Purple poured over the beast as it rose from the pond. The ground shook with every step, and the sun hid behind the creature's head as it dared not look the monster in its face.

  Emanuel grabbed the crystalized bracelet and started to describe the creature to me. He painted an accurate picture. This creature was called a Grul. They are two feet tall and can walk bipedally but mainly use all six appendages. It has large claws on all six, deep silver fur, and hard rock-like scales on its back. That is a regular Grul, and this is far from average.

  All this did was motivate me to move faster. I morphed my body and stretched to grab the branches and swing myself further into the woods. I could hear the roar of the beast from where I was. Through the connection of slime, I heard the slamming of his metal buttons, Emanuel's grunts and yells, and even the deep squeaks of Fiend as they struggled to survive. Then, as I got closer, BANG, BANG, BANG!

  Three shots are fired. The forest goes silent, but I keep moving. I hoped that did the job when another roar of the beast shook the forest and rattled any animal in a ten-mile radius. I am still too far. I know what I must do, but this move is still untested, like the contraption, but it is our only chance.

  A while ago, I noticed the shape of Emanuel’s family shield and remembered my fight with Crimson. It is long and pointed like an arrowhead. This led to a moment of divine inspiration. With hours of tedious work, I was able to chisel two holes through the shield. I used my slime to enter the holes and search for any cracks that I intently made that could affect the structural integrity of the shield. I reinforced it with detached crystalized slime.

  Next, I poked holes into a small rectangular box. I attached the box with threads of crystalized slime and a glop of it on the back for added security. Now, my newest genius innovation is complete. What I am about to do is practice only a handful of times for short distances. This will be my first time traveling long distances and in a high-pressure situation.

  I morphed my body into a new shape. My arms semi-solidified, becoming a thick and tense rope. Portions crystalized for stability, while the two long portions attached to the rope stayed flexible. People would recognize this form as a barista or a big bow and arrow. I call this form Fast Travel.

  The shield is attached to the rope, acting as my arrow. I aim at the sky, where I sense my crystalized slime on Emanuel. I let my roop arms loosen and fire the shield. The tree rustles, and the winds rip apart as the shield soars through the sky like a cannon.

  Attached to the box is a long, stretched-out portion of my slime. I liquify my body and pull myself through the top of the slime with my clothes as fast as i can. The shield soars through the sky, and in a second, my full slime travels through the connection and enters the box on the shield through the holes. I keep the clothes on the outside, holding on to them with slime from the hols. Now, I can travel safely in this box at high speed.

  I still need practice, as the entry into the box was too hard and shook the flying shield. This knocked it off course, and I crashed landed on the edge of the clearing. I oozed out of the box and took form with my clothes on and the shield attached to the slim on my back. I look up to see Emanuel bleeding from a gash on his arm and Fiend hissing at the monster. Both were covered in dirt and Emanuel’s blood.

  This Grul is 10 feet tall. The scales on its back were 4 inches thicker but more spaced out, with cracks separating them like a river to a valley. Its eyes were a deep violet. The claws resembled stalagmites from a forgotten cave. Staring at it would send the bravest warrior sprinting out of the woods and becoming a mail clerk. I am no warrior. I need to be more. No matter how terrified I was, I could not abandon Emanuel and Fiend. So, I’ll do the next best thing.

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  I leapt into the arena, eyes locked on my target. Emanuel's pupils shrunk in fear, and he was fully aware of what stretching my body wide in the sky meant. Fiend, on the other hand, stretched out his arms, ready to accept what needed to be done.

  I swallowed both him and Fiend into my body, formed my six-legged Taxi Crawler form, and sprinted to the outer ring. Fiend was cuddled comfortably inside, and Emanuel has become accustomed to being a passenger in the taxi service.

  What I wasn’t prepared for was how fast the Grul is as I was a few feet away from reentering the forest, when the Grul slams into my side and sends me bouncing on the dirt. Back to the center of the clearing.

  My body absorbed most of the damage, with Fiend and Emanuel taking some hits. Before I could get up, the best claws were aimed at my expanded body. I pushed both of the boys out of my body before the Grul could stab them. The claws hit me, removing some of my mass, but I countered with two crystalized fist hits, connecting with its face.

  Nothing, not even a crack on the check, a flinch, or even a blink. Instead, his jaw is wide open and over my head. My body was loosened, and I slivered under it before its jaws shut on my head. Escape was still the main objective, but we couldn’t run out with its speed. We had to fight it to make an opportunity.

  He swings right away, but I am ready. A hand pops out of my back and grabs my shield. The go hand pulls the shield across my back, to my shoulder, and down my arm until the hand fuses with my left hand, bringing my shield up, ready to block his hit.

  Emanuel was too hurt and unprepared for this, so I needed to take charge and fight for us. The Grul is fast, but I’m quicker. I slide toward him, using the shield to block any incoming hits. I learned to keep my body semi-liquid, which allowed me to move around his attacks. The drawback was my inability to land a hit with great force. It felt like swatting the side of a Solar Sail with a paper fan.

  “Stay back,” I say to Emanuel and Fiend. “Remember your training. Look for an opening, a blind spot. Once you see, take Fiend out of the clearing. Don’t look back, and don’t worry about the Grul attacking you. I won’t let it touch you.”

  “I can fight.” He says with determination in his eyes.

  “You won’t win. Don’t fight, don’t help.” I reply with stern words.

  “But I can fight.”

  “Don’t help, run.”

  “What was my training for if I am not supposed to fight?”

  “Don’t help.” He clenches his fist in anger, but I stand by my words. During the fight, I shift between semi-slime and crystals as the Grul is too fast to go full crystals but too hard to hit him with my slime fist. My focus was on shortening the time it takes to harden and increasing the strength of each hit. With every time I can’t hit with my fist, a good shield bash can do the trick, I hope.

  The Grul would swing at me with blows, and my eyes could only make out the hit a second before it could connect. I would raise the shield, and it would take the hit, but the impact rippled through my body and sent me sliding back.

  My mind was focused on the beast, and a fear haunted the back of my mind. I don’t believe my words were enough to restrain Emanuel. “Don’t help” are clear instructions, but clarity wasn’t the issue. Of course, they would be ignored. Of course, he had something to prove to himself or me, and of course, he JUMPS BACK INTO THE FIGHT.

  Emanuel aimed at the suspected joints. While sliding under the Grul, I noticed the scales didn’t cover its underbelly. A yells this at Emanuel, who runs in without thinking. He didn’t notice the claw over his head as his eyes were on the monster’s suspected soft spot. Then he felt a pressure in his stomach and was sent flying back across the grass, out of reach for the claws.

  I watched Emanuel safe from harm because the Fiend jumped off his shoulder, struck his stomach, and sent him flying back, Leaving the Fiend in the path of claws.

  Fiend let out a painful squeal as two claws pierced his body. The Grul shook Fiend of its claw with haste, giving as much importance as dirt on his nails. I stared at this beast and thought, “ He didn’t know Fiend was even in this fight. To it, both Emanuel and myself are the true threats. Fiend was as important as a leaf falling to the ground.

  I catch his body as I move my shield around my body and onto my back, blocking the swipe to it.

  My body crazes on the floor. Emmanuel struggles to run from the beast. He didn’t scream for help. All Emanuel screamed for was how Fiend was doing. Blood covered his fur, his eyes were shut, and no air escaped his mouth. I feel no thump in his chest. I don’t have the heart to tell Emanuel Fiend is already dead.