Wrath of the Dragon, page 14
I bent down and grabbed one of the pickaxes before I studied the wall carefully. The moonstone was rooted a good few inches into the cave wall, and I could tell it wasn’t going to be easy to get it out.
I raised the pickaxe and swung it into the wall with all the strength I could manage, and I was shocked as the wall instantly cracked. Debris fell down to the ground, and the left-hand side of the moonstone seemed to loosen slightly.
“Nice.” Cyra grinned. “I knew those muscles would come in handy. Just make sure you don’t hit the gem.”
I took another swing and smashed into the right-hand side of the stonework this time. More of the gray wall broke apart, and the moonstone was almost free from its spot.
“Get ready to grab it,” I said. “I don’t want to bring it back in pieces. We’re trying to keep the werewolves on our side.”
Cyra carefully placed her torch down between her feet and gripped it firmly so it couldn’t roll into the chasm beside us. Then the angel crouched down and held her hands out as I took another swing right above the moonstone.
As the pickaxe pierced the gray stone, the glistening gem was dislodged, and it fell out right into Cyra’s hands.
The angel stood up with the moonstone gripped tightly, and the whole cave was suddenly illuminated with a blinding white light.
The moonstone was ours.
Chapter 9
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The cavern glowed with the icy colors of the moonstone, and Cyra’s freckles sparkled as she gripped the gem. Then the silver bats woke up above us and started to flutter around the cavern as their wings glittered in the light.
“Woah,” I chuckled. “I can see why it’s called a moonstone.”
“It’s so pretty,” the angel said as she stared around at the walls. “It feels like the stars are back in the sky.”
The angel smiled sadly as she admired the light, and I wished more than anything I could bring back the real stars and moon for her. She blew out the torch since we wouldn’t need it for the walk back, and then she held up the moonstone so we could admire it from all angles.
“It really is beautiful,” I said. “Let’s get it out to the wolves so they can use it.”
Cyra held the gem carefully, and I kept a hold of the pickaxe as we began to walk carefully around the trap. It might come in handy again, and Cyra could use a real weapon. The blade was sharp enough to break stone, so I reckoned it would do well in combat, too.
The angel’s face was illuminated as we walked, and her golden eyes were fixed on the stone.
“Have you ever met shadow serpents before?” I asked, and the angel shook her head.
“I’ve seen them from a distance,” she said. “They really are huge, but they used to be a very rare sight since they spent their time so deep underground. Even with the help of the werewolves, we’re going to need to be really careful.”
“You should take the pickaxe when we’re out,” I said. “I’ve got my dagger, and I don’t want you going into this fight unarmed.”
“I have my powers,” Cyra said. “So I’m never truly unarmed, but I’ll take the pickaxe.”
“Look,” I said and pointed to the left of us. “There are more tunnels, just like we saw earlier when we started all this. If these tunnels let out here, like the other one we followed, there’s a good chance they could lead us back to the start of the cave as well.”
“I agree with your logic.” Cyra nodded. “And we know how precarious the other path is, so which one do we choose this time?”
“You pick,” I offered. “I’ll just make sure we get through it alive.”
The angel smirked at my cocky grin before she studied the two remaining tunnels. Then she pointed to the one farthest to the left.
“Let’s use that one,” she said.
“Good enough for me,” I replied.
We headed across the cavern to the dark tunnel and started to carefully make our way back up to the surface. I wanted to keep staring at the mesmerizing beauty of the moonstone, but I kept a determined eye on the floor and walls ahead. We were so close to getting the gem out, and I refused to be caught off-guard by any hidden traps.
As we walked back through the cave, the tunnel was flooded with the bright white light of the gem. I could see everything much clearer than on the journey down, and I could see every inch of dark moss that gripped the ceiling. It really was like having the moon in our hands to guide us through the endless tunnels.
I was amazed at the powers this world held, and it seemed there was more jaw-dropping magic around every corner. Even though we were up against some serious danger, I couldn’t help but enjoy exploring my new world.
The tunnel was much straighter than the one we had used first, and I could see the purple light of the exit up ahead a lot sooner than I expected.
“We made it!” Cyra said excitedly. “Let’s go and give them the--”
“Stop!” I yelled as I grabbed her waist.
The angel froze, and I stared up at the ceiling above her. There were hundreds of little icicles on the ceiling despite the fact there was no snow. Cyra held the moonstone higher, and I realized they were actually just metal spikes that were stuck into the ceiling.
“What the fuck?” I muttered.
“How do you spot these things?” Cyra wailed.
“It used to be my job to spot dangers,” I said. “I’ve got an eye for it. Okay, I’m guessing these will fall down the moment somebody steps below them.”
“Shall we use another rock?” Cyra asked. “There’s one on your left.”
I grabbed the weighty stone from the ground and threw it a few feet ahead. The second it landed on the ground, hundreds of sharp spikes fell onto the cave floor. The sound echoed all around the walls, and we took a hasty step backward. If we had been there, our brains would have been impaled in seconds flat.
“Well, that’s horrifying,” Cyra said. “Demons really are bastards.”
“There are still a few spikes up there,” I said as I eyed the ceiling. “They’re all on the left, though. Keep to the far right of the tunnel, okay? I mean firmly pressed up against the wall.”
The angel nodded diligently, and we started to shuffle onward while we squashed ourselves against the stone. As I suspected, the remaining spikes fell down as we walked, but they missed us by a couple feet while we kept to our path. We soon cleared the deadly stretch of ground, and we were finally hurrying along the last of the tunnel and up to the cave entrance.
I could hear excited snarls coming from outside as preserved moonlight spilled out onto the dark grass. Then we stepped out into the forest, and the wolf-men crowded around us.
Cyra held the moonstone up, and the werewolves immediately began to change. It was equal parts disgusting and fascinating to watch, and I couldn’t look away as the creatures began to transform. It seemed that some of them were becoming men and some were continuing to become wolves.
I watched as one of the men began to bend over, and his human skull stretched out to complete his snout. His legs crunched as they got longer, and sharp claws sprouted from his huge paws.
As dark fur covered his whole body, he became a wolf bigger than any I had ever seen before, and my eyes bugged out of my head at the ferocious sight of him.
Then Darrick transitioned the other way, and his fur smoothed out until his arms were covered in tanned skin. His legs crunched and cracked as they shortened, and he snarled as his snout was the last thing to change. There was a moment where he was just a man with a wolf face, but then it slowly retracted back into his skull to a human form.
Cyra’s expression did not hide her disgust very well, and I nudged her as she watched the beasts with a scrunched-up nose and raised eyebrows.
Once the last werewolves finished their change, we found ourselves surrounded by huge men and fucking giant dogs.
It was a slightly unnerving mix.
“We’re free,” one of them whispered as he stared down at his human arms.
“This feels so good,” a wolf snarled in a human voice. “Thank you.”
“We are no longer prisoners in our own bodies,” Darrick said. “Thank you, both of you.”
“I’m glad you’re not in pain anymore,” I said. “What should we do with the moonstone?”
“We will keep it inside the cave,” Darrick said. “Hidden from view, but there when we need to transform again.”
“Will it keep its light?” Cyra asked as she handed the man the gem.
“It will.” He nodded. “This way, we can continue our transformation cycles without the moon.”
The large man took the moonstone back into the cave and placed it down onto the ground before he ripped off his shirt and draped it over to disguise the glow.
“Stand guard,” Darrick said to one of his wolves. “When we return, we will find somewhere more secure to hide it.”
The lead werewolf turned to face me, and a grin spread across his face.
“Now,” he said. “We will help you get through those shadow serpents. Come on, boys, let’s go slaughter some snakes.”
I handed Cyra the pickaxe, and she gripped the handle tightly as the werewolves began to move. Darrick towered over them all in his human form, and the wolves raced ahead into the darkness.
“You don’t have weapons,” I said as I glanced at Darrick’s empty hands. “Do we need to find some or stop somewhere for you to pick any up?”
“We don’t need them,” the man said. “My bare hands are more powerful in a fight than any weapon I could use. The men who have chosen their wolf forms will annihilate their enemies with their teeth. We are always prepared to fight.”
“Well, damn,” I muttered. “Alright, then.”
It felt good to stride along the forest with a pack of werewolves around us. Having backup was always helpful, especially when that backup was made of hulking muscles and sharp teeth.
“How far is it to the shadow serpents?” I asked.
“Not far,” Darrick growled. “You need to make sure you don’t get caught in their grip. Those slimy pieces of shit can smother you in seconds.”
“And those teeth are deadly,” another wolf snarled. “They move much quicker than you would think.”
I gripped my dagger as we walked and stretched out my legs to loosen up for the fight. The trees around us were getting taller, and their branches blocked even more orb light as we headed to the serpents’ lair. It made sense that they would live in the darkest part of the woods, and only a slight sliver of purple lit up the ground way out here.
The wolves slowed down as we approached a large clearing that had a small creek beside it. The dark water babbled gently, and I looked around for any signs of giant snakes.
“They’re close,” Darrick hissed as he sniffed the air, and I figured his sense of smell must be heightened, even in his human form.
The wolves and men spread out around the clearing and faced into the darkness on every side. I stood in the center of the clearing with Cyra, and we slowly moved around as we stared into the endless shadows of the woods.
“They’re coming!” Darrick suddenly snarled. “Prepare!”
I heard a low rumble and swung around to try and spot where the creatures were coming from. The noise grew louder, and there was a high-pitched screech just before something huge burst out into the clearing.
The shadow serpent was as wide as a van and twice as long, and it was the color of an oil slick. I could see a thick layer of slime all over its body that changed color from black to dark green when it was hit by the purple light of the orbs. It was so thick that I was surprised it had moved through the trees so easily and quietly, and it had two swinging antennae on top of its head. I couldn’t see any eyes on the beast, but its mouth opened so wide that I could see hundreds of needle-like teeth.
Then the shadow serpent let out another horrific screech, and more of the creatures emerged from the shadows.
The werewolves leapt into action, and I watched two of them in wolf form leap at the closest snake with bared teeth. They ripped at the slimy flesh and jumped agilely to avoid the swing of its thick tail.
I raced toward one of the huge beasts and held my dagger up as I jumped at its side. Then I stabbed my weapon down into the oily flesh, and the serpent screeched as I pierced into the slime. My dagger cut the skin easily, and jet-black blood poured out onto the forest floor as the creature’s tail suddenly swung around. I jumped backward just in time and only narrowly managed to avoid slipping on the blood.
Cyra soared toward the same serpent with her pickaxe held up, and she swung it down into the snake’s head. It screeched as blood exploded from its eyeless face, and I took the chance to race back in to deliver another blow.
I brought my dagger down into the shadow serpent’s already wounded side and sliced downward so a deep gash was cut into the flesh. Then I jumped back as a pile of guts and goop fell out of the wound, and the shadow serpent began to sway from side to side.
Finally, the beast let out one pathetic squeal as it fell, and the slimy body crashed to the ground with a wet thud.
The werewolves were putting up a hell of a fight, too, and I watched as Darrick leapt at one of the snakes and punched it square in the face.
Then there was a loud rumble, and another serpent emerged from the shadows of the woods and dove right toward Cyra.
“Watch out!” I yelled as I raced headlong at the oily bastard, and I leapt at the snake with a growl.
I brought my dagger down into the tail-end of the snake and managed to pierce it a split second before it reached the angel. Cyra didn’t hesitate to fly upward, and I ripped the oily flesh with my blade before I hurriedly pulled back. The shadow serpent’s head swung around to face me, and it opened its mouth wide as it showed off rows of razor-sharp teeth.
“Holy shit,” I groaned, and I jumped up to meet it as it brought its mouth toward me. Then I slammed my black blade down right into its flicking, fleshy tongue.
The creature flopped over onto its side just as I pulled the dagger back out, and an eruption of dark blood spilled out of its mouth. The shadow serpent fell still as the liquid poured from its face, and there was a horrific stench of rotten flesh as it leaked onto the ground.
“We’re almost there!” one of the werewolves yelled.
I looked over the clearing to see Cyra bring her pickaxe down into a serpent’s tail just as two wolves leapt up and bit its throat. The huge creature swayed as its wounds bled, and it quickly fell onto its side as it died a gory, bloody death.
The men fought as viciously as the full wolves, and the clearing was piled with the massive corpses of their prey.
But there were three of the serpents left now, and the wolves were closing in on them quickly. One of the snakes was much larger than the other two, and three wolves were attacking its tail-end as it swung its massive body. Then the tail grabbed one of the wolves, and the four-legged creature howled as the snake began to squeeze.
I raced over and brought my blade down into the tail of the beast. The serpent hissed, but it didn’t let go of the wolf. I could see the werewolf was choking as it desperately tried to escape, and I knew there would only be seconds before its bones began to crack from the pressure.
Without a moment of hesitation, I jumped onto the snake’s back and only just managed to hold onto the slippery skin as it writhed around. Then I gripped its sides with my legs and brought my dagger down into the back of its neck, and the shadow serpent shrieked and immediately uncurled enough for the wolf to escape.
I stabbed the beast once more anyway, and as it slumped down onto the ground, I leapt off just before it could roll on top of me.
“We did it!” Cyra yelled, and I looked around to see a graveyard of massive snakes.
“Is everyone okay?” I panted, and the wolves all nodded as they checked themselves for wounds.
The wolf who had been grabbed had some blood matted into his fur, but other than that, everyone seemed to be mostly unharmed.
“Thank you,” the wolf growled at me. “I owe you, Ryan.”
“Not anymore,” I said. “You helped clear our path. I don’t reckon our chances would have been great doing that alone.”
“We really needed your help,” Cyra admitted with a nod. “Thank you so much, all of you.”
I had never seen the angel give such sincere thanks before, at least to someone besides me, and she seemed genuinely grateful to the wolf-men for their help.
“You fight impressively,” Darrick said. “It felt good to rip those slimy bastards to shreds. That’s one less thing to worry about meeting in the dark.”
I was about to reply, but the whole world was plunged into darkness before I could. The purple hue in the sky vanished from above the trees, and the only light visible was the glow of the wolf-men’s eyes.
“What the fuck?” I muttered.
“The demons,” a wolf snarled. “They’ve doused the forest orbs.”
It had obviously been dark since I had gotten to the Night Lands, but it was bizarre to be completely and utterly shrouded in darkness. There was nothing but endless blackness around us, and the forest erupted into noise as various creatures howled and cried out in the night.
“Why are they doing it?” Cyra asked, and she held up her palm as her hand began to gently glow. It wasn’t enough to light very much up, but as her flesh burned orange, I was able to at least see the faint outline of the angel.
“They are punishing the forest,” Darrick snarled.
“They must have found the dead demons,” I said. “By the witch’s house. That means they’re close on our trail.”
“We should move,” Cyra said. “We can’t get caught in the pitch-black. How long does this normally last?”
“Depends,” Darrick said. “Sometimes it’s over quickly. Sometimes they take hours. Sometimes… days will pass like this.”
