Out of the Castle

Mateo sneaked a peek behind the juncture of the wall. He's almost out but as luck runs it, there are monsters in his path.

He stared at the long scaled greenish tail swinging back and forth attached to a muscular scaled green body. It is talking to a fellow lizardfolk, chatting about how the green lizardfolk will lick the other.

Shivering for some unknown reason, Mateo carefully looked around. There, up in the stairs, there's a lounging beast laying on the floor. Its furry feet dangling between the railings' crevices. It looks like a lion but it has spikes for its mane and two big sacs hanging under its jaw. The beast suddenly yawns, revealing rows of sharp teeth.

Hiding quickly, Mateo gulped and tried to calm himself down. He sat down, slumped against the wall and hugged his knees together.

Mateo...think! You're gonna be alright. Calm down and think!

He then took a deep breath, easing his shoulders down.

I have my orbs and deck, but if I toss an orb towards the lizardfolks, it might alert the creature upstairs and vice versa. I could use the cards but...

Mateo bolt upright in realization.

Yes, the cards! Why did I forget? I just made these.

He was just about to pour the cards down on the floor when it came to him that the sound might be noticed by the monsters right ahead.

Taking the cards out of the deck, he shuffled it one by one, looking for the card he needs--the Stealth card. He made this card after watching a movie where the protagonist was sneaking past a blind monster but they were still smelled and heard by it so they were chased down.

Since he's in a castle filled with monsters, a card that will silence his movement, nullify his scent and will make him invisible will surely help him. But since most of his inventions earlier were not yet tested, Mateo is not sure if it is gonna work or how long it will last.

Found it!

Mateo put back the cards in its deck and held the Stealth card in his hands. The card has runes etched on its sides and has a written 'Stealth' on the center with a drawn mask beneath it.

Drawing a deep breath, he closed his eyes and poured magic into the card.

The card glows before flying upward. It then spun around and burst into soft light, covering his whole body.

As the soft light dies down, Mateo felt his body being covered by something before easing into him like a second skin.

Feeling the effects, he steeled himself and set forth outside.

They...they didn't notice me. They didn't notice me!

It works!

Almost squealing in joy, he hurried to the door and opened it.

"What? Who's there?", a blue scaled lizardfolk grunted out. Its skin on its face a shade darker.

"Narth, what is it?", asked the green-scaled lizardfolk.

Narth stared at the open door suspiciously.

"Hmm...there might be someone here", Narth said as he walked towards the door.

Mateo waited with bated breath as Narth stares outside the door.

"Hn...probably nothing", with that, Narth closed the door.

Mateo breathed a sigh of relief.

Phew! At last, I can finally get out of here...

Mateo trailed off as he stares upon the maze of a garden before him.

How did I not get lost last night here?

Bewildered but determined, he set aside his confusion and focused on making his way out.

-----

Deep within the maze, a huge plant creature sniff upon the air and stilled. Suddenly, a hundred vines slithered past and descended upon the maze.

-----

Mateo is getting frustrated. He's running circles in here.

Uugh...

I just have to bust through these hedges!

Just as he was about to do that, a long vine zooms towards him.

"Aah!"

Mateo fell on his butt as he gazed at the vine embedded on the ground.

He gulped in fear and without a nary thought, he ran away from the direction it came from.

ShitshitSHITsHiT!!!!

Where the fudge did it came from?!

Mateo stretched his senses and he immediately dove to the right as he evaded another vine from piercing him.

He stared as it wrought itself out of the ground and whisk away the dirt stuck into it. Suddenly the end of the vine peeled and like a blooming flower, it revealed a beak-like mouth inside.

----

Mateo turned around only to see something piercing in the boy's stomach, blood splattering into the ground. It's sharp as a spindle then like a flower blooming, it opened up like a hook and dragged his companion into nothingness.

---

NOW IS NOT THE TIME!!

Mateo came back to his senses as he dodges another vine.

Focus Mateo! Now is not the time to be frozen up.

Think!

Mateo turned left and immediately duck as another vine sped over him. Hearing a crack beneath him, he quickly jumped away as another vine burst through the ground.

Adrenaline pumping, he ran as quick as he could, all the while dodging the vines slithering after him.

"Ha...ha..."

Mateo's little body heave as he endured running away. His body felt like lead and he almost got caught but he evaded the vine at the last second.

His body turning sharply at the last burst of energy only to trip by a rock.

.

.

.

Ah

.

.

.

His knee bend and his body fall into the ground.

Mateo stared at the sky, his mind turning blank as a vine zooms and pierce through his left thigh.

"AaAaaaaaaaaAaaaaaHhhhhhHhh!!!!!!"

Pain! So much pain!

It hurts so much!!

Tears fall from Mateo's eyes. His vision darkening.

Suddenly he was hoisted up, the vine tightening around his thigh as he got dangled in the air.

The vines are retreating to where it came from.

Mateo's body is being littered with scratches as the vine drags him among the hedges.

Mateo feebly covered his face.

Fear succumbs his body and right there and then he feels powerless and helpless like the child he is.