Scroll Of Wrath [BETA] COMPLETE

|Chapter 1| The Celestial Beast

In the dense, dark forest, Hadassah's panting echoed as she ran, her feet bruised and bloodied. She could hear the distant shouts of her captors growing louder, panic surging through her as she stumbled over roots and branches clawed at her clothes. Outrunning them would not last long, she realized, but she had to try.
Bursting through a thicket and into a clearing, Hadassah found herself at the edge of a cliff.
The bloodhounds were close, and her heart pounded like a drum. She had to jump.
Her feet left the earth, and the world spun around her as she plummeted towards the jagged rocks below, the wind roaring in her ears. She struck the rocks with a sickening thud, her vision blurring as she saw a figure swimming towards her before everything went black.

Hadassah winced as she tried to open her eyes, coughing violently and spitting out mouthfuls of seawater. Her body convulsed with dry heaves as she struggled to get her bearings, every muscle screaming in pain. As she turned over, her eyes widened at the sight of fine sand leading to the ominous forest she had left behind. Relief filled her as she didn't see any trace of the bloodhounds. Trying to stand, a splitting pain shot through her head, forcing her to collapse back to the ground, where she lay, breath ragged, trying to piece together what had happened.

Summoning what little strength she had left, she crawled slowly towards the edge of the trees, her vision blurring with each movement, needing to find shelter, water, or anything to keep her alive. She stood up shakily, taking in the sheer immensity of her surroundings, aware that navigating this world as a human was extremely difficult. Everywhere she looked, the forest seemed to pulsate with life and danger, massive, ancient trees stretching their gnarled branches toward the sky and forming a dense canopy that blocked the sunlight. She could hear the faint rustling of unseen creatures, their eyes undoubtedly watching her every move, knowing her survival was a full-time job for a lone human.

Carefully, she made her way deeper into the forest, avoiding the large, snapping flowers that could easily mistake her for prey. She spotted a narrow path ahead, partially hidden by foliage. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

As she moved along the path, the sounds of the forest grew louder-bird calls, insect chirps, and the distant howl of some unknown beast. The air was thick with the scent of earth and decay, mingling with the fresh, green aroma of the plants.

The light was fading, and the forest would become even more perilous in the dark. Her head throbbed with pain, and the bleeding had slowed but not stopped. She could not afford to lose any more blood.

In the distance, she saw a small cave, partially concealed by a curtain of vines. She paused unsure of if she should continue forward. Common beasts often made caves their homes, if she entered and was met with a boar or a bear, she would be a dead man. Yet staying here meant the blood hounds could pick her scent much faster. She grit her teeth, it was a gamble, but she had to take it. Gathering the last of her strength, she stumbled towards the cave, praying it would provide some measure of safety from the forest's relentless dangers.

With a final, desperate push, she reached the cave's entrance and collapsed inside, her body finally giving in to exhaustion. As darkness enveloped her, she hoped that the cave would be a sanctuary, even if just for a little while.

She woke up to the sounds of thumping coming from outside the cave. Her heart pounded as she stiffened, listening intently. The noise grew louder, each thump reverberating through the ground. Panic surged through her, and she began to move deeper and deeper into the cave, her breaths coming in quick, shallow gasps.

The creature, drawn by the smell of blood, was closing in. It was massive, with glowing eyes and a hulking, twisted form that filled the entrance of the cave. The Orc's nostrils flared as it sniffed the air, searching for the source of the scent. Despite being a senseless beast, it was dangerous, notorious for eating weak beast men who weren't careful, most Orcs are killed by tribe hunters to protect the civilian beast men, yet she was unlucky to meet one here.