The First Legacies Of Zion: Omaye

Attacked!

NATHANIEL

Nathaniel was every familiar with the feeling of guilt. It was a part of the reason why he was here in Zion, and not out there frying with the rest of the human race who were not lucky enough to get a spot here. But this time it hit him really hard, he was angry and some part of him was relishing the fact that tears were streaming down her face.

But at this moment, he had no idea who was more hurt between the two of them. Esther had said so many things that hit close to home, she was right; about a lot of things. And chief among them was how blind he was too the love his sister had for him. He wanted nothing more than to deny everything she had said, that somehow, he was not as much of a scumbag as she just said he was.

Nathaniel was different than most nineteen year olds, and this was mostly attributed to the way he grew up, he has a penchant for making bad decisions, based on every slight deviation of his thoughts and emotions.

But he was someone who knew how to admit his faults, it was always the hardest thing to do, admitting he was wrong. But Nathaniel also took pride in that aspect of his life, he knew how and the best way to say sorry.

But before he could open his mouth to apologize, the yowl of a huge cat was heard as the beast which had been bidding its time quietly struck.

The huge cat, that looked like a breed between a cat, and a unicorn and due to the four eyes and mandibles at the edge of its jaw of razor sharp teeth, a spider. And it was with horror Nathaniel watched those fearsome jaws take a bite out of his father’s shoulder.

Nathaniel was petrified with fright, and in the background he could hear the screams of his sisters and the painful wails of his father. But Nathaniel was dead to the world, face to face with a personification of death in front of him, Nathaniel had frozen.

He could do nothing but watch in abject horror as spider like cat, with a spiral like horn between its four red eyes, chewed on the piece of his father it had taken. It kept watch on Nathaniel while it chewed, blood dripped down its jaws coming to rest together with a pool of saliva underneath the beast. The cat was not that big, it was only about the size of a large dog, however its bizarre look gave it an aura that made it even more terrifying than expected.

And then it moved, it shot straight into a sprint that saw a cloud of dust left in its wake. The grace attributed to cats when they run or hunt was missing from this beast, instead there was an awkward prancing that gave the little beast huge strides with every step it took. But it was coming, and Nathaniel could still not move.

When it was a few feet away, the cat leaped, and Nathaniel felt someone push him from behind. And then he heard a scream, he turned around to see Faith clutching at the side of her face. It seems the cat scratched her as it flew over them after the failure of its evaded attack.

But it suddenly chose to ignore them, going after the ones he considered really weak. And in this case, it was Esther and their father, who was still bleeding profusely on the ground and being nursed by Esther.

Immediately it moved Nathaniel did too, he did not think, he did not consider he just moved. Every step he took he felt like his chest was on fire, but he felt somehow right running among the trees. It was a wonderful feeling, but not one that Nathaniel had any time to explore.

He tackled the cat that was in mid pounce, crashing to forest floor with the beast amongst a heap of dead grass, tree roots and flashing claws. He received more than his own fair share of scratches, but at least his sisters and father were okay. Then he heard Faith shouting behind him.

“Nathaniel come back, we need to regroup. If we’re to spread out, it will give the cat to many easy targets to go after, non of us are strong enough to fight it alone.”

Nathaniel did not see the wisdom in her suggestions, but non the less he felt she was right about sticking together. He scrambled up from his position amidst the pile of dead leaves and rotten fruit to make his way to his family. Esther was so focused on healing their father she seemed to have closed her self off to the world, though it did not seem like she was having to much luck. As soon as they were together Faith handed Nathaniel a sturdy three feet long stick. He had no idea where she got it from, but the damn thing felt so rough in his hands.

Nathaniel took a stance in front of his family, and for the first time in his life, felt the pressure of what it meant to really stand in the line for others. He could just as easily drop his stick and make a run for it, with how messed up his family was, he would have only lost a few weeks of sleep. But at that moment, he could not imagine turning his back on them, that was not his way.

“Nathaniel you have to keep your cool, with Dad out for the count, you’re the only line of defense and attack we have. Be calm everything is going to be just fine.” Faith said, trying to instill confidence in Nathaniel, whose hands were shaking badly and unable to keep the stick straight.

On a normal day, it would have been easy to make fun of Nathaniel for being afraid of this overgrown house cat, no matter how dangerous it was. But Nathaniel was still very much in shock, he has had to beat other people down, when he was part of a cult, he was no stranger to blood and broken limbs. But this was different, that was his own father lying there, and no matter how he looked at it, the fault laid completely with him.

But the [four eyed spider cat] would not let him experience the intricacies of self guilt and loathing as the tiny beast pounced again. Nathaniel was caught of guard, but he was able to recover in time to swing and smash the stick into the cat’s face, breaking the make shift weapon in the process.

The cat crashed to the ground at his feet dazed from the hit, then he heard Faith shout behind him.

“use your skill, use shock.”

Nathaniel at this point was just like a robot under orders and he quickly bent down to place his hands on the smooth fur of the four eyed cat. Activating skills was based on understanding the intricacies behind them. The skill shock, at a low level was unable to draw electricity from the atmosphere, rather it used the electrical currents within the body of a living thing to cause it harm. The skill amplified the circulation of electricity in any living body, and disrupts its flow for maximum damage.

As soon as Nathaniel placed his hands on the Cat to use the skill, he could feel it. Not just the electrical currents within its body, but its entire being, it past, its present and its future. He could understand its instincts, its nature and its need. There was nothing evil about this beast beneath him, she was only an amalgamation of nature and instinct.

She was a part of nature, and member of an integral circle and ecosystem. She was part of a carefully structured natural order that sees her the predator of many inhabitants in this forest, and today she was Nathaniel’s prey. He understood her, he felt her, and he was her. But the life of his family depended on his next action. So even though he did not really want to do this, he had no choice.

“I’m sorry, but you have to die.”

[SHOCK]

[SHOCK]

[SHOCK].

With each subsequent release of that skill, Nathaniel felt the cat’s body jerk and shake as it convulsed in pain. Its screams tore through the gloom of the forest as it screamed out in pain and abject horror. Nathaniel could feel everything he did to this animal; it was a harrowing feeling that left a hole deep inside of him.

As it drew closer and closer to death, Nathaniel could feel it, right at the back of his head. Like a clawing and growing headache that would never go away, the very idea that he held a life within his hands placed a pressure on him. But it was not the only one.

“Nathaniel hurry up, its cries might attract other animals here.” Faith berated him in a hurried voice.

And so Nathaniel put more focus to his task, sending wave after wave of electric shocks into the body of the cat. When it finally stopped breathing, it was not the smell of burnt flesh, or the still body beneath his hands that told him the cat was gone.

It was the pressure at the back of his head suddenly disappearing, and the fact that he could see the spirit of the damn cat looking at him. It was a weird experience, and extremely terrifying. He could not read the look on the face of the cat as it looked at him, but it left him very unsettled. Then the apparition of the cat split into two glowing orbs of light, with one going straight into the ground, returning to the nature it was birthed from, and the other flew straight into his chest. Then a system prompt rang out.

[SYSTEM ALERT: BATTLE: You Have Slain The Four Eyed Spider Cat. You Have Received 50 Exp, And One Four Eyed Spider Cat Body. You Are Now Level 3, All Stats Increased By 2]

[The Skill Shock Has Leveled Up From 1~2, Damage Increased By 3%]

[Congratulations You Have Gained Class Skill Druid Sight Due To Your Keen Perception And Connection With Nature. The Hidden Stat Perception Has Been Unlocked. (The Perception Stats Can Not Have Stat Points Allocated To It.)]

[ANALYSIS: POOR: You Should Learn How To Swing That Stick Properly, And Next Time Try Not To Overcook The Monster.]