“Aaah!” he screamed in panic. He took one last, incredulous look at the prone, mangled body of his dead friend and knew at once, undeniably, that the beast was real. And he was its next victim.
Thump, thump, thump. The sounds of the footsteps were coming even closer, and now they sounded closer together as well. A cold sweat broke out as Gallian he realized what that meant.
It’s moving faster.
He judged the beast to be no more than ninety paces away, since the feeling of its acrid breath was much warmer now.
“Okay, now I really need some help. Esmerelda, the Merciful!” he cried, calling on the Goddess of Mercy. “I’m tired, but I need to run and get away from this thing. Help me reach Sanctuary in one piece, please!”
He broke out into a dead sprint, his mind consumed with thoughts of his own demise. He failed to spot a rather large rock in his path and tripped, scraping his hands and knees on the ground as the wind was knocked out of him. He scrambled back up to his feet and used a windswift spell to aid his speed, knowing he would need it to escape this beast that was now matching his pace again, if not beating it.
His prayers were answered as he ran, new strength surging into his legs, giving him the power to outpace the beast for a brief moment. He figured he had brought the distance back to a hundred paces by how much cooler the air around him had gotten, when something awful happened. The ground shook from a mighty force and the sound of the thumping doubled.
Gallian’s heart lurched. The beast got down on all fours! Now it could run much faster and catch up again.
The footsteps felt like minor earthquakes now, reminding Gallian of a war drum, growing louder and quicker as the battle got closer and closer. His lungs burned and his legs ached. He knew he would not be able to match the beast’s new pace, and, more importantly, he knew he’d have to take a break soon before his legs gave out a second time.
Neither of those thoughts, true though they might be, were very pleasing at the moment, so he tried not to think about them, but his failing strength forced the issue and he paused next to a rather large, golden statue to catch his breath and make a final stand.
When the beast’s footsteps stopped as well, it came as a welcome surprise. Gallian fanned out his shirt real, feeling the heat of the beast’s breath full-force on his sweat-soaked skin, needing some sort of relief.
In response, the beast let out a low, loud growl. The sound was deafening – almost enough to break his eardrums, his ears ringing from the noise.
Hey, this chase could work out after all, he thought as he pondered the way things had gone so far. Every time I stop, the beast chasing me stops as well. True, it doesn’t stop for long, but I bet if I utilized my ultrasleep Sage spell, I would be able to get to Sanctuary intact, and inside of those doors, I’d be safe.
Figuring he’d better get to resting if he were to pull this crazy idea off, he slumped down, propping himself up on the statue, and closed his eyes to aid the ultrasleep.
It was no use. He couldn’t concentrate on complex spells and relaxation techniques with the heat of the beast’s uneven breaths wafting across his chest. Still, he tried as hard as he could to regain even a little strength.
Then, it came again. Thump, thump, thump. The sound shook the statue he had propped up against hard enough to break any attempt at concentration.
Gallian got up hurriedly, feeling not at all rested or stronger, and started to move again with all the power he could muster.
The ground shook with a mighty force as the beast lunged, jumping twenty paces through the air and landing with a loud thud. Gallian shot forward like a lightning bolt, eager to regain some space and momentum.
You know, this beast is just a little too impatient, I think, Gallian thought as he started his flight once again. It was an awful attempt to lift his spirits, and the effort was wasted. Gallian was still freaked out of his mind and panicking. He could feel the beast inching closer to him, even with adrenaline pumping and his magically enhanced speed.
Just five hundred paces until I reach Sanctuary. I’ve already gone most of the way, just another five hundred to go. The thought restored his sense of hope.
The invisible monster that had followed him so far was quickly gaining ground as Gallian’s strength diminished once again. Even with the aid of Enchantry magic, Gallian was simply not very strong physically, and magical aids could only boost what was already there.
He knew the end was coming soon, especially with how hot it was getting behind him from the beast’s breath, but he would not give up, not while he was a mere three hundred paces from Sanctuary’s saving doors.
Thump, thump, thump.
Gallian heard the pounding in his ears constantly, getting louder all the time. Then, the beast got on all fours again and ran at him with renewed speed. It closed the gap quickly, fifty paces, forty, thirty . . .
Meanwhile, Gallian counted down the distance to safety as well, two hundred twenty paces, two hundred ten, two hundred. He knew there would be no making it to Sanctuary at this rate, not with the beast catching up so fast and his strength failing so rapidly. He could tell by now that the beast was no more than ten paces behind him, and that was much too close for comfort.
Running out of time and ideas, Gallian came up with a lame-brained, half-witted plan that stood little chance of working,
