A reason to run

With a deceptive swiftness, he slid over the white sands of the desert. He was still moving in a straight line, hoping to gain an advantage from a simple point to point movement. Yet, without moving his head he could tell that it wasn't working as he wished. He could sense it, it was still behind him and the distance had not decreased in the slightest. Despite that the rather hollow after him seemed hung up on the idea of consuming him, especially with its jaw hung open like that. Yet, while he fled the creature focussed on ending his being mortally, his mind chided itself for being any more faster than it, after all, it looked so big and cumbersome.

Medrus slowed down a little, allowing the gap between him and the hollow to shrink, but allowing him to regain some of his energy too. The little pursuit so far had only showed that perhaps a little change was needed. In an instant, he shoot off to his right and then to his right again. The hollow, had not expected the changed, almost expected to catch its prey. Now it was forced with a surprised turn and then another. In this time, Medrus gave it his all again, pushing himself as far as he could in his speed. As long as he could just get enough distance between him and that other hollow.

As a hollow, Medrus had found himself to be faster than most at his level. He often used this to his advantage, and did his best to stay clear of those that seemed more powerful. And to find himself in this position was something he did not like, to have a much stronger hollow after him merely meant that he had to get better. This had happened by accident, but he knew that this would happen again, and again after that. Turning his mask slightly he saw the form of the large hollow still bounding after him, still intent on its meal. It was further behind now, and if the desert wasn't playing tricks, the distance was slowly increasing. This was he needed to give him more room to loose it if he could find a way. Still, fleeing for his very existence, Medrus knew that he had to push himself now, there would be no second chances, and he meant for this to no be a final wish as well.

A few typos within that sort of broke up the flow of reading for me however still a +1 to speed.

The thing was very persistent. All this did was underline the fact that he needed a bit more awareness in the future. The large hollow was still following him, a fact which Medrus did not like, but was slowly adjusting too. Its will to consume him was strong indeed, but in his mind, Medrus put that his urge to exist was stronger. As much as this chase could prove an end to his being, he found himself mulling over, in a distant kind of way, about how this was slowly changing from a mere flight to something more.

It seemed to Medrus that he was slightly faster now. The large hollow, though still behind him, had fallen back even further in the pursuit. For the first time since his awakening in this place, Medrus had felt that his being was on the line. He had either been too cautious to provoke those more powerful than himself, and had spent his time always going after those weaker. Now however he was forced to give everything he had, and then some. After all, nothing survived here unless it could prove itself, maybe this was his chance.

Letting such thoughts leave his mind for now, Medrus turned his head to watch the chasing hollow again. There it was, still after him, its mouth open ready for a feast. If it wanted a meal, now it was going to have to work for it. With his mind now longer scolding itself for the chase's start, it began to have more room to think. When he had pushed himself he had felt that his speed had risen, perhaps he could try that once more. Still feeling the presence of the large hollow he willed himself even more. He let the presence of the other hollow to permeate more in his mind, to keep his will to live strong and sharp. A sensation slowly rose inside him, a feeling that there was more weight, or more pressure, focussing on his movement. Indeed, it seemed as though all his energy, his spirit, was being focussed there.

Yes, this fight or flight urge was pushing him on, and it seemed to be working. But, as he felt the hollow's presence slowly fade, he turned and sped back towards it. His mind cleared, and he could see the large hollow bounding towards him. Medrus knew that this encounter, this hollow, had already pushed him further, perhaps it was not time to leave the chase. The feeling of your mortality had given him the edge, now to build on it, after all nothing pushed you on like knowing your life was in danger.

Nearing the large hollow, he turned away at the last moment, the hollow lashing out at him. Medrus merely began to circle around it, fascinated how it was now slowly than when he had stumbled across it. Then, with a thought that seemed mad to him, he stopped. The large hollow came bounding up to him, and just as it reached out to him, Medrus set off again. Yes, again the feeling of pressure filled his movements. He gave it his all again, he was testing himself know, he would either make it or would end his days here. Such a thought drove him on further, urging him faster still.

+1.5 speed

The difference was telling. Just a few minutes ago when he had come across the large hollow it was faster than him, he knew that much. Now however he had not only equalled its speed, but now seemed to be moving faster than it. This change had even given him something to ponder on for a few moments in his murky mind. He had remained at his current state for so long, but this encounter had shown evolution was needed, and he doubted this would be the only time he would be tested.

But those thoughts drifted away, his mind coming back to where he and the other hollow where. After his last dash, he had zigzagged his way away, both to confuse the hunting hollow, and to test himself at such turns. So far, his motivations and advancement had been instinctual, primal. Turning himself so that he was slithering backwards, he looked at the large hollow decrease. It was time to make these changes not rely on the heat of the moment alone.

Stopping swiftly, and causing a cloud of sand to bellow away from him, Medrus started towards the large hollow. He quickly reached his previous speed and was closing on the other beast. Now he began to push his reiatsu to his lower half, but controlling it more now. He was no longer urging and hoping for results, he was taking control, he was making sure that he was faster, that it was because he wanted it so. Within seconds he met up with the hollow and shot to its right and began to circle it.

Medrus did not attack the hollow, he merely watched as it tried to hit him as he quite literally ran circles around it. It no longer had the speed to keep up. Inside his mind a sense of pleasing filled him, he was at even greater speed now. The focussing of his power was giving him speeds he had never reached, and with this in mind, and no longer seeing the large hollow as an interest he left his circular path around the beast and slid over the sands of the hollow world, adjusting to this new level.

+1 speed

His run across the white sands was now uneventful, there was no longer a hollow chasing him. He had adjusted to the level of speed he had reached, an idle thought drifting through his mind about how much faster he was now compared to but a day ago. It showed that he could still progress further, a thought that stayed in his mind much longer than other would. With this on his mind he lazily looked over the environment and spotted a few of the white dead trees that also made up the desert of this place.

Sliding effortless from his current path, he slithered over the trees, stopping at the nearest one. He merely watched the object for a few seconds, and then twisted his body and looked at one of the other trees near to it. He watched the other tree with equal interest, his head tilting to the side a little.

He slid over the white sands to the other tree. Once there he looked back to the one he started off at. Maybe there should be no time like the present to start pushing the bar higher. The bottom of his form twisted and flicked, causing a cloud of sand to fly up into the air. In that moment he slithered back to the other tree backwards, all the time facing the sand. The distance between the two objects was not much, but half of the white sand had already reached the ground.

Medrus again repeated the technique, and urged more of his reiatsu towards his lower half. His movement between the trees was faster than before, but still there were a few grains that reached the ground before him. His masked face lowered, and continued to repeat this action, time and time again, each time focussing his reiatsu to his movements, urging himself to beat the sand.

Each time saw him now merely begin to count the little grains of sand. He was slowly increasing his speed, and this time no hollow to feast on him if he failed. However, it was a few relays in when, giving everything, he found himself reaching one of the trees before a grain of sand had hit the ground. He merely stood there and looked across at the hollow made pile, and then at the two trees. The little exercise had helped indeed, but maybe something else was needed too. With that the hollow slithered off, at a speed greater than what he had before.

+.5 speed and thread locked