The Idiot and the Savior

I have no clue where I’m going. I can barely see farther than three feet in front of me as I dash through the dark corridors. The pooling water on the stone floors dampens every step.

Splash–

I hit a big puddle. I slip. Now I’m sliding face first towards a corner.

The metal legguards scrap against the stone floor. There is a momentary flash of sparks flying against the darkness.

It hurts. All of this hurts.

I take a moment and brace my back into the corner of the two stone walls. From this position my eyes dart constantly between the two hallways.

The air is cold and still. My robes do little to keep me warm down here. I’m shaking. Is it the adrenaline or the cold?

I am such an idiot. I just had to keep pushing my luck.

With tremors in my hands I reach into my pocket and retrieve my stopwatch. The backlight is the only consistent light source I have down here.

Once again I am such an idiot. I should’ve bought a lantern.

01:39:58:831

01:39:59:205

01:40:00:021

The timer continues.

Why was I so impatient?

This third floor is a completely different beast. I had no trouble with the first two floors. I just had to–

What was that?

I turn my head side to side. I can’t see anything. Something is still following me. I can hear it moving in the hall. 

I do not have much time left.

I need to–

Moving on pure instinct alone I slide to my right to get clear of the incoming surprise attack. The weight of the monster’s tail slams into the wall recoiling off the surface.

The sound of wet flesh and stone echo throughout the dungeon halls. I can only see one thing.

The monster’s red eyes look down on me. I have no chance at winning against this thing.

Run.

Keep running. If I stop–

I will die.

The hallways are a total blur. I’m truly lost here. No matter how much distance I make, that thing always seems to find me. It’s more than just watching me. The monster is tracking me. The thing sees in the dark.

I make a dash toward a path I haven’t tried before. Using the slick floors to my advantage I slide around corners pushing off of the tight spaces to maintain momentum.

There at the end of the hallway I can see a faint light. That must be the stairs back to the second floor. My pace picks up. I’m about to pass through an intersection of hallways.

Something is slithering towards me rapidly from the left.

I slide with my right foot extending allowing it to guide me toward the light.

For the briefest moment I catch a glimpse of the monster. It is massive in length. Most of its body is a large tail. My body shivers in fear.

Get up!

I am almost at the path. The two torches flicker with hope.

I am so close almost–

The monster darts forward again. I am not fast enough if I try to ascend the stairs the monster will have me.

I continue past my objective dodging a fatal attack. All I have to show is this torch that I managed to grab in the action. I am barely clinging onto this newly acquired life.

Why did I even think I could do this? I told myself that as long as I don't get hit I won't die. That sounds a lot easier than it actually is. 

Now with some distance between us, slowly I retreat backwards down the hall. The monster is outside of the range of the torchlight.

I can see its shadowy figure slowly peer outside the path leading to the steps, its hands gripping the wall. In a quick motion it slithers out into the hall in front of me.

With this torch I am able to see my pursuer clearly now.

The light bounces and shimmers off the green scales that make up its large snake-like tail. The scales continue upward accenting the human-shaped feminine torso atop a massive tail.

The aquatic looking creature tilts its head waiting patiently. Watching me.

What is it planning?

The monster’s tongue licks at the cold air. Its snake-like behavior is off putting.

It has fins in place of where hair should be. Scales adorn its cheeks allowing the red eyes to really contrast against the jagged shimmer of the reptilian scales. 

Slowly it moves its body back and forth. The movements are mesmerizing. I can’t deny its eerie beauty. Too bad this thing is trying to eat me.

There’s no escaping it.

I really didn’t want to fight this thing. All I have is this broken sword and a torch. I ready myself and extend both arms taking a wide stance.

The monster’s red eyes track the movement of the torch.

Wait?

I slowly wave the torch in a large pattern in front of me. I know back home some snakes have thermal vision. I think I have a plan. 

It’s my only shot.

My legs are shaking. This time I know it’s the fear. This moment is life or death.

I know I am fast. I need to be faster than this snake woman thing.

Fear.

I have never felt this much fear before in my life. Exhaustion has eaten away at me. Every part of me hurts. 

I am cold.

Thanks to my stupid impulsive nature I am in this very moment. For better or worse it all comes down to this. I don’t blink. I have to make my move soon. The terror is starting to break me.

This is it.

I toss the torch to my right and dash faster than I ever have before. The close confines of the dungeon halls will be my advantage this time. The monster darts towards the falling flame.

My window is small…but I can make it. I jump running along the wall. I clear past the creature. Now all I need to do is get to that door.

“...?”

There is a crushing weight wrapping around my right leg. All of the sudden I am upside down. Dangling I try desperately to break free.

It’s over...

The fear is overwhelming. Tears fill my goggles. I can barely see it but the monster's face is right before mine.

The thing’s snake tongue periodically licks at my face.

My heart pounds.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Rage builds.

“GET OVER WITH IT YOU STUPID SNAKE!”

“HHHHIIIISSSS!!”

I close my eyes. I am such an idiot. I wasted my second chance.

There is a large vibration. I slam down onto the slick dungeon stonefloor. Warm liquid across my face. The full weight of the snake tail on me.

I guess it is constricting me after spraying poison on me.

“Um…are you uh…doing okay sir?”

The voice was shy and gentle in nature but not in volume.

I open my eyes.

“...”

…I feel like I have seen her before.

She towers over me. It looks like she can barely fit in the halls of the dungeon.

Her armor is makeshift; many of the parts look fused together to better conform to her large physique.

A tower shield in one hand and a makeshift club in the other. The weapon looks like someone tried to fuse a cannonball with part of a huge branch. It’s covered in blood.

The body of the creature lays behind her. The skull caved in and crushed from a single blow. The tail continues to twitch and move.

“Yeah sorry about that. Naga tails continue to move that way even after death.”

She must misunderstand the look of shock on my face.

“Seriously, it’s definitely dead now. I can assure you of that.”

Even though I can’t see her face below the mask I can tell she is so proud of her skills.

I laugh.

I laugh so hard I don’t know if it is the overwhelming joy or the absurdity of my new life now. I am just so happy.

I fall on my back I think I will take a moment to…

“Sir! Hey sir please don’t fall…”

The last thing I see is her lifting the faceplate on her helmet.

It isn't the sad expression she has that is leaving an impression on me. Her blonde bangs try their best to hide the large green singular eye on her face.

I don’t think green is the right word to describe it. There are a myriad of beautiful colors in her lone eye.

I smile.

My mind wanders into darkness.