by Eric Vall
Nike grabbed onto Daya’s shoulders, and they carefully walked around to get used to each other.
“How are you doing, Nike?” I asked him as we began to delve deeper into the burrow.
“As well as I can, I suppose. I don’t like feeling helpless.”
“Don’t worry,” Daya responded. “Once we find the beast, Evan can use his flames again so you won’t miss the action.”
The stench continued to grow as we passed another dug out alcove, but this one was much smaller and full of moss and dead grass.
“I think this is the area where it sleeps, since it looks like it uses the moss as a heat source,” Daya mused. “We could wait here, it will most likely return here to sleep sometime soon.”
“We need to find Cal,” I argued. “We can’t sit around and wait for him to die. We need to get him out of here.”
“Evan is right,” Nike agreed. “Finding Cal is our main goal.”
Daya nodded silently, and then we continued past the living area and came to another shallow chamber where the stench was strongest.
“The latrine,” Daya guessed. “That would explain this terrible odor. Hopefully, it will fade once we pass this area.”
We quickly walked on, and I kept my ears open for any sounds that could help us figure out where Cal was taken. I could have used my nose to sniff him out too, but the stench overpowered everything.
The next chamber we found was deeper than the other two, and we climbed inside. Giant worms the size of small children were piled inside the chamber, and they seemed to be dead at first, but then I could see a few of them wiggle slightly. I also noticed there were holes in their heads, about the same size as Daya’s leg wound. Whatever this creature we were tracking was, it knew how to immobilize its prey so it couldn’t escape but was still alive. It was cruel.
I looked around and saw the remains of its previous victims. There were small bones from animals, and other bones that looked very human were scattered along the floor as well.
We walked around the rest of the chamber, and I froze when I caught a glimpse of blond hair hidden underneath a pile of worms.
“Over here!” I hissed to the other two.
“Did you find him?” Nike asked urgently.
I pulled the giant worms away from Cal’s body and frowned at the slimy substance that stuck to my skin. I shifted a few more worms before Cal was uncovered enough to pull out. Then I wrapped my hands around his arms and tugged him free of the bugs.
When we finally had him out, I placed him along the ground so I could see if there were any serious injuries. Next, I willed my powers to manifest the words across my vision, and they quickly appeared.
Classification: Snake Demi-Human
Condition: Paralzed due to foreign toxin
Priority: Healing required immediately
Danger: At risk of death if toxin not neutralized
Status: Critical
Once I knew what was wrong, I sent out my magic in a wave of glitter to help with his injuries. I could feel the toxin in his blood, but my power quickly healed him and destroyed the poison.
When I was finished, Daya pulled out a canteen of water and threw some in Cal’s face.
The snake Demi-Human sat up quickly and sputtered the water from his mouth. Then he looked around frantically before he finally realized who we were.
“Thanks, guys,” he panted as he fell back against the hard ground. “Stay away from its teeth. That thing is like poisonous or something. It bit me, and then I couldn’t move.”
“Yeah, we kinda got that,” I said dryly. “You feeling okay now, though?”
“I think so, I--” He suddenly seemed to notice the worms around him for the first time and gagged in disgust. “Can we just get out of here now?”
“Not yet,” I answered. “We need to kill this thing first.”
“I was almost eaten by that monster,” Cal groaned, “I don’t really want to face it again if I’m being honest.”
“I thought you wanted an adventure?” I asked with a smirk, but I was relieved we had found the boy alive and well.
Just then, there was a shuffling sound that came from outside the chamber and down the hall we hadn’t explored yet.
We all looked at each other, and Nike and Daya nodded in unison.
“You don’t have a choice,” I said as I turned back to Cal. “Daya, make sure Nike stays with you. If we’re fast, we can get back to the entrance of this chamber and at least return to the main tunnel system so we don’t have as many passages it can attack from.”
Everyone nodded, and I offered a hand to pull Cal up from the ground. Then we all silently slipped from the chamber and made our way out of the smaller tunnel system back toward the way we came.
With my enhanced hearing, I could tell the snuffling sounds grew louder as we hurried away, and I knew there was no way we would be able to make it all the way back to the main tunnels. So, I stopped just in front of the latrine chamber, and the others looked at me with questions in their eyes.
“The creature is gaining on us,” I explained quickly. “We won’t be able to outrun it, so we might as well fight back.”
“Let’s move back until we reach the sleeping chamber,” Daya suggested. “You can set the bedding inside on fire so Nike can join the fight. He’s a strong fighter, we could use him.”
I looked at her, and I was impressed by the idea.
“What?” she sniffed at my look. “I’m the Mistress of War, battle strategy is my forte.”
“Let’s go then,” I said before I glanced at Nike and Cal. “Fall back to the next chamber.”
We ran quickly down the hall and stopped in front of the bedchamber. The moss and grass were too wet to set aflame, though, so I used my fire to start drying them out.
The entire time, I could hear the creature as it continued to crawl closer and closer behind us, and then it finally appeared.
The thing gave a shriek as it came around a bend and noticed we were here, and then it charged forward. It was about the size of a small car, and it looked like a giant mole with its large, yellow front teeth, black furry body, and eyes that were so small they were nearly invisible. The beast’s snout was long, the tip was covered in pink, fleshy appendages that moved around its nose as it sniffed, and each of its four feet had massive claws that were the size of my forearm.
We all easily dodged the creature’s charge, and it spun on its feet clumsily. It obviously wasn’t used to moving quickly, so I summoned my flames to my arms and commanded them to form a whip. I could feel my magic respond immediately, and I lashed out toward the beast with the fiery weapon.
The mole-creature screamed in fear as the fire-whip snapped through the air, and it batted the whip with its massive paw.
I smirked. I didn’t have enough room to transform into my dragon body, but I could work with this. The creature seemed to be afraid of fire, which was perfect.
I lashed out with the whip again, and the mole thing roared angrily as it charged forward once more. Then I turned back toward the bedding inside the chamber and directed my flames at the moss and dried grass. Soon enough, a small spark caught fire, and the entire area was engulfed in giant flames. The fire from the flaming grass burned brightly, and it illuminated the entire tunnel around us.
The creature screeched, and I could feel its anger as it slashed out with its paws. One of its razor sharp claws caught Nike in the calf, and he fell to his knees with a cry of surprise. Apparently, the toxin the creature created was also secreted from its claws, and it worked instantly, because Nike was suddenly paralyzed, and he tipped forward to the ground.
I formed a shield of fire in front of him as the monster tried to attack him once he was down, and the mole thing reared back away from the flames and sniffed around the area. Then it seemed to understand I was the biggest threat at the moment, so it began to trudge toward me, and the appendages on its snout twitched and wiggled as the beast drew closer.
Once th
e creature turned away from Nike, I sent healing magic to him to quickly mend his leg and neutralize the poison while the creature swiped one of its massive paws at me. I dodged out of the way, and then I pulled Miraya from my storage space and slashed at the mole’s soft underbelly when it reared up.
The mole thing stumbled back with a scream and fell onto the dirt. Blood dripped from the wound, but my attack didn’t do the damage I had expected. The creature must have a layer of fat to protect all of its internal organs in case something, like me for example, tried to slice it open.
The beast rolled its body over to return back to its feet and slashed at me with its left paw. I barely had time to jump out of the way before it swiped out with its right paw and nearly ripped me open. One of its claws snagged on my shirt, though, and tore a hole in the fabric.
“This was my favorite shirt,” I said as my eyes narrowed.
The creature just snapped its teeth at me in response and swiped another paw. Smoke from the fire began to fill the tunnels now, and the creature’s head twitched as it sneezed. Then it used one of its paws to rub at the sensitive tendrils on its snout, but it snorted in irritation when that didn’t help.
“Your nose is a bit sensitive I take it?” I taunted as the creature turned its head toward the sound of my voice.
It gave another shriek and charged toward me, but I stepped out of the way before it could reach me. The creature was nearly blind, and now it couldn’t smell.
I grinned in victory.
Then I realized my mistake when the creature screamed once more before it used its massive paws to tear at the dirt below us. Within seconds, it had burrowed underneath the ground.
Fuck.
“Is everyone okay?” I asked the group.
The fire still burned from the sleeping chamber, and I could see Daya and Cal as they stood next to Nike, whose leg was healed, but dried blood stained the leg of his trousers.
Nike stood slowly as he regained control of his body, and Cal was covered in dirt and had a few scrapes along his cheeks and arms but otherwise seemed fine.
Daya looked toward me with a frown. “We’re fine. Where did that thing go?”
“Give me a second,” Cal answered.
He knelt and placed a hand on the ground. Then he was quiet for a few seconds before he jerked his head up.
“It burrowed deep into the dirt, but it’s coming back,” he reported. “The smoke prevented it from tracking us, so it’s using its other skills: digging and creating holes to trap its prey.”
Another few seconds passed before Cal jumped up.
“Over there!” he yelled and pointed toward me. “Right behind you!”
I spun on my heel just as the mole creature burst from the ground. Its yellowed teeth skimmed across my shoulder before I could react, and I instantly summoned my lightning to shake it off. My electricity sparked across its face, and the beast released me quickly with a squeal of pain before it returned to the dirt.
My healing magic responded instantly, and I could feel the wound on my shoulder close, and the toxin the beast tried to inject me with was immediately neutralized.
“It seems to be territorial,” Daya remarked as her red eyes scanned the ground rapidly. “It won’t give up the fight until there is a winner. We need to end this before someone gets seriously injured.”
I nodded in agreement and cast my gaze around for my opponent.
Cal pressed his hand to the floor again and went silent. The green scales on his arms glinted in the light of the fire, and his forked tongue flicked out erratically.
“It’s coming from the left,” he said as he looked up. “Near you again, Evan.”
I smirked and readied my sword.
This time, when the creature burst from the earth, I was prepared. I surrounded my sword with lightning and slashed at the mole’s snout with my electricity imbued blade, and it screamed in pain. Blood poured from the deep black wound I created, and the mole retreated back into the earth.
“Daya and Nike, it’s coming this way, get ready,” Cal warned them. Then he jumped out of their way as the two warriors settled into battle stances, and the snake Demi-Human stood next to me while he continued to sense the vibrations from below us.
The monster emerged once more with a roar, and Daya and Nike both attacked vigorously with their blades. The creature howled again in pain and retreated.
“Our swords can injure it, but I don’t think they’re doing much in the long run,” Nike informed me. “It’s like the wounds are an annoyance to him instead of deadly blows. His skin is just too thick.”
“You’re right. We need a new plan.” I looked at the fire that burned from the sleeping chamber. “We can burn him. If he comes out near the two of you, push him back into the flames.”
“What if he comes out near you?” Daya asked. “Setting him on fire with your magic would cause him to panic and run off like a giant fireball.”
She was right. There wasn’t enough space here to safely use my fire magic on him without risking everyone else.
Thankfully, I had other powers as well.
“I can use my stone magic to divert him toward the fire,” I suggested. “Once we get him out of the ground, we can push him back until he has no choice but to burn.”
“I hope this works,” Daya grumbled with disgust. “I’m ready to get out of this damned tunnel system.”
“He’s coming back,” Cal warned from his spot on the ground. “Evan, it looks like he’s coming for you.”
“Good,” I told him, and I summoned my flames.
At the same time, I reached out with my stone magic and could feel the beast as it dug its way back to the tunnels. Then I hardened the earth around him to stone to force him toward the burning chamber. I could feel the monster change course as it followed the soft earth instead of the hard stone I created, and I led the path upwards toward Nike and Daya and in front of the flames. I focused on the fire to ensure it burned as hot as possible, too, so it wouldn’t die out once the monster began to burn.
Suddenly, Cal stood from his spot along the floor. Then he pulled a thin sword from a sheath at his side, and his brow creased with concentration.
“Is this exciting enough for you?” I asked him with a smirk.
Cal looked at me with wide eyes before he sighed.
“I can’t believe I got captured by a giant mole, that’s so lame,” he groaned. “No one is going to let me forget it.”
“I’m sure it won’t be that bad,” I tried to console him, but I couldn’t suppress a small snicker.
“It will be, Daya will make sure of that.” He glared at the fox Demi Human.
“I won’t tell anyone, don’t worry,” Daya quipped back with a fanged grin. “That would mean I have to admit I let my guard down and let you get captured.”
“So, I can use this against you?” the snake Demi-Human cackled.
“Only if you want to be murdered in your sleep,” Daya replied sharply.
I had no idea if she was being serious or not.
Then I felt the ground below us shake, and the others must have felt it too because they looked to me.
“He’s here,” I growled. “Get ready.”
Just as the words left my mouth, the massive creature emerge from the ground in an explosion of dirt.
Daya and Nike slashed at its clawed feet and forced it back, and I turned the soft soil below it to hard stone to prevent an escape route.
The creature seemed to realize it was trapped, so it began to growl and attack with its claws in desperation.
I almost felt bad for the creature until I remembered the human sized bones in its food chamber. This thing would have eaten Cal if we hadn’t reached him in time.
“Keep it up,” I yelled to the others as we pushed forward, and the mole like creature took one step closer to the fire.
Then I used my fire magic to summon it toward me. It reacted instantly and engulfed the creature in orange and red flames.
&
nbsp; The mole screamed one last time as it was pulled into the flames and burned alive. The smell of charred hair filled the area, and black smoke billowed from the fire. Thankfully, the screams of the monster only lasted a few seconds before it went silent.
“Is it dead?” Cal asked after a long moment.
“Yeah,” I sighed as I watched the giant mass burn inside the bed chamber.
“Good riddance,” Daya muttered, and her nose wrinkled with distaste.
The fire crackled and popped along the dead mole’s flesh, and then I turned away.
“Come on,” I said to the others. “We have a job to finish.”
I summoned a flame to my hand, and we began to walk back the way we came, but after a few minutes Cal stopped in the middle of the tunnel.
“Wait, Lord Evan,” he called out after me.
“What is it?” I asked, and my eyes immediately started to dart around. “Is there another mole?”
“No, it’s … ” The snake Demi-Human frowned, and his forked tongue flickered out of his mouth. “The air tastes … faintly different for some reason.”
“Yeah, roasted mole-rat will do that,” I snorted.
“No,” Cal shook his head, “not that.”
“Then what?” Daya asked.
Cal turned his head this way and that, and his tongue flicked out from between his lips at rapid speed. Then he took a step toward the left wall and reached his hand out. The moment his green-scaled fingers pressed against the dark, damp stone, I felt a pulse of magic hit me in the chest, and the hairs on my arms stood on end.
“Woah,” I breathed and walked over to stand beside Cal. “Did you feel that?”
“Yeah,” he muttered, and the others mumbled their confirmations.
“What do you think it is?” I questioned.
“Only one way to find out,” Nike said and drew the Sword of Light from his spatial storage.
“You guys alright with checking it out?” I asked as I looked over the group. “I know we’ve had a pretty eventful day so far.”
“Eventful or not,” Cal smirked, “we can’t just ignore a mysterious magical wall. Where’s your sense of adventure?”