Fool of Knight 1: Strength

Chapter 7

A snake stretching 6 inches slithered from a hole carved high into the tree ahead. Its silky white scales glistened as it raised its brow, revealing its ruby red eyes. 10 small horns protruded from around its head, 4 on top and 3 at each side.

"Left," it barked again, smiling to show his teeth.

The five horns on its right side were badly broken and chipped, leaving only one with an actual tip and wide scar that ran from its left eye to its forehead.

"Do all animals talk..."

"But never trust another s-snake!" Turning around it slithered back into the hole.

"The left path is safe?" I paused for a response.

Aside from the vines each path looked identical, an over casted 40-foot wrap around that eventually curved out of sight.

"Which one did Zelle choose... it said left but..." I clinched my arm, failing to steady my hand as I plucked out the grass. "Excuse me! Did a woman come by here earlier!?"

"Which earlier," it replied.

"Which earlier!?" "What does that mean?"

Its response was a slow cackle.

I sat in awkward silence, awaiting another response.

"Hello..." I slowly stood, tortured by the cratered scars on my soles.

Examining the vines on the left path I leaned in, attempting to catch a glimpse inside the coils. The consistency in them looked too placed to be natural.

"Are those traps?! "

Pivoting right, I hesitantly stepped onto the warm grass of the right path.

The soles of my feet violently shook, sending the inertia to my ankles and juggling them in their sockets as the grass deeply jabbed my feet.

Stepping backwards, I collected myself.

"What was that... It didn't just feel like the grass was harder?!" I turned to the snake's hole, hesitating to ask another question. "Is the energy it's sending out too much for me... then that means this side is full of traps because it's easier to cross?"

Switching sides, I surveyed the vines again. The branches they hung from were too high to see. About 8 feet of space spanned between them interchanging from each side making them more difficult to measure before curving out of sight.

"They don't look too hard to avoid." I stepped onto the grassy plain, immediately back stepping as I experienced the same result. "Did he lie?!"

My ankles and shins felt as raw as the soles of my feet. My knee started its next fit of pain, spreading its green hue to my inner thigh.

"It's spreading!?" The flesh around my knee had festered into a green and red ring of decay, bordered by a purple outline. The sight made me nauseous, and my eyes watered. "I can't look..."

My vision blurred again, and my thoughts faded into incoherency.

I could feel an immense presence step behind me.

"Somebody's-." My heart throbbed as my throat closed. "Run!"

I could feel its hand reaching to me.

"Go!"

The first vine was 4 feet from where I was standing.

Placing both hands on the dense, thick vine, I prepared to swing. "Here goes nothing!" Kicking off the ground, I swung my legs, propelling me forward. I released it, grabbing the next one and repeating the process two more times. "It's working!"