Mateo swing precariously back and forth. The vine loosening its hold on his thigh as he stared at the plant monstrosity before him.
Red petals closing and opening, revealing sharp rows of teeth. A tongue like petal emerged as it secrete some kind of liquid.
Vines wiggling in the air lash out creating cracks in the ground.
The vine holding him tossed him in the air, right above the plant monster's mouth.
In that moment, as he stared at the monster's mouth with rows of sharp teeth, something glimmered in his body and Mateo noticed the orb with the imp in it.
Without further ado, Mateo released the imp right above the plant monster's mouth.
A beam of light and the imp emerged, it hasn't even registered to the imp where he was before he got swallowed.
Mateo's body bounced against the plant monster's petal mouth. His body rolled over its body before dumping into the ground.
Numbing pain course through his young body, his mind going blank before focusing again at the monster in front of him.
The plant monster began to wildly thrash around, its vines slamming on the ground and creating fissures. Then suddenly it calm down and became still.
What...what do I do now?
Despite the pain racking in his body, Mateo tried to crawl away while the monster is docile.
Mateo crawled up behind a hedge and rest for a minute.
The pain coursing through his body is unbearable. Sobs escape from his throat and glob of tears falls down from his now puffy eyes.
Despite all that, Mateo tried to ignore the pain and hurriedy cast a healing spell on himself.
Green glow covered his body, his scratches and bruises healed quickly and the wound on his thigh begone scabbing. His pain eases and he sigh in relief. Now, the itchiness from his thigh's the thing that's bothering him.
"Gina"
Immediately, blue glow gathered in his hand and he carefully hover it above the scabbing wound.
Instantly, the itchiness leaves him.
Seeing that the monster is still busy digesting. Mateo began to shakily stand and walk away. He tried to shake away his fear but memories from back then keep resurfacing. He started breathing rapidly and his body began to tremble.
I...
I...
Blank eyes stared at him as he was pulled away to oblivion...
"Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh"
Mateo screamed, crying and curling into his body.
His mind taking him back to that day when the nightmare begun. There's a ringing in his ear, his mind seeing a boy's stomach being pierce by a vine.
Sharp with a spindle like image...
Splash!
Red...
Red...
Red...
Red blooming....
His eyes is shrouded by red...
The screams of children echoes into the fog...
No...no...NO!!!
With a shout full of fear and rage, Mateo stood up and hurl all the cards he made into the plant monster.
Flashes of light bombarded the plant monster as different elements attack it. Fire licks at its roots and sharp wind cut at its vines making the still plant monster to thrash wildly.
Agitated by Mateo's onslaught of spell cards, the plant monster lashed out a vine towards his direction.
BAM!
The vine slammed against an invisible wall.
BAM!
Another vine lashed out against him but again, its attack kept being repelled by an invisible barrier.
A card floats in the air in front of Mateo, his tear-filled eyes staring hatefully at the monster.
The vine continued its attack as the barrier holds on. But despite that, it seems that the card is running out of energy. The stored mana inside is being rapidly depleted as it withstood the onslaught of the vines.
Mateo watch as the barrier began to crack. He gazed at the monster before him, his body is trembling. His mind kept coming back to that day as he stared at the vines wildly thrashing about.
No! Don't dwell on that!
You can do this!
Mateo took out a card and with all the mana he can muster, he pour it out on the card and throw it with all his might.
The card pass through the barrier as the vine finally broke through. It slammed against Mateo and his body flew backwards, blood spewing out of his mouth.
The card landed unimpeded onto the plant monster. It glowed for a moment before dimming down.
Mateo stared at it and as seconds pass by with nothing happening, despair began to aroused within him.
Clouds gathered in the sky and sounds of thunder rumbled. Everything seems so bleak and as his embers of hope simmered down and rain began to pour, lightning flashed.
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
Three strokes of white light came down upon the plant monster. Each lightning more devastating than the other.
.
.
.
Silence...
.
.
.
Mateo gazed at the charred monster in disbelief.
He...
He defeated it.
He actually defeated it.
Hahaha...HAHAHAHAhaha!!!
Mateo laughed out loud and despite the pain wracking in his body, his hysterical and pain filled laugh echoed inside the maze.
========
Cinnadel Castle
Castle's Inner Chamber
In a dimly lit room, Gustavius the keeper of the castle is kneeling before someone.
The man with his knuckles against his cheek regarded Gustavius carefully.
"You haven't been drinking blood I see..." The man observed.
"...forgive me my lord, it just haven't crossed my mind..."
"Hmm..."
Without further ado, the lord of the castle tossed a vial of blood towards him.
"Thank you my lord, there's really no need to..."
He was given a sharp glare for that, sighing Gustavius opened it and swiftly drunk the blood inside. Suddenly, wrinkled skin smoothens and white hair turned dark, revealing a young handsome man.
The lord of the castle, Darius Ardent, stood up and walk towards his loyal subject. He grip Gustavius chin tightly and sneered.
"Is it so dreadful for you to drink blood? Was it so loathsome for you to become a vampire? Ah, I forgot...you're just a drudge"
Releasing his chin, Darius stalk away, walking back towards his throne.
"My lord..." Gustavius started before stopping himself. He gave a sigh, regret in his throat for causing the lord's foul mood.
Suddenly thunder rumbled outside the window and rain started pouring outside.
Gustavius stared at the desolate scenery when suddenly he felt it.
Both him and Darius turns towards the maze's direction. The Rashnea flower is dead.
Darius gazed at Gustavius and without further words, Gustavius nodded and bowed away.
Listening to Gustavius' receding footsteps, Lord Darius fell into a contemplative mood. His mind wandering at the faint heartbeat pulsing within the center of the maze where the now dead Rashnea flower resides.
"...interesting..."