Aauuggh, I've been walking for an hour. This compass needle could be broken for all I know and Master just added it in to punish me for talking to him like that. I shrug. Seems like I'm still not over what I said. I mean how can I be? It was horrible of me. I shouldn't even be thinking that he put a dead compass in my sac.
I look ahead, there's wavy lines on the ground. I knew it. This heat is going to kill me. I freeze. I hear something...Something metal. This is for sure a person. I look behind me and there he was. An old man on a bicycle. My savior on wheels.
I sit on the side of the road waiting for him since he's really far back. I rehearse what I'll say to him and check if he's still there from time to time. I really hope I'm not hallucinating.
Master Dell taught me how to speak common tongue and even the villagers back home spoke it. Though he did say that these parts of the Southern Province had people who mostly spoke Ngato. I never really felt like learning it. I probably should've now that I think about it.
Oh he's almost here, I should stand. I wave at him signaling him to stop. He notices and stops.
"How are you?", I let out in a hoarse voice. He doesn't seem to understand, "Can you speak common tongue?", of course I ask him in a language he can't understand. Now I really think I should've taken Ngato lessons from Master.
He tilts his head and looks at me from head to toe. Damnit! I forgot how tall I am! To my surprise he points at me to get on his bicycle. The bicycle is a faded red with bits of paint scraped off, wouldn't be shocked if it was as old as I am. Okay that was mean. It looked strong enough. God knows its not lacking in the experience department. I point for the old man to have me ride instead and him be carried. I hope he can understand me.
I keep making hand gestures that might help him understand. He gets off. It worked! I get on the bicycle and start peddling with the old man behind. I try my best to ignore the scratching coming from the peddles. I'm so thirsty!. I start to pick up the pace. Not fast enough. I go even faster. Fast enough that I have to squint my eyes and feel the sting of sand bits hitting my face.
It takes me a while to notice that the old man is holding on for dear life. I slow down enough for him to not feel like this is the last time he'll ever touch his bicycle. Now I can hear the sound of the wheels on the dirt road; I'm starting to see more short trees with leaves that look like butterflies. I see houses! That must be the village this old man is from. I start pick up the pace again.
I hear something! It's coming from my left, I immediately turn the bicycle around, the sound of rustling leaves get closer and from the bushes jumps out, a lion!
Yori stops the bicycle and looks at the old man who seems petrified. He looks back at the road, the lion. It's still the there and it paces around carefully.
He gets off the bicycle and tries to pry the old man off. He bends to place him down.
The lion pounces.
"Arrrgghh!", the claws of it's front paws dig into his right shoulder and back. The old man severely trembles but manages to run around them towards the village.
The lion clamps its teeth down on his neck, Yori coughs out in pain, blood gurgling in his throat.
He grits his teeth, stretches his hands behind him and grabs the lion by its mane and slams it in front of him on the ground. The slam sends a loud boom and dust cloud around him.
The lion trembles and loosens its grip on him, its teeth still holding on to Yori's throat.
Yori lets out a dry exhausted breathe, trying to focus. He lifts his hand into a fist, tightens it and punches it in the ribs. Another boom. He continues punching; ignoring the sound of cracking bones and dying groans.
"Let me go", boom, "I said let me go", boom. He stops; the dust settles, revealing an already pummeled down of lion flesh and fur; its head still attached to Yori's neck.
He staggers...looks at his arms, blood. He wipes his face, more blood.
I try to wipe the blood off my hands with my shirt. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. What did I just do!? I know I saved that villager but no one in their right mind would want to be near me! I look more dangerous than that lion.
I can't think straight with how fast my hearts beating. I twinge. The lion's heads still on my neck. I can hear the villagers coming. They're not close enough to see me. I start stumbling backwards into the forest and
I run, I run as fast as I can. I run without care of what's in the bushes, I can't let them find me. I keep running and notice the scent of the lion before getting stronger. I trace it to a big open cave. This must've been its home. Inside, there's a small pond with a variety of big and small bones around. I can tell some are human bones.
I land at the edge of the pond and drink from it. The water tastes awful, I almost spit it out but I'm too thirsty to complain.
The lion's head is still on my neck. I give it a few tugs and stop; it reminds me of my collar. I should've stayed. I tug at it harder and it comes off. Tears fall from my eyes. How'd things go this wrong?
Why'd the people stay this close to the lion and not do anything about it? My sac! How am I remembering this now? Looking from the outside, it looks kinda dirty. Please be okay, please be okay. I open it, oh no, all my food, crushed; even the compass Master gave to me. Everything but the creepy book is flattened.
"Its here!", I hear someone shout. I can still hear the villagers from here. They've reached where I fought the lion. I thought they couldn't speak common tongue.
"That man managed to kill our provider. How are we suppose to eat now that there's no meat?", I hear a man question.
"You said that he was large enough to feed all of us for a week!", I hear a woman add. What the hell are they talking about?!
Then I hear an all too familiar voice. "The lions head isn't here, the boy must be close. No one would come out unscathed after fighting a lion. Go gather our strongest, we'll catch him before it gets dark". My heart beat gets dizzyingly fast the more I hear. That voice. My whole body starts to shiver; it's the old man!