Mystic Kingdoms: The Crumbling Towers

A wrenching shriek came out of the darkness.  Stopping short their ears thudded and pulses raced.  It came once more and it sounded as if it were all around them, a terrifying sound much worse than the one they had heard during the day.  Frightened their eyes met under the dim aura of the staff’s light.  It was silent for a few moments.

            Two splashes came in their direction then stopped.  Andus lifted his staff whispering softly.  The aura inched outwards while Feorn reached inside his vest shaking.  The wizard kept whispering until it drew out far enough for them to see what it was.  Sighing, Feorn put his hand down.  One of the blue birds was there staring at them with large eyes.  It squeaked and Andus reached to his chest in relief. 

            “Confounded bird,” whispered Feorn.  Suddenly, all of the swamp seemed to erupt like a geyser and the bird squealed as a pair of jaws snapped around its body, crushing bone and scattering feather.  Andus and Feorn were thrown back by the crashing waves, swallowing mouthfuls of the putrid swamp-water.  The light faded as Andus’ staff fell into the water along with him.  Quickly they both tried to regain their footing and Andus was coughing with the muck stuck in his throat. 

            “What was that?” declared the Dwarf behind him.  Andus ran his hand through the dense mud trying to sift out his rod.  He needed to get the light back before the beast returned.  When he did finally retrieve it, he muttered his incantation to light it again.  Feorn was circling around just a few meters behind him, keeping his sight out for the beast.  Silence buzzed in their ears.  Andus whispered to him,

            “Come along.  We must get away from this place.”

Feorn put up his hand as if to silence him then pointed just a little further away.  Bubbles were quickly rising to the surface.

            A fearsome shriek pierced their ears as the water shot up into the night.  As the mist began to fall, Andus could only barely see what the beast was.  Its head waved high above them, taller than the tower of Tze, with glowing gold-slit eyes.  Hissing with gleaming fangs it drew back swiftly then struck.  Snapping, it only barely missed Feorn’s arm though pushed the Dwarf into the mud again.  While he gasped for air, the beast snapped again clenching him by the shoulder.  Andus saw a dagger drawn as the creature lifted Feorn out of the swamp with painful screams, all the while swinging its head back and forth.  Feorn shouted with the pinging of the fangs within him.  Desperately he swatted his dagger over his shoulder, unable to reach the skin of the creature.  His body wriggled until violently released from its incisors.  Flung into the night a loud splash emanated from the darkness only a moment later.  Immediately the monster followed after its prey. 

            The wizard attempted to pursue the stealthy thing as it jetted through the water in a streaming line of foam.  He could only barely keep up with it, seeing its gleaming dark scales just barely above the water.  It quickly outran him though.  Not knowing what else to do he followed the noises as best he could. 

            The Dwarf screamed out far away,

            “A serpent!  It’s a serpent!”