7 Grootslang (1/2)

Despair overcame me like sudden cold downpour of rain in winter, freezing me where I stood.

The Grootslang, here, blocking my only way out. I was so close, how could I have returned to ten years in the past to die in this godforsaken cave. Given another chance just so my life can be meaningless twice.

No.

I don't accept this.

I refuse to accept this.

It's just a Grootslang if I'm careful I can get around it.

I looked forward, the majority of its body seemed to be coiled around a pillar in the center of the cavern with just the last ten meters stretching out, lying between stalagmites. It appeared to be sleeping. It's black scaly eyelids as large as my torso, laid closed. Its head turned sideways with it's two massive fangs shining like ivory resting on the ground.

I started to move forward taking slow steps allowing my feet to barely make contact with the ground before applying pressure so I could reduce the sound to a minimum. I continued, moving as slow and as soundlessly as I could. Sweat was pouring down my face.

I steeled my nerves, I just had to get past this and everything would work out. I went to take another step and my knapsack snagged on a protruding point of a stalagmite.

A faint ripping noise echoed around the cavern.

My whole body went rigid, my breath caught in my throat. I slowly turned my head towards the Grootslang.

After what seemed like an eternity, I calmed down. That didn't seem to wake it. I slowly moved back to unhook whatever part got caught on the stalagmite when, before I could react, my dad's watch slipped out of the newly torn hole.

It made a crisp ”DING” as it made contact with a rock on the ground.

Without thinking I used the shifting sands technique to immediately shift my body backward.

”BOOOOOOM!!!”

The stalagmite in front of me exploded as a large black blur completely passed through it. I felt a sting in my heart because I already knew the watch was demolished, but I quickly shifted my focus.

The Grootslang lifted it's head up into the air, its large white oval eyes staring down towards me like a king about to execute a prisoner, hissing lightly.

Malice, pure unadulterated malice was emanating from its very being. My entire body became tense as the fear rooted me to the floor.

I quickly used my trick to calm my mind down, if I lose my head now I'm dead for sure. The only advantage I have is my intelligence. I quickly used my peripheral vision to analyze my surroundings while drawing my kodachi.

Ok, there are a lot of stalagmites in this cavern, they may not block it but they can at least slow it down. There is also a large pillar 20 meters to my right, maybe he won't be able to break that and I can somehow use that to get a shot at its eyes or critical point.

Without giving me any more time to think, the Grootslang shot towards me. It was much faster than me, but with shifting sands, I could just barely dodge. As I narrowly evaded its fang passing by me, I saw a chance. I struck out towards the critical point with my kodachi, but it was too fast and the reverse scale was a small target. The strike landed on a different scale on it's back barely leaving a white mark. I used my momentum to leap over it's back and go towards the pillar I noticed before.

Continually using shifting sands, I moved in a zigzag pattern in the direction of the pillar. When I was about five meters away I heard the Grootslang getting close, so I glanced back. It's a good thing I did because at that very moment the Grootslang was bringing its fangs down on top of me. They couldn't have been more than a half meter from my back. I underestimated it's speed. I didn't have time to dodge to the side.

I dove to the ground.

”CHHHH!”

As I lay flat on the cavern floor the Grootslang's fangs are on both sides of my head impaled into the ground. It's open mouth above, its tongue flickering just inches from my head. It's fangs being caught by the ground gave me a split second reprieve.

I quickly stabbed up with my kodachi into the roof of its mouth. Due to my own weakness and the dense mouth of the Grootslang it only went in two inches, far from a fatal blow. However, it was enough to anger it.