NOVPUB
Chapter 142: Black Cat?
Zayn had been riding beside the carriage for the last two hours, letting the gentle clops of the horse’s hooves and the occasional gust of wind keep him awake.
The sun was ruthless today, beaming down like it had something personal against him.
His shirt stuck to his back with sweat, and his mouth had that dry cotton feeling.
Meanwhile, everyone else? Comfy inside the shaded carriage thanks to Tobias’s magical shield overhead.
He gave the carriage a sidelong glance and cupped his hands around his mouth.
"Hey, how about sharing a little of that sweet shade over here?"
Tobias didn’t even blink.
He adjusted his glasses with his usual stern look and replied without looking at Zayn. "Consider it penance for waking me up at the crack of dawn."
Zayn scowled. "I didn’t even do that on purpose! That rooster just sounds like me!"
Bran peeked his head out of the carriage, grinning. "You do have a pretty cock-a-doodle-doo voice, though."
"I swear, if I didn’t like my horse more than all of you combined..."
They kept riding, the wheels of the carriage rattling against the dirt path, surrounded by trees and greenery on either side.
The journey to Timberstead would take the rest of the day, and they all knew the drill — ride, rest, repeat.
Eventually, the driver pulled on the reins.
"We’ll take a break here," he said, pointing to a small lake just off the road.
The group groaned in relief as they climbed out of the carriage.
Tobias lowered the shield, Elisse stretched with a yawn, and even Kara seemed relaxed as they approached the glistening lake.
The horses were unhitched and led toward the water, and Zayn slid off his mount with a satisfied sigh, giving the beast a pat.
Everyone settled quickly.
Bran rolled up his sleeves and dunked his head in the lake.
Elisse sat beneath a tree, her fingers brushing through her blond hair, and Seren stood with her arms crossed, watching the water like it might bite her.
Zayn dipped his hands into the cool lake water and splashed his face, letting out a breath. "This is the life. No monsters, no crazy flying bosses, just us and nature."
And then, as if summoned by the universe’s desire to make him regret those words, the sky suddenly turned.
A dark shadow passed overhead.
The sun vanished behind rolling clouds that hadn’t been there a second ago. The temperature dropped. The wind hushed.
"...Anyone else feel that?" Bran muttered, standing up.
Before anyone could answer, there was a blur in the sky — something small, fast, and definitely alive.
A streak of black and blue darted downward, a comet of fluff and speed, and with an almost comical "mreow!" it slammed into Zayn’s chest, sending him flying backward into the lake.
Splash!
Water flew everywhere. Zayn and the creature both disappeared beneath the surface.
"ZAYN?!" Elisse shouted, already running toward the shore.
"What the hell was that thing?" Tobias said, his hands glowing with magic just in case.
Zayn flailed in the water, arms sweeping wide, legs kicking hard.
The cold wrapped around him like a wet fist, numbing his skin, but none of that mattered — not when a flying cat had just tackled him into a lake and was now shifting shape right in front of him.
The cat’s body elongated unnaturally.
Fur gave way to scales. Its limbs twisted and vanished, replaced by a serpentine form that coiled with disturbing grace in the water.
"What the hell are you — some kind of boss monster with a furry fetish?" Zayn bubbled underwater, the words mangled into a distorted "hmm!" thanks to his lack of air.
He was too busy kicking the abomination away with both feet to care. It felt like kicking a solid wall coated in slime.
He clawed toward the surface, pushing himself upward with every ounce of strength.
But the water was thick, and his limbs felt like they were moving through syrup.
His chest tightened painfully. He pumped soul energy through his muscles, trying to give himself that extra burst of speed, the magic coursing through him in bright pulses.
It helped, but —
Just as his fingers stretched toward the dim light above, something long and slimy coiled around his leg.
"What — !?" he tried to shout, but no sound came out.
He was yanked downward with sudden force, the pressure slamming against his ears like twin hammers.
His ascent became a helpless spiral back toward the lakebed.
And that’s when he heard it.
A voice. Smooth and cold. Mocking.
"Are you really the hero’s strongest party member?"
He almost snorted — again, not helpful underwater.
’Oh, shut up!’ he mentally snapped, flailing against the grip.
He twisted his body mid-pull, ignoring the ache in his leg as he redirected soul energy into his hips, trying to loosen the coil’s grip.
The snake-like creature was massive now, longer than a carriage and at least four times as thick.
Its scaled face hovered in the darkness, mouth curled in a sneer of unnatural intelligence.
[Warning: Host is losing air.]
The system screen blinked red beside his head like an annoying notification bubble. Zayn swatted at it mentally.
’Yeah, no kidding,’ he thought. ’Tell me something I didn’t know, you drama queen.’
The snake shot forward with lightning speed.
Zayn flipped to the side, letting it shoot past him like a missile. It slammed into the lakebed, kicking up mud and silt in a thick cloud that turned the water into brown soup.
He landed on his feet, knees bending slightly to brace himself against the floor of the lake, and then — soul energy surged again.
His legs glowed faintly as he launched himself upward, aiming straight for the surface like a soul-powered torpedo.
The snake wasn’t done, though.
It snapped back, and again its tail caught his leg mid-ascent, coiling tighter this time. But Zayn didn’t slow down.
Instead, he let his soul energy build into a violent force beneath his feet, creating a shockwave underwater.
The propulsion pushed him harder, dragging the serpent with him.
He tore out of the surface with a feral yell, soaked to the bone, the snake’s tail still clinging to his leg.
