Mia took one step to the right, noting the monster continued to thrash in the lake ‘ok, and…’ she nodded and then took two steps towards the left, now seeing the creature stop in its thrashing and sit up straight in the lake.
The two stared at each other in silence, Mia carefully taking another step towards the distant structure, but as she slowly took that step the monsters maw slowly opened. She slowly took the step back and the monster’s mouth, mimicking her movement, slowly closed.
‘…’ it really didn’t want her to head towards that structure, the stark shift in attitude was apparent, which only confirmed this entire time it was just toying with her. Mia’s anger rose, but she took a deep breath and broke out into a full sprint.
The monster reacted, opening its maw and firing something towards her. This time expecting it Mia was able to avoid it, an invisible force rushing past her and cutting down a tree.
A slight smirk spread across her face ‘if it really doesn’t want me there…’ she kicked off the ground, flipping and contorting her body to avoid the projectiles as she ran ‘only one way to go.’
It was her best bet regardless of what the monster wanted, it was either betting on whatever this structure was or sprinting through the forest playing with this thing while slowly starving to death, the choice was obvious, only made clearer by the monster now making its way towards her while spitting projectiles.
‘hn, nice pace.’ She jumped into the air with a twirl, between this and the monster charging her, she preferred the projectiles ‘slower, easier, more room’ it also helped that the creature’s movement was slowed by the water, at the pace they were going she was sure to make it before it had the chance to catch up.
But then there was a lull, the monster had stopped shooting as it reached the shoreline, a ways away from Mia. She glanced back at it, the serpentine form standing tall on its 4 back legs, its maw still wide open. “gave up?” She looked back at the structure now clearly in view on the shoreline, a stone brick structure that resembled a small castle gate opening up towards the water’s edge.
‘Almost.’ She could see why the creature was so adamant about not wanting her to come this way, the entrance was far too small for it, but why did it give up?
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
Not liking it Mia went to save, but before she got a chance the monster screeched, distracting her and causing her to look back “oh…” The creature had swelled, doubling in width “oh.” She watched as its maw closed, the upper part of its body swelling further and shaking, then, it opened, spewing forth a highly concentrated beam of water.
“OH!” Mia ducked, the thin beam passing above her head and gouging the earth behind her. The beam did not stop there, however, and suddenly lowered “?!?!” Mia rolled away from it, getting caught in the process, her arm getting a clean cut.
She squinted, gritting her teeth as she regained her balance, not getting a chance to inspect the damage as the beam pursued her. She leaped back, and kept leaping, she was so close to the structure, so very close, but this things last ditch effort… she leaped over the beam, rolling on the ground she leaped up, arms raised in the air she erected a wall of ice in an attempt to stop it.
Her face paled when she saw the beam start to cut cleanly through it, ducking under it as it passed above her “mnu…” she let out a frustrated groan, it had to run out of water eventually, right? She’d attack it but that felt useless from her past attempts…
Dodging towards the structure was also getting harder, or its aim was getting better, as she got closer to the structure. She erected more ice walls, the monster cutting through them effortlessly but as she dodged from behind them she found it easier to do so, as the creature couldn’t see- “oh”
But a wall wouldn’t cut it, while she could manage with these walls they couldn’t cover the space she needed, she needed something she could make faster while obscuring its vision…fog?
‘Can I make fog?’ was the question, was that even something ice magic could do… ‘what even is fog?’ she knew what it was, she would see it often during certain times of the year, but she doubted it was ice related…something similar…’something…snowfall? Maybe.’
She checked her mana, 800 left, she was thankful she put so much into it.
She felt a sting as the beam cut into the top of her ears, hoping it wasn’t cut off she steeled herself and raised her hand ‘here goes.’ She started spraying light snow up into the air between her and the monster, laying layers upon layers of heavy snowfall, pouring every ounce of mana she had. The beam cut right through the snow, blasting it everywhere but it was having an effect, Mia could hear a low groan from the other side of the mini snowstorm.
‘Now.’ Without letting up, she continued to spray her snow screen as she made a final dash, ducking under the beam as the monster was spraying it randomly into the snow. With a final push she had made it, wrapping around to the entrance she went inside, finding herself sinking up to her knees in water but she didn’t care, she pushed on, desperate to get away from that thing.
After she made it a bit inside Mia slammed her back into a stone wall, she had made it inside, but she wasn’t safe yet. Once again, she forced herself onwards, hearing the screeching of the monster behind her as she ventured further inside.