Axel struggled as the creature dragged him deep in the water. The one thing he sucked at in his former world:swimming. And that failure was being put to the test with his life on the line. He had to get away, if he didn't, he was going to drown.
The creature gave a sickening grin as it wrapped both of its arms around him, a wet and slimy bear hug, it was trying to drown him before it feasted on him.
"Let me go!" Axel screamed, trying to break free. That was a big mistake. The moment he opened his mouth, the creature stuck two fingers into his mouth and Axel could feel it probing in his mouth.
'This bastard!' Axel thought, his eyes narrowing in disgust. He immediately chomped on the snaky fingers in his mouth. The creature screamed in pain, releasing Axel but not without giving him a kick and sending him backward.
Axel regained his balance and immediately swam up, pushing himself not to breathe until he was out of the water. Just as he was about to reach the water, the creature latched onto his leg and pulled him down. Axel swung his blade, and he tried to catch it on the chest, but it was only a graze.
The creature slapped him with brute force, pushing him back while the world spun. Axel regained his bearings and immediately swung his sword. But it was useless. Every swing was slowed, dragged down by the weight of the water, while the creature darted and twisted with predatory ease. It struck, wrapping its coil like a tail around Axel's waist, squeezing until his ribs groaned. He gasped, the precious air in his lungs dwindling. The creature's claws raked across his back, leaving wounds.
'Dammit!' He cursed, struggling to break free.
The water pressed in from all sides, cold and suffocating. Axel's movement grew sluggish, his arm heavy. The serpent man's grin widened, revealing rows of needle-like teeth. It lunged, jaws snapping inches from his face, and Axel barely managed to thrust his sword between them. The blade caught, but the creature twisted, wrenching the weapon from his grip.
For a moment, Axel was defenseless. The monster's coil tightened, dragging him deeper into the abyss. Darkness swallowed the light above, and panic clawed at his chest. He could feel his lungs burning, his body screaming for air. The creature's eyes gleamed with triumph; it had the upper hand, and he knew it.
But Axel was not finished.
His hand brushed against the hilt of his sword, still caught between the creature's jaws. An idea sparked. A desperate gambit that he wasn't even sure if it would work. But he had no choice.
He forced his body limp, feigning surrender. The serpent man loosened its grip slightly, savoring its victory. That was the moment Axel needed.
'Got you.' Axel thought.
With a sudden surge of strength, he twisted the blade sideways, wedging it deeper into the creature's mouth. Then, instead of pulling back, he shoved forward, driving the sword through the roof of his mouth and into the skull. The creature convulsed violently, its coil thrashing, sending clouds of silt spiralling upward.
But Axel did not stop. He angled the blade upward, using the water's resistance to his advantage. The sword became a lever, splitting bone and scale as he forced it through. The creature's luminous eyes flickered, dimmed, and then finally went black. Its body slackened, drifting like a ribbon in the current.
[+4pts]
Axel tore the blade free, bubbles streaming from the wound. He kicked upward, lungs streaming, dragging himself towards the faint shimmer of the sun above. The lake seemed endless, but at last he broke the surface, gasping, the air filling him like water.
The lake had released him reluctantly, and Axel staggered onto the shore, his blade dropping with the ichor of the creature he had put to rest in the lake.
He flopped down on the soil, breathing heavily, his uniform soaking wet and dripping. He got up to his feet. He stared back at the lake where he had a narrow escape. He finally understood what it meant to not judge a book by its cover. This time, it applied to him not eaten alive.
He checked his watch and he saw that he had thirty minutes remaining. He needed to hurry, and that was because he had only killed two beasts. One of Rank Six and the other of Five.
He climbed the small hill he had slid down and began to run, advancing deep into the jungle.
------
Darren Zurich tripped over a log as he ran, stumbling into a pile of leaves. He picked himself up quickly and began to run again. The voices echoed behind him as he sped through the forest.
"Find him!"
"Don't let him escape!"
"Find the bastard!"
Darren slid under a large bush and kept silent, his heart beating wildly. He swallowed his saliva, his ear straining for footsteps from the people attacking him. He hated what he was going through, but this was the price. The price of having a father who had successfully scammed a lot of influential individuals.
He had practically fled to escape being pinned by his father's poor choices. He hadn't expected that the soldiers or new cadets in Scarragos' clan would be victims too. Now he was paying the price. And it was worth his life. He hadn't even killed up to five beasts yet and he was going to fail.
Suddenly, he heard footsteps entering the clearing where he was. He took a deep breath before he put a hand in his pocket and brought out a glass jar with a black cover. Inside the jar was filled with a mixture of white and black pills.
He picked up a black pill and then swallowed it. Immediately, he felt calmer and more relaxed.
"Come on out, Zurich!" A voice shouted, shattering the silent atmosphere. "I know you're here."
Another one spoke. "Come on out before we start using our abilities."
Darren stepped out of the bush where he was hiding, his face set in stone as he stared at the three individuals who had been chasing him.
"We are supposed to be doing the test," Darren announced. "Stop this. I know you're here because of my father, but I assure you I know nothing of what he was doing. You have to believe me."
"Do not think I'm stupid, Zurich!" The middle guy shouted in anger. "We know you're an accomplice. My father got ruined because of you!"
Darren stared at the guy, then said something he never thought he would say in his life. "Then he was a fool for believing in my father."
The three attackers' eyes widened in shock, and then they morphed into anger.
"You're dead meat, Zurich!!" One spat as he got ready to fight.
Darren braced for the impact, knowing fully well it was his mouth that caused it.
Suddenly, a figure burst into the scene, tumbling out of the bush and into the middle of the confrontation with a thud. The figure groaned as he got up. Then he stopped as he glanced at the three individuals before him.
"Uh," Axel spoke. "What the hell is going on?"