They had been following the muddy track for ages. Finally the Shnorg decided to set up for camp. When Clumbo had finished putting up his tent he went to see if the Shnorg needed help, there was no Shnorg there, in his place was a pink maenad Lion.
“Hey where did the Shnorg go, you didn’t eat him did you, you little” Clumbo started towards the pink maenad Lion but suddenly it turned into a Shnorg
“Wo, I didn’t eat anyone”
“What, your, you’re a shape shifter!?”
“Sorry, did I forget to mention that?
*
They were deep in the forest now. “Um, sorry, but I’m slightly lost,” said Shifty, that’s what Clumbo had decided to call their new friend; they didn’t know his real name so the nickname stuck. The trees were now so thick that hardly any light was coming through. They lit a torch with a tinderbox and walked with the light. Spiders and beetles crept along the narrow path, fleeing when the light shone on them. Every now and again a bush rustled, but only turned out to be a Dosk, a funny little creature which was just like a dog, but had a lizard’s tail and feet, or some other relatively harmless creature. After about five minutes more walking there was a fork in the road. They took the left path, but to no avail. The trees still became thicker until not a millimetre of light shone through. Now rustles were constant, and far too big to be a Dosk. Further along lay a dead Penguin, who looked like one of the soldiers he had seen back in his old village. A short sword lay by his body, covered in a blue-black substance which looked like sticky blood. Clumbo ran over to the soldier, and observed his wounds, whilst scanning his body something made Clumbo feel as thoug he knew this Penguin. Clumbo found a nasty gash in his side and reached over to the sword, which he picked it up, just in case.
*
Three days earlier.
The face of the boy haunted him in his dreams, and being in Bruma wood didn’t help either. Hankor Powers lay sweating in his sleeping bag, like very other night, his short sword drawn as though he had been fighting in his sleep. He remembered the shouting as he had run out of the burning house. Two boys had shouted, fear in their voices.
“Father?” the first one had shouted
“Mother?” the second voice was slightly deeper but scared nonetheless. He caught one of their faces when he left, the one clutching his father’s head. The boy’s father had killed his two comrades, but Hank killed him. He felt horrid, but being in the Fredon army you had no time for mercy. He dressed in his armour, replaced his sword in his on his plate and ate it quickly. He then got into formation scabbard, and joined the rest of his platoon for breakfast. He put some fish on his plate and ate it quickly, not wating around he replaced the plat in his bag and started to march with the rest if his platoon. They were heading towards Horston, the capital of Fredon. The trees were getting thicker, and spiders and beetles crept along the darkening path, fleeing when the light was shone on them. The bushes were constantly rustling. He hadn’t noticed the tree root in front of him and tripped, cutting the side of his face on a rock. He took a wipe from his backpack, wiped the cut clean and stood up to rejoin his platoon, but they weren’t there.
“Damn it! “ Hank said to himself, and jogged forwards. He shone the torch in every direction, but they were clearly out of sight. He came to a fork in the road. Hesitating, and hoping he picked the right path, he ran left. He saw shadows in the corners of his eyes. He drew his short sword, turned to watch his back and when he turned back around, there was a giant beast in front of him.
He didn’t have time to observe it, he drew back his sword and stabbed it right through what appeared to be the stomach. Blood spurted horrifically from the creature, but it wasn’t like blood Hank had ever seen before, it was a blue-black colour. He took his sword out of the beast and it dropped down dead. But as he looked around he noticed he was surrounded. He saw one jump and let gravity do the work for his sword, the beasts head slid of its body, Hank new it would be a gruesome sight, but he couldn’t see, it was too dark. He saw a gap behind him and made a run for it. He was half way back down the road when one of the beasts jumped in front of him, and the last thing Hank saw in his life was a long spiked tail flying towards his head, finally he would be free from the nightmares, the poor boys faces and his voice. Hank Powers limp body was flung against a tree, the short sword falling at his side.
