NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4 ‘Encounter with the Master of the Mountains’
This couldn’t be normal.
Cuddled to his right, slept three white fox cubs. Okay, a little bit of a weird situation but still in the acceptable range. It could happen. Cuddled to his left, slept what seemed like a snow leopard. Alright, okay, this was pushing it more than little, but Leion could still accept.
Where Leion really started drawing lines and bothering to ask questions was this. Cuddled behind him, slept a small bear. It had fur coloured a grey similar to the leopard but slightly lighter. It had first taken residency within this burrow not long after the leopard showed.
‘When did my humble abode turn into a nursery?’
Getting up, Leion walked up to the burrow’s entrance.
In the last few days, the weather got progressively cold. The roar that once sounded distant felt eerily close. Leion found himself enjoying the turn of events greatly besides the annoying roar. The freezing weather allowed him to sleep in spite of the discomfort his hunger caused.
‘Finally, they’re gone’
Peeking outside, Leion celebrated internally. The burrow was disturbingly warm. Leion struggled to sleep down here for any length of time. Sadly, whenever he was trying to sleep in his spot besides the tree, the parents outside would drag him back down here. It’s likely those unusual creatures thought it safer down here.
‘Wow, it’s snowing’
Standing outside, Leion momentarily froze. Living in the tropics, this was his first time seeing light snowfall. In fact, looking down, this was the first time seeing anything like this. Pushing past the momentary surprise, Leion ignored the feeling. So what if this was his first time seeing this? None of it compared to what he could conjure up in his dreams. He was far better asleep.
Settling down by the tree, Leion slipped in his dreams once more.
The winds were harsher.
Waking up half covered in snow, Leion observed his surroundings. The mother combo of bear, leopard, and fox stood around the perimeter of the tree. Attentively, they stared off into the distance. Watching them, Leion couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable once more.
This wasn’t normal behaviour.
‘Whatever’
The creatures were watching him, and, while that didn’t solve his food problem, it at least freed him from the concern of protection.
Leion just needs to stop being weird about it.
Taking a bite of snow, Leion closed his eyes and laid his head. He really needs to find a solution to his food problem. This wasn’t sustainable.
ROOOOARRRR
Leion felt his body halt and faintly start trembling.
Wasn’t that a little too close?
As if answering his question, the already fast wind picked up in speed. The snow, that once fell light, suddenly changed tempo. Beating the ground with an unmatched intensity. Visibility took a nosedive as Leion stood up.
Despite the change happening all around him, it seemed to focus on a particular spot. In front of the tree where Leion stood, past the bear guarding it, a massive silhouette moved. It slowly approached the tree, resulting in the mothers’ reaction. Forming what looked like a protective line.
Dread built in Leion as he eyed the movements of the silhouette. To call what he saw massive was simply doing it a disservice. Larger than even the bear, the silhouette showed no signs of stopping its advance in the face of the protective line. Instead, it emitted a low growl as it neared.
The clear origin of the abnormal weather neared and neared, until, finally, its full form came into view. Sleek, snow-white fur reflected in the little light that came through the storm. It contrasted, yet complemented, the dark, black strips that ran the course of its body. If one were to look at the piercing eyes of the creature, they would be met with the cold, icy blue eyes of a predator. An angry predator.
Paralysed, only one sole thought consumed Leion.
He had to run.
It was pointless.
Still stuck in place, Leion eyed the predator, the white tiger. Hoping to escape it seemed impossible, improbable.
‘No, no, no!’
Shaking off his fear, Leion studied the situation present. The mothers of the cubs were still here. With some luck, the tiger would focus on them buying him enough time to run. While not completely used to this body, given enough time, he would still manage to get away.
‘Yes, I just need to-’
Leion stopped.
A frightening scene had taken place right before his eyes.
The mothers were bowing. Bowing before the white tiger.
Seemingly indifferent, the white tiger continued its journey towards the tree, towards Leion. It took slow, methodical steps passing the mothers.
‘Move, move, move, move!’
One step, it was close. Two steps, it was near. Three steps, and it had arrived. Looming over the frozen Leion, the massive, white tiger lowered its head and bit his neck.
‘I’m going to die…’
A dwindling thought surfaced in Leion’s mind as he felt his body rendered immobile and conscious fade.
It appeared this life was already over.
“AHH!” (L)
Leion woke up with quite the start.
Sitting up and grasping at his wildly beating heart, Leion steadily let his body relax.
It looks like it happened again. Leion has died once more.
Gazing down at his once again human body, Leion couldn’t help but feel a tiny buildup of indignation. What the hell was that?! Rebirthing him in a frozen wasteland devoid of food was beyond unfair. Did that entity really expect him to survive with such odds? What just occurred was the only natural outcome of that situation!
His death.
Gripping on to the soft fabric covering his body, Leion mentally started to prepare for his next confrontation with the entity. It said it wouldn’t give him another chance. Nothing good can be in store.
‘Wait, soft fabric?’
Feeling the fabric covering his body, Leion blinked. Then blinked again. This wasn’t anywhere he was familiar with. Carefully looking around, Leion started to process his environment. He appeared to be in a wooden cottage of some kind. It was very spartan with only a table of one, a fireplace, and a resting area.
Currently, Leion was sitting in the resting area that resided on the floor.
‘Where is this?’
Trying to stand, Leion felt a wave of nausea hit his body. Falling back, Leion landed on something that sent a sharp pain throughout his body.
‘Ah, damn it’
Rubbing the affected area, Leion touched something that was supposed to be there. His hand withdrew immediately.
‘Was that a tail!?’
Panic took over Leion as he properly began exploring his body. He quickly learned the tail wasn’t his only unusual feature. On the sides of his head, where his ears once existed, sat two fluffy, furry appendages. Looking down at his hand, revealed another discovery. Limbs, tinier than what is expected for an adult, greeted him.
‘Wh-What has happened to me?!’
Finally, thoroughly distraught and confused, Leion checked his most sensitive area.
It was gone.
Pinned in a state of disbelief, Leion blankly stared at the only door in the room.
Was he dreaming? It certainly felt like he was dreaming.
Although… Taking a sharp inhale through his nose, Leion felt the stench of wood corrupt it.
He wasn’t dreaming.
Lowering himself back in the bed fabric, Leion decided to rest and take stock later.
Unfortunately, he wouldn’t be given such a luxury.
Without warning, the single door in the room flashed open. A cold, refreshing breeze filled the room as the occupant of the door walked in and slammed it shut.
A woman stood by the door.
A very beautiful woman stood by the door. She wore a long, flowing robe made of dark, rich fabrics—deep blues, purples, and blacks. Long snow-white hair cascaded down, creating a remarkable contradiction with the hat, which was similar in colour to the rob.
Leion stared at her, completely enamoured... until he met her icy blue eyes.
The eyes of a predator, the eyes of a tiger.
A beast of power was standing in front of him.