On The Edge - Chapter 2 (standard:fantasy, 1401 words) [2/3] show all parts
Author: Scott Neelan	Added: Jan 04 2003	Views/Reads: 2639/1796	Part vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
The continuing story of a boy who uses magic in a world where it's forbidden and the girl who saves him from madness...

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

said the voice. Anno, hearing this, lost concentration, and the ball 
fell to the ground. Instead of disintegrating as the rock had, it began 
to change form. It sprouted short yet powerful legs, like those of a 
frog. Small, grotesque eyes began to bulge from the upper portion. A 
sinister, gaping jaw filled with rows of razor-sharp fangs appeared 
just below the eyes. Suddenly, this new creature sprang to life. 
Unknowingly, when he lost concentration, Annonak had brought to life a 
hideous magi-demon, a creature instilled with artificial life from 
magical energies, with a hunger for human flesh. And this one was very 
hungry. 

The demon growled with menacing fury. Looking around, he found his first
victim: Annonak. With this, its evil maw changed into what could almost 
be called a grin. Then, as if it had never changed its face, the 
creature readied itself for the attack. 

Anno, sensing something behind him, had, on instinct, turned around.
When he saw the sickening, bulbous creature he had made, he almost 
screamed out in horror. Thankfully, his instincts took over and 
silenced the cry. Instead, he raised his arms and began to think. The 
creature, feeling Anno's apprehension, decided to strike fast. It 
jumped at him, bearing its fangs and tightening all muscles in its 
hideous form. 

Annonak saw the attack, and suddenly knew what to do. With a quick
thought, he slowed time for all others to a crawl. He then stopped to 
watch the effects. He looked at the creature as it slowed in mid-air, 
almost crawling toward him. Annonak sidestepped and restored time to 
normal speed. The demon crashed harmlessly into the ground. The 
creature, now angered, rose to its feet and prepared for another 
attack, but before it could, Anno knew what to do. 

He readied his mind and began to imagine the creature paralyzed.
Ordinarily, he would want this sort of being completely obliterated, 
but, since he was unsure of exactly what he was fighting, he only 
wished to immobilize it so that he could study it further later. 
Quickly, he focused his magic upon the creature. As he did, it leapt 
into the air, teeth flashing in the sunlight, legs drawn up into the 
body in preparation for a hard kick. 

It harmlessly fell to the ground, Anno's defense working just as
planned. Hurried, he grabbed the creature's limp body and tossed it 
into a nearby bush. Just then, the voice from earlier decided to make 
itself known once again. 

"Annonak! Come here, now!" called the now furious person. Anno,
recognizing the voice, began to run home, not worried about his 
mother's reaction. 

- - - - - - - - - - 

Anno rose with a shudder. "What happened to that creature? I never went
back for it!" With that thought in his head, he began to pace back and 
forth, just concentrating on his thoughts. Then suddenly, without 
actually knowing why, he started to run along the path. Not really 
surprised, he went with the impulse. What WAS surprising was what 
happened almost an instant after he began to run. Back at the clearing, 
an explosion rang out. There had been an almost unnoticeable trap 
there, set by the Hunters. When Annonak had begun to pace around, he 
had triggered the trap. Somehow his subconscious mind had noticed and 
momentarily took control, moving him out of danger, but not completely. 
Now that the Hunters knew where he was, he had to begin running once 
again. He was worried for his life. He wasn't the only one. 


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