Shadows of Aesir

Mathew's skin crawled and his hairs stood on end. His determination to survive screamed at him, practically begging him to listen. And honestly he wanted nothing more than to do just that. To get to his feet, and run as far away from whatever presence it was that stalked him. But an eerie compulsion held him in place. 

With a deep breath, he slowly he forced himself to turn, inch by inch, until a shadow flickered at the edge of his vision. His heart raced even faster. Finally, he turned back and his eyes met the unrelenting gaze of the monster fixed on him.

'Shit!'

Behind him, was a massive orb the size of his head, with a vertical slit down its center contracting as it focused on him. His vision pulled back, revealing the grotesque, scaly contours of a monstrous head that loomed over and matched his frame in size. It was a daunting comparison really, especially when considering Mathew was far from small.

'Calm down Mathew! Don't let your emotions dictate your actions.'

That was a good philosophical way of thinking, but in this situation, there was almost no human alive who wouldn't be overcome by fear. Wait, how did a slum rat like him develop philosophical inclinations? Was he some sort of natural? Suddenly his mind was filled with such thoughts.

"What would a philosopher do right now? Probably sit down and have a nice chat with the monster. Yeah, that sounds like a great plan, if I was an idiot!"

The beast's glazed yellowish eye was fixated on him. With its jaw hung open and saliva pooling at the corners of its maw. It exuded a chilling intensity, reminding him of a small dog that used to live in the dumpster behind the shabby apartment complex he called home.

The stray would linger around his home and beg for any scraps a passerby could provide. Mathew remembered throwing out his trash and seeing the dog's eyes shine with a mix of desperation and hope. Its thin frame trembled as it waited for a single morsel of food.

But despite its appearance, this creature was no pitiful beggar.

Each time the young cynic took out the trash, he would oblige the diminutive animal and offer what little edible leftover food he could. But when his mother lost her job and they were forced deeper into poverty, Mathew began offering less and less. One could not offer what they did not have after all.

But an animal didn't understand these concepts. No matter how intelligent they might seem, an animal is still an animal. As the days went by, realizing he was bringing it a smaller amount than the previous day, the beast's demeanor became increasingly hostile. All it needed was a reason. 

Mathew came to it once with nothing in hand. Only once. But that was all it took, and finally, it snapped. and it lunged at him, its maw open as wide as its anatomy allowed. Its eyes filled with bloodthirst and mouth dripping with saliva.

Like the beast before him, it was starving. And just like back then, though not by choice, he was on the menu.

Mathew's face was steady and his features were frozen in place, portraying no sliver of emotions. But below that façade, was a twister of emotions. None more dominant than fear. Why wouldn't he be so blank and unresponsive. With the way his day had been going, this was less of a surprise and more of an inevitability.

He stood frozen, eyes locked on the giant orb. The beasts attention was drawn away from him from a moment. Mathew followed its gaze and his eyes widened. He looked back to the beast that was now staring back at him. Its eyes were no longer filled with a gluttonous hunger. What Mathew saw portrayed in its eyes was a seething rage. And he immediately understood what he had just done.

He hadn't just stumbled upon an empty nest in the middle of a maze. No. He had invaded this beasts home. Not just that, he had gone one step further. He had murdered its young. The beast slowly inched closer and closer. Each step bringing its massive frame into full view.

Mathew stepped back but it followed his every movement. He looked left, the right, searching for an escape route. The creatures growl echoed in the chamber, a low, menacing sound that reverberated in his bones.

"What do I do? What do I do?" he thought frantically, his mind racing.

He had to act, and fast. In a moment of desperation, he rid himself of all thoughts, and crouched low, instinct kicking in as he dashed forward. The massive arm of the reptilian beast swiped at him. A cold air whistled past him as he hit the ground and rolled under its long scaly fingers ending with bladed claws. Springing back to his feet, he dashed forward one more.

The beast let out a roar of frustration, its eyes narrowing as it turned to follow its prey. But Mathew didn't dare to look back. His legs pumped harder and harder, each step echoing i the chamber.

'Come on Mathew! Keep moving!'

Sprinting down the path he followed into the cave he heard a rumble. Son, the floor beneath his feet trembled violently and debris went flying past him. He ran faster and faster, forgetting that he had ben starved as adrenaline flooded his veins. Soon he saw the light of the passageway shine at the end of the path and he ran even faster. Until he ran through it and into the hallway. 

He slammed the door behind him and pushed forward. But that was never going to be enough to stop such an abomination. With a thunderous crash, it shattered the wall and emerged into the passageway with a deafening shriek that rang in his ears.

Mathew glanced back, his breath caught in his throat as the beast swiveled its large head and locked him in its predatory sights. The sheer size of it compared to the creature he had seen only hours earlier was overwhelming. Making that one look like nothing but a gecko. Its body moved through the passage, scraping against the walls and roof.

Mathew ran, and ran, and ran. Turning sharply around corners, ducking below the beasts countless swipes, but it all felt pointless. The beast was relentless in its pursuit. His chest rose and fell in irregular rhythm. And bit by bit, his ace slowed. No matter how far he thought to push his body, he could not ignore the fact that he was exhausted.

"I can't keep this up much longer!"

A fresh wave of panic surged through him as he turned yet another corner. He could practically feel the heat of the creature's breath on his back. The narrow confines of the corridor pressed against the beast. It was a harsh reminder of just how little space separated predator from prey.