Chapter-15: Beneath The Full Moon
A strong electric taste in the air greeted Diego as he stepped closer to the center of the arena. Danger banged and raced within his heart, though he found not a thing to cause him concern. Still, he scanned the area again and didn’t drop his guard. Thick in the air, bloodlust sat everywhere.
Lightning struck the arena at random spots in blinding flashes. Half a breath later, thunderclaps rattled Diego’s chest and face, causing his ears to pop with a lingering ring.
Sweat slid down Diego’s face.
The volley of lightning continued for half a dozen breaths and then stopped. In its place, an eerie silence clamped down, forcing Diego to circle about with cautious defensive steps.
From above, a branching tree of lightning hit the center of the arena, immersing the large circular table in blue-white light. A sphere of air rippled around the circular table and raced outward. The wave of force hit Diego with slaps of repeated booms that launched him into the air. Twenty-one meters later, a sharp pain raced up his spine as he crashed hard onto the ground, landing on his butt.
Frantic instinct kicked Diego into high defense. He rolled back a few times to create more space. And, quickly, he stood up with his staff held in front of him with both hands. His eyes opened wide. He aimed his attention at the center of the arena, and there stood an incredible beast. It stared at Diego with glowing frost blue eyes.
In awe, Diego stepped forward and admired the muscular jaguar before him. Truly an immense presence, the jaguar’s shoulders reached Diego’s height. It had shimmering black fur all over, from ear points to tail-tip. Most impressively, the jaguar had small glowing blue circular patch patterns, on its flanks, four legs and thick tail.
The beast yawned wide and stretched into a downward position and shook its thick head. Quietly, it glared at Diego. His eyes narrowed and the fur on its back rose up with sparks of blue.
A deafening roar erupted from the jaguar’s wide-open jaws; and a white circular disk formed and ripped a hole in space. The jaguar jumped into the shimmering disk opening and disappeared.
Diego walked in a serpentine path with his staff trembling in his hands. He wiped his face on his shoulder and searched the arena closely. A blinding flash with thunder clapped above him. Soft blue light engulfed him, casting a sharp shadow on the ground. Pure reaction, he arched his staff upward with tense arms and braced.
A ton of weight crashed onto Diego. It forced him down into a split stance with one knee slamming on the ground. He held the weight of the jaguar in a rear overhead press position. His shoulders strained with jiggling arms, while his back and legs flexed beyond marble hardness.
The moon jaguar whipped out a flurry of attacks. One paw clawed into Diego’s left shoulder, while another paw dug into his back. But, most precariously, the jaguar’s jaws chomped down on the staff protecting the back of Diego’s neck and skull. Fang tips scratched his nape and head, sending spurts of blood into the air.
Thank you
I appreciate your time in reading this blog post. Next Monday I will upload the next part of Chapter fifteen, Beneath The Full Moon, from my first novel: Guerrero of Passions.
Total Consciousness 