Human Inside
Kee-Ara ran through the forest her breathing harsh as she dragged air into her bruised lungs. Her booted feet made a rapid tempo to the beating of her thumping heart. She heard a hissing and the hair on the back of her neck stood up as the air around her grew warm. Her eyes widened in surprise.
A roar from behind her made her flinch and she instinctively dove off of the path out of the way as flames suddenly licked the spot where she had just been running. She didn't know the stupid thing could breathe fire she thought annoyed as she lay in the leaves. The green flames stopped and the hissing noise ended with a snap as the massive thing closed its jaws. She peeked from behind the tree she was hiding behind to find the demon that had been following her.
Its snake-like body was lifted above the ground on short stubby legs that nonetheless had sharp talons in the gruesome feet, the black curves glinting dangerously in the spare light. She stayed in the shadows as it moved slowly towards her hiding place. Its body was covered in thick scales the color a dark green that reflected the light as it slithered down the path. Its head was short and full of razor-sharp teeth, one of them the size of Kee-Ara's entire body.
Its eyes were completely black and oddly insect like even though it looked reptilian. It ran faster than she had thought it could with those short legs and she had been caught by surprise when he caught up to her so fast. She thought about how far it was to where she had left her horse and knew she couldn't make it there before it caught her. It was sniffing the air its black tongue flicking in and out like a lizard trying to find her.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are," the demon mocked, its voice high-pitched and nasally. Kee-Ara raised one blond eyebrow. She had thought something so big would have a deep booming voice. She slowly unsheathed the sword on her back the metal whistling as it slid from its black leather sheath.
"Now why would I do that?" Kee-Ara asked sarcastically and immediately its head whipped in her direction as it let loose another stream of green fire. Kee-Ara swore as she dove out-of-the-way her leg barely making it. Her pants had caught on fire and she patted it out frantically, cursing under her breath, and the demon laughed mockingly.
It still couldn't see her through the thick trees but now some of the trees were on fire the limbs slowly burning. Kee-Ara walked slowly around the demon trying not to make noise in the underbrush. She watched where she stepped avoiding the small sticks and the old leaves even though it meant taking her eyes off of the demon.
"Little human you are going to die! ," the demon roared at her and she rolled her eyes. Why did they always assume that she was the one going to die? Kee-Ara darted around the tree that she was using as shelter and ran for the demon. She jumped up its side, her feet finding purchase on the surprisingly rough scales, and with a yell dug her sword into the soft spot behind its skull. He let out a roar of pain and rages his tail whipping furiously. His arms couldn't reach her where she was sitting and she tightened her legs around his neck to hold on as he furiously tried to shake her off.
"This is your last chance. Do you surrender?" She asked the demon as she straddled him still holding on to the hilt of her sword. Defiantly he let out another roar and reared off of the ground trying to make her fall. In answer, Kee-Ara held on and twisted the sword sending the large demon to his knees from the pain.
"Never!" he roared furiously at her angry that a human was actually succeeding at beating him. Kee-Ara nodded her face full of sorrow. She knew that he wouldn't accept her offer but she had to make it anyway. Then she swung herself off of his neck using all of her weight to pull her sword through his tough scales all the way down his throat. She pulled it out as she hit the hard packed dirt and rolled into the forest again out of his reach as he collapsed bleeding.
Kee-Ara heard him die the blood gurgling out of his neck as he desperatly tried to breathe. She shook her head sad. She hated to kill but she had to so much these days. Kee-Ara used the inside of the scarf that she used as a belt to clean off her sword before sliding it into it's sheathe. She walked back to where the body of the demon lay its blood steaming as it hit the cooler air.
Kee-Ara shook her head knowing she couldn't leave it there. There were so many things that could go wrong. It was too dangerous to leave it here where stupid villagers could eat it or worse someone who knew what poisons you can make out of demon came along. She sighed and started to drag it off the road the large carcass barely moving as she strained to pull it. Her muscles screamed at her as she dug the heels of her boots into the ground but it only moved slightly. Maybe an inch. She looked at it and made a face. Less than that.
Kee-Ara glared at it as if she was trying to make it move with just her anger. "Why does this always happen to me?" she asked the air in frustration before turning and heading towards the nearest village.
