Instructor Allen had summoned an Aurathion with healing abilities, and they took Beatrice to the infirmary.
Of course, Selene didn’t go with her.
“I’ll be sure to keep those three men you’ve been hanging around with satisfied. I’m sure they’d appreciate the attention of arealwoman.” She licked her lips and made a lewd gesture with her hips.
I flipped her off, “Maybe if they can get past the smell of your skanky ass vagina. I heard a rumor going around the academy that it smells like Parmesan cheese and bad decisions.”
When Instructor Allen yelled Go, I entered the course with a smile on my face and the sound of Selene’s outraged scream in my ears.
Chapter 8
Adelaide
When I cleared the hedges, I had zero visibility. There was a creepy fog that surrounded me, and the sounds coming out of it were enough to give me pause.
I took a deep breath, then jogged straight ahead.
Out of nowhere, a giant paw with ten-inch claws swiped for my face, but I tucked and rolled underneath it, then jumped back to my feet, already in a dead run.
What in all the Hells was that?! I shook it off. I didn’t have time to dwell.
I knew the course made a giant circle, but the deeper in I got, the more a feeling of vastness confused my senses. I could hear grunts and growls from every direction, confusing me even further.
Stopping beneath the branches of a massive tree, I closed my eyes and focused. It seemed like I’d been here for hours, not minutes. Alright, time to woman up… I kept my eyes closed and relied on my other senses to decide which way to go.
Before I could come to a decision, a vine from the tree I was standing beneath grabbed me around the waist and yanked me off my feet. I gasped in surprise... what in the Little Shop of Horrors was this shit? I was lifted high into the air when I heard a groaning sound from below and saw the tree opening up, a giant, slimy tongue slithering out and up my leg. Rows of giant teeth lined the “mouth” that the tongue was pulling me toward.
“Fuck!” I yelled in absolute panic… then I remembered that I was a badass bitch that wasn’t about to be taken out by adamntree.
Pulling out the blade I keep inside my bra, I strained against the vine that had me in its clutches. With all of my strength, I leaned as far down as I could and sliced the tongue in half. The vine that still had me grasped around the waist started waving around frantically before slingshotting my ass through the air at a rapid rate of speed.
My heart sailed into my throat right before I crashed into a giant hedge that somewhat broke my fall. I stood shakily, scratches covering my arms and a massive cut on my leg where the nasty tongue had been wrapped around it.
I shuddered in horror. It would be some time before I got over that incident.
I started to scan my surroundings, and I realized the tree must have knocked me most of the way through the course because I could see the exit. That was a small bit of good luck... I say small because I’d seen what was blocking the exit.
A giant, hairy Gerendel was standing directly between me and where I needed to go.
All of the Bigfoot myths on Earth stemmed from them and their penchant for wandering through portals. They weren’t the brightest animals, but were absolutely vicious. Their teeth and claws could tear through flesh and bone like it was made out of papier-mache.
Think, Adelaide… think…what was my solution?
I tried to remember everything my Gramps had told me about the animals. I knew they had extremely poor eyesight but had an extraordinary sense of smell.
The thing was coming my way with its nose in the air. All of the blood that covered me was leading it right in my direction.
That gave me an idea!
I had one chance, and it had to work, because my time was running out.
I backed up slowly into the hedge. Taking my blade, I cut into the gash on my leg. Gritting my teeth around a scream, I squeezed it until there was a large puddle of blood on the ground. I then took my hand and smeared more on a few leaves that were on the backside of the hedge.
When I heard the beast coming closer, I waited as silently as I could, crouched low. When he stuck his head in, trying to find the source of the blood, I stabbed him directly in the scrotum with my knife.
The Gerendel fell to his knees and let out a sound that damn near punctured my eardrums. I would have felt bad, because a knife to the balls was awful, but they’d been known to carry off Aurathion children to eat, so fuck him.
I didn’t waste any time and took off like a shot, sliding through the exit like a baseball player rounding home.
