Chapter 47: Lion

For a second, she thought the pool of Smoldersap would stop the lion, or at least slow it. She looked over her shoulder in time to see the red and gold beast bunch up its leg muscles and then leap up and over it. He landed and hit the ground running. The chase was on.

Not much scared Adriana, especially not beasts, but there was something about lions, in all their stories, that both impressed and terrified her. This one was twice the size of normal, almost to scale with the monstrous red oxen of legend. She had a feeling she knew what the lion ate, and what might’ve gotten the cattle to destroy their pen and run free.

Inner Fire drained her reserve of power fast, but she didn’t dare let up. Every heavy thud of its paws on the grass filled her with a growing sense of dread. Was it really breathing down her neck, or was it her imagination? Adriana pushed with everything she had to get back to safety.

Off in the distance, Tobias and Iris handled their share of the cattle. Iris was nowhere to be seen, but the illusory cow continued to cause fights as it ran from group to group. Tobias looked to be having fun dodging attempts to trample him while continuously firing off magic arrows. Adriana called out a wordless cry for help, and he turned.

She risked looking over her shoulder. The lion loped after her with predatory joy in his golden eyes. He was focused entirely on her, and within a handful of seconds it would reach her and there would be nothing she could do about it.

Unless…

It was stupid, but Tobias and Iris weren’t going to get to her in time. Adriana took a deep breath and burned Inner Fire one last time before she jumped straight up. Her forward momentum slowed but didn’t stop, while the Lion leapt to where she had been. He landed on the ground, and she landed on his back.

The second she hit, Adriana grabbed twin handfuls of his mane and held on. The golden lion thrashed violently, but she gripped his back with her thighs and refused to let go. The predator went from hunting to shaken, but never scared. A proud beast like this could get annoyed, but would fear nothing.

“Adriana!” Tobias yelled, faint but getting closer. “We’re coming!”

It didn’t help her now. The lion threw himself sideways and rolled over. Adriana gritted her teeth and grunted as it threatened to crush her, but she could take it. Another second and they were upright again, the lion panting with exertion.

“What’s the matter, don’t like prey that fights back?” she taunted, though she felt uncomfortably close to a mouse clinging to avoid being eaten. It gave her a chance to cover her hands with Smoldersap and let it pool onto the mane and the lion.

It clung to the mane and burned…before sliding right off and hitting the grass. That’s when Adriana had the feeling that she might be in more trouble than she expected.

“I’ve got you,” Iris shouted from somewhere nearby. Another lion shimmered into view, a tarnished mirror version, growling silently.

Adriana’s lion didn’t hesitate. It leapt again and went through the illusion, crashing awkwardly and rolling along the ground. This time, she did lose her grip, but she managed to get to her feet before the lion did, and turned on the full force of her Flamespitter at him.

The flames washed over the lion, and did nothing. His pure gold pelt remained unblemished, as did his mane. Adriana kept it up until she ran out of energy. Even fighting in the sun, it would take time she didn’t think she had in order to build back up. The lion recovered first and roared.

To call it a mere roar was to do it disservice. The lion opened his mouth, and a terrible sound came forth like war trumpets, growing louder and louder until tears filled Adriana’s eyes and she couldn’t move. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tobias trip and stumble to the ground as the sound continued. Iris popped back into vision, clutching her ears.

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Even after it stopped, the sound echoed in her head, terrible and inescapable. She tried to move, but her body didn’t cooperate. The lion looked at his possible choices of food, and went for Tobias, still on the ground. Rather than run, he stalked forward with a low rumble.

Tobias stared up in terror. Iris made a high pitched whining sound that broke Adriana out of her stupor. She booked it for the two, and just as the lion picked up speed and jumped, so did she. She dove forward and covered Tobias’ body with her own. The lion landed with his massive claws extended and buried them in her left shoulder.

It didn’t hurt. Even in the heat of battle, she marveled at the sensation of the lion rending flesh without a sense of pain or damage. It was only when she continued and rolled along with Tobias that the skin tore and her body screamed at her in protest.

Adriana got up and whirled around, but her arm wouldn’t cooperate. She faced the lion, her impending death, with the cold certainty that even if she couldn’t survive this, she’d at least hurt him somehow, and make sure he remembered her. The lion rumbled and seemed to understand this, in his own way. He lifted a bloody paw to his mouth and licked it.

A flash of gold hit the lion in the eye and discharged. He recoiled, and then again as Tobias fired fire and lightning arrows at the beast. The lion growled and stalked forward. She jumped out of the way, but his attention was on Tobias now. A fact he seemed to realize as he released his Spirit Bow and focused on dodging.

Iris reached Adriana and gasped. “Your arm!” she said, but Adriana waved her off with her good hand.

“No time,” she said. “We need the others. Go!” She shoved Iris away, but the teen didn’t run.

Instead, she pointed high into the sky and a giant yellow ball floated and flashed rhythmically. The fence and those working on it were visible, but only barely. No doubt they could see the miniature sun in the sky. They’d come over.

Adriana ran, each step jolting pain in her limp arm. It felt cold, which probably wasn’t a good sign, but she didn’t have many options. The lion snapped repeatedly at Tobias, who managed to stay a step or two ahead at all times. One of them looked to be having fun, and it wasn’t the archer.

She picked up speed, feeling for her power. It wasn’t much, but Adriana pushed off the ground with Inner Fire and slammed into the side of the lion, as she had seen Lucas do to the Behemoth sent after them. She didn’t have their leader’s size or weight, but she made up for it in ferocity and lack of regard for her own safety.

Slamming into the lion was like running face-first into the side of a mountain. She hit and bounced off with the retrospective decision that maybe it was a bad idea. But it worked. She knocked the lion over and got the monster’s attention back on her.

“Run!” Iris yelled helpfully.

Adriana took off again, heading right for the herd of monstrous cattle. They ran away from her as the lion chased them all. Off in the distance, Davos and Eva came for them, faster than the others. Lucas trailed behind, and she knew he would save his energy for the fight itself. For now, she was on her own.

Gut instinct saved her. The next thud behind her was louder, so Adriana threw herself to the side. Overgrown grass cushioned her and partially hid her from view, but there was no escaping this predator. The lion landed hard where she’d been. He let out a frustrated yowl, whirling around on the spot.

Adriana braced herself for the killing pounce. She wasn’t prepared for the nearest red ox to barrel through the lion and trample it. Hooves the size of children stamped the monstrous cat as one after another, the oxen ran over him.

Off in the distance, a second lion drove the cattle their way. Caught between the illusion and the real thing, they charged headfirst into the lion. Adriana laughed, but her knees shook violently. This had to end fast, and this didn’t seem like more than a setback.

The lion was stunned, but it wouldn’t be for long. It saw her, and even before it fully raised up, it opened its mouth for another stunning roar. Adriana flung Smoldersap directly into his open mouth. It went right to the back of the throat and coated it and his tongue. Shocked, the lion chomped shut, which just made it worse.

“Hey Lion!” Adriana shouted. Tobias came up beside her, Iris and Davos showing up shortly after. The lion turned to her and opened its mouth.

Perfect.

Adriana ran forward, gathering Flashfire in her right hand. The lion’s leg muscles bunched up. Adriana saw where it would pounce and how fast. She grinned and slid on her knees and released the flashfire up. The lion jumped right into it. The blue flame connected with the Smoldersap as it sailed in the air over her.

She heard a wet, sharp pop, and one final thud. Panting, Adriana stood up. The lion did not. Adriana staggered over to it and planted her boot on his head. Blood and viscera dripped out of the open mouth, but his mane and pelt remained undamaged, uncharred. The rest of the team caught up with her as she stood victorious.

“What took you so long?” she demanded, laughing between adrenaline-spiked gasps of breath. “I call dibs on the pelt!”