Inka's Curse Part 7: The Trip Home

The cold harsh air wipes my face. The overgrown trees are surrounded in a blanket of dazzling snow. The snow crunches underneath my feet as I walk cautiously. Sweat builds up behind my neck as I cautiously look around.

I underwent a tedious, weary trip to arrive at the Wellspring area of the glorious forest. The radiant sun was about to disappear below the horizon. I was close to my intended destination but I won’t be reaching it before the dreadful night as I planned.

I was exhausted after traveling persistently through the harsh weather. As I move sluggishly without a care in the world overly excited to be so close I instantly detect something seamlessly moving around me.

I can’t identify it, but it was hiding in the snow. Something slithers around my foot. I don’t want to fight desperately afraid that the armor and the sword are absorbing my life. But there’s nothing I can achieve to avoid it. A white serpent tightly wrapped itself around my leg. I fall to the ground and thrust my leg above me. Foolish fear pierces through me as I ineffectually try prodding it off in this embarrassing position.

I frantically pull out my sword as fast as possible while my nervous hand trembles uncontrollably. I desperately viciously try stabbing the snake in the side or belly repeatedly and unsuccessfully. The sole thought I possess is I can’t stop. I hear a howl so close to me that I severely neglect what I was performing. I look up to observe what looks like a woman with a wolf’s head. It’s not some unusual kind of disguise but a hybrid. I didn’t think that kind of thing existed.

My anxious heart beats rapidly in my chest as I stare up at her. I am a mouse pinned under a wolf's relentless gaze. She stares down at me. Her glowing turquoise eyes looking over me intently. I can feel the snake wrapping around my leg even tighter. At that time the snake began to hiss in alarm as it prepared itself to strike me.

“Look out,” she says. As I return my attention back to my leg, the snake stops wrapping up my helpless leg and eagerly opens its mouth. It’s mouth stretches and I can see the snake displays quite a few rows of wicked teeth.

As quickly as the snake attacks it is hit by an arrow. The wolf woman snarls steps back and aims a mighty bow towards me. As she aims, I fasten my eyes and flinch, trembling uncontrollably in fear as I am prepared to be hit by her arrow. I overhear her release the bow, but I don’t experience anything. Her aim in unbelievable. The arrow strikes the snake in the face.

Relief rushes through my body. As I furiously swing, the sword burns up and the burning flames of it strike the snake and my leg. The writhing snake lets go. The fierce flames didn’t wound me, but it sufficiently cooked up the snake pretty badly. It’s a nice snack for later.

By Cristina Collazo