24 A Touch of Violence (1/2)

Yun Da Xia somehow found the strength to curse.

Sleek black fur encompassed the beast's body while piercing silver eyes bore into her; gripping her heart and soul. She found it incredibly hard to breathe. Sharp claws adorned its massive paws, and pronounced canines peeked through its lips. It could probably devour her entire body in a single pounce.

She pleaded–no, vehemently begged–to any god that might be listening, but still, she could not enter the inter spacial ring.

The wolf circled her, trailing its eyes down her form. A shiver ran down her spine as she bowed her head, hoping to dissuade it from thinking she might have malicious intentions. All she wanted to do was escape from this place. Any longer and her heart might just give up on her.

'I smell wolfsbane on you.' Yun Da Xia gasped in pain, holding onto her head. A voice echoed within the chambers of her skull, sounding like a young girl. It felt as if her bones were vibrating to produce the sound, and in turn, made her feel an ache from inside out.

She attempted to gather her breath; face beginning to lose color as she focused on the words it had spoken. Wolfsbane. For years, the plant had been used by people to kill the canines of its namesake. The poison had been the ingredient she needed to use for her antidote. She didn't expect that its scent would still linger even after a month, or that it would be the reason why she would be hunted down.

”I'm so sorry.” She bowed, ”I used some a month ago to cure my illness. I'll leave-”

'No!' The creature bellowed. Yun Da Xia coughed, blood trickling down her nose. She tried again to manifest her cultivation, but there was nothing but absolute despair. Running away or fighting the beast were not viable options. Maybe she could allow herself to be swallowed whole and then cut her way out from its belly?

She grimaced, knowing that her future was looking bleak.

'Do you have any more?' It lowered its large head; the exhale from its nose coming to warm Yun Da Xia's face. The girl refrained from wincing. ”No, I'm sorry, I don't.”

Glaring at her with bright eyes, it sniffed around her. It smacked its lips, 'There are still traces of it around you. How did you use it in your treatment?'

”I absorbed the essence of it through an open wound.”

The wolf's ears perked up. 'That explains it then.' It paused for a moment; conflict somehow shining through its eyes. Her heart thudded as it simmered in silence, once again checking whether or not she could enter the inter spacial ring. The results did not differ from a few minutes ago.