Chapter 10: Astray Beast
Chapter 10: Astray Beast
~~[688 Words]~~
A sharp, echoing sound ripped past Yuren's ear. He froze right there. Goosebumps shot up his arms, dread crawling from his toes up to his spine.
"W-what was that?" he mumbled, mostly to himself. If he was talking to his pet, it wasn't obvious—just a single, bright 'Chirp', chirping back at him.
Floating in the air, wings buzzing fast enough to be nothing but a blur. If you blinked, you'd think it was a dragonfly. But no, it was a Mayan—one of those birds with a wild, ridiculous call and an even crazier look. Yuren wasn't a bird person. Didn't even get a choice, honestly. The Mayan had flown up to him one day, settled in, and decided to stay. Not that he was mad about it. The bird had a kind of charm—obnoxious as hell, sure, but oddly endearing.
The Mayan kept up its song. That hypnotic, crazy sound snagged anyone's attention but Takai's, apparently.
Yuren turned away and let out a slow breath. "Just a bird," he said.
'Takak-takak!'
He choked. His face twisted from startled to completely disgusted in about a second. That call grated on his nerves—like nails on a chalkboard. He shot a look back. "Shoo! Go on, get outta here," he waved, but the bird didn't care. Just hopped to another branch, still singing.
'Takak-taka! Takak-takak!'
Endless. Never took a break.
"Would you quit it?" Yuren sputtered. "What're you even doing here? Go home, feed your kids. "You're not getting anything from me—and I'm not getting anything from you." He crossed his arms. "Go hunt, you lazy little—" He caught himself. "Right. You're a bird. Doesn't matter what I say."
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The Mayan watched him, totally unfazed.
'Takak-taka! Takak-takak! Takak-takak!'
"Ugh—" Yuren's eye twitched. "Same song, over and over. My ears are dying." He blinked and looked down, hunting for anything throwable. Spotted a rock. Walked over, picked it up, and flung it right at the bird.
The throw? Awful. Whiffed right past like he'd never thrown a thing in his life. The Mayan didn't even blink. Just hung out on its branch.
Yuren stood there, quiet.
What even was that throw? Just… missed. Big time.
'Takak-taka———'
He straightened, marched off, not bothering to look where he was headed.
"Forget it. Stay there. Come on, Amaya."
He pushed through tall grass, muttering about how much he regretted wasting energy on that bird. Didn't even know the thing.
"Attention-seeking pest," he grumbled.
Grass sliced at his skin—sharp, almost painful—but before he could really notice, his annoyance faded. Something lighter bubbled up.
His eyes went bright. A grin took over his face.
Through a break in the grass, he saw dirt piled up, bits of stuff scattered. Something was digging.
"Someone's there—must be Grandpa."
He broke into a run, laser-focused on the flying dirt.
He barely registered Amaya skipping behind him—just the noise.
His sandals sank, mud gripping his feet, but he kept pushing, faster, harder. He could see hair now. Just a little closer. Then—
Blamm.
All the energy drained away from his face.
The smile dropped. Cold dread slid in, tightening his chest. His heart shot up in his throat. Eyes shaking, he couldn't even make a sound.
Amaya pressed close, still and silent for once.
That was a mistake. He took one step back, then another, then a third—
Kriek!
A rotting root snapped under his foot.
He was done.
Yuren's eyes went wide. His heart pounded against his ribs.
An enormous head swung into view. Curved fangs, longer than his arms—looked like trees propped up in front of him. A whole row of shorter, blunter teeth crowded its jaw, thick ropes of saliva dripping from its foul mouth. The snout? Huge, smeared with dirt; you could see earth imprinted right into its nose. Each breath it took sent dust and smoke swirling between them.
Its hot, heavy, disgusting breath slammed right into Yuren's face.
"W-what is that smell… aa… aah… aahhh—"
Huge. Two tons, easily. A thousand times heavier than Yuren.
"A-a stray beast. Is that a… a Wargroat?" His voice were shaking... I-i thought...—"