"Move it, ninny!"
One of the scary kids shoved Aluin forward, making the small boy flinch and try to look even smaller. Two other scary kids snickered right by the first one's sides. They were all either grinning or smiling defiantly, but Aluin could tell that they were afraid. He could feel it. This was a scary place, after all, and they had probably brought a coward like Aluin with them so they could feel less afraid. It always made people feel less afraid if someone who was more afraid was around. Aluin had learned that a long time ago.
The three kids had dragged Aluin with them to the forbidden forest right after school ended. They said they wanted to find and explore the strange building that had appeared, dark crystal academy. But now they seemed to be lost, or at least Aluin thought so. They walked without purpose, wandering here and there, and he was scared. So scared. Aluin shivered violently, his eyes darting from side to side. All his senses were screaming for him to run, to get out here, it was dange-
Suddenly a stick snapped somewhere to the group's right, and all four children jumped and turned to look towards the sound. They were horrified to find a large beast, with the head of a wild boar and the body of a lion and lizard, its legs had huge claws and it had sharp tusks and teeth.
Aluin started to slowly cry, but the three others started to scream and wail. Aluin looked at them with wide eyes, seeing and feeling them absolutely terrified out of their minds. Seeing that made something in Aluin stir, it made him want to protect them. They weren't nice or Aluin's friends, but they were even more scared now than Aluin was, and that made him feel...brave.
Aluin, slowly and painfully, walked forward so he was between the scary kids and the even scarier beast. Aluin breathed in deeply, and with the loudest voice he could muster he yelled
"RUN!!!"
That was when the beast charged, and Aluin quickly took off his bracelet. Immediately he transformed into an eldritch and wrapped the best in his tentacles. He looked behind and was relieved to see that the children were gone. That relief was quickly replaced with extreme fear, when the beast squealed and bit off multiple of Aluin's tentacles. He screamed from pain, but he didn't stop. Aluin, with all his powers, made sure that the beast focused on him.
Aluin forgot how long he and the beast fought and wrestled. It was painful, it was really scary, but Aluin reminded himself how much scarier it would be if the beast attacked the scary kids and killed them. Aluin didn't want them to die. He could die, Aluin could come back.
And die Aluin did. After a long battle, both him and the beast were worn out and bleeding. The beast fled, deeming Aluin not worth the effort, and Aluin collapsed. He changed back into a human, his small body covered in large wounds. Aluin's breathing was slow and ragged, and he could tell that he was going to die. He knew the sensation. It had been a long time since he had felt it last, but he knew this sensation.
Aluin closed his eyes, for once in his life ignoring the fear, because it would be gone soon. Everything would be gone. Papa would be sad, but Aluin would be back soon. Papa didn't have to be sad for long. And just like that, Aluin slid away into darkness.
But when Aluin woke up he wasn't in the forest anymore. He was somewhere cold and dark, full of terrifying sounds and sights and sensations.
And that was where Aluin would stay for the next three years.
One of the scary kids shoved Aluin forward, making the small boy flinch and try to look even smaller. Two other scary kids snickered right by the first one's sides. They were all either grinning or smiling defiantly, but Aluin could tell that they were afraid. He could feel it. This was a scary place, after all, and they had probably brought a coward like Aluin with them so they could feel less afraid. It always made people feel less afraid if someone who was more afraid was around. Aluin had learned that a long time ago.
The three kids had dragged Aluin with them to the forbidden forest right after school ended. They said they wanted to find and explore the strange building that had appeared, dark crystal academy. But now they seemed to be lost, or at least Aluin thought so. They walked without purpose, wandering here and there, and he was scared. So scared. Aluin shivered violently, his eyes darting from side to side. All his senses were screaming for him to run, to get out here, it was dange-
Suddenly a stick snapped somewhere to the group's right, and all four children jumped and turned to look towards the sound. They were horrified to find a large beast, with the head of a wild boar and the body of a lion and lizard, its legs had huge claws and it had sharp tusks and teeth.
Aluin started to slowly cry, but the three others started to scream and wail. Aluin looked at them with wide eyes, seeing and feeling them absolutely terrified out of their minds. Seeing that made something in Aluin stir, it made him want to protect them. They weren't nice or Aluin's friends, but they were even more scared now than Aluin was, and that made him feel...brave.
Aluin, slowly and painfully, walked forward so he was between the scary kids and the even scarier beast. Aluin breathed in deeply, and with the loudest voice he could muster he yelled
"RUN!!!"
That was when the beast charged, and Aluin quickly took off his bracelet. Immediately he transformed into an eldritch and wrapped the best in his tentacles. He looked behind and was relieved to see that the children were gone. That relief was quickly replaced with extreme fear, when the beast squealed and bit off multiple of Aluin's tentacles. He screamed from pain, but he didn't stop. Aluin, with all his powers, made sure that the beast focused on him.
Aluin forgot how long he and the beast fought and wrestled. It was painful, it was really scary, but Aluin reminded himself how much scarier it would be if the beast attacked the scary kids and killed them. Aluin didn't want them to die. He could die, Aluin could come back.
And die Aluin did. After a long battle, both him and the beast were worn out and bleeding. The beast fled, deeming Aluin not worth the effort, and Aluin collapsed. He changed back into a human, his small body covered in large wounds. Aluin's breathing was slow and ragged, and he could tell that he was going to die. He knew the sensation. It had been a long time since he had felt it last, but he knew this sensation.
Aluin closed his eyes, for once in his life ignoring the fear, because it would be gone soon. Everything would be gone. Papa would be sad, but Aluin would be back soon. Papa didn't have to be sad for long. And just like that, Aluin slid away into darkness.
But when Aluin woke up he wasn't in the forest anymore. He was somewhere cold and dark, full of terrifying sounds and sights and sensations.
And that was where Aluin would stay for the next three years.