The Knight's Eyes

13: BRIDGE OF TIME

When your fears stand in your path, time flies or stops. Who knows which one? - LCH

His left hand went weak and dropped the torch. His green eyes watched the flamed stick fall to its death.

The wounded raptor stumbled closer. Alsin could not move. His vision zoomed down to the rough waters of a river hidden under an array of vines and a cloud of mist. The tip of his left boot hug over the break of land sending uncontrollable waves of shivers that couldn't reach pass his hip. The moisture in his mouth dried and shriveled his tongue. Like a statue he stood there, his mind picturing the outcome of his life if he'd just happen to tip over.

His father and Walta had always told him he should do something about his fears of heights and mirrors. It will get you killed one day, Walta joked once. He'd always brush it off in denial or shame. Who in the wide world was scared of mirrors? Heights, yes, but mirrors? Alsin could never keep his stomach calm when he was around anything that gave his reflection, even water at times. Just one look sent his eyes to cry and his head to ache.

Behind him the creature was closing space. The only way to unfreeze himself was to close his eyes and take a step back. Alsin closed his eyes, sucked in tremors of air, and took four steady steps back.

A hiss met him and snapped him back to reality. He spun around and waved his sword between them. The raptor's heads snarled their teeth at him and the clawed fingers scrapped the air.

Whatever you do, Alsin, do not step backwards. His consciousness was more worried about the drop than the creature. He scanned the area seeking a way of escape. The ground beside him continued onward unlike the one on his left. So he darted in that direction keeping the edge of his weapon aimed at the creature.

He came over a hill and heard a few new hissing sounds. From another cave entrance two similar raptors exited; one brownish scaled and the other reddish orange. Angry and hungry, the creatures approached him blocking an opportunity to run back towards the cave.

Alsin's breathing increased preparing himself for a good fight. Then a wind passed by and his eyes caught a glimpse of something brown over another hill. Switching sword hands, he dashed towards it hoping for a path around the cliff and away from the demonic creatures. But when he stumbled over the hill a black out threatened.

Just a foot away was a bridge shuttering side to side in the wind. The raptor saw its opportunity to attack and whipped a clawed hand in his direction. Alsin yanked away, but not in good time. One gray claw gashed his left arm. Blood quickly drenched his white sleeve.

He grimaced and repositioned his sword and jabbed at the creature's chest. It backed away and the snakes snarled. Its two companions approached and deliberately blocked his path. Alsin's eyes watered seeing his two options. Fight to the death, which was certain due to three large creatures with a combination of eight snake-heads against a knight with one sword. Cross the weak bridge and certainly die of a heart attack then plunge to a second death.

The creatures closed in their distance realizing he could only fend off one at a time with his sword. His feet continued to back away, closer and closer to the bridge. The back of his head screamed and his teeth clattered. He caught the heads glance at each other, hissing a plan. Piercing eyes of hunger for flesh and blood glared at him and Alsin's senses flared of a unison attack.

Alsin took that chance and sprinted to the bridge as they let their plan unfold. Their hissing went wild when one of their heads collided with another's.

Holding his breath, Alsin crossed the unstable bridge. Wooden panels were missing and all of them creaked threatening to break under his feet. Shielding his sword, he gripped the rails of rope and kept his eyes at the bridge's opposite end.