“The people here have a lot to be thankful for,” said Shou.
“We helped as best we could,” said Robin, still a little breathless. “But it’s clear that without the intervention of the Hidden Ones, the Shamozolts would have found them.”
The sound of rocks being displaced silenced them and they knew it wouldn’t be long before the Squalvolvans caught up and there was no telling what lie ahead. All they could do was keep moving, in the hope of avoiding a major confrontation.
Mica had her Jimbo stick in her hand and was ready for action and although Robin was holding a Jimbo stick as well, he was doing so with less conviction.
A sudden draft blew in from up ahead, which got steadily stronger and now having reached the end of the tunnel, they were looking into a dark void.
Extensive mining had seen to it that very little of the light emitting rock remained, but with the help of their light crystal, they could see that they had come upon a circular shaft. The shaft was about thirty feet in diameter with an ascending and descending path, cut by the Shamozolts for easy access.
Robin stepped back from the edge and immediately froze. The Squalvolvans were close enough to hear their clicking sounds and Robin cupped the light crystal to reduce its light. Not that this was going to help much.
“Quickly follow me. Stay close.”
Robin led them onto the path and they began a spiralling descent, while at the same time staying away from the edge for fear of being blown off by the current of air rising up from below. Robin’s hands were still cupped around the light crystal, but he knew it was hopeless and they gave up trying to be stealthy and started running.
Seeing their prey run, sent the Squalvolvans into a frenzy and at least two of them lost their footing and plummeted to their deaths. This had certainly improved their chances because it left only one pursuing Squalvolvan and things could have only been better if it too had to slipped and fallen.
Loose material rained down on them from the path above, as the remaining Squalvolvan also lost its footing. They thought their prayers had been answered, but it managed to hold on and was closing fast.
In the bad light, Robin suddenly vanished and Mica’s heart skipped a beat. Had he fallen into the shaft? No, he had found a side tunnel and was waiting just inside.
“Quickly down here.”
They left the path and followed Robin, but they had only gone a few metres when something slammed into the middle of Shou’s back. The impact took his breath away and he lurched forward, colliding with Sie, who then bumped into the back of Mica.
In the confusion, Robin lost his grip on the light crystal and it bounced along the ground, chiming a random selection of musical notes, before finally coming to rest. Its light had been their guide, only now it witnessed the power of a Squalvolvan as it lunged at them from out of the darkness. Mica swung at it with her Jimbo, with as much strength as her trembling arms could muster and there was a mighty whop sound as the wood bounced off its meaty shoulder.
The Squalvolvan roared at them, a near deafening sound that echoed off the rock walls and there was no disguising their fear. Sie screamed as a huge hand clamped down on her left arm and she found herself being pulled back along the tunnel, towards the shaft.
Fighting back his fear, Shou raced after the Squalvolvan and leapt at it, punching and kicking. With its free hand, the Squalvolvan backhanded Shou and there was a crack on impact and he flew several metres before hitting the rock wall.
Despite the Squalvolvan’s animal instincts, it appeared to want to take Sie captive and her resistance to cooperate meant that it was having to drag her up the shaft. Sie kicked out at the beast with all her strength, in the hope it would let her go. Her persistence seemed to pay off; because it dropped her, but before she had a chance to get away, the Squalvolvan grabbed her leg and she was lifted high into the air.
Shou must have been knocked unconscious briefly and upon hearing Sie’s screams, he staggered back into the shaft to see Mica and Robin confronting the Squalvolvan. This was only one Squalvolvan, but it appeared to have the upper hand and then something unexpected happened, Mica threw her light crystal into the air and struck it with her Jimbo.
This turned the crystal into a glowing projectile that looked like a shooting star and it was headed straight for the Squalvolvan. The crystal emitted a humming sound as it flew through the air and then both light and sound stopped abruptly when it shattered on impact. The Squalvolvan roared in pain and was left with a gaping wound on its leg.
Shou had never seen a light crystal turned into a projectile before and wasn’t aware until today that they could be used as a weapon.
The Squalvolvan turned and shook Sie defiantly. She had been desperately trying to break free, but all she had to show for it was the loss of sensation in her leg. If that wasn’t bad enough, her head felt like it was going to explode, from having been held in an inverted position.
The beast was just too strong and Sie felt her body being swung like a pendulum and then quite unexpectedly the tightness on her leg disappeared and she was falling.
Shou watched in horror as the Squalvolvan tossed Sie into the shaft like a rag doll and at that moment something strange happened. It was like time had suddenly slowed down, but in contrast to this, Robin and Mica moved at an accelerated rate, their actions becoming a blur.
At first, it looked as if they were both launching an attack on the Squalvolvan and this was true of Mica, but Robin sailed straight past it and disappeared into the shaft, right behind Sie.
With one light crystal shattered and the other with Robin, the area was plunged into almost complete darkness, but this was not a disadvantage for Mica and she began her assault on the Squalvolvan.
The speed of Mica’s attack left the Squalvolvan floundering, making it look sluggish and in its frustration, it thumped the ground with its fists. Mica took advantage of this and leapt onto its back and struck the beast around the side of its head with her Jimbo.
The Squalvolvan spun around, its clawed hands grasping only air. It was going to have to do better than that if it wanted to catch this Ammarla.
Mica twisted through the air and landed on the ground right in front of this colossus and assuming it had gained the advantage, it launched a two-handed attack. This was a move Mica had anticipated and having committed itself, she delivered a strike to the Squalvolvan’s jaw. There was enough force behind the attack to dislodged a couple of teeth, which was only a minor inconvenience, but the Squalvolvan’s face remained a little crooked, suggesting its jaw might also be broken.
Shou could only guess at what was happening because in the dim light he couldn’t see very much.
Mica was running rings around the Squalvolvan and this was frustrating the hell out of it. Compared to Mica, the Squalvolvan was a giant and yet for all its size, it didn’t seem to be able to touch her. Mica certainly had the upper hand, but she couldn’t keep this up indefinitely and there was no sign of this beast weakening.
There was only one thing for it; she would have to offer herself up. A hand she’d already played and won previously. Mica was growing tired and hoped she had enough strength left to pull it off. It would take skill and nerves of steel and since this thing was so enraged, now was as good a time as any.
After another one of her signature attacks, Mica landed back on the ground, a fraction closer than she would have considered safe and waited for the crushing blow that she knew was coming.
Mica even thought she’d detected the look of satisfaction on the face of the Squalvolvan, thinking it had outmanoeuvred her. How wrong could it have been and she moved with lightning speed and its clenched fists missed her by millimetres, pummelling the ground instead.
Before the beast had time to think about its next move, Mica had already started a counter attack, which took full advantage of the Squalvolvan’s compromised position.
Her attack started low and as she rose and spun, this increased the Jimbo’s momentum and halfway
around she added some weight and planted it across the Squalvolvan’s throat.
The Squalvolvan staggered backwards gasping for air and to make sure of the job, Mica executed a succession of blows to its lower body and legs. The beast teetered on the edge of the path and unable to regain its balance, it fell into the shaft and was gone.
Shou limped over to where Mica was standing and after a couple of attempts to engage with her, she finally turned to face him. There was a look of madness about her, but madness was soon replaced by exhaustion and sadness and she collapsed in a heap on the ground.
“You did it Mica. You did it.”
“Yes,” she gasped, her chest still heaving from the fight. “But at what cost.”
Chapter Ten
Leap of faith
Boroc had fought a few battles in his time, both physical and mental and the longest and most challenging of these was with the Formless Ones. Since changing sides he had questioned his allegiance a few times, simply because he still felt attached to the things that made him what he was. Maybe it was an addiction, which in time would be replaced with something more wholesome. The fact that he was able to differentiate between the old him and the new was a breakthrough in itself.
He looked down at his bloody hands and couldn’t deny the enjoyment he got from putting these abominations to rest. The skirmish had helped release some of his pent-up anger and for a moment his mind was free from the torment that raged within him.
It appeared that his work here was done and he wiped his blade across the back of one of the downed Squalvolvans and kept hold of it just in case. The fight had been pretty brutal and he was still mildly high, but composed and ready should a stray emerge from the shadows.
There were about ten Squalvolvans scattered around him, scattered because none of them were actually whole anymore, a limb here, a limb there. In the battle, he had completely lost control. He had also lost track of that human and now he was nowhere to be seen. Boroc wasn’t sure he was all that worried about it; after all, he never signed a contract or anything, so there was nothing binding. Hell, he’d never even been asked, just brought here and expected to do a job. The killing part was working out okay, but keeping the human alive was getting tedious.
There was that niggling feeling in the back of his mind again; a suggestion that he should make an effort to find this human, so he retraced his steps back to where he had last seen him. He half remembered him rambling on about something, but at the time Boroc had been distracted by a group of Squalvolvans and it had taken a bit of time to dispatch all of them.
Boroc rounded one of the many stone columns in this place and spotted a lone Squalvolvan with the human slung under its arm. A moment later and the Squalvolvan would have slipped away unnoticed; only this wasn’t its lucky day.
Boroc wasn’t going to risk pursuing the Squalvolvan for fear it would detect him and run off. His aim was second to none and the Zolt-Arc leapt in his hand as a single well-aimed bolt of plasma removed the Squalvolvan’s right leg at the knee. Messy, but mildly satisfying. The Squalvolvan fell backward and David’s limp body rolled to the ground. Boroc was running, his dagger drawn ready to finish the job and he was on the Squalvolvan so fast that it had only just realised its leg was missing.
Boroc removed the Squalvolvan’s head, but the damn thing was still snarling at him and he tossed it away in disgust. The Zolt-Arc wasn’t exactly a stealthy weapon and he could hear more Squalvolvans approaching. His instinct was to stand and fight, but he resisted and after hoisting David onto his shoulder, he ran off in the opposite direction.
Boroc used the confusing jumble of rock formations to stay ahead of the Squalvolvans, keeping out of their line of sight, but they were tracking him, so perhaps he would have to stand and fight after all. Finding somewhere to stash David safely would give him the freedom to finish these things off at his leisure.
He doubled back and was approaching the area where he had battled with the Squalvolvans a little earlier and it was reassuring to once again see their scattered remains. Boroc was hoping that walking back through the carnage would put his pursuers off his scent, but he wasn’t sure it was going to work, because he could hear them all around him.
He wasn’t particularly worried about this, but having the human resting on his shoulder would cramp his style. Stashing David in the higher recesses of the cavern could be the answer and he scanned the area for a possible route.
The Squalvolvans were closing in on his position and quickly running out of options; Boroc leapt for an overhang and pulled himself up onto a wide ledge. This looked an ideal spot to leave his baggage for a while and with David safely tucked away, he continued to climb.
A noise focused his attention and looking back over his shoulder, he could see a group of Squalvolvans milling about below. He leaned in close to the rock and hoped the bad lighting in this place and some luck would be enough to conceal him.
The Squalvolvans were getting excited; something must have distracted them, because they bounded off, barking and whistling as they went. It looked like Boroc’s plan had worked, so he climbed a little higher and eased himself onto a flat area of rock. From this position, he was able to see David’s legs sticking out on the ledge where he had left him, but he was keen to find out what the Squalvolvans were up to.
Boroc could still hear them, so they hadn’t gone far, but unable to see them from his current position, he looked around for a better spot. There was a gap between two columns of rock, a few metres above him and after squeezing through; he was once again able to observe them.
What he witnessed was something unexpected. From out of the shadows the Squalvolvans came, their arms laden with their downed comrades’ dismembered body parts.
Boroc continued to watch and to his amazement, they started to lay their dead out on the ground. The heads, arms, and legs were aligned with the torsos and Boroc’s amazement suddenly turned to disgust when the bodies began stitching themselves back together. Amazed and disgusted he may have been, but he had half suspected it and that was why he had been purposely removing their heads. It was clear that from now on he would have to be more thorough and make sure he destroyed the head.
The Squalvolvans had been manufactured and like all Demituva creations, they could regenerate body parts over time but this was taking regeneration to the extreme. Unable to fully explain what he was seeing, he tore himself away and checked on David and by the time he got back, all the Squalvolvans were whole again. All that hard work for nothing.
Troubled by what he had seen, but resisting the temptation to leap down and take them all out again, Boroc rested back and after almost two days on the go, he closed his eyes. He would often dream of his life before his rebirth, at least that was what he was calling it and wondered how different things would be now if he hadn’t got stabbed. There was really no way of knowing, but his death had somehow saved him and shown him the truth.
Throughout his life, Boroc hadn’t given much thought to the concept of reality and he still didn’t have a lot of time for it, but the fact remained, he was alive even though he shouldn’t have been.
He may have escaped the clutches of the Formless Ones, but he spent a great deal of time thinking about them and his one desire was to face one of those things on equal terms. Then he would show them who was boss. They were slippery characters, with their mind games and since they lacked a physical body, it would be impossible to sink his blade into one.
He woke with a start and after checking on David again, he went back to his viewing platform. Boroc wasn’t sure how long he’d slept, but it was surely no longer than an hour and yet in that time the Squalvolvans hadn’t moved. They stood like statues as if on standby, waiting for a prompt, either that or they slept standing up.
As he continued to observe them, they began to stir and this coincided with the appearance of several other Squalvolvans that had possibly been off, scouting around.
For the first time, Boroc noticed a definite l
eader among them and this individual wasn’t afraid to dish out punishment, with a blow to the head or a kick to the body. If that wasn’t bad enough, this thing had a crippled companion that inflicted its own brand of punishment. These two were quite a double act and Boroc was enjoying watching them.
Suddenly it was like someone flicked a switched because they all reacted simultaneously and their mood became one of heightened hostility. Boroc hated to admit he was wrong, but these Squalvolvans were clearly organised and within moments they had left the area and Boroc knew it was time he did too.
He lowered himself back down to where he had left David. He was still out of it and the idea of leaving him here crossed his mind, but he had kept him alive this long. After throwing David over his shoulder, he jumped to the ground, Zolt-Arc in hand, in case he came across the odd Squalvolvan or two.
He approached a passage he’d spotted earlier and if he remembered rightly, it would lead him to another cavern. Boroc had experienced prolonged periods underground before and these passages had been well used back in the day.
The passage may have felt right, but right for whom? He hesitated, clearly torn between doing what was right and doing what he wanted.
In control of his own destiny, who was he kidding, because a big part of him was reluctant to leave the cavern, as this was where the action was.
There would be other opportunities to break some skulls and in the meantime, he would just play along and keep the human alive long enough until he could find someone else to offload him on. Boroc hoped this would happen sooner rather than later and then he could go back to his own life.
As he walked the dark passage, he began thinking about how he had arrived here and why his soldiers hadn’t come with him and how much easier it would have been if they had. Who was to blame for that?
The passage was longer than he remembered and he kept checking behind, in case he was being followed, but no such luck. He eventually stepped out into another cavern, the crooked cavern they used to call it, for obvious reasons and after negotiating a maze of rock, he worked his way down to the river.
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