Asuka held her body low, as close to Yakul as she could, listening to the wind stream by on each side of her. The thing was still following; she could hear it tearing through the fields. She could also hear her heart beating in her ears. Yakul panted under her, sprinting ahead. Asuka didn’t know where to take the beast, but she would have to turn and face it soon. Better now than any other time, she guessed. Folding Yakul’s reins over her legs, she straightened up, reaching for the bow on her back. Quickly, she aimed for the charging thing behind her, letting her arrow fly. It hit the target, the thing’s eye, and disappeared into the boar. 

The sound that the beast emitted made Yakul stumbled. The elk tripped and fell, making Asuka tumbled to the ground with her bow still in her hand. The thing was still charging forward, making the bellowing sound, its mouth open wide. Asuka didn’t have enough time to run. Seconds passed, and the beast came to a stop before her, panting it’s disgusting breath all over her. The smell of it reminded Asuka of rotting meat, left out in the sun for attracting flies. She covered her nose with her sleeve, fighting the urge to vomit. The thing just stared at her with its one eye, waiting it seemed. After a minute, a low growl sounded from somewhere within. 

“Humans must pay,” it said, making Asuka take a step back, “Many filthy, ungrateful humans must be repaid for the sins of few.” Its mouth rose and fell, a voice coming from it unlike any Asuka had heard before. It gave her chill bumps across her arms, and it filled her with an untapped anger. Seeing an opportunity, she aimed another arrow at the beast, this time aiming for the heart. The arrow hit, and the beast roared, crashing into the ground. Asuka was sent flying forward by the impact, and she landed just at the edge of the animal. The worms that fell from its mouth landed on her leg, sending burning pains up her body. She screamed, crawling away, swatting the things off her clothes. They had eaten through her pants, making her skin a rainbow of purple and blue. She bit her tongue, though, watching the body of the boar sizzle and burn, almost, leaving a pile of rotting flesh. The worms faded into the ground before her eyes, leaving the grass around the animal dead. Asuka crawled over to it, picking up a glinting piece of metal. She had no word for it.