All rights go to Uncle Rick. Please enjoy the read.
Zira stared at the backpack next to him, quickly jumping up and surveying the area. He didn't notice anything, the birds were chirping, there was the soft rustle of wind through the trees, and the grass around him was only trampled from where Zira slept. There was nothing out of the ordinary except for the backpack.
Zira slowly reached for the backpack and carefully opened it. Inside was a bag of beef jerky, a couple of bottles of water, and a hunting knife with a sheath. Zira pulled the knife out of the bag before unsheathing it. The blade was made of bronze and when Zira looked closer at it, he noticed that the blade glowed slightly.
He re-sheathed the blade and hooked it to his pants. Zira took one of the water bottles out of the bag and quickly took a sip. He put the water bottle back in the bag and noticed that there was a map of Long Island Sound with a section of the map circled in red with 'Safe Space here' written underneath.
Zira debated whether to follow a vague letter to a random spot on Long Island or just wander around a 469 square mile city until he found something or someone to help him. He sighed and started his trek towards Long Island Sound.
For the rest of the day, Zira traveled, occasionally taking breaks for food and to rest his legs. As he walked, Zira was on edge. It seemed like someone was following him, but every time he tried to find the source of his unease, it disappeared.
It was turning night by the time Zira arrived at Long Island Sound, pink and purple streaking across the sky. The uneasy feeling had grown in size as he got closer to the spot on the map.
The feeling finally manifested itself as a growling behind Zira. He quickly pulled out the bronze knife and flipped around, seeing a giant black dog with glowing red eyes.
They stood there, watching each other, waiting to see what the other would do. Zira took a single, slow, step back, and the hound lunged at him. Zira dove to the side and started running towards the general area the map would've led him.
As he ran, he felt the powerful thud of paws striking the earth, though the sound seemed to vanish into the air, leaving only an eerie silence. In the distance, Zira could see a hill with a pine tree on top, with a golden bath mat attached to it, and a ton of purple cables wrapped around it.
As Zira got closer, two people in armor with swords at their sides, walked into view. They were laughing and joking around, and then one of them noticed Zira being chased by the hellhound. One of them immediately pulled out their sword and tried to charge in, but the other held their arm out in front of them to stop the first.
Zira risked a glance behind him to see that the hound was only a few feet behind him. Zira pivoted on his feet and slashed at the hellhound's left eye. I howled in pain and swiped randomly in Zira's direction. Zira leaped back, staying in the hellhound's blind side.
The hound lunged at Zira faster than he expected, landing on top of him. Zira struggled to keep both the claws and mouth away from his face while yelling at the people on top of the hill, "Some help would be nice!"
One of them yelled back, "I'm trying, but my patrol partner is holding me back."
"You need to prove yourself, new kid." The second one yelled over the first.
The hound curled its lips into a snarl, lunging at Zira again. Its claws raked towards Zira's chest, being dodged by another roll from Zira.
It went for another swipe, and Zira was barely able to dodge with a sidestep. The beast's claws were so close that Zira could feel the wind from them across his skin. If he had been half a second slower, his face would've been shredded.
Zira slashed at the hound's face again, a new red gash appearing on the muzzle of the hound. The hellhound lunged left, biting at Zira's chest.
Zira cried out in pain as the fangs sank deep into his side. He took the hunting knife in his hand and tried to stab the hound, but the hound was too fast, releasing its grip on Zira, and backing out of reach of the blade.
Zira clenched his side, breathing heavily. His vision started to blur and his head became fuzzy with blood loss. He was not going to lose, he told himself.
The hellhound lunged forward, sensing its imminent kill, its movements less calculating, which gave Zira the opening he needed.
The world seemed to slow as the hellhound lunged, its maw gaping wide, sharp, serrated teeth gleaming in the moonlight. Zira felt a surge of energy course through him—a rush of power as he thrust his dagger upward, driving it deep into the beast's skull. Without pausing, he spun on his heel, using the momentum to drag the blade downward.
The hellhound was yanked off its feet, hurtling over Zira's head before crashing into the ground with bone-shattering force. The earth cracked beneath its weight, sending small fissures spidering out from the impact. For a brief moment, the beast twitched, then dissolved into a mass of swirling shadows, leaving behind only its pelt.
Zira bent to retrieve the pelt, his hands trembling from the aftermath of the battle. He turned toward the two people watching from the top of the hill, managed a weak bow—and then his vision blurred. He collapsed forward, face-first into the dirt, unconscious.
YOU ARE READING
Missing Moonlight
FanfictionZira had a terrible life growing up, an adoptive family that abused and manipulated him, used him to get money from the government to buy booze and drugs, getting high and leaving Zira to fend for himself most days. That all changed one day when a f...
