《The Choice is Not Yours》Chapter 8: The Wolf and the Cheshire Sheep
Advertisement
The late afternoon sun indiscriminately shines its intense golden rays upon all of the vegetation in the dense forest, creating a hazy and dreamlike world. The humidity licks my skin while I breathe in the damp air, knit with the overwhelming scent of wet grass. The moments when the foliage shades me, are the times I feel a small relief.
“We should look for the plants as fast as possible, master,” my slave mentions. She looks attentive and ready to start the search.
“I agree. I want the little girl to get well soon. Find what you can on the forest floor while I'll search the trees and tall bushes."
The plant species in this world are akin to those on Earth, but I cannot count on that sort of judgment. Some could be poisonous or toxic, so to play it safe, I shouldn’t touch almost anything in this forest.
“Yellow, pink, red ...” I mumble to myself over and over, as if that would help me find the ingredients more easily. Even after I stared at the images in his book for a concerning amount of time, I still don’t know what I am looking for.
“Found one,” my slave calls out. She is crouching low, hovering over a tulip-like plant.
I approach closer, “Good job. Pull the flower out, roots and all."
I mark every couple of trees we pass with my knife so we will not get lost on the way back.
This place seems ... familiar. Could this forest be identical to the one I woke up in? I don’t know, but if it is the very same site, then I didn’t think I would be back here again so soon; to the place where it all started.
A yellow leaf falls gently in my peripheral vision. “Found the second ingredient,” I crane my neck awkwardly, gazing underneath a gigantic tree. Its branches mimic a bending barbell, heavy with glistering leaves. The needles are like feathers, spread out over wing-like branches. However, as many of its leaves grew out to reach the sun, abundant and excessive they became, only to fall back to the earth.
Advertisement
The ones loose at my feet are swatched with unique hues of dull brown. They are piled high in a ring around the trunk, but I do not reach for them because they probably won't be effective or potent enough for the medicine.
I grip onto the rough tree bark and climb, anchoring myself just beneath the foliage so I can harvest a single leaf. “Got it,” I cheer. As I prepare to descend, I notice I am at the height where jumping down will break the average person's neck. My eyes wander farther, taking in the bird's eye view of the picturesque image of the forest floor. It’s so pretty. I want to climb higher.
A dark shape mars the scenery similar to a black sheep in a herd of white; only this black sheep is a humanoid creature with a lipless mouth covering three-fourths of its face. It’s skinny and fucking creepy as hell. I’ve never seen such a creature quite like this before, despite all of the manga and games I consumed. To be in the same place with a creature like that. Should I run? It doesn’t appear to be hostile...
I mentally berate myself. Fuck obviously, a thing looking like that is not going to act all sunshine and rainbows.
It starts to descend headfirst from the tree it’s on, just like how a squirrel would. A normal human being would climb down feet first. Then again, it's not a human.
Well, time to go!
Once I safely reach the bottom, I grab my slave’s hand and pull her in the direction whence we came from.
“he-heh-hehh-he-hi-hii!” a gurgling, high-pitched cackle squeals out like a dying radio.
A whiff of rotting flesh and guts convulses in my lungs. I cough but more of the smell enters my body as I inhale. My eyes catch the space between my slave and me, which threatens to set asunder. My hands can't be this sweaty.
It's right behind me, isn't it? I swear to God if it is... I check, and sure enough, it is slinking towards me while jerking its torso. I blink, and it’s not there anymore. I frantically swivel my head to find it.
Advertisement
The smell of rotting flesh is more intense now; almost as if I am drowning in a bed of human corpses and can only escape by eating the chewy meat overflowing my mouth.
It suddenly appears again, blocking my path. It widens its mouth into a shit-eating grin. If it could speak at this moment, then it would be saying “I’ve got you,” as its freakish arm shoots to my face.
*Yank* My vision shift sideways; a blur of trees zooms in my vision. My hand that tried to lead my slave away gets pulled with a surprising burst of strength. Everything spins as I land on my back, letting out a pained "oof." From the forced exhalation, I immediately become light-headed, finally realizing I have been holding my breath since the moment it almost killed me.
Where is it now!? My eyes frantically search for the disappearing creature.
“Pull yourself together! You can kill the monster!” my slave grasps my face and fixates her eyes at mine's, however, I am looking anywhere else but her.
“Hah ... me?” my lips smile, but my eyes are weary in the face of the setting sun.
“You beat my old master, his teammate, me, and countless wolves without even trying. And now you’re just going to run at the sight of some ugly beast? You are strong,” she spells out proudly.
Another round of laughter resembling a deranged human speech rings in the forest, caging me.
A blue window pops up.
“Its weak point is the head. Go for it, or don't. Up to you. (^w^)”
“Telling me what to do, all of you,” I mutter under my breath. I look past my slave's form. It’s there, taunting me with its sick laughter and toothy grin. It approaches closer, but not in the same lightning speed as before, giving off the air that it has already won.
Fuck you.
I pull out my dagger, being conspicuous and in plain view in the eyes of the creature. And yet ... it doesn't seem to care; continuing its dreadful pace towards me. I squeeze the hand clutching the knife, holding onto the pressure for a split second before naturally relaxing my grip.
Videogames are usually programmed to make it obvious of when the boss is letting its guard down, so the player can strike at that very moment. I rise without laying my eyes off the creature, waiting for the window of opportunity to appear. My patience wavers as it inches closer; only seeing an impenetrable stone wall. I smile bitterly. Of course, life isn't conveniently built like a videogame. But I need to try something now. I can't be waiting for the right moment every time, just to bring myself to do anything at all.
Well, here goes. I leap forward, covering over ten feet of ground, and run my dagger through its head. The force of my weapon pushes it back, as its face holds onto my knife. I drop down, weaponless, yet I hardly feel naked. There is an unfamiliar heat burning in the pit of my stomach for blood, unyielding, and refusing to quietly smolder. That plunge of my knife was the finishing move I couldn't have done better.
“Hahah-ha-ah...!” it turns its split face and gives my slave a knowing look.
She stares it down with unforgiving eyes.
“Kek-kek-ke ...!” it manages to voice before its neck buckles and its body slumps without making a noise.
That thing was surprisingly easy to kill. I just have to put my fear aside. Okay, for now on, monsters are cute! I take a deep breath, “We still have to find the third ingredient, but it’s going to be dark soon. Let's head back to the city for now.”
“Master, the last ingredient is right there,” she points to a pink root-like plant on the ground next to the monster’s corpse.
“Huh? Was it there all along? That’s perfect. Go grab it,” I rub my face in relief, thankful that the encounter with the creature and the pursuit of the quest objects ended on a gratefully, uneventful note.
Advertisement
- In Serial26 Chapters
Eternal Chronicles: Vampire
In an age long past, when the the world was covered in ice and snow, there existed a tribe of hard willed people. In this tribe, there lived a young boy, Ulfvaldr. When a great calamity struck the tribe, sending them fleeing from their home, Ulfvaldr would find his life, his very existence, to have changed. He became the first vampire. Buried in a mound of snow for eons, Ulfvaldr would wake up in a world of green and vegetation, a world changed. His actions in the new age, would ultimately result in the trepidation of humanity, and the rise of the vampire race.Join Ulfvaldr in his journey, as the Chronicler tells the the story of the origin of vampirism, both their greatest moments, as well as their darkest age, right up to the contemporary day, through a series of books. Book 1 out now on Amazon and Smashwords for $2.99! The version uploaded here can be considered as a first draft, as I may want to publish the story, when its finished, and chapters may be taken down in the future.
8 176 - In Serial22 Chapters
Lord of the Apocalypse
The book is now available on Amazon. You can get it here. After being falsely accused of murder, Nicholas Dread finds himself losing not only seven years of his life, but also his son and wife. Fate further kicks him in the chest when he finds himself in the middle of an unannounced Apocalypse, witnessing death by the thousands. After a desperate struggle, he dies only to be reincarnated as one of the beasts that caused the bane of his race.
8 212 - In Serial7 Chapters
I'm Not A Monster, It's Only A Mask
Sam Perez and Maxwell Esprit have been lifelong friends. Nothing's come between them: none of the girls she's been with, none of the boys he's liked, nobody. They’ll do anything with each other, even join an evil supervillain organization together. The greater freedoms, mixed with a pinch of danger, are the perfect ingredients to allure the young and the desperate into the life of a henchman. With this perilous opportunity, however, comes the burdens of keeping their true identities secret, escaping the prying eyes of the law, and surviving in a world out for blood. Sam and Maxwell will be pushed to their breaking points in an ultimate test of their lasting bond. Life is a game, and villains play for keeps.
8 164 - In Serial11 Chapters
Struggle
Mae, a slightly below average high school senior, is thrust into the world of fantasy. Levels, skills, and otherworldly beings now bombard her daily life. Will her mental chains ever be broken? Will she sacrifice her humanity to gain unfathomable power? [I am a new author. Please give me honest and brutal criticism. It's the only way I can improve and give you a better story. Updates will vary for now.]
8 95 - In Serial16 Chapters
Walking in Shadows
In a world filled with magic, anomalies have surfaced across every lands. Enter Robert Ross, a seemingly fifteen year old boy employed by a mysterious benefactor to investigate these anomalies in a city residing within a valley. Although the mission is a dire one, Robert wasn't one to disregard his indulgence and pleasure, especially when the city has so much to offer. Simple Version: MC has hidden OP powers. Hired to solve mysteries by an unknown powerful benefactor. Gathers bunch of girls while off duty. Harem-seeking during the day, badass at night. A/N: I posted the same story on my Scribble Hub account of the name; EnroItzal.
8 56 - In Serial21 Chapters
The Ramayana - Lakshmila's POV
We have read The Ramayana as kids and always knew it to be the story of Rama and his consort Sita. Every character has an important role to play. But not all of them have found much importance is any of the version. One such character is Urmila and her story with Lakshmana. All versions mention Urmila's sacrifice as "Unparalleled" but none depicted it. This story is an attempt to present the story of Ramayana from Urmila and Lakshmana's POV. Note : This story is fictional. The characters are the same. This story is an insight of The Ramayana through Lakshman and Urmila's eyes. There would be Nobody's POV also. The events are the same but the depiction is part of fiction. Parts of the story is loosely based/inspired from Sita's Sister but I have taken creative liberty to give my character more edge and depth.
8 121