Page 68 of The Blackened Blade

Another shout rings out in the distance as I push into a faster run, the forest becoming a blur around me as I try to make my way to her a second sooner.

She wouldn’t die this time, she wouldn’t be maimed.

This time, I’ll change both our fates.

I was given a second chance, so I’ll give one back.

I break through the forest and straight out into a small area, just metres from the boys dormitory. I watch, just a mere few metres away in the treeline, as a familiar raven-haired girl stumbles while running, and falls onto the academy's gravel.

Morgan.

She crawls toward the dormitory, her face pale and arms and legs covered in cuts and scratches.

Her white silky dress is ripped and tattered in dirt and small bits of blood as she tries to make her way to safety.

A growl pulls both our attention, as the creature stalks from the forest and slowly toward her.

The huge beast looks like some sort of chimaera hybrid. Its head looked like the mix of a lion and snake, scales dripping down its head and out into a solid-looking mane. It has black fur covering its torso and flowing all the way to its feet, with large black horns adorning its huge head. A long serpent-like tail whipped out as it stalked forward, its tip looked razor sharp and like a blade as it moved back and forth.

It lashed out again and sliced at the ground around it, doing more damage than I’d like.

Morgan's pale face scrunches up, her eyes crinkling to slits toward the creature. Then they flicker open wide, a shimmering colour appearing and fading just as quickly as it came. She grits her teeth, her chest rising and falling quickly as she keeps her gaze on the beast in front of her.

“You wanna kill me…eatme?” She chuckles darkly, a slight grin spreading on her face.

“This isn’t my first time being hunted by somedisgusting monster...” Her hand grabs a sharp rock on the gravel below her, her fingers shaking slightly as she pulls it up and points it toward the creature. “Don’t think I’ll give up that easily.”

She clutches her small weapon. And even in the face of such a huge creature, she doesn’t back down.

My gaze drifts toward Morgan and her unsteady hands.

I had heard she had a defence ability, a barrier of some sort and quite a strong one at that. So why was she not using her power?

With her personality, it didn’t make sense for her to run away like this.

Then it hits me…the boys on the ground trembling and trying to stay conscious, and her strange movements from earlier…What if shecan’tfight? What if, she too, had taken or been given something?

A loud roar bellows from the beast as I quickly glance back at Morgan, noticing her scrapped and bloodied legs and the slight tremor running through her. Almost like the boy in the forest.

I focus in on her eyes and notice a similar hazy gaze and a slight trickle of blood and something white on her chin.

The beast roars again and lunges toward her.

I grip my daggers and dash toward the creature, reaching it just as it comes a few inches from Morgan's body. The metal of my blades slice through the dark scales along the side of its face.

It pulls back as dark navy blood pours down its scales and toward the gravel below us.

A roar more thunderous than before pierces the air around us as the creature howls.

I hear a groan from behind me, remembering Morgan, and quickly glance her way before turning back toward the beast.

“Get out of here,” I call back to her. “Hide somewhere safe…I’ll deal with this.” I flip the daggers in my hands as a pained voice behind me tries to speak.

“Can’t move…any…more…”

Like the boys in the forest.

Then I would have to lure the creature away somehow. I narrow my eyes toward the ugly looking beast, meeting two silver slits, its gaze now fully focused on me as I position myself in front of Morgan.

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