Mind's Journey 2: Of Monsters and Men (A Gamelit Fantasy Adventure - Book 2) Read online

  Mind’s Journey II:

  Of Monsters and Men

  William H. Dewayne

  Table of Contents:

  Chapter One: Seeing Double (5)

  Chapter Two: The Calvary Arrives (25)

  Chapter Three: What is a Dream? (63)

  Chapter Four: Current Situation (74)

  Chapter Five: Seven Plus Zero (91)

  Chapter Six: No Hero Like Finn (112)

  Chapter Seven: The Test (124)

  Chapter Eight: A Lapse in Judgment (148)

  Contents Cont.:

  Chapter Nine: Bandits (161)

  Chapter Ten: Down by the River (196)

  Chapter Eleven: Hole in the Wall (222)

  Chapter Twelve: The Mountains (267)

  Chapter Thirteen: Holding Out for Heroes (276)

  Chapter Fourteen: What to Do? (290)

  Chapter Fifteen: Phoenix (322)

  Chapter Sixteen: Alone Against a Monster (346)

  Chapter Seventeen: Epilogue (376)

  To the Love of my Life:

  Thank you for believing in me!

  CHAPTER ONE

  Seeing Double

  1

  Run. That’s all I can do. I have to run as fast as I can. A pack flaps against my side. It tries to slip between my legs, threatening to trip me up. With my right arm, I grab the bag, holding it in place as I sprint. In my left hand, I grasp my staff so hard that my knuckles whiten. Charging through the thick forest, tree limbs casting their shadows on the ground, I dart around trunks, jumping over roots that seem to curve out of the ground as if they intended to trip me from the forest’s birth countless years before.

  My breath comes in rasps. Running with this metallic armor on is not as easy as some might think. No matter how much it protects me, what good is it in a situation like this? I could say the same with this stupid stick that I call my weapon. No matter how much it’s improved since the battle with the Orthrus, it can seem more trouble than it’s worth. However, at this moment, nothing is a worse hindrance than this stupid bag.

  This brown pack is the reason I’m running through this dense forest alone. My team is far behind me. Who knows when they will catch up with me? This is one of David’s strategies that does not make too much sense to me. Still, he has made no significant errors yet. Trust comes from repeated, reliable behavior. I hope that this isn’t one where that bond of trust is severed.

  With each step, I can feel my body wobbling forward, as if at any moment I will move too fast for my legs, and my face will rush to meet the ground. Sweat drips down my forehead, getting close to falling into my eyes. My staff is slippery in one hand while my other hand struggles to keep the bag from flopping around. I’m at my limits.

  Not able to run anymore, my feet skid to a halt, almost tripping over a root. Draw it away; that was my only instruction. David said nothing else about what I should do once I accomplish this. Great. Guess I’m gonna make this up as I go. Glancing around, an answer presents itself. Have to hide, I realize. The thick canopy provides enough shade where it could be difficult to find anyone who wished to remain hidden. With so many trees, how could anyone not find the ideal place to hide? Looking up at a tree, I find the perfect spot. From the angle I was running, nothing could spot me unless they knew where I went.

  Without another thought, I scale the tree. After being in this forest for so long, I have climbed my fair share of trees. The main difficulty comes from my weariness, but that is not enough to stop me. Before I know it, I have reached a split in the tree, the perfect cranny for me to hide. Holding my bag close to my chest, my hand reaches inside and pulls out a cold piece of meat. Fox meat. G. says that it’ll put hair on my chest. Not sure about that, but I will use it to save my hide, another of G.’s sayings.

  In the tree, I rear back and hurl the tiny slab of meat as far as I can. My eyes lose sight of it, which isn’t hard in this dense forest. A distant sound of rustling leaves with a thud on the ground lets me know that the meat went where I needed it to. You threw away the Fox Meat, the announcing, annoying Voice says, as a sad jingle plays. I do not even flinch at it. After hearing it for almost two months, I’ve grown used to it. In fact, if I did not hear it, I believe the silent calm would have a deep unsettling impact on me. Still, I would love to know what it feels like not to have a voice in my head.

  Within the shadow of the tree, I wait. It will be here soon. My skin tingles with anticipation, preparing to turn my body to another part of nature. Our encounters with monsters were few, but far more than most would live through. Experience is a great teacher, and I’ve had to learn fast. Avoiding a monster is no easy feat. They can smell their target and will follow it until either their prey or themselves die. However, according to G., there is one exception: fresh meat.

  That is why I ran through the woods alone. Everyone else is working on a separate strategy, and for it to succeed, a monster needs to chase me through the woods. I’m the bait. A chill rushes through me as I consider the real possibility that this monster might catch me and gobble my body up before anyone else could find me. This thought cuts off as my breath catches. It’s here. I have no physical proof, but I can feel it. A sense of dread at what is nearby. If it were any more pronounced, it would be as if I had a map in my head.

  Focusing, I hold my breath and keep my body as rigid as possible. Not a single muscle twitches. If I move, even the slightest bit, it will find me. The shadow of the tree is the only thing keeping me hidden from its piercing eyes. Perking up my ears, I strain to hear any signs of its location. This is a fruitless exercise.

  I cannot hear even the faintest movement of its feet, nor do I hear the rustling of leaves. Why did we have to fight a monster that could move with such stealth? Go, I beg, my fingers gripping the sides of the tree. Leave. If it could just go far enough away for a moment, I could scramble down the tree and run away, returning to the party. Who knew what David had planned then?

  At last, the silence breaks, and my skin crawls as I hear a slick wet noise. No, I moan. Go away. Chase after the meat, not me. The noise persists as if each time I beg for it to leave, the creature waits a little longer. I repress a shiver as I hear the noise draw closer, to where I feel like something would appear in front of me at any moment. To my surprise, it stops and I hear nothing. If I did not know better, I would say that he found the meat and left, but I cannot afford to be that optimistic.

  Something touches the tree, sending a slight tremble against my back and arms. Whatever it was, it slides along the trunk. It scratches across the bark. The grinding gets louder as it grows closer by the moment. My eyes shut, just for a moment, as I beg for the last time that it leave. It would seem that luck is not in my favor today. A hiss resounds near my ear. Whipping my head around, I gasp as I come face-to-face with the wicked yellow scales of a large serpent’s face. The head could not be smaller than a shield. The red tint of the enemy outlines its scales. Its tongue, at least as long as my arm, slithers from its tight-lipped mouth, which could no doubt swallow me in one gulp. I shudder, remembering gazing into that deep maw earlier, and hoping that I do not have to look into it again. Within its orange eyes, each the size of a plate, I can see an overwhelming sense of triumph.

  Fear swells up inside my chest, as it did in these situations. Its cold hands attempt to ensnare my heart, forcing my body to remain frozen and wait for the end, whatever that meant to the serpent. There was a time when that would happen, but I was not the same man that would cower in fear. So much has happened since then. I’m changing. I a
m a man of action.

  Not waiting for it to take the lead in this game, I spring out of the tree. Throwing the bag aside, I grab my staff with both hands. No matter how useless it may appear, it fits into my hands as if it belonged. The snake’s head follows between the branches, lashing out with its jaw opening wide. Landing on the ground, I rush forward, moving as far from the snake as possible. Glancing over my shoulder, I grimace as it continues chasing me. Quelling the fear before it has the chance to regain a grip, I spin around, tightening the grip on my staff.

  A month ago, my staff went through a transformation, growing longer. It is made of two winding pieces of wood, white and brown, and there’s a crook on the end. Why is looks this way makes no sense to me? All I care about is that it is stronger than before. Better than that, it is as tall as I am now. This gives me a longer reach than it had before. I can use this to help keep the monster at bay, striking it from a safer distance, but I know that even with the weapon’s upgrade, this will not be enough to stop the monster. To win, I need more power, something this weapon cannot provide. That’s fine, because I know what I have to do. Closing my eyes for a moment, I reach inside, searching for the hidden strength.

  Taking a deep breath, I know that I have to make quick work of this. In the back of my mind, I’m not too sure that I can defeat it by myself, but I can wound it. I know that this pitiful weapon can do a lot more damage since it transformed. Still, that will not be enough to bring this monster down. To achieve victory, I have to rely on a greater strength, one that changes the tide of a fight.

  Since the battle with the Orthrus, I have realized that I have a deeper power living inside. In my greatest times of need, I can summon this strength and unleash attacks unlike anything I have done before. Debt collectors, griffins, two-headed giant dogs, none of them can stand against that power. This creature is no different. Opening my eyes, I look into the maw close to eating me. Summoning my courage, I strike.

  Too bad that power didn’t show up. My attack hits the creature on the top of its mouth. Its maw slams shut from the blow, and the head draws back. Right above its head, a slim, green bar appears. My eyes focus on the end. Though I do not understand why it exists, I know what it signifies. Whenever anyone receives an injury, this bar appears, displaying how much the wound affected them. I realized that it is called H.P., or health points. Beneath it rests a blue bar. It never changes and I don’t have a clue what it is. So I ignore it, focusing on the green bar. The end of this monster’s bar shows some signs of damage, but nowhere near enough. The glint in its eyes, that sense of triumph, is all I need for my next action.

  Without hesitation, I dive to the side, just as the snake’s head lashes forward again, branches snapping behind it. The creature misses me, biting at empty air, but its jaws snap close to my ankles as my upper body tucks into a small somersault. Coming out of the ball, I feel the slightest trace of nausea, but with a deep exhale, it vanishes. The serpent’s head reaches the end of its strike, whipping its face in my direction. I continue running, ducking behind a tree. This fight will be harder than we first thought, and I don’t have any way of bringing it down on my own.

  My aim is clear. I have to make my way back to the others, but can I do that with this creature snapping at my heels? Running was easy earlier; I had a little advantage, having at least a head start. If I flee now, it’ll catch me. No matter what, I can’t let it bite me. The image of a fallen tree flashes through my mind, and I shiver.

  The head loops around for another attack, but I beat him to it. Leaping out, I aim for the head again; I have to keep interrupting its rhythm. As soon as I swing, I know that there is no way I could miss, but to my chagrin, the snake’s head moves back, and I strike air. My stomach drops as I prepare for the retaliation. To my surprise, the triumphant eyes retreat as the long, cylinder body lashes back, as if something else pulled it away from me.

  Wonderful, I sigh. Though I used that strike for nothing, I have a temporary respite. My body sags for a moment as I realize that my growing lack of stamina is making this harder. It will only get worse from here. Gotta think of a way out of this. Too bad I am not the best at coming up with plans. To make matters worse, the retreating head did not mean that this creature needed to rest. No, it was about to begin its true onslaught.

  The yellow head slinks back to behind the tree, slipping out of sight. I grip my staff with both hands, waiting for it to make its grand reappearance. It didn’t keep me waiting. A single furry, yellow leg stretches out from behind the tree. Another leg follows it. The hip stands up to my shoulder. Not a single noise rises from the grass as the feet stalk toward me. Two more legs follow. Black spots pop out against the yellow fur. Cruel, long, black claws extend with each paw step. The tail swishes back and forth behind it in anticipation. It looks like a large spotted cat, standing as tall as a horse, but I pay no mind to it. My attention shifts away from the lower body and focuses on the upper parts.

  From the neck, the fur disappears, replaced by yellow scales. They crawl up the long neck, which swings from side to side in anticipation. G. says there’s a legend of a snake that encircles the whole world, but the largest recorded snake is two hundred feet long. I can only pray that I never have to face it. As the neck wiggles around, the angular head remains stationary, watching me with its beady eyes. Its nose hooks at the end, giving it a more sinister aura. My blood runs cold.

  A Serpopard. That’s what Aurora called it, to everyone’s surprise. The strange curl of her lip upon seeing the beast was all we needed to know the basics. This was not her first time seeing this monster. I wonder if she’s fought these before. There are so many things about Aurora that I still don’t know. Whenever she gives me the opportunity, I need to sit with her and ask every question that comes to mind. Before that, I have to survive this battle.

  The snake’s head towers over me. The yellow lips part, and I gaze into the maw once again. I cannot decide if it is worse from this distance or up close. Gulping, I try to assess this situation. Though I am not the most knowledgeable in battle, I am learning fast, thanks to my new mentor. Listening to David’s strategies is having an effect too. This Serpopard is as big as the Orthrus, but it is far slenderer, and its neck leaves the head towering higher than the Orthrus could reach on its hind legs. The Serpopard has to keep its neck bent; otherwise, its head would rise into the forest’s canopy of branches. Between the two, this monster is faster, but that is not its greatest advantage. The length of its neck allows it to strike from almost anywhere around the battlefield. I can already tell that running around and dodging its attacks will be a waste of energy at this point. No matter where I run, it will keep its assault going without difficulties while I tire myself. Converse your energy. Wait for the right moment and run like its mouth is about to swallow you. Another chill rushes through me as I think of being swallowed by that maw.

  Standing in one place is not a great idea. A fact that the Serpopard intends to drill into my mind. Without further ado, it launches its attack. The cat legs spring forward, claws extending. It clears the distance between us faster than I expected. I leap back to avoid getting slashed. As soon as I land on my feet, a noise from above makes me dive to the side. The snake’s head strikes the ground where I stood a second earlier.

  Turning back, I see a fiercer glint in the snake eyes. We know who has the advantage in this situation. No matter how much I analyze this situation, the fact of the matter is clear. This monster will destroy me before anyone else can reach us. How could this get any worse? I lament. I prepare to counterattack. Rushing forward, I raise my staff to hit the monster before it can bite at me again. Just as I am about to bring down my stick, I see something dart around in the corner of my vision. My stomach churns as I remember the most important fact about this creature.

  I brace myself. Though I do not see it, I know that it is out there somewhere. It could climb any of the trees with ease. I do not understand how its massive body could scale a tree with such ease,
but I’m in uncharted territory. I have been over my head for a long time. This would not be the craziest thing that happened in recent memory. Still, this was about to get worse, much worse. What happened to the plan? I wonder.

  “Look out,” a familiar voice yells. G. used Spinning Spear, the announcing Voice says. Bursting out of a tree, a large, hairy man vaults onto the Serpopard’s back. In his right hand, he carries a large silver spear which he whirls around his body at blinding speeds. The snake’s head whips around to face him in retaliation, but G. greets it with the butt of the spear, striking it across its thin mouth. Its head draws back, and the spear turns around, its glinting point driving into its throat. The entire creature’s body thrashes about in pain, pulling itself away from G.’s weapon. A splatter of green blood bursts from the neck.

  My companion drops to the ground, spear in hand, stumbling forward. He clicks his tongue in frustration. “So close,” he mutters, his dark hand wiping sweat from his brow. No wonder he’s hot. I’d sweat to death if I wore leather armor on top of furs. “Just a little deeper, and that would’ve ended it.” I’m not too sure of that. The green bar depleted a little more than I managed, but it is far from vanishing. No matter how deep his strike went, it would not have ended this fight.

  “What happened to the plan?” I ask. While the monster recovers from its injury, we need to take advantage of this small respite and come up with a new plan.

  G. turns toward me with a large grin flashing through his thick beard. “Leave it to Felix,” G. chuckles, shaking the split, red Orthrus bone he had strapped to his back. “Thinking of others before himself.” I glare at him, waiting for an answer. “There was a change of plans,” he admits with a shrug of his shoulders.

  What little he just said makes no sense. What was the point in having me run all of this way if G. would follow me only a few moments later? “But I thought the whole point was…”