Feeling Froggy? Leap!

[Southern Swamp of Sothoryos]

Kiona's POV

"H-h-h…come on... keep going..."

"Huff... huff... I can't... keep up..."

I encouraged my tired little sister, Ayasha as we both ran as fast as our tiny webbed legs can.

We are running for our lives.

"Run, run, run you slimy little freaks!"

The swamp was a treacherous maze of mist and shadows as the moonlight guided our way.

I would have stopped to admire its beauty just like any other night but right now... I don't have the privilege to do so.

'Those bastards will pay after what they have done to our village! They will pay for what they've done to Father and Mother!'

The fog clung to the ground like a shroud, twisting around our legs and making each step feel like wading through a thick, living fog. My heart was pounding in my chest, the fear of the unknown driving us forward as we ran.

"Keep moving, Ayasha!" I urged, trying to keep my voice steady even as my own fear threatened to overwhelm me. "We have to stay ahead of them!'

Ayasha was stumbling beside me, her face pale and strained. The dart that had struck her leg was causing her pain, and every step she took seemed to be a struggle against the darkening poison spreading through her.

"I'm trying, Kiona" she gasped, her voice trembling from both fear and the growing pain.

"It's so hard to keep going".

I glanced at her, my heart aching at the sight of her suffering. "I know it hurts" I said, trying to sound reassuring, "but we have to keep moving. We can't let them catch us."

I ran as I held her arm to ensure she doesn't fall. I looked back at my sweet little sister, as she struggled to catch up with me.

'Why must we suffer like this? We have done nothing wrong!'

After years of peace, we have kept to mostly our selves, The Frogmen tribes did not dare cross nor cause any conflict towards the Lizardmen tribes.

We were all living our own quaint simple lives, not until the 'Great Collapse' happened.

All of us were fearful of what is going to happen when a great force shook our entire marsh awake.

Our Soothsayer said it was the coming of the end. That the spirits of the swamp has been displeased and have awaken once again.

We never once experienced such great calamity, such was the first and hopefully the last.

But we were wrong.

For many moons, we started building ourselves anew after the destruction in our village caused by the great collapse.

Many of our brothers and sisters have died, but that didn't hinder us to push through.

That is until the Lizardmen attacked!

We have heard rumors of countless attacks from neighboring tribes that caused a lot of refugees camping up on our village.

They say the Lizardmen has started killing off our brethren and occupying our ancestral swamps.

It was said that the rivers that used to run through the Lizardmen Territory no longer flows, it was dry and empty.

Perhaps it was a sign? That the Lizardmen are being punished by the Spirit of the Swamp after many years of their barbaric ways.

But now... They have set their sights once again on us.

The mist around us seemed to thicken, the shadows of the trees stretching long and foreboding. Every rustle of leaves havlike a warning, a reminder of the danger that lurked in the darkness behind us.

The voices of the Lizardmen grew louder, their cruel laughter echoing through the mist.

"We're getting close!" I heard one of them hissed. "There's nowhere for you to hide!"

I could feel the panic rising in my chest.

"They're getting closer!" I shouted to Ayasha. "We need to find a place to hide, fast!"

We pushed through the thick vegetation, our feet slipping in the muddy ground as we searched for cover. The swamp seemed to mock us with its tangled roots and dense vines, every step a struggle against the oppressive darkness.

Finally, I spotted a glimmer of hope through the mist. "Look!"I said, pointing to a large rocky outcrop partially hidden by the thick foliage. "Let's get to that rock. It might keep us hidden."

With a desperate burst of energy, we made our way to the rock. It was broad and imposing, casting a deep shadow that seemed perfect for hiding. We crouched behind it, our breaths coming in ragged gasps as we tried to calm ourselves.

The Lizardmen's voices grew closer, their taunts and threats becoming clearer.

"You can't run forever!" one of them snarled. "I'll have the small one. Surely her lanky legs with be perfect for tonight's stew!" said another.

"Hahahaha! Yeah, she's all yours. I bet you'll die by your own poison. You hit her leg remember?"

"Oh right, I guess I'll settle for the older one then"

"Fuck off! She's mine to dine tonight! You already claimed the young one, Sarnak!"

"Oh yeah? The first one to catch them gets the first taste, Krazik"

"Heh! Yeah right. The last time you said that, you stole Varnok's catch!"

The lizardmen continued to argue with themselves as I heard their voices getting closer and closer from our hiding place.

I pressed my back against the rock, straining to hear their movements through the thick mist. Every sound seemed amplified, every shadow seemed darker as the Lizardmen drew nearer. The fear was almost suffocating, a heavy weight pressing down on me.

Just when I thought it was over, a sudden, brilliant light cut through the darkness. It was like the sun had burst through the mist, a blinding, golden radiance that filled the clearing with an intense, glow.

"What is that?" I whispered, my eyes wide as I tried to see through the blinding light. It was so bright, so dazzling, that it made the shadows around us seem almost unreal.

From the heart of the light descended a figure unlike anything I had ever seen. It looked like a two-legged, hairless ape, but there was something warm yet terrifying about it.

It had enormous wings that shimmered with the same golden light, and in its hand, it held a flower of some kind.

Its color... bloody red.

I tried to peak to see what was going on and saw that the Lizardmen had stopped in their tracks, their eyes wide with fear and confusion as they stared up at the strange figure. "What is that thing?" one of them croaked, his voice trembling.

The creature didn't speak. Instead, it hovered above the ground, its presence... was terrifying despite the gentle warmth of its glow.

I saw its eyes gleamed with a sinister smile, a quiet and unnerving satisfaction as it surveyed the Lizardmen.

Then, with a slow, deliberate motion, the creature began to move. It raised the bloody flower it held and stretched its arm as if offering it to the Lizardmen.

"Heh. I guess this weird hairless ape knows his betters. Is that your tribute for us, the great Swampfang Clan?" one foolish Lizardmen said as he slowly stepped forward to grab the flower.

"Sarnak Stop!" The other called out but it seems the one named Sarnak couldn't hear him.

He touched the offered flower, and as it did, the rose seemed to grow larger, its thorns twisting and expanding into a grotesque thorned vine. The petals unfurled, revealing a bloom that was as beautiful as it was deadly.

'It's alive!' I thought as I saw the sight I wish to have not seen.

I watched in stunned silence as the creature began to act. The red flower's thorns lashed out like whips, piercing through the Lizardmen's scaly body with a series of cruel, precise strikes.

"Ah-AAAAAHHHHHH!!!"

"SARNAK!" screamed the other, shocked to what is happening and fearful of what is to become of him.

He tried to run away but was caught by the same thorny vine as his companion.

The thorns, writhing and twisting as they pierced through the Lizardmen, their blood mingling with the thorns like dew.

"M-mercy, P-pl-please!! AHHHHH!"

The Lizardmen screamed and writhed in agony as the thorns dug into them, their eyes wide with a mix of pain and terror.

The creature hovered above them, its gentle sinister smile never fading as it watched their suffering. It was as if the creature was savoring the moment, taking pleasure in the cruel irony of their desperate struggle.

The thorns continued their relentless assault, the Lizardmen's bodies slowly succumbing to the vicious attacks. Their struggles grew weaker, their cries of pain becoming more desperate as the thorns dug deeper, deeper and deeper.

I could see the blood running from their wounds, staining the ground beneath them.

Then, with a final, decisive motion, the creature raised both hands and touched both the Lizardmen's heads.

The thorns tightened around the Lizardmen, and with a sickening series of pops, their heads exploded from their shoulders, as a bloody red flower bloomed in their place.

A massive, grotesque flower, its beauty marred by the blood that smeared it like dew.

The creature stood amidst the carnage, its wings folding behind it as it took in the scene with a quiet, sinister satisfaction.

Its eyes, glowing with a malevolent light, surveyed the fallen Lizardmen with a gaze that was both cruel and indifferent.

The clearing was filled with the aftermath of the creature's wrath—a grotesque tableau of death and blood, the rose's massive bloom smeared with the blood of the Lizardmen. The golden light of the creature's presence seemed to cast a beautiful, haunting glow over the scene, making the bloodstained petals of the flower look like a dark and twisted work of art.

As the last of the Lizardmen's bodies fell, the creature's gaze shifted to us.

I was turned mute. I didn't dare make noise. The silence was deafening until the stranger broke the silence.

"Hmmm~ The world has become a little bit more beautiful. Don't you think?"

It said as it slowly turned and stared at me.

Its eyes, still gleaming with that unnerving smile, met mine with a look that was both reassuring and chilling. It moved towards us, its presence a strange mix of comfort and unease.

I found myself trembling as the creature approached. "Are you here to finish us off too?" I asked, my voice shaking with fear and uncertainty. I had no idea what this creature was, but it was clear that it was powerful and not bound by the same rules we were.

The creature did not answer immediately. Instead, it knelt before us, its eyes filled with a gentle but cold concern as it looked at Ayasha's injured leg.

"Oh my. What do we have here?" the creature said in a calm, soothing voice.

I tried to speak, to its question but I find myself unable to.

It simply held my little sister's leg and suddenly... everything went bright.

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Missed me? (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧

Hehehehe I know it's been a very long while and here is a chapter you've been waiting for! ✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧

Just so you know, my exams will be held next month this August 6-7 so wish me the best of luck as I try once again to get my license! ༼;´༎ຶ ۝ ༎ຶ༽

Also, I would like to thank you everyone for still continuing to support me and my work and my journey in becoming a pokemon master! ( ˘ ³˘)♥

Hope you liked it! See you on the other side~ (~￣³￣)~