This was it. No more humiliation, no more ridicule, no more abuse. Elisson Smith (more commonly known as Ellie) would not be remembered as a loser, but as a hero! With the best equipment she could get her hands on (old leather gear and a wooden training sword she stole), Ellie set off determined to slay the beast that was rumored to roam the woods. Walking in the place she remembered being told that was the monster's turf, she jumped and whipped her head at every noise, her nerves on edge. It should be somewhere around here… she's sure of it! She thought to herself... "Come on, come on… moment of truth! Gosh, what if it's not even real and I'm just making a fool of myself… or worse, what if it's real and I'm torn to shreds!? No, focus Ellie! You've got this!" shaking her head as if to dispel her paranoia and will herself into bravery.
I am a 6 foot monsterboy. I am a lamia: half-snake half-human. I slither along the swamp, following her from the bushes. Soon, I slither out fdom the bushes about 30 feet behind her. "Hey!" I call out, baring my fangs as I slithered over closely.
"W-who's there!?" Ellie screamed, spinning around to face the direction of the voice. Her heart pounded against her chest and tears welled up in her eyes as she saw the horrifying sight before her. "N-no... It can't be..." She stammered, trembling uncontrollably. "Please... Please don't hurt me..." She whimpered, cowering behind her pathetic wooden sword, prepared to die a cowardly death at the hands of the monster she sought to destroy.
I approached closely, soon standing right infront of her. I lean in and open my mouth as my fangs approach. At the last second, I stop and chuckle, instead raising a hand and poking her nose. "You seem a little young and inexperienced to be walking around here." I pull back, letting her see my full naked form as I was technically a wild lamie. "Y'know, there are monsters that are ready to eat someone like you up..."
"N-no... please! Please don't hurt me!" Ellie sobbed, her voice barely audible over the pounding of her heart. She cowered back even further, tears streaming down her dirty face as she clung desperately to her wooden sword. "I just wanted to prove myself... I-I'm sorry..." She whimpered, shaking uncontrollably.
Her eyes darted around frantically, searching for an escape route or anything that could be used as a weapon against the monster. But all she saw was swamp and more swamp... there was nowhere to run.
I roll my eyes as I glance at her. "Let me guess: newbie was bullied until they decided to prove themself by defeating a monster in the swamp...am I right?"
Her gaze darted back and forth between the lamia's glistening eyes, its scaled body, and its jagged fangs. "Y-yes..." She whispered, her voice barely audible. "They... they said I was useless... talentless... stupid... That I'd never amount to anything... So I thought if I could defeat the monster, then maybe..." Her voice trailed off into a sob as tears streamed down her face unchecked.
I grin, reaching down and wiping her tears. "Listen, it's no fun eating a crybaby. So, how about this instead? We'll go to the edge of the swamp near the town, i'll cause some damage, and you scare me off. You'll be a hero!"
Her eyes widened in disbelief as the lamia gently wiped away her tears. "R-really?" she stammered, hope beginning to flicker within her chest. The thought of actually becoming a hero... It was almost too good to be true. But what if this was just another cruel joke? She glanced up at the monster, its face split in an amused grin. "B-but why would you do that?" she asked hesitantly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why not just eat me now and be done with it?"
"Like I said, crybabies give a bit of a sour taste, they don't taste as good. Atleast when you're a hero, you can meet me again when you're leveled up." I smirk. "I want my food to pose a challenge."
Ellie blinked several times, trying to process what the lamia had just said. It... wanted her to be strong enough? To meet it again when she was leveled up? It seemed impossible, but at the same time, kind of exciting. She glanced down at her wooden sword and then back up at the monster, her eyes shining with determination. "I-I'll do it!" she exclaimed, her voice firmer than she had ever heard it before. "I'll become strong enough to take you on! Just... just tell me where to go."
"Go back home." I pointed to a random direction in the swamp, around where she came from. "Train. Once you're ready, come back."
"T-thank you!" Ellie stammered, her eyes shining with gratitude. With renewed purpose, she turned and began to jog back in the direction of Oakshade. As she ran, she couldn't help but feel a strange sense of exhilaration washing over her. For the first time in years, she had hope... and something worth fighting for.
"I won't disappoint you," she muttered to herself under her breath, clutching her wooden sword tightly. "One day, I'll come back and show you what I can do..."
Timeskip. *It had been 5 years since that day. I had stayed in the swamp, feasting on unlucky wanderers and warriors. I waited for Ellie to return, waiting for our fateful battle.
Time passed quickly during those five years. Every morning, Ellie would train with whatever weapons she could find or scrape together. Her body ached from the countless hours of practice, but it was a small price to pay for her dreams of becoming strong enough to face the monster that had changed her life forever.
As each season came and went, her strength grew along with it. She honed her skills with swordplay, learned how to fight unarmed, and even studied magic in secret. The village folk began to take notice of her progress, their jeers and insults slowly replaced by whispers of awe and respect.
And then one day, she felt ready. It was time for her final confrontation with the lamia that had given her this chance at redemption.
I waited in the swamp for her to return.
With a shaky breath, Ellion stepped into the depths of the swamp. Her heart pounded wildly against her ribs as she moved deeper into the territory of the lamia that had given her this chance. She clutched her sword tightly, willing herself to be brave as she trudged through the muck and mire.
After what seemed like an eternity, she finally spotted it: a massive form slithering through the reeds not far ahead. It was bigger than before, its scales gleaming in the moonlight. Her heart leapt into her throat as she realized this was really happening... soon, she would face her destiny.
I soon saw someone approaching. Assuming another warrior, I begin to slither closer. Once I see it's Ellie, I grin widely, my fangs slightly larger than before. "Wow...you actually did it."
"Y-you knew I'd come back," Ellion stammered, trying to keep her voice steady despite the fear coursing through her veins. "I've trained every day since we last met... I won't let you down."
She tightened her grip on her sword, feeling its weight reassuringly in her hands. This was it... the moment she had been waiting for all these years. With a deep breath, she took up a fighting stance and glared defiantly at the lamia.
"You said once that you wanted your food to pose a challenge,"
I hissed softly as I slithered back a small amount, getting ready fof a fight. "Yes...I want them to fight." I hissed louder. "I want to feel you struggle down my throat."
Her heart raced as the words sank in. This wasn't going to be some friendly sparring match... this was a fight to the death. But she had come too far, trained too hard to back out now. Taking a deep breath, she charged forward, swinging her sword wildly at the lamia's head.
The lamia dodged easily, hissing as it sliced through the air just inches from its face. It coiled its body low to the ground, ready to strike back with a quick bite or slash of its powerful tail. The battle was on... and Ellion knew she had to win.
I leaped forward and tried to coil around her, wanting to stop her from moving.
Ellon yelped in surprise as the lamia's massive form slithered toward her, aiming for a tight coil around her legs. She scrambled to dodge out of the way, but its speed was too great... she felt one of its scaly coils wrap tightly around her left leg, squeezing painfully.
"Gah!" she cried out, stumbling as the lamia's powerful grip held her in place. Her sword clattered to the ground, useless now against the monster's incredible strength. "N-no... please..." she whimpered, tears streaming down her face as she struggled in vain to free herself.