What a bunch of crap.' A short skinny boy around 17 years spoke inwardly to himself as he ran with sweat dripping from his face away from a big one eyed leopard with wings.
The leopard was very fast and whenever it flapped its wings, dust would rise up and the trees would shake. The leopard could camouflage himself to sneak up on prey. Also known as- Michael.
He only wanted to hunt rabbits and here he was being chased by a leopard through the jungle just because he chased a small rabbit in its territory.
"I'm sorry okay, I didn't know it was your territory. I only wanted this rabbit." He said as he showed the leopard a dead rabbit in his arm.
The leopard seeing the rabbit was vexed and roared angrily at Michael. It hastened its chase after him with saliva running down the side of its mouth.
'Disgusting'
It was hunting a large deer with five antlers when Michael burst out from the forest chasing a rabbit like his life depended on it.
The deer was startled by the two and took off. The leopard was furious when the prey it was stalking for three hours ran away.
It chased after Michael deciding he would be its next lunch.
Michael nearly gave up as it saw the leopard still chasing him. He wanted to cry.
'Damn you stupid rabbit, if only you hadn't run into this stupid leopards territory. I would be safe and sound.' He said as he beat the dead rabbit in his hand.
He ran all around the forest looking for where to hide until he felt his body vibrate with new found energy. He felt like a lock had opened within him and a boundless energy he could now explore had opened for him.
His body almost doubled in speed and in strength as he speedily left the leopard in the dust.
The leopard, not expecting his sudden outburst of speed was stunned for a moment before swiftly catching up.
"I've awoken my ability. Awesome, I wonder what it is. First let me escape from this dead leopard. Hahahahaha." He was already thinking of how to cook its meat. He licked his lips.
He saw a cave and rushed inside immediately. The leopard was very big and the entrance to the cave was very small, so it could not follow but decided stayed at the entrance roaring at Michael inside the cave.
"Just wait for me leopard, when am done with this rabbit I'll be coming for you". Michael's voice rang out provokingly from the cave.
The leopard roared angrily as it heard Michaels words. It decided to definitely wait for this spiteful human and eat it.
Michael was excited, he has finally awoken his ability. He wondered what it was. After he knows which ability he has, he would go and slaughter that hateful Leopard that was loitering around his cave.
Yeah , it was his cave now. Anyone with amazing abilities could move unrivaled. As far as they knew how to control their strength.
He even skipped beating the rabbit of his previous misfortune and was looking forward to leopard meat now.
He checked but he could not see anything special with his body. He was not that much faster, stronger, smarter or anything for that matter. Except for the small boost in speed and strength he had earlier received, he would have thought that was it.
He checked to see if he could control fire , water or wind but nope. Still nothing. He was starting to panic when he noticed something. He waved his hand and his shadow followed. It went in the direction his hand waved to and came back.
'I can control shadows, its even better than I thought. I knew I was special.' He said inwardly but you could see the excitement on his face.
He wondered what else he could do but the only thing he could do was control shadows and see in the dark.
"Seriously , that's all I can do just control shadows and see in the dark." He remembered the leopard waiting for him outside and said " I am so screwed".
He was afraid, if this was all he could do, then the leopard would really have his head later.
'Oh , why did I provoke that leopard.'
He thought of the next thing to do and started beating up the rabbit that he once neglected.
"Oh, I have an idea " he thought to himself geniusly and said to the leopard.
"Oh, Mr leopard, I've made a terrible mistake. Please forgive me, i had never intended..." He was cut off by the angry leopard roar as he hit his paws on the cave entrance viciously and violently.
"Fine, go screw yourself you filthy three eyed beast. Why was I begging an degraded cyclopes like yourself." He scoffed as he said the last part.
The leopard was irritated beyond reasoning as Michael cursed at its generations.
Now it would not leave until it had that spiteful little human in between his teeth.
Michael seeing that it was not working but furthermore infuriating the beast stopped insulting it and decided to cook the rabbit he had with him. He was hungry after all.
Luckily, this place acted as a store room and he kept most of the things he usually needed here sometimes. So very soon, he started to skin the rabbit and prepare to roast it. He peeled the fur off the rabbit using a stone that was as sharp as a knife. The scent of blood wafted into the air.
As the leopard smelt fresh blood it roared but Michael interrupted it saying " Am not giving you, filthy cyclopes".
It was stunned again at the outrageous before letting out an even furious roar .
"Yeah yeah we get it you're angry, get over it already. Roaring like a moron won't solve anything and I still won't give you". Michael still would not allow it to finish.
The leopard stayed quiet, not wanting to get more insults from this hateful human. But by now it was breathing fumes and kept hitting the entrance of the cave in hopes of breaking in so that it could devour the pesky human.
After butchering and eating the rabbit, Michael decided to rest. He could not leave anyways as the cyclopes was still waiting for him outside.
***
After several hours of rest despite the noise made by the leopard, night came, just the time he was waiting for. He sneaked out of the cave and checked for the leopard which was sleeping on the ground next to the entrance and tiptoed out. Maybe because it was tired of hitting its paw against the hard stone or because it had roared all day, it was tired out.
After getting some distance away he burst into a run, running far away from the slumbering beast.
He ran a far distance away before yelling "Who is the fool now." He laughed heartily as he ran with all the strength in his body. Not hoping for the leopard to catch up with its speed .
"At least my ability is not useless, i can see in the dark." Which made it easier for him to go unnoticed from the leopard.
He bent his head backwards as he laughed heavily not looking where he was going he slammed into a tree branch with the speed he was going and went unconscious.
Michael woke up, his pale and dirty face was red as he muttered to himself. 'What hit me'. The last thing he remembered was laughing wildly until something hit him and his vision went black.
He looked around as he saw the sun slowly rising up. "At least the Cyclops isn't here" he chuckled to himself before picking himself off the floor.
"I better be off, before another beast sets its sights on me. You know am delicious." He didn't linger anymore and ran away. Picking some edible fruits he saw on the way. Deep within the forest, he saw a high tree, probably the tallest tree in the whole forest, he climbed up the tree with great familiarity as he clutched on any hole or stump that his hands could reach.
He soon got to the top and was greeted by the family scenery, a homemade bench, table and a bed and a roof made of deaf tree leaves right above it. It used to be a nest of a large eagle but the eagle died and a certain somebody used its feathers as a make shift bed.
"Home sweet home, if only it was sweet" Michael had been living for close to five years now. He had a very vague memory but remembered that it was his father and mother that kept him here.
He couldn't remember the reason but remembered it was something about not being strong enough and that he was special.
"Now why didn't I get a better power, I thought I would get something else but really shadows. What a load of crap." He screamed at the chair.
Now he was wishing he still had the dead rabbit to beat up.
He thought that with good powers, he could leave this forest and go to civilisation. Occasionally, every once in a few months flying ships passed by over head so there must a city close by.
"Why couldn't I have telekinesis or something else, maybe if I could turn invisible like that darn leopard". He sighed before taking a seat.
He decided to reason now, time for cursing was over. He had to study his power and get used to it. People that had two powers were rare and he was sure that he had only one.
He could make his shadow leave his feet and move without him moving. He decided to take it for a test run by using it to spy on some creatures. Especially the mad leopard.