The Knifal snorted irritatingly, the Ezums slowing it down from seeking out the Steef that the human belonged to.
It ducked under the Ezums' legs, creating a pattern, as it weaved through the stampede one at a time.
But just as things seemed to get better, three furious roars bellowed right behind it.
The Hunters were regrouped, and now on to persue the Knifal for revenge.
It grunted, its eyes flashing a bright red, then darted back forward.
The Knifal took the Hunters' challenge, beginning to make it a challenge to get to it, by weaving more furiously through and under.
The Hunters squawked, but hunched down their bodies straight, to slide through the pattern it created.
Its plot was running out.
The only thing it could do was return the human to the Steef, and take out the Hunters, permanently.
Its head fell wearily. a pounding pain rattling in its head.
But it perked its head up, concentrating hard ahead to not keep from passing out.
Umi shot her head up over the Knifal's head, suddenly blinking at the figure riding high upon the Ezum's shoulders.
"There he is!" Umi shot an arm right by the Knifal's eye.
It looked over diagonal to the sitting body upon the Ezum.
Right
It took a hard right under the Ezums, avoiding from tripping it, as it passed under.
When you are safely reunited, you must ride to the border. Do not stop for anything. I shall take off the Hunters for you
The Knifal began to decrease its speed, slowly coming by the Ezum the Steef sat upon.
It grunted loudly, sending a quick hot flash to the stranger.
Stranger spun down to it, a bewildered look suddenly came across.
"Stranger!" Umi called, holding out both her arms.
He quickly snapped to attention, reaching out under her arms, and hoisting her upon his lap.
The Knifal nodded to him, suddenly decelerating back from their Ezum.
Umi watched back to the Knifal, wondering why it had suddenly fell back so quickly.
Stranger hugged tightly around her stomach, securing her near his chest.
"Tell me we'll ne'er do that again!" Stranger shouted over the rush.
"You bet!" Umi panted.
The three hisses came back again, and the Hunters accelerated up with the ridden Ezum, baring their jaws scornfully at the human.
They became tricky and forceful, ramming themselves in to the Ezum's leg to knock it off course, or to scare it, and drop both off.
Stranger took hold of the Ezum's neck, pulling it back with the flow of raging Ezums.
"Clever bastards..." he griped, glancing quickly down at all three the Hunters, sounding to be chuckling in their demise.
"We're almost there!" Umi shot out an arm.
The foothills of the border were coming in to view, rolling up to the rocky flat-top mountain.
But another unexpected occurance came upon them, just when things seemed to get worse.
The Ezum groaned, both suddenly feeling the decrease in speed of the Ezum.
Umi stared at the Ezum, its mouth open, loping its tongue out with heavy pants.
"It's fatigued! We'll never make it in time now!"
The Hunters chirped at the sudden remark, taking advantage of the Ezum's condition at best.
Violent they got, leaping upon the Ezum's leg, and digging their loose claw on their foot, in to the Ezum's rugged skin.
The Ezum roared infuriatingly, carrying its hurt leg behind it.
Its wounded leg caught behind its running foot, causing it to trip down on to its belly.
Stranger jumped off the hurt Ezum, spinning around to the three Hunters taking off passed it.
He sprinted away, holding Umi still in one arm.
Knowing that the Hunters' speed was greater than his, it was the only thing he could do to get to the border now.
He squinted up ahead, seeing the Ezums split away from the foothills blocking their way.
A golden light felt like it was hitting him with a blessing.
But while the Hunters persued, it wouldn't be an omen if they didn't make it.
The Knifal reappeared by Stranger, glancing at Umi, but keeping constant eye contact with the triplets behind.
She blinked at it, seeing it nod to her finally, and suddenly stop behind them.
Umi frowned at the Knifal, blinking back ahead to the splitting herd.
What are you gonna do, Knifal? she asked herself.
Its eyes closed gently, feeling a powerful surge send it from concentration, and in to dizziness.
The Knifal shook its head, the pounding of its head growing powerful.
Just one final attack...please...
Its mind grew solemn, still a pinch of dizziness affecting it.
Its focus concentrated directly on the triplet Hunters, it suddenly levitating off the ground.
The Hunters skidded to a stop, staring at the Knifal, as it rose higher above them.
Its body glowed a silvery aura, fascinating the Hunters, and paralyzing them in awe.
But, the Knifal's eyes reopened, glowing a deep purple pulsating painfully in to its skull.
Its glowing body grew brighter, the Hunters feeling themselves freeze all of a sudden.
They squealed in pain, feeling their ribs cave in on their stomach.
The Knifal felt itself fall in to an eternal darkness, feeling itself grow weak.
But it fought back the darkness its mind almost fell in to, crossing its arms over its face.
Its eyes closed again, tweaking its mind in to using its final attack, so it could be sent in to submission.
It snapped its eyes open, falshing a quick white, and opened its arms out behind it.
A pulse flew across the field to the Hunters, rolling them far out back to the swamps where they first spawned from.
The Knifal's eyes grew black, falling limp back on the ground, and not reemerging from the fields it sought to defend.
Stranger jumped on to the first slope of the foothills, not looking back to see if the Hunters were still chasing him.
He grappled tightly on the rocks, scrambling frantically up the mountain.
He slowed down, as they reached the top, panting tiredly, and crawling over the ridge to lay flat on his back.
Umi crawled on her knees passed Stranger, panting down under her arms, and blinking disbelievingly.
Had the Knifal done something she'd regret?
The look it gave her almost seemed at if it was final, going to do something suicidal.
She regained most of her energy to stand upon the ridge, looking over the fields, slowly coming back calmly.
The Ezums spreaded out from the recent event, feeling their insecurity deminish with the Hunters that had mysteriously vanished.
And so did the Knifal.
Even scanning the fields again, she could find a trace of the Knifal beneath the tall grass.
She knew it wasn't like it to suddenly disappear without seeing if they had gotten to the mountain border safely.
But whatever that had made the Knifal disappear, she felt it wasn't going to come see her, probably not ever.
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