SECRETS OF EXOCLYUS

6: THE WINDS THAT HOWLS

  Stella wasn't sure how long she'd been running.

  Time seemed to slide by and all she could do was keep moving.

  It might not have even been for minutes, but she couldn't stop, she could feel the Nyxlian right on her ankles, with fangs ready to be painted red again by her blood.

  She had to keep running, her death would be painful if she slipped. She didn't know whether Usgard was there anymore, he might have seen it as a chance to run but she had no time to check. 

  All she could do was focus on not falling.

  Which was incredibly difficult with the two different voices that were arguing in her head.

  Leave the forest...

  IT WILL BE MINE!

  Stella wanted to scream at them, but she was too out of breath. How she hadn't died yet felt like a miracle because she definitely slowed down compared to when the Nyxlian started the chase.

  She needed somewhere to hide, her stamina had held on longer than expected, but if she didn't stop soon her heart might implode.

  With all the running Stella only noticed the ground had changed from dirt to marble when the ruins of an old courtyard surrounded her.

  White pillars that once stood tall and proud centuries ago were now coated in overgrown vines and the marble tiles below her were broken up by strong weeds or passing animals, then at the front of the courtyard was a tiny structure in the same ruined state as everything else here.

  It looked like a shrine, Stella wasn't sure what god it was made for, but she could feel something evil coming from it, a darkness not similar to the Nyxlian's instead it felt a bit...

  Chaotic.

  Despite the fear of being eaten Stella couldn't get her to go any further, she turned to the Nyxlian and pulled her sword. She couldn't tell whether it was a good idea, however right now she felt very stuck between a rock and a hard place.

  The Nyxlian stopped a few feet away, for an odd reason its other eye had remained shut all this while, but it didn't matter, the gold gaze was enough to make Stella's skin crawl.

  It didn't attack, it only growled, as if waiting for her to run again so it would chase her again. Stella ignited her sword, the red flames painted her skin and her surroundings in crimson light, she did as an intimidation technique, it always worked.

  Unfortunately the Nyxlian was neither afraid nor bothered. The beast flicked an ear and her flames immediately extinguished themselves, she tried again but to no avail. Her magic was useless here.

  She threw her sword at it but the blade bounced off the monster's fur, infact rather than hurt it the aimless attack annoyed it and it let out a loud bark to show its displeasure.

  Just like the roar from earlier her muscles froze as the paralysis set in again. Fear was now in control, she wanted to fight but all she did was fall to her knees as the two arguing voices became more frantic.

Leave our forest...

  TREZOBAK.

  The Nyxlian strutted up to Stella until it's nose was only an inch away from her face. She expected it to strike, to finish the hunt and feast, but instead it just stood there, staring at her.

  Soon the fear turned to confusion.

  Was it waiting for her to run again?

  Was it curious of her?