Chapter 4 - A tiger Appears

  Year 6

  The boy ran through the forest with abandon. Sometimes jumping , sometimes tripping, but all the while he never stopped his pace.

  With quick bounces, he leapt from rock to rock over a small but quick current that would scoop him up and carry him into tragedy should he slip.

  He jumped them with reckless abandon, sure feet tapping lightly on moss before skidding to a stop.

  A tantalizing tree branch leared at him from above.

  He paused. It was high. Very high.

  He jumped into the air.

  And landed in the air.

  He danced on his little Island of space, a name he had dubbed them recently and began looking over the forest from his new point of view.

  A few birds cawed at him in annoyance, seemingly angry at some trespass they felt at him for his steps in their territory.

  He payed them no mind.

  Step by he walked higher and higher, space beneath his feet accompanying his whims, until eventually he was high enough to touch the tree branch he had been eyeing from below.

  Fatigue had begun to fall upon him by then from using his Magyk so often but nonetheless he arrived.

  Beast took a tentative step on the branch before leaning back and embracing the sweet taste of victory, the wind blowing on his skin..

  _-_

  The view was extraordinary

  The air felt fresh against my skin.

  The sky walk only made me a little tired.

  Yup, today was looking good.

  I looked around at the pure height of the forest and compared it to me.

  It was crazy.

  I was all small and this was so big.

  I wondered what it would like to be a forest, and if the trees liked being trees.

  My eyes drifted from the view to tree tops.

  The tree tops were died with the a bright green from the sun's above, revealing a lively bunch of creatures thriving in the wispy trees below. Two large yellow birds even decided they wanted to pop thier heads out until they flew off casting me a look of disdain.

  I smiled and lay back.

  Life doesn't get much better.

  Of course life doesn't always stay peaceful. No sooner than I had that thought, I felt the odd sensation of something seeming off. Very off.

  It was then that I saw the squirel.

  It had a pudgy face. The type that could border on cute if looked at the right way, its tail was fluffy and it's eyes dazzling.

  In truth it was adorable. So much so that I had almost been fooled into lowering my gaurd.

  That feeling was still in my mind though, like a old instinct of warning and danger.

  I looked carefully at the squirrel and notice it's expression wasn't just adorable, it was angry. The squirrels chubby cheeks were giving me a look. A real mean look .

  Like it was picking a fight with me.

  I bawled my fist and gave it a glare back. Dumb squirrel didn't scare me. I ran this forest.

  :-:

  It should be said now that Beast had never taken a swing, roll, or even a fall that had hurt him. Most sensations meant to damage the boy hadn't. It simply didn't happen.

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  So when the squirrel disappeared with a pop and a large striped cat took his place, beast had to pause to get used to a new emotion he had never looked in the face before.

  Beast had to learn Fear.

  :-:

  As I looked at the strange striped cat with four long fangs slipping from the cats big jaws and dripping saliva , my body almost seemed to freeze for a second.

  Like I had jumped in cold water and been hung over to dry. I tried to move my hand, my leg , my arm...but I couldn't. The only thing I could do was look at the giant cat as it stared me in the eye.

  Then It launched.

  I twisted and ran falling over my feet and stumbling on the tree.

  Time seemed to slow as I watched its claws get nearer to my face, it's mouth twisting into a gnarled smile full of fangs that fell upon me.

  I thought then, in those seconds that stretch when something you don't want to happen is going to happen that more than I was scared. I didn't want to die the way I was about to.

  I didn't want to die with this feeling on me, cowering .

  It felt... wrong.

  So with a fang inches away I turned to meet it head on. With a warm heat in my chest I looked at death and hoped that somehow , someway , this would stop.

  And so it did.

  The cat bounced away reppeled.

  I didn't rejoice.

  Instead, I fell to a knee as my heart throbbed in my chest, a red pulsing ache asking for attention.

  I reached out and felt the solid space in front of me, then fell in relief. I didn't know I could do that.

  The creature for his part, had the decency to turn it's head in confusion from it's landing place on the trunk below. It shook it's head in annoyance before slinking up the tree gracefully.

  When it was in range it roared, visoucly launching out again.

  Again it bounced away.

  This time I was ready for the pain and didn't fall when my heart throbbed at the impact.

  Instead, I put my hands on my ears and blew a tounge at it. I hoped with all hopes that the cat was smart enough to be offended before skirting away in great retreat.

  The cat was indeed smart enough to be enough to be offended and swiped visoucly at the invisible barrier as I made my way into the sky.

  Each swipe felt like they tore at something that I probably needed and the pain called for attention, but when I remembered the look I had on the branch earlier it was forgotten.

  I made it well out of reach, several feet away from a tigers launch before I decided that was far enough and relaxed.

  It had felt like someone was pulling on my heart, my breath kicking its way back into my throat, the world flashjng red....but it did protect me from a tiger.

  Magyk was interesting.

  I rolled onto my back and took deep breaths, finding peace and regaining my thoughts.

  In my six years aof life there had never been a predator on this side of the island. In fact there was only one side of the island with carnivores and I was only allowed to go there when I was hunting with father.

  And So , in this precarious situation, sitting in the sky with my insides doing a bad dance, my energy on low and a carnivore raging below me, I was quite stuck.

  I tapped on my head and assumed a thinking position then wieged my options.

  What to do. What to do.

  There was only one answer I could think of for this conundrum.

  "HelllllPPPPP!!!!!!! "

  After the yell I lay flat. Thier was nothing to be done. I'd just have to wait for Mom or Pops to save me.

  I layed down on the my little island of space and waited.

  I looked at the suns.

  The cat looked at me.

  No one was happy.

  Even worse, sleep battered at my eyelids.

  It was an act that seemed to stir the cat below who sat patiently on their haunches. Drool dropped from his fangs as he eyed me greedily, his meal within his reach.

  .

  Then a shadow blurred past my eyes.

  The sky above exploded with sound as a titan descended from the sky, his hand coated in a crimson red flame. With a slap towards a branch with his hand of fire the branch was gone to devouring flame..

  The cat didn't have time to free fall.

  With the other hand it's head was palmed and took to the ground , a small but heavy thud resounding below.

  I looked at the impact and with a bit of a stare to make sure it was over then jumped down onto a tree branch, taking a breath and breathing in.

  My father down below was observing the beast.

  "A tiger huh. I didn't think there were those in this realm." He made a face of thought as he pondered.

  " Maybe your mother has been experimenting again.?"

  Well, What do you know, morphing cat squirrels do have a name. Tiger.

  "Pops. Do tigers always turn into squirrels.?" I asked from above.

  My father's face turned puzzled. "Turn into what? "

  I pointed down at the tiger. "It goes pop and turns into a squirrel. "

  My father's face turned thoughtful. Then he smiled a slightly evil smile as he looked down at the creature.

  With one hand man handling the tiger’s face he gazed at the now pitiful creature.

  "You're coming with me. " he spoke sinisterly.

  A tiger yipped for help.