My eyes fluttered and my ears rang. For the second time in 24 hours, I felt myself awaking after what had surely felt like certain death. Whoever was watching over me was not doing a good job.

A mousy screech faded through my ear canal. Something about cards and lazy jaguars. It was squeaky and whiny, and oh so very naggy. Only one person then. Dave. Yet, as I stood up to inevitably see him somewhere nearby, I didn’t. He wasn’t anywhere around. Sure, he was small, but being as vain and as narcissistic as he was, he would have made a point of standing on top of me with a smug and condescending smirk. But no, there was definitely no Dave around. Instead, I was greeted by something far more tolerable and loveable in comparison. A wild bloodthirsty beast.

The beast must have been the one that ambushed me and knocked me out earlier. Yet, as I slowly got up onto all fours as silently as possible, I couldn't help but notice that it had just put something into its mouth. Whatever it was, it didn’t matter. That something had just provided me with an opportunity to escape while the beast was distracted. I shifted to turn away from the four-legged creature and slowly crawled towards a nearby tree. The height of the branches could offer me some safety. Outrunning whatever this creature was, would not be the smartest thing to do.

Unfortunately for me, I made it 2 feet before I placed a hand on a twig. I grimaced and clenched my jaw, hoping that lifting my hand would be a quiet and soundless affair. Boy was I wrong.

Rooooooaaaaaaarrrrrr

The beast had noticed.

I quickly got to my feet and turned to face it. And that’s when I saw it for all its beauty. A furry overgrown kitten with a bell and cute pointy ears. I lie. It was a horrendous misshapen mess of a creature. It prowled around me on long, dark furry legs. Sniffed at me with a short muzzle and mouth filled with crooked fangs, dripping with saliva. It narrowed its grey, bloodshot eyes with a fierce look. And before I could ever say ‘Who’s a cute little boy?’, it was leaping in the air towards me in slow motion.

I closed my eyes and shielded my face, all but certain of my death. Yet, there was nothing. No, blunt force trauma, no being dragged by a leg across the grass, or even the unwanted nuzzling by this oh-so-loveable creature.

Curious, I opened my eyes. I felt the beast sniffing around me. His muzzle pushed into my chest and my underarms. I did my best to stay still. I was no beast whisperer but knew a thing about training cats. ‘Shhhing’ a cat while simultaneously nipping it with your fingers is a surefire way to assert dominance…. Yet at his very moment in time, that seemed like suicide.

After a few more sniffs, the dog backed away from me and began to growl loudly.

I sniffed my underarms and completely understood. I guess eating me was out of the question, but as for killing me, that was still on the cards.

The beast began to prepare itself for a second attack, but just then, something strange happened. I felt something from within. Invisible chains began to wrap around me. Power pulsated through my veins and my eyes brightened with the appearance of an interface. The interface was a welcomed surprise, the chains, however, not in the slightest. Bondage was not an interest of mine, neither magical nor the more intimate kind. I was a strait-laced kind of guy.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

As happy to see the interface as I was, it didn’t show any controls or skills. All it told me was the beast’s name, which was the ‘Lesser Behemoth’, and showed me a health bar. Kind of boring, but at least I had an interface now, and I felt awesome. Like I was radiating with power.

The beast clearly hadn’t noticed my new power up though, because he came rushing at me full force. I knew what I was going to do. A fast one, two to the face, followed by a sweet spinning back fist, just like all the badass isekai guys who awaken their powers do. Sweet, sharp and so fast that it looks effortlessly cool, with a harem of girls swooning in the background.

Did things go that way? No!

As the beast neared me, I noticed that I had no control over my limbs. I couldn’t move anything. That was until I felt my right leg move of its own accord. It shook first as I subconsciously resisted and then shot up in an upward kick. Annoyingly, I missed the beast. Luckily though, my movement had been enough to send the beast jumping backwards in defense.

My limbs continued to move of their own will. A left punch here, a right there. A left kick followed by two rights. There was no real pattern to anything. Occasionally, I blocked. I had no idea what I was doing and neither did the beast. It quickly grew tired though and decided to charge me again. And that’s when I did something awesome. Although I didn’t know what was wrong with my body, I can say with one hundred percent certainty, the next part was all me.

I jumped up, did a 360 summersault, and landed a back heel on the beast’s head. It fell flat to the floor with a loud thump. Instantly the feeling of being chained dissipated and I regained control over my body.

I walked over to the beast to check if it was dead or just unconscious. To my surprise, it began to fade into light particles and disappear. When all the light had faded to nothingness. A few things lay on the floor. I grabbed hold of a small green gem. It didn’t do much when I picked it up, not that I expected it to do anything. Nonetheless, it looked nice and possibly expensive. There were a couple of other items too. A small health potion and a tine green pellet, that seemed to be radiating some kind of energy. I didn’t know what they were for or what they did, not since the interface on my screen had disappeared after the fight.

I dusted myself off and got ready to head off when I heard the distinctly annoying, yet oh-so-familiar voice.

‘Forgetting someone are we?’ Dave had somehow managed to appear before me, not so hard given his size. He stood with his back facing me wearing a dark blue, satin cloak.

I looked at him for a second and then nonchalantly headed for the town. I had almost died for a second time; I didn’t need this. Not now. I was exhausted and in dire need of some food. It took no more than two steps to pass the rat.

‘I saved your life’

I paid him no attention at first. My hunger was a greater calling than Dave’s ego.

‘No, really. I saved your life. I used my familiar tab to take control over your body!’

The last few words struck a nerve. I stopped and stood in place. The wind suddenly felt harsh, with an icy chill. I didn’t immediately know how to process the last few words. I wanted to pick Dave up and throw him at the tree that lay behind him. I felt violated, hurt, and seething with rage. Yet, I felt constrained. As much as I wanted to inflict pain on this never-ending thorn in my side, something didn’t feel right. I felt withdrawn from hurting him.

‘It was the only way to save your life.’ Dave sighed with regret. ‘I didn’t want to, you know ……. But it was the only way.’

I tried to turn and look at him, but I couldn’t. My pride wouldn’t let me acknowledge him. Not yet. I still disliked him, but hate? That felt too strong now.

I squeezed my mouth tight, holding in any regretful words before I was ready.

I took a few deep breaths and told myself that this wasn’t a conversation to be had on an empty stomach. I took a step forward and called over my shoulder, ‘You coming?’

Dave, caught by surprise, raised his sullen face. His sadness was quickly replaced by a smile.

‘You had me going there for a second. Now, let’s go get some Gouda cheese to eat.’

I gave out a deep sigh. This was going to be exhausting.

‘What nothing? Well anyway, I’m glad you decided to relax and take it a little ch-easy on me today. I really thought I was grating on you.’

‘Shut it,’ I responded, with a light kick to his side.

‘Sure thing, I a Brie with you. Silence is golden.’