The Wendigo hit him like a falling tree.

  Kaizer barely had time to raise the broken spear haft before the creature’s arm crashed into it. The impact tore the makeshift weapon from his grip and sent him skidding across the dirt. Leaves and soil sprayed in a wave as he slammed into a tree trunk hard enough to knock the breath from his chest.

  His pulse hammered. The Wendigo was already coming again. Kaizer forced himself upright, but the creature moved with jerking, twitching speed, its limbs snapping into motion like something was pulling its strings. It closed the distance in two lurching strides. Fingers like bone hooks swept toward him. Kaizers instincts failed him and he ducked too slowly. The claws raked across his forearm.

  A flash of white pain ripped through him. Three deep grooves tore open, blood running down his arm in hot trails. His vision blurred as he staggered backward, clutching his limb which now hung limp and useless. The Wendigo paused, head tilting, golden eye glowing through the deer-like skull. It watched him tremble, savouring every moment. The a voice scraped out, broken and breathless.

  “St… op…

  Kaizers breath hitched. The childish resonance in the word twisted his stomach. The Wendigo took one slow step forward, then another.

  “Runnn…”

  It dragged the word out like a bully having fun with its victim. Kaizer braced his feet and reached for the shattered spear haft at his feet. He grasped it with his right arm, the only arm he could still fully control, and held it ready.

  “Come on then!” he screamed, though clearly shaken.

  The Wendigo lunged. Kaizer thrust the haft forward like a short spear. The blow struck just beneath the creature’s ribs. The haft exploded. A violent crack tore through the air as the weak wood snapped in half. Shards drove back into Kaizer’s palm. A shock went through him as he was flung sideways. The Wendigo had backhanded him, aiming at Kaizers already damaged arm. The already weak bone snapped. His left arm dangled loose, completely broken.

  Before Kaizer could even get to his feet, the Wendigo stood over him, head angled as if fascinated. Its jaws clicked behind the cracked skull-mask. It inhaled deeply, savouring the scent of his blood.

  “Hu… man…”

  A soft laugh rattled out.

  “…run…”

  Kaizer’s heart slammed against his ribs. Terror crawled up his throat. He pushed himself up with his good arm and stumbled backward. He couldn’t run. His leg was stiff, his arm ruined, and the Wendigo was faster than anything he had ever seen. Kaizer refused to give up and die though. He wouldn’t die on his knees. With shaking breath, Kaizer clenched his right hand.

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  His fingernails split instantly as Beast Claw was activated, pain flaring as curved claws pushed through the nailbeds. Blood ran down his palm. The Wendigo watched the transformation with eerie stillness. Then it moved. Too fast. Its hand snapped forward and caught Kaizer in the thigh. Claws dug deep before he could even react. Flesh tore. A hot line of pain ripped up his leg as a small hole dug straight through, almost like a bullet had penetrated and come through the other side.

  Kaizer screamed and collapsed, his knee buckling under him. The Wendigo dropped the torn strip of flesh onto the ground with a wet slap. Kaizer’s breath became more and more laboured, shaking in bursts. His thigh throbbed violently but he could somehow still stand. He forced his claws upward in a blind attempt at defence. They grazed the creature’s skin, leaving tiny cuts.

  The Wendigo didn’t even flinch. Instead, it leaned down.

  “Help… me…”

  Its voice had changed. Higher. Younger. Kaizer’s blood went cold. It mimicked its victims, their fear. Their pain. He gagged and swung upward with his right hand, claws slashing. The Wendigo pulled back slightly, the claws scratching its chin but doing little more than irritating it.

  Kaizer tried to force himself to move. He put pressure on his damaged leg and nearly toppled again. His claws flickered, retracting slightly. Involuntarily.

  “No no no…”

  His breath hitched. Pulse raced. His body fired wildly, out of his control. He was disorganised and panicked. He felt the moment his claws fully retracted, a wave of exhaustion. He didn’t even know it had limits until now.

  The Wendigo approached at a slow, deliberate pace, once again savouring the moment. It knew it had won. Its lone golden eye shone with a hateful hunger. The deer skull twitched grotesquely as it leaned in close.

  “Die…”

  It inhaled sharply.

  “Hu… man die now.”

  Kaizer dragged himself backward, almost crawling now. His fingers slipped in blood-soaked dirt. Was this his blood, or blood from the corpses. He didn’t know but he forced himself to move, refusing to give up. His heel hit something solid. A body. Cold fingers brushed his leg.

  He glanced down and saw a corpse partially hidden beneath the leaves and dirt. The man’s throat was sliced open. His arm twisted at an unnatural angle, clutched in one right hand was a short spear made of pale, smoothed bone.

  Kaizer’s eyes widened. His fingers closed around the shaft, pulling it free from the corpse’s grip. The spear was cold and unnervingly light. Balanced perfectly. Sharpened to a lethal point. Relief crashed over him with desperate intensity.

  Using the spear, Kaizer pushed himself upright. It took everything he had. Pressure shot through his leg and he almost collapsed, but he didn’t. The Wendigo paused, staring at the weapon. Recognition seemed to come across the monster. Its skull twitched sharply. Then slowly, deliberately it whispered:

  “Kai.. zer… Level… 3… Weak.”

  Kaizer froze. Not only did this monster know his name, it knew his level as well. It knew how weak and useless he was, clearly well above him. Its voice cracked.

  “Kai.. zer… run…”

  Something inside Kaizer snapped. “No… I won’t” he muttered. The Wendigo roared, clearly angered that Kaizer refused to turn his back to him. It lunged. Kaizer thrust the spear with everything he had left. The bone tip drove straight into the deer-skull mask. A sharp wet thud filled the air. The spear punched through brittle bone and sank deep into the Wendigo’s left eye.

  A spray of hot, dark blood burst across Kaizer’s arm. The Wendigo shrieked, a sound so piercing it rattled through the treetops. It staggered backwards, clawing at the spear embedded in its shattered eye socket. The force of the impact threw Kaizer off his feet. His back slammed into the dirt. Pain erupted across his ribs. His breath escaped in a ragged choke.

  He coughed, eyes blurry, chest burning. The Wendigo thrashed violently. Blood poured down its face in thick streams. Its limbs jerked, spasming wildly. The spear jutted from its skull, clearly having hit some brain matter, the Wendigo was shaking violently. With a growl of utter fury, or pain, Kaizer couldn’t tell, The Wendigo ripped the spear out of its eye socket and flung it straight at Kaizer. With a stroke of good fortune, the spear landed harmlessly into the ground next to Kaizer. The Wendigo’s depth perception was off from missing an eye.

  Kaizer forced himself to sit up, trembling. His vision continued spinning, black spots in his eyes. He could barely remain standing. His wounded leg throbbed, broken arm dangling uselessly. But he was still alive. The Wendigo… It wasn’t dead. Not yet. Kaizer grabbed the spear and ripped it out of the ground.

  Slowly, shaking with fury, the creature turned toward him again. Its eye socket still gushed blood. The deer-skull mask broke down the middle, shattered from the force used to remove the spear. Half its face hung loosely. Its lone remaining eye burned with pure hatred. This thing was a monster, through and through.

  A low, guttural growl vibrated through its chest. It took one step forward. Then another. Its movements were sloppy now, almost like it was drunk. It didn’t seem to have full control over its own body. It was trying to charge at him but moving far slower and more sloppily then before. Finally seeming to get its bearings, the Wendigo shrieked and charged.

  Kaizer planted his feet deep into the dirt. Pain swimming in his eyes. He screamed and raised the spear. “I’m not done,” he yelled straight at the Wendigo as it lunged.

  Thank you for reading to date. I hope you are all enjoying the story thus far.

  I will be going on a short holiday (1 to 2 weeks) and will not have proper internet access during the time. SO. I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and hope you all have a Happy New Year.

  Chapters WILL STILL be released, I have already got chapters schedule all the way through to February and will still be writing on a laptop during the time (albeit a bit slower). I expect to be back pretty quickly and catch back up to continue staying ahead as needed.

  Once again, hope you are all enjoying the story thus far.