The Beast
Unaware of anything unusual, Viper halted just as the trees around him began to transfigure into buildings and the soft leaf-littered ground beneath his feet became hard and unfriendly. He paused there. Taking a last full breath of the swampland air and held it in his mouth as if it were something humbly precious. He was about to step out of the swamp and skitter quickly into a nearby alley, he'd done the route many times before of course but as he readied himself to bolt his blood suddenly ran cold and was as ice and the pit of his stomach churned uncomfortably. The sickly feeling one gets when they realise they're being watched.
Viper stood very still in that moment, his ears twitching every which way straining to hear the faintest of sounds. All was quiet. The soft rustle of leaves in the treetops as the wind picked up and died again were the only sounds anywhere near him. The noisy rumble of a passing car. Viper sighed, his eyes half closing and crouched beneath a row of shrubs. Rocking his head steadily from side to side be peered through the curtain of leaves and twigs onto the road through his hooded eyes. He was distracted, still unable to shake the unwelcome feeling that he was not alone and as the steady sound of his own breathing was abruptly interrupted by a sickly `plop' his nerves became more and more wracked. Vipers eyes shifted to his left, where a thick looking, clear liquid was oozing in large quantities along the leaves and dropping onto the ground below forming puddles that stretched out in all directions. If he hadn't been so unnerved Viper would have obeyed his first impulse and
carried on, seeing it only as tree sap.
Something was not right; the moments began to crawl over him like the sticky looking substance before him. Vipers hands clenched, his claws scraped the ground as he tilted his head upwards. His gaze was met not by an image but a fierce sound like cracking wood that filled the trees and they cried out in pain. The noise was deafening, like a thousand insects all calling at once. Viper clasped his hands over his ears, his eyes tightly shut, the sound made his head tingle painfully and he crushed himself to the ground, desperate to escape the maddening chattering all around him that poisoned the air.
Just as Viper thought his head would surely explode from the noise it stopped. Silence sang in the air. Opening his eyes Viper let his hands drop nervously to the ground, he hardly noticed he was trembling. His eyes darted in every direction, each time expecting to see some kind of answer. What was it? Where did it go? Just as those thoughts ran rampant through his mind Viper wished that he had not been answered. Up above him, through the dense mesh of leaves stood two, bright yellow orbs, eyes. They stared, unshifting and unblinking down at Viper. Beneath them, gruesome lips curled and twisted revealing saliva stained teeth like daggers before him. Then the beast came.
Dance with the Devil
Vipers eyes half turned the size of those he now feared. His arms and legs flailed wildly in a desperate attempt to put space enough between himself and the creature now advancing on him. It slid down the trunk of the large tree like a shadow, swift and formidable. No longer able to keep a firm hold on his wits Viper fumbled behind him for something, anything to defend himself. The beast leapt the further four or so feet to the ground in front of Viper where it rose to its full height. It's think shadow swallowed Vipers tiny figure, great eyes piercing into Vipers terrified expression as it lifted it's arms. Each arm was thick and grossly green, and ended in a long scythe shaped appendage, which in turn were dotted with tiny barb like projections like thorns.
The creature was as large as a grown male kat and larger still, its head was like that of a mantis and on it it's mandibles dripped with yellow tinted saliva. Two antennae rose a foot and a half at least from his grotesque head and twisted in the breeze. It's skin looked tough and hardened like tenfold shields and the color of dead leaves and decay spread over it's whole body. As it stepped closer, leaning downwards toward Viper it regarded him with its enormous eyes in what almost seemed like pity.
The terrible stench filled Vipers senses and he recoiled in disgust, the scent of rotting flesh emitted from the creature and crashed over Viper like waves. As it took another giant step towards him Viper backed himself against a fallen, festering tree. His throat and mouth felt dry and cracked like unwatered earth as the creature tilted its abominable head to him. The gaze which once held arguable pity now swept into mild disapproval and finally into deepening dislike.
Before Viper could so much as offer a word of discontent there was a great flash of green, followed by a wash of thick crimson. Viper at first only heard the sound of tearing cloth at his shoulder before singeing pain nailed through him like wild fire and he cried out in agony. His hand gripped the bleeding flesh of his shoulder, blood flowed in rapid streams down his arm and pooled beneath his quivering hand. Pain stung Vipers eyes as he clutched his shoulder, growling in pain through clenched teeth. Turning his head to the wound he saw a small flash of white under the torn flesh and his eyes rolled in torment.
One brutal scythe now dripping with smooth crimson the beast twisted its head and bellowed in what could only be described as a deep, remorseless laugh. Viper could only cower where he had fallen as the beast drew a deep, satisfied breath, its eyes falling again upon the helpless life at its feet. Its lips curled in a malevolent smile. "Disgusting little creature!" it bellowed in a rasping voice that made Viper feel smaller then he'd ever felt, and more helpless then he'd ever been. Its mouth opened wide and it raised its bloodstained scythe high above its head. "I shall be the death of you and the rest of your pitiful kind!" the beast spat hatefully at Viper. Viper closed his eyes tight; the creatures voice rang in his mind like a distasteful lyric bathed in bloodlust. He felt the heaviness in his left arm again and awaited death with a closed mind to the world. He had been through this before of course. Viper knew all too well what it like to die, to cease. There were no
hours, days, years or any such thing. It was like some great force had crushed the hands of time into submission and they stood lifeless, the wheels of time frozen in the place no one knew but him.
Unaware of anything unusual, Viper halted just as the trees around him began to transfigure into buildings and the soft leaf-littered ground beneath his feet became hard and unfriendly. He paused there. Taking a last full breath of the swampland air and held it in his mouth as if it were something humbly precious. He was about to step out of the swamp and skitter quickly into a nearby alley, he'd done the route many times before of course but as he readied himself to bolt his blood suddenly ran cold and was as ice and the pit of his stomach churned uncomfortably. The sickly feeling one gets when they realise they're being watched.
Viper stood very still in that moment, his ears twitching every which way straining to hear the faintest of sounds. All was quiet. The soft rustle of leaves in the treetops as the wind picked up and died again were the only sounds anywhere near him. The noisy rumble of a passing car. Viper sighed, his eyes half closing and crouched beneath a row of shrubs. Rocking his head steadily from side to side be peered through the curtain of leaves and twigs onto the road through his hooded eyes. He was distracted, still unable to shake the unwelcome feeling that he was not alone and as the steady sound of his own breathing was abruptly interrupted by a sickly `plop' his nerves became more and more wracked. Vipers eyes shifted to his left, where a thick looking, clear liquid was oozing in large quantities along the leaves and dropping onto the ground below forming puddles that stretched out in all directions. If he hadn't been so unnerved Viper would have obeyed his first impulse and
carried on, seeing it only as tree sap.
Something was not right; the moments began to crawl over him like the sticky looking substance before him. Vipers hands clenched, his claws scraped the ground as he tilted his head upwards. His gaze was met not by an image but a fierce sound like cracking wood that filled the trees and they cried out in pain. The noise was deafening, like a thousand insects all calling at once. Viper clasped his hands over his ears, his eyes tightly shut, the sound made his head tingle painfully and he crushed himself to the ground, desperate to escape the maddening chattering all around him that poisoned the air.
Just as Viper thought his head would surely explode from the noise it stopped. Silence sang in the air. Opening his eyes Viper let his hands drop nervously to the ground, he hardly noticed he was trembling. His eyes darted in every direction, each time expecting to see some kind of answer. What was it? Where did it go? Just as those thoughts ran rampant through his mind Viper wished that he had not been answered. Up above him, through the dense mesh of leaves stood two, bright yellow orbs, eyes. They stared, unshifting and unblinking down at Viper. Beneath them, gruesome lips curled and twisted revealing saliva stained teeth like daggers before him. Then the beast came.
Dance with the Devil
Vipers eyes half turned the size of those he now feared. His arms and legs flailed wildly in a desperate attempt to put space enough between himself and the creature now advancing on him. It slid down the trunk of the large tree like a shadow, swift and formidable. No longer able to keep a firm hold on his wits Viper fumbled behind him for something, anything to defend himself. The beast leapt the further four or so feet to the ground in front of Viper where it rose to its full height. It's think shadow swallowed Vipers tiny figure, great eyes piercing into Vipers terrified expression as it lifted it's arms. Each arm was thick and grossly green, and ended in a long scythe shaped appendage, which in turn were dotted with tiny barb like projections like thorns.
The creature was as large as a grown male kat and larger still, its head was like that of a mantis and on it it's mandibles dripped with yellow tinted saliva. Two antennae rose a foot and a half at least from his grotesque head and twisted in the breeze. It's skin looked tough and hardened like tenfold shields and the color of dead leaves and decay spread over it's whole body. As it stepped closer, leaning downwards toward Viper it regarded him with its enormous eyes in what almost seemed like pity.
The terrible stench filled Vipers senses and he recoiled in disgust, the scent of rotting flesh emitted from the creature and crashed over Viper like waves. As it took another giant step towards him Viper backed himself against a fallen, festering tree. His throat and mouth felt dry and cracked like unwatered earth as the creature tilted its abominable head to him. The gaze which once held arguable pity now swept into mild disapproval and finally into deepening dislike.
Before Viper could so much as offer a word of discontent there was a great flash of green, followed by a wash of thick crimson. Viper at first only heard the sound of tearing cloth at his shoulder before singeing pain nailed through him like wild fire and he cried out in agony. His hand gripped the bleeding flesh of his shoulder, blood flowed in rapid streams down his arm and pooled beneath his quivering hand. Pain stung Vipers eyes as he clutched his shoulder, growling in pain through clenched teeth. Turning his head to the wound he saw a small flash of white under the torn flesh and his eyes rolled in torment.
One brutal scythe now dripping with smooth crimson the beast twisted its head and bellowed in what could only be described as a deep, remorseless laugh. Viper could only cower where he had fallen as the beast drew a deep, satisfied breath, its eyes falling again upon the helpless life at its feet. Its lips curled in a malevolent smile. "Disgusting little creature!" it bellowed in a rasping voice that made Viper feel smaller then he'd ever felt, and more helpless then he'd ever been. Its mouth opened wide and it raised its bloodstained scythe high above its head. "I shall be the death of you and the rest of your pitiful kind!" the beast spat hatefully at Viper. Viper closed his eyes tight; the creatures voice rang in his mind like a distasteful lyric bathed in bloodlust. He felt the heaviness in his left arm again and awaited death with a closed mind to the world. He had been through this before of course. Viper knew all too well what it like to die, to cease. There were no
hours, days, years or any such thing. It was like some great force had crushed the hands of time into submission and they stood lifeless, the wheels of time frozen in the place no one knew but him.