Chapter 22: Chapter 22

Alphonse was about to reflect on what happened yesterday but shook his head as he put any useless thoughts to the back of his mind, if he wanted to make it out of this mission alive, he had to focus.

The forest was quiet, but he heard the remains of bird chirping all around him. ‘It must be safe.’ He squeezed his way out of the crevice. It had cramped him in all night. His back groaned.

‘Ah, my back is killing me.’ His back made a deep cracking sound as Alphonse stretched, relieving him from the pressure his joints had suffered during his ‘sleep’

‘I still have no idea where to begin.’ Alphonse’s head shook from side to side. He wasn’t confident enough to survive on his own and he definitely didn’t want to go back to the valley camp. With nothing planned, all he could do was wander in the forest. Putting his life on the line once more. He wasn’t one to sit still and do nothing. ‘I need to find somewhere safer.’

‘I wish I was smarter.’ Alphonse thought.

His legs walked forwards, one after the other as he carefully kept on looking around him. Now and then, the back of Alphonse’s hands would lightly brush past the bark of the thick trees.

‘Huh, these feel different.’ Alphonse lightly tapped the bark of the tree with his mace, as it created a metallic sound. 'Are these metal tree’s?’

That wasn’t the only unusual thing that he saw. As he continued further into the forest, different plants and flowers he had never seen greeted him. Some were of vibrant colours and others had dull tones. He didn’t dare touch any of them.

As he passed another tree, there were speckles of red splashed on the tree’s iron bark.

‘Blood.’ Alphonse touched the still wet blood as he rubbed his fingers. ‘Still fresh.’

Alphonse slowly paced forwards, making sure his feet weren’t standing on any dried leaves or sticks that may snap. He stalked the blood spots that littered the decaying leaves on the forest ground, and soon made his way to a bush where blood was the thickest.

‘Someone’s in there.’ His face turned serious and readied his mace, his arm cautiously reached forwards as he pulled back the front section of the bush. A horrified face, marred in pain and lethargy, confronted him.

He was someone Alphonse faintly remembered. His pointed nose and a Class C’s uniform were the key characteristics that came to mind. ‘Didn’t I break his arm before?’ Alphonse spoke up as he addressed the recruit.

“Can you move?” Alphonse whispered, making sure not to make any more noise than necessary.

The recruit, not having enough energy to even shake his head. “No.” His voice was raspy and airy. Alphonse looked at his injury, a piece of ironwood branch had pierced his stomach.

Alphonse was about to leave him when a voice appeared in his head. Her voice was sweet and cheerful. Her eyes always looked for the best in people.

He looked back at the Class C recruit with difficulty, but finally made a choice.

‘You had enough morals to cover both of us…’ Alphonse bent down and picked up the injured young man. Blood once again covered his hands.

As he walked, the forest slowly opened up more.

The Class C recruit’s breath was becoming more and more strained, but he just ignored it. There was nothing he could do.

‘How romantic, being able to die in my arms.’ Alphonse said, a small smile appearing on his face, but it was quickly washed away when thudding sounds approached from the side.

Alphonse ducked behind a tree as his head slightly peeked in the sound's direction. Soon it made its way in his direction as it appeared in full sight.

*KREE!*

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The enormous creature screeched. It had a massive bird's head and, as it opened its mouth, vicious sets of razor-sharp teeth in multiple rows turned his blood cold. Several pieces of flesh had already begun rotting in between them as the vile smell swept forwards. The monster slowly approached on its front legs. They were large bone hooks that were to be covered in blood.

*Mmm*

The recruit groaned in pain. Alphonse placed his hand on his mouth, to no effect. Despite having his mouth covered, his groans left his throat, the hook legged monster suddenly screeched in their direction.

‘Fuck.’

Alphonse looked at the recruit, then his eyes moved to the monster rapidly approaching them.

“Sorry, I can’t run with you.” Alphonse said behind gritted teeth. He wouldn’t be able to outrun such a monster while holding the recruit, so Alphonse made a cold decision. Use him as bait. He picked up the recruit and flung his body forward as the monster stopped to tear into his body.

“AAAHHhh!-” The recruits' blood-curdling screams ricocheted off the nearby trees as Alphonse had already begun running in a different direction.

It only took a second for the creature to swallow his distraction, as it had already laid eyes on him.

*SCREE!*

The monster’s powerful back legs propelled it forwards as the front hooks tore up the forest ground as it chased after its next prey.

‘Fuck, it’s gaining on me. Why is it so damned fast!’ Alphonse reacted in time as he dodged to the side. The birds’ long bone hook shot forwards, the tip gripped onto his shirt. Using the time the monster took to stop and use its hook, Alphonse kept on running, the hook tearing through the material of his top.

‘What do I do?’ The thought was racing through his mind. There was nowhere to go.

‘Do I need to use it?’ Alphonse put that thought to the back of his mind. He had no intention of using that skill anymore. He willed his legs to move faster as he bobbed in and out of the trees. It was then that a sea of thick iron trees met his eyes.

‘That’s it!’ He bolted towards the clustered tree’s as the monster was getting closer and closer.

‘I won't make it!’ Alphonse felt the rancid breath behind him. The monster had clearly learned that it wouldn't be able to use its hook and catch up so it relied on its speed advantage instead.

He could almost touch the trees in front of him as he leapt forwards and turned his body, swinging his mace around. The monster's beak lunged forwards, its knife-like teeth threatening to rip him to shreds. Gagging for a taste of his flesh. The monster's beak was clamping downwards when the mace smacked the edge of the solid beak, hitting the bird-like head to the side. The beak scraped past his arm as his back landed in between two close knit trees.

A loud crashing sound entered his ears as he watched the bird monster slam into the pair of iron trees. Its hulking body screeched in pain as it ran off.

‘Fuck you. Just you wait, before long I’ll be having you as fried chicken.’ Alphonse said, as he ran through the trees as the thought of food entered his mind.

‘And just like that, I’m hungry again…’ Alphonse thought to himself, not knowing whether to laugh or cry…

Alphonse placed his finger up against the wound on his arm. ‘Ouch’ blood was dripping as the monster had raked the skin open. ‘It’s not stopping…’ He looked at his injury. Parts of his flesh were sticking out. The beak of the bird monster had lacerated the skin, creating a jagged wound. Alphonse ripped off a piece of his shirt and tied it around the laceration.

'I better move...' He walked deeper into the forest. The iron trees engulfed the young man as his back disappeared into the darkness.

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