The Bluetipped Ironclaw shrieked again, the metallic sound of its descent vibrating through the air as it tucked its wings and dove, coming straight down at Siu. He could feel the sharp, skin-cutting air current reach him before the bird, before he even moved, causing his clothes and skin to be cut open just as he stepped forward.

  The Wild Cat's moves flashed through his muscles before even a thought had landed in his head, letting him cross the perfect amount of distance. His soles barely touched the earth at the end of it before he had slid into the Crane’s form, his body turning sideways, his arms angled in a half-guard, causing the bird to think this will be an easy kill...

  Then, just at the right moment, Siu’s forearm snapped upward, brushing only the inside line of the creature’s left wing. He didn’t even try to block, that would be suicidal... It would easily shred through his skin, muscle, and bones, maybe even cut his arm off. So, he merely guided the strike, forcing the bird to over-rotate mid-dive. That minor redirection, looking like a flick, was enough to make its talons miss both Siu and the fox by only a hair’s width as blue streaks passed by his peripheral vision, crashing into a bramble of ferns, snapping branches, and whipping up leaves and dirt into the air.

  Was it dead? Probably not, but just by the feeling of the pressure the bird gave off... Siu knew he didn't calculate with the blade-like air pressure coming off the Ironclaw. Books were books after all... And they failed to mention such a crucial point! Or they assumed the reader could withstand it, since it was simply a byproduct of its nature. Whatever the reason was, he just grabbed the tired, injured fox by the scruff, hauling it up and booking it, watching his own bleeding scratches and noting that the cuts were luckily only superficial.

  The Wild Cat took over his movements, giving him short bursts, a pretty much light feet, letting Siu weave between fat tree roots while escaping. To his luck, the fox was barely a handful of fluff in his grasp, trembling, blood-staining the silver edge of her clipped ear, breathing heavily, trying to stay awake, noticing that someone... something had come to scoop her out of the jaws of death. But it remained unmoving, not even resisting.

  "Maybe..."

  Well... The moment he began thinking, another shriek came from behind them. Siu didn’t even look back because his instincts were screaming at him that it would come from overhead and not from behind. Not even thinking, he vaulted onto the nearest low branch and hooked his bracer claws into the bark with a muscle-tearing snap of motion, dodging at the last moment, flinging himself away from danger. Behind him, the Ironclaw ripped past him, its talons extended, slicing apart the spot where he’d stood half a second ago as a sea of splinters exploded upward in a deadly spray, but at least it wasn't his own blood and flesh.

  Even then, he had not stopped, coming to face another thick shrub of thorny obstacles, only for him to jump, land on the nearby tree's branches, and hurry to jump from one to the other, acting like a monkey fleeing a jaguar. Not that it made much difference as the Ironclaw dove again and Siu felt the clothes on his back to ripple and tear, giving him the notice he needed... With no second thoughts, he pushed off the branch he was on and fell deliberately, arms spread, the little fox tucked into his inner pocket, while he was gliding downward as a falling leaf. However, just before impact, he braced his legs, shifted into the Iron Ox stance, and the ground shook as he landed, like a professional gymnast.

  The bird’s talons cut through the branch he stood on the next moment, but now it managed to expect such a move from his target and slammed down right where he stood, changing direction, even if it significantly diminished its own powers. Luckily, he had way less distance to accelerate, and this time, Siu met the force behind the bird head-on. The Ox form absorbed the brunt of the creature's attack, his knees bending but refusing to buckle while his forearms rose, crossed, bracing for the rest of the impact.

  When the two collided, he could feel his body shake, and he could feel something sharp graze his shoulder, causing a hot-feeling pain bursting through him a heartbeat later. Without a flinch in his eyes, he already knew that three lines were running from collarbone to upper arm on his body, letting out his fresh blood already... But he could also feel that they were not deep enough to sever anything... Most importantly, they missed the fox, clinging to his chest.

  "Close." He whispered, his other arm already snapping out like a beak, striking the bird's throat, landing a solid hit, hearing the little fox in his bosom whimper. “Trust me,” he muttered, his voice remaining firm and focused.

  The Ironclaw screeched after being hit, its voice raspy and coughing-like, its wings flaring out, as it hopped back once, gasping for air for a moment before facing Siu, its eyes blinking rapidly. It recognized now that he was not prey, but another predator in its territory... and it made the young bird... unsure.

  "Good." Without hesitation, ignoring all the pain, Siu planted one foot behind him, shifting the fox against his ribs with one hand while his free, uninjured arm immediately went to reset into the Crane’s guard. “Come again,” he said under his breath. "Next time, I'll take your head off."

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Of course... the bird wasn't stupid. This time, flying up to the sky, the Ironclaw didn’t dive like before, and when it attacked again, it swept at him with a wide horizontal arc. Its talons were stretched to their full span, catching the first rays of the morning sun, making Siu see a metallic, blue light shimmer along its claws. The attack was way too wide to redirect and too sharp to absorb... Too fast to dodge entirely with the fox in hand.

  So, as a response, Siu threw himself backward, rolling across the ground, scraping bark, roots, and dirt into his clothes and wounds, not that he cared about that at the moment. Even then, the talons grazed his cheek, slicing a thin line that sprayed warm blood across his face; however, he barely had time to inhale before the bird wheeled back. Which was the opening he had been waiting for... The moment it presented itself, Siu reached for the bitter powder pouch and flung its whole content into the air as the wind from the bird's strike caught it perfectly.

  The Ironclaw shrieked as the stinging dust hit its nostrils and eyes, managing to pull itself back when it retracted its leg. It jerked its head away, the sudden pain sending it into an uncontrolled spin, preventing it from returning to the sky. As the creature struggled and crashed through a cluster of bushes, Siu scaled the nearest tree, using the clawed bracers to dig into the bark and ascend rapidly, pulling up his injured body. His muscles, bones, and everything ached, but keeping his breathing technique going, he remained in control, ignoring the pain and pushing it to the back of his mind. Thanks to it, he reached a branch just as the Ironclaw found its footing again, watching as it shook its head, feathers puffing in fury, looking for his target.

  Getting to his position, Siu crouched above it, then he dropped on its head, with no hesitation. He let the Crane guide the fall, pulling his elbow to be angled perfectly, down the line of the creature’s spine as he slammed onto the bird’s back. The moment the impact landed, the Ironclaw screeched, staggering, its wings beating wildly as it buckled beneath him. It was no wonder, because Siu's weight almost felt doubled, amplified in the final moment, switching to the Ox's form, just at the right second. But he wasn't done...

  Already prepared, he jammed his rope he brought along, right around the bird's neck and wrenched it into a bind just long enough to choke the creature’s upward launch, taking control of it like some kind of wrangler.

  “Down!” he spat, snapping his weight backward, looking on with cold eyes as the bird crashed into the ground.

  The moment it landed, its wings struck the ground with a violent whump, throwing up a good chunk of earth while Siu rolled off its back immediately, panting, as the rope snapped from the strain just at the end of it all. Being just as desperate, the bird’s head whipped toward him, as its right talon slashed upwards, in utter panic.

  The blow wasn't physical because the bird didn't hit him, but managed to launch compressed air at him, which in turn threw him into a tree trunk, his ribs cracking, his vision shaking from the impact, before he slid down the bark, coughing, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. Hurriedly, he blinked through the blur, watching the Ironclaw beat its wings once, twice, raising a storm of dust and sharp winds around it, trying to make sure nothing or nobody could get close to it... It was afraid.

  It wasn't going to let Siu out of its vision anymore... so it wasn't going to fly up again. He could tell... With a deep breath, Siu reset his heart rate, slowing it, forcing not only calmness on himself, but excluding everything and anything from his senses, except his opponent.

  "Haaah... Three beats of its wings... The pattern...?" He muttered to himself, closing his eyes not to be deceived, "One... Two... Two... One... Three..."

  He opened his eyes at the exact moment the Ironclaw folded its wings for shooting itself at him, turning into a bullet, its talons aimed straight at his heart.

  "There..." Siu, exhaling the word, stepped in, right into the attack, feeling the wind it was pushing, using it to determine the perfect direction for his own attack.

  At the last instant, the Crane unfolded, meeting the Ironclaw, guiding, redirecting the line of deathly talons away by just barely... but then, the Crane snapped, and the Wild Cat twisted Siu's hips, bringing him further in, to be replaced by the Ox, stabilizing his footwork, just as his elbow struck its mark.

  Right into the creature’s exposed throat.

  A sickening crack echoed through the forest, and the next moment, the Ironclaw’s cry was strangled in its throat as its momentum turned back against itself. Siu’s counterattack, now amplified by the bird's own speed, sent the entire animal crashing sideways into a fallen log with a thunderous impact... where it twitched twice... then went still, its head dangling to the side, part of its vertebra sticking out through its neck.

  After what felt like an eternity of silence, exhaling, Siu remained at the same spot before finally gasping for air, his arm trembling violently, the pain beginning in earnest. Slowly blinking his eyes, he looked at himself, watching how blood dripped from his shoulder wound, touching his cheek that stung where the talon had grazed him... And by now, with every breath, his ribs felt poking him like needles.

  "Haaaah!" With a satisfied smile, he inhaled and exhaled once again, enjoying the feeling of victory, even if it hurt like hell, looking at the tiny, shivering bundle of black, silver, and gold in his arms... alive and... Well, now the fox looked even better than he did. “That…” he whispered, wiping sweat and blood from his brow, “…was almost worth the experience.”

  Shaking himself and then gazing at the corpse, feeling his own state, and realizing that everything went south so quickly... A new thought had rooted itself in his mind: He had to go home. And do it quickly before something sniffs his presence out and comes to take a bite from him...

  “Guess I’m not getting an egg today,” he muttered, shaking his head, walking up to the bird, grabbing it by the broken neck... and began hauling it back to the Sect.

  four weeks ahead! Or if you like my works, supporting via the $1 tier would also help me, so that maybe one day writing can be my main job.

  Or just buying me a cup of coffee would help, too~!