Our trek through the jungle goes quickly, and I’m able to keep pace. Where before I stumbled and couldn’t keep up, I now match his rhythm and use the jungle terrain to my advantage. Weaving between branches and hanging vines, we vault over exposed roots the size of people. The rapidly setting sun casts its ray through the canopy causing every shaded part to seem even darker. Besides the Primental, I’ve yet to see another living creature.

We arrive at the mountain I pointed out, which is so tall that even with my enhanced eyesight, I can’t see where it ends. Clouds shroud the peak, and snow decorates the top of it. There’s a good fifty feet of open space from where the trees stop and the mountain starts. I’m expecting an ambush by something, but every time I turn around, there’s nothing there.

Gabriel and I split up to look for a cave to spend the night in. The unease I’ve felt all day hasn’t waned in the slightest, every sound filling me with dread. Step by step, advancing carefully, my head on a swivel for any sudden movements. I should’ve asked Gabriel what kind of animals live here. But he would’ve told me if something was following us. My breathing begins to calm down, and I realize I was making myself paranoid. Obviously, Gabriel would warn me if some monster was nearby.

Ringing all I hear is ringing while I struggle to stand. Disoriented and dizzy, I feel sluggish. What happened? My back is burning, and when I reach back to touch it, my hand comes back soaked in blood. Did something attack me? The ringing fades just in time for me to see a snarling beast straight out of my nightmares. A large feline with dark black, almost purple-colored fur that shines like polished metal and its razor-sharp claws and fangs. This is an apex predator, and it will kill me if I can’t defeat it.

It lunges at me, and I Warp to the side, not trusting my speed against the beasts. Landing where I used to be, it effortlessly pivots and keeps momentum for a second lunge. Warping back fifty feet to try and put some space between us doesn’t do enough as the beast charges me with the speed of a bullet. It crosses the distance in seconds, and the pain in my back makes sudden movements feel like torture. I cannot outrun this thing. The only way I don’t end up as cat food is if I can kill it. Neck or spine snap seems quickest. I Warp another fifty feet in the opposite direction and stare at the creature’s back. Focusing on the more offensive application of my Word, I try to twist or bend its spine. It roars at me, whether in pain or annoyance; I can’t tell. Despite its roar, the cat’s back looks undamaged. Increasing the amount of aether I’m using doesn’t seem to help. What the fuck is this thing made out of? It feels like I’m trying to bend steel with my bare hands. Even if I could eventually pump enough aether into my Word to get it to work, this thing will kill me before I accomplish it. It’s just a cat. Think, Tyler, use your brain. An idea comes to me, but it’s risky, and if I fail, it means death. I laugh at the thought. “Well, failing to kill you means death anyway. So here, kitty kitty.”

The creature snarls and tries to close the distance and swipe at me with its claws, but they find only air as I appear at the tree line. Once again, it jumps at me as I try to hide behind one of the enormous trees. The ground below me moves, and the tree creaks against the weight of my attacker. I taunt it more, and the cat slashes its claws against the trunk, causing splinters of wood to explode outwards. Snarling in frustration, it continues attacking the tree protecting its meal. I underestimated the strength and speed of the beast because the chunk of tree protecting my head got swatted away. The cat has already torn through the tree, and I have to Warp away as the top half falls to the jungle floor. I don’t have much aether left, and I need to stop the bleeding on my back. This is it. Either this works, or I die. I stand in the open and wait for the inevitable pounce. I feel my Word bristle and bubble within me; this will be my only attempt. As the beast reaches the apex of its jump, I focus on it. Using all my aether, I will it to Warp. The creature suddenly finds itself rapidly diving down toward the broken tree. Its legs flail as it attempts to find something to hold on to, but nothing greets it but air. The beast plummets straight down, falling faster and faster until it hits the jagged trunk. I watch it skewer itself and slide down to the base, widening the hole caused by the sharp point.

I approach the body carefully, wary of any sudden movements that could mean it isn’t dead. Regardless of my upbringing, my knowledge is woefully lacking when dealing with strange creatures and this unknown area. An overwhelming metallic scent fills my nostrils when I arrive at the tree's base. It’s tangy and reminds me of the smell of factories from back home. I bend down and grab a stick off the ground to poke the body. Up close now, I can’t even believe how large this cat is, and it’s so heavy it's putting stress on the trunk holding it. I jab the stick at the cat, and it breaks in half without leaving even a scratch. I want to get closer, but fear stops me. What if it’s just playing dead? There’s so much blood dripping down the tree that the dirt is dyed red. Picking up a thicker branch, I creep closer toward the cat’s head. You have to do this. Be brave, Tyler.

Minutes tick by, and I haven’t moved an inch. How are you meant to go on an adventure if you hesitate right now? This thing might not even be at the top of the food chain. I gnash my teeth and let out a roar as I plunge my weapon into the beast’s eye. It yelps, clearly still alive, but I keep pushing and pushing the branch into its brain. It thrashes wildly as the last remaining bit of life it has left dissipates, knocking me to the blood-soaked ground. My back hurts, and my chest stings where its claws hit me.

Even in death, you try and fuck me over one last time. Stupid fucking beast. A rustle from nearby has my head whipping at the noise. There stands Gabriel, the fading sun behind him, beckoning me over.

“Oh good, you took care of our pursuer.”

“Wait, YOU KNEW WE WERE BEING FOLLOWED? Why the fuck-.”

I’m back on the ground instantly, and Gabriel has his boot on my chest. He’s managed to step directly on my fresh wound.

“Keep quiet. Do not presume to question me, child,” Gabriel says with a gaze that promises pain. Keep quiet, don’t set him off. “Yes, I knew we were being followed. I could have easily killed that Ailloyn as well. But that wouldn’t have done you any good. This jungle is the third most dangerous place in the entire world, and it shall be your crucible. If you thought the trial in which you found your Word was gruesome, this will make that look like a cakewalk. Now rejoice, you killed an Ailloyn, one of the apex predators of this place. Its corpse will prove useful for you in the coming months.”

He allows me to stand up, and I brush the dirt off myself. I resist the urge to argue and instead ask a question on my mind.

“What’s an ailloyn? Obviously, a feline creature, but it’s different somehow, right?”

“Correct. Ailloyn is a term used for a species of felines that can look vastly different from one another but share a couple of fundamental features. Their noses can sniff out rare ores and metals. They then consume those materials, and it changes them slowly over time: their bones, teeth, claws, and even their fur. It takes on the strength of whatever they’ve eaten, as I’m sure you’ve seen.”

Of course, there are cats made out of metal. “Are there a lot of ailloyns here?”

“There are more here than in any other location, but their numbers are few as a species. They are solitary hunters due to infighting for resources. The one you killed is young, though. The longer they live, the more they consume and the tougher they become. A fully matured ailloyn can have hides that are incapable of being pierced by conventional means. They’re typically referred to as ‘Alphas.’ You can recognize an alpha by the sheer size of them. An average ailloyn is between twelve to fifteen feet long from head to tail and can weigh anywhere from nine hundred to two thousand pounds, depending on their diet. An alpha ailloyn is at least twenty-five feet long and weighs a minimum of two tons. I let you fight this one because there was a chance you would come out on top. But Tyler, you will die if you see an alpha as you are now.” His tone now is solemn.

“Could you defeat an alpha? Could Veaos?”

He laughs as if my question is the funniest joke ever told.

“Tyler, my Word is Live. It manifests in two ways; the first is that no matter what happens to me, I cannot die. I can be harmed, maimed, destroyed even, but my body will put itself back together. Even Father Time himself has abandoned me. Over four thousand years I’ve lived. Learned every manner of combat and weapon, even invented a few. I have watched nations prosper and fall. Seen the best and the worst this world has to offer. Witnessed miracles and experienced indescribable things. I have felled men and beasts alike that would inspire nightmares if you saw them. To ask if I can defeat an alpha is insulting when the reality is there isn’t a creature nor a Forchunae capable of defeating me.”

“Sorry, I meant no offense, sir. You said your Word manifested in two ways, but you didn’t say what the second was.”

I don’t even see the punch. A blur, then pain on the right side of my face.

“Tyler, this world is not the cozy city you grew up in. This world is harsh and brutal. The truly powerful will kill you for a minor insult, and nobody will bat an eye or try and stop them. You are neither intelligent enough to understand me nor powerful enough to ask. You will learn respect one way or another. Be thankful that you have me to correct you. Now stay quiet and help me carry your kill.”

Fuck you. I nod my head and walk over to the corpse. Gabriel’s leg shoots out towards the tree, obliterating it. The top half of the trunk and the corpse fall over to the ground. Fresh blood spills out and splashes onto my clothes. He pulls the last bit of wood out of the ailloyn and calls me over to help. Together we lift it over our shoulders with him leading. I say together, but he is shouldering far more of the weight. I feel weak, like before I started my training. The ailloyn isn’t even mature and still weighs hundreds of pounds. If I didn't have Gabriel here, I wouldn’t be able to move the body. I’m trying my hardest to help but In exhausted and still bleeding from two different spots. If I ask him to slow down, he’s just going to hit me again. So I suffer in silence, grit my teeth, and reach deep for anything that’ll allow me to keep going.

We walk for ten minutes, which feels like an eternity, until we reach a hidden cave. I don’t know what I expected, but it’s just a regular cave. Dark, humid, and empty of any amenities. We drop the body onto the ground, and I slump down against one of the walls.

“Up. Can’t rest yet. We must get wood for a fire, check the perimeter, and a few other things.”

I almost groan at him. Instead, I nod and force myself to my feet. Feeling at my back stings but doesn’t seem to come back wet. A glance at my chest shows a clean cut, not too deep, but I need to bandage it up. CJ showed me basic first aid and other helpful tricks for roughing it in the wild. Despite the others abandoning me to Gabriel’s whims, I must be thankful for the things I was taught. Because of CJ, I know how to look for firewood and start a fire. I’m sure Gabriel would beat me to death if I didn’t know at least that much. My legs are screaming in protest while I look amongst the nearby trees for some sticks. Dry and thick, it makes it burn long and strong. Collecting it one at a time, carefully crouching down instead of bending so I don’t split open any wounds trying to heal.

When I make my way back, all that’s left of the sun is a faint glow. Using my cloak as a makeshift bag to carry enough sticks to keep the fire going. When I arrive back at the cave, I see Gabriel has strung up my kill using branches. He carved a trough out of a tree and is now using it to collect the blood dripping down. I drop my parcel and fall to the ground as the last drop of adrenaline leaves my tired body. Huh. Well, at least I won’t be awake for this next beating.