THE NIGHTMARE- chapter 8

CHAPTER 8 – the first defining fight
   Deep in the forest….
   It's a cold, eerie, dusk and the sun has virtually sunk into the horizon. The tall fir trees get louder as the night draws closer. His heart races, his breathing increases, his body tense. He braces himself for the rage; that in a matter of seconds will posses him. Zero thinks he's ready, ready for the impact. He watches the sun like a fox in front of an ongoing car's headlights. As soon as he caught sight of the moon his pupils grow small with terror. Before he knew it he felt a serge evil coursing through his veins infecting his blood. He curls up with the intensity and force of his rage, hopelessly trying to tame it. There is no success. His claws dig into the soil below him. His eyes are closed tight, his head facing the ground that he has punctured below him. The pain is unbearable. A head ache bubbles in his brain. He tries so hard not to cry out. The hairs on his back stand up as the moon's curse chills his spine. He can't restrain himself any longer. His grip is released on the ground. He goes light headed. The forest spins around him. His eyes roll back on themselves. He faints. The dusk flies up as he lands. His consciousness leaves this place only to go somewhere all the more frightening.
   It's dark, the colour black seems lighter in comparison. His fear grows. He searches for a way out franticly running trying to find salvation. In the distance he sees a light. He is curious by this and heads toward it. It grows bigger and bigger in size. His pupils grow small at the sight of it. When it's close enough it's easy to see it's blue. Not only is it blue but it's a blue moon. He tries to back away from it but it matches his speed. He grows more and more scared. He turns and runs. Getting faster and faster. But the moon stays the same. Suddenly he's trapped. A metal bared cage rises from the ground blocking his retreat. He spins around to see he's surrounded by hideous rusty metal bars enclosing him in this nightmare. He tries to get as far away as possible. He's now backed up against the bars, facing his nemesis. Suddenly a pack of 4 emerges from the moon's core. Their eye's glowing white. They surround him at the back of the cage. Their teeth glow white. All four snarl with their abnormally long teeth poised and ready to strike. They creep closer and closer, closing the gap. The moon swoops forward and flows through Zero. Zero is pushed back by the power making him hit the cage behind him. It's shakes the entire cage and makes a loud clanging sound. When he lands back down he's evolved. He has glowing red eyes, and is no longer cowering at the back of the cage. He's stud up, head lowered and teeth bared. The white eyed wolves are getting closer and closer. Zero lunges aiming for the throat of the cloest wolf. But they vanish before his front paws land. Like the wolves, the floor and the cage all vanish. Zero's eyes fade fast. He cries out terrified. The moon watches him fall to his death. Zero turns his head round to see a fiery pit below about to engulf him.
   Zero jumps up. He wakes up in a sit as he was on his back with his feet in the air when he jumped up. He pants exhausted from his dream. His face is scrunched from him frowning and baring his teeth. Looks around searching for life. Nothing no sole in sight. He gets to his feet. He can't contain his urge. He just had to. He lowers his rear, raises his head so his muzzle is parallel with his neck and howls. His howl was deafening at the magnitude of it. The trees seem to move because of the sound waves.
   Arrow turns to the sound. The pack sense his worry and are now worried. The forest grows in speed. The wind puts it in action.
   "What's wrong Arrow?" asks Mayra
   Arrow turns round to her worryingly, "Mayra keep the pack searching. I'll be back as soon as I can."
   Arrow runs off in the direction of the sound.
   "Arrow?! Where are you....Arrow?!" Mayra shouts to him.
   He's shadowed by the trees and can no longer be seen by Mayra. His fur colouring camouflages him to the trees at night. So he simply vanishes. Arrow runs through the forest dodging the trees and large bushes. The grounds softly stings his feet as he races out into the forest. He gets closer and closer to the scent of Zero. He enters part of the forest that he doesn't recognise and he now smells and unfamiliar smell in the air. He slows down as he senses Zero's presents near him. A dark figure stands on a rock about 40 feet from where Arrow stands. The dark figure stands on a rock, the rock is tilting up, and he's standing on it facing away from Arrow on the high part of the rock. Arrow knows who it is before he sees him there but he knows how unstable he is right now so doesn't want to startle him. Arrow creeps closer weary of Zero's condition.
   The wind suddenly picked up, the trees rustle violently as it does so. The moon keeps its watchful eye on its land. Often not forgetting to light up any part of it.
   The wolf on the rock is lost in its magic, "I've been expecting you." he turns his head 90 degrees to the right and looks at Arrow with just his eyes, "Arrow."
   Arrow says nothing. He just looks in his direction but tries to avoid eye contact with him. For a while they stayed still with only the trees being heard.
   "Why Arrow?",Zero asks aggravated and aggressively.
   "Why?",he asks Arrow again, growing in aggression.
   Arrow backs up trying to retreat and replies "Zero I....."
   Zero turns round and runs down the rock. With face angered, his teeth bared letting loose a deep growl.
   "WHY?!" he roars as he leaps in the air just 5 feet from his victim.
   For Arrow he seemed to travel in slow motion. His fur flickers violently like fire on a hot day. Zero shoots toward him like a bullet from a gun. Zero's teeth released. They propel toward Arrow's throat. Arrow is an experienced fighter so is wise to this frontal assault. Arrow makes a small jump to the right. His teeth gleam in the moon's ghostly glow. Arrow's eyes piece the confidence of his attacker. His head still faces Zero. Zero follows Arrow's movement swinging his head round like a crocodile. His body follows him. Arrow's head lowers but his teeth aren't bared. Zero lifts up his upper half to go for another lunge. He snaps at Arrow's throat again. Arrow backs away swiftly, dodging his attack. He slides to the side. This time Zero's head follows. His teeth are angry. He jumps on his hind legs again. Allowing him to fall back down with a great force. Arrow was just turning his head when he was faced with Zero digging his claws into his back. This was shortly followed by a set of knives in the back of his neck. Arrow bleeds uncontrollably. Zero's claws curl round as he tension his toes to tighten his grip. Zero's teeth are now piecing deeper and deeper into the alpha's flesh. Arrow's claws grip the ground, loosening the tough dirt from beneath him. However this wasn't done through pain or fear. It was to prepare him for what he's about to do. Zero's blood stained eye scowl over to his left. Arrow's fear finding eyes are plummeting toward him. His upper body twisted. His muscular jaw locks onto Zero's scruff. Zero's grip on the Arrow's neck loosened. His skin being pulled by Arrow forced him to do so as it tightened making it hard for him to use his jaw. The pain of this was excruciating for him, well it should have been but for some reason it wasn't. He could feel it but it didn't hurt. This had a rippled effect as it made him loosen his grip on Arrow's back. Arrow drags Zero away from him. Zero's claws scratch the surface of Arrow's skin leaving him with eight deep pink marks raised to the surface. He releases him as he turns his head. Zero slides across the ground to the right of Arrow's position. His scruff bleeds, slowly seeping out, staining his fur. Zero slid on his left side. He doesn't move, except for his right eye. It opens and glares at Arrow, who's also hasn't moved except for his head that's now facing Zero who's on the floor. Arrow's tail drops down. It's now pointing at the floor. Zero's front feet begin to move toward his chest. He lifts himself up to a stand. Zero turns his body around, his tail trails behind. He stalks Arrow. His head lowered, ears back, tail tensioned. Arrow lowers his head in response with pulled back ears. Zero's furious claws disturb the dirt from beneath him. The ground now owns the marks of his claws. He makes his way around to the front of Arrow with just 7 feet between them. Zero lunges forward at the throat. Arrow is quick to react and jumps up on his hind legs to dodge his attack. Gravity pulls Arrow back down. Arrow uses his weight to his advantage .It gives him more speed when he leans forward. He snaps at Zero's muzzle. Zero may be younger than Arrow and a novice when it comes to fighting but like his opponent he's quick on his feet. He takes a jump back. Arrow's eyes watch his movement as he lands. Zero's face is determined. Zero runs low at Arrow. His eyes focused at his throat. Arrow's legs are ready. Zero lowers himself further. He charges his head upward at Arrow's neck. Arrow jumps to the left at this, twist back round 180 degrees then charges at Zero. Teeth bared he goes for the throat. Zero isn't fast enough this time. Arrow grips it but as Zero jumps up on his back legs in an attempt to dodge Arrow's attack. Arrow is lifted on his back legs by this. Zero can't hold Arrow's weight. He loses his balance. Arrow forces him down to the ground with his neck still in his clutches. Zero falls backward. Arrow lets his neck go just before he lands. Zero falls to the ground neck bleeding profusely. His shoulders hit the ground softening his fall, followed by his head. Arrow's paws land elegantly on the harsh ground. Either side of Zero's shoulders. H walks over Zero in the direction that he arrived in. Zero flops over to his left side. His muscles relaxed. He's motionless. Arrow turns back to Zero studying him. The fallen fighter grows light headed once more.
   He turns his head 90 degrees to the left. He stares out at the moon. Its evil glow shines upon his tranquil face and body. Arrow turns away from the moon. He runs away from it back to the part of the forest that he knows inside out. He sprints off with almost no sound.
   Although, Zero hears this sound and begins to stir it's only just picked up by his newly enhanced ears. His eyes flicker, his nose twitches, his muscles ache. Suddenly his entire body floods with pain. Like his nerves are controlled by the flick of a switch. He struggles to his feet. He can't feel anything else except immense pain. He stumbles as he's extremely light headed now. Glances over to the right he sees no sign of Arrow's existence, just a blur. He shakes his head to try and bring his vision back but it takes a few more seconds before it's no longer blurred. He looks over to the right where he knows Arrow has left, looks down at the blood on the ground which has come from his multiple wounds to the neck. With every drop that he loses stinging pulses shoot through is body. He tightens his eyes with the pain of it. Struggling to reopen his eyes he looks back up. He legs are fine and don't hurt. He has to take it slow for he does however find it hard to run in a straight line. Putting this aside he heads back south.