On a beautiful morning, deafening tremors and screams echo through the forest. Amid roots and thick green vegetation, I crawl.
My body is full of arrows stuck in my back and some swords piercing my stomach and chest, not to mention that my legs are crushed.
"Golems are such a pain."
But aside from all that, I'm fine. I survived another normal day. My tired gaze falls on my left hand, where I hold my black cloak or rather, my almost gray cloak, faded with time.
"At least I recovered it."
I pull the arrows from my back, roll onto the ground, and start removing the swords lodged in my body. After tossing the last magma sword aside, I lie on the ground and wait for my regeneration to kick in.
"After trying three times to get past the golems' defense, who would have thought that the fourth attempt would work."
My first advance was head-on, but it didn't work. Every time I destroy one, it seems that two take its place. Realizing this, I retreated and changed my strategy, attacking from a distance instead. Since they don't counterattack if I stay outside the volcanic biome.
It worked, but the problem remained: more and more golems kept appearing, replacing the ones I destroyed. On the third attempt, I attacked the ground of the volcanic biome, trying to break the soil enough to reach the volcano where I left my clothes.
And it worked, the golems seem to be directly connected to the ground of the biome. Destroying the soil weakens them, with that, I managed to open a path and advance for a while.
But I stopped advancing. I felt enormous danger, when I looked in the direction of the statue, I realized that it was looking at me.
The statue seemed ready to move. As if, at any second, it would leave that spot and come after me.
I immediately turned around, returning to the forest. But even hidden among the vegetation.
The statue only stopped staring at me when the ground was completely restored and it returned to its normal position.
Then I thought, if I can't attack head-on, nor from afar, or just by destroying everything because my magma version can attack me, then there is only one thing left for me to do, advance while hidden.
I waited for night to arrive, because during all that time I stayed still, I realized that the movement of the golems is smaller when the moon is at its highest point. I sneaked between the rocks and the little vegetation that persists in living in the biome. My eyes also stayed alert to the archer golems that remain on top of the volcanoes watching, I only moved when they turned their faces.
I glance at the trees.
"My fourth attempt was indeed the right one in that situation. But unfortunately I couldn't remain completely hidden for long."
My body is restored, even on the ground, I begin to put on my cloak.
Which looks more like a tattered rag, torn, the long sleeves were lost. Now it can barely cover my knees, the edges burned, bearing marks of monster bites. Anyone else would have thrown it away, but I won't discard it. I have hopes that when I get out of here, I can restore it, with the help of a seamstress or tailor, or whoever can fix clothes in this world.
I rise from the ground in one motion, ready to continue the journey.
"But where do I go now?"
The silver mountains were my only reliable reference as north, unfortunately, I do not know how to read the stars and I no longer remember how to find the north using the sun as a reference.
I observe the silver mountains, which are almost turning into black dots.
"That dragon took me very far away. He really didn't want to bury me in his lands at all."
I turn my attention to the vegetation ahead, I can already see the monsters lurking, they seem to have just arrived and are watching me.
I can even hear some grunts as if they were talking.
None of them advance. But as the grunts grow louder and their gazes become more and more… greedy?
"Those eyes… these aren't the eyes of hungry beasts…"
I notice that several monsters are slowly advancing toward me, as if they were looking at a trophy they need to conquer.
Not liking this, I stomp my foot firmly on the ground. The ground cracks open and my body releases sparks. The heat already makes the ground beneath my feet melt slightly.
I look around me, making the monsters back away.
"Hmph! That's how it should be."
My body temperature returns to normal and I raise a smile toward the mountains, feeling no anger toward the red lizard.
"You wretched dragon!"
"One day I'll crush you like the lizard you are!"
"Then I will give you a tomb in your memory!"
"I will make sure to place your statue on top of every silver mountain in your honor: In tribute to a good and benevolent flying lizard!"
But then I cover my mouth with my hands, I cannot shout loudly, what if he hears it and comes after me.
"Calm down, don't take it to heart…"
"That's it… calm."
With my emotions more settled, my calm gaze returns to my face.
My expression softens, almost like that of a sage.
"Lately I'm not getting so desperate even in the face of the impossible, could it be that I matured in this forest after so many adversities?"
"Like, reaching enlightenment?"
My thoughts make me look toward the horizon. The wind caresses my face, as my hair is long enough, I can feel the effect of the wind swaying my hair.
The bushes rustle, and I see coming out from among the leaves an old red rat, with long Chinese whiskers and closed eyes, slowly approaching me.
As soon as it gets very close, its tail sparks like a flash.
The old rat looked like a sage, the only thing missing was walking on two legs and a cup of hot tea resting in its hand.
When I see the old rat shining in red, all my "sage" demeanor disappears in an instant.
I run desperately away from the rat.
"Worse than the dragon are the rats!"
But the explosion sweeps everything in its path, making me disappear amid the light.