The Forbidden Lands (Wattys 2015 Winner)

Chapter Thirteen--The Elves

Chapter Thirteen
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It growled a guttural sound. I flinched and turned around.

It was a wyvern--a serpent-like creature with scaly green skin and jagged spikes. It's eyes were animal-like and wild. It had only one desire: to kill. I felt my heart pound in my chest, and my breaths became short and shallow. I looked around desperately for something to defend myself.

Usually, I was one to try everything before attacking. But this was not a usual situation. There was no reasoning with this creature. It's pink forked tongue flicked out, and a hungry look appeared in its eyes.

I picked up a large, sharp tree branch, and swung at the wyvern. It did not react. I jabbed the stick into its flesh, and a familiar black liquid poured out.

The wyvern's blood.

It was as if the world was taking a breath right before anything happened. A slight pause in the chaos.

Then, the wyvern attacked, with a sound that was between a shriek of pain and a bellow of rage. I did what any sane person would have done in a similar situation.

I dropped the branch and ran.

The lizard creature slithered after me, crushing trees in its path. I turned around. It was gaining on me. I slid around a tree, scraping my knee, and picked myself up.

The wyvern was nearly on top of me from my fall. Not knowing what to do, I scurried up the tallest tree I could find. The squirrel in me would've been proud.

Confusion filled the monster's eyes. It turned its head this way and that, sniffing the air.

I held my breath, as if a sound would be my death. It very well could be, after all. The wyvern looked up, and I could see its recognition when it spotted me. Its red eyes targeted me and it got up on its hind legs to reach me. Fortunately, the tree was too tall. It shrieked again, and hit the tree with its clawed hand.

The tree shook. I wrapped my arms around the trunk for dear life. The tree began to fall. I jumped off, just as it was about to hit the ground.

I could almost hear someone calling "Timber!" as the tree hit the ground with a loud thud.

The wyvern was standing above me now, and it's hand was positioned over my throat, to kill. Blinding fear tore through me. I was going to die.

Something hit the monster in the eye, just as it was about to strike me. It turned its head. I rolled away, and ran. Another rock hit the monster. It shrieked and backed away. A steady stream of pebbles hit him. I ran as fast as I could away. I bumped into someone. I looked down. It was a kid. With pointed ears and features. An elf. Holding a sling shot.

He saw me and ran. I tried to follow him, but the wyvern was dangerously close. I did not know what to do. I'd tried fighting. I'd tried fleeing.

I looked around for somewhere to hide. The wyvern had spotted me now, and it crept closer. The I noticed the elf boy was behind it. He was holding a torch.

How would fire defeat this beast? I wondered. It's skin looked impenetrable, and definitely not flammable. I recalled the color of its blood.

Black. Why did that seem familiar?

Suddenly, it hit me. I nodded at the elf boy. All at once, I picked up a stick and slashed through the wyvern's skin. The elf boy threw the torch at the cut, and it burst into flame. The wyvern roared, and scurried away, trying to put out the flame.