Re: The Spreading Infection
Chapter 6: Trapped
“How…how many are there,” Maria said in a trying to catch her breath.
“Ten…at least I didn’t get a good look,”
“To many to kill?”
“No I could kill these, but there are many more on our wake by the time I kill these hundreds more would be in our midst.”
“Oh,” She said getting back to our feet,” We just need to find our way back to the clearing this is the same path isn’t it.”
“Yeah, we must go now they are catching up.” Tsuukai said running down the path again, the lovely Maria right behind him. Behind them trees shook as an ugly face peered threw the trees a giant club in its distorted hand. With a sickly yellow smile it gave chase.
“Damnit one’s found us,” Tsuukai said looking over his should for only a second, “Whatever you do don’t stop running,” The speed quickened down the forest path Tsuukai, and Maria began taking distance from the lumbering beast, until the path was stopped short by a group of trees.
“What these weren’t here before,”
“The trees,” Maria said slapping herself in the forehead,” The trees must be on Stacia’s side she planned this.”
“Of course…” But his sentence was cut short by loud footsteps. The Troll was upon them Maria was first in line, but the troll merely used its giant hand to throw her away she was not what its master wanted. The master of shadow’s tried to draw his blade but it was knocked loose by the giant primitive weapon. Flying threw the air in landed far away.
The giant club was raised into the air ready to crush the warrior. Before it fell the Troll’s attention was turned away from a sharp pain in it’s back. His deformed head turned all the way around followed by his body. Orders or not he was angry this girl would pay. With a massive hand Maria was sent flying backwards onto her back. The troll ran forward as a glowing hand touched the ground a way’s behind him. The troll was about to stomp out the girl in a run if a wall of rock hadn’t risen from the ground that second. He stumbled backwards trying to catch his balance, but two well placed arrows brought the best to his knees.
The dark warrior walked causally up to the best grabbing the hilt of a sword protruding from its back. His face was hidden by the shadows as he stabbed the blade into the deranged beasts neck ending it. Maria walked around to see the troll laying dead a look of surprise across her face.
“How…did you?’ Glancing towards the rock wall that rose to save her life.
“That is a lesson for another day,” Handing Maria’s blade back to her,” You will need this if we are to survive,” Nodding her head she placed her weapon at her side.
“Where too now? The path is blocked”
“I know,” He said going into thought.
“Why don’t you just blast the trees away until we reach the center?”
“No…” He said in a wave of his hand, “Even my power has its limits and we don’t know how thick these are if I start and are unable to finish we wont be able to escape,”
“Well standing here isn’t doing any good either we have to do some thing,” A sound of distress in her voice.
“Ok I have an idea. This forest is like a maze with connecting paths there must be more that lead to the center so all we have to do…”
“Is follow the path till we reach the center,”
“Exactly. Here lets take this one,” He said pointing to a small path, loud footsteps almost drowning him out. “Fast!” He said running Maria not far behind. They speed threw trees and brushes with a pair of yellow eye’s slithering behind them. Waiting watching for its moment to strike. Soon they where at a cross roads it found it’s chance.
Tsuukai let out a vicious scream as it attached itself to his arm. Twin pincers protruding from its slimy mouth it drained him, and left it’s job done. The master of shadows feel to the ground limp Maria at his side.
“What was that thing? It isn’t poison is it?”
“Worse,” He barely managed to say.
“Worse!?!”
“An ancient snake…it drains energy,” He said trying to get his bearings. “ He drained it all I cant use magic,” A horrid look was all Maria could do to respond. “We must move now, we haven’t much time,” Struggling to get to his feet he motioned forward.”
“You can barely walk just rest for a moment,”
“No! the more we wait the close they come I cant fight in the condition we must make hast lest they find us.” He took off in a halfhearted run. He was breathing deeply Maria could sense that he didn’t have much left to run on.
“Are you sure your going to be ok?” Her voice sounded worried almost afraid.
“Ill be fine,” Wheezing he managed to get the words out, “Turn here,” he said motioning to a path to there left. The ominous sounds of many heavy footsteps sill filled their minds. The more they ran the farther the footsteps sounded, but with each step Tsuukai’s breath grew harsher. If we can’t rest soon he’s going to faint, but if we do they will catch us, and I know I cant take them on alone. thoughts ran threw the female warriors mind. She had to do something, she just didn’t know what.
“We need to rest you can’t run forever.” Slowing her pace to a light jog.
“We have to this maze has to lead to the center sometime,” He barely was able to make the words.
“Listen if you faint well both be dead the best thing we can do now is rest.”
“I can make it, just a little further then we be able to leave this dreaded forest,”
“You can barely speak,”
“ I told you I am fine,”
“And I don’t believe you.”
“You don’t have to believe me. In either case we aren’t stopping,” As if on cue something made them stop, a giant one-eyed spider found its way into their path. It seemed the whole forest was against them. They skidded to a halt searching desperately to find a way out, with no luck the spider knew what it was doing and there was no place for them to run. Maria tried turning around the other way but a group of trees blocked her path.
“This is not good,” Her face blank as she her eyes met with the thing that stopped them. With a swipe of it’s giant claw the great Tsuukai Ita was flung lifelessly into the forest . A loud crack filled the air as he met with a tree. The sickly yellow eye found a new target, a helpless girl. Her blond hair tied back shaded by the thick impenetrable forest. Her face showed horror as the beast approached poisonous fangs oozing green open.