by Eric Vall
“I see,” I nodded, “and what of the second one?”
“The second tunnel appears to hold no obstacles thus far,” the tattooed woman said calmly. “Macha has navigated through several tunnels and there is--” The white-haired elf’s voice cut off abruptly, and her black consumed eyes widened. The tattooed woman tilted her head to one side and a look of complete astonishment came over her pale features. “How very extraordinary,” she whispered.
“What is it?” Carmedy moved to stand beside Morrigan and leaned forward with anticipation.
“I… I am unable to describe… I have never before seen such…” Morrigan said softly with an expression of awe across her pale features. “You must behold this for yourselves,” Morrigan said simply.
With that, the elf woman walked off into the second tunnel, and with no real choice, we followed close behind her. As she moved through the passageway, a single caw sounded behind us as Fea flew past my head and flapped down to perch on Morrigan’s shoulder.
“Well, don’t keep us in suspense,” Rana hissed. “What did you see?”
“Yeah, tell us,” Carmedy said excitedly.
“My words could not do this proper justice.” Morrigan shook her head as we neared the tunnel's exit. “See with your own eyes.” As we entered a vast cavern that stretched for hundreds of feet, she swept her hand out in front of her.
“I don’t understand, it’s just another-- By the gods,” Annalíse breathed as her eyes panned up the wall to our right.
“Holy cow,” Rana said with a low whistle. “Now, that’s something I’ve never seen before.”
What caught all our attentions were massive animals entombed and petrified deep within the frozen walls.
The first beast resembled that of a gargantuan saber-toothed tiger. Its large body was covered in white fur contrasted by striking black stripes. Its massive paws were easily twice the size of a man’s face and looked as though they could crush the bones of a mortal without any difficulty whatsoever. Though the tiger’s mouth was only slightly open, two long and thick teeth curved down from the top of its mouth and well past its chin. Two long striped tails sprouted from its hindquarters as its jade colored eyes seemed to pierce through the ice.
The second creature was even more fearsome looking. The four-legged creature had pale blue scaled skin, and each limb ended in three-toed webbed feet with long black talons. Its lizard-like head housed a pair of bright red eyes, its mouth curled open to reveal a mouth full of sinister sharp teeth. A series of long narrow icy spikes protruded from the top of its neck and ran down the length of its back down to the tip of its long tail. The lizard beast was contorted in such a way that it looked as though it had been chasing something when it was frozen.
The last monster appeared to be one that walked on two legs, and its tree-sized limbs and massive body were covered in shaggy white fur. The hulking animal looked to be over fifty feet in height, and had been frozen as if it were reaching out to reach grab us with its black, leathery hands the size of a cart. Its face was bare to show the same black flesh with two curved horns that resembled a ram’s sprouting from either side of its gigantic head. Its narrow eyes were a menacing yellow, and its gruesome mouth was gaped open as though in mid-roar. Two long teeth curved downward from either side of the top of its mouth to meet two more jutting from the bottom of its jaw. In between was a series of smaller but equally jagged teeth.
“Now you understand why I wished for you to lay your eyes upon this,” Morrigan intoned softly as she gazed at the frightful animals within the wall.
“What are these things?” Carmedy murmured as her eyes roamed over the reptilian creature. “I’ve never seen animals like these before.”
“This one is a Waaknea tiger.” Annalíse pointed to the saber-toothed cat, then gestured at the others in turn. “This animal with the reptile skin is called a Rukfrost, and this one covered in white fur is known as a Snokka. Naturally, they were native to the glacial continents. Legend says that each of them was carnivorous and partial to human flesh.”
“Just human?” Morrigan raised a white eyebrow.
“Well, humanoid,” Annalíse corrected herself. “Elf, fox, human, no one was spared. These beasts terrorized countless villages long, long ago and devoured every man, woman, and child that they could wrap their teeth around.”
“Thanks for the heartwarming history lesson, Annalíse,” Rana said under her breath.
“I cannot believe that I’m seeing this with my own eyes,” the swordswoman said with a look of wonder as she ignored Rana’s comment. “I’ve only seen pictures of them in books. This is an amazing discovery. Once my father has been conquered, I’d like this dungeon to be open to everyone to see and study, like a museum of sorts. Imagine what we could learn with such specimens at our fingertips!”
“I don’t know if this is any kind of museum I’d want to visit,” Rana said as she looked at the furry humanoid monster with disgust. “I’d rather go to a museum with artwork and priceless artifacts than a bunch of ancient monsters.”
“And why is that?” I asked with a twisted grin.
“Not to steal it,” the fox woman said with a smirk. “I’m not a thief twenty-four seven, you know. I happen to have an appreciation for fine works of art. Now, if they happen to… slip into my paws by some chance, that’s not my fault is it?”
“I can’t believe how big they are,” Carmedy said as she slowly walked toward the spike-backed lizard creature that Annalíse had called a Rukfrost. “They sure are scary looking. Not to be mean, but I’m glad they’re extinct. I wouldn’t have enjoyed living during a time when these things were stomping around!” As she spoke, she walked up to the wall and pressed her nose and the palms of her hands against the ice. “Sorry, buddy, no more people munching for you!” Carmedy giggled, and she tapped her finger against the ice wall a few times.
Suddenly, the red eyes of the Rukfrost flashed to a cloudy white and started to glow. The creature slowly moved its head to look down at the feline, and a long pink tongue curled out of its mouth as it widened its gruesome jaws.
Chapter 9
Carmedy shrieked at the sight and reeled away. The lizard monster gnashed its teeth, its limbs started to move, and as it did, the ice that surrounded it started to crack.
“Carmedy, what did you do?” Rana hissed as she and the other women backed away from the wall. “Everything was fine just a second ago and now all of a sudden these… things wake up from their long icy nap.”
A split second later, the Waaknea tiger’s eyes also came to life and flashed to the same color of white. The tiger’s jaws spread open to reveal the rest of its sinister teeth, and it began to claw at the ice with its massive paws. At the same time, the Snokka’s eyes stirred with life and glared down at us as its hulking hands proceeded to tear through the wall.
“I-I-I didn’t do anything,” Carmedy stammered. “All I did was touch the wall.”
“You probably triggered something,” the fox woman shouted over the sound of cracking ice as her eyes darted back and forth between the beasts. “This is exactly why you shouldn’t go around touching things.”
“I don’t think this is Carmedy’s fault,” I said as I too backed away from the wall. “I suspect that this would have happened whether any of us touched anything. The deity has finally made a move,” I said to the others darkly.
I had to admit it was quite impressive to have such animals under one’s control. Whoever was behind this was very powerful indeed.
“What are we going to do?” Carmedy asked fearfully as the animals continued to tear their way through the ice getting closer with every second. “These things are huge, and look at all those teeth.”
“We can handle this,” I said calmly as I looked over the horned, white-furred beast. “All we need is a plan. They may be large but they’re not invincible. Now, if I recall correctly, the Snokka has a weak spot somewhere on its body.”
“Yes,” Annalíse said quickly. “The
space at the top of its head between the horns is where it is most vulnerable.”
“So, if one of us can find a way up there, that would be an efficient way to take it down,” I replied as I glanced at the fox. “Rana, this should be easy enough for you.”
“Easy?” Rana snorted as ice chips flew through the air as the ancient beasts continued to dig toward us. “What part of shimmying my way up that thing sounds easy?”
“You don’t think you’re up to the task?” I raised an eyebrow.
“I’m up to the task,” Rana grumbled. “I’m just not a fan of the task, but fine. Leave it to me. I’ll take care of old, horrible, and hairy.” The fox thief drew her elvish daggers and readied them in her paws.
“Good.” I nodded as the sound of the ice splitting filled the air. “Carmedy, I want you to help her. Keep it as busy as possible while Rana tries to climb up.”
“Try to use as many heat-based attacks as you can,” Annalíse added as she drew Bloodscale from her back. “The Snokka is also sensitive to high temperatures. So is the Rukfrost.”
She gestured to the white scaled lizard that rapidly drew closer. The beasts had nearly clawed their way through the ice wall. We didn’t have much time left to prepare.
“Gotcha!” Carmedy nodded as she pushed back her cloak to ready her golden slingshot. In the same smooth motion, the feline undid one of the bundles from her belt and loaded it into her weapon in preparation for the attack.
“Morrigan, the tiger is yours,” I commanded the elf. “Your magic should be an adequate enough defense.”
“Understood, Master,” the white-haired woman said as her eyes started to turn black once more. Then her red mage markings glowed and pulsated, and her lips pressed into a tight line of focus.
“Annalíse,” I began as I turned to the princess, “you and I are going to deal with the lizard.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” the freckle-faced woman’s lips curled into a devilish grin. Without hesitation, she pressed her thumb against the augmentation stone embedded in the sword’s hilt. No sooner had she done so did the sharp edges of the sword start to glow with blinding emerald light. The green runes lit up across Bloodscale’s gleaming metal, and the symbols flashed rapidly until they finally shone brightly with a solid green light. Green lightning erupted from Bloodscale circled around the weapon prompting its transformation into the axe-sword. With the weapon fully transformed, the lightning overcame Annalíse’s body and within moments she was outfitted in her golden armor.
The swordswoman’s lips curled into a confident smile. “Now I’m ready,” the princess said as she stood with her transformed weapon over her head poised to attack.
Finally, with a last surge of strength, the Snokka’s massive leathery hand burst through the ice wall. Chunks of ice sprayed down over us as it shattered, and only seconds later, the lizard broke through as the Waaknea tiger slashed its way out into the open air.
The ancient monsters were finally free.
The three beasts leapt from the holes that they’d created in the wall above our heads and landed on the frozen ground with mighty thuds. The tiger lowered itself into a crouch and bared its teeth as it snarled. The white-haired Snokka threw back its giant head and raised its hands in the air as it released a thunderous roar. And finally, the Rukfrost lizard let out an air-splitting shriek, and as it sounded the fearsome cry, the long icy spikes on its back extended several feet. The animals eyed us with menacing glares, and their fangs dripped with saliva in anticipation of consuming their favorite meal.
We certainly had our hands full.
“Unleash hell upon them, my minions!” I bellowed, and our party charged forward at my command.
In response, the beasts surged forward to meet us. The furry white giant beat its chest with its huge fists and lumbered toward us as the lizard hissed and raced ahead, its talons scratching against the frozen floor. As for the tiger, it growled and leapt into the air. It seemed to hover there for a brief second before it landed and loped forward, its two tails thrashing in the air behind it.
As we broke off according to my instructions, Carmedy and Rana skidded to a halt.
“Carmedy, work your magic!” Rana called out as she slipped off to one side to wait for her opening.
In response, Carmedy pulled back on the band of her slingshot and fired off the loaded bundle. The tiny sack whizzed toward the giant’s face with unerring accuracy and exploded upon impact in a fiery burst of orange. The brilliant flames mercilessly consumed the monster’s head, and the Snokka wailed in pain and clutched at its face as the flames burned its skin and surrounding fur. As the monster pawed at its head in a fruitless effort to extinguish the flames, Rana took the opening to run toward the beast’s right leg. Without a moment’s pause, she leapt through the air, daggers out, and drove the blades into the beast’s flesh.
With the Snokka’s immense size, the wounds were like pinpricks, I wasn’t even sure the beast noticed her presence, but Rana simply pushed on as she used her daggers as a mountain climber would use his picks and hooks. The fox woman’s body swayed back and forth with every jerky movement that the horned beast made, but Rana didn’t lose her purchase and clung on tightly.
The lizard that Annalíse and I faced slid to a halt, and its claws sparked as they scraped across the icy ground. The Rukfrost let out a screech, and suddenly, the spikes on its back shot into the air and sailed right toward us.
“Get behind me,” I shouted to Annalíse, and the freckled warrior quickly obeyed.
As the icy spikes hurtled toward us to rain down a razor-sharp doom, I swiftly raised my hand and curled my fingers upward into the air. At my command, a wall of lava materialized from the ground and curved upward to protect us. As soon as the frozen projectiles struck the scorching shield, they made a sizzling sound and melted instantly sending streams of steam into the air as a result.
The Rukfrost snarled and shook its head angrily, and as the reptile protested, fresh icy spikes erupted from its skin to replace the ones that it had just fired at us.
“I forgot that Rukfrosts could do that,” Annalíse said from behind me, and I glanced over to see how Morrigan was doing with the tusked tiger-creature.
The elf woman had seemed to have had no trouble at all capturing the monstrous tiger in her necromantic clutches, and the saber-toothed cat writhed on the floor as the white-haired woman’s enchanted scarlet fog engulfed it.
“Annalíse!” I shouted as I turned back to the monster the warrior-woman and I faced. “You can deal with this creature. Use what I taught you yesterday. I will provide you with cover should you need it.”
“Right,” the swordswoman said confidently, and she moved to step around the wall of lava that I had created.
“Hold on.” I grabbed hold of the female warrior’s wrist. “Wait until it fires again, then strike when it reloads,” I said to her quickly.
Annalíse nodded silently and waited beside me as I’d instructed. The Rukfrost narrowed its eyes at us and took a few steps forward as it unleashed another volley of glistening frigid spikes. Just as before, though, they sizzled and melted upon impact with my flowing wall of glowing lava and sent pillars of steam into the air. The mighty scaled beast screeched and stamped its feet furiously upon seeing that once again its attempt to impale us had been thwarted.
“Now,” I hissed to Annalíse. The female warrior gripped her weapon tightly and without hesitation, the princess darted out from behind the wall and charged toward the scaly animal. As new spikes emerged from the Rukfrost’s skin, the human woman raised her weapon over her shoulder in preparation to strike. With a fierce battle cry, Annalíse swung Bloodscale overhead and brought the axe-sword down hard on the floor. As the sharpened edge slammed against the polished ground, jade runes flashed across Bloodscale’s silver faces.
The ground shattered beneath the weapon’s intense force, and a wave of green light burst forth from the crescent blade of the axe-sword. The lizard screeched at the sigh
t and tried to angle its body to shoot its spikes, but it was too late. The blast wave tore through the solid ice floor and left a fissure in its wake as it sped toward the ancient beast. The wave of light struck the side of the animal’s body, and the lizard shrieked in agony as the shockwave ripped through its scaly body. The light dissipated only seconds after it had appeared, but its after effects remained. Bloodscale’s emerald blast had torn the lizard’s body in two and blood poured from both halves as they fell meatily to the ice floor.
“Well done,” I shouted to the swordswoman as I extinguished the wall of lava.
“Hey, watch where you’re aiming those things, will ya?” I heard Rana yell. “Are you trying to melt me too?”
I turned to see the fox woman clinging to the back of the Snokka’s hairy neck, and a clump of green goo was burning through a small corner of her fur cape, Carmedy’s alchemical acid no doubt. Not far away below where Rana was, the same viscous acid clung to the giant’s shoulder where it burned and sizzled. Wisps of smoke curled away from the goo as the prehistoric beast tried to wipe it away but only managed to get the goo on its fingers and spread its pain.
“Sorry!” the feline alchemist winced. “I thought you were far enough away from the shoulder to be out of range.”
“Well, just barely,” Rana glanced down at the bit of her cape that had been melted away. “You could have just aimed for the other shoulder you know.”
“Sorry, I got excited,” the cat said with an apologetic smile. “You know how I get with my explosions.”
Rana rolled her eyes and continued her climb. She pulled herself paw over paw, dagger over dagger up the rest of the horned animal’s neck, and the behemoth was still far more infuriated by the acid and flames from the alchemist to care about the fox woman’s pinprick approach. A moment later, the agile fox stood atop the ancient beast’s head as though she had just reached a mountain’s summit. She dropped the two smaller daggers into her pouches quickly, drew the largest of her elvish knives, and gripped it in both paws.
