Legacy

Chapter 2: Euclid

As Whitney and I left the lava pool feeling cool and energized, we continued in search of some real food. It was lonely with just the two of us, but I felt safe in the vast emptiness of this place. Plus, we had a sword, which Whitney wanted me to have.

I wasn't sure what we were looking for. Nothing was familiar, not the red stone, or the eerie red atmosphere, or the red hot lava. Nothing came to mind, and judging from what we've found so far, we weren't going to get any better.

I couldn't tell what time it was, but my stomach was rumbling. "Maybe we should have eaten those mushrooms after all," I say to Whitney. "I could eat the dirt right now..."

"Let's not, please?"

"There's nothing else, and we've been walking for hours."

"I would rather starve than poison myself. I'd also rather you not make the same mistake."

"At least if we try it, just a nibble, we can see what it does," I groaned. "We should go back."

Whitney didn't argue this time and turned around without another word. I followed at some distance.

It was unclear what Whitney wanted, as she didn't speak that much and disagreed with me on everything. I wish we could settle down and just get to know each other, but we had to find some food first.

After a long while of quiet walking, we found our way back to the mushrooms from before. I knelt down and picked one up. "Here's to the few hours we've known each other," I announce as I lift it to my mouth.

I bite down on nothing.

I looked to Whitney, who is also confused, until she points in front of me, open mouthed. I turn and am almost startled off my feet as I come face to face with a very tall woman in a menacing black outfit. In her hand is the mushroom I just picked, and she's already taken a bite out of it. "Ни один из вас принадлежит здесь. Вы должны уйти, прежде чем я получаю охранников. (Neither of you belong here. You should leave now before I get the guards.)"

I couldn't understand what she was saying, and Whit didn't seem to have any idea. "We're lost and hungry," I tried, "Could we just get some for the road?"

The woman looked at me blankly and cocked her head. Damn she was tall, at least 8 or 9 feet tall, maybe more. That, and those heavy black combat boots were not helping. I only hoped I didn't offend her or something. "Я только собираюсь дать вам последнее предупреждение. Оставьте, или я должен буду бороться с вами. (I am only going to give you one last warning. Leave, or I will have to fight you.)"

She suddenly took a fighting stance, and a dark purple aura began forming around her. Then I realized the situation I was in, and I was scared, more scared than I've ever been. I started to back away, and the giant woman followed me with a deathly glare. I stumbled around and tripped, suddenly remembering my sword. I had no choice. So I grabbed it from its sheath and swiped it upward at my attacker, but she caught the blade in her hand, a small drip of blood accumulating on it. Then she screamed.

A piercing cry shattered the silence, and I was thrown aside into the wall. Moments later, impossibly fast, a boot crushed into my chest, cracking the wall and knocking the wind out of me.

Before I could get up, the woman was on top of me again, picking me up and slamming me into the wall again. This time, I heard another crack, and it wasn't the wall. For a brief moment, an intense pain shot through my body, crippling me and causing me to howl and scream before the pain ceased all together.

The woman clearly understood what was going on and dropped me abruptly. "Оставлять. (Leave.)" She looked at Whitney and pointed to where we came.