my knowledge let the winds carry your voice to me."

Seran timidly talked eyeing the wrist that had been bitten.

Th-that thing you said it was called a what again?

Lifting his head towards the view of the 7 moons in the sky he answered.

"The Karibius an inferior beast that preys on new life forms gaining nothing more than satisfaction from killing rather than the circle of life itself. Karibius beasts lurk in the Garden of Birth targeting Otherworlders such as yourself a vile creature with no respect for other inhabitants."

Seran trembled a bit more as he asked anxiously staring into the fire.

Is it still alive?

The second cloaked man chuckled at Serans question.

Cloaked Man 2: Alive you say, there's nothing living in that creature anymore besides its roasted carcass the lord made certain of that.

Picking up a huge leg of meat from a carcass the man takes a huge bite out of the leg before the elder sternly tells him.

"Put that down foolish child that is not your kill."

He quickly sat the meat back where it belonged bowing to him nervously.

Cloaked Man 2: Forgive me, elder It was a foolish mistake for me to take food of your kill.

"It is not mine kill."

The elder strange man said confusing the group.

Cloaked Woman: Elder brother.. I saw thou kill the beast if not yours then whom?

The elder pointed to Seran saying.

"It is thine."

In disbelief, the woman in the cloak swiped her hand left.

Cloaked Woman: Preposterous elder you shant give glory to this lowly otherworld creature. He would've met his demise hadn't you navigated him from the jaws of death!

" Silence Zophiria, I do not tell lies or commit forgery for the sake of pity. The young flower marked the beast with the stroke of death putting & an end to its pointless carnage to show meaning to the cycle."

She remained silent as she turned her head upset Seran asked the elder.

How can tell if I killed it or not?

The elder smiled at Seran.

"There was no life essence I could sense from the beast at the time of arrival young flower. It was dead but its instincts to kill were still alive."

Gasping in continuous whispering among one another from the elder's comments one of them spoke.

Cloaked Man 1: Elder if that is the truth we should take him back to the elder sister killing a Karibius at birth means he must have some sort of potential!

The elder nodded in disagreement.

"No, even if we took him back elder sister does not take kindly to uninvited guests unless they're of her own accord. She would most likely discard him at the very front gates of her waters."

Seran seemed shocked to hear that he'd defeated such a terrifying creature. The elder passer Seran a fresh piece of its cooked meat and asked genuinely.

"It is your kill young flower eat well. I'd like to ask if we may participate in your feast?"

Seran nodded Yes as he grasped the meat into his hands appalled by the very sight of it. The other two men grabbed fresh meat to join in. All but Zophiria walked away from the bonfire scrunching her shoulders up she lay down alone in the dark. Seran could feel a sensation pouring into him but couldn't understand what it was. Grasping his attention the elder asks him.

"What is your name young flower?"

Seran replied, swiftly

Seran -Seran Hevans.

"Ah, well Seran I am Ihathir you may call me Grand Elder if you must. These are my loyal kin SahQuis, and AvelRahd, & I suppose you've already met Zophiria. Young like you hot-spirited.

He smiled, as the other two men laughed out loudly chomping down on their meat. Seran was still bugged out by the roasted leg he was holding as the elder assured him.

"Close your eyes & bite down it would've done the same to you with no regard to whether you were alive or dead young flower."

Seran shut his eyes and bit down into the flesh chomping away he was starved its rich meat was tender & juicy to his heart's content. After a full-course meal, all the others were tucked closely by the fire. Placing more wood into the bonfire the elder informed Seran.

"The night has come to a close Young flower rest for our journey lies elsewhere when the sun peaks over us."

Seran lay down & closed his eyes.