Leaves and branches tore at him as he crashed through the undergrowth. Something massive ploughed after him. The cracking of trees boomed through the forest, causing creatures hidden in the foliage to cry out and flee. Panic filled him.

  Felix stumbled and slammed shoulder-first into a thick tree. White exploded across his vision, rattling his mind as his ears rang.

  A heavy crunch broke through the fuzz, dragging his senses back to him. Felix scrambled to his feet and took off again.

  The instant he cleared the tree, an enormous mass slammed into it. The trunk exploded. Splinters the size of his head shot in every direction as the ground shook.

  Felix ran. The blind panic faded, leaving a cold focus in its wake. His breathing steadied and his thoughts snapped into place.

  The creature's daze wore off and it let out a hissing bellow, like a firework in flight. Despite adrenaline and his newfound strength, it was still gaining ground.

  A massive, truck-sized boulder sat immovable ahead and to the right of him. The Creeping Death was closer. He could hear the earth churning beneath its body, despite the chaos that followed.

  A boulder.

  The last time he’d punched rock, his gauntlet nearly blew apart.

  A plan quickly formed in his mind. He didn't need the rock to break. He needed the gauntlet to. He summoned his gauntlet. The change happened slower than before. The energy swelling in his hand felt like molasses as his focus slipped.

  Almost too late, the glow of the gauntlet faded as it solidified. Without stopping, he drove his fist into the boulder with everything he had. Cracks spidered outward from the impact. His gauntlet glowed again, magma roiling in the fissures. He took a hard right, hoping to shake the beast.

  A glance back made Felix curse under his breath. The monster's large head appeared over the top of the boulder. Clearly undeterred by his maneuvering. The flesh of its jaw twitched along hidden seams as it cocked its head.

  From its vantage point, the snake lunged at him. Serrated fangs unfolded as its maw opened, then split.

  The jaw peeled back in four directions like a grotesque flower, flesh stretching along hidden seams.

  The segments flared wider, revealing a pulsing throat lined with barbed ridges.

  Its eyes rolled back. Then two fleshy folds inside the upper segments peeled apart. Its gaze snapped back to him.

  His eyes widened in horror, but he acted without hesitation. Lashing out once again with his gauntlet.

  His fist crashed into a fang. It snapped away at the base as his hand detonated. Felix was flung away as shards tore into its mouth. A spray of fluid cascaded out of an eye.

  It reared back. An air-splitting screech erupted from its throat as it thrashed, spittle raining down.

  "Yes!" His triumph was short-lived. He'd clearly hurt it, but not enough.

  Pushing through the pain, Felix clawed himself onto his feet and took off. Pain lanced through his leg, slowing him. The screeching stopped. The forest went still. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to move faster.

  Felix wove between trees and under branches. His breath laboured as his legs strained, his muscles beginning to burn.

  Cracks exploded behind him. Trees crashed to the ground.

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  Felix glanced back. The creature had fallen behind, but now charged straight at him. Trees snapped and shattered beneath its powerful bulk. Its cold gaze became hot with rage. Blood streamed from its ruined eye. Felix's attempt at scaring it off only seemed to make it angry.

  He called to his gauntlet, but the energy trickled back into him. It was too soon.

  His breath turned ragged. His legs screamed. Every step grew heavier. The undergrowth fought him, branches clawing at his face and his mud-soaked hair.

  His vision blurred. He stumbled on a loose rock, his leg buckling. Doubt clawed at his heart.

  There was a faint roar to his left. Not a creature.

  The river.

  With a final burst of hope, he pressed on. He ignored the pain in his muscles and sprinted.

  Using a dying tree as leverage, he cut hard left toward the sound. The monster pivoted, chasing to cut him off.

  The thicket grew denser, swallowing his view. Only the roar of water guided him.

  He burst into a clearing. The bright sun reflected off the river, making him squint. He headed straight for the water without breaking stride.

  Reaching the edge, he leapt. As he did, the beast barreled through the brush, its eyes still locked on him. His arms pinwheeled and his legs kicked as he soared over the water.

  The world slowed as he sailed over the water. A tangle of vines sat gently atop the river, untouched by the current. Then he realised his mistake.

  He hit the river hard, sinking deep into the water only metres away from the green mess.

  Beneath him, something vast shifted. A knotted mass of tendrils writhed along the riverbed, light barely touching it.

  He kicked hard as he tore at the water, climbing to the surface as the river pulled him along.

  Felix broke the surface, gasping. After quickly wiping his eyes, he swam towards the opposite bank. The relentless river wore him down quickly. Something large ploughed into the river, a powerful wash pushing him closer to solid ground.

  The snake-like creature bellowed, its rage ringing in his ears. A thought entered his mind.

  Snakes can swim.

  Pressing on, he turned his head. What he saw sent a chill down his spine that didn't come from the cold stream.

  His pursuer was tangled in the same cluster of vines he sailed over. It thrashed, its segmented maw ripping at the tendrils as they crept up and around its large frame.

  He swam on. His toe dug into the wet mud, telling him he could almost stand. "Almost there." For the first time since coming to this god-forsaken place, he felt he might actually live.

  He planted his foot, it sunk into the slimy riverbed. Relief flooded his body. He wasn't sure how much further he could swim, but he knew it wasn't a lot.

  Suddenly something wrapped around his ankle. He kicked wildly, trying to shake it off, revealing a vine tangling itself around him. This tentacle was thinner and greener than the monstrous ones that struggled against the snake.

  His jerking movements unbalanced him, and he was yanked off his feet, plunging back under the water too quickly to take a breath.

  He grabbed the vine with both hands, tugging at it and trying to peel it away. It held fast, like an iron manacle, as it slowly dragged him deeper.

  He cursed, the last air in his lungs escaping in a cloud of bubbles. He was running out of time, the inexorable urge to take a breath would kill him.

  In a desperate bid, he let go and called on his gauntlet. It formed quicker this time as the water began to boil around him, burning his flesh.

  He moved quickly. The magma churned in his hand as he grasped the vine. Bubbles of steam cascaded to the surface as it trembled in his hand. Its grip faulted as the tendrils twitched, the area around his hand charring as it cracked.

  He dug his free foot into the mud, bracing himself as he tore at the damaged area. The vine snapped as parts flaked off to float around them.

  With a final pull, the vine came apart, the base roiling and whipping as thick streams of red, syrup-like blood filled his vision.

  He kicked off the riverbed as his vision went fuzzy. His lungs burning harder with each stroke.

  His fingers broke the surface first. The small taste of salvation spurring him on. Then he was free. His head shot out of the water, gasping and sputtering.

  There was no time for celebration. When his eyes cleared, he was only metres away from dry land.

  With a final push, his knees dug into the clay-like mud as he clawed his way out.

  His body was racked with pain. His bare feet burned, days of running across a thick forest had made the soft soles blister and tear.

  Having briefly forgotten his surroundings, he flopped onto his stomach, panting heavily.

  Then, as if slapped in the face, he whipped his head around, his eyes landing on the battle between giants.

  The Creeping Death began dragging itself back towards the far bank. Thick tendrils snapped and tore free as they gouged bloody trenches through its scales. The remaining tangle of vines settled gently atop the river once more.

  The creature turned its head. Its spiteful gaze searing into him as its head slowly tilted, studying him.

  For a long moment, neither of them moved. His breath caught as he struggled to swallow.

  It turned, its massive body slipping silently back into the undergrowth.

  A heavy silence fell over Felix as he stared across the river.