Fractured Crown (Book 1: Terra)

Chapter 6

Raena fired arrow after arrow, each one hitting its target and yet, the monstrous creature appeared unaffected. It simply pulled out each arrow from where it was buried in its skeletal chest and snapped it in half like a twig.

Raena didn't bother wasting any more arrows after she had fired a fourth. She took a cautious step to the left, never taking her eyes off it. She could sprint, but if it had any kind of animalistic sense, she knew she would only be appealing to the predator. So far, it had not advanced towards her. Instead, it continued to gaze at her with those luminous blue eyes that weren't quite eyes, but more like cavernous holes or eye sockets, deeply carved into its skeletal head.

She took another slow step away, her fingers gripping her bow tightly. She had to remain calm and focused. What if it could smell fear? She focused on steadying her breathing, but she couldn't deny the panic slowly rising within her. It was an ugly thing to look at, and no doubt, dangerous, so why wasn't it attacking?

Raena broke into a cold sweat. She had a sudden urge to run, far, far away from its capturing gaze. The creature was setting her on edge, and she couldn't seem to think of a plan of escape. Then she heard it, a whisper, snaking through the air.

Raena.

She froze. How did it know her name? The creature repeated her name, over and over again, and yet its mouth did not move. It simply stared, daring her to run.

Raena. Run. Run, Raena! Raena, run! Run! Run!

The whispers were all around her as if carried by the wind, encircling her and Raena crouched to the ground in fear, holding her hands over her ears.

"Shut up!" she screamed. "Shut up!"

The whispering stopped. Raena looked up but remained crouched, her body shaking in terror.

The creature cocked its head to one side and then slowly, a wide grin spread across its decayed face. Its cracked lips parted to reveal large, yellow, rotting teeth. It let out a sudden roar and the creature's bones moved in and out of place. Its neck made a horrible cracking sound as it twisted. Then something even stranger happened. Its body began to increase in size, and it grew large as an ox, its wide eyes never leaving hers throughout its transformation.

Raena's breath caught in her throat and she stumbled to get up.

Run, the creature seemed to taunt, and Raena, not willing to stand the sight of it a moment longer, ran.

The chase had begun, and this time, the huntress felt what it was like to be the hunted. Fear propelled her forward, and adrenaline pumped through her veins as her feet treaded on dried autumn leaves and crunched on fallen twigs and branches. She glanced backwards, and a small whimper of fear escaped her lips as her eyes made contact with the creature's, its beaten, rusty armour clanking as it bolted towards her, ramming past trees and splintering their trunks. Raena didn't want to imagine what would happen if it got to her. The creature looked like it could crush her whole in a heartbeat.

She focused her attention forwards again - only to stumble into a bush. Raena cried out in pain as a thorn slashed through her cloak and grazed her thigh, hood falling back. She scrambled to get up, ignoring the throbbing in her leg. She felt a sudden pain shoot through her scalp as the creature caught a fistful of her long hair. She grabbed one of her hunting knives, which she kept hidden in the pockets of her cloak and dug it into the creature's rotting face. The creature screamed at the blade that was embedded deep in its cheek and it turned its cold eyes towards Raena, who shivered under its petrifying gaze. It was twice her size and undoubtedly strong. Extremely strong.

Raena thrashed and kicked and attempted to jab it with her bow, all to no avail. The creature seemed unbothered by it all. Instead, it leaned in towards her and she felt as if a cold hand had reached inside her chest and grasped her heart, chilling it. The creature released another horrible screech before it bit into her arm.