The Unknown King

We walked out onto the battlefield ready for war; ready for conquering the impossible. The plant stood there in all its merciless might, its petals drooping towards the floor as if it was unnourished and parched. I took a long, deep breath, the air was damp and thick soothing my mind caressing it as the vapor condensed in my lungs but it would not heal my worry. The gnarled roots ,like unrefined tentacles, snaked out from the soil, choking every shrub or bush in the way. A magnificent waterfall crashed behind the creature sourced by a shimmering lake with grand fish… I think… on a great rock monument in the middle of the clearing filled with caverns housing creatures timid towards the light and glowing, almost shrouding the darkness in light. An army of flowers like lights were strewn across the ceiling casting a blinding light on the terrain. Also, the various caverns and crevices strangled by vines gave a mystic glow from its abundance of enchanted fungi and animals. Despite the room’s glory, a dark aura emitted from the flower plunged my heart deeper into my body while a ghastly smell stuck to my throat when my nostrils gingerly took a sip of air. I timidly took a step forward over a thick unrefined root to investigate the situation when suddenly it shot up dangling me upside down (and thoroughly discombobulated). At that moment, the root brought me closer to the flower’s ancient petals. The creature let out guttural clicks shaking the entire chamber while the blossom opened showing a team of teeth displayed in rows reverberating any sound that it caught. ‘Uh, guys, a little help here!’ I yelled from above. Well when I said that, the plant roared in disapproval as if it understood. It pulled me closer, trying to sense me to detect if I would be a worthy, filling meal. ‘Hey you oversized weed!’ shouted Till,‘get out of this garden your rent is overdue!’ Ominously, the bloom bellowed a cry of rage and then stopped suddenly as if it was a raging dog unsure and lost that had seen its owner and had become docile. Silently staring at a bemused Till, the beast opened three pairs of eyes, one on each petal. time slowed down as the staring match of the century began; Till versus a Vermillion. Who will win? Let’s find out. After a while, the creature lowered me down still staring at Till and set me so that I was face to face with him. The creature stood still as if wanting us to do something. The flower reached a demonic root towards me bumping me closer to Till and it lowered its head still directly looking at him. Then Till spoke in a strange tongue hissing and spitting violently. Then he turned to me and said, ‘I’m sorry.’ Then he burst into a flurry of green, purple and blue flames. Then from within the colour came a black plume of smoke and hit the beast hard on the stem and cut its bloom off. We were all knocked off our feet and knocked out except me. After that, well, none of us knew exactly what happened but that Till was lying on the floor without a pulse covered in a dark liquid and Dink was curled up in a tight ball shuddering violently. All I knew was that Till must not be the one he says he is.