The Verdant Mark

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"Huh, whadya know? I guess you're right." Sam paused for the anticipated following rumble of thunder. "I guess it does kind of look like a lion but perhaps more like a griffin now?"

"What?" Mikyla pinched her nose in disbelief. Shadows didn't change like a non-Newtonian fluid. "Sam, what are you trying to pul-"

Another wave of a deafening roar cut Mikyla off but this time it didn't have the same smoothness of thunder. This time, the roar was harsher and jagged, almost paralyzing.

"Sam," Mikyla began as her throat tightened with familiar anxiety. "What was th-"

Suddenly, another prong of lightning answered Mikyla's question. She watched as the shadow slowly flickered into existence, its tail a serpent and its muzzle open wide, atramentous fangs scabrous and serrated. Mikyla willed her eyes to follow the path to its origin and stared death in the face as they realized they weren't alone. They were met by a chimera.

"Sam," Mikyla's voice quivered. "Don't make any sudden mo-"

It was too late. Sam was already dashing towards the thickets of cauterized woodland, Mikyla finding herself soon following suit as paws scratched the rocks behind her.

Mikyla felt herself being propelled forward by the sonic boom of the chimera's roar. Her muscles tightened as she lumbered down the path she came but she did not care if she retraced her step nor did she pay attention to the stakes of lightning burying themselves around her. She was running. She was doing something she finally felt she could accomplish. She knew she could run.

It was the blind leading the blind. With Sam's sense of direction, Mikyla could only rely on his absurd luck to not lead them astray. The mountain path curved into a spaghetti of small roads the nearer they reached the bottom and as Sam pelted his way in a zigzag, Mikyla began noticing scenery she had no witnessed before.

Were they lost?

It didn't matter. As long as the chimera was hot on their heels, it didn't matter one bit.

Branches snagged Mikyla as the thickets grew denser. The path underfoot was barely noticeable and Mikyla could only rely on the snapping of twigs and the breath of death behind her to act as her compass. Sam had taken a winding path into what seemed like the heart of the woodlands and in the gloom the shadows appeared to elongate as of trying to snatch the Nobles as prey.

"Shadows..." Mikyla scrambles her mind. The word was familiar and as her feet drummed a steady rhythm against the floor, her memory was jogged.

Ideals with action, but a pitiful shadow, of the worlds true like

"Split up!" The words flew out of Mikyla's mouth as soon as the plan formed in her mind and with that she took a dive to the left in the hopes Sam would take the right.

It worked. Mikyla could hear the beast chasing after her. All she had to do now was face it. Face it with courage. Face it with bravery that the fire trial was all about.

Twitching her fingers, Mikyla stopped and turned, digging her heels into the ground. She stared down the chimera as it pounded towards her, its jaw flared open to reveal a row of razored fangs so large it almost blocked out the rest of its body. Mikyla gulped as she worked out she only had a few seconds left but as another sheet of lightning exploded into the grim sky, instinct took over.

With a flash, Mikyla's magic tome was unsheathed and with the same glow from before, it flickered to a page that was needed most.

Phoenix Fire

Mikyla licked her lips as she began to chant, the words once again dancing off the tip of her tongue, distracting her from the oncoming hound. The beast snarled in retort to the spell but Mikyla did not falter until the final word was said and a wall of fire erupted between them.

The fire spiraled in the pattern Mikyla ordered, its glow casting shadows along the forest floor. The shadows stretched and mingled, creating shapes that terrorized Mikyla herself. She heard the chimera roar in fear too and the sudden army of demons and with a push of mana, Mikyla commanded the longest flame to pillar towards the chimera, casting a looming hand, claws larger than the beast instead. The chimera ran.

Through the flickering flames, Mikyla watched as the chimera vanished into the darkness until she realized the pain her chest. Wincing, Mikyla breathed hard as she drained the fire of its life force, surprised as she felt tendrils of energy slowly start to trickle into her.

Suddenly, a snap sounded from behind Mikyla and she spun around, tome at the ready.

"Woah!" Sam placed his hands up, barely visible in the embers that fizzled where the firewall once stood. "That was so cool! How did you think of it?"

Mikyla shook her head slowly amazed at how quick Sam's attitude could change. Of course, he never believed he was in any real danger to begin with.

"The riddle..." Mikyla sighed as she slid down to lean against a tree. "I told you they're important."

"I guess you're right but-" Sam paused as he lifted a finger towards a tree in the distance. "Hey look! A snake! I thought this place didn't have any animals in it."

Mikyla blinked and sure enough, with another flash of lightning, Mikyla saw the outline of a snake before her eyes widened.

"Uhhh Sam..." Mikyla gulped. "Chimeras are part Snake too, right?"

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Word Count for Chapter 20: 2259
Total Word Count: 32894

Authors Note:

Hope you liked the UNEDITED chapter 20! Don't forget to press on those magical stars to light up Mikyla's future path and leave a comment telling me what you like so far or what you don't like. Thanks for reading so far.

Happy reading
~ Dracollavenore