— From the Journal of Eximius, Former Patriarch of House Avus
I'd assumed Valin had been speaking figuratively when he’d claimed we'd be fighting monsters. But on my first day of training, several days after I'd awoken in Pavos, I found out he’d meant it quite literally.
“What in the Geist's name is that thing?” I hissed as we approached a cage that had been kept on the far end of the training field. The sandy floor had been compacted into rock and the wooden bars of the enclosure were cracked and nearly splintering in a way that made my heart race.
“That,”Valinsaid, waving away the men who stood on guard beside the cage as we approached, “is aZver.”
I watched the beast prowl around the cage. It kept it’s glowering, predatory red gaze on us as it circled the space in an endless loop. It walked on enormous white, leathery paws whichended in black, knife-sharp claws. With a rustle of it’s enormous feathered wings, it narrowed it’s cat eye pupils. It’s skin was cobbled like fine leather, so smooth it looked as if it would be soft to the touch, if anyone dared get near enough to find out. The creature let out a low, ominous growl as we walked closer to it and green saliva dripped from it’s maw.
“The beast can fly, obviously, as indicated by the presence of those giant blasted wings,”Valininformed me in a gruff tone. He tucked his hands behind his back and waited as I paced around the cage, examining the creature. I committed every aspect of the Zver to memory, doing my best to learn my opponent’s weaknesses as my mother had always taught me. Though, unfortunately with theZver, I saw very few. “Its claws are sharp as daggers. Its teeth are even more jagged. And that saliva you see, it’s venomous. AZverwill kill you with one bite, whether now or later. Best to avoid the mouth, I’d say.”
“How did you capture it?” I asked in awe as I pulled my gaze away from the beast towardValin.
“We’ve been fightingZverfor two thousand years, boy,”Valinbarked. “We’ve learned a thing or two in those millennium. This one had no pack, nor rider. It was alone. That’s the only reason we were able to capture it.”
“Rider?” I asked, stunned by the very idea.
“In due time, boy. In due time. Now, for your training.”
“Right,” I nodded, turning back to the massive beast eyeing me from within its wooden cage. “Am I supposed to study the creature? Observe it’s behavioral patterns, spot weaknesses—”
I let out a grunt as I was shoved forcefully forward. It took me an instant to realize one of the guards had opened the gate and another to realizeValinhad shoved me inside. I was already whirling around by the time they were closing it behind me, but too late. I reached out just as they fastened the lock and stepped aside.
“You have one objective for the day,”Valinsaid with a frown as the growling behind me grew louder, nearer. “Live.”
My lips parted in shock. Enraged, I started to shout back at him. But then an enormous white paw slammed into the cage beside me, rocking the wooden slats as its claws curled and splintered the wood beneath. Spinning, I found myself face to face with the massive beast. It snarled, green saliva dripping from its jaws, as our eyes met.
I hesitated.
Granted, living in Sanctuary my entire life, I hadn’t had much experience with animals of any sort. But there was an intelligence behind the beast’s gaze, a spark within its irises that betrayed its consciousness. In all the ancient tomes shelved within the House of Viper’s libraries, none of them had mentioned such creatures as having any more than base instincts.
I paid for my hesitation a moment later when the beast let out a growl and swung its other paw toward me. I ducked at the last second, using my enhanced speed to dodge out of the way as the creature’s blow landed upon the cage behind me, rattling the entire structure so thoroughly sand shook from the top and rained down upon me as I spun away.
The wood snapped as the beast extricated its claws from it, dropping back onto all four legs with the grace of a lethal predator. The move was far more elegant than any a creature of this size should have been able to accomplish. It seemed to be examining me as closely as I was examining it. Prowling in a circle around the outer edges of the cage around me, it kept me in the center as it’s shrewd gaze sized me up. I held a defensive stance, ready to bolt again should it decide to charge me, and turned with it, keeping it in my sight at all times. It didn’t seem in any hurry to attack, which gave me time to consider my options.
My gaze slid to the cracked wood of the cage. I could break it. I could use my enhanced strength to pull the bars apart and flee. But that would endanger the half a dozen or so soldiers who'd gathered to watch as well asValinwho kept his eye on me in the distance. Not to mention the rest of the camp should the beast evade capture for too long. I could fight back. But I had no weapons and I wasn’t entirely willing to get all that close to the creature if its saliva alone could poison me. All it would take would be one bite. I looked up to the top of the cage. I could climb the bars. I could hang at the top, just out of reach. But it had wings. It could reach me anywhere I went in this cage. Which left me with only one option.
Live.
That had beenValin’sonly command. He hadn’t said how long I had to survive this creature. He hadn’t told me to attack it or kill it or even harm it in any way. Just stay alive. That was my only instruction. I could do that. Couldn’t I?
Like I had in so many of the Trials, I felt that I was missing something. Some important initiative I was expected to take but not told of. My gaze slid toValinfor only a second, seeking validation, but it was enough.
The beast immediately noticed my attention was elsewhere and launched itself at me. I let out a howl as I tried, once again, to spin away. But I was too late. The creature caught me by the shoulder and I loosed a surprised breath as my back slammed into the sand below, packed hard into the ground from so long of having been trodden on. Instinctively, I raised my arms as the beast swung its head, jaws open wide. I slammed my forearms into its neck, pushing back as it snapped its teeth only inches from my face. Green saliva dripped toward me but I turned my head away, screaming in agony as it fell onto the skin of my neck andburned.
The scent of burning flesh filled the cage. Some of the nearest soldiers even turned away in disgust as I cried out in pain. That saliva wasn’t just poisonous, I realized. It was acidic as well. I had to get out from under this thing.
Putting all my enhanced strength into my legs, I kicked out, sweeping my left leg under the beast’s hind paws. It stumbled for a moment, long enough for me to roll away and leap to my feet as it righted itself. Its head swiveled back to face me and I could have sworn it narrowed its gaze into a glare as well. My hand raised to the skin at my neck and I hissed, pulling my smoking collar away from the wound and taking a deep breath as I quickly assessed my injury while keeping my eyes firmly on the creature.
A low growl was emanating from it now as it prowled around me in a circle the same way it had before. This time, I didn't dare look away, not even when some of the soldiers began to mutter under their breath, likely about my chances of surviving. Not even whenValinhimself walked up closer to the cage, head cocked to the side, frowning.
I needed to get the upper hand. Instead of waiting for the beast to attack, I needed to catch it off guard and incapacitate it somehow. It was stronger than me and it was smart. Waiting until my attention was diverted, waiting until I was no longer prepared, that was an intelligent move. Maybe it wouldn’t attack again if I didn’t look away. Or maybe it would eventually get tired of waiting and take its chances. Either way, I needed to act before it could decide.
I lowered my arms, shrugging my shoulders so the leather jacket I'd been given slid deftly from my arms into my hands. The beast watched me closely, gaze tracking my every movement as though I were equal parts a curiosity and a threat. I flexed my fingers and bent my knees, preparing. Then, finally, I leapt, using my enhanced strength to push off of the ground hard and my speed to send me soaring farther through the air than theaverage man could. As I jumped, I flipped my jacket out behind me, draping it like a cape through the air.
I landed on the beast’s back, flipping and shoving my jacket over its head as it reared back and snapped its massive jaws in my direction. It missed one of my hands by only a fraction of an inch. My heart pumped hard in my chest as I fought to wrangle control of the creature. Once it realized it could no longer see, it panicked. Rearing back in an attempt to buck me off, it snapped viciously against the leather. But I gritted my teeth and hung on. I pressed my heels into its sides to keep my seat and pushed down even harder with my jacket.
If I could just hold on long enough to smother it, assuming it breathed, or maybe slide the leather under its neck to strangle it…
