Here we go again. I certainly hope you like this one. I'm churning out a chapter a night or so. This one took me a bit longer. Enjoy.
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Exiting through the door the little beast pointed out to me, it wasn't long ebfore we emerged into the dim wilderness that was Caedarva Mire. It was chilly, it was wet, and it was creepy. All in all it was just a swamp, but the air of terror never left you. It was upon you always as the mists were always upon the pools of water. Leslie was jumping at shadows, I felt like my bones were freezing, and even Sess seemed to be a bit unnerved.
"Come on, guys! Can't waste time y'know?", he waved us on with false confidence.
Our boots squished in the mud as we walked. We trod below hanging mangroves and willow. We trekked past pools housing large, blue leeches. We even once saw, in the distance what looked to be a giant fleshy frog. "The little guy mentioned something about lamia here.", I broke the silence as I wrapped myself in my own arms for warmth and comfort.
"Mostly the lamia stay in Arrapago.", said Sess. "I've never heard of them out here. If they ARE out here though, we better haul our asses. If they catch us we're pretty much boned"
"Great...", muttered Leslie, less than enthusiastically.
I nearly jumped out of my skin as I felt something brush by my shoulder. I looked with wide eyes as a floating plant-like thing blundered by us without a sound.
Leslie smiled. "Flytraps won't hurt you. Unless you hurt it first"
I exhaled my trapped breath. It would have been very embarassing to have punched the flying nettle only to be in turn eaten and digested. As we continued I saw more of the floating flytraps. They wandered about, cating flying insects in their goblet-like mouth-aperture. They still gave me the willies.
Sess stopped to look at one of the maps he had bought. He turned and twisted it until he finally said,
"We can either keep going straight or head to the west.", he pointed down a fog-laden path westward.
"What's there is we keep going north.", I asked, brushing a few flies from my face.
"Hmm...doesn't look to be much. A few dead ends is what it looks like to me.", said our map holder.
"And west"
"Arrapago Reef...", Sess said with an audible gulp. Leslie let out a worried moan. Even Lobo seemed to click and whirr in an uncertain manner.
I had a feeling. Just a feeling.
"West.", I said.
"...Are you out of your fucking mind?", Sess said in a voice close to a whisper.
"You DID give me a choice.", I responded.
"Yea, but I didn't actually think you'd WANT to head to your death. Besides, me and Leslie don't wanna die. Right, Les?", he said and glanced at Leslie who had her head towards the ground.
It felt as if Leslie was about to nod in agreement. She said otherwise though. "Sess, we came here looking for this girl. Kaorin. You agreed to help Mr. Prior. You wanted to help him"
"Yea...so?", Sess replied.
"So, I say we trust his feelings.", she said and lifted her head triumphantly.
"Leslie, no, no...this swamp gas must be messing with your head. You're saying you WANT to head into Arrapago Reef. You WANT to head into the bastion of the lamia. Do you know what they do to people like us? Huh? Do you!", Sess was becoming impatient. His voice rose.
"Yes, I know. I still trust Prior.", she said, voice stony.
"They kill you first. Then they raise up your body with necromancy and make you one of their everlasting slaves. You become a trapped soul,assisting the lamia with their horrible schemes for all eternity! Do you want us to join their ranks?", Sess said unnessecarily.
"Fine. Fine! You guys go! I'm going to head back to Nashmau and hang with the Quiqirn. They're a lot safer than wandering into the lair of chimeric snake beasts. You two can romp off to your deaths, but I'm not romping off to mine! I'll make sure to write you both a great obituary!", he said before stomping off in the direction of Nashmau. Lobo clattered behind him and soon his footsteps and Lobo's low hum were lost to the mists of the marsh.
"Come, let's continue", Leslie said.
"But..", I began, but was cut off.
"We don't need him. Let's go.", Leslie tugged on my cuff to get me moving. The ground sloped downward as we moved deeper into the mire. "Well, if it's as dangerous as he says...", I began once more.
"Prior. Follow your heart. It'll be best for all of us.", she smiled her infectious smile at me. Gods was she attractive. And reassuring.
I sighed. "Why are you coming with me?", I said, still looking through the mists ahead.
"What?", Leslie said, startled. "I'm coming because I want to help"
"Why help me? I haven't done a thing for you"
Her eyes became hooded by depressing lids. "My family was taken by the beastmen years ago. I can't let that happen to another"
"Oh...I'm sorry.", that's all that I could say. I'm surprised she didn't knock my ass back to last week.
The air became much colder. If that was possible. It felt as if all of a sudden someone dumped a bucket of ice down my pants. I shook and Leslie clung to my arm out of pure terror. Her fingers dug into the flesh of my arm as we proceeded foward cautiously.
"I..I think we're getting close...", Leslie whispered, her breath making puffs in the chill air.
I pushed my aching muscles to move as the mist began to dissapate. I wished I hadn't moved because a wide cave mouth appeared before us. A cold draft wafted from the entrance.
"Th...This is...Arrapago...", Leslie said, trembling in fear.
I grunted in aknowledgement and proceeded into the depths. The cave was small. After a short walk the cave opened onto a scene straight out of a suspense flick. Ships. Acres and acres of shipwrecks scattered along the rocks as far as the eye could see. The scene was eerily quiet with the only sign of life being the green, bird-like animals that walked upright.
"Wh..where could she be?", I asked to no one in particular.
"Horror stories are told of Arrapago. They tell of people charmed by the lamia and used as puppets of destruction and death. It is rare to see a person taken captive by the lamia return home safely. If she is here. She is in incredible danger. We have to move quickly.", Leslie explained and began the walk down the rocks toward a small cave to the east.
I felt like eyes were peering at me from the shadows at all times. Such piercing glares that every flicker or movement made me jump. Upon entering the cave a steel barred dore was visable on the far wall. Leslie gave it a small push and it swung open. We both paused and cringed at the creak it made as it swung to it's full. Pausing and glancing down the hallway before us we spotted nothing. Deeming it safe we crouched low and walked like secret agents on a dangerous mission into enemy territory. Well, that's what it was anyhow. Thinking we had heard something we quickly skittered down a westward tunnel. The tunnel ended in yet another barred gate that opened easily to the slightest touch. Spread before us was a passage of rocks lined by wrecks of galleons. Multiple paths connected to the main, center pathway. At the end of the pathway was a sight for sore eyes. It was Kaorin and the mysterious man in black. He was an average sized man with a shock of blond hair that was plastered to his skull. He was standing, back to us, over Kaorin who was on her knees with shackles binding her hands and feet. Slight echoes of his voice rebounded off the rocks as he seemed to be conversing with invisible presences. We crept closer. Slowly. Slowly. We had moved about halfway to our goal, hiding behind rocks along the way for cover. It was then that we heard the noise. A scraping, slithering sound. As we continued to gaze the man stopped his blabbering and turned his own gaze to a small hole in the rocks to his left. Kaorin whimpered as the slimy, horrible form of a lamia emerged. In the darkness I could just make out that this lamia was not normal. She was huge. Towered two times or so over the man. Her hair seemed to writhe as if something were living there. Red pinpoints of light could be identified as her eyes, shining in the moonlight. Leslie and I gazed in absolute horror at this tremendous chimera. The man spoke with the lamia. The lamia responded in a scratchy voice. What a snake would sound like if one could speak. It was then that she reached behind her and pulled an enormous longbow off her back. She fiddled with it for a moment before nocking an arrow. I saw my life flash before my eyes as in one swift motion she drew the bow and fired the arrow. Towards me. The missile struck the rock before us and clattered to the earth. The man turned and looked to where the arrow had been fired. And he grinned.
"Uninvited guests I see.", a chuckle followed. "Friends of hers?", he laughed and grabbed Kaorin by the collar of her shirt.
Me and Leslie could not move. Could not speak. We were paralyzed with fear.
"Shall I kill them? Or do you want the honours Mistress?", he spoke to the lamia in a singsong voice.
A grin split the strangely pretty face of the huge creature. The sound of slithering began once again as she made her way down teh rocks in an agonizingly slow manner. It was purposeful. She wanted us to suffer.
I still could not move. The fear she generated was far too great. Everything from her shining eyes and writhing hair to her glittering bodypiece to her slimy tail terrified me. The closer she got the more my eyes began to water. I couldn't even close my damn eyes. I was transfixed. The least I could hope for was a quick death, or a last minute rescue. I got the latter.
I don't know the specifics of what happened next, but one minute I was staring death in the eyes. The next minute I was free of that transfixation and the lamia lay prone at the base of the rock wall near Kaorin's prison.
My first reaction was to stand. Apparently that was Leslie's too. With the clatter of running footsteps our saviours joined us in staring down our enemy. The three valourous beings that had saved our hides were none too surprising. Reaching us first was the expected presence of Sess and Lobo. Next was the ever mysterious Jahlo Teshkondo. Third, was someone far more myserious. Dressed in the exact same azure clothing as Jahlo was a smaller, human female. Something about her eyes emitted a sense of true power. A power beyond that of Jahlo. No thanks were passed between us. Silence was all that was needed.
Jahlo drew her swords and challenged the man. "Let Kaorin go"
Of course, he laughed heartily. "I think not. Such a lovely present for Lord Eald'narche should not be given to strangers"
With that he grabbed Kaorin and held her close as both were engulfed in a deep, dark light. When the image dimmed, they were gone. Totally gone.
"YOU BASTARD!", yelled Leslie, surprisingly loud.
The man was not around to hear it, but the lamia was. In the time it had taken for the man to speak and warp, the lamia had gotten back on her feet...err...tail. She raised one jeweled claw in a signal. With that signal two humanoid forms emerged from the darkness before us.
Their eyes were cold, deep, abysmal pits of nothingness. Their faces showed no emotion. One was dressed in a red and black doublet and a cap with a feather. She carried a sword. The other was dressed somewhat like a pirate. A mauve frock edged with lace. She wore a tricorne hat and carried squat gun. Scary isn't it? It's even more horrifying when the beings before you were once your friends.
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heheh. Fun. Well, we have a new foe. Any guesses? Well, with school fast approaching I'm going to try and get as much done as possible. So look foward to another long chapter.
-peace-