The Darkness

Chapter 21 ~ Deadlands

     • The Princess •

     My eyes scanned the land ahead of me. Skeleton trees with twisting fingers reached towards the sky. The dirt here was rough and had a reddish hue. The sunlight seemed to be all around this place, blocked by the grey storm clouds that never rained.

"So this is why they call this the Deadlands." I flicked the reins, my horse slowly trotting forward. "Cheery."

I gulped as my eyes spotted the cow skull to my right. Flies buzzed all around the soulless bone. I shivered and peeled my view away.

———————

It had been maybe an hour into the Deadlands. The greenery I left behind had vanished from view. Suddenly, my horse stopped walking.

"Cmon." I stroked his neck, tapping his sides with my shoe.

My horse's ears perked up and his eyes filled with terror. He started backing up, head twisting around to turn away.

Then I heard a hissing noise. I looked all around, but saw nothing. "It's probably just a snake..." I told myself.

The tree beside the path suddenly gave out and came crashing down in our way. My horse reared up and threw me off. I sat up, bruised, but in one piece.

"Arg!" I frustratedly got to my feet and came over to my horse, but he had other plans. As I reached up, he spun around and bolted the way we came, leaving me in the desert.

"No-! Come back!" I cried helplessly. The hissing continued, louder than before. My head spun around to see a...person?

It stood there, dressed in black rags. It's reptilian eyes drew into thin slits, locked onto me. From its neck down, the green flesh faded into scales and a thin tail snaked out from behind it.

"Gah-!" I gasped in surprise. It grinned an inhuman smile, revealing sharp teeth as its tongue flicked out quickly.

"Princessss Maria." It's snakelike hiss pronounced. "You ssseem to be lossst..."

"How... how do you know who I am?" I stammered, backing away.

"I know everything about you, princessss..." It cocked it's head, eyes boring into my soul. "You are alone...?"

"I..." I gulped, looking for an escape, but the Deadlands only continued to stretch as far as I could see. I reached for a dead tree branch sticking out of the dirt behind me.

"You ssseem so fragile... So helplesss..." It starting walking towards me. "Won't you come with me? I'll show you the way..."

My eyes widened in fear and I ripped the branch out from the dirt and swung it with as much strength as I could. It effortlessly ducked under it and sliced through the air with a slash from its claw-like nails. Before I had time to reach for the spreading blood on my cheek, it swept its leg and kicked my feet out from under me. I lay on the floor, bleeding and out of breath. It kneeled down and dabbed its fingers with the blood, then brought it up to its nose and took a deep breath. It's eyes shut as it grinned. Opening its eyes again, there was a hunger there, like when a snake sees its wounded prey. It was exactly like that, eerily.

Opening its mouth, I saw two needle fangs and it prepared to strike. Just as it started to bring it down, a ball of green fire blasted it in the face and it flew backwards, screaming. I looked behind me in surprise to see Sithra, green flames dancing on her finger tips.

"That's quite enough, Lintu." Her eyes burned.

The reptilian creature looked up, hissing. "Sorceressss..." Its eyes narrowed and revealed its fangs.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." She calmly held her hand out. Suddenly, the snake-thing, Lintu, burst into flames. The reptile screamed as it was engulfed.

I closed my eyes and looked away. Only a burnt piece of cloth remained of it.