Horrace: Caught Off Guard

Horrace was waist deep in swamp muck, and staying low, so as to stay out of sight.

Another night of wandering the wilderness, stealthily investigating any rumors or signs of danger. On this night he had overheard an villager speaking of a family of Tasslewyrms revealing themselves in a southern swampland. Horrace wasn't stupid enough to try to attack a group of Tasslewyrms on his own, but he could confirm their presence, and take appropriate action from there on.

Suddenly, ahead, he heard a rustling.

The corkweed grew tall in this bog, and as it were, Horrace could make out nothing but plants. If he could just get a boost up a few feet he could get out of the cold sludgy muck and make visual contact with whatever was ahead. But there was nothing around for support. He had been on the look-out. Suddenly the noise was behind him.

He spun around, springing his heavy axe from resting place on his back. Silence. Carefully turning back around, he was shocked to see a smooth wooden log protruding from the swamp water. How had he not noticed it before? He inspected it's strength, and confident it would hold his weight, he carefully began climbing up onto the slippery log. It was wet with slime, but he was sure-footed and well balanced, despite his crooked visage.

At last he stood atop the log, holding his axe for balance, peering over the corkweed's fuzzy tops. He set his keen eye to detect any and all movement. And something caught his eye. Something moving towards him from low in the weeds. He thought he caught a flash of color. It was fast. He readied himself for an attack.

Without warning a corkweed stalk, thick and heavy, came springing up from it's depressed state smacking him with a heavy whap square in the nose. The force sent him stumbling backwards, head first into the thick bog, axe flying through the air to land several feet away. The last thing he heard before getting a mouth and eyeful of cold mud was a gleeful tittering and the flutter of invisible wings.

After he spent however many hours it would take to find his axe, he swore he would personally gut Perlavash, and make him into a hat.