We turned to see where the scraping noise was coming from. When I do, I find a familiar silhouette, one I wished to forget.
"Amiel, we need to run and now," I whispered, turning to him.
The silhouette turned to look at us, releasing a loud noise.
'Shit, it noticed us.'
I turned around and started to flee, Amiel following behind me.
"We need to get back to Ael!" When I said this, I turned my head to find Amiel a few feet behind me. The noticeable difference in our physical abilities was showing after making the pact.
I was faster than before, and my body felt light. In all honesty, I think I could go faster if I needed to.
The moose ran through the snow, bringing down trees along the way, which caused other animals to flee the area. Knowing Amiel wouldn't be able to keep up, I dropped my speed, ending up shoulder to shoulder with him.
"Why did you slow down?" he asked.
I looked back at the moose and grimaced at the disgusted sight of it with its eight eyes looking in all directions. "Wasn't going to leave you alone."
He blinked a couple of times and nodded. "Do you have a plan?"
I kept running, as I bit my lip, finding it hard to think. "Sadly, no," I said, dodging to the right moments later, tacking Amiel as the beast almost hit us. "For now, we just run."
He followed behind as I got up. "If we keep running, we are going to get exhausted. We have to do something." He stated.
I clenched my jaw, 'I know! Come on, think brain, think!' I thought.
The physical enhancement the pact gave me was nice, but if all I could do was put out some light and heal faster than a normal person, it was useless.
"What good are these miracles if all they made me was a flashlight?" I grunted.
The moose, who was still behind us, caught up, forcing us to dodge off to the side once again.
Turning towards Amiel, I said, "I got one," I said. He takes a second to reply. "That was quick." He said, turning towards me. "What's the—" He stared at me as I completely stopped running, still making his way out of the forest.
"You run! I'll distract him for now." I yelled.
'Shit, I must be out of my mind.' I thought, facing the corrupted beast. "Time to put these abilities to use."
Whistling, I ran to the right, and the beast completely switched directions. As I looked at Amiel, I saw him running. 'Good, I just need to distract for long enough.'
Now, not having to slow down for Amiel, I pick up the speed. I wasn't faster than the chaotic beast, but I was able to keep my distance much better.
'Even with the deep snow, it's easy to run.' I thought. 'Just how much did the pact improve my physical abilities?'
It wasn't the same as a pact of chaos, but rather less powerful and without the trade-off of going out of control.
Catching up to me once again, I had to strafe off to the left, one of the moose's antlers barely grazing me near my calf.
I grimaced from the pain as blood stained the snow.
'This is going nowhere.' I thought. 'I need to fight him head-on.'
As I tried to get up from the floor, I saw the beast rampaging toward me. Still on the floor, I rolled out of the way.
'Shit, that was close.' I thought.
I took out the dagger I held on my waist. When I do, I use it in a reverse grip. Looking straight at the beast, I wait for it to make a move. It let out a grunt. Rampaging at me once again, I move to the right to dodge and let the knife cut into its side as it runs past me. I could feel the knife wanting to fall apart, vibrating as it met the tough skin of the beast.
The moose let out a blackish gush out of its body rather than blood, then let out a loud roar, making eye contact with me.
'And now it looks mad.'
Using this chance, I ran at it, leaped into the air, and brought down the knife at its head. Before I could make contact, it pushed me away with its antlers, sending me flying across the forest. Hitting a tree, I could feel the air leave my body.
I coughed trying to recouerate. "Well, that didn't work..." I looked back at the moose, "Of course it didn't, in what world did I think it would?" I get up from the floor, my stamina already shot from one brutal attack.
As I finally got up from the floor, I expected the moose to be running at me, but it didn't. Instead, it stared at me.
'What now...'
Suddenly, it took a deep breath, then released steam from its nose. It stared at me with its eight eyes, and I could see a light blue mist coming out of its mouth. When it flees from its mouth, it freezes the ground and anything it touches.
'You got to be kidding me.' I thought.
Knowing there was nowhere for me to run, I leaped for one of the branches above me instead, making my way on top of it. I watched the mist reach the base of the tree I was on. My eye twitched at the sight of it.
'A moose gets frost, and I get light? How is this world fair!' I thought.
Refocusing on my goal, I looked where Amiel ran off to. 'He should have made it far enough away for now.' I was now wounded and needed to make my escape. As I looked back at the beast, I saw it at the foot of the tree.
'Shit.'
Before it knocked down the tree, I jumped, running off into the forest. The moose loses for me for a second. Taking advantage of the moment, I try to get lost in the woods as its eyes try to find me, looking in all directions.
Hiding behind one of the trees, I looked at my knife; it was chipped apart. Just one attack, and it was this damaged.
'Time to make good of this miracle.'
Hearing the crack of some leaves, it walked over in my direction.
Before it can spot me, I blind it with light, leaving the beast in a daze.
"That was close." I sighed, using the chance to run back to campus.
---
I opened the door to the cafeteria to find all three of them there.
"Eirian!" They all turned as Ael spotted me.
Amiel sat down, trying to recover. "That was quick."
"Yeah... it was annoying, but I got out of there."
"We were worried," Ael let out.
Eira walked over to me and looked at my leg. "You're injured."
"What happened?" Ael asked, kneeling down as he examined my leg."
Staring at him, I said, "Yeah, the moose grazed me; the bleeding stopped already."
"Shouldn't we get that wrapped up?" She asked, scratching her cheek.
"Nah, it should be okay—" I said, just to see Ael already grabbing bandages. "I guess not..."
"Come over here, let's get it wrapped up." He gestured for me to his sleeping bag.
Walking over to him, I sighed. "Fine..."
Eira followed me with her gaze. "How was building the wagon?"
Amiel replied, looking towards Eira, "We got it done. With Eirian there, it was quick." He stared back at me, "The only issue is that for some reason the moose in question is there."
"Yeah, that is a problem." Ael chuckled.
"Did you guys figure out a way to bring down the clock tower?" I asked as he finished bandaging my leg.
"Nope," Eira said. "We tried several things, but nothing damaged it. The people who built this place did a good job on it."
Ael looked away, embarrassed.
I stared at the doors at the entrance, where I could see the clock tower.
The tower was made of thick brick. The thickness of it all made it hard enough to bring down, but the foundation and the multiple beams ensured it could handle almost anything. The academy might have been built a long time ago, but it was still standing for a reason.
Nodding off, I thought of anything that could work. I recall something of a similar situation: the moose stampeding through the forest, with the thick trees that rose several hundred feet into the sky.
"Why not use the moose to bring it down?" I said, turning back to the group.
"Huh?!" Everyone turned to me as the words left my lips.
"It was just a thought, don't attack me." I reeled back, scared.
"What brought on this idea?" Amiel said off in the distance, sitting against the wall.
"Well.." I scratched my cheek. "When it was chasing me down, it was plowing down the trees like it was nothing. I just thought it might be strong enough to bring down the tower."
Ael grabbed his chin, "I haven't seen the moose face-to-face, but are you sure?"
I got a flashback to the moose breaking down the tree I was on when it shot mist towards me, "I think it would take a bit of hits, but it might be able to bring it down."
"Wow, must be one heck of a moose," Eira said in awe. "And you went against it?"
I laughed, "sort of, more like I ran from it."
"Amiel, care to pitch in?" Ael turned towards him.
He thought for a moment as we all stared off at him, "I think it's good enough to try."
"Isn't it kind of suicide?" Eira said. "If you guys are saying this moose is as strong as it is, then shouldn't we stay clear of it?"
"Yeah," Ael said, turning back at me.
I paused to think once more, 'Was now the time?'
"What are you thinking of now, Eirian?" Amiel asked.
"What if you guys made a pact?" I said, staring at all of them. "We have been holding off, but making the pact might give us the edge we need.
I knew making the pact was a big deal; it was giving one's freedom to a cause, to one sole purpose, but making it out alive depended on it. When I first made the pact, I was high on the feeling of getting back at the world for my mother, still am, but it doesn't mean I miss that freedom I had—well, I thought I had.
I told Amiel I didn't regret my decision, and I still don't, but just because I don't regret the decision doesn't mean I can't feel a sense of bittersweetness.
"Huh?" Ael said as he and Eira stared at me. They knew this moment was coming, but they still thought they would have a bit more time.
"How do I do it?" Amiel said, getting up from the wall.
Both Ael and Eira looked at him. "Amiel, you can't be serious." The words left Eira's lips.
"As he said, we have been holding off on it. If this gets us out of this place, they let's do it." He wiped off his pants of dirt.
"Okay, let's do it," Ael said in reply.