Page 113 of A Kingdom so Crimson

Without hesitation, I scrambled back up the boulder's rugged surface and bolted, leaping across the top of each boulder. From here, it looked like the boulders were a maze among the tall, jagged stones that shot up high into the sky. Beyond the boulder maze, a sea of the black pebbles spread wide. Dark black crevices of the terrain sloped down, touching the base of the towering mountains where a looming dark cave sat. My heartpounded wildly, and I cursed through gasping breaths as I kept leaping over boulder after boulder, letting the sheer panic of my situation drive me forward.

A sudden crash of black pebbles echoed behind me, followed by a sharp wisp cutting through the air. Before I could react, a searing pain ripped through my side, knocking the breath from my lungs and hurling me backward off the boulder. The scream tore from my throat, raw and uncontrollable, as the pain exploded through my body with brutal force. My head collided hard with the scattered pebbles, sending a shockwave of agony through my skull. Warm blood streamed down my forehead, dripping onto the cold ground below. I blinked rapidly fighting against the hazy blur clouding my vision.

Groaning, I turned over with a wheezing cough, expecting to see my demise, but only gray clouds drifted by as I felt my eye begin to swell. Fear spiked through my heart as I scrambled to my feet, struggling for balance and feeling absolute exhaustion fighting against my every movement. I touched my right side, where the sting had sent me flying through the air. My suit was sliced open, revealing a narrow red welt. Each breath sent sharp pains through my ribs, which felt as if they were collapsing with every inhale.

I hissed at the pain, desperately hoping I hadn't broken one, and wiped away the blood trickling into my eyes. Through the daze, I saw a flash of black to my left.

Instinctively, I notched an arrow, my trembling hands barely steadying the shaft, and started running in the opposite direction, away from the mountain range and toward the open sky.

The loud crunch of pebbles underfoot echoed with each step, contradicting every instinct I had to stop, blend in, and silence myself. But there was nowhere to hide and disappear, so I keptrunning as fast as my legs and the pebbles that sucked at my feet would allow me.

The pounding in my chest matched the throbbing in my side. Each step a battle against the searing pain, and every inhale sent a sharp sting through my ribs, threatening to steal my breath.

Wiping the blood from my eyes, I frantically scanned the area for any sign of a dragon or the Skinners. A sharp scream cut through the air, followed by a deep, terrifying rumble that shook my bones. I pushed myself to run faster, zig-zagging through the maze of jagged rocks, stumbling over loose stones. Suddenly, I burst into an open area, no longer surrounded by the towering black boulders. Instead, I stood before a vast sea of dark pebbles leading to the menacing cave in the distance.

Up close, the entrance revealed several winding black columns spiraling downward, resembling a slick slope that led deep into the enormous cave below where I stood.

I cautiously stepped out from behind the wall of black boulders, calming my ragged breathing and desperately searching for another escape route. I did not wantthatto be the exit, knowing it would take me right into the dragon's lair.

Suddenly, a massive black shape darted to the left, and my feet locked in place. Terror surged through me, my breath coming in ragged, uneven gasps as I struggled to think clearly, desperate to escape this nightmare. The looming threat of death pressed down on me, every instinct screamed for me to run, yet I stood frozen, paralyzed by fear, unable to tear my eyes away from its serpentine form.

I saw its massive, black, metallic body before I comprehended what it was. Its sinister scales gleamed with a dark, menacing sheen, interwoven with jagged patches of crimson that seemed to pulse with electric energy, like veins of molten lava. One eye burned an intense, fiery red, casting an eerie glow, while theother was a void of inky blackness, mirroring the darkness of its body.

One of its wings hung in tatters, shredded and clinging uselessly to its side, while the other remained poised for attack with long, sharp claws that protruded at each bend. Its long, snake-like tail coiled protectively around it, the tip twitching with a lethal readiness. The dragon exuded a humming aura of raw power and primal terror of red that radiated around its body; its very presence was a harbinger of fear. Every detail of its form spoke of pain and fury, a creature forged in raw darkness, hatred, fear, and saturated in violence.

It leaped into the air, snapping its tail, and vanished back beyond the boulders without a sound. My throat constricted as I realized it was the dragon's tail that had struck me off the boulder earlier, unable to comprehend how quietly it could creep, especially against the clattering of the obsidian pebbles.

Dread flooded my entire being as I edged slowly back toward the maze, my heart hammering with each labored breath. I crouched low on the slick, obsidian pebbles, desperate to blend in. My eyes darted around frantically, noting the eerie similarity between the pebbles and my shredded suit.

I gritted my teeth and channeled my anger and fear into a single, harrowing decision—I wasn't going through that cave; I'd find my own way out.

Backing away, my eye locked onto Osric's blonde hair, visible on the farthest edge of the area. He leaped onto one of the winding paths and slid down, oblivious to the looming danger. In an instant, the dragon was back and lunging toward him, its monstrous body rippling with predatory malice. Osric's scream pierced the silent air as the dragon's mouth opened, releasing a thick, suffocating black smoke that began to engulf him. His screams rose higher and full of agony.

I watched in horror as Osric hit a small landing, his form contorting in torture as he uselessly tried to lift his sword overhead. The dragon's smoke swallowed him whole, extinguishing his screams immediately as if it were poisonous. My heart pounded with fear as I waited for the smoke to dissipate, my mind racing as I weighed my options for escape.

I couldfeelthe Skinners closing in, their evil presence scratching at the door of my mind, relentlessly hunting me, making me believe they were part of the Spellcasters. Panic surged through me, urging me to choose before it was too late.

The dragon's desperate attempt at flight was impaired by its injured state, causing it to lurch awkwardly before crashing into the black pebbles with a thunderous impact. A wave of obsidian stones cascaded away from its thrashing feet as it swiftly pivoted, its movements sinuous and predatory, reminiscent of a giant serpent as it leaped out of sight.

I tore my gaze away from where it bounded, only to be met with a horrifying sight—Osric's body, once vibrant and alive, now a grotesque mass of blistering red flesh. I choked back a gag of revulsion as the realization washed over me that his skin was no longer intact but had melted grotesquely around his dead body. Hot tears spilled from my eyes as I covered my mouth to silence my screaming and gnawing fear.

My hands trembled uncontrollably as movement caught my eye from the far left. The red-haired contestant slipped back into the maze of rocks, surely witnessing Osric's death as he scrambled away, desperate to escape the dragon's wrath.

Shaking frantically, I followed suit; my mind clouded with terror and repulsion. I raced through the labyrinthine passages, hitting one dead end after another but putting as much distance as possible between myself and the nightmare behind me. Though no matter how far I ran, I couldn't shake the image of Osric's dead, blistered form from my mind.

Once again, a piercing screech shattered the quiet of the morning, propelling me forward faster against the slick, icy pebbles that clattered loudly beneath my feet. I hugged the ground, darting in erratic zig-zags around the towering boulders of the maze, the pebbles clinging to my shoes, threatening to betray my position with their noisy protest.

Another deafening roar erupted, so close that it knocked me off my feet, sending me sprawling into the jagged pebbles. My breath came in short, panicked bursts as my heart hammered in my chest. The dragon's searing heat radiated from behind the massive boulders at my back, the force of its presence suffocating me with panic. Without thinking, I dropped my bow, my fingers trembling as I clawed desperately at the pebbles, knowing every sound I made only served to draw the beast closer.

I scrambled into the tiny crevice I made, forcing myself deeper into the earth, frantically piling the cold, black pebbles over my head and body. Their icy edges scraped my skin, but I didn't care—all that mattered was staying hidden. My heart pounded violently in my ears as the dragon's snout came into view, its hot breath washing over me in waves and sending out tendrils of smoke in the cold air. The creature's nostrils flared, searching the path I lay hidden in.

Half-buried and half-exposed, I froze, every muscle locked in terror. My breath caught in my throat as I trembled beneath the mound of pebbles. Every second stretched into eternity as I prayed it wouldn't find me, seeing Osric's raw, dead body in my mind.

The dragon's massive form twisted up and over the boulders, then slammed down with a bone-shaking crash that sent pebbles scattering in all directions, uncovering more of my trembling body. I clamped my teeth together, swallowing my scream as I watched in paralyzed horror. The monstrous creature hoveredabove me, its overwhelming presence pressing down like a suffocating weight. My heart pounded so fiercely it felt like it might burst, and I could only silently pray for a quick end as the fear clamped tightly around me.

Pebble after pebble cascaded off, revealing more of my quivering form as the dragon's colossal foot crashed down beside me, narrowly missing my head and discarded bow. It dug a massive claw into the ground as its snout hovered over me again, inhaling and taking my breath with it before emitting a repugnant snort that sent shivers down my spine. It shook its head and backed away, belching a deep grumble from its throat, almost as in repulsion.

A cacophony of howls and screeches ripped through my terror and wrenched the dragon's attention away. With lightning speed, it twisted its massive body towards the source of the noise and leaped, its sinuous tail barely missing my arm as it soared past. I remained frozen in place for what felt like an eternity, struggling to remember how to breathe, how to move.

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