Chapter 2 The Lure Of Intimidation

Day 1 continues….

[Bzz! Bzz!] “Huh the flies are…?” It was due to the starving flies swarming the odorous corpse on my shoulder that abruptly fled in impulsive haste why I noticed the heightened levels of danger creeping up behind me. [Whoosh!] As I spun my body to identify my sneak attacker, the first thing I perceived was a malefic claw of draconic sharpness streaking towards my throat! The unidentified beast went straight for my vital point with no hesitation in its movements.

“KYAAAAH!” Because of the unexpected trepidation which bombarded my scared mien, I was forced to abandon my battle spear and tumble on my buttocks while exuding a resounding scream that rustled the surrounding bushes.

[Thud! Slash!] Albeit I unintentionally lowered my guard, my primal instincts kicked in play and rescued my neck from accepting a vile gash. The sharped claws missed their intended target, however, I didn’t escape unscathed. My right eye suffered a cutting abuse from the claws’ sharp tips. Parts of the important flesh that made up my face was stuck underneath those malignant nails that also scooped out my eyeball.

[Huff! Huff!] I tried my best to scoot to safety, although, I found this very onerous due to the bloodstain impairing my left vision. As I furthered my retreat from encroaching danger, I frantically wiped my face, trying to clear away the blood impairing my sight. Once I could finally see again, my fears became amplified to their utmost limit.

What I perceived standing over me was none other than the same beast that I came to Mt Sakai’s summit to hunt. Due to the sudden turns of event, I felt as if I was the one being hunted by this smart beast who didn’t succumb to any of my ploys employed for the past couple of days. Instead, it bided its time while masking its presence and waited until my back was turned to commence its brutal assault.

My blurry vision painted the bloodcurdling imagery of a muscular animal almost 3 metres long. It was bulkier than all other game that I’ve encountered thus far. It had short rounded ears, beady eyes, and a broad face. Its entire body was rife with bristle furs that would grater the smooth qualities of a person’s palm who brushed against them. This mammoth-like creature that stood above me with a baleful aura of hauteur was undoubtedly the Wolverine-Bear that the elders in my tribe tasked me to hunt.

The fierce look of disdain coming from its pernicious eyes as it glanced down on me, gave me the impression that this beast thought itself better and that I wasn’t worth the very ground it trod over.

“Don’t look down on me!” I got so upset by the beast’s condescending glare I started rousing all of my strength of 5-men! “Piss off!” I reached for a healthy rock behind my head, moreover, I bashed it against the second wave of claws which sought to claim my life.

[Boom! Boom!] After knocking away the threatening claws, I tossed the rock at the beast’s face which knocked out a couple of its razor-sharp teeth. I then rolled over to reclaim my battle spear that had escaped my grasp close to the wooden platter.

[ROOOAAAR!] The beast took notice of me reaching for my spear and vaulted over. It dropped its bulky limbs near the pillar then stamped all over my spear. [Smash! Smash! Smash!] The beast was blatantly taunting me, it could have crushed me just then but instead, it went for my weapon. This vicious beast wanted me to experience utter despair before claiming my life for its stomach.

“You will regret taunting a mighty warrior of the Aigoo tribe! Woah!” I roused my strength again, the bulky mass of muscles which comprised most of my feet aided my escape from the Wolverine-Bear’s cruel proximity.

[Whoosh! Whoosh!] I flipped backwards a few times until my broad back was pressed up against a thick tree trunk. [ROAR!] I waited for the beast to rush in closer before making any sudden movement. This was by no means an easy task. The resolve it took, moreover, the dedication to restrict my trepidation from acting out required the stillness of 13 caterpillars. I had to become one with my environment if I was to triumph over this apex predator.

[Thud! Thud! Thud!]

“Here it comes!” I waited and I waited. The moment the beast crossed into my proximity, I evaded its deadly charge by rolling to the side then started dashing towards my broken spear. [Boom!] The loud bang prompted me to glance rearward. What I witnessed was the mighty beast tearing through the thick tree trunk with its deadly claws!

“What monstrous strength!” I was amazed by the raw physical prowess portrayed by the formidable beast. The tree that it cleaved asunder with such ease had centuries to its root-age. It was sturdy and thicker than the length of three horses standing side by side yet the beast rammed through it as if it was weeding grass.

“Unfathomable! This beast’s strength surpassed that’s of 30 men! How am I supposed to subdue such fierce legend?” I became hindered by my hesitation and depleting resolve. Due to this, it took me a while longer to grasp the sharpness of my broken spear.

[Grab!] As the shattered weapon entered my grasp, my entire body became paralyzed, riddled with stillness. I was stuck in a sudden immobile stupor. No longer could I perceive the radiant environment around me, only the dull autumnal leaves that fluttered in the wind joined me in the palpable darkness. I was at loss for words. My back was facing my adversary yet I had no clue of its advance. I couldn’t even arouse the strength of 1-woman. I didn’t know what brought this on all of a sudden, but I could make a wild guess.

Within my Aigoo tribe, certain teachings were passed down through generations. A certain tale came to the forefront of my mind now that I found myself in this immovable predicament. I remember the exact words spewed out of the elder’s canny mouth.

“Long ago there was a skilful warrior of the Aigoo tribe who attained the great title of, Beast Tamer. It was said that he had subdued over 300 formidable beasts of various qualities using nothing but his bare hands. The Beast Tamer made it his lifelong duty to collect all the hides of the creatures he had bested. One night under the crescent moon during the Beast Tamer’s great celebration, he received a noble calling from a mythic beast that no hunter of the vast lands of Bethlia has ever bested. The Beast Tamer postponed his celebration and accepted the challenged proposed by the mythic beast. On the highest peak of Bethlia where the ancients said that man could grasp the moon, served as the battleground for their great duel.

The Beast Tamer showed up at the peak donned in his unrivalled armour which had accompanied him on his many brutal quests. During their heated battle, it was perceptible to many that the Beast Tamer had undergone a moment of stillness which led to him being brutally assaulted from behind. After a lengthy period, the Beast Tamer regained his sanity and came out of the duel triumphant over the mythic beast. However, he received a fatal wound to his back which eventually led to his death later on.

Before the Beast Tamer joined his ancestors in eternal sleep, he made sure to pass on his experience during his moment of stillness which led to his gradual downfall. He told the scribe of our tribe that when he was about to gain victory over the mythic beast, a sudden chill crept into his spine which stilled his heart and crippled his conscious. He felt as if he was drowning in a sea of endless darkness with no direction of where to swim. He referred to his experience as the Lure of Intimidation.

When the scribe asked him how he overcame his stillness, he answered with his dying breath: ‘The flow of time is not exempt from our infinite reality. A cross over in space could mean the breath of one’s existence.’ The scribe formed his own interpretation from this vague dialogue. He stated that the great Beast Tamer overcame his momentous stillness by casting away his armour of struggle and embracing the silks of death. The Beast Tamer died later that night under the crescent moon but his legend still lives on in the minds of the Aigoo tribe.”

[End of elder's tale]