[skillya_glowi]

Chapter Ten.

Sami had to come back a few minutes later. He remembered that he couldn’t reach to the tunnel opening. He told this to Otushe.
“Of course you can,” he said. Confused, Sami walked back to the pond.
By some strange miracle, he managed to hoist himself up after a few dozen attempts. He felt a definite injury in his right arm, which has already suffered enough, but knew he was lucky to get up. Trying very hard to remember what lies ahead, Sami recalled that the tunnel led to another cave, which led to the lake in the field at the edge of the forest. So, technically, he was right back where he started. This frustrated Sami immensely, but he remembered that he still had fifteen years to find the Shrykull Rings . He certainly had time to spend.
Successfully navigating the way through the underground caves, he broke the lake surface when it was nearing dusk. The sun was still in the sky, but it was scarlet red and seemed as large as a dinner plate. The wispy clouds surrounding it were turned pastel shades of pink, and a dark orange sky shrouded the opposite horizon.
Sami had hope, but no hope. What could he do to call the Shrykull Rings to him? There was nothing remarkable he could accomplish, when almost every part of him was in a way disfigured. Enduring hardships was what seemed the most promising, but Sami was not about to go looking for them.
He sat resting and drying for about half an hour. By this time the sky had mostly darkened, and the singing of birds had ceased. The stars were beginning to become visible, but both the Heroes’ Moons were shrouded by clouds. The mournful night scene was beginning to cover the land.
Sami lay on his side, scrupulously planning his next action. He thought about going back to the forest, but no, Sami thought, such dangers lurked there that he did not even know of. He could possibly walk along the field and see where it leads him. Yes, he thought, it is the better plan.
Sami’s sleep was continuously haunted by nightmares, and his night was not a peaceful one. When he woke at the crack of dawn, he found that now, with care, he could lay on his back, although he has gotten accustomed to sleeping on his side. Sami yawned. He was still very shaken from the encounter with the shaman and rejoicing at his newfound hope. And now, at dawn, he felt more powerful than ever. He sighed with content and sat up.
He wondered what it would be like to turn into the Shrykull — to transform from a useless weakling into an all-powerful monster. The only one who did never told.
Dwelling on these thoughts, he made his way along the field. He was traveling on land, thus progress was slow; he had the grass under him, the forest on his left side, and the lake on his right. Like so it remained, for how long Sami could not tell.
Soon, he noticed a mountain growing on the horizon. Groaning at the thought of another obstacle course, Sami considered changing his route; seeing, however, that the mountain was not very steep or tall, he decided to continue on.
The way to the mountain turned out to be longer than it looked; Sami has been traveling for almost an hour until he reached the mountain base. It looked relatively easy to climb, and, mysteriously, someone had left a trail leading right to its top that wound around its perimeter.
Using his right hand for a support, he carefully started making his way up. The sharp gravel cut into his hind fin, but Sami gritted his teeth and continued on his path.
Sami paused. Not only did the mountain turn out to be farther than it seemed, it also was taller than it seemed. He turned around and looked back over his shoulder. He had not gotten far at all! Desperately Sami hung his head. He slumped down onto the ground, resting. Sami looked up. The sky was crystal clear, with not a cloud to be seen. The sun beat down relentlessly on the lee side of the mountain, where he was sitting, and Sami was dying from heat. Reasoning that he did not get very far up the mountain anyway, Sami decided to descend the mountain and go around it. If his vision was not deceiving him, he could see some sort of growth at the foot of the mountain, and growth meant shade in such an instant.
Slowly he started descending the slope. His foot had to endure considerable pain, since the gravel grains were very small and sharp.
Suddenly, without any warning, the gravel started sliding, and Sami bent backward to counteract the laws of gravity, as a result of which he fell onto his lacerated but partly healed back, while all the time uncontrollably slipping toward the foot of the hill. Sami closed his eyes and prayed for the better.
Finally, the motion stopped. Sami felt severe pain all over his body, but he dared not open his eyes before he was completely sure that he was at the foot of the mountain. It felt like Sami was laying in some thicket, and the sunlight was much less intense, suggesting that he was in the shade. Sami groaned with pain and opened his eyes.
Gritting his teeth, he slid off the shrub. Ending up in a sort of a crouched position, he straightened up and found that he was in front of a large tree. Its bark was peeling, and Sami could see that so many leaves have fallen off it that they covered the forest floor like a carpet.
Its roots were partially revealed, and between them all sorts of shrubs and grasses were growing. Its branches, as well, had no lack of residence: Sami could see bird nests and ivy stalks. With all this, however, one thing puzzled him: where were all the birds?
He could not shake the feeling that something was watching him. The air was unusually thick and still. Sami had a strange premonition that danger lay ahead.

Suddenly, a shrill hiss cut through the silence. Sami’s blood froze in his veins. He knew that hiss all too well.