With my wing feathers pressed against the cold stone wall I trace my way in search of a way to climb over to the other side. The altitude has been vaguely increasing over the past few minutes, but so far, I haven't come across any promising sections of the wall to scale. I'm starting to think that this obtrusive wall is not entirely natural! surely it shouldn't take more than a couple minutes to find a climbable rock? Yet I haven't.

I guess a taller creature wouldn't have too much trouble getting over the sharp stone wall, unfortunately, I'm not a taller creature, I'm an over-sized chic- BIRD!

I start whistling tunes to pass the time and I notice that there is less birdsong near this wall, not many trees in general, mostly rocky outcroppings soaking in the midday sun. But, solo performances are cool too! Although I do miss the music of my people, I can only hear them faintly from the jungle much further away, it makes me a little sad. Gotta ramp of the volume to drown out the silence! I think with enthusiasm.

I start whistling with extra pep to bring a some pizzazz and ambiance to the barren rocks.

"Gosh golly this place is dreary, not an animal in sight!" I say to no one in particular.

Oh wait, I can hear something... barely audible.

It's very quiet and has a nice cadence to it! A steady rattle and a rhythmic hissing. I think it's getting louder too, what could it be?

I cease my solitary whistling and rotate on the spot to identify the sound's source, and wow, it's really getting loud now!

I can't see a thing other than rock, but the sound's approaching fast. All of a sudden, the sound is no longer music to my ears, instead, it bares a feeling of dread, constricting my heart and forcing it to beat rapidly. Each second the volume increase further, it's coming from all directions at once, making my bird instincts scream at me to escape, but where to!?

"Ok, you can come out now" I shout over top the rattling noise that echos all around me, my voice squeaking with fear.

The rattling noise roars violently and a guttural hiss explodes from behind me with a terrifying "KARHISSSS".

My whole body jolts in the air as I twist around to meet the dreadful sound's owner, all I see is a flash of pink and black as a gaping mouth strikes and latches unto my torso with lightning speed, easily ambushing me twice as fast as that grey sparky fluffer did.

Immediately pain courses through my veins as the large mouth bites down and a burning fluid is injected directly into my bloodstream.

Suffered 7 Bludgeoning Damage Suffered Minor Poisoning, - 5 Health Per Minute

"OOOOWWWWWWW" I scream as the powerful jaws lock down, crushing my ribs, it's long tubular body coiling up tightly as it wrestles me to the ground.

Suffered 9 Bludgeoning Damage Suffered Severe Bleeding

What on earth just happened? There's no time to think, the pain is unbearable, I can't breathe, I can't move, I can't escape, I'm about to die again if this continues. Hundreds of nihilistic thoughts rush to the forefront of my mind as more burning fluid is forced into my chest, but I'm able to immediately to bury my worries under a desperation for survival.

With whatever air is left in my lungs I whisper out my only significant attack, my only hope of retaliation.

I enclose my wings over the head lodged on my chest and allow my ability to shower the scaly face with hot fire.

"Cinders, Cinders, Cinders" I cry.

6 Fire Damage 7 Fire Damage Suffered 5 Blood Loss 7 Fire Damage

The scaly-tailed face thing reels away from me as it's face burns and trails two thick ropes of green liquid from it's fleshy fangs. I can see that it's head is charred black and as an added bonus, one eye looks to be destroyed by the fire, but I'm left with injuries far more threatening than that. In the heat of hte moment I realize that this is the same creature I saw when the electric grey fluffy thing killed me, a head attached to a long tail without arms or legs, only much bigger... Three times as big!

I roll helplessly on the rocky ground as I catch my breathe, my whole body wracked with a burning pain, each gasp disturbing my broken ribs, shooting more pain directly into my brain. The scaly worm recollects itself from my flailing and condenses it's body into a tight S-shape stance with the end of it's tail raised in the air, the corn-cob shaped rattle at the end rocking furiously.

Suffered 4 Blood Loss

In a flash the attacker leaps at me again, exposing those vicious fleshy fangs, glistening with green liquid.

I manage to narrowly push myself away from certain death and stab a talon into it's side as it streaks by, drawing a thin slash across a portion of it's length. 'Take that! They're sharper than they look', I mentally insult to my attacker! Even while brutally mangled, I still retain my sassy attitude.

4 Slashing Damage

I cough up a beak full of blood as my body lands on the hard stone, the price I pay for dodging.

Suffered 5 Blood loss

There's not a moment to rest as the blackened scaly worm retreats it's overextended body back to the S-shape, ready to strike again. I lumber up to my feet and drag myself closer, no use fleeing, I'll just die anyways, once again, I'm forced to fight to my dying breathe.

But it hurts.

Oh it hurts worse than any other pain, worse than being shredded by the Big Fluffer, worse than being electrocuted and bitten to death, worse than starving. There's a fire roaring in my veins, and not the good kind, a burning pain that seeps into the bones, robbing you of all strength, no doubt the green fluid I was injected with.

My vision is blurring, my head is wobbling dangerously, but I can't stop now, oh no, not until I eliminate 'this thing', even if I won't truly die, I won't roll over and be eaten.

"Cinders, Cinders...Cind..." I keep repeating the attack again and again at distance, creating a screen of fire obscuring my exact location while I trudge closer to the hissing target.

Suffered 4 Blood Loss 2 Fire Damage 2 Fire Damage 3 Fire Damage 3 Fire Damage Suffered 3 Blood Loss

A charred face pierces through the wall of fire and scrapes past my right leg with a desperate hiss. Doing no damage to me, but smashing it's own face into the pointy rocks just behind.

I chuckle to myself, bringing great pain to my decimated torso. It seems like it got impatient and attacked recklessly, an opportunity I won't ignore.

Before it can retract it's head I lunge forward and pierce both talons into the neck and head of my foe, my powerful talons clench with all their devastating might, sinking their entire length into it's body, eliciting a tormented hiss from the scaly worm.

17 Piercing Damage

It's a shame that each movement of my own is causing further blood loss as Iash out, but I have no choice.

Suffered 7 Blood Loss

The scaled head writhes around, twisting and contorting it's powerful body muscles as it bashed itself against the floor and taking me with it. I don't take the beating without putting up a fight however, while being tossed around I pull and tear with my talons and stab with my beak, my vision is black, but my secure hold on the bleeding mess gives me all the information I need in order to continue my assault. An onslaught that lasts for several seconds as we tumble over one another to gain victory.

Suffered 2 Bludgeoning Damage 6 Tearing Damage Mountain Rattler is Bleeding 3 Piercing Damage Suffered 7 Blood Loss 5 Tearing Damage 2 Piercing Damage Suffered 1 Bludgeoning Damage 3 Tearing Damage 3 Piercing Damage Suffered 5 Blood Loss 1 Tearing Damage 4 Piercing Damage Mountain Rattler is Severly Bleeding 4 Piercing Damage

I release my grip and lay limp on the floor, unable to summon an ounce of energy.

Mountain Rattler Slain, 96 exp gained Level Up! You've Reached Level 3 + 1 Strength, + 1 Endurance, + 1 Dexterity, + 1 Intelligence, + 1 Affinity Pheonix Reached Level 2 + 2 Strength, + 3 Endurance, + 2 Dexterity, + 5 Intelligence, + 4 Affinity Skill Unlocked: Bellows Suffered 3 Blood Loss

Countless mind sensations flood my thoughts as I collapse on the floor, shuddering with every gasp of air. I can only hope that I've somehow managed to kill my opponent because as it stands, I can't move a feather, let alone fight back.

Dreadful seconds tick by as I wait for my ambusher to come and finish me off, but the only thing I feel is the jagged stones digging into my back.

I cough up another splotch of blood and I loll my head on it side so I don't choke.

Suffered 2 Blood Loss

I don't understand. Something miraculous occurred at the end of that fight.

Just when I thought I was going to die again, the head sensations exploded in my mind and it felt like I regained some health, but only enough to keep me alive. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if I still end up dying, I can't even feel the pain anymore, it's just knowing that I'm gravely injured that's frightening me. But not only did I gain some health, it now feels like I can think faster than before?

My confused thinking is interrupted by another weak cough of blood.

Suffered 1 Blood Loss

Oh, hang on, yep, I can feel the pain again and its not a welcomed return, feels like each millimeter of my body is on fire. I hack up more blood in response to the adrenaline draining away, which only further agitates my life threatening wounds.

"Oh this really sucks" I whimper to myself as I sink into the cold ocean of death I'm so familiar with.

Suffered 3 Blood Loss You Have Died Fire to Fire: Time until rebirth: 5 hours, 59 minutes, 57 seconds

"Oh thank the bird gods" I silently thank to the heavens as my body crumbles into scolding ashes and my vision of the surroundings return to me. I'm always concern that each death has a chance of being permanent no matter how often I'm proved wrong. I guess cheating death is a pretty unfair and unnatural trait. A trait that the over-sized scaly worm didn't possess, as proved by it's unmoving body next to me.

At least now I can enjoy '5 hours, 59 minutes, 45 seconds' of painless bliss I think with immeasurable relief.