Legends: The Folklore Trilogy Book 2

Chapter 19-Where We Are Attacked

I spun around, my heart speeding up as the memory of a Tempter flashed into my brain.

Liza hadn't lied. There it was, just as ugly and terrifying as I had remembered. Almost more so.

"Seriously?" Deynan cried, "it's been like, an HOUR. Don't you REST?"

It stopped in front of the boat, hovering, it's tentacles rippling to keep it aloft, though I was pretty sure that was just for show. It could levitate.

This one had yellow, stringy hair, but it wasn't blonde. It was a slimy, disgusting sort of yellow. The beak was a kind of brownish-black. The tentacles were yellow-green, like mold. Its eyes burned red with crazed, malicious intent.

I shuddered involuntarily.

Behind me, I heard Abigail shriek. I turned quickly, to see Liza and Chris tugging her back. She seemed to be struggling to move towards us, but they wouldn't let her. Suddenly, Chris grabbed her around the waist and pulled her on to his own broom, speeding away.

Liza hovered for a second more. "I'm sorry," she said, looking genuinely upset, "but we can't help you. It's against the rules."

"What?!" Deynan exclaimed.

She fixed him with a steely glare. "The penalty is death."

"Oh."

She hesitated for a moment, looking back where Chris and Abigail had gone. Then she pulled two small bags out of her cloak, tossed them on the deck of the boat, and sped away, grabbing Abigail's broomstick as she went.

And we were alone.

The Tempter made a sharp hissing noise, and horror trickled through my body. I turned slowly.

Not for the first time, I wished the girls were here. They would know what to do. They wouldn't be standing around like a bunch of idiots, practically waiting to be attacked.

"We, uh, we have to transform into warrior," I said, my voice shaking.

"Ok," Isaac whispered, his eyes still glued to the Tempter.

Then it opened its mouth and shrieked.

Instantly, I felt a wave of...something, wash over me. I stumbled. My head began to pound. The shrieking filled my ears.

Of course this would happen. I should've KNOWN this would happen. Last time we fought them, I was reduced to a shaking mess on the deck. The scroll said THIS time, they would be even MORE powerful, because it was one on one and they knew we were powerful. What was the exact words? They would "probe you more subtly and exploit your weaknesses, turning your mind and body against you."

Great. Just great. We had no hope of defeating them. Of course, we could try, but what was the point if we were going to lose?

Suddenly, my own survival seemed like a very delicate thing.

I would just step back and let them handle it. But...if they couldn't...

My mind began working overtime, which was difficult with the ever-present shrieking that pierced the air. What if I surrendered? Would the man who controlled these spare my life? No, probably not. But what if...what if I offered to help him take over the island? The people there trusted me. I could probably help with a Trojan horse sort of thing. That was a good deal. That was a spare-my-life sort of deal.

But only if it came to the worst. As of now, I was just going to sit back and hope Deynan and Isaac could take it. They were formidable. I didn't need to do anything.

And I always had my deal as a backup plan.

I starting stepping backwards slowly. Deynan and Isaac seemed just as entranced as I had been a few moments ago. I watched their faces. Isaac's was clear and unwrinkled, but was twitching. His eyelids began to flicker like he was asleep. Deynan's was contorted like he was it pain, but slowly, ever so slowly, it would slip, and become just a little more relaxed.

Just going to sit back here...no one mind me...

It was just so easy.

But a deeper part of me was churning uncomfortably. I began to hesitate. Whereas the shrieking was screaming at me to hide, and save myself at all costs, the deeper part whispered, what if they can't take it?

What if they aren't strong enough? What if you have to use your deal? What if you watch them be defeated, right here?

What if they died?

And in that moment, I gasped so strongly, I thought the air would fill me up and explode. I began to shake. I couldn't do this. It was so, incredibly wrong. This was BETRAYAL I was talking about. I was going to let everything I cared about be destroyed, just so I could live? What was the reasoning behind that? I couldn't live if they were dead!

And the shrieking, it tore through the air, shooting and piercing, like it wanted to find my soul and rip it from my body.

I stumbled forward, a scream of my own pouring out of my mouth as I fell to the deck, my hands hitting the wood with a thwack.

I looked up at the Tempter, still shrieking, its eyes burning like I was something to be cooked.

"I...will...not!" I shouted, struggling to form my words.

Three simple words. They didn't sound like much, but they meant so much more. I will not do what I want to do so badly. I will not make the deal that would condemn all the people I cared about. I will not betray the people who cared about me.

I planted a foot on the deck, and stood up with shaking legs. I closed my eyes tightly. Bravery. Honesty.

And strength rippled through me, starting at my core and spreading through my being like ripples in a pond. I sighed with the rush of pleasure that came from being so powerful, and the relief that I no longer felt that sickening feeling of betrayal.

I was a warrior. I fought for what I believed in and no stupid Tempter was going to stop that.

I ran to the side of the deck, raised my sword, pushed of the railing, and swung it at the Tempter with all my might.

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Sorry that this update took forever! :-/

~Paint_splatt