Chương 55: Chapter 54 The Breath of the Drake

How had Karath ended up in this situation? Being chased by an impossible monster caused an old question to return to him. As a child, Arnold had watched novels, films, and comics filled with characters who willingly sacrificed themselves for family, friends, or lovers. He had often wondered whether he could do the same. Would he truly offer his life if someone he cared about faced danger? When the moment finally arrived, Karath did not have time to debate it. His body moved before he fully understood the situation.

Perhaps the lessons repeated since his infancy had influenced him. Every Bloodclaw child was taught that protecting the tribe mattered above all else. Perhaps the orc blood flowing through this body had guided him. It was also possible that Arnold's soul had simply been purer and kinder than he ever realized. Whatever the reason, Karath had willingly chosen to become the sacrifice.

"Why are you following Karath, Buddy?" The young wolf was still running beside him. Karath had fed Buddy for less than two months. Was that really enough to create such unreasonable loyalty?

"GRAAAAAH!" While Karath ran and entertained those useless thoughts, the drake roared in fury and swung its enormous tail. Crash! Dozens of nearby trees shattered and collapsed from a single strike. The impact created a chain reaction. Trees fell into one another like dominos. If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

"Damn it!" Several trunks broken and launched by the tail flew through the air toward Karath. Crash! Fragments of wood rained from above. Some pieces were larger than Karath's entire body. The title of the old song It's Raining Men naturally appeared inside his mind. Perhaps It's Raining Wood would have been more appropriate. With cheerful music playing in the background, the scene might have looked like a ridiculous moment from a cheap comedy. Experiencing it personally was far less amusing.

"Raaagh!" Karath threw himself sideways, rolled across the ground, and sprang upright without caring about the cuts covering his body. When there was no time to regain his footing, he scrambled forward on all fours.

"Damn it! Karath survived!" Avoiding every fragment was impossible. Fortunately, none of the largest trunks struck him. Hiss. The drake seemed displeased by his survival. It crawled toward him even faster. Karath had no time to look back and judge the distance. He could only continue running forward. He could not allow himself to be caught yet. The settlement was still too close. If he was destined to die, he would at least finish what he had chosen to accomplish.

"Come after Karath, you oversized idiot!" Perhaps accepting his death had removed his fear. Perhaps the orc blood exploding from his pounding heart had driven him half mad. Even while facing certain death, Karath continued cursing and threw another rock at the drake. Hiss. The stone struck the creature. In response, the drake began another game of dominos with its tail.

"Daaamn it!" Once again, broken trees rained from the sky. Karath struggled desperately through the debris, narrowly avoiding the largest trunks before sprinting onward. He no longer had the strength to provoke the monster. He could not read the forest paths or maintain a sense of direction. He simply ran forward with one obsessive goal. He needed to create as much distance from the settlement as possible. Karath did not know how long he continued.

"Haa. Haa." The orc body he once considered inexhaustible began failing. A sweet metallic taste rose from his throat. The forest that had been racing past his vision seemed to slow. In reality, his legs were losing speed. Thud. Thud. Hiss. The sounds produced by the drake grew closer. Karath realized that he would die soon. Then the noise behind him suddenly stopped. Whoooooosh. A violent sound like an enormous whistle pierced his ears.

Karath had no time to turn around, yet the unsettling noise forced him to look back. The drake had raised its head. Its abdomen expanded as it drew in an impossible amount of air.

"No. Please tell Karath that is not what it looks like." The creature appeared to be preparing a breath attack. Whoooooosh. Ignoring Karath's desperate wish, it inhaled even more violently.

"Woof! Woof!" Buddy suddenly barked beside him.

"Are you encouraging Karath?" The wolf shook his head as though answering. Then Buddy changed direction and ran sharply to the side. Karath's eyes widened. For some reason, it felt as though the wolf was telling him to follow. His mind was already becoming hazy from exhaustion. With nothing left to lose, Karath turned and chased Buddy.

"GRAAAAAAAH!" Several seconds later, the drake released its breath. Fire erupted from its mouth. The bushes and trees between Karath and the monster ignited instantly. The roar of flames rushed toward him with terrifying speed. Then Karath heard something familiar beneath his foot. Crack. The ground collapsed. Karath and Buddy plunged together into the darkness below.