I knew this creature. I had seen it once before. And I hoped I would never see it again.

A large black being towered over the carriage. Its body and legs were similar to that of a large toad. It’s skin was the colour of oil spilled on the road. Deep black, yet with a strange radiant quality. Both mesmerising and nauseating. The monster had two long spindly arms, with long claw-like fingers, and large protruding tentacles on his back. Its neck was long. Very long. It spanned the whole of its body. Currently though, it was bent in an S shape. Attached to it was its circular head, with its wide white eyes, with no pupils, and wide mouth, which now leered through the window. Aside from having no nose, its face looked almost human. It was uncanny. As though someone was wearing a rubber mask. He spoke in an ancient tongue. A forbidden language. One I was not supposed to know.

“You… No… it can’t be. You… How? You’re not suppose to be here! You can’t be here!” I gasped. “How?” Though it was still early in the morning, night had indeed passed, and these creatures had never appeared during the day. At least there were no records of them doing so.

And it isn’t even a moonless night! This doesn’t make any sense. How can it be here? Usually the morning light would burn its skin.

But aside from a little scorching on its skin, it looked relatively unharmed. It still had a large festering wound on its left leg. One that my mother left behind when we last encountered it. A wound that would never heal.

The reason my uncle decided I would travel with only a coachman was because he believed the journey would be safe enough in the morning. We were travelling fast and light. The coachman was trained to fight off anything we could have met along the way. Nothing we would have encountered should have stopped us.

And yet…

“Surprised are we? I followed a precious, special scent, and have finally found you once again, oh little child of poison,” the creature screeched. “Finally! Finally! You have finally left the confines of your safe abode. Where is your protective mother to hide you? Where are your guards? You think you can simply travel with one man and be unharmed? How unwise. How foolish. How delightful. Though your guard was a little bit tasty. He was barely but a little snack.” It cackled, making my skin crawl.

Oh no. The coachman. I knew it, but I didn’t want to believe it.

“Your grandmother will rue the day she ever crossed paths with us. And so far away she is. Unable to aid you. So far away from home you are. Your little shelter will not save you now. Your little family nowhere to be seen. You will finally be ours. And I will finally have my revenge,” it hissed. It stuck its tongue out and licked around its rubbery lips. It’s tongue was long and lumpy. A little bit of dribble and red blood, hung on the corner of its mouth. It stared at me as though it was looking at its next meal.

“I don’t need any so called grandmother or shelter to save me, I can do fine on my own thank you,” I said with narrowed eyes. Then I hurled my little vial towards the creature. It hit it squarely in the face. Though the bottle was small, the contents within were potent.

Acid burst out, splashing all over the creature. Burning its face, stinging its eyes, dripping down its body as the glass dropped to the floor. As the creature screeched and thrashed about, it rubbed its claws on its face, as though it could wipe of the acid. But instead, it left it with more pain on its hands. I opened the door and flung myself out of the carriage, rolling as I hit the floor. Seconds later, I heard a loud shatter as a black spiky tentacle reached down and crashed into the carriage, exactly where I was sitting.

I got up and ran.

I don’t want to use anymore potions if I can help it. And that was my strongest vial of acid. If that didn’t stop it, none of the other potions would work anyway. A weapon… I need a weapon.

I quickly made my way to the front of the carriage. Where the crushed disembodied remains of my carriage driver sat. I shuddered, but did not have time to think of anything else.

His gun. Where is his gun?

I chucked away pieces of wood from the wreckage, ignoring the many splinters that found their way into my hands, until I found it.

There! Finally. Oh no. This won’t do. It won’t do at all.

It looked as though the monster had bent the gun, and crushed the tip of the barrel with its claws. I bashed the gun on the ground, in a futile attempt to get the barrel to straighten. When that obviously did not work out, the creature had already crept up behind me. A spiky tentacle wrapped itself around my left leg, and lifted me in the air. I let out a unexpected scream and I found myself upside down in a matter of seconds.

The creature brought me towards it, and I slammed by dented barrel as hard as I could into its neck.

Black oily blood seeped out from its new wound. A sweet yet sour smell oozed into the air. The creature screeched and thrashed its tentacles around. I was whipped back and forth, until it finally let me go, sending me flying further away from the carriage.

I was dizzy as I staggered back to my feet, but I knew I didn’t have enough time to sit still. I looked up to see the creature high in the air. It had leapt towards me. I flung myself out of the way, and managed to roll away again, when another spiky tentacle tried to reach for me. I pierced the tentacle with my damaged gun, several times in quick succession, before darting away from it.

It howled in pain. “Foolish child! Do not delay your fate. Stay still!”

“As if I would,” I growled back.

Ah. No. This isn’t good. What should I do? Where do I even go?

There was nothing but meadow and forest around for a fair distance.

If I went towards the village maybe the hunters could help? But would they? Would they risk it? Or would I be putting an entire village in danger? I don’t know their capabilities. But what else could I do? It would take me far too long to run to the capital from here. Even if my stamina would allow it.

I have to try for the hunters. I hope they are close. But what if they have they all gone back to their homes? Ah. I have to try, right? If they are really hunters, they at least have working guns. They might be able to chase it off. Or if they could just shoot it enough to distract and injure it, I might be able to land a finishing blow. Alright. Hunters it is. I have to try.

I ran forward towards the direction of the gunshots I previously heard. It would be faster to cut through the forest. I was looking for a break within it, glancing to my left, every few seconds, trying to find a way in. However I could not find it. I cried out for help, hoping someone close enough would hear. But it was to no avail. I was starting to get tired. I was panting heavily and my legs began to slow down.

And in those few seconds, the creature caught up. I felt my legs whip out from underneath me as a tentacle swept under me and wrapped both my feet together. I fell towards the floor, smashing my ribs, then once again found myself in the air. And again I shoved the barrel of my gun deep into the creatures neck. This time much deeper. Its blood squirted out and splashed against my hands, burning me. In shock, I let go of the gun.

In retaliation, the creature bashed me twice on the ground and then threw me towards a tree. I crashed and my back ached with pain, as I fell to the floor. This time it threw me much further, towards the direction of the carriage.

“Fool! If you kept still you would not be in pain!” It screeched. “How dare you hurt me! How dare you!”

I looked up, my head dizzy, my vision blurry. I watched as it stalked towards me, swaying as it did, my gun still lodged deep into its neck.

There goes my weapon. What else can I do? Ah. I’m so dizzy.

I needed this to be over soon. I quickly scanned my surroundings, trying to figure out a solution. It would be safer to take cover in the woods. But who knew what else would be lurking around there. I didn’t have any vials useful for this situation, even if I chucked all of them at the creature at once.

I… could… yes… I have to… I really don’t have much of a choice do I? And I am close to the forest. There’s life in there. Though I don’t know what. Something will heed my call.

I looked around again. My eyes darting frantically to make sure there was nobody else around.

The hunters are gone. Or at the very least, they are not close enough to hear me. They would have heard the commotion and come otherwise. Or they would have heard it and fled. We left early enough that there was nobody on the road. Either way, there are no witnesses. I hope.

The creature drew closer. I pressed my left palm against the ground, digging my fingers against the grass. I pushed in deep.  

I closed my eyes, and I took a deep breath in.

Find my centre. Find my heart. Find the vines that wrap them.

I opened my eyes, and I knew they were glowing green.

A vine, not the same one my uncle had grafted on, shot out from my left wrist. It rose in the air, and dug itself deep into the ground.

“Brethren. Please. Hear my call. I beg thee, make my enemies fall.”