The Last Guardian (I'm not dead)

Chapter 15: A Re-encounter

The large beast was sprawled on the floor with it's legs stretching towards the boy. Runako shook his head. Trico was such a lazy fur-ball! But even though that was true he had to admit he always battled for him and helped him. A growl rumbled deep from the beast, but it was not from his mouth, but his stomach. A glowing barrel with a crowd of butterflies surrounding it was to be seen in the distance. Runako saw the brilliant color as he bounded across the clearing and towards it. The smell of it had obviously reached Trico's nostrils as he stumbled back onto his claws. With the right footing he hauled himself upward and stared at the barrel with his eyes flashing white: showing his hunger. A thought shot up Runako's mind. "Trico?", he began with enthusiasms in his voice, to make the beast pay better attention. Almost like magic it did work. The beast seemed to understand now. "Now look. I'm going to throw the barrel into the air and you old buddy, will catch it in the air! Got it? Okay now!".

The food filled barrel was in the air and slowly was crashing down. Trico looked at it for a heartbeat before lunging and clamping onto it with full might as he let the juices smear down with throat. The beast licked around it's lips as it flavored it. " Nice Trico! You did well", the child continued as he escaladed up the creature's feathers. He reached the top and began to run in place on the tamed beast's head as he pointed forward, and demanded him to go where his finger pointed. Without quarreling Trico obeyed as he placed his head on the ledge so that his master could get onto.  Before getting off Runako petted the giant bird-like-beast in a sign of showing gratitude and appreciation. He got onto the plat form and called out to Trico. In less than a second he was beside the child. He led the way calling over his shoulder to make sure Trico was following. "Right! Onwards Trico! We have battled another battle yet again!", Runako told the beast triumphantly. He took a turn and looked down from the broken ledge.

" Aaah! Is that water?", he asked aloud. With no hesitation he leaped in. "Yup. That's water".

The cold liquid surrounded him chocking him but soon he found himself swimming swiftly over the still water. He took the only turn and found himself in pure shock and fear. More Samurais!

"Oh no! Oh no! Trico!", Runako hollered. The Samurais began wading over the water as they tried to reach the boy. But the child was smarter that to fight more than one enemy at a time. He swam back to the dead end and called back to Trico. The beast leaped down. "Yah! You're gonna save me. Your my little buddy!", he encouraged. A Samurai had sneaked behind him and scared Runako. "No Trico! Help!".

He wriggled out just in time before the beast threw a killing blow to the neck with his talons. The enemy lay very still. Runako thought better and began to climb up Trico's rear end. "I'm going on to your back!", he warned the beast, making it aware. He was secretly hoping that he wouldn't get hurt. "Here just swipe yo-". Runako was cut off as he saw that Trico had done just what he was about to say. "I think you did just that. Ha!", he laughed as he saw the limp body of the Samurai.

"Trico you're my hero".

Runako rubbed his friend's back. He looked back down and noticed another one was still alive.

"He's still alive. We need to fix it, can you get him?".

Trico let out a whimper. "Is he attacking him? Oh no! Okay, okay. Come after me!", he called as he purposely got off the creature's back. He ran trying to get the enemy's attention but he kept on slashing at Trico. Runako climbed up the ladders and loomed down.

"Oh, I hate when you get hurt buddy", he whispered softly. Although their meeting was not formal, the boy had fallen in love with this creature. It saved him countless times and he knew it would continue. Then there was a silence. There was then a triumphant roar coming from the mighty beast's throat.

"Nice Trico! Now come on".

They followed down a narrow passage way. Trico looked weary from battle but also very nervous when he saw the boy walk through an entrance with a wire like thing above it, ready to close down. "Come on Trico", the boy called as he made it to the other side. He moved backwards to the large animal in.

Slowly he walked in behind Runako. Then he heard a loud.

Clang!

"Trico no!".

The beast let out a horrid cry of pain as the jaw-bridge cage came falling down onto his tail. "I'll get you  out", he soothed softly as though a mother would do. He knew that his mother was dead but he had always heard they were very protective and reassuring. He turned into a room where a lever was there to pull. But aside it was a 'sleeping' Samurai. It was clearly a trap for Trico. Runako pulled it and raced out. "Sorry Trico but I'm going to make you battle again. Even with a wounded tail".

The animal let out a distressed cry as he pulled away from his tail attacking the Samurai in order to protect both himself and the boy from capture. But the lever had not pulled the weight from the beast's tail. It would rip off if he pulled away. "Sorry. I'll come back Trico!", Runako called over his shoulder as he ran. "You know I will! I promise". He raced down another hallway full of more Samurais. He ran passed all of them. All he cared about now was Trico. He climbed up some ladders as the Samurai's threw magic, paralyzing, symbols at the boy in order to catch him.

He ignored them and jumped down into another hallway. There was thing that could lift the jaw-bridge cage off Trico's tail! Runako summoned all his strength as he pulled the heavy thing off Trico's tail. The bloodshed of battle had finished when Runako returned. Yet Trico still growled.

"Easy, easy, easy, easy, there boy. Easy does it Trico. Shhhh".

The beast shook it's pelt and flattened it's feather's against it's flanks and back. Runako walked back down the hallway where the majority of the Samurai's were but Trico growled as he leaped past the boy. There was another figure of a Samurai there. It was holding a large sword but Trico's anger got the best of him. He lunged and killed it in one swipe as it evaporated into blue mist. His eyes were glowing and his sides were heaving as he panted.

Runako petted him one last time.

"Nice! But, now I'm glad I befriended you because that could have been me there!".