Everfree: Martyn's Trial

Martyn limped through the thick foliage, his walking stick barely keeping him on two feet, and his arm swollen to almost twice its size at the elbow. He felt his vision fading fast, and he kept seeing things at the edge of his sight, just beyond his consciousness. Am I being followed? He thought to himself, fearing that his painful trek may soon end in strife. A sound snapped into Martyn's skull, a sound of something hard ricocheting off of wood, a sound he knew from the distant memories of childhood bottle shooting with his cousins.

He raised his walking stick into the most threatening position he could muster; One hand on his leg to help him with balance, and his other hand holding his walking stick in the air. Twigs snapped and foliage moved before a creature leapt from the bushes toward Martyn, a basilisk. The serpent flew through the air, its small body glistening in the now very dim light, crimson scales ablaze and fangs glistening. The snake latched its fangs onto the middle of Martyn's walking stick and venom shot from a broken fang, burning Martyn's face and hands. He flung his walking stick towards a tree, the basilisk still attached, which resounded in an explosive crack as the dry wood shattered against the thick trees surrounding them. The basilisk slithered towards Martyn once again, barely dazed by its collision course with the tree. The basilisk rose its form into a position similar to that of a cobra, before locking gazes with Martyn. He couldn't look away, as he stared wide eyed and gape jawed at the serpent. Blackness formed on the edges of his vision, and he felt himself losing balance. The world seemed to slow as he fell towards the ground. As his head collided with the hard dirt, a small spherical object glistened as it sailed towards the snake. It collided with its target, and lights burst outwards, and ever so briefly Martyn saw a smiling figure approaching him, just before he blacked out.

Morning was just before its breaking as Martyn awoke. He quickly sat upwards, where he was greeted to a headache that sent him careening sideways as the full force of its pain hit him. He winced before opening his eyes once again; No sign of the basilisk.  As he sat up, slowly this time, a small piece of paper floated down from his chest, he picked it up in one hand and squinted to read it in the dim light.

Here arrives a Gypsy, fallen and tipsy. He will not yet laugh as he has lost his Gypsy's staff. Look to your right to prevent further fright, and continue on your journey.

He turned to his right to see the walking stick he threw at the basilisk, repaired with a golden band in the middle, where it had snapped, and a silvery crescent moon perched on the end. He reached for the staff and another thing shocked him; his arm. His arm no longer hurt and his elbow was wrapped in what appeared to be bandages made from very large dark leaves. He stood, his only ailment being his headache, which started to fade away as blood reached his head. H put one step in front of another, and began walking through the forest once again.