Chapter 66: First Sign
Danny had been walking for quite some time.
The sun shown through the trees, casting long shadows across the land. Birds chirped in the trees, although there were also weird sounds coming from all around.
Danny’s stomach rumbled.
He stopped and placed a hand on his stomach.
"Damn IT. I’m hungry."
The supplies he took from the cave were insufficient to last very long. He would need to find some food if he was going to survive.
Ideally something that wouldn’t kill him.
Danny looked around.
He saw a few bushes near some rocks. There were little berries hanging off of them. He had no idea whether they were safe to eat.
He knelt down.
"Are these even edible?"
He took one of the berries and flicked IT through his fingers before throwing IT away.
No way was he going to risk eating something that could poison him.
He searched around.
A few minutes passed before he saw some movement between the trees.
Something small scurried around.
He immediately ducked behind a rock.
There IT was.
A large rabbit like creature jumped out from the bushes. It had grey coarse fur covering its body and long ears that twitched as IT sniffed the ground. There were two short horns coming from its forehead.
It looked completely harmless.
Danny looked at IT carefully.
If I can catch IT then I can eat IT.
He gripped his sword tightly.
The creature lowered its head and started nibbling on the grass.
Danny slowly crept closer.
One step.
Another.
Just as he was getting close he heard a twig snap underfoot.
The creature looked up with its eyes fixed on him.
They stared at each other for a few seconds before the creature opened its mouth and made a clicking noise.
Danny frowned.
"What the—"
The creature charged.
Danny rolled to the side as IT charged past him. One of its horns hit the rock behind him, causing pieces to fly off.
"Wow this thing is fast!"
He jumped to his feet and started running. Branches whacked him in the face as he ran through the bushes. The creature was close behind, not letting up.
"Why are you chasing me?! I wasn’t even going to eat you yet!"
He looked behind.
It was catching up.
Danny swore and turned around, hoping to lose IT in the trees. However he ran straight towards a steep hill surrounded by jagged rocks.
He stopped.
He had no way out.
He slowly turned around.
The creature was a few metres away. It had lowered its head and its powerful hind legs were digging into the ground. It was staring at him.
Danny swallowed.
"Okay. Let’s calm down."
He raised his hand.
"Look, I don’t want any trouble. You go your way, and I’ll go mine. Deal?" Can we do that?
The creature clicked again.
It charged.
"DAMN IT!"
Danny grabbed his sword and raised IT. The creature charged.
CLANG!
The force of the blow made Danny’s arms shake. He stumbled backwards and felt pain shoot through his injured body. He almost dropped his sword.
What the hell is this rabbit?!
The creature backed off slightly and charged.
Danny swiped his sword.
Too slow.
The creature dodged and Danny’s sword went straight through the air. The creature charged again and hit Danny on the side.
Danny flew backwards and hit the ground. He felt pain shoot through his ribs.
He coughed.
The creature was getting closer.
He pushed himself up and swung his sword wildly. He missed again. The creature charged and hit him with its shoulder.
Danny flew into a tree. His vision blurred.
He couldn’t move for a few seconds.
I’m going to die.
He realised with horror.
I’m actually going to die because of a rabbit.
He tried to get up but his legs were shaking. The creature was slowly advancing towards him with its horns pointing at him.
Danny gripped his sword tightly.
He couldn’t beat IT. And definitely couldn’t fight IT properly.
The creature lowered its head.
Danny raised his sword.
"Don’t get any closer!"
The creature charged.
Time slowed.
The creature charged towards him with its horns pointed at his chest. Danny’s eyes widened and he tried to move but his body wouldn’t move fast enough.
NO!
Something stirred deep inside him.
Everything changed.
The creature wasn’t a blur anymore but Danny could clearly see IT moving. He could see the creature moving its shoulders, its head and the way its right front leg lifted slightly before charging.
He saw IT.
There was a slight gap in its neck. The thick fur was parted as its head lowered.
Its weakness.
He didn’t know why he saw IT but he didn’t have time to think.
His body moved on instinct.
Danny dodged at the last second and stabbed his sword into the gap.
SHK!
The sword went through the creature’s neck. It stumbled and Danny stumbled backwards as IT charged past.
It made a horrible choking noise.
It fell.
Dust flew around IT and silence returned to the forest.
Danny stood there frozen, staring at his sword.
He had killed IT.
He looked down and after a few seconds his knees gave in and he dropped to the floor. He panted.
"What... just happened?"
His hands shook as he looked at the creature. He looked at his sword.
He hadn’t meant to do that. He didn’t even know where to aim but for a second he saw something that let him live.
The strange feeling came into him just before the creature attacked. But the second he attacked IT disappeared.
Danny closed his eyes and tried to remember what happened. Everything was in focus. Not brighter or slower, but he just understood what the creature was doing. Its weakness showed.
But why?
He thought back to his Awakening. The strange feeling inside him. The power he gained.
My Echo.
"Was that you?"
He looked at his hands.
"Did you just help me?"
Nothing happened.
He waited. He focused. He imagined the creature charging. He pictured everything and tried to get the strange feeling back.
Nothing.
He clenched his fists.
"C’mon."
Nothing.
He tried harder.
Suddenly he felt dizzy. He gasped and grabbed the tree next to him to steady himself. His head throbbed and his vision swam. He felt drained and felt like he had run for miles non-stop.
He slowly sat back down.
"Damn IT... What’s happening to me?"
He waited for the dizziness to stop.
Eventually he stopped panting but still felt weak. Whatever he did had drained him. He didn’t know how much or if IT was because of his Echo or the injuries he has.
All he knew was he couldn’t afford to play around whilst stuck out here.
He looked at the creature.
He had gone looking for food but nearly died. However he learnt something about himself.
My Echo may help me see things that others cannot. Maybe see their weakness.
However IT was unpredictable. He didn’t know how to use IT. When IT would happen. Or what IT would do to him next time.
Danny rubbed his face.
"So I have a power I can’t control, and using IT might leave me too weak to move."
He looked up at the sky.
"Wonderful."
He thought about leaving IT.
But then his stomach rumbled.
He looked at the dead creature.
"...At least you won’t be a complete waste of my time."
He got up and slowly walked towards IT. He kept his sword ready in case IT suddenly moved. Even though he saw IT die he still wasn’t sure IT was harmless.
Once he was sure IT was dead he started preparing to take what he could.
He didn’t know how to use his Echo properly. He didn’t know where he was. And still didn’t know how to get to Fort Haven.
However he now knew one thing.
My power may help me survive.
It won’t save me from my mistakes but IT’s a start.