Behind My Shadow - Book Three

39. Time Is Taking It's Sweet Time

The woods have long since thinned out behind me. I'm now mucking through a marsh, struggling through mud and choppy, dark waters. I've taken off my Amulet and -much like the first time- I was overwhelmed with nausea but honestly, feeling a little sick after wearing it feels like a fair trade for brief immortality. 

But I wisely keep it tucked away for safe keepings, I'm only supposed to use it when I absolutely have to, the side-effects only get worse the longer I wear it.

And anyway, despite the oppressive heat, I still feel pretty good; hot, sweaty and slightly lightheaded but pretty good as things considering.

I have my pauldrons on, I wear my bracelet, and am wearing my cuirass under my shirt and I keep my helmet tucked under my arm while I carry my compass around in my hand. Despite being giddy about finding the last piece of armor, I can't help but worry if I'm actually missing something. I mean, I've been finding things that correspond with my next Labor ever since I started searching for the Vorpal armor, but there was nothing to find after I collected my pauldrons.

I can't help but worry if I missed something but honestly, I looked everywhere before I left.

There wasn't anything to find.

I sigh as I glance at my compass, the light of the setting sun reflecting off it makes it practically impossible to see. Everything all around me is bathed in blinding scarlet rays of light, even the murky water I wade through sparkles like gold as the sun sets.

The compass keeps wanting me to venture further out into the marsh, I bit my lip as I look around. I hope this thing doesn't expect me to swim here. I've had my fill of swimming in murky waters full of creatures I can't see in order to retrieve my armor. Maybe it wants me to pass through the swamp...

I squint into the distance.

I can faintly make out a stretch of land or something dark on the horizon.

I hope none of my ancestors consider this cheating but... I fashion myself a motorboat in a flourish of blazing white magic.

I eagerly pull myself into the boat and happily rest my helmet and compass on the adjacent bench and now I motor farther into the marsh. The sun rapidly sets so before too long I'm left in the darkness, the only light is the wanning moon partly hidden behind some clouds.

Once I get about halfway through the swamp though my boat mysterious dies.

"What the hell?" I anxiously restart the engine, but nothing happens. "C'mon," I groan and try to summon more magic to ignite it but still nothing works. I swallow hard as I look around, shore is still so far away... I swiftly summon a pair of oars and now begin rowing my way to shore. Sweat breaks across my brow but I refuse to be worn down so soon and keep gruelingly rowing.

Something bumps into my boat.

I tighten my grip on my oars as I nervously peer over the edge. It's too dark to see anything. 

I swallow hard but now resume rowing, casting a concerned glance at my compass. It still points straight ahead. I feverishly row faster as I see a dorsal fin of some sort slice through the water beside my boat before disappearing under the surface again.

I suddenly scream as something wrenches one of my oars out of my hand. OMG, no! No, no! This is bad! I desperately use my remaining oar to center the boat again before struggling to push on.

Beneath my boat, lights suddenly begin to blaze.

I lean over with disbelief as I see shark-like-alligator hybrids twisting through the water beneath me. They are covered in scales like reptiles and have clawed feet and long snouts, but the rest of their bodies and tails look like sleek sharks. What's most alarming about these creatures though is the fact that they are literally on fire.

Yes! Even despite the water! These monsters are literally all ablaze in clouds of amber and scarlet flames, their eerie light illuminates the entire swamp! I can see straight down to the bottom.

Which is unnervingly littered in skeletons.

I scream again as two of the monsters zip upwards through the water and now erupt through the surface on either side of my boat. 

I watch with enormous eyes of fright as the huge beasts arch overhead above my boat, the water that is slung after them is on fire too and rains down over me. I wildly start stomping at the flames flickering in my boat as the two monsters splash back down into the hellish swamp.

The entire surface of water abruptly ignites all around me.

No! I desperately summon my command over fire and swiftly stifle the flames engulfing my boat, now I frantically summon water and create a wave to shove my boat rapidly across the burning surface of the marsh.

I anxiously look over the edge to see the fiery creatures hungrily pursuing me.

I swiftly summon more water and now brandish my hand over the swamp, creating an undertow that luckily is strong enough to wrench the creatures away from me. They are dragged back out to the depths of the marsh as my boat swiftly sails over the water.

I crash into the muddy bank of the next shore so roughly; I'm thrown to the bottom of the boat and all of my things rain down over me. I frantically snatch them up and wildly stumble out of my boat, desperate to get as far away from the water's edge as possible. 

I have no idea if those creatures can follow me up here on land and I'd rather not find out. 

I keep running until the glow of the hell-fire swamp is just a glowing blip on the horizon. Now I finally collapse in the middle of a grassy bog, cool water splashes my jeans and arms as I land on all fours, but I hardly care. I'm just desperately trying to catch my breath.

Where...am I...now? I wearily wonder as I shakily lift my head. All around me for as far as the eye can see are bogs and sandbars. I'm not officially on "dry-land" but I'm not exactly swimming in water either, so I'm kinda somewhere uncomfortably in between.

I glance at my compass. It is still pointing dead ahead.

I heave an exhausted sigh as I slowly stagger up to my feet. I gotta find a place to camp. My tenth Labor doesn't officially start until tomorrow away. I gotta be close the shield, I assure myself. But I'm so tired, I feel like I could just pass out if I attempt to push myself any farther.

Luckily -despite how weary I am physically- my magic has never been stronger. I smile faintly with amazement as I swiftly fashion a tent on stilts for myself to rest in for tonight. I weakly scale the rope latter and now crash down on the cot inside my shelter. I don't know if I'll ever get used to having an unlimited supply of magic, but it is truly incredible, I think with a soft sigh as I nestle down.

Tomorrow I'll find the shield, and tomorrow night I'll be back home... I quietly assure myself before I nod off to sleep.