Part I
Panthera POV
We were standing in front of the forest. For the first time in a long journey, some part of me think that we shouldn't have to enter the forest. Chill ran through my whole body, when gust of wind made an impact.
When we headed to the forest, their horses too sense the change I have once felt.
We marched in toward the forest.
Slowly but heavy mist surrounds all around. I can feel the compulsion merely to a mist, that doesn't sound good at all.
I asked them to hold back for sometime, and returned from there, wanted to reach the edge, but it's keeping distant away.
It feels like the forest blocks the way out.
It was already told by The Elders that the forest itself choose how to entangled it's pray.
That's exactly what happened with us.
When we move further into the forest I caught very familiar scent, a dangerous one I assume.
There, suddenly the pleasant smell filled everywhere.
Suddenly all of them stopped at once. It feels like they have forgotten the real aim, their head are blank out completely.
I asked promptly in frustration, "There is something wrong here." I felt someone's eyes on us.
Louis took a deep breath and relaxed, "Stop complaining. Praise the smell Panthera, take a deep breath."
I overlooked the surrounding and retorts, "Take a deep breath?" then I suddenly realized that there was strange flowers all around. There numbers are not normal for growth, they are over grown. I sniff the flower again.
Suddenly I recalled it, "These things eating your will. Stop breathing."
I roared at the horses to make them move forward, but in vain.
Suddenly, I fall to the ground with a loud thud and my head flinched with a sharp pain. I snarled and looked at my claws which have been lashed by large vines, with another moment it starting wrapping around my body. I yelp in pain as it felt like these vines are devouring my life energy out.
I vigorously started untangled myself.
On the process I accidentally scratched the vines around my claws.
Then I observe that void appears on the mist too. Seeing that, I started ripping off vines one by one with my sharp teeth and claws.
After some moments and tries, I managed to cleared enough mist that will help my friend to come back into reality. I was exhausted.
Everyone looked at me. I was scratching the surrounding one last time to make sure they didn't bother for sometime.
Cyrus asked, "What are you doing Era?"
I looked at all of them with my drained strength and spat at them, "I'm playing with the soil. Aren't you looking? Idiots you are all are in tricky illusion. And you are acting like a stupid. All of you." I said in fray.
Louis questioned me, "So, why you are not entangled in the illusion?"
I snap at him, "Because I'm a Mythical Creature. I can't be hypnotised."
Marcus sarcastically asked, "Oh! Well. What exactly we were doing at the time we hypnotised?"
I recalled and small laugh scaped me, "You are dancing and playing all around at this barren land." I couldn't hold any long and started laughing at their face.
They are all looked around at the barren land.
Adam shots at Peter, "Peter, why aren't you stopped us?"
Peter play silent and answered, "Because I want to see you dancing like an idiot. Stupid I was in the illusion too. How can I inform any one? You know very well, they already told us that every time the difficulties will not be the same."
"Come on friends lets go, this land is so confusing" Marcus called.
Cyrus added, "We should move. Here now even day is like night."
Joseph said seriously, "We have to move in formation."
Louis asked me, "Panthera, could you please lead us?"
I said proudly, "Oh! Yes. Why not?" and started leading the way forward.
------
After covering some more distance we heard something. I got alert suddenly. Horses are reacting strange. After that hissing sound horses got out of our control.
I insists, "Let them go."
Joseph asked in confusion, "Let who go?"
I said again, "Horses." still aiming to see something I might caught.
Adam tried to calm his horse down and said, "Take necessary things from the horses, now."
Peter asked me, "What's the matter Panthera?"
I closed my eyes for sometime and says, "She is here."
They heard hissing sound too.
Marcus asked observing, "What was that sound coming from?"
Joseph follows the sound origin, "Feel like reptile, like snake."
I added, "Not just a snake."
Suddenly impression of women's chuckle heard clearly.
Louis said in somewhere confusion, "A women." made him rise his eyebrows.
Cyrus corrected, "A serpent exactly, is it?"
Peter recalled, "A creature, mythical creature, known as..."
I wanted him to stop and shouted in process, "Don't."
Peter said at last, "Megaera." and closes his eyes in dismay. "Sorry, Panthera. I didn't able to hold it."
I looked at him with worried and turned to spot her.
Light mists suddenly filled at some places.
Megaera taunts, "Welcome in my domain Panthera."
Peter sorrowfully said, "I can't able to stop, sorry."
She appeared in front of us.
Looking at Peter she giggled, "No, it's ok. No one have to stop. At least, not here, not in my domain. So long Panthera."
She turns to see me, "I've been waiting for you since you injured me." she showed her wounds. "Remember?" she was looking at me through her wounds.
I too make sure looking at her eyes directly without any break and accept, "I remember."
Megaera got into mist again and said through it, "Do you know how hard, how difficult is it for me to escape from that hell?"
I answered the source of the voice, "I know."
Megaera appears again, "I have seen you injured also. But how did you survive." There was confusion in her eyes when she slightly tilted her head.
I said with pleasure, "One great, pure soul has shown pity on me."
Megaera eyes blooming with bloodshot, "That's impossible." she angrily shouted, "How a hideous looking monster could be pitied for? You are lying. I have taken everything from you."
I felt so hard to breathe, "You killed my family in front of me,.. you monster."
She laughed hideously and disappears in the mist again.
I dropped my gaze down in the ground, when Joseph comforts me, "Panthera, control yourself."
I snapped, "Control them."
Joseph looked at others.
Everyone started going to different directions unconsciously. They are hearing something we can't.
Joseph asked, "What are they doing?"
I told him, "They falls for her charm."
Joseph looked at them then observed himself, "Why I'm not in her charm?"
(A strong bright light sparks out of Joseph's sheathing sword.)
I pointed, "Your sword..."
Joseph's sword was shining purely bright when he unsheathed it. A light fall on me with a sharp pain I can't stand.
I yelled in pain, "Aahh..."
Joseph asked in uncertainty, "What happened?"
I flinched and took a step backwards, "I think your sword is the reason."
My pain fades away a little.
Joseph warned, "I think you should keep a fair distance from it."
I was puzzled, "But why it doesn't hurt me before?"
Joseph recall something and said, "Because back then you want to save your master, you want to protect him. But now you wanted something out of your nature, you want to kill the serpent. You are acting like the one you supposed to be, a monster."
I accept it, "You are right. I'm dying to do so."
Joseph give thought to it, "Let's do this together."
I nodded with full agreement.
Suddenly Megaera attack from back. Joseph managed to get hold of the sudden attack and pushed me, which made her missed the attack completely.
Megaera disappears again. She want to play like before, she doesn't change at all. Same cursed figure with more loathe and darken soul waiting to vanished from this life.
Joseph called me, "She wants to kill you, be alert."
I think for a moment, then told Joseph, "Yes...She wants to kill me. She will not leave another chance, and you will not going to miss this to kill her, understand."
Joseph nodded, "Ok, Yes..."
Both of us were alert. Suddenly mist changes it's colour and turned black wo couldn't able to see each other.
Again hissing sound started echoed all around.
Joseph startled, "I can't see you."
I looked for him, "You can't see me but can hear me. Your sword...I can still see your sword. Joseph use your sword to clear the site as fast as you can, this mist is caused by her. Or by any chance, if we killed her the mist will be lifted too."
Joseph swayed his sword, "As you say."
Joseph started clearing the mist. It felt like a void. There were emotions of pain in here.
Megaera appeared in front of me. My emotions rushed back to me.
Megaera spat, "You shouldn't have come here in my domain."
I scoffed it off, "Sorry, I failed you, and broke your heart."
Megaera got angry and crawled toward me, "Arrrhhhhhh...Go to hell."
Megaera started attacking me like lunatic animal. Well she was all alone enduring her sins.
I yell between her attack, "Joseph hurry..."
Joseph quickens his pace and move towards me, "I'm coming."
------
Here Joseph tries to clear up the mist and there Panthera was repeatedly fighting with Megaera. Can Joseph able to clear up all the mist to reach Panthera or Panthera die before she able to kill Megaera?
Well no one knows it clearly.