Chapter two - Claustrophobia

The sun began to spread red fingers into the night sky as Korrin raced back down the hill, leading a vinsaur to wait for the knight. Since it was his parents, his vinsaur didn’t have a saddle nor a blanket, but it was worth riding a vinsaur bareback. Korrin anxiously adjusted his satchel on his shoulder as the sky was dosed in gold, praying to the gods that his parents had not yet woken up and the knight was on his way to meet Korrin.

The sky was blue by the time that the knight and his horse-like creature began their way down the hill. Korrin scrambled up onto the back of his vinsaur, grabbing the reigns and kicking its side. 

“I thought you wouldn’t make it,” Sir Zyren said as their vinsaurs fell into step beside each other. “You didn’t meet me at the inn,” he said, stating the obvious.

 “Well, yeah,” Korrin said quietly, staring down at the mane of his steed. “I just forgot something back at home and figured I’d meet you a bit closer to home,” he lied.

“I see,” Sir Zyren said. “Guess you forgot a saddle, too.”

 “Oh, no,” Korrin said, glad for the change of topic. He didn’t think someone of Zyren’s caliber would approve of disobeying parents. “My family is poor. Don’t worry, though, when I get home, I’ll have enough gold to provide for the next five generations of my family.”

  A smile crossed Zyren’s face as he chuckled, “A worthy cause. I applaud your confidence; though I must remind you I cannot guarantee knighthood.”

While Korrin didn’t practically like that reminder, he flattened his ears back in determination. “Maybe you cannot give knighthood to me, but believe me, I will become a knight. I’ll train on my own if that’s what it takes. Stars above, I’ll conquer kingdoms if it means that I’ll be granted my own armor,” Korrin said, thumping his chest in emphasis.

 Doubting Korrin, Sir Zyren just shook his head and chuckled. Korrin knew that Zyren thought him a stupid country boy, that he was naive, but that only further hardened his resolve.

The journey that ensued was wondrous to eyes like those of Korrin. They wound their way out of the countryside that blanketed rolling hills and into the foothills of the mountains. The air got colder and quiet streams babbled their way under and over endless mounds of pebbles. Nothing broke up the silence more than the sound of the occasional vinsaur’s hooves clattering over stone as the lynx and the lion enjoyed the refreshing breeze.

 Eventually, as the mountains loomed overhead, the two stopped for the night under a ledge of rocks. A small creek babbled between boulders leading back down to the countryside, illuminated by the firey red of the setting sun. The two vinsaurs were tied to a scraggly old oak tree as their riders splashed around in the small creak, Korrin teaching Zyren how to catch the strange purple crabs that nestled between the rocks.

Across the creek they heard a sort of grunting and snuffling, perhaps just a wild mountain boar. Korrin tensed, leaning forward to get a better look at the brush. He fell back as, through a shower of pebbles and dirt, three grey and brown boars burst across the creak. Water splashed everywhere as brass glinted in the light of the fire. The riders of the boars wore thick chest plates of some sort of hide, their shoulders protected by brass coverings.

"Go!" Zyren barked at Korrin, grabbing his sword and standing to face the hostiles. When Korrin paused, Zyren grabbed the pot of boiling water by its clay handle and flung it at the attackers to keep them back. "GO!" He shouted again.

Jumping back into reality, a struck-dumb Korrin turned tail and ran. He scrambled over rocks, the sound of his scraping claws and distant yells infecting his ears and mind with fear. Soon, the only thing Korrin could hear was the pounding of his own heart. Palms and feet bloody from the climb, Korrin fell onto his stomach, his ribs screaming in pain. He clutched them as rain began its weary sweep over the mountainside. The cold bit at his tail and ears, but Korrin just pulled them in closer to him, the memory of his last look at Zyren sinking into his soul like an anvil in mud.

There Zyren was, the curly golden fur of his neck sticky with blood as an attacker drove a spear into his forearm. His arms shook, all his might going into keeping his face safe from an impending ax.

Korrin could only hope that Zyren was still okay. Until then, Korrin needed to stay safe for him. Maybe if Zyren didn't come to save him, he would just have to save Zyren.

Shivering as the chill bit into his skin, Korrin lurched to his feet, sides still heaving from the long run. Having no clue as to where he was or how far he had strayed from his vinsaur, Korrin tucked his ears back and pressed himself flat against the cliff side, hoping for a break from the wind and rain. He closed his eyes, as tears began to fall.

Then, the cliff side which he was leaning so dependently on gave out and Korrin's shoulder made contact with cold stone. The fabric of his yellow shirt tearing, Korrin scooted forward, finding that he had fallen into a narrow crevasse in the mountain. At least he was out of the storm, so he picked himself up onto all fours and crawled into the dark until he found a wedge to squeeze into and curl up for the night.

The moment Korrin woke, he was soaked to the bone. Water from the storm had flooded into the cave. Numb from the icy touch of fresh water, Korrin tried to pull himself up and out of the wedge when everything went wrong.

He was stuck.

The walls of the cave pressed in harder and rocks tumbled around him faster the more he struggled. Air was suffocating in his compressed lungs and the only sound to be heard was storm and the ever fading beat of heart.

Everything went black as the mountain rumbled. 

And then, there was nothing.