He pressed his palm against his abdomen and shot to his feet. With heavy steps, he dashed forward.
Medusa's skills; illusion and ice were visible because she had used them.
Cristian knew ice petals and ice blast would certainly appear should he cast inspect on her again.
He had few ideas on how things worked and the appearance of tier meant she could be a tier one, two, or even three!
Her angry hiss echoed from the distance, and the fog had covered a good part of the forest. The chill alone had killed many beasts.
He halted and took in the unique but chilling sight before him. Behind him; a thick foggy forest and before him a cliff!
The solid ground beneath his feet and the sharp rocks that occupied the distance down to the dark depths made him uncertain about taking this route.
The powerful sounds of water slapping against the rocky terrain from the depths of the cliff quaked his eardrums.
He could either take a leap of faith and jump, hoping he won't meet his demise by slamming into the rock instead of the water.
Or turn back and seek a much safer path.
Still unable to decide, he went to the edge and looked down.
The depths were so dark that he couldn't spot anything, but the splashing sounds confirmed his guess about the waterfall.
The eerie sight did not match what he pictured.
Bam! Thud!
Cristian turned and saw trees falling. Her iconic fog had already covered his legs and her sonorous whisper battled with his inner thoughts.
"Medusa," he sighed with defeat, her presence blocking other paths, leaving only one. "I guess you've won … for now."
He fell with his back. As she watched the foolish human fall down the cliff, her eyes widened. " NO!"
Cracking sounds rang along with groans that spoke heavily of the pains Medusa went through. After a few minutes, she stood at the edge of the cliff.
Lustrous silver hair flowed down to her bare buttocks, her fair skin exposed to the world. She stood on the edge, her slender frame and magnificent aura painted a serene picture.
The white scales on her forearms, cheeks, and boobs ruined her exotic beauty. A pair of bright blue eyes burned with fury as she gazed down.
There wasn't any sight of the foolish human, and it served to fuel her anger. That 'tonic' could have aided her in reaching the next tier and gaining a perfect body.
She couldn't enter the cities of sentient races with her current looks. All races abhorred monsters, for they were beings of frightening strength, had sentient thoughts, and could hide amongst them.
Monsters weren't beasts. Beasts could not gain human form even if they reached the highest tier.
"I will find you Athelstone, I will find you and relish the horror on your face before I eat you."
Medusa's seductive voice spread into the distance. Her forked tongue made a circular motion, and she closed her mouth.
As she vanished into the forest, the fog slowly dispersed and the forest regained its serenity.
_
_
A green-haired man crept to the shores, his drenched clothes stuck to his body, and his chest rose and fell whilst he sucked in the fresh air.
He had moved along with the flow of the surprisingly deep stream. Taking deep breaths and going back into the water had been his routine for almost three hours!
Death had flashed before his eyes a couple of times, but he held on. His stamina had reached zero and even breathing became a hard task.
His arms trembled, and he fainted on the shore.
Time flew by and the moon replaced the two suns. Its refreshing silvery glow illuminated the forest and a pair of emerald eyes opened.
"A … alive, I see," he mused, turned, and faced the skies. His encounter still made his spine tingle, for he had been extremely lucky. He removed his right boot, turned it upside down, and a small amount of water came out.
Cristian did the same to the left boot and stood up. He groaned as his body ached. Removing both his shirt and pants and squeezing them, Cristian took off a rope from his shirt and tied his hair.
With his clothes and undergarments gone, Cristian stood buck naked. Yet it did not embarrass him in the slightest.
"Looks okay, I hope the cakes are not soaked, '' he said to himself, squatting and opening the pouch. To his relief, both the cakes and other wrapped preserved food were in good shape.
He didn't ponder about how the pouch could stop water from soaking its content for he gazed at the map on his retina.
"I'm close to a town," his jubilant tone expressed his emotions, but it soon faded as he read the name.
"Darkston? I thought it was Grayston."
Lia had filled him in on the details, what to expect, and how to gain the town head's favor so he could be granted a teleportation spot to the city.
He scanned the map thoroughly and, to his dismay, the current had moved him far away from his destination. His information about Grayston went down the drain.
With a reluctant sigh, he wore his clothes and entered the forest. According to the map, it should not be long before he arrives at Darkston.
Once he got there, then he would plan his next move. There was no gain in complaining, especially when he stood in a forest.
After a while, Cristian's eyes were wide open as a beautiful scene lay before him. A glow of silvery light from the moon cascaded down onto the surface of the dazzling pond.
It sparkled like silver. The resting rabbits and other cute creatures elevated the impact, and a sigh laced with awe and admiration left his lips.
"Such beauty," he praised and squatted. A replica of his image appeared on the mirror-like surface.
Suddenly, the calm surface rippled. He raised his head and his eyes widened. A woman came out of the water!
Her sky-blue hair clung to her slender back, and the transparent droplets made her milky white skin more tantalizing.
She did not know a man stood behind her. Cristian squinted further as her firm, round white buttocks appeared while she left the water.
"Who are you?" her calm voice slithered into his ears and brought him back to his senses. He stood up and watched how the beauty elegantly wore her panties and then her bra.
The moment she finished, Cristian was taken aback, for she turned to face him and her oval face, azure eyes, and sharp willowy brows affirmed his guess that a woman with such an appealing behind would surely be an extraordinary beauty.
While her beauty could not compare to Lia, the blue-haired woman stood proudly above every model he had ever seen.
She squeezed her hair, and their gaze met. "You are not from my town." Her firm tone stated that this wasn't a question, but a realization.
"I'm that obvious. '' He leaned against a tree, folded his arms, and scrutinized the woman who had not lashed out at him since he had seen her naked.
"And you lack the training of a gentleman," she scowled, and Cristian burst into laughter. His boisterous voice rippled through the air and the woman frowned.
"I was never one to begin with," he replied and to his shock, a circular diagram appeared around the pond and he was included in its reach.
Voom!
Bam!
His knees hit the ground with a loud sound, a heavy pressure bore down on him, causing his bones to hurt.
"I don't like shameless men for a start, and you look like one of the lecherous scouts from the Wolf Dark Lord."
With great struggle, he lifted his head and saw her eyes glowing, the tattoos on her arms and thighs glowed and as she moved her fingers, a strange diagram formed.
'Arcane mage,' that name clicked with the sight before him. Mages skilled in formations, summons, and diagram spells.
Her feet left the ground, and she began mumbling. His eyes flashed " I AM NOT A SCOUT! I AM A LORD."