As soon as the snake left the vicinity, Thorne felt control return to his limbs. He ran as fast as he could from the central forest where the snake resided. His footsteps stomped through the leaf-dotted forest floor, releasing a cascading, rhythmic noise that Thorne did not bother to hide. When running, Thorne heard an even heavier stomping to his left.
“A beast,” Thorne snarled. A wild rage played throughout his face, and Thorne changed his direction to face the rampaging beast without stopping.
‘Another dinosaur.’ Thorne smiled devilishly. The amber and red glow highlighted his face in the shadowy forest. Dark bags lay under his tired eyes as Thorne surveyed his prey. He had killed his fair share of dinosaurs. The first kill had been brutal, but as he progressed in energy control and combat skills, they had grown incrementally easier to fight. That didn’t mean they were straightforward to kill, however. One bight, or lucky hit, and Thorne was as good as dead.
He tried to plan out his attack but soon growled in frustration. ‘Fuck caution!’
With a dangerous red glint in both eyes, Thorne charged at the dinosaur! Upon seeing a small human charge at it, it was slightly caught off guard at first, but its confusion was soon replaced with glee. Giddy that the prey had shown itself.
With swift movements, Thorne cut down the space between the two. The dinosaur, seeing this, swung its long claw toward the area Thorne was running to, attempting to anticipate his movement and end his life immediately.
Thorne smiled wide and ducked under the hook claw. Right after ducking, Thorne lifted his left-hand sword and coated the entire blade with sizzling red energy.
The dark forest lit up briefly with explosive volatility as the blade connected with the hooked arm of the dinosaur!
Plop.
The still twitching arm fell heavily to the ground.
“ROARGSH”
The dinosaur reared up and let out a genuinely miserable roar. It encapsulated all its pain and grief as its arm was detached.
Thorne did not bestow mercy, however, to the wailing beast. No, he instead let the beast arch its back and step away from Thorne. Soon, distance was created between the two, but that didn’t mean that Thorne had let it live.
He closed his eyes and peered into his internal structure. The energy pathways he had formed were efficient and structured. If destruction was needed at any moment, he would acquire it almost instantly. The red energy flowed throughout his pathways speedily and soon reached his waiting arms!
Lifting the swords, he created an x-shape with them and charged all his red energy into the blades. Thorne pictured the attack he was about to release. Earlier, he had broken his limit in controlling amber energy; now, he would do the same for red energy.
With a bellow, Thorne released the energy to the blades and cut through the empty air! The blades touched nothing and destroyed nothing, but the same could not be said for the power. Once coating the blades, the energy was now flying at an extraordinary pace toward the dinosaur. It resembled an x as it traveled in the air; a destructive letter; a letter meant to kill!
BOOM!
The x-shaped mass of energy connected with the dinosaur’s body and exploded! The radiant light illuminated the gloomy forest, and Thorne admired his handiwork. Nothing was left of the beast. Only the burning smell and ashes of the beast remained. That was all that remained of the once ferocious beast. No memory, no legacy, no family. Ashes and scent.
Thorne collapsed to the floor and fell to his knees. He gazed at the aftermath of the battle, the very one-sided battle.
The ashes called to him, and he simply stared at them.
‘I did this.’
‘What would earthlings think of me?’
He could easily destroy his former ‘employers’, yet he didn’t feel it was enough.
‘Today, I was prey and predator.’ A dangerous glint shone through his eyes as the dawn light broke through the foliage. ‘I must always be the predator and never be prey.’
Thorne returned to his main sleeping tree. It was where he kept all his supplies and was relatively safe to sleep in.
He tried to get comfortable and rest, but his visions prevented reprieve. All he saw was the snake. The snake, looking down on him. The snake being bored of him. The snake being in control of him.
Even now, so far from the majestic beast, he had no control.
‘Damn it!’ Thorne slammed his fist into the tree. It sunk deep into the rugged wood, and his knuckles stung and bled, but he was used to the pain.
‘How can I fight that damn snake?’ Thorne paced back and forth on his long branch.
‘I can’t move in its presence. One drop of spit can kill me. What can I do?’
Thorne slumped against the tree. Holding his head in his hands, he closed his eyes and pictured the snake looking down on him again.
The snake changed its appearance multiple times. It became his father, spitefully looking down upon him as if he were the scared boy hiding behind his mother that he once was. Then, it changed to Vlad, the crime boss who enslaved him. Who forced him to live a life of nothing but labor and pain. Then, it changed to Master Khal. He looked disappointed at his student’s weakness; how could a disciple of destruction falter so quickly?
Then, in his vision, something changed; a black, red, and amber sword coated with energy cut heavily through the snake’s head. The energy stretched for dozens of meters with no support, seemingly a solid material and an extension of the sword. With a heavy thump, the ferocious snake’s head fell to the forest floor! The blade cut through his father’s, then Vlad’s. All the heads rolled to the ground, their dead, glossy eyes looking up at him.
Thorne’s eyes snapped open! ‘How could I be so stupid!’ He shot to his feet and rebegan his pacing along the branch. ‘Moping won’t help, but if all else fails, power is the solution.’
His energies started flowing faster and revitalized. Before, in the presence of the snake, they trudged along in their pathways, barely able to move until the last moment. Now they were excited, excited for the opportunity of strength and revenge!
Despite his boiling blood, Thorne still needed sleep; luckily, his subconscious allowed it. Thorne woke up the next day and immediately delved into training.
‘I need to be methodical and proactive.’ Thorne thought as he pulled out the training manuals. ‘I’ve barely read these books, and my reactive training method will only allow me to be as strong as the enemy I’m reacting to. I need to grow on my own.’
He opened the general energy training manual to the section about external energy manipulation.
Chapter five, page one: “The Apex of Strength: External energy attacks and techniques stand as the epitome of cultivation prowess. Their potency and destructive potential surpass that of internal energy-based techniques. The ability to harness and unleash external energy allows cultivators to transcend their physical limitations, infusing their strikes and defensive maneuvers with an overwhelming force. Mastery of these techniques bestows upon the practitioner an unparalleled advantage, enabling them to face adversaries with confidence and command. The Prerequisite, however, is to completely master internal energy control. While external energy attacks appear captivating, it is important to recognize that they are intricately linked to the cultivation of internal energy. Internal energy control serves as the foundation upon which the mastery of external energy control is built. A Cultivator must first cultivate their internal energy, harmonizing and refining it through rigorous training and cultivation methods. Only when one possesses complete control over their internal energy can they progress towards the utilization of external energy.”
Thorne re-read the passage multiple times. He needed to ensure complete understanding, and after nearly half an hour, he put the book away.
‘My internal energy control is strong, but not enough.’
Thorne recalled his ‘fight’ with the snake and how his energy moved at a snail's pace in its presence.
‘I haven’t really trained my internal manipulation.’ He sighed. One was always a judge in hindsight, but regardless, Thorne was disappointed in himself.
‘As soon as I could coat my blades with energy, I relied on only that. For a whole month, I only fought like that.’
He shook his head in self-loathing.
‘I need to go back to the basics. Only combat through internal manipulation. Only then can I confidently train my external control.’
He smiled lightly, ‘Time to go hunting.’
Thorne knew that while not many beasts roamed during the day, a specific few still did. Soon, after only an hour of searching, he found his opponent, or rather opponents. Raptors. Two-legged beasts who traveled in packs of at least a half-dozen. They moved with grace and agility. Their four arms slashed through any opponent. Coupled with their vast numbers and unassailable speed, they were an unconquerable foe.
These beasts were among the rare few who dared to venture into the daytime forest. Currently, a pack of seven was frolicking near the clearing by the lake. Some lay down and slept, while others drank in the clear turquoise water and enjoyed the serenity of the bright sun.
Thorne looked upon the group of raptors. He cracked his knuckles and sighed. They all seemed so peaceful and calm, but just because of Thorne, it would be ruined.
‘I suppose that is the sacrifice for power.’
He charged into the beach clearing! His swords were withdrawn, but no energy shone on the edges. The fight would be traditional; a bout of strength and speed this time.
The closest raptor squawked in surprise, which alerted its packmates to Thorne’s arrival. Immediately, their formerly calm demeanor shifted into one of total bloodlust and viciousness!
Two of the closet raptors charged at Thorne with immense speed! Their taloned feet left grooves in the soft sand, and a trail of dust was left in their wake.
Thorne stood calmly as he saw the two approaching beasts.
‘Hmm, it seems that they have some intelligence. Normal beasts wouldn’t perform a pincer attack like this.’
Sure enough, the two beasts closed in on Thorne from parallel directions. They made sure that he had no options of retreat!
The two beasts finally reached Thorne, and just as Thorne was preparing for their attack, they stopped in their tracks.
‘What?’ Thorne glanced at the two beasts until he noticed that one of them was looking backward.
‘They’re waiting for reinforcements!’ Throne gasped, ‘I can’t let that happen; if all of them attack me, I’m surely dead!’
Thorne made up his mind and pounced! Transmitting some energy towards his legs, he made a mad dash towards the raptor who was looking away from Thorne!
SQUAWK!
The raptor paying attention to Thorne squawked a warning to its counterpart, but it was too late!
His arms full of unruly destruction, Thorne swung furiously with his right arm. The sword flew in a downward arc right onto the beast’s head. Swish! The glowing blade cut furiously through the air, before finally meeting some resistance. That resistance was the raptor’s skull!
It died instantly, with no cry of pain or retaliation. It simply dropped to the sand. Dead.
SQUAWK! SQUAKW! SQUAKW! SKUAKW!
Furious cries lit up the forest as the pack of raptors witnessed their companion’s death.
Enraged, the pack abandoned caution, and all six remaining beasts charged headfirst at Thorne’s smiling figure!
A coner began! The dance of destruction between the human and the raptors was a beautiful one. The raptors charged with elegance. One dodged Thornes initial attakcsand weaved smoothly through the holes in his defense.
Thorne swiveled on his heel dodging he raptor as it flew past him; its momenetum getting the better of it. If it was the only beast he was fighting Thorne could have struck out at the zooming beast, but alas he was not fighting only one beast.
Three raptors stimulatingly charged in a triangle formation! Thorne dodged one and imparted a brutal cut across its chest as it galloped by. Another lunged out with its claws which Thorne had to parry with his other sword. Unfortunately, that left one more!
With both claws, the beast lunged out and pierced Thorne’s exposed back!
He had predicted this, but it was still painful. Oceans of amber energy flowed to the back and took the brunt of the forceful hit, but the sharp talons still left their mark. Blood poured from the extended cut, and Thorne hunched forward in pain.
The raptor who had just attacked him saw this and pounced again.
Thorne smiled, ‘Trying to take advantage of weak little me, are you?’
He spun quickly on his heel and parried the raptor’s attacking claw. With his other blade, he cut diagonally through the air. Right at the raptor’s neck!
‘Two down, five to go.’ Thorne panted heavily but was still smiling radiantly. ‘This is combat, a dance of death and destruction!’
SQUAWK! SQUAWK! SQUAWK!
More screaming ensued. ‘These beasts really are protective of their own.’ Thorne’s smile drooped; it wasn’t fun to hear the screams of grief of his victim’s loved ones. ‘I need to stop thinking like that!’ He berated himself. ‘They wouldn’t hesitate to kill me, and I cannot either.’
“ARGH!”
Too caught up in his thoughts, Thorne hadn’t noticed the raptor he had injured earlier sneaking up behind him. With a loud squawk, it pierced its claw right into Thorne’s spine!
Thorne ran! While running, he parried the beasts furiously. ‘I cannot survive another injury!’ He thought worriedly. He circulated all his amber energy to his injury and continued running.
‘That’s perfect!’ Thorne spotted a wide, thick tree in the distance and flew across the sand towards it. The beast took advantage of his perceived weakness and attacked!
Thorne slowed his pace and parried the claws and bites!
‘Shit to my right!’ Thorne’s eyes widened in terror as he saw a raptor claw flying at his side! Thone circulated all his destruction energy into his right arm and swung as fast as he could! The blade collided with the raptor’s claw and sliced right through! The blade’s travel continued, and it cut through the raptor’s torso in one deft motion, killing the beast!
Thorne could not savor his victory, though, as he still had a distance to run before he had safety.
Searing pain assaulted his back, but Thorne had to endure it. He trudged his feet across the sand, still defending himself from the raptor’s attack. Until he was finally at his destination. The tree. The tree was wide and old; it clearly had weathered lots of difficulty due to the dark scarring on its bark, and it would likely have to weather more today.
Thorne planted his back against the tree and held up his swords in defiance.
‘With this, they have no speed advantage! Now I control the battlefield!’
The raptors, still furious about their companion’s deaths, charged viciously at Thorne! The four remaining beasts attacked all at once; that was their intention, at least.
‘I have to pick off the injured one first.’ Thorne planned as he ducked under a raptor claw. Suddenly, the opportunity presented itself! The injured raptor lunged forward with its beak rearing open, trying to bite Thorne’s head off.
This beast, in particular, was slower than the rest due to its previously sustained injury. Thorne watched its attack, and just as the teeth of the beast were inches away from his neck, he made his move!
He lunged forward, and with his left hand, he stabbed his saber through the mouth of the beast like a jouster!
Then, without waiting, he jumped forward with haste, ignoring the burning pain in his back, and launched his sword in a javelin-like throw at the nearest beast!
Caught off guard by their companion’s death, the other raptor couldn’t react, and the blade pierced its skull.
‘Two left.’ He smiled viciously. Blood painted his teeth and face, but it did not obstruct him.
He charged forward once again! This time he had the advantage. His back was healing, and the beasts were on their back feet. Thorne quickly retrieved his sword and lunged at one of the remaining raptors.
It made a valiant effort, blocking two of his strikes, but Thorne was inevitable. He feinted with his left sword, and the beasts took the bait! With a horizontal slice across the neck, the raptor died.
The final beast stood nearly ten meters from Thorne and looked at him in horror. Its eyes shown with virtually human emotions. Emotions of grief, pain, hatred, and fear. It shot Thorne a devastatingly killer look before sprinting away, lest it incur his wrath.
Thorne shook his head in disappointment, ‘well, can’t fight them all, I suppose.’
He surveyed the destruction before him. Beasts lay headless and bloody. Trails of red lined the once pristine white sand, and sure enough, the old tree that Thorne had used for cover possessed multiple new scratches.
He retrieved a piece of meat from his spatial storage and took a hefty bite.
“Hmm. Delicious,” He muttered, expressionless.
