The Gauntlet ( A Fantasy Novella) Read Free Page A

countless snakes, hissing and spitting at one another and exposing their sharp fangs.
    “Poor bugger.”
    Ash checked carefully for more pits as he continued through the meadow. There was no doubt in his mind that the knights before him had also been intoxicated and, in their unfit states, had succumbed to the dangers of the valley. It wasn’t long before he saw another pit, with another dead knight inside it; this time filled with scorpions. The whole area was studded with deep potholes, but the thick vegetation had grown over it leaving a minefield of deadly traps.
    Ash proceeded and used his sword to test if it was solid ground before him, or overgrown vegetation that hid a death pit beneath it. The others must surely have tried this too , he thought. I need to do something different .
    Ash assessed the sides of the valley, but they were too steep and dotted with caves that contained any number of mysteries inside. He decided against that route. Instead Ash made for the nearest tree and climbed it, hacking in half the many snakes coiled around it. With the advantage of height, it was easier to see the safest path ahead: obvious changes in colour suggested where the countless holes were located. Ash wondered how many of them contained a dead knight. Ash surveyed the ground ahead and picked his route, even marking out a distant tree from which he would plan the next leg. Each step would be slow, cautious and, he hoped, safe. It appeared that there would, eventually, be some respite as the valley’s pits didn’t continue forever. Ash could see that it instead narrowed and seemed to form its previous ‘V’ shape again. There was an end. There was hope.
    Ash climbed down and began carefully navigating his way through the minefield. He peered into the first five potholes and saw a body in each. Not all of them were full of venomous creatures, yet in all cases, Ash could clearly see the broken legs of the skeleton caused by the fall. Ash shook his head in pity at the dead knights. Already it was obvious that there would be too many bones for him to bring back to Harwell. So much suffering. So much death.
    “A slow death alone in a deep, dark pit…” Ash contemplated which terrible fate might befell him. It was then Ash noticed the dead knight’s sword impaled through its own ribcage. Ash nodded: “I’d have done the same, buddy. This is a cruel place and yours was a lonely, terrible way to die.”
     
    Ash continued his cautious journey and he could finally see the finishing line not far away – the valley did indeed narrow once again into a jagged, tight chasm between the two mountain sides. Ash stepped forward but the treacherous ground suddenly collapsed, feeding into a deep sinkhole. Ash’s legs gave way but, with an outstretched arm, he clutched onto the vegetation and was left dangling precariously at the edge of the hole. The thorny stems bit deep into the exposed skin between his hand guards but Ash tolerated the pain. He had to: it was either that or death. Mustering all of his strength Ash pulled his body up and onto solid ground, but as he did a snake suddenly lunged at his right arm. Shocked, the knight was almost startled backwards and into the hole but his silver armour resisted the fangs. Ash quickly stood up and kicked the snake away.
    “Geez,” he muttered. “Too close.”
    Ash peered over the edge of the sinkhole and into the darkness, unable to tell how deep it was. Beads of sweat dripped down off his forehead and into the hole. Ash walked away from the hole and, as his adrenaline levels reduced, he noticed how bloody and raw his hands were. They were throbbing from the injuries sustained from the thorns.
    “What a mess,” he said.
    Suddenly there was a loud screech. A giant bird of prey was swooping down from the air towards Ash. The bird had curved golden talons nearly a foot long and a wingspan reaching five metres. Its feathers were a shimmering array of silver, gold, blue and green. It