"Araria."
Cass turns toward me after giving the sign a quick look over.
"What the heck was that, Jake!?"
"Um... I'm not really sure. Let's go. I don't want to stick around for any other surprises like that. Something weird is going on in this place and I don't like it."
"Yeah, I think you're right. We should get a move on. These woods are creepy."
We walk past the sign through the path into a clearing that stretches for about a mile.
We walk for about fifteen minutes and hear a weird noise.
I look in front of us at a medium sized bush as it begins to shake violently. I hear a low growl emerge from it and my heart begins to race. I grab Cass's arm and she whips her head around and looks at me.
I look back at the bush and a large paw steps out. It's the size of a bear with the color of a tiger. The beast emerges from the bush and paces back and forth, with a low growl, never taking its gaze off of us. It stops and stares at us as if it hasn't eaten in days. It pounces straight at us and I turn and tackle Cass to the ground just as it barely misses us, swiping down as it flies past.
It hits the ground and slides a few feet and turns around. I stand up and steady my feet, ready to roll out of the way again. It lowers its body and just as it begins to leap we hear a voice shout "Get out of the way!"
I leap to the side back on top of Cass and turn around to see a man on a half lizard, half squirrel looking creature raging toward us.
The creature comes to a sliding stop, and, all in one motion, the man aboard spirals off of the creature and hits the ground flawlessly. The bear-tiger lets out a wild roar and charges the man. The man sidesteps just in time and grabs the beast by the neck and swings himself onto the beast. The beast begins to go wild jumping around and screeching, trying to shake the man off. The man rapidly, but calmly, places his hands on the beast's head and begins to whisper to himself softly. Immediately, the beast stops in its tracks and sits down calmly.
I look over at Cass and she is looking at me with shock.
I turn back to the scene and the beast lies down. The man stops whispering and slides off the beast's back. He begins to walk over towards us while glancing back at the beast.
I stand up and back up keeping Cass behind me.
The man says, "Don't be afraid! I am not here to harm you, I assure you."
"How did you do that? That.. that thing was about to devour us! And you just stopped it!"
"Do you not know what this creature is? You... you've never been to this land have you? No... I can see it in your eyes, you haven't a clue who I am, do you?"
"What are you talking about? We're supposed to be one of the only few left."
"Tell me, boy, what is your name?"
"And why should I tell you?"
"Perhaps because I just saved your life from that reaper."
"Okay... my name is Jake. This is Cass."
"Come, we must hurry. The reaper will wake up soon."
I look over at the reaper, as the man had called it, and I'm confused.
"Wake up? That thing is just sitting there?! It's not asleep?"
"Listen, boy, you are confused because you are ignorant to this world. But, believe me, if you come with me, you will be showed the wonder of Araria."
"Jake, he just saved our lives."
I look at the man unassured.
"Okay, we'll come with you."
"Quickly, now. You have much to learn. I sense greatness from both of you."
I look at Cass as she picks up her backpack, with a sense of confusion.
Greatness? What did he mean by that?
"What do you mean, greatness?"
"All in good time, my boy. Now come we must go."
We walk over to the creature he was riding and hesitate.
"C'mon. I assure you, she will not harm you."
I take his hand to climb aboard, and as soon as our hands touch, my hand begins to shake like its being shocked, except, it doesn't hurt. It feels like a numbing tingle. I let go of his hand and step back.
My hand begins trembling and I start to panic. Lines of blue electricity begin jumping from finger to finger.
"Oh my god, what's happening!?"
I touch my other hand to my palm and both hands begin to surge with the lightning as it creates a small, glowing ball. I jerk my hands away from each other outward and a streak of lightning shoots from each hand into the trees on each side of me.
"What the heck!?"
"Calm yourself, boy! Focus on stopping it. It will extinguish!"
I focus everything in me on my hands. The lightning begins to slow down and eventually stops sparking.
"Come quickly! We must get you to the head mage, immediately."
What on earth just happened to me...?
