Leyman was horrified, his eyes widening when he saw the ghastly jaws gaping wide open towards him.
However, luck was still on the side of the commander of the Angholi troops.
So frightened, Leyman even fell to the right side of his horse, but it saved him instead. The swamp creature's attack hit the top of the horse's neck.
The horse neighed loudly as the marsh creature quickly wrapped itself around it.
Leyman also shuffled to avoid the body of the horse and the creature that was rolling towards him.
With all his efforts, Leyman was finally able to stand. And just as he was about to flee towards the shore where there were only a few feet left, the tail of the marsh creature that was twirling around whipped the man's body very hard.
Leyman moaned in pain, his front body hurt and he was thrown several feet, then crashed into the edge of the swamp.
Once again, the cowardly man was still lucky, even though he was badly injured, but his life was still saved.
Enduring the great pain, Leyman got up and forced himself to run into the forest, leaving the chaos still raging in the middle of the swamp.
Meanwhile, Jumara, who is no longer on his horse, is on guard with the composure he has. His body was drenched, and the water level of the swamp at his position reached his stomach.
Three soldiers were still holding out with the Maghabean commander. Two soldiers also no longer ride horses because their horses died with their bodies dismembered near them, and another one is still on his horse.
That one was an archer and he was a soldier of the Angholi Kingdom, he kept his bow. The bowstring stretched wide, he aimed at every visible movement around them. Luckily for the archer, he was able to control his horse's restlessness beforehand.
While the other two soldiers were each holding a spear. And they are just like Jumara, the warriors of the Maghabea Kingdom.
"Hey," said Jumara to the three soldiers. "I thank you, guys. If we have bad luck, I'm happy to be fighting alongside you."
The two Maghabean soldiers looked at each other before looking back at Jumara, both nodded.
"It's a pleasure to die with you, sir," said one of them. "It's an honor for us."
"An honor for me as well, sir," said the archer from the Angholi Kingdom.
Jumara smiled. Yes, they will not be able to survive all of this. But this is enough, he thought, this is the pride of a soldier. Die on the battlefield like a true knight.
Then, Jumara saw a spear emerge from the water nearby. Slowly, Jumara grabbed the spear.
Just as Jumara got the spear, a swamp creature suddenly appeared in front of the two Maghabean soldiers.
The archer on horseback immediately fired his arrow. The arrow pierced right into one of the creature's eyes.
The creature roared violently with an arrow pierced through one eye.
The two spear-wielding soldiers also did not remain silent, simultaneously they stab their spears into the swamp creature's body.
Then, two giant eel-like creatures appeared from behind. One of the two immediately grabbed the archer soldier's head. The creature twisted its body so that the creature's sharp fins and spines cut the horse.
Jumara immediately threw the spear he got at that one creature, unfortunately, it didn't mean anything because the spear only hit the side of the creature's body, and the creature again disappeared into the water.
Jumara is aware of the appearance of the third swamp creature. Suppressing his fear, he spun around and faced the creature.
Meanwhile, the swamp creature whose one eye had been pierced by an arrow went on a rampage.
The two soldiers who managed to stab their spears into the creature's body were blown away as they both held on to their respective spear shafts.
Then, a soldier was stabbed by the creature with its tail. The soldier's body was cut into three pieces.
Meanwhile, the other soldier fell prey to another swamp creature that suddenly slid out of the water and grabbed the floating soldier.
"Come and get me...!" shouted Jumara as he spread his hands, and a sword in his right hand. "Cursed creatures!"
Two swamp creatures immediately lunged at Jumara, Jumara slashed his sword at the swamp creature in front of him. He ignored the swamp creature behind him, the swamp creature with one arrow stuck in its eye.
At least, Jumara died bravely. He is not a coward like Leyman.
Leyman continued to run while pressing the wound on his left chest. He didn't know for sure how bad the wound was. He kept running and running. The faint sounds of roars and screams could still be heard by Leyman coming from the swamps behind.
The cowardly commander of the Angholi troops kept running, with a gasping breath, he ran through the thickets between the old and tall trees. Due to the dark and foggy conditions of the forest, Leyman tripped over a tree root and fell to the ground.
Then he heard like something big was moving in the tree branch above him. Although the pain was getting worse, Leyman forced himself to get up and run.
Until one moment, Leyman doesn't have the power to keep running anymore, he felt his lungs turn cold as if they were going to freeze and then burst into pieces. Leyman fell to the ground, again.
His breath hitched, but the outstretched hand felt a pile of rocks. When he tried to investigate, it turned out that he was already on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Lucky him, Leyman could see the large triangular pyramid-shaped rock, the Warning Stone.
Leyman smiled between his ragged breaths, he crawled because his legs seemed to lose the strength to just stand.
He continued to crawl, and finally rolled into the dry river, he was sprawled between the rocks of the Last River.
Leyman was so happy to have escaped death in the swamp earlier. He looked up at the night sky that's doesn't bright at all. Then, like someone who had just won a lottery, he laughed. From the sound of laughter that was just a low, then turned into a loud laugh.
TO BE CONTINUED ...