Chapter 86 - A Glorious Defeat

Skyle barely caught a blur streaking past his vision before the claws were upon him. His breath caught in his throat at the alpha’s unbelievable speed. There was simply no way Skyle’s body could react fast enough to dodge the attack - not even his eyes were able to keep up with such movement!

Fortunately, it was only a shadow that struck out, summoned from the depths of his Farsight.

Skyle’s initial movement forward had barely been a shifting of his feet, a technique his father had disparagingly called the Rabbit Step. It lacked the grace of his father’s Ghost Step, but it worked and that was enough. It allowed Skyle to balance his weight on the tips of his toes, ready to spring into instant movement in any direction.

The Rabbit Step, along with his Farsight was the only reason Skyle was able to dive under the alpha’s pouncing figure. As expected, the alpha wouldn’t go for a kill. Skyle didn’t truly understand the exact nature of his father’s relationship with the snowblade tiger streak. Still, Skyle was considered an important member of the streak, and not even Razor would lightly take his life.

This did not mean Razor would mind adding a notch or two in the upstart pup’s hide. It was the way snowblade tigers disciplined their young, and in his eyes Skyle would be lucky to get away without any crippling injuries for his daring. It would teach the young pup to know his own limits, and to respect the ways of the streak. It was a good lesson, paid only with a few pounds of flesh and pain.

It was only tragic that in Skyle’s case, what amounted to a few scratches for a snowblade tiger would likely keep him bed-ridden for a couple weeks, at least.

“ Moonshadow!” Skyle shouted in his mind, stretching a hand forth as he rolled on the floor after just barely sliding under Razor’s outstretched claws.

Soundlessly, smooth metal answered Skyle’s summons as it landed in his grasp. He swung it in a horizontal slash even as his body tumbled past the alpha’s rush.

A spray of blood rose into the air. Razor turned around and licked blood from a shallow cut along the inside of his hind leg.

The silence was deafening.

Skyle did not dare stop as he pumped his legs for all he was worth, placing as much distance as he could from his opponent. To others, the small boy seemed panicked as he ran heedlessly without throwing so much as a glance behind. Only Skyle knew that his Infinite Eye let him see everything around him without needing to crane his head back. The panic in his body language was real, but there was a cold, calculating mind pulling the strings.

Hardly breaking his stride at all, Skyle suddenly leapt to one side. There was no warning sound at all, but Skyle had expected that. Only the shadow he saw in the Farsight allowed him to fling himself aside in time to avoid the alpha’s next attack.

Skyle felt something tugging at his clothes, but his mind was fully focused upon Moonshadow. It drew a half-moon even as his body spun crazily to one side. Only after landing in a crazy tumble did he look down and see a tear in his tunic. There was a thin line of blood, and Skyle hissed with an in-drawn breath.

“ He’s too fast. I can’t completely dodge his attacks even when I know exactly where he will be!”

Not being one to waste his time in regrets while there was still a battle to be fought - and won - Skyle did not run this time. Instead, he drew an arrow and fired it while using the True Sight to focus upon a singular point.

Razor paused after his second dash, feeling a pinprick at his hind leg. Looking down, he found a moderate gash that had an arrow driven deep into it, squeezing past two flaps of snowy white hide. The wound began to weep tears of blood even as Razor lowered his head to lick at the blood.

This was the same wound that Skyle had inflicted earlier, only a second slash had struck in the exact same place and direction. A strange look entered the intelligent beast’s eyes as it tilted its head, gazing at Skyle.

The small boy was running as fast as he could after having loosed his shot. He didn’t think Razor would attempt the same straight-forward rush - he was far too canny for that.

Whatever came next, Skyle could only try his best. If he gained enough distance, he would at least attempt a few shots to slow or distract his enemy. Holding an arrow nocked and ready, he retreated as quickly as he could.

Razor didn’t even pull the arrow out. In truth, the three feet long arrow was a puny needle when compared to the sheer mass of the beast. The wound wouldn’t even inconvenience him much, let alone slow him down.

“ What will he do next? I have to-”

Skyle had been keeping watch upon the beast using his Infinite Eye, and it was only because of this that he was able to react in time. The brief moment Razor took to lick at his wound had simply been an excuse to gather its limbs under his weight. Now, the alpha launched himself into the air, not even wasting time gathering momentum by running first.

Clouds of dust erupted into the air as Razor’s silhouette became a blur. The alpha was too experienced to leap high and offer his opponent free shots. Instead, it stayed low as it launched its mass in a flat arc.

Skyle barely had time to activate his Farsight in time. Without it, all he would have seen was the empty space the alpha had once occupied, then darkness as its mass pounced upon him in the blink of an eye. As it was, he barely had time to begin a Rabbit Step. Skyle clamped down on his panic as he fired off a shot first. Only then, did Skyle search for a way out. As Skyle’s intent shifted in every which direction, he could see in real time the shifting shadows of Razor’s reaction as he reached out with his claw. This time, there was no escaping his clutches!

In the midst of his desperate search for an opening in his opponent's assault, Skyle finally saw an inch of daylight. He gave up on slashing with Moonshadow, instead using it to shield his body as he leapt at the last possible second. Razor paused for just one moment when he saw the ebony streak left by Moonshadow’s arc, and that hesitation was barely enough to let Skyle sneak under his claw for the third time.

Razor saw through Skyle’s feint at the last instant, and he belatedly stretched forth his claw. Skyle had been prepared for the blow, but it still struck him with all the force of a rampaging bull. It nearly knocked Moonshadow from his numb fingers, flinging the small boy off his feet and sending his body skidding several dozen feet along the ground.

“Skyle!” Leon cried out, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists. Elemental essence began to swirl around him but Ash growled low in his throat and tugged at the fire summoner’s hand with his teeth. It was a warning that Leon reluctantly heeded, even as he turned his attention back on the fight.

Skyle had miraculously reached a kneeling position, and was even now fumbling for an arrow. It appeared as though he was unwilling or unable to run any longer. Arrows were strewn on the floor all around, having spilled from his quiver.

Razor let out a sound for the first time since the beginning of the fight. It was a low, rumbling growl as he looked down and saw a second arrow driven deep into his flesh, barely one inch next to the first arrow. It was just another needle, nothing more than a nuisance. Still, when the alpha raised its single eye, there was no longer any hint of condescendence in its silver depths.

As Skyle raised his bow in Razor’s direction, he counted the arrows left in his quiver for what seemed the hundredth time. He licked his lips as he drew a deep breath, all the while holding the alpha’s unnerving gaze.

“ Four arrows left - perfect. Still, this will be close. Too close.”

Doubt rose from his heart, and fear loomed in its shadow. Skyle crushed both in a ruthless fist of steely will. He would not fail, not after coming this far.

Blowing out the breath held in his lungs, his heartbeat slowed down to a crawl as he took aim, then released.

“ Three.”

The arrow streaked forward, only to be easily swatted down by Razor’s claw. The snowblade tiger began to pad forward at a measured pace, closing the 40 feet or so that separated him from his prey.

Skyle didn’t pause after releasing his arrow, instantly reaching for another one. He barely seemed to take aim before releasing another humming streak into the air.

“ Two.”

Razor flicked this arrow away with the same nonchalant ease of the previous attack, not even slowing down.

Only thirty feet separated them now, and Razor’s massive shadow loomed high over Skyle’s diminutive figure. Heedless, Skyle released his next arrow.

“ One.”

This time, Razor seemed to sway aside. As the arrow struck his shoulder, there was a flicker of silver, and the arrow whined with the screech of metal before shattering into splinters.

“ Zero.”

Skyle’s final arrow was shot at twenty five feet away. As the arrow left the string, Razor’s lips pulled back to reveal gigantic fangs. The alpha’s head seemed to blur for a moment, and somehow the arrow disappeared from the air. It was now firmly caught in between Razor’s teeth. He spat the arrow out with a casual flick of his head.

“Skyle, move!” Leon shouted, helpless frustration and worry in his voice. It was echoed by all the snowblade tigers watching this unequal duel.

Only Ash sat quietly, its silver gaze one of quiet intensity as he carefully watched his master.

Twenty feet. Fifteen.

Skyle imagined he could feel hot breath on his skin as the snowblade tiger alpha towered over him.

“ Now!”

Skyle frantically drew upon that shadowy essence that now welled deep within his veins. It answered his call, flooding even the Farsight with a murky darkness. This alarmed him, but the surprise only lasted for a split second before his fingers plucked the shimmering feather flaring out from Moonshadow.

The feather detached itself from the main body of the bow, but a tendril of darkness still connected it to Moonshadow. Skyle didn’t have time to study it in detail, as his Farsight was busy gazing into the future.

There, he saw a multitude of scenarios. In a few, he inflicted another shallow wound upon the alpha. In most, his attack was thwarted with ease. Out of dozens of glances stolen from the future, only one suited his purposes. It was a single ray of daylight, but it was enough.

Razor seemed to realize at the last second that the mysterious weapon wielded by Skyle was no simple bow. Even as Skyle lay the metallic feather against the bowstring and pulled back, Razor seemed strangely confused and hesitated, but in the end his muscles began to bunch up in preparation for one final rush.

That moment’s hesitation cost the snowblade tiger dearly. It could not be blamed, however. After all, only Skyle could see the shaft of midnight shadow extending forth from the feather’s rear. Its surface felt firm and smooth under his fingers as the bowstring reached his cheek, the feather now becoming the tip of an arrow of inky darkness.

Skyle released the arrow just as Razor began his dash. The experienced hunter saw Skyle aiming low, so he slashed with his paw to deflect the shot. The razor-sharp claws struck nothing but air. There was no arrow, and confusion bloomed in Razor’s eyes, immediately followed by pain.

The entire clearing was filled by one collective gasp as Razor showed weakness for the first time in the entire fight. He stumbled as his hind leg gave way, and he felt a damp wetness spreading down his fur.

A great gush of blood fountained into the air from a gaping hole in the snowblade tiger’s flesh. The previous arrows Skyle had shot were gone, replaced by a two-inch hole that bit deeply into Razor’s leg. The alpha growled in fury this time, and streaked toward Skyle in a deadly rush of claws.

The boy’s skin was pale as he reached out and plucked the second and last feather from Moonshadow. He laid it upon the bowstring and pulled back, seemingly uncaring of the massive mountain of claws and fangs that bore down upon him.

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For the first time, Razor’s attack failed to stay silent. Instead, it produced a booming explosion as it sent great clouds of dust and shattered rock into the air. They obscured everything from sight except for the vague silhouette of the alpha’s mass. Only his tail rose above the dust clouds, almost as if to announce his victory.

“Skyle!” Leon cried out shrilly, his face pale. However, his eyes were glued to the scene before his eyes, not daring to take another breath.

As the dust cloud began to settle, a loud, exultant roar suddenly burst out. It filled the entire clearing with its victorious echo.

Startled, Leon glanced sideways at Ash as the snowblade tiger raised its head even higher and kept roaring.

Turning his gaze back to the cloud, Leon couldn’t help but stare in mute astonishment.

Razor lay completely still as he gazed upon Skyle, his claws burrowed deep into the rocky soil. Their impact as he halted the momentum of his rush had been the cause for the dust clouds. Sundered rock lay about everywhere, but that was all. Neither the alpha nor the boy that knelt before him showed any further wounds.

Skyle’s eyes held no fear as he met the alpha’s stony gaze. Only his arms shook with the strain as he held the bowstring as far as he could pull it back. A single feather made of glistening metal hovered in midair at the center of his bow, ready to be launched. Its deadly tip floated not three feet from Razor’s sole remaining eye.

It was checkmate, though who exactly was the victor remained unclear.

Perhaps it was because of this that Razor finally relented, snorting a great cloud of dust before turning around. It flicked its tail a couple times before slowly padding away, leaving a trail of blood that led all the way into the depths of the caverns below.

All the snowblade tigers moved aside, watching with lowered heads as the alpha passed them by.

Only Ash continued to roar, the joy and pride that filled his chest too great to be contained.

Skyle’s arms shook violently as he eased the bowstring back into place with meticulous care. Only then did he grasp the obsidian feather between his fingers. He slid it along Moonshadow’s length until he felt an inaudible click. When he removed his hand, the feather lay securely fastened onto the bow’s frame. Skyle didn’t even look surprised when he saw that the other feather, which had previously been buried deep within Razor’s flesh, had somehow found its way back and was already in its original position. Not a single blemish could be seen upon its gleaming surface.

Skyle gazed in quiet reverence at the masterwork weapon in his hands, but the moment was ruined by the hearty slap he received upon his back.

Screaming in agony, Skyle fell face first upon the ground.

Leon stood over his best friend, gaping like a goggle-eyed fish.

“F-Farmboy, what’s wrong?”

Skyle could only manage a hiss as he reflexively used his Infinite Eye to check the damage in his body. He saw muscles that had been badly strained during the fight, demanding nourishment in order to repair the damage. His heart burned with exasperation as he saw the feeble lines of energy that flowed along his body. It was simply not enough! It would take his body far too long to repair the damage at such a snail’s pace.

Frustration and need combined in his heart, fusing into his will and adding their strength to the call he issued forth with almost unconscious, natural ease. It felt as though from within the core of his being, where a small void resided, a tendril of darkness reached out. This shadow drew near to the reserves of food he still held within his guts.

These remnants were still being broken down, the mysterious energy he had previously seen still floating away into thin air after being released from its material shell. When the thin stream of shadow neared the energy, a great change took place. The energy trembled faintly, before being drawn toward the shadow.

Slowly at first, but with increasing speed, more streams of energy were sucked into the shadow. This only made the shadow grow denser and more opaque, and both the range and the speed at which it drew upon the shimmering strands of energy grew exponentially.

Soon, streams of light were flickering across Skyle’s body, swiftly carried along his elemental veins. Even though they were damaged beyond repair, the light felt soothing as it coursed through elemental essence and the dark taint with equal ease.

Eventually, it reached the muscles of his body that required nourishment. They took on a fascinating glow as they fed upon the mysterious energy, and Skyle almost shouted in joy as he saw his muscles repairing themselves at an unprecedented rate.

Skyle was still exulting over this new breakthrough when he was rudely jolted awake from his trance by rough hands that grasped down upon his shoulders and pulled him to his feet.

“Farmboy? Skyle, are you alright?”

A stinging slap flung Skyle’s face to his right just as he was about to allay his friend’s concern.

“Leo-”

Another slap followed.

“Skyle, wake up. What’s wrong with you?”

Just as Leon lifted his hand for a third slap, Skyle lifted his knee and paused just before inflicting a crippling blow upon the bigger boy's tender family jewels.

Leon’s hand immediately halted, suspended in mid-air. The taller boy glanced down toward Skyle’s knee before grinning sheepishly at his friend.

“Eh, I guess I got a little carried away.”

That was his best attempt at an apology, but Skyle figured he deserved that much at least after all he had put the poor, spoiled noble brat through.

Shifting his jaw and feeling around his mouth with his tongue, Skyle winced.

“Almost knocked my tooth loose, you happy brute.”

Leon didn’t even bother to deny the charge as he swept the air with an expansive gesture.

“Well, no matter now. That was one hell of a battle, farmboy!”

“Why, thank you, princess.”

Leon scowled momentarily, but took the higher road this time as he had truly been impressed.

“Never have I witnessed a single more glaringly suicidal act of stupidity for a pointless bit of street cred - cred that is good only among a bunch of overgrown household cats, at that.”

At least he had the good sense to lower his voice at that last. He was, after all, still surrounded on all sides by thousand-pound household cats, as he put it. It still earned him a sharp swipe from Ash’s claws that made him howl.

When he recovered enough dignity that he remembered to gloat, Skyle had already reached his feet and was gingerly testing his footing. Incredibly, his muscles seemed to have recovered to an amazing extent. He even felt as though they had grown noticeably stronger!

“Stop looking so pleased with yourself.”

Leon’s jab at his ribs didn’t even faze Skyle. He was proud, so what? He had challenged an alpha of the streak - mean Old Razor at that - and limped away with an honorable defeat. That counted as a massive win in his book!

Skyle had no illusions as to the winner of this duel. Sure, he might have inflicted a grievous wound upon the alpha’s eye, likely blinding him completely. That wouldn’t do him much good when he was smashed into bloody paste under the stampeding mass of the alpha's attack. The alpha had obviously been handicapped, as it could not inflict mortal or even grievous injuries upon the small boy.

After all, Skyle had the feeling his father would have a thing or two to say about that.

He did feel a little ashamed he had relied upon this handicap. Still, Old Razor had obviously underestimated Skyle. It hadn’t even bothered using its main weapons. The deadly snowblades for which they were known had only flashed briefly while it climbed down from its rocky perch. Skyle had no doubt in his mind that he had no hope of avoiding a single attack from those deadly blades. As it was, Razor was obviously ill-used to employing only its claws. It had still been enough to nearly overwhelm Skyle’s reflexes, even armed with the Farsight.

Skyle fiercely vowed to himself that he would train his body relentlessly until it no longer held him back. Now that he could make use of this mysterious new energy, he felt he had begun to unlock the secrets of the Maw of the Void. Skyle was overjoyed that he had chosen to challenge the alpha. Though he would have never succeeded without Moonshadow’s new feathers of darkness, as he had taken to calling them, it was still part of his arsenal now. It had been his victory, and he now felt like kissing Old Razor for helping him delve further into the mysteries of the Maw of the Void.

“Stop it.” Leon cringed away from Skyle. “You look like you’re about to pounce upon that poor, old tiger’s back and begin dry-humping his leg.”

Skyle’s only response was a smirk. The sentiment was loudly echoed by Ash’s proud purr as the snowblade tiger cub rubbed its head against Skyle’s side.

Skyle patted the tiger’s head, knowing that Leon could not understand the importance of what had just transpired today. Until today, Skyle had been tolerated by the alphas as Kendric’s cub. Only the old alphas’ indulgence had granted Ash barely enough freedom to leave the Den’s territory and roam about on the outside. Now, Skyle’s status in the streak was completely different, and so was Ash’s. Skyle could be considered a full adult tiger now, and one of the scarce few that had even challenged one of the alphas - and survived to tell the tale.

His chest swelled in pride at this accomplishment, and unsurprisingly, Ash echoed it.

“Well, since you seem to have recovered enough that you can crack a joke at the expense of one of the snowtiger patriarchs, I guess we should put such energies to good use.”

Skyle only grinned at the panicked groan his words elicited. He had never felt more like his father’s son.

“C’mon, princess. It’s time to cart some manure.”

Skyle beckoned to his friend as he made Moonshadow vanish with a theatric flick of his hand.

Leon stared for a moment, speechless, before he recovered.

“H-How? Where did it go? Wait, where did Moonshadow come from in the first place? And how did you get your talent back? You owe me a great deal of explanations, farmboy.”

Skyle ignored both the ominous glint in the noble youth’s eyes and the insistent tapping of his foot.

Shrugging the questions aside, he wagged a finger under his friend’s nose. “Nah-uh. Good try, princess. Cart the dung first, then we talk. Priorities. I’m shocked one who aspires to one day become a ruler can’t even manage such a simple principle.”

Leon’s scowl melted as color flushed his cheeks. “Well, it was worth a try. And you really do owe me an explanation. Several, actually..”

As his voice trailed off, Skyle pressed his lips together and nodded. “You are right, my friend. All in due time. I do owe you a lot, not just for today, but also just for being you.”

Leon’s smile was a clumsy one in its artless fluster, like a dragon trying to wear a rabbit’s skin. “It is what friends are for, right?”

Skyle nodded firmly at that. “Exactly. For that, and for carting dung together. Now, let’s get to it, princess.”

Leon rolled his eyes. “Where’d you get this new princess thing, anyway?”

The bigger boy flexed his impressive muscles, stretching the fabric of his clothes over taut flesh as if to accentuate his point.

Skyle’s expression didn’t so much as flicker as he parted his lips and let out a shrill, girly cry. “ Skyle!”

Leon slapped his own forehead with a resounding thud. “Ugh, I sounded nothing like that.”

Skyle didn’t twitch a muscle as he repeated his earlier cry, just a little louder this time. “ Skyle!”

“Stop.”

A toothy grin was the only acknowledgement that request got. When Skyle parted his lips for the third time, Leon sprang forward, stretching his hands forward.

“ Sky-”

The rest was cut off by hands roughly covering Skyle’s mouth.

“Fine! You win, you countryside buffoon. You could make a living at court doing that act, you know?”

Skyle’s shoulders twitched in a light shrug. “So, finally ready, princess? Heaps of dung be waitin’ just o’er yond’r.”

Leon began to groan, but stopped with a sullen glare at Skyle.

“Lead the way, farmboy.”

“Oh no, I don't dare. Please, after you, my lady.”