Third Challenge: Tree Guardian
"Scath." I said with hate.
"Ah, Slade. It is good to see you after so long. Like my new power?" He said, holding up his fire-covered hand.
"What do you want?" I demanded.
"Only what I was sent to do, destroy you!" He threw a ball of fire from his hand. I managed to dodge, but just barely. He extinguished the fire in his hands and the cave went dark again. It was suddenly like I was blind. "It's hard to fight when you can't see."
"Yes. Which means you have just as much of a disadvantage as I do." I said.
"Not quite. I have power over fire and heat. I can see your body heat." I saw him then reach with his now orange glowing hand and a vine or rope flew from his hand and wrapped itself around my body. I struggled but I couldn't escape his trap. "This bind is made of pure heat energy. You can't break it."
Suddenly, the snake leapt from its hiding place and slammed its head against the Scath's body. He fell to the ground and the heat bind that held me dissipated. "Move, young warrior!" The snake cried. "I grant you permission to proceed. You must warn the True Master of this. I will hold him off as long as possible." A wall in the cave opened up and the cave was instantly lit. The Scath stood up again and his hands burst into flames, but the serpent threw its body against the Scath again. "What are you waiting for? Go!"
I started running. I ran out the cave and back into the glorious sunlight. But I couldn't stop to appreciate it. I just kept running. After running for a while, I came to a small ravine filled with bamboo trees. The same gateway that was at the edge of the river and at the entrance of the cave was on the edge of the ravine. I stepped up to the gateway and a little white monkey jumped onto the path in front of me. "I am the Guardian of the Tree." The monkey laughed. "If you . . ."
"Wish to proceed, I must get past you." I interrupted. "I know, I know."
The monkey laughed again. "Of coarse you know, this is only the third time you heard it today."
"Look, guardian person, I don't have time for this. There is a Scath assassin coming this way and I have to get to the True Master to warn him." I said.
"Oh, that is very urgent. But, you still have to pass my challenge." The monkey back flipped off the path and started jumping from bamboo tree to bamboo tree. "The bear's test was a test of strength, the snake's test was a test of sense's, my test is a test of balance."
"Fine." I stepped out onto the trees.
"Good. Then let us begin." The monkey cried out a screeching shriek as it jumped toward me. I jumped at it at the same time. I swung a powerful arm chop at the animal, but he just grabbed my arm and used it to leap over my head. It landed on one foot balancing. I landed, but was hardly able to stay standing. The monkey jumped at me from behind, but I struck it with the back of my hand. It flew backward and I saw that it couldn't grab hold of any tree. I forgot about its tail. It easily wrapped its tail around a tree and swung itself back on top. "I believe I have an advantage."
"We'll see." I said. I jumped toward the monkey, but purposely missed. I grabbed hold of the tree right next to him and swung around on it like a trapezes artist. I delivered a powerful kick to the monkey's face and it went flying.
It landed back on the other side of the ravine. It stood up and laughed again. "Very well, you may proceed." From the ground beneath, grew hundreds of other trees creating a bridge for me to cross on. I may have past the third challenge, But I still had too much more to do before I could rest.