Micheal immediately began to think of how he could put his plan into action. It worked for smaller creatures, but would it work for one so big, and hellbent on killing him. He would just have to find out... and very soon at that. The first step of the plan would be to make the beast stay still it wouldn't work if it was moving and all active.
He needed that cave of yesterday, but he was not sure if he was on the right trail. 'If i had known, i would have memorized the trail' he thought inwardly as the dodged the tree branch that whizzed over his head.
He turned back to look at the distance between them and he could see the leopard was not that far away, it also licked its lips as Michael turned back to look at it.
''Urgh... psychopath'' he said out loud and focused on looking in front of him.
***
Michael ran for a straight ten minutes, with the one-eyed leopard chasing very close behind, it could even swipe at Michael right now and end the chase, but it wanted to tire this hateful human that called it names and insulted its ancestors and generations, but it also wanted to enjoy eating this human. Its spitefulness would end today.
''Disgrace of a cyclops, your fore-ancestors could do better than you are doing now, but here you are still chasing a weak, frail, kind and defenseless human like me for ten minutes."
"Tch, trash like you shouldn't even be allowed to be bred, i ought to... '' Michael continued dishing insults to the leopard but it behaved as if it didn't hear him, it even had a smug expression on its face.
'What kind of freak doesn't react to an insult.' Michael thought inwardly, he hoped to anger it and make more susceptible to surprises but it acted calm and kept on chasing him, albeit with a smug expression on its face.
Michael was starting to get tired, what he hoped would happen didn't and the leopard was still chasing. Suddenly, he heard a sound. The sound kept getting louder and louder, it was a foreign sound, a sound that was not made by anything in the jungle. It was the sound of a jet.
Michael could not believe it, the sound of a jet, he had not heard the beautiful sound of civilization in how many years now, and it was getting closer. He could not miss this chance. A once in a lifetime opportunity for him. He now to had to figure out how to signal the jet, and with a leopard chasing close behind him.
***
The leopard looked overhead at the sound. It stopped its chase to determine where the sound was coming from. It thought for a moment before continuing its chase with Michael, it could not allow this hateful human to escape from it again.
''You sure you still want to be chasing me, my friends are coming real soon, and you will be quite sorry that you angered me, hehehe'' Michael taunted the leopard in a bid to dissuade it from its chase but his efforts proved useless as the leopard quickened its pace, nearing Michael by mere meters.
'Tch, still chasing me huh'. There was a large clearing ahead, it would make a great area to signal the jet.
He ran into the clearing at full speed and began waving his hands at the now visible jet in the sky.
***
Onboard the ship
A man working the controls for the huge ship.
''Sir, there's somebody running in the clearing below us... and he seems to be chased by a beast sir. Please wait sir let me confirm the image.' He said as he zoomed in on Michael who was waving his hands frantically to signal the huge airship 'Got it sir, he is being chased by a one-eyed leopard with wings '' The man working the controls said to a communicator to the man in his room.
''Is he alone?'' the man addressed as sir asked.
''Appears so sir''
''Lock on to the beast and shoot it down'' The man addressed as sir gave the orders.
''After that sir?'' There was silence for a few seconds before he answered.
''Pick up the person''
''Yes sir'' He said and turned the communicator off.
***
Michael was elated with joy when the air ship slowed down and began shooting at the leopard. It jumped in surprise at the sudden open of fire. It gave a loud roar at the airship and turned to face Michael again. 'This ugly creature caused this' it thought.
Michael gave a hypnotic laugh and put all his strength in his legs and ran. They saw him and were firing at the leopard for him. Seeing the airship slow down and begin to shoot the leopard gave him a little boldness. ''I told you, but you wouldn't listen and very soon you will be filled with holes.''
The leopard roared once more and began evading the bullets. Fury was written on its face, but it was mainly preoccupied with dodging the bullets so when Michael gave another mocking laugh, it overlooked it.
***
''Huh, it's a kid'' One of the men behind the controls said to the person next to him.
''Why does he seem to be laughing'' another person asked. His only answer was a shrug.
***
The leopard soon after ran away when it could no longer keep dodging the bullets. Michael panted heavily with a smile on his dirty face. He had bested the leopard once again, and hopefully he wouldn't have to ever.
The giant airship slowly brought itself to land close to Michael and the ramp slowly open revealing an old man in view of Michael. He said no words and just beckoned for Michael to get in.
Michael, not used to human face in a long time took a few seconds to react before nodding his head entering the airship that took off soon after.
''Are you not going to ask me anything?'' Michael asked after several seconds of silence.
''What do you want me to ask you?'' The old man asked him as well. He kept quiet before shaking his head.
''Let me start with this. How long have you been there'' The old man asked him as he surveyed his old clothes that were clearly too small for him and was dirty and torn all over.
Michael looked at himself before answering. ''Four years, i think. Give or take ''.
''Hmmm''
''You want to ask me why that leopard was chasing me''
''Yes, i have wondered about that''
''Well, you see, i mistakenly interrupted when it was hunting, and it lost its meal, so it began to chase''
''There was fury written in its eyes, are you sure that's all?''
''I might have insulted it a little while it was chasing me so...''
The old man made no more attempts to talk so they walked in silence until they reached a room. ''Master has allowed me to put you here so this is where you shall stay until we have reached our destination. Do not come out of here, do you understand."
Michael nodded and entered the room and watched the door close.
He could not help but sigh in relief at the sight of humanity once again. He sat down on the soft bed and closed his eyes for a second. He was joyful after all he has connected back to humanity once, but what would he do after this. He had to think of the next step after this.
He decided he would continue with his train of thought after taking a bath. It had been more than four years since he had a bath with clean water and soap.
The airship flew by a large ocean that Michael could not see the end to in a very short amount of time. If fact it went so fast that he could only see the blue below but nothing in detail.
"This ocean that would have taken me months to cross, and that is if I am even going in the right direction. Yet this airship is crossing that distance I'm hours. I've really missed civilization."
***
Michael walked out of the room to see the old man stare at him. He had taken a bath and since his old clothes no longer size him and were dirty, he was wearing some clothes he saw in a cabinet in his room. Luckily the clothes were almost his size, albeit a bit bigger.
It had not been less than two hours since they picked him up and they had landed again.
''Where did you see these clothes'' the old man asked him.
''In the cabinet. . .they were. . . . they seemed unused so i . . er'' He started stammering when he was asked but the man shut him up by raising his hand.
''I don't care about that. Master wants to see you''. He immediately began walking and Michael followed after him. The rhythmic thrumming of the airship had stopped.
They had walked for quite a while until they reached a part of the ship, he thought was the captain's quarters.
There was a man within the age of forty sitting on what he thought was the captain's chair, showing he was in charge. The chair swiveled to face them and the 'captain' stared at them, more accurately Michael.
''Are you the one the leopard was chasing '' the man asked in a gruff voice.
''There isn't anyone else here is there?''. He asked back with a snap which he instantly regretted when a glint appeared in the man's eyes. Michael nearly fell over. The look the man gave him just now put fear in his heart, he instantly realized something 'this was the captain was this airship, he would obviously be strong'.
Michael swallowed, the glint in the man's eyes left and he looked normal again.
''Have you awakened your ability?''. To that which he nodded. ''So that's what giving you a couple of balls''. He chuckled, Michael instantly regretted doing what he did.
''Alright, what happened to you?''.
Michael started explaining from the top about how his father had sent him down to the large forest to save him from the ambush. He remembered the big explosion and the sleek airship his parents were in exploded into pieces.
He told the captain about he had stayed in the jungle filled with wild beasts for five years alone.
How he had barely been able to survive each night. His body was so thin and small that he still looked almost the same as he did for years ago. Food had really been a hassle for him since he didn't have any powers at that time.
"I see. No wonder you're a lunatic." The captain said even after all the passionate Michael story had told him.
A vein popped in his head as he heard that but kept his cool. This was the owner of the ship. He was very powerful and someone he should not even think of offending in his pathetic state. But his next words were...