Five long years had passed since I rescued Soros from the evil clutches of the tyrant, Hijus, and helped to instate Jorus as the new king of Acrutia. I think about my time there often. Especially on a day such as this while on the road to that city that held me prisoner once but now is like a second home to me. I was stirred from my thoughts by my young daughter jumping on my lap. "Sogon," I laughed, "Where is your mother?" She looked up at me and smiled. She looked so much like her mother it was astonishing. Her dark hair rested on her young shoulders as she opened her mouth to speak. "She is picking fruit with Sath," she said. She pointed towards the forest and I could easily make out Soros holding our son's hand as they looked for our lunch. We had decided to make a quick stop to eat on our journey to visit Jorus and his family. "Run and help your mother and brother while I unsaddle the mounts." I said to Sogon. "Okay!" She exclaimed. I watched her run towards Soros until she finally reached them. As I got up I noticed my sword laying on the ground beside me. I picked it up and made my way towards our carriage when I heard Soros scream in terror. I quickly turned and saw something that filled my heart with dismay. Soros had her small dagger held out and was backing towards a large tree. She had Sath and Sogon behind her and was slowly being approached by a large gar. I had already started for them at a sprint when I had noticed my family's welfare being questioned. The gar had it's back towards me and was preparing to pounce when I drew my own dagger and leaped onto it's back, wrapping my legs around his waist and my left arm squeezed around his throat. I plunged my dagger into the side of his chest as he began trying to buck me off of him. The creature's strong claws tried to rip me from him but I would not relinquish my grasp. He roared in agony as my blade entered his chest a second and a third time. When it became obvious to him that he could not be free of me by bucking and tearing, he decided on a much more sensible approach. The brute rolled to one side and nearly crushed my body underneath his immense weight. The breath was knocked out of me and my arm weakened for only a second, but unfortunately that was enough. He tore himself from me and rolled back onto his feet, then he pounced on me. His terrible jaws were barely inches from my face and I winced as I smelled the scent of death lingering on his breath. His eyes stared into mine and I knew the end had finally come. I struggled to try and release myself from his strong claws but it was no use. I could hear my children and wife crying in horror and it made the end even more tragic in my mind, to know that they would soon meet the same fate that was in front of me. I stole a glance in their direction and was surprised to note that they were no longer where I had last seen them. I looked back up at the creature that would introduce me to the end of my life and saw a look of pain in his eyes as his body collapsed on top of me and his head rested on my shoulder. His great weight prohibited me from breathing and I felt myself begin to lose consciousness...