Frozen

“Keep running!” I shout to my brother as I barely make it over a fallen tree blanketed by the snow. A few uncovered branches saved me from a fatal fall. Both of us trying desperately to keep our footing while running for our lives. Weaving through the trees and over any obstacles in our path as we try navigating out of these frozen and unfamiliar woods.

“Trust me brother, I wasn’t planning to stop!” He shouts in return, smirking while keeping pace with me. The sound of trees snapping & crashing to the ground echo behind us. Making it nigh impossible to hear adequately. Ground pounding beneath our feet, shaking the area surrounding us. Making each of our next steps we take a game of balance, especially at this speed and in these conditions. One slip up from either of us and that’s the end. We both know it.

“She’s getting closer! What’s the plan, run forever? ” Dustin questions. If it were at all possible that would be our best option, but this beast has us beat in stamina easily. Whereas any other creature would have given up chase by now, this one has yet to. We’ll have to take a stand and slay her eventually, else we’ll become her next meal. But where? If we fight here in the woods with this fiend it will undoubtedly end up dropping a couple dozen trees upon us. Crushing us and ending the battle then and there. There’s just not enough space to fight it here in these clustered woods.

“There! There’s a glade. That’s where we’ll take it!” Dustin hollers out as he draws his sword using it to signify the direction of the clearing. Fighting out in the open isn’t any better than the woods, but it's certainly better than death by tree.

“That’s where we’ll end it then!” Good eyes Dustin. I was growing tired of running for my life. I’m eager to fight for it now. And with seeing him having already drawn his sword I can tell that he’s ready as well.

After making our way cautiously out of the woods without much hindrance we finally reached the center of the clearing. Turning to face our pursuer, our eyes trained on the path we just fled from.

Watching, waiting, listening to the woods screaming as their fallen brethren were being trampled on. The woodland creatures of this forest could be seen scurrying out of the woods seeking safety from the monstrosity. A monster which has not only invaded, but has also in the process destroyed their home in search of us.

As the fiend came closer debris began to rise up, forming a cloud from the trees that had broken apart beneath the beast's crushing weight.

“There she is!” Dustin exclaimed as our pursuer came into view of the tree line, silhouetted by the cloud of debris. The tree's massive height, eclipsed by the beast's own enormous figure. As it drew nearer to the edge of the tree line the cloud of debris which had concealed it was blown away by the monster’s screeching roar. Its razor sharp fangs and cold eyes revealed to us. They were fixated on us. The beast knows, it’s time for a showdown.

In the same moment I began to feel the ground beneath me crackling. Dustin turned to me and without speaking I knew he felt the same thing as I did. Him and I both began surveying the ground around us. This certainly wasn’t a glade. We were standing on ice, by the feel of it. A frozen pond, what a wonderful place to fight. Our attention from the ice drawn back to the beast after hearing it snarl at us as if it were seeking for us to give it our full undivided attention.

The beast began pacing back and forth, its eyes still fixed on us. Snarling again, still brandishing its fangs at us. Finally I drew my sword, both Dustin and I raising our blades in unison: each one aimed to kill the monster. Ready to contest the beast's fangs with our own. The monster stopped pacing once witnessing this, then let out another roar before charging directly at us.

My brother and I stood our ground. Our feet firmly planted, waiting. Our eyes keenly trained, watching. Letting the beast close the gap between us. Once it closed the divide between us enough we both split apart from each other, heading in opposite directions. Charging at the beast from two sides. While heading towards the monstrosity I whistled a note to get my brother's attention as I raised my sword high above my head. He nodded and whistled back in confirmation, lowering his posture while still charging the creature until I lost him behind its figure. A whistle with a sword raised means I’ll go for the head, letting him know to stay low and gut it when the chance arrives.

As I got closer to the beast it roared ferociously at me then in a swift speedy motion it turned away whipping me with its tail sending me soaring back. As I struggled to get back up on my feet I could see Dustin running towards me. An unfriendly guest right behind him. Blood began pouring from my sides. As him and the beast got closer I grabbed my sword from out of a pile of snow and drove it into the ice. Carving out a hole big enough for two.

Finally I managed to move the block of ice I had carved out and tossed it aside. With him and the beast closing in I looked at him and pointed to the hole then braced myself for the cold and dove in.

The freezing water simultaneously soothing and causing my new wounds to sting. Beneath the water I looked overhead back at the hole I’d carved waiting for my brother. Hoping he'd make it. Then suddenly a figure splashed in the water as the slash of a large claw followed, only narrowly missing him.

The beast began pacing back and forth like it did earlier. Letting out a roar almost as if it were unsatisfied before sitting down just outside the hole. Now from here there’s only one way out if we don’t freeze to death first. Quickly I dug my sword into the ice again. Wrapping both hands firmly around the hilt, feet placed against the ice. Dustin watched in shock and awe as the water around us began to bubble up. My sword glowing a bright orange, melting the ice. I don’t know if this will even work, but if it does once I do this, either way I’m dead. Either I’ll drown in the cold depths of this water or I’ll emerge and my head will be lopped off like any other monsters. I watched the ice being transformed, blossoming into a weapon of my creation.

The power within me surging throughout my sword until I released it like an arrow from an expert archer's bow. However, I’m no expert. I watched as all that heat tore through the ice hitting the beast in the chest, but not killing it.

As I drifted away from the surface could hear the beast shrieking in pain and terror from the blast.

The shockwave from the surge had caused Dustin to be knocked back and me to be thrown deeper downward into the abyss. Once he reoriented himself Dustin began swimming towards me, but I waved him off as best I could and pointed to the beast. Trying to signal for him to finish this. Hesitantly he swam up and soon reality began to slip away from my grasp.

Moments later I saw the monster coming at me in the water. A pool of blood accompanied it, but no body. I watched as its head floated by. I couldn't help smiling as I drifted away. Good job brother. Good job.

As I struggled to remain conscious I watched through the breaking ice as the valley of clouds overhead began slipping further away from me, blink by blink. In between the blinks I received glimpses of a dream. One which I wish I could have held onto for a little while longer.

After a bit of time passed by I began to feel the warmth of the sun on my skin again. An ugly bastard screaming for me to wake up, ruining dream.