Scolopendon: A Fictional Narrative

I awoke to Finn shaking me, “Breakfast time,” he said. I just yawned and combed my fingers through my hair, I saw that he was wearing the simple uniform, so I shooed him out of the room, asking him to get some food and save a spot for me. I changed and even put on the scabbards for the swords we’d use to battle the Scolopendra. I went downstairs and found the table we’d sat at last night, there was an empty seat between Finn and Neek, I took it and Finn slid a platter of eggs and coarse bread to me. I ate the meal and leaned on my hand. I yawned and almost the entire table copied me. I looked at Neek, “When are we getting our weapons?” “By the stables, Alida and Etzel are giving them to us as a precaution before we go into the forest,” Neek said. I yawned again and nodded. Breakfast ended and we were commanded to go outside and

Screaming with each burst of blood the blade brought forth from the monster, its grip on my stinging arm growing looser with each cut. Eventually she reached its head and sunk her blade into the back of its neck, a spray of warm, yellow blood coating my arm, shoulder, and head as it dropped me. I landed with a thud on the ground, the Scolopendra’s body landing dangerously close to me. I staggered up, stick and dripping with both my own blood and the Scolopendra’s. I looked over at Rissa’s broken body, I looked back at Alida’s retreating back as she ran into the thick of the battle. I looked at Rissa again. I’ll avenge you too Rissa, and Etzel, and everyone else lost to these monsters. I wiped some of the thick, gooey blood from my face and flung it to the ground. I retrieved the blade I’d dropped when Rissa was killed and with one last glance at the once bright, beautiful and living Rissa I headed into the battle with renewed resolve. I helped Chris kill one of the monsters before the sound of hoof beats on soft ground reached my ears. What . . . ? It’s the