Alisha

Frozen in Fear

Alisha stood watching the battle. Haras leapt forward and delivered a hard blow to Yeracs head. He fell to the ground so hard Alisha could feel the ground shake under her feet. But Yerac recovered quickly and lunged toward Haras's throat grabbing on pulling him inward toward himself. He wrapped his body around the boney beast in a few seconds. Haras kicked and struggled but the serpants grip was too powerful. As Yerac tightened his grip the bones began to crack and pop. Haras let out a blood chilling scream before his bones exploded into a cloud of dust.

Alisha couldn't move. She stood there with her hand trembling and tears running down her face in shock. The serpant looked at her calmly with a worried look in his eyes.

"Are you ok?"

"I-I think. I don't know."suddenly everything went black as she fainted and fell to the ground.

***

When she awoke she found herself in a large cave. Her head hurt and she wanted water. As she looked around the saw a huge leaf slightly withered cupping a large pool of water. Her burning thirst caused her to jump up and grab the leaf too quickly and it tumbled over and spilled to the ground.

"I can go grab some more for you if you like." Said a familiar voice from the opening of the cave. Alisha turned to meet eyes with Yerac as he slithered his way into the cave and coiled up in the far corner carefully. He was moving slowly trying not to startle the frazzled Alisha.

She thought for a moment. He was frightening to look at but he had saved her from the beats that tried to kill her.

"Please" she muttered to the worried eyed serpant. He moved his tail toward the exit and grabbed a leaf from just outside.

"I'll be back in a moment. You should lie back down and rest to regain your strength." He slid out of the cave leaving Alisha alone to explore.

As she looked around the cave was mostly empty. There was a pit in the center that contained the ashes of a fire. Looking around a bit more she found a pile of wood with flint next to it. She decided to try to start a fore realizing that the cave was slightly cold. The grabbed a few pieces of wood and flint and started trying to start the fire. After a few moments Yerac returned carefully gripping a leaf cup with his tail.

"Slowly now." He said carefully holding out his tail to Alisha. She stepped forward and grabbed the leaf slowly. As she poured the water into her mouth she felt a safe of relief in her body. Yerac giggled.

"What?"

"You'll need some kind of tinder to start that fire." He reached over to the wood pile with his tail and grabbed some smaller twigs wrapped in brush and set them in the middle of the fire.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." He said as Alisha soaked the flint and the fire jumped to life.

"Why did you save me?" Asked Alisha still staring into the dancing flames.

"Haras is an awful demon who feeds on wandering souls. Its my job to protect those who fall into his deceiving web."

"Than why did you let me chose to follow him?"

Yerac coiled himself up and rested his head on his body with a sigh.

"Because my job is only to protect, not to change minds. You're decision has to do with the reason you are here. If I sway that decision you gain nothing from your time here."

"I see." Said Alisha still wondering what her purpose was here.

They sat in silence for a while next to the warm fire before Alisha realized something.

"Aren't we waisting time?! If I stay too long won't I be trapped here?!"

"No child. This place is ment for you to understand on your own time. Haras only said that to lure you to his home faster."

"Is-is he dead?" She asked thinking back to the deafening wail she heard as Haras turned to dust.

"No. He will find another form to take. Our battle is never ending." Yerac explained as he turned his head to star out of the caves exit.

"Will he come for me?"

"Maybe. Would you like to leave now?" He asked.

"Very much"

Yerac patted the fire out with his large tail as if it were a small candle wick and slid out of the cave. Alisha followed him through the woods until they came to the withered path. It still seemed to frighten her.

"I allow my path to grow in its true form. I don't wish to lie to people when the come here."

Alisha looked around and noticed that she could see small eyes peering from the trees around her.

"What is watching us Yerac?"

"Souls I could not save. Sometimes Haras chooses forms too strong for me to fight. When I lose those who could escape during our battle become lost here. Without a guide they become trapped. There is no hope for them now."

Alisha felt bad for the souls as she walk next to the serpant but after a few moments they came upon a large open field. In the center there was a long flat rock and from above the golden light beamed down in it.

"This is your way out child. I know not what you are to learn here but when you return home try to figure it out so that you don't find yourself here again."

Alisha lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Yerac and began to cry.

"Thank you. For everything"

"You're welcome." She said gently wrapping his body around her to hug her back. "But as lovely as your company was, do jot return to this world."

"Ok" Alisha stepped back and sipped the tears from her eyes.

"Lay down on the rock and sleep"

Alisha climbed up on the rock and lay down. Before she closed her eye she looked over to Yerac and smiled.

"Goodbye." She said and closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.