Trail by Fang

“You better draw that damn sword of yours!” Corvin barked, axe raised, stance firm as the sound of crashing underbrush drew closer.

Sai still hadn’t moved. The sheer speed at which the creature had come barreling toward them—no warning, just a blur of enormous eyes—had locked him in place. His breath caught in his throat.

“SAI!” Corvin shouted again, more urgent.

The yell snapped Sai out of his daze. With a sharp breath, he drew his blade. The metal hissed against the sheath and caught the moonlight with a soft gleam. The blade trembled only slightly in his grip as he lifted it into a defensive stance. From the tree line, a pair of golden eyes glinted like twin lanterns in the dark.

The creature crept forward, revealing itself in parts beneath the pale moonlight. Its head resembled that of a tiger—elongated, too large, and unnaturally intelligent. But instead of fur, its body shimmered with layers of sleek black and silver feathers, each one slightly iridescent. Huge, leathery wings were tucked against its sides, twitching as though barely containing their power.

Sai swallowed. “It’s… some kind of chimera.”

Corvin’s gaze didn’t waver. “Yeah, well, whatever it is, I’d rather not end up as its late-night snack. Got a plan, sword-boy?”

“Tigers usually avoid humans unless provoked,” Sai muttered, calculating. “Maybe if we don’t move too fast, it won’t attack.”

Corvin raised an eyebrow. “So your plan is maybe?”

“Just back away. Slowly.”

The two began to take careful, synchronized steps in reverse. The chimera’s eyes tracked them, but it didn’t advance. The breeze stirred the feathers on its massive body, a soft rustling that only made the silence more tense.

Then Corvin’s heel struck a root.

He stumbled—only a little—but his axe clattered against a stone beside him. The metallic ring echoed through the woods.

The chimera’s head snapped in his direction. In a blink, its wings flared open and its body tensed.

“Run!,” Sai Screamed as he turned.

Corvin didn’t need to be told twice.

They spun and sprinted toward more open ground, crashing through the underbrush. Behind them, the chimera gave a shrieking roar—a cross between an eagle’s cry and a tiger’s roar. The thunder of its pursuit shook the ground as it charged after them.

“Figure something out fast!” Corvin shouted, ducking beneath low-hanging branches.

Sai glanced back at the feathered monster bounding after them. “Alright—split up! You go right, I’ll take left!”

“What?!”

“It’s massive—it won’t be able to turn sharply!”

Corvin grit his teeth, held his axe tight, and nodded. “Fine.”

They broke off in opposite directions. The creature tried to follow Sai but lost footing on the loose soil. Its claws dug deep into the ground as it skidded and stumbled with a high-pitched screech.

Corvin turned briefly to watch it tumble. “Hah! That actually—”

The creature sprang back up like a spring. “Oh, come on!”

It went after Sai again, who now ran in a curve back toward Corvin’s side. The two converged, the chimera thundering after them with renewed fury.

“Well, that almost worked,” Corvin muttered. “Applause to you, samurai.” Sai rolled his eyes as they ran side by side.

“Split!” Sai shouted again, veering right.

Corvin dove left just as the chimera leapt between them. Its claws ripped into the ground where they’d stood a heartbeat earlier.

Sai rolled, came up on a knee—but a sweeping tail caught him mid-rise. The blow lifted him off his feet and slammed him hard onto the ground.

“SAI!” Corvin yelled, skidding to a stop.

Sai gasped, air knocked from his lungs. His sword slipped from his hand and a folded piece of yellowed paper slipped free from a side holster, flying passed him in the wind, he caught a glint of it before his eyes closed quickly.

The chimera turned toward him, slow and predatory.

“HEY! FEATHERFACE! OVER HERE!” Corvin roared, raising his axe and charging to pull the beast’s attention.

The chimera turned and flared its wings. Then, with one massive flap, it sent a gust of wind hurtling toward Corvin. The force caught him mid-run. Combined with the weight of his raised axe, it knocked him straight onto his back.

Corvin groaned, scrambling backwards as the creature loomed over him, eyes glowing gold with menace. “Please don’t eat me. I taste horrible,” he muttered in a panicked voice, he was swinging his axe back and forth at it from the ground.

Just as the beast stepped within striking distance, a sharp whistle sliced the air.

Thunk.

An arrow buried itself deep into the chimera’s shoulder.

The creature reared back with a screech of pain.

“Mira!” Corvin exhaled with relief.

She emerged from the trees, bow drawn and steady. “Get up, idiot! We’ve got your back!”

Reith followed close behind, his scythe glinting in the moonlight, eyes locked on the creature.

Corvin scrambled to his feet as Reith shouted, “Keep circling it! Don’t let it focus on just one of us!”

Reith darted in, slashing toward the creature’s flank. The chimera blocked with its wing, the blow sliding off the feathers but jarring Reith’s grip. His scythe almost flew from his hands as the creature flapped its wing upwards.

Sai groaned and pulled himself upright, spotting his fallen sword. He grabbed it, body aching, Eira showed up to support him, despite her small frame she managed to help him up regardless.

Another arrow embedded in the creature’s ribs. It howled and turned, confused by the sudden reinforcements. Its wings spread again, preparing to lift off.

Reith didn’t hesitate. He raced forward, dragging the blade of his scythe along the dirt, then sliced upwards a spray of dirt and rocks up into the chimera’s face.

The beast roared, raising one foot instinctively to clean its eyes.

In that moment, Reith slid low under the lifted leg. His scythe arced upward in a clean strike, slicing deep into the base of one wing.

The severed wing crashed to the ground with a wet thud.

The chimera screamed, flailing wildly in pain and confusion.

Reith got to his feet, but before he could move again, the creature’s tail smashed into his side, sending him tumbling through the air.

He landed hard, rolling to a stop beside Sai.

“Reith!” Sai knelt beside him. With no problem at all Reith raised back to his feet, he was fine compared to the chimera, now grounded and bleeding, thrashed in rage.