The oversized cat charged.
Its claws extended, its massive body surging forward with enough force to tear Shad Darc apart.
Shad stood still.
For a moment, he appeared to have accepted the death sentence the creature had imposed upon him.
Then, at the very last instant, he moved.
The cat's claws swept toward him.
Shad feinted as though he intended to dive beneath its body again.
The creature reacted immediately.
Having already suffered an injury to its underbelly, it recognized the danger. Its body shifted backward, creating enough distance to prevent Shad from slipping underneath it.
Then it lowered its head and snapped its jaws toward the position where it expected Shad to be.
But Shad was no longer there.
He had anticipated the reaction.
That was why he had waited until the last possible moment before making his move. The feint had to look convincing enough to trigger the creature's instincts.
And it had worked.
The oversized cat possessed intelligence, but it was still an animal. When threatened, it relied heavily on instinct and experience.
Shad had used both against it.
The moment the creature committed to defending its underbelly, it had fallen into the trap he had prepared.
Shad halted his dive just before his body slid beneath the creature.
The cat lowered its head, expecting to tear him apart.
That was when Shad moved.
He sprang upward, planting his foot against the creature's lowered head. Using it as a step, he propelled himself onto its back.
The oversized cat reacted too late.
Shad climbed toward the point where its neck connected to its back. With his left hand, he gripped one of the giant snake fangs and forcibly channeled Energy Flow into it.
His control was crude.
The Energy Flow fluctuated wildly around the fang, but it was enough.
Shad raised the weapon and drove it into the creature's neck.
Resistance immediately met the fang.
The same strange force he had encountered when attacking the cat's underbelly pushed back against his weapon.
Shad gritted his teeth and forced the fang deeper.
The pressure became too much.
"Crack!"
The fang broke.
But the broken weapon had already pierced the creature's neck.
The oversized cat released a horrifying cry.
It thrashed violently, shaking its enormous body in an attempt to throw Shad off.
Shad lost his balance.
The creature's movements sent him flying, and he crashed onto the ground, landing heavily on his injured right hand.
Pain shot through his arm.
His face twisted, but he refused to make a sound.
He reached for the second fang.
Then he charged.
The oversized cat was still struggling to regain its balance, but Shad aimed for its left knee joint. If he could damage its leg, he might be able to reduce its mobility and end the fight.
The creature noticed him approaching.
Its right paw swung toward him.
Shad's eyes narrowed.
He extended his left hand, the second fang held tightly in his grip, and channeled Energy Flow into the weapon once more.
The control was even more difficult than before.
His body was exhausted, his left hand was beginning to ache, and his right arm was practically useless.
Still, he forced the Energy Flow through the fang.
The weapon met the incoming paw.
"BOOM!"
The collision produced a powerful impact.
Shad was launched backward, his body tumbling through the grass. The shock briefly overwhelmed his senses, and darkness clouded his vision.
For a moment, he lost consciousness.
Then he returned to himself.
His body felt as though it had been crushed beneath a mountain.
Shad pushed his good hand against the ground and struggled to stand.
His legs shook.
His breathing was uneven.
But he forced himself upright.
The oversized cat was still alive.
He knew it.
And he needed to make certain it couldn't attack him again.
Shad began walking toward the creature.
Each step dragged against his body.
His back ached, his bones felt fractured, and several joints were either damaged or dislocated. Blood covered his skin, mixing with sweat and dirt. His right hand hung uselessly at his side, while his left arm throbbed from the force of the collision.
Yet his mind was strangely clear.
Pain existed.
Exhaustion existed.
Neither was enough to stop him.
He continued forward, dragging his feet across the grass.
Eventually, he saw the oversized cat lying ahead.
It was alive, but barely.
Its right front paw had suffered severe damage. Blood stained the gray fur around its neck, where the broken fang had pierced it. The wound beneath its belly continued to bleed, though it was far less serious than the injuries to its neck and paw.
Shad's gaze shifted across the ground.
He needed a weapon.
The second horn.
He remembered it falling during the battle.
After a brief search, he spotted it lying among the tall grass.
Shad walked toward it and bent down.
The moment he tried to pick it up, pain spread through his left hand.
He clenched his teeth.
"Even this hand..."
His left hand was injured as well. Not nearly as severely as his right, but enough to make the simple act of gripping the horn painful.
He forced his fingers around it and lifted it.
Cracks ran across the surface.
The horn had sustained considerable damage during the battle.
Shad studied it for a moment.
"Looks like this will be the last time I use you."
He turned toward the oversized cat.
The creature was looking at him.
Its eyes were filled with pain.
It attempted to stand, but its injured neck and front paw failed to support its weight. Its massive body trembled before collapsing back onto the ground.
The creature couldn't understand what had happened.
It had never expected the little creature to possess such strength, much less the cunning to exploit its instincts.
If it had known, perhaps it would have allowed the little thing to leave.
But its arrogance had led it here.
Now it was dying.
Shad approached, gripping the damaged horn with his left hand.
The creature watched him draw closer.
Its eyes no longer held the same anger.
There was pain.
Fear.
And something else.
Regret.
Shad stopped in front of it.
He raised the horn, positioning its pointed end toward the creature's eye. A thrust in the right direction would pierce through the eye and reach its brain.
The oversized cat remained still.
It couldn't escape.
It couldn't defend itself.
Shad prepared to strike.
Then he looked into its eyes.
He saw something he hadn't expected.
Not simply fear of death.
A desperate desire to live.
The creature's gaze seemed to carry a strange sincerity, as though it understood what was happening and was pleading for another chance.
Shad's arm stopped.
He had killed before.
He had never been particularly sentimental toward strangers—or creatures—he had only just encountered. Mercy wasn't something he offered without reason.
His principle was simple:
Don't kill unless it is absolutely necessary.
And at this moment, he wasn't convinced that killing the creature was necessary.
Not yet.
The oversized cat had attacked him because of its arrogance and wounded pride. It had nearly killed him, and Shad had every reason to finish the fight.
But the creature was no longer fighting.
It was asking to live.
Shad lowered the horn slightly.
Then he smiled.
"Fine."
The cat's eyes shifted.
"But only under one condition."
Shad leaned forward.
"From now on, you're my hunting dog."
The oversized cat stared at him.
For a moment, neither moved.
Then Shad's strength finally abandoned him.
His knees buckled.
The damaged horn slipped slightly in his grip, but he refused to let it go completely.
His body collapsed.
As his consciousness began to fade, he felt something move beside him.
The oversized cat extended its remaining functional paw.
It reached toward him, carefully drawing his battered body closer.
Then its enormous frame shifted, covering Shad and shielding him beneath its warmth.
Shad's eyelids grew heavy.
The last thing he saw was the creature's massive body surrounding him.
"...Thank you."
His eyes closed.
And Shad Darc fell into a deep sleep.