The Scene Within

BLACKNESS...............
Soon, the sounds of water breaking onto a beach and birds squaking in the backround filled my ears and the salty air broke its way into my mouth along with water up my nose. I turned reluctantly over, coughing. The blast of water washing over my body next woke me even more and I began to crawl up onto the dry sand.
Turning over, I gave myself a once-over. I was wearing a dull shirt with some logo in the centre, what kind, I couldn't tell you; pants, was I wearing pants? Yes, I was wearing pants. Green camoflage pants. I began to laugh meekly on the inside at the thought of running around without any pants.
The sun shone brightly into my eyes when I peeled them away from the water and me. I closed them tight and tried to stand up, after two attempts, I managed to walk slowly down the beach. Birds cawed and monkies screeched in the trees beyond, echoing in my ears and across the landscape. It seemed like hours that I pounded the sand with my black shoes. They felt so heavy since they were wet and were clumping mounds of sand to them. My mouth felt raw from the dryness.
Not much later, I could have sworn I heard a group of children; playing in the bush not too far ahead. Odd, although no matter how close I got, or thought I got to the sound, it seemed more distant. Then I found a good sized walking stick, about the same height as my shoulder and it must have come from some kind of oak. After this, I began to make my way into the green-wall that was a forest, persuing the sounds.
But, to my surprise, they found me. I wasn't more than a hundred yards in when a group of young boys and girls playing a form of tag crashed into me knocking me down. I laughed as an older pair helped me back up asking if I was alright.
"Yeah," I said, my voice sounded hoarse. "I'm alright."
"You are the one," said a young five year old. I assumed he was five anyways.
"What?" I said a little more indignantly. I just didn't pay attention.
"You. The Dark One's know ur here by now."
"I dont get you."
"just listen," he started to whisper, liek sumone would hear us. "The Dark One's wait in the Cass-lick Peermid."
"The castle pyramid?"
"Yep. There. They no that ur here. U haf to go get them. they are killing us if they find us. Theys liek to eat us. We can hide, but you, you cant."
"Y cant I?"
"B/c they no who you are and want you."
"Ok. So, what do I do?"
"Follow the-"
Before he could finish the other boys and girls huddled around us and b/w us, pulling us and tearing our conversation apart. They pushed me back out wher ei came from, but instead of a beach there, I found a field in which cows were grazing harmlessly. Beyond, the fields were on fire, but these creatures seemed unaffected by this. I rushed to them and tried to get them to run, I even slapped a couple on the rear to get them to move, yet nothing worked. The bull seemed to have had enuff of my efforts and pushed me through the herd to the flaming fields. I kicked and screamed against the behemoth that psuhed me to unending pain and ultimately, death. The fire, I noticed when I got closer, never spread, yet never retreated. odd. It just sat there, ever-burning, yet consuming nothing. Somethign was holding it back.
Inside the fire appeared a sillhouette of an animal. four legs, large head and a tail. Dog. that ws it, it was a dog, it began barking when I made the realization. The face came out of the flames to whine and bark at me, it wasnt burning, but it was within the fire. The bull began to nudge me towards the orange tongues in front of me. I was tempted to touch it, but I was scared. Harder and harder, it began ramming the back of me and I had no choice but to plunge my hand into the impossible chaos.
"It's not hot," I observed. It felt cool and almost like water flowing up, over and around my hand.
I looked back at the bull who had once been throwing me to my death and it was now grazing again with its herd. I eased my foot onto the ground upon which the fire had been burnign and found it to be the same way. But the orange and red was now creeping up my leg, so I put another foot in and allowed the thing to consume me entirely. It felt like a great pool of water, but had the look and taste of something different. It roared in my ears when I began to walk and try to get my bearings.
I could almost see through the mess, the chaos almost leant me limited vision into things I wouldnt have normally been able to see. I saw the dog, but it ran from me while I tried to follow. Music crept into the roar about me, soft and soothing, yet jarring and erattic. It was impossible to tell what it was, but I knew sumhow it was music. The music seemed to follow the dog, and I followed the sounds.
"Dog!" I called, I even began to whistle. No reply in barking and no dog. just music.
I followed it until it became a loud and pulsing sound, replacing the roar around me. Ahead was what I could call a clearing. When I stepped into it the flames stopped tracing my body and shrunk into itself. The floor wasnt really made of anything I could call a floor, but it was there. The air stunk, no, tasted of leather. In the backend opposite me, I could make out a shape of sum large creature. Its bulk was topped by something almost coded-like and had to twin peaks at either side.
The monolithic creature paused before steppign into the circle. When it did, I felt fear perferate my being. This creature before, was the most dreamed and feared creature known to man. Encrypted into our tales and torn into non-existence, they were magnificent and needed respect. This one's mere presence demanded that of me. I fell to my knees, shaking.
"Do you know what I am?" it asked.
"Yes," I replied quietly.
"Ah, then you do know wat I can do to you." It brought up a single forepaw and examined the giant claws that at any moment could rent me into a thousand bloody shards.
"Yes."
"So leave, Leave my home. leave these lands and never return or face me and-" he blew (I imagined it was a he from the voice it produced) fire into his extended palm producing a fireball that remained in his palm and pulled the dog from behind his hindleg and set it down. Before I could say a word, he slammed the fire into the dog, but thankfully only it encased itn the fire. helpless, but unhurt. "-this will happen. A small threat, but I guarentee you, that when I do strike, you wont be left standing after being engulfed within my breath." The dog was released.
I managed to crawl back into the flames and before I knew it I was running. I didnt know how far I was from the monster, the great black dragon, but I could still feel the presence of it, the fiery breath and the ash with it. The outer rim of the firey plain I was in approached rapidly and I reached it, launching myself out into the open, taking a deep breath of clean air. I landed and rolled forward, coming up and noticing a deep slice into my knee which hurt. But at the same time, it didn't. I forgot completely about the walking stick. I left it in the center of the dragon's nest. Dammnit.
I'll make it without it. The bull brought his head up and looked me in the eye. Staring back, I moved into the clearing towards them. His eyes became a greater shade of red as I came near, but did not move. Soon, his nose was huffing, but still he coninued to graze. I looked momentarily at the setting sun. Wow, amazing beauty. Red and grey with purple and orange rifts here and there, the clouds circled it lovingly before turning dark and thundrous. I looked back at the cows and bull, and it just became apparent that they were charging me. I ran in the same direction until they got too close and I could feel each hoof pound the floor underneath. Turning quickly to face them, I jumped and curled up on the ground, but they didn't hit me, they just went around or jumped over.
The bull lead them into the forest where I originally came from. I followed as fast as I could, but my feet became stuck int he dirt which was rapidly turning into mud and then quicksand. It wanted to suck me in, but I had to follow that herd. With all this, a swarm of bugs burst out of the ground, buzzing loudly, creeping oddly and crawling insanely across my feet.
"NO!" I said adamantly. "You are! Not going! To! Stop me!"
The ground began to form back into its old shape as I grew more strenght and speed to pull away from this entanglement. Almost as if it all understood. Impossible. I ran in the tracks and trail into the forest. Anotehr problem: The moment I got far enough inside to become unable to find my way back, the trail ended. On top of that, the trail leading to my current place was disapearing. Nice. Real nice. So I just started to walk. Lost. No map, no sign. No nothing.
Time, there was no indication that time actually passed here. The only time I knew was what I felt. The time of day didnt change. So I walked, not tired, not nothing. I wished for something to help me. In the middle of a clearing, I came across a catapult of some sort. I laughed.
On this catapult was a sign that read:
Tired of walking? Lost? Want a quick and easy way to get to nowhere? Sit in and pull the lever, even an idiot can do this.
I laughed, everything I needed right here. A place to go, an easy way to get there, and easy to operate. My wish had been granted. I climbed up the brown ladder into the seat that sat uncomfrtably ontop a lever that I assumed would throw me somewhere. It seamed suicidal, but everything that had been ahppening to me so far, coming into a soft landing would surprise as much as the ground being under my feet when I walk.So why not?
I hesitated once more before pulling the lever and sending my body reeling through space. The stars passed around me and I flew through realms that blurred past my consciousness. Their airs I tasted, the toughts passed through my mouth and I felt all they felt. I screamed with glee like a little child ona rollercoaster for the first time. My arms spread and I lifted my head as the wind entered my hair and left around the eddy my head and arched back created. I inhaled deeply and squeezed my eyes shut, allowing the darkness to engulf my body and soul, releasing one from the other and both.
I hear a whining somewhere in front of me. I didn't know what it was, I just turned back. Leave it. When it became more insistent, I stayed and refused to find its source.
When I opened my eyes once more, I was falling towards a, oh so predicted, soft patch of ground. I landed on one knee and touched lightly with my good hand. I realeased the air I forgot to exhale during my flight. It left me both through my mouth and from my mind. That was, to say the least, amazing.
I stood up slowly and began my pace once more, only to be cut short by a cliff. Before I reached the edge, there was a small hole leading down. It was easily three times my size and also easily ten times my height deep. But it was well lit. By firelight, nonetheless. So I began my descent, slowly, quietly, not wantign to distrub whoever, or whatever was within it.
I reached the bottom quietly enough and creeped my way inside. There were columns and stalactites in the way of my view, and theirs of me. Unfortunately, the moment I rounded the first corner, I kicked a few rocks out of the path by accident and they rolled rather loudly inside the echoing cave. Further without, something stirred. The sound causing it to come awake, or at least return to activity from my presence.
"Who's there?"asked a voice. It had a slight lisp, but other than that, sounded friendly enough.
I came out of hiding and stood there sheepishly. That was, until I saw who was in there. It was a huge creature with lots of eyes everywhere, snakes for tails and a great beast for a head. It was a chimera. Not the most pleasant creature to confront.
Although with this fact in mind, the monster was seated at a table fitted for such a user and multiple others of different sizes and species. She was many colours, constantly changing and she hissed a lot, mainly b/c of the snake-liek tails that protruded out its backside. Most of its eyes regarded me in a manner, but it wasn't friendly.
"Come," She beckoned. "Sit."
I did as she bade and sat at a chair that most looked liek it could fit a human. Interestingly enough, it did.
She flew into aconversation about certain fairy tales and asked my oppinion, like it were a matter for which I shouldnt disagree with her on. Then it took a turn for the worse.
"So how would you like some elle?" she asked.
"Elle?"
"O, instead of tea here, we call it elle, u no, like the letters? Tee and Elle?"
"I guess."
"TEE! FINE! IT IS TEE!"
And with that, she threw the kettle at me and I narrowly dodged it. I ducked under the table, fearing her rage. But she saw me and threw the table over into the corner, forcing it to fall into a thousand pieces. The chimera then charged at me in an evil frenzy that would scare even the most evil man alive. The tails hissed and snapped and claws ripped at the air.
I didn't know what to do. I just bolted. I ran for the cave entrance. Only to be stopped short by the huge fall to the bottom. That did not stop the chimera though; she ran straight at me, and over the cliff to her death below. I looked over and saw that she didnt fall to her death, just to a branch that always sticks out on a cliff to save some falling person. Her claws dug into the solid rock and she began to climb up. And up. This was my chance. I went to the other entrance that I knew of. The one I entered by. With more strength than I thought I could muster, I climbed. hand over hand, foot past foot.
I climbed out just as I heard a hearty roar from the cave below. I ran, once more upon this hell for an island, I ran. I don't know for how long though, as I hit another clearing in the dense forest. Here it smelled like honey, for some odd reason. I looked at a gathering of creatues at the center. They all seemed to be conversing over some matter. The herd of cattle were there and the young group of children were there along with many other birds, insects, and wierd creatures I hadn't seem so far on this island. I approached them cautiously. The cattle had almsot run me down once, why wouldn't they again?
An old man dressed in nothing but jungle leaves and a few rags stepped out of the whole rigmourall. "You are the one that needs to go there." He pointed north.
There was a castle there, or was it? It seemed to be a great pyramid, but it had a castle's battlements and cat walks around it along with a wooden gate that dropped to recieve visitors or raised to repel their attackers.
"Why?" I asked, I wanted to sound strong and brave. Offended to be ordered, but I was actually scared. After all I had seen so far, these people shouldn't be existing here. They would be dead or worse.
"The one must enter and confront the evils of this place. You are like the Griffon that defended us, so many years ago."
"Griffon? There was another beast here?"
"Yes, and he stopped the two who now dominate this island. But he is dead and you are the one who must become the griffon to save us."
"Whatever. What if I didn't want to?"
"Well then, we all die, including you."
"Well, Ok. I dont feel like dying today."


All of a sudden, I felt a long tongue run across my face. I pushed the face away and looked. It was my pup.
"Go away. Not now, go get Mom," I said. She whined.

Off I was again. Again. I began to skip down the road. "We're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz." I laughed to myself and to my insanity.
The great construction loomed over me and encased me in its shadow. I advanced towards the gate. It didnt move. Just stayed where it was and no one did anything, if there was anyone to do anything. The courtyard laid itself before me and I gracefully (as gracefully as a guy who was about to fall over screaming into a psycotic frenzy, hey who said heroes were fearless? Whoeever they were, they lied) stepped into the eerie scene. I took a deep breath and looked around. There was no way into the pyramid, at least none that I saw.
I just turned in circles and gazed about. The courtyard was dead, trees twisted and black and flowers brown and wilted. It stunk of must and death, and the ground where the grass once lay was charred, like the ground inside the circle of fire.
In the distance came a flapping and the dragon came into the courtyard and settled onto the ground, upon a place where a fountain once stood. A rattlign and groaning was heard from behind me as the chimera I stumbled upon came out and sat behind me, looking rather bored.
I looked back at both of them and crouched slightly, waiting for either to charge. The dragon spoke.
"Human, this is what they send to protect them? Ha!" He gloated. "YOu might be able to use some protection, or some means of defending yourself. We aren't total monsters."
The chimera chuckled while the dragon threw me my walking stick that I had lost inside his nest. It rolled to my feet and I stooped to pick it up. I held it before me and the chimera began to creep forward, slowly and loudly. sliding each paw across the ground. I turned and it stopped, smiling evilly.
The dragon spread his wings and let out a breath of fire, testing I guessed, but I didn't want to be its actual trial run for the day. So I backed away from both. I swung hte stick in fornt of me, testing my own weapon. Yet, when I took it back into my hands and held it before me to fend off either attacker, I sliced on hand open. I looked down and noticed metal glinting at me. I smiled, this was better.
My clothing began to ripple and change. I was wearing silver chainmail over my chest and a cloak bearing the symbol of a griffon on either shoulder. This was much better. The two creatures noticed this and paused their advance. I took advantage of this and walked forward, twisting my sword back and forth thrusting at each as they backed off.
The dragon blew his fire towards me, but I jumped between his legs and ran towards the fountain. He must have taken this as a form of retreat, because he eagerly flew after me. I dove inside the stone wall once containign water and noticed that the intake was clogged, so i used my sword to dig out the rocks and debris. I got out some, but that was enough because it burst and water flew out, blue adn glittering in teh still setting sun. This burst of water caught the dragon full in the mouth and he drank it while it forced its way into his throat. The behemoth fell from his place in the sky and hit the ground with the right amount of force to crush a car. A final breath escaped his mouth, but it was a puff of smoke. His flame had been extinguished.
The chimera saw this and began to back away, back towards teh front entrance. I looked back at teh intake which just so happned to become to flow that made water coem out, not take it in. The water stopped gushing out and had quit entirely. The small hole had become a large entryway into the plumbing below. The chimera had so many eyes, it would see me coming and attack me or counter mine, so I had to take this opportunity. I ran into the pipes and it just so happened to lead out into the moat beyond the gate.
In a moments notice, I had made it to the moat and right on top of me was the chimera who was panicking because she couldn't see me and turning about a lot by the sounds of the wooden gate he stood upon. But there were cracks here and there in the gate. One strike could bring down teh beast, but it would have to be a good one, or I was done. I waited until she paused and I picked a good sized hole and it showed what I could take as her belly, and plunged by blade through the wood. She shuddered and fell. She was dead.
I felt bad for destroying for such creatures, but it was either them or me, or the peoples inhabiting this island. Maybe now things can return to normal. I climbed out of the moat and dropped my sword, the blade sticking in the ground.
The dog began to bark and I finally turned and opened my eyes.
"Fine," I said.
I turned on the light and stumbled out of the room to take my dog for her business outside.