In Eragon as a Mage

Leo's heart hammered in his chest as he turned toward the growl, the air thick with the scent of earth and something... unnatural. His hand gripped the bow tightly, his fingers cold and tense as he nocked an arrow. His eyes flicked to the clearing, searching for the source of the sound, but all he could see was shadow and the towering trees pressing in around him. The growl grew louder, deeper, and for the first time in his life, Leo truly understood the weight of danger.

The creature emerged from the shadows, its form massive, almost too large to comprehend. Its fur was matted, dark as night, and its body rippled with muscle. Two piercing eyes, glowing faintly red, locked onto Leo with predatory intensity. The thing was a beast, but not of any species he knew. Its claws were long, like the talons of some enormous bird, and its teeth were sharp, gleaming with the promise of death.

Leo's breath caught in his throat. He couldn't move. The bow felt impossibly heavy in his hands as the creature prowled closer, each step slow and deliberate, its muscles coiling like a predator ready to strike. A growl rumbled in its throat, deep and guttural, as it tested the air with its nose, smelling Leo's fear.

Instincts kicked in. He pulled the string back with all his might, aiming at the creature's throat, but the moment he released the arrow, disaster struck. The string snapped with a loud, sickening twang, sending the arrow uselessly into the air. Leo's heart sank as the bow splintered in his hands, the weapon now useless.

The beast lunged.

Leo dove to the side, rolling into the underbrush, narrowly avoiding the creature's jaws snapping shut where he had just been standing. He scrambled to his feet, his heart racing, mind scrambling for a solution. There was no time to think, only to act.

The beast was faster than he expected. It charged again, its massive claws tearing through the undergrowth as it swiped at him with terrifying speed. Leo ducked just in time, the claws raking the air above his head, missing him by mere inches. He was already running, adrenaline propelling his limbs as he sprinted toward the cliffside.

His hand reached for the knife at his side, the cold steel a fleeting comfort, but it would do little against this creature. He needed a way to fight back. He needed a way to survive.

The beast was on him again, its growl now a roar that shook the ground beneath Leo's feet. He dove sideways, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow, and saw his opportunity. The creature's massive head turned just slightly as it lunged, its right eye exposed for a split second. Leo's heart leaped into his throat as he reacted without thinking.

In one fluid motion, he ripped the arrow from his quiver, and with every ounce of strength he could muster, hurled it straight at the creature's exposed eye. The arrow flew true, and with a sickening thud, it embedded itself deep into the creature's eye socket.

The beast let out a deafening screech of pain, rearing back and staggering as the arrow pierced deep into its skull. For a moment, Leo thought it might fall, but the creature, in its rage, flailed wildly, slashing through the trees in a frenzy. Its massive body crashed into the ground, thrashing in pain as it howled, unable to comprehend the injury.

Leo didn't wait to see if the creature would recover. He turned and ran, his legs pumping beneath him as he sprinted through the trees, not daring to look back. His breath came in ragged gasps, his body screaming in protest, but he didn't stop. He couldn't.

The sound of the beast's enraged growls echoed behind him, but Leo pushed harder. The forest blurred past him as he raced back toward the clearing, toward the relative safety of the cliffside. The earth beneath his feet felt unstable, his vision tunneling as his mind screamed at him to keep moving. He couldn't stop now.

Finally, he reached the cliff's edge again, his lungs burning from the effort, but the growling from behind had ceased. The beast, either too wounded or too confused, had retreated.

Leo collapsed against the rough stone of the cliffside, the tension in his body releasing in waves. His heart still raced, but his mind was slowly clearing. He had survived.

Looking down at his hands, Leo realized they were trembling, the shock of the encounter catching up to him. He reached for his pack, desperately needing to steady himself, but something else caught his eye—the creature's tracks, now stained with blood, had vanished.

Leo swallowed hard. Something told him that he hadn't seen the last of the beast. It had retreated for now, but there were other dangers out there—things he couldn't begin to understand.

He looked up at the cliff's jagged edge, the forest now unnervingly quiet. With a deep breath, Leo made his decision. He had to return to the cabin, but not before he examined the creature's tracks. Something about it gnawed at his mind, and he needed answers. More than that, he needed to know if the magic he had been learning, the secrets whispered by the Compendium, could protect him from whatever hunted him in the Spine.

There were still so many unknowns. But for now, all he could do was gather his courage and face them head-on.

Leo trudged back to the clearing, his mind spinning from the encounter. His heart still pounded in his chest, and his breath came in shallow bursts as he made his way back to the spot where he had left the doe and the broken bow. The scent of blood still lingered in the air, a constant reminder of the deadly creature he had just faced.

His hands were shaking as he reached for the pack on his back, digging through it until his fingers found the familiar, weathered cover of the Compendium. He knew he had to understand what kind of creature he had just fought. He had seen the tracks, smelled the scent of the beast, and now, he needed answers.

With trembling hands, Leo opened the Compendium, the ancient pages rustling as though eager to reveal their secrets. The book had whispered to him before, in fragments, in pieces, and now, he needed to unlock whatever knowledge it held about the creature he had barely survived.

His eyes scanned the pages feverishly, searching for anything that might shed light on the creature he had faced. The words seemed to dance before him, shifting and changing as if alive, but his gaze locked on a section that stood out from the rest. There, in the margins of an old, tattered page, was a description of a creature unlike anything Leo had seen before.

Shadow Roc:

A terrifying beast of the Spine, the Shadow Roc is a gargantuan bird known for its incredible strength and predatory instincts. It is said to be as old as the mountains themselves, and its wingspan can eclipse the sun. With the jaws of a wolf, it is both a fierce hunter and a relentless tracker, able to follow its prey for miles without rest. The Shadow Roc's feathers are said to be as black as the night sky, blending perfectly into the shadows, making it nearly impossible to detect until it is too late. These creatures are known for their aggressiveness, and they will not hesitate to attack anything they deem a threat or prey. They are solitary by nature but will fiercely defend their territory.

Leo's fingers brushed the page, the words sinking into his mind like a cold chill. The creature he had faced was a Shadow Roc, a monstrous bird with the jaws of a wolf. No wonder it had been so fast, so deadly. It was a hunter, born to track and kill with ruthless precision. The description of its aggressive nature sent a shiver down his spine. He had only been lucky that it had retreated.

The book went on to explain that the Shadow Roc was territorial, and though it usually hunted alone, it would not tolerate any creature—human or otherwise—intruding on its domain. Leo swallowed hard as he read about its ability to track prey with a terrifying accuracy, its senses honed to detect even the faintest trace of its quarry. The fact that it had attacked him so quickly made sense now. The creature had likely smelled him long before he ever saw it.

Leo closed the book for a moment, his mind reeling. The Compendium had warned him of the dangers of magic, of creatures like the Shadow Roc, but nothing could have truly prepared him for the sheer terror of encountering one face-to-face.

He rubbed his eyes, trying to steady his breath, but his hands were still shaking. The encounter had been too close, too overwhelming. His heart thudded against his ribs, and despite the knowledge he had gained from the book, he still felt vulnerable, exposed. The Shadow Roc wasn't just a threat—it was a living nightmare.

But there was something else in the pages that caught his eye as he opened the Compendium again. A line that seemed almost like an afterthought, hidden in the corner of a page:

Weakness:

The Shadow Roc, like many beasts of the Spine, has a vulnerability to magic. The heart of the creature is its weakest point, but the beast's incredible resilience and natural resistance to magic make it difficult to pierce. Only the most skilled magic users have been able to strike at the heart of the Shadow Roc, and even then, the cost of such an attack is immense.

Leo stared at the words, a sudden weight pressing down on him. The Compendium had never been wrong, not in his experience. And if what it said was true, he had a chance—though slim—of defeating the creature if he could somehow wield magic to strike at its heart. But the price, as the book warned, would be steep.

He looked out at the darkening forest, his thoughts racing. He had no choice now but to prepare. His bow was shattered, and the rest of his weapons were ill-suited for such a battle. If he was going to survive—and if he ever hoped to face that creature again—he would need to understand his magic more deeply.

The book whispered to him, urging him to continue his training. To push further into the realm of magic and to uncover the true potential of the words it contained.

But Leo hesitated. Magic, especially the kind that could harm something as powerful as a Shadow Roc, came at a great cost. He knew it, and yet... something in him stirred. The urge to protect himself, to protect his father, to master his own destiny, it all clung to him like a cloak. He couldn't ignore it.

With a deep breath, Leo closed the Compendium and stood, determination settling in his chest. The forest around him seemed to hold its breath, and for the first time, Leo felt the weight of his future press down on him. He was no longer just a boy learning to survive in the Spine. He was someone who would face monsters, mysteries, and magic head-on.

And he would need to be prepared for whatever came next.