Just Like Magic

Chapter 23 What To Do?

Randalyn's POV

My legs are moving at full speed, digging through the dirt easily like a shovel. I'm using all my strength plus the terror of losing my life to push my body back through the dirt. I stay glued to the ground, no matter what, right now, because I would hate to stand and get hit by the constant arrows flying by. So I won't stand until I can't hear them passing by me anymore.

So I continued to scoot across the ground, to gain me some distance from the chaos, which is slightly making me feel as if I might be out of trouble. Finally, I saw the light at the end of this tunnel. That is if I can continue to depend on these warriors to protect me... but I don't even know who they are, let alone what their intentions are, and those might not even involve helping me.

Even if they continue to help me at this moment, it doesn't mean that they plan to help me in the future. But I guess right now this is all I need, and I'll take what I can get since I obviously can't do this on my own. I'm in over my head with everything in this environment that I don't know at all, and anyone with eyes could see that.

So I willingly accept their help as if I have a choice and just hope for the best for me. Because, who knows, I might be misinterpreting their help... They might be trying to kill me and just missing me hitting the beasts around me. The arrows have flown way closer to my body than expected, so maybe I have been just getting lucky at this point. But I guess only time will tell.

Now that I think about it... Maybe it's just another group who wants to take me in for a reward or not wanting to get punished just for making contact with me.. but they are at least helping me at this moment, and I guess that's all I can ask for.

The deep breaths that are being sucked into my body excessively don't seem to remotely relieve my lungs of the building pressure.. It's not even relieving my heart that feels as if it's working in a complete overdrive at this point. I try to help my overworking body by instantly involving my arms in this long pulling trek. I feel like the people I have seen on the shows are doing boot camps. I'm pushing with every last bit of me as I want to break down crying and giving up.. But this strength comes out in me unexpectedly helping me push through to survive.

I keep moving, giving my body many good shoves through the dirt as if I'm swimming through water. I keep going just ignoring the pain, making me feel like my body is screaming for me to stop and take a break. But no matter how much every last muscle in my arms hurt and shake from being so overworked. I won't stop. I have never felt more alive than I do in this place, making me feel a type of exhilaration I only read about before.. It strengthens me while trying to weaken me at the same time. But I won't let this take me out. I feel that for the first time, I'm strong, and I can get through this.

I have been through a lot, but I can honestly say that I have never had to work this hard to stay alive in my entire existence, and it's getting completely exhausting but for once, I feel my life is worth the fight. The consuming thoughts to save myself and help Cassius when he needs me is all the motivation I need to keep pushing through the wall of exhaustion and just hope it will be enough to survive this.

I keep dragging myself back as I think that I notice something moving in my peripherals. I glance over just to see pure darkness made by the thick surrounding trees. So I look back in front of me, keeping my eyes on the pile of dead spiders growing in front of me. That's when I hear a growl or maybe a grunt from beside me, so I double take, looking over to see it's another spider quickly coming towards me from the shadows to my side, instead of the front where the others were. This is a smart move for him but not what I needed.

The fight or flight is hitting my brain, and I decide the best move for my survival is to run. I push off the ground from under me to try to stand and get a head start out of this conflict. I was sorely mistaken in this decision as I'm instantly hit with an intense pain that shot through my entire body, taking the little bit of air I had in my system with it. The freight train hitting me was none other than the big spiders heavy body that hit mine without hesitation, throwing both of us to the ground.

I'm startled by the surprising scream of pain escaping my lips. It was something I had never heard come out of me before that I almost didn't realize I was the one that made it. The excruciating pain in my ribs from that hard hit is making every move harder than the next. It makes me want to let go of this enemy to tend to my internal wound, but I can't, or I will die, and for once, that's not an option. So, I push through the overwhelming pain on my side that might be from broken ribs received in this collision.

I push as I fight off its heavy body, which is leaning all of its weight on me, making its face inches away from mine. The further it leans into me, the harder it's getting to breathe.. It doesn't help that I don't want to breathe because of the pungent smell of death coming from this thing. It is breathing heavily on me as drool pours from its mouth, dripping all over me, making me want to throw up with disgust.

I scream as I push back against it, trying to keep its face away from mine with my forearms and knees straight out and holding its abdomen, making it hover over the top of me. It screams out at me, I don't think that sound was from pain, but maybe trying to intimidate me, and it's successful as I squint and try not to cry as I keep fighting back.

In that same instant, I can feel its body adjust and shift its weight. It's not leaving me or stopping the attack, but I can feel its body gyrating on top of mine. So I look down in the middle of this madness to see that its abdomen is trying to lunge down, with its spinneret erect in defense, pointed right at my body. This threat is looking even more intimidating, I never thought about this as an issue, but its spinneret is looking like a knife that it's trying to use to stab me with.

I don't know if it's actually trying to attack me with this part of its body or not. But I'm not willing to take the chance with it because from how it looks right now, I'm going to assume that's exactly what it's trying to do... Plus, I have seen the Lord of the Rings, and if it is using this in defense to paralyze me for the moment to get the drop on me, then I know it's not what I want at all.. I don't want to become this thing's lunch, that I would feel everything done to me without being able to move an inch.

So I instantly move my hips with every thrust it makes. Leaving my legs up, propping it up as I hold myself to the ground. I'm limberly dancing with this beast, trying to avoid his thrusting body as my hands and arms constantly hold its head and fangs back, just hoping for anything to help.

I feel the unexpected silent tears endlessly coming out as I try to fight both ends of this spider just hoping it will be enough to get me out. I shove and scream out, trying to keep its face away as I feel another wave of energy flow through my body as the spider flies away from me across the way and past the pile of dead spiders.

I come up for air, gasping for the fresh air into my body as I sit up onto my elbows, not knowing what that was that helped me, let alone what actually happened in that moment.. but I'm not complaining since I finally have a moment to breathe. I don't have any time to enjoy this moment or to figure out for myself why this happened as I see the spider jump into the air, over the top of the bodies effortlessly. He sights are targeted on me, with nothing to take its attention away. It even gets hit in the leg by an arrow that takes one of its legs with it. But that doesn't seem to be enough to take the enemy spider's eyes off of me.. they all seem to be fixated as I try to back away, but it lands right back on top of me.

I cry out, fighting this beast off as it pushes down with a desperation in its motives, probably knowing by how weak and hurt we both are that this is coming to its end and one of us is going to die by the time this is over.. But we both don't want to die.. and I don't know how much longer I can hold it off.

I feel as its fangs scratch against my skin on my neck, showing how weak I am getting in this and how it might win no matter how hard I fought. But I keep fighting as I push it back only slightly, holding my face back as far away as I can. I put my legs up and under his abdomen, holding him back while pushing him back to give me some space.

I look up to only see darkness, but between the endless darkness, I can slightly make out multiple shining outlines from its eyeballs. They all seem to be directed at me. The intensity in this stance makes this feel as if they are staring deep within my soul. The cherry on top for this scary moment is its glossy looking fangs dripping with drool, showing the hunger and desperation to finally end this. Maybe the being was starving, and that why they all came out like a wall of defensive spiders for this one small bit of food.

I don't want to think about why they are acting the way they are, because no matter how I look at it, I'm still the dinner laid out on a platter for the taking and this guy isn't giving in anytime soon.. He is going to get the best of me I can already tell as my arms start to buckle along with my legs, bringing the spider closer than I ever wanted to have it. The death on its breath makes me want to give in and let go just to heave, but I can't no matter how unbearable this seems to be.

I keep pushing back as it does the same until an arrow shoots straight through the back of his head. Protruding completely through, with the tip of the arrow almost hitting my face as well. It's scratching my forehead, showing me how close I was to dying with this beast. I got luckier than this being did, so I can't help but feel grateful at that idea.

Well, until the body goes limp on top of me, shooting the little bit of air I had in my system right out, making it almost impossible to breathe. The pain in my ribs is a thousand times worse than before as I cry out just from the sheer shock of pain. The blood from the arrow drips onto my nose and then down to my cheek as I try to push with all my strength.

It didn't work on the first attempt. I try to bring the body back down slowly to give me a chance to readjust and try again. But my arms slip out, letting it go as the body flops back down on me, almost piercing me with the pertruding tip of the arrow again. I pull my face away, needing some fresh air because this thing smells so much worse when it has turned into a weighted blanket that you can seem to remove on your own.

I gag to myself, hating the smell and feeling of the wiry hair covering my body. I feel my leg getting soaked, and I can only assume that it's from the wound that the spider got when having its leg removed. I try to scoot my body out from under it, but that just seems to secure me more in its hold. I'm getting frustrated as I just prop my legs up under the spider's abdomen, pushing with my arms and legs, finally getting the limp body to roll off of me.

I'm gasping for air, holding my ribs as I groan out. I roll on my other side, just taking pressure off of the hurt parts of my body. Silently begging for there to be no more spiders to deal with so I can have a moment to keep breathing. This only works for a short moment, which is better than none, I suppose. I'm only feeling slightly better until the sounds of footsteps approaching get my attention.

I sit up, looking around to see there are no more spiders, but the threat doesn't stop there, from the frying pan and into the fire as they say. My gaze bounces around from one being to the next. Just to discover that my saviors are the herd of centaurs that I thought ran by. They surround me as they continue to point their arrows directly at me. I put my hands up instantly, showing that I don't mean any harm while keeping my head bowed with respect for them.

Hopefully, they will be understanding to me and my situation.. But I'm scared.. I don't know what to tell them.. Do I tell them the truth about me? And what I am to make sure there are no problems between us? Maybe that will cause problems.. but I feel in this moment that honesty might be the best policy.

I look up seeing one centaur amongst the rest that is eyeing me. He is grunting as he paces back and forth in front of me. I don't know how to start this.. But I feel that I owe them a thank you. "Thank you for helping me." I say to them softly, but that makes them all look back and forth between each other before the one in front says, "Who are you?"

I swallow the nervous lump in my throat as I stutter out. "Well, I wanted to make sure to say thank you for saving me first, then we can get into the rest of this." I say as he quickly cuts me off, saying louder. "Who are you?" This time, it's not exactly a question but mostly a demand. My mouth opens, but I freeze, not knowing what to say. "You are a witch?" he asks as I shake my head. "What magical creature are you? A different type of witch? fae? I have never smelt your kind." He says to me, stomping his feet to intimidate me into talking, or maybe it's the anticipation of the moment, causing him to react this way... who knows, but after everything just now, all are on edge at this point.

"I'm not a magical creature." I say as all the beings around start to get riled up. They are hopping around stomping with one another, but I don't know what I said to cause this. The main centaur puts his hands up as he states as if it is a straight fact. "That is not possible.. The only way to communicate with my kind is to have magical abilities.. So you stop lying to me right now, or I will just put an arrow into you and be done with this." He demands from me as I shake my head, not wanting that.

I am terrified once again, but for different reasons, as I nod my head and just decide to spill it all, and hopefully, it doesn't dig my grave. "My name is Randalyn.. I am a muggle that was unexpectedly stranded here... and I'm trying to save... my.. friend.. he is hurt, and I was trying to do anything to help him.. but when I got here, I was quickly attacked.. I'm sorry if this is your land I didn't know." I try to explain quickly and just hope they have a heart that has a tinge of sympathy along with empathy to help me survive this.

I'm terrified to even look up, so I keep my head hung down as I wait to hear their response but the overwhelming anxiousness in my heart makes me look up at their eyes that say they don't believe me so I beg. "Please believe me." I hang my head again, and I wipe away the tears, not wanting to die like this if I have any choice in the matter.

"My mind warns me not to believe you because of the obvious laws of magic that I have known all my life." he says to me as I beg. "Please." gasping for air as he throws his hand in the air to stop me before he adds. "But my gut is telling me to believe you.... so here is what I'll do... I'll let you go, but if you do anything to bother us or make me regret letting you go, then we will murder you the next time we see you... but if you mean what you say... then.. beyond this hill of trees is a little pond and by it grows a plants decorated with little purple blossoms... it's known as Dittany to us, and if used, it could heal wounds."

"Thank you... oh, thank you so much... you won't regret this." I say bowing as I stand up with my head still hanging, not wanting to offend or look more like a threat than I already do, especially not knowing what could offend them. I hear a couple of the centaurs move as I look back to see they opened up a way out for me to leave. I keep nodding as I slowly make my way out of this circle of death before they change their mind.

"Witch?" he says to, I'm assuming me. I slowly turn around and look up as he says, "Be warned... that pond is home to the fae." My eyebrows touch not knowing why he feels he has to warn me about that. "Ok..... thanks." I say, turning around before flipping right back around to face them.

"Is that bad?" I find myself asking as he nods. "They have been known to trick beings.... if you really don't know this world, then I'll only tell you this.. don't give them your real name if you do see one." He says, turning away from me as all the others follow in a trot as they get further away until they start to gallop, then run, leaving me alone.. again.