Raining Nitre

The Deadly Forest

           As I finish running over a large hill of sand I stop and take notice of my surroundings. In front of me was the most wonderful thing I have ever seen. There are vibrant brown trees with green leaves creating a canopy over the forest. In the center I can see an area with no trees, making me realize I've heard of this forest before. A man told me in another town that there was a beautiful forest near Nyshka but I assumed it was just a rumor. He said the ground was made of dirt, not sand and the trees were alive. He said there are animals and rivers running through the forest all connecting to a deep blue lake. However the forest is not how it seems on the outside, he told me stories of a large serpent living on the bottom of the lake. The beast is a quarter mile long with fangs as long and as thick as a man, it's scales are a light purple but they reflect sunlight causing you to see several serpents instead of the one and it has holes in its fangs where it can shoot water at high speeds.

           A woman told me in the same town that there is a maze on the east side of the forest. The maze is several miles long and if you make it to the center there is more treasure than you could ever need. However to get to the treasure you need to make your way through the maze fighting giant spiders and eventually a tall muscular half man half bull also known as a minotaur. He supposedly has an axe with a handle made of ivory and a blade made of obsidian. His muscular arms can tear you limb from limb in a single quick pull and he has sharpened  horns extending from his head.

          I make my way down the hill and head into the forest. The trees are close together causing me to go slower. Above my head I hear the calls of birds and the screeching of monkeys. Up ahead I see an old well. A green film covers most of the rocks, made of moss, and above it are four rotted columns extending three feet upwards. Looking down the well I notice a small amount of purple liquid corroding the stones at the bottom. I keep walking and I eventually make my way to a clearing. The grass is oddly short and is a vibrant green. The grass stops a quarter mile in at an amazing blue lake. Gigantic deer graze near the shore while tiny ducks swim around the surface of the water. The deers' antlers are extremely thick and they stand at least nine feet tall. The ducks are a turquoise contrasting with their light red beaks. As I approach the water the deer and ducks retreat into the dense forest.

          A large purple mound erupted from the water creating tall waves. I take a step back and the beast reveals itself further, it rises thirty feet from the surface and a long quiet hiss escapes from its mouth. I draw my scythe and prepare for battle. The beast sends its head flying toward me. I dodge out of the way and it leaves a crater in the ground. With its head still in the ground I attack its neck with my sword but it simply creates sparks. The serpent shook me off its head and shoots water from its fangs. The water hits my left shoulder tearing flesh and drawing blood. I counter by attacking its eye with my scythe. The eyes bursts open turning the water light red.

           I step away from the dead beast and look at my map. Past the forest is Agrippa and to the east is the maze. I roll my map up and start heading towards the maze.