The lizard creature removed a pair of claws from its arms, then stripped off a black robe resembling lizard scales. Also the back shield, it turns out it's all just an assembly.
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Kraaaagh ...!!!
Suddenly Taja was attacked by a black, scaly lizard creature, initially thought to be rocks, but it turned out the creature was good at camouflage. Two bodies tumbled and hit a rocky cliff, then tumbled to the bottom. Pebbles fell and fell on both of them.
From behind Taja's back, a pair of lizard creature's claws grabbed both shoulders and arms. Taja fought back, the roots' fingers twisting around the creature's claws in return.
The lizard creature's screams of pain and Taja's moans blended into one. Huge claws cracked in the squeeze of Taja's root fingers and seeped out golden poison liquid.
"Krrghhhh!"
The lizard creature's scaly skin could no longer withstand the power of the golden root's fingers, finally tearing apart and blood leaking from the layers of thick scales. The claws' grip loosened and released Taja. The lizard creature flashed away from Taja.
Not without pay, Taja's shoulders and arms were bruised and blue from the claws of the lizard creature. Taja gathered the strength to stand up. Both legs straight, back straight. Both arms crossed in front of the chest, palms meeting. Putting on the posture of 'meditating flower petals', a moment later changed to a stance. One left foot stomped the ground and one palm threw the Golden Flower Soul energy towards the lizard creature preparing to rise there.
"Sa-chi-tta-ra-tri!" The words of the spell were spread out loud and the two canine teeth in Taja's mouth were grinning.
"Heaaaargh!!!"
The palm energy of the Golden Flower Sukma was thrown hard toward the lizard creature perched on the rocks.
Criiing ...! Criiing ...!
Clattering in the air, fragments of golden flower petals as sharp as crystal, burst out from all over Taja's body, sending the lizard creature flying far down the steep side.
Once again Taja stomped his feet, and his body soared. His sharp eyes caught a lizard creature crawling in the steep, rocky darkness.
The lizard creature made a move, its body leaping high towards Taja in the air, about to emit one more burst of golden flower petal energy.
"Krraaargh ...!!!"
Taja welcomed the creature's attack with the spell 'Sa-chi-tta-ra-tri'. His two outstretched arms powerfully exerted great energy, while the lizard creature crashed into Taja's body with great force. Two bodies collided in the air in the dark shadows between the walls of the ravine.
"Taja ...!" the lizard creature's hoarse voice caught Taja's ears, calling his name. Of course, Taja was surprised. Even though it was faint, the lizard creature's voice became clearer from behind its snout.
"Taja ...!" the lizard creature mentioned once again. The voice was very similar to the whispers that often called him in dreams.
Taja slightly loosened his grip on his root fingers. Lizard creatures are like that too.
Brugh ...!!!
Two bodies landed hard on the steep ground at the bottom of the ravine. Both of them tumbled.
Taja wakes up from the influence of Sukma Bunga Emas. Roll with the lizard creature until they both fall apart. Taja half got up. His knees and feet were bleeding from hitting steep rocks. The lizard creature was injured. Spots of blood seeped from the thick body scales.
"Taja ...," the lizard creature called softly in a hoarse and painful voice.
The lizard creature removed a pair of claws from its arms, then stripped off a black robe resembling lizard scales. Also, the back shield, apparently just an assembly. So the claws of the feet are also removed, revealing the two original feet without bases.
'Human feet!' Taja screamed.
"Taja ...," the lizard creature now looked more humanoid. Except for the muzzle and the glowing white eyes. He stood up and called to Taja who was gaping, looking at the figure with confusion, surprise, and worry.
"Who are you?!" Sharp alert.
"Are you ... Taja ...?" the figure approached. Meanwhile, Taja shifted backward slowly.
The figure's sharp gaze dimmed. He started to release something in his muzzle. The scaly face originally looked like a lizard's snout, only the mask could be removed. A face was revealed behind it.
Taja gasped.
"You ...?!"
Seeing that figure's face, Taja was even more surprised. His heart seemed to stop beating. Once shocked, this was what shook his soul the most.
"Am I dead ...?" Taja touched his chest. Fumbling. Meanwhile, the figure in front of him was getting closer until he was only a few steps away from Taja.
"Don't come close!" Taja was scared. Meanwhile, the figure was getting closer, suddenly stopping Taja from stumbling and almost slipping backward because of the shock.
Two eyes met. Taja held his breath. The figure was holding Taja's arms and legs which suddenly went limp.
"It turns out ... I'm dead ... To the point where I saw myself!" Taja said agape. His body trembled. His eyes didn't blink, staring at the figure of the young man who was holding his body without any further distance.
"Are you ... Taja?" The youth figure spoke in human language, his voice firm.
"It's me ...!" he continued clearly without the lizard's hoarse voice.
Taja glared. Observing the familiar young man's face. The young man's hands were holding Taja's shoulders and back so he wouldn't fall.
Taja gasped for a moment. How could he possibly see himself. The face was so similar to his, too real if this was a dream. Or ... that someone, his other self. Appears suddenly, but is not the image behind the mirror. Even Taja can touch it!
"Don't come close to me!"
Taja jerked his body, let go of the young man, and kept his distance. He doesn't want to be touched by a young man who really resembles him.
The young man's figure was pushed backward due to the impact of Taja's body.
"I ...," The young man had not finished his sentence, but Taja ran away in a hurry.
"Taja!" The young man didn't give chase, just shouted his name.
Taja ran, tracing the bottom of a long ravine in the darkness. Suffering from headaches increasingly robs him of his resilience.
"This is a hallucination!" his breath rose and fell. His legs occasionally wobble. Again he rubbed his eyes.
"Why is my body so weak?" he asked himself. While continuing to walk quickly forward there. There was a large bright gap. That's where the light comes from.
"Is that the way out?" Taja wondered to himself. It turned out that the way out of that place was at the bottom of the ravine. Bright cave mouth.
Taja perked up, quickening his pace towards the bright opening at the other end. Can't wait to get there soon. Hoping that the bright light of the Sun would welcome him after being in darkness for so long.
A wide smile broke out when Taja finally reached a bright opening that resembled the mouth of a cave. Finally, he felt relieved, free from nightmares.
"Hhhh ...," Taja took several deep breaths. The air feels fresh here. Cool. The aroma of the leaves is very strong. There was a sound of water rippling like the flow of a spring not far away.
"It turns out it was just a dream ... thank goodness ...," Taja's expression was very relieved, relieving long fatigue. I don't want to look back again full of darkness.
An enchanting view. The green forest was hit by light filtering through the leaves. A kind of dragonfly was flying here and there.
"Water!"
Taja's smile couldn't hold back. Find something more valuable than gold. Immediately he approached the source of water that was gushing between the roots of the vines. The water flow was blocked and formed a small lake under the roots sticking out to the surface of the ground. You can even see from the surface of the clear lake that berries grow thickly at the bottom of the water.
"Ah, how refreshing ...," Taja quenched the very dry thirst in his throat.
"There's a forest in this place?" Taja thought looking around. A thin mist enveloped the area where he was now.
"It turns out ... it was all just a dream ...," Taja sighed softly, feeling the pain in his body. Remembering how tiring it was to have to fight with snakes and black lizard creatures. But why did the pain all over his body feel so real?
"Ah ...," he groaned lightly while holding his shoulders and knees.
The light sound of footsteps landed on the thick grass. Not far from Taja's position.
"The water is fresh, isn't it?"
A voice sounded firm and caught Taja's attention. Not far from the side. He turned in the direction the voice came from.
"You ...?!" Taja gasped in surprise, quickly moving backward. A young man about Taja's age with a very similar face suddenly appeared again.
* * *