6

~Akara 

It looks more frightening than I could have ever imagined. 

It stands tall, scorpion like in it's appearance, with glossy white scales like ice. It has no eyes...In fact, it doesn't have a distinguishable face. But it doesn't need to have massive fangs and a drooling mouth to be terrifying. It's large tall curled up over it, with pincers that have Tai's unconscious body snagged around them. 

There are no thoughts in my head as I start trudging through the snow toward it. I don't get very far, as a hand comes out to grasp my arm, yanking me back curtly. 

"No...Akara no, that's not what you think it is,” Marek hisses.

I blink, staring at Tai’s body lying limp, wearing the same clothing I last saw him in…He would have found out I was alive and decided to track me, because there’s no way that could be anyone else. I mean, of course tai wouldn’t stand a chance against the Snow Demon. He probably didn’t even know it was up here when he decided to make the trek. 

"He followed us up here,” I explain, trying to yank myself out Marek’s gasp, but it’s tight. He’s looking at me with frantic eyes. He doesn’t want me to run to save Tai when there’s a chance it could end in me dying…

"No Akara, look at me," Marek demands, pushing my head towards him with his palm, holding each side of my face. I stare up into those eyes, like pure sapphires, undecided on whether I should hit him for delaying me. "It's a trick, remember...My sister...It has summoner powers."

I frown. A trick? But…But it looks just like Tai.

Yet I remember the conversation with Marek. He was so emotional, opening up to me for the first time ever. His sister followed him up the mountain, and was killed by the Snow Demon. He told me it can make illusions by killing Summoners, that it can lure people in to kill them…

“Oh…” I breathe, looking back over my shoulder at the silent creature, standing amidst the snow flurries. 

Upon looking closer, I realise that it can’t possibly be Tai. The figure if different, this person taller with a sturdier build. The Snow Demon can only extract so much of my memory to use it to recreate a person, and now, I can see it’s inconsistencies. 

Suddenly, Nakoa lets out the most blood-curdling scream I have ever heard. 

She takes off through he snow, sprinting for her life. 

For a moment, I’m too stunned as I watch her flaming red hair billow behind her, the woollen hat once sat atop her head having come flying off. I don’t know who she thinks has been captured by the Snow Demon’s tail, but her intent to save them is painfully obvious.

"Nakoa, no!" Marek shouts. He’s after her before I can either breathe in, no hesitation. 

Panicking, I follow at a sprint, fumbling for my dagger at my side. The creature merely stands, awaiting Nakoa’s fast approach, ready to pounce the moment she is in range. As I run closer, I can see more details of the horrid creature. It’s scales are almost transparent now, and beneath, I can see white blood pumping through it’s abdomen. 

Nakoa doesn’t get close enough for the creature to make it’s move, Marek tackling Nakoa into the snow. They both fall in a flurry of clothing, tumbling down part of the hill. I draw to a stop, brandishing my dagger in front of me as I examine the creature with horror. 

It backs away, before dropping the corpse it was holding into the snow. It’s dropped the façade, and I can see now that it’s a man, dressed in hunting clothing. He must have been it’s last victim. 

All of a sudden, it turns, dipping it’s head toward the ground before it starts to burrow, vanishing into the snow. 

I nearly collapse. 

There is nothing but cold, deep silence as I stare out across the expanse of the valley, looking for any sight of the creature. It’s deep in the snow, searching around for someone to kill. And yet there’s not a single disruption of snow, no vibrations from the ground…the creature is completely and utterly silent. 

Marek and Nakoa come over the crest of the hill, brushing snow off themselves. 

“Wait,” I call out to them, holding my hands out. “It’s under the snow.”

My words are enough to have them pausing dead in their spot. The creature has no ideas, so I’m assuming it’s going off vibrations. If any one of us moves, we could alert it to our location. 

But it’s too late, as all of a sudden, Nakoa seems to be grabbed by her ankles, and dragged down into the snow. 

I scream, pointing at Marek, who whirls around to the absent spot where Nakoa once was. He starts running back down the hill, sword in hand. I follow frantically, panic seizing me as. The Demon has dragged her into the snow and is going to suffocate her ,and then come back up for Marek and I. 

At the top of the hill, I can see the snow moving, almost in a figure eight motion. Pointing at Marek, who is far closer, I beg him to do something. 

He’s quick, watching the ground with keen eyes before he lurches, stabbing his sword straight into the snow. I’m not sure what he can see, as I’m too busy scaling down the hill, half on my backside. A horrid sound rips through the valley, like a vibrating shriek, what looks like white blood spraying violently across Marek’s front. 

I make it to Marek’s side just as he leans down to grab Nakoa’s hand, as she emerges from the snow with a wild gasp. 

Marek must have cut the creatures tail off, the pincers still wrapped around Nakoa’s leg, which I lean down to cut away at, until she can stumble upward and into my arms. She’s freezing to touch, and she’s trembling, crying into my hair. I don’t know what else to do but to hold her, stunned that Marek was even able to make an attack on the demon…had he not, she would be dead.

“I thought I was dead,” she weeps, pulling away. Hair hair is plastered to her wet cheeks, as she continues to sob, clearly in overwhelming shock. 

Marek looks at me, breathing heavily. His entire front drips with white blood, some of it even on his face. He then turns to look down at the pincers, which however long ago, once clutched his sister’s dead body. I can see him trying to process his emotions, but there’s no time for that, as the ground rumbles, and when I turn, the Snow Demon emerges from the snow, heaving onto it’s stomach.

Most of it’s tail is missing, blood continuing to spurt out from behind it. It’s weak, as it slides across the ice, but with those disturbing claws, it could still kill us.

“Protect her,” I demand, no plan in my mind, just an urge to finish this. 

Not so ceremoniously, I push Nakoa into Marek’s arms, before turning to make a desperate run toward the creature. 

I know it can sense me approach, turning it’s gruesome body in my direction, before charging. I manage to push myself out of the way, skidding across the snow as I slip to one knee. I’m vaguely aware that Marek has ordered Nakoa back up the hill, and is approaching both of us. But the Snow Demon is more interested in killing me, as it makes another charge toward me.

This time, I don’t get to dodge it, it’s body hitting my shoulder. The impact is enough to send me gliding over the ice. I don’t have enough time to register the pain, as I force myself back up to standing, just in time to see Marek stabbing the creature in the side. 

For a moment I’m relieved, until it rolls, crushing Marek into the snow.

Huffing out a breath, I grip the handle of my dagger, and run over. Making the most of it trying to get back to it’s feet, I stab my dagger into it’s side, and drag the blade through it’s scales, until icy cold, white blood comes pouring from the wound, and Demon collapses.

I stumble away, dropping the dagger, staring down at my blood covered hands. Gasping, I look up, seeing Marek getting to his feet, breathing heavily.  

He doesn’t look relieved, stalking around the Snow Demon, examining it 

"No...No Akara, it's dead.” His eyes are full of dread, as he looks back to me. 

I’m numb. "I killed it."

"Killing a Tani does not come without consequences," he exclaims, facing me. Despite both of us being covered in blood, I want to collapse in his arms and cry this entire trip away, including kill this monster. "You could die from this."

"I feel fine. When Tai killed the Beast, he seemingly died instantly...I'm still on my feet, aren't I?” I say, mustering a smile, because I don’t know what else to do to stop myself from breaking down. Marek wipes his hand back through his hair, snow falling around him. He looks exhausted, which I’m sure I would feel if it wasn’t for all the adrenaline coursing through me. 

"Tai's sickness, Akara..." he reminds me. "That could happen to you." 

Nothing about me feels any different. There’s already a chance I’m turning into a tank because of the river, so surprisingly, I’m not so worried about any side effects of killing this thing. 

"I'll be okay, let's just get back down the mountain,” I exclaim, brushing past him. 

He grabs my wrist, pulling me in to wrap his arms around me. And I let him, trying not to cry as I finally allow myself to relax, it be relieved. We don’t say anything, we just linger in an embrace for awhile. I know he’s thinking about his sister, about how her death has finally been avenged. 

And we are finally reunited.