Alright, continuing the Chrysalis story from the /yan/ thread. A day late, but not a dollar short.
Ch. 3
>A chorus of crickets and frogsong.
>Twinkling fireflies.
>A twig snaps underfoot.
>Anon marches through the temperate jungle, keeping a steady pace.
>He looks back for a moment, but does not stop or slow down.
>He must have been walking for hours at this point.
>Moonlight filters through the canopy, showing his path as he follows the south.
>His weariness is starting to catch up to him, but he does his best to hide it.
>Even from himself.
>Whether it’s legitimate caution, sheer cowardice, or hurt pride that drives him forward, he does not know.
>What he does know is that he can’t stop moving until he’s out of this forest.
>Another twig snaps.
>Anon slows down a bit.
>Something is close.
>Very close.
>He’d gotten the feeling he was being followed about an hour ago, but blew it off as paranoia.
>Anon resumes his previous pace.
>Whatever it is, it’s been getting closer and closer for the last five minutes.
>At this rate it’ll overtake him any moment now.
>Anon steels himself for this inevitability, grasping his knife.
>He walks a little faster, and a chill runs down his spine.
>Behind him he hears a low growl, and something whizzes past his face.
>Anon ducks behind a large tree, and three thuds resound next to his face.
>Cautiously, he peeks around.
>Lodged in the bark are three chitinous spikes, each longer than one of Anon’s fingers.
A: “Shit.”
>He returns his knife to its place, and instead readies his bow.
>Knocking an arrow, he prepares to draw.
“ROAR”
>A blur of brown and red crashes into the tree Anon is hiding behind.
>A massive paw swipes at him around the tree, and he falls backwards, narrowly avoiding the beast’s black claws tearing into the bark.
>Regaining his footing, Anon takes a few steps back and points his bow at the creature as it lurches around to face him.
>A disturbingly human-like lion face looks back at him.
>The bow twangs and an arrow flies.
>It shoots beside the beast’s shaggy red mane, and pierces the shoulder.
>Blood spurts from the wound and soaks into the beast’s brown fur.
>It doesn’t even flinch.
>Then it lets go of the tree and drops to all fours, the claws of its lionlike paws digging into the dirt.
>Batlike wings outstretch, and a massive chitinous tail tipped with a ball of spikes rears forward over the beast’s back.
>Anon’s eyes widen, and he darts to the nearest tree.
>He barely makes it before a volley of spikes come flying, some whizzing past and others striking the tree.
A: “Fuck.”
>He raises his bow, then leans out from behind the tree and shoots another arrow.
>The beast, with unexpected agility, sidesteps the arrow.
“ROAR”
>It charges forward, and lunges at Anon.
>He quickly moves around the tree, but the beast turns around to face him just as fast.
>It swipes a paw at him, ripping his shirt and leaving four trails of blood across his chest.
>Anon winces at the pain, but keeps his momentum and begins to run.
>As fast as he can he tries to flee.
>He can hear spikes whizzing past him.
>Just as he is about to reach another tree, two slam into his left arm.
>Anon drops his bow.
A: “AH FUCK”