Authors note: so, here it is, after EIGHT, FRICKEN, DAYS.

so, before we do anything, i want to propose a competition. the rules are simple.

go to the comment section, and post the meanest comment you can. you will score points for,

1:swearing

2:insulting me

3:making things personal

4:implying that i'm stupid.

5:having bad grammar

anyway, just think of the worst possible insults you can use on me, and post it in written form in the comments. i hope to see some hilarious comments. ;3

Authors after note: enough with this. in the authors super fun update, i said i'd be implementing something new. in this case, it's music.

through out the writing of this series, i have listened to music while writing, and it helped me greatly. so, i'm going to provide a link to the music i listen to, so you too can be inspired.

here it is. http://listenonrepeat.com/watch/?v=O0M5D5OA-d4#Sick_Puppies_-_You_re_going_down_-_with_lyrics

so, without further ado, here is chapter five, Back Against the Wall.

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panting.

is it me? or the bear behind me?

roaring, and the skidding of claws on stone.

i ran around a corner, thinking desperately.

the bears roaring will attract other predators... i need to get away, or silence it.

i saw a narrow path, and it looked like it widened further out. i quickly ran through, the beast coming to a stop outside, too big to get through.

finally got away, *pant* now how do i...

it was a dead end.

shit

what had looked like a narrow passage that soon widened out, had in fact been a bowl-like crevice. the sun could be seen above, for all the good it did when the circular walls went straight up.

there was no escape.

*pant* *pant*

closed off in a dead end, with a rabid beast just a few feet away roaring for blood.

why the hell does this always happen to me!

*huff* *huff*

all my life... from one point to another... i had always been the hunted.

this bear...

shadowpelt wouldn't be cornered.

that oversized lizard...

shadowpelt wouldn't be hunted.

the wolves...

he would be the one to hunt.

squid in the lake...

shadowpelt wouldn't just sit back and be chased.

all my life, i've had a target on my back. i was left alone..

he would fight.

shuned by my fellows, hunted by my enemys..

he would kill!

if everything wants to kill me,

he would die if it meant killing the enemy!

"i'll return the favor..."

i turned, and walked back to the bear.

it roared, and rampaged against the tiny hole, knowing it's prey lay just beyond this obstacle.

i'll make you proud...

i shot the spikes from my tail into it's thighs, making it scream in pain. when it fell down to four legs, i jumped onto it's back, and quickly found my balance. i dug my claws into its fur, digging as far as i could, trying to find the warm flesh, and red blood that lay beneath.

i dug furiously with my claws, focused solely on my task of killing it. when my spikes regrew, i jumped off, and flipped, landing in front of the bear, with it in between me and the dead end. it roared, and pivoted around. when its eyes came into view, full of hate and vengeance, i aimed for the center ring. soon, his eyes resembled hedgehogs.

finally, he fell dead. i looked dispassionatly at my kill, and smiled a little.

then, lizards that were four feet long, with sharp claws, and hard hides, came into view. they were hungry, and looking at them, i new i was the first item on their menu.

ah, shit.

shadowpelt's POV

the days passed quickly, and i rarely paid much attention to them. i was much more interested in what we were learning.

as a cat, i could ride Kat from class to class, and listen in on the lectures with no one the wiser. however, listening to lectures wasn't enough to make you a mage.

"one, two, three."

i stated calmly, counting the number of shadow balls i could make at once.

in the case of using instinctual magic, you had to know both inner magic manipulation, and outer mana manipulation. after listening to many lectures on the subject, and studying how the teacher would use their magic to make an example, i started experimenting. my mana pool, as the teacher had called the source of my mana, was where you drew mana from.

it also turned out that you needed an 'affinity' for a certain element, in order to cast spells of that type. along with my ability to use shadow magic, i could also use a couple others...

every night, i would practice.

the teacher had said that the more you used mana, and the better you got at controlling it, the more you would have.

some got more faster than others, while some could no longer increase their mana pool. it all depended on your body.

after a couple hours of bending the shade to my will, i tried something different.

i smiled, when the liquid obeyed my command.

Talkir's POV

*pant* *pant*

i crouched among countless bodies, their blood mixing with their torn flesh.

it was hell. it was torture.

it was fun!

i limped over to a body when i though it moved, and bit it's throat.

only after a little bit did i remember to spit it out.

i retreated to the dead end, dragging a couple lizard bodies with me, and laying them over me. then i slept.

if any predator was small enough to get through the crevice, i would hear it eating the lizards on top of me, and that would give me enough time to kill it. probably. i sighed as i let the blackness take me.

when i next awoke, i found myself surrounded. not by friends, but by enemies. i flew back into the fray, scratching and biting, doing my best to kill.

shadowpelt's POV

yesterday, the teacher had told us that they would be having a tournament. apparently, the winner would get to visit a room that was normally forbidden to students, and take one item from it.

it was known as 'The Room of Artifacts' and apparently held items of immense power. it was usually off-limits because it held many potentially dangerous items, and many foolish wizards hoping for power had met their end within it's confines.

i hadn't planned to, but maybe visiting this room would have its perks? however, it wasn't like i could just appear out of nowhere and enter. so, i was quite happy when kat did.

we were standing by the board after the class hours were over, and i wondered if kat would enter. i knew she was a fairly skilled mage, but i had no idea where she stood in relation to other mages. after some thought, and some taunting from the class bully, she signed her name.

as she picked me up and placed me on her shoulder, i saw the tell-tale signs of frustration on kat's face. she was obviously shaken from the bully's taunts. i was trying to remain detached, but when i saw her hastily wipe a tear from her eye, i decided the bully had crossed the line.

i turned to the bully, and saw the smirk on his face.

i activated fear.

and i chuckled when he fell over crying like a little bitch.

oh, revenge tasted sweet.

Talkir's POV

tear, bite, hit, repeat.

over and over, time and time again, never ending slaughter was all i knew.

'who's talkir? all i need is killing. i don't need a name. i just need to kill. kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill

why do i need to kill?

who am i?

what am i?

i'm worthless. all i do is kill. but i do it for shadowpelt.

who's shadowpelt? who's shielin? who's egain?

who's talkir?

'i don't need to know. all i need is to kill.

kill?

kill

kill

kill!

kill!

kill!

kill!

kill!

i will make shadowpelt proud...

I WILL KILL!!!!!

-three days later-

grunting. crunching. panting.

who is that?

what looked like a human was eating the raw flesh of numerous beasts.

all around, corpses lay like unpicked flowers. after a couple hours of the beaver fighting, other predators had been attracted, and thrown themselves into the melee. soon, no one could tell who friend or foe was. all that remained was death.

the grunting and crunching of bone continued, the human ripping chunks out of whatever happened to be in reach.

it muttered under its breath,

"kill. kill. kill."

over and over, like a chant.

once it was full, it lay on the ground, and shook.

"n-no... s-stop i-it.."

"no! kill! kill! kill!"

"s-stop, t-there i-isn't a-anything else to kill... stop yelling at me..."

"don't you want to make shadowpelt proud?!"

"i-i do.."

"then kill!"

the human kept muttering to itself, alternating between yelling and screaming, and whimpering and whining.

soon, though...

"kill everything.. kill everyone...

"b-but i don't w-want to..."

"if you don't kill, shadowpelt will abandon you!"

"n-no... don't leave me shadowpelt.."

"if you don't want him to leave, then KILL!

"y-yes... kill."

"kill."

"kill."

"kill!"

"k-kill!"

"kill!"

"kill!"

soon, the voices stopped alternating.

now the human only screamed. it's voice echoing off of the mountain walls, it screamed at itself.

it didn't stop, not until it's voice broke.

then it started ripping apart the corpses, till they weren't recognizable as once being living. all that remained of dozens of living creatures was bloody chunks and splattered red.

"i am Talkir!

it ripped apart an already maimed corpse.

"i will serve shadowpelt!"

it started stuffing pieces into it's mouth, chewing bone and flesh alike.

"and i will kill!"

it finally passed out.

and as it fell asleep, it muttered in a whining voice.

"d-don't leave me too..."