Chapter 34: End Of The Nightmares
Meanwhile, the cavern had long since become a battlefield; not the glorious kind sung by bards in warm taverns. This one was ugly, exhausting, and brutal.
The ground was buried beneath mangled corpses, shattered scales, severed tentacles, and puddles of dark blood that steamed faintly from the heat of Vaelorin’s flames.
Smoke drifted sluggishly through the cavern ceiling. Even the air itself was heavy as every breath tasted of ash, blood and rot.
Also, the seven remaining exiles were beginning to falter under the pressure of the battle...
It had been nearly twenty minutes since Regaleon vanished into the tunnel after the robed woman.
At first, they had endured steadily, believing that battle would soon end. But the five monstrosities simply refused to die.
They continued fighting like nightmares stitched from hatred and instinct. Even after losing limbs, horns, tentacles or chunks of flesh, the kept on attacking with terrifying persistence.
The situation of the group was becoming precarious with every minute that passed.
"Fuck!" Valmyr cursed as he jumped backward.
BOOM!
A monstrosity crashed where he had stood moments ago. It’s claws limbs gouged through stone like blades tearing wet cloth while broken remnants of it’s burnt appendages dragged behind it grotesquely.
The creature no longer resembled the horror that emerged from the cocoon earlier. Now it looked worse. More horrific; like a nightmare that continues to haunt one’s sleep.
It’s flesh hung loose in strips from repeated attacks. One side of it’s jaw had been split open completely, revealing rows of crooked teeth drenched in black saliva.
It’s crimson eyes glowed with unstable madness while smoke rose from it’s charred body in wisps.
Yet despite it’s grievous state, it never relented. It continues to hunt...
"Damn shit! What don’t you just die?" Valmyr roared.
The failed Vanguard slammed his Great Shield forward with all the strength left in his exhausted body...
BOOM!
The impact shook them both.
The monster staggered backwards several steps, but so did Valmyr.
His boots carved deep marks into the ground as he skidded backward violently despite "Mountain Stand" remaining activated.
His arms trembled as he panted heavily. Blood dripped from cuts running along his forehead and neck while bruises spread beneath his beastskin armour from repeated collisions.
Across from him, the reptilian monstrosity hissed viciously.
It’s six tentacles had long been severed; leaving only ragged stumps writhing behind it’s scaled back. One arm was missing entirely, torn away near the shoulder during the battle.
Yet the creature still clawed with it’s remaining arm...
Valmyr stared at it with frustration and fatigue.
For the first time since arriving in the Nether Lands, he truly understood exhaustion. Not just simple tiredness, but the kind that hollowed out bones and makes one’s limbs feel unbearably heavy...
Nearby, Aureleah moved through shadows like a fading phantom. Every few seconds her form will vanish completely before reappearing elsewhere across the battlefield.
Yet despite her speed and stealth... The creature fighting her still gets to her.
The reptilian monstrosity snarked violently and swung it’s claws toward an empty darkness moments before Aureleah emerged there...
Clearly, it’s instinct had begun tracking her movements as it adapted to her.
SHING!
Silver flashed as Aureleah’s Dagger sliced across the creature’s throat... But claws swept toward her instantly.
She bends slideways narrowly, protecting her vital areas...
The gleaming extremities tore through strands of her silver-black hair before slamming into stone hard enough to shatter it.
Aureleah retreated several steps silently. Blood dripped from her left arm; a wound inflicted by the creature earlier...
The reptilian monstrosity before her looked horrifying. It’s horns were broken, with it’s tentacles littering the ground nearby like butchered serpents. Deep stab wounds covered nearly every inch of it’s scaled body...
Yet it’s slitted serpentine eyes remained alive with murderous hunger...
The creature lunged again...
Aureleah there a Dagger... And vanished.
Then, she reappeared above the monster; with the same Dagger she had thrown now in her hands...
Her Daggers plunged downward toward the creature’s skull... But it twisted violently.
It’s claws smashed into her side midair...
BOOM!
As if hit by a speeding carriage, Aureleah crashed across the cavern and rolled hard before stopping.
Pain flashed briefly across her usually calm face as she coughed out a mouthful of blood once.
Then... She immediately stood again. And vanished...
Not far away, Vaelorin looked barely conscious.
Sweat drenched his body completely while Fiery Aether crackled around him chaotically. His breathing came out in uneven gasps as he raised his staff once more...
The winged monstrosity crawling toward him looked like something that just escaped a fiery punishment from hell.
Both of it’s wings had been burned away entirely. One eye was melted into ruined flesh while burnt scales cracked apart as it crawled toward Vaelorin...
The failed Pyromancer’s hands shook, then he thrust his staff forward again while activating "Solar Lance."
A torrent of flames erupted outward and swallowed the creature...
WHOOSH!
The monstrosity shrieked inside the Inferno before crawling gradually out of it...
It was burning, but still alive.
"Guys! I’m almost empty..." Vaelorin gasped, his knees nearly buckling beneath him.
He had exhausted nearly every trace of Aether within his body and he was beginning to feel the heat...
"Hold your ground!" Caelestra shouted. Even her voice sounded strained now.
The elegant silver Coins that once floated around her were gone entirely. Most had been shattered after repeated clashes against the monstrosity when she activated "Coin Legion."
The rest had long since be turned into strength, speed and stamina through the effect of "Equivalent Exchange."
Now, only her Treasure Chest remained tightly in her grasp.
The reptilian monstrosity before her looked savage beyond description. In fact, it’s situation was as serious, if not worse, as the rest of it’s nightmarish siblings...
It roared as it lunged at her...
Caelestra’s expression hardened, then she swung her hand sharply.
The ornate Chest slammed into the creature again with an explosive force.
BOOM!
The impact echoed with a sickening sound as it rattled the bones of the creature...
At the same time, Veyrath had finally begun breaking.
The failed Alchemist’s body trembled violently from fatigue as he swung his bronze Cauldron again and again against the winged monstrosity assaulting both him and Kaeloris.
CLANG!
The Cauldron smashed against the creature’s skull with enough force to break bones. But the monster only snarled and lunged once more...
"Why won’t these things fucking die?!" Veyrath shouted hysterically.
The pressure on him was mounting because he had to fight against the creature while simultaneously protecting both Kaeloris and Sylveris.
Kaeloris stood behind him breathing heavily. He had long since dismissed his scroll as "Law Script" no longer functioned effectively against the creature.
Now, the failed Gnost could only hold onto Sylveris’ hand while praying to whatever gods he could think of that Veyrath shouldn’t lose the fight...
"Damn! Where the hell is Regaleon when you need him?!"
Veyrath spat, eyes fully locked onto the creature that was beginning to attack again.
Then...
BOOM!
The monstrosity lunged.
As always, Veyrath swung out once more but this time... He missed.
Perhaps it was fatigue or mistiming, but that turned out to be a lethal mistake.
The creature snarled midair, eyes burning with rage, madness and something that resembles victory...
Veyrath’s mind was empty all of a sudden. His body froze as he watched with widened eyes...
Death was approaching him!
Muscle memory demanded he moved, but his mind was yet to process that instinct...
This is it.
The grim thought crept slowly into his mind as he watched the claws get closer...
Then...
SHRIIIK!
A horrific shriek exploded through the cavern.
The sound was sharp and primal, clearing the fog that had clouded veyrath’s mind...
The failed Alchemist snapped out of his daze and looked downward. There was something protruding through the creature’s chest..
It was a silver object; it’s blade gleaming as blood poured endlessly around it.
The creature stumbled backward while shrieking.
Then... The weapon ripped free from it violently. It spun elegantly through the air before flying straight towards the tunnel entrance...
Everyone turned... And time seem to freeze.
A figure stood there beneath the shadows of the tunnel. For a brief moment, nobody spoke as even the monstrosities hesitated slightly...
Then...
"Regaleon!" Sylveris cried out instantly.
Relief flooded the little girl’s face so strongly it looked almost painful.
For a brief moment, amidst the nightmare surrounding them, she truly resembled a distressed princess finally seeing the knight she believed would never fall.
Regaleon didn’t reply. Instead, he moved...
BOOM!
The ground cracked as he shot forward like a launched spear toward the wounded monstrosity.
SHING!
The monster barely turned before his Halberd carved through it’s torso completely. With "Silver Sheen" in effect, the blade split flesh and bone apart instantly.
The creature separated into two grotesque halves before crashing heavily against the ground.
It was dead.
Before anyone could recover, Regaleon had moved once more. He rushed toward Caelestra’s battle...
The reptilian monstrosity sensed the danger and turned towards him immediately...
But that was a fatal mistake.
With everything in her, Caelestra slammed her chest heavily into the creature’s skull...
BOOM!
The impact sent it stumbling directly forward... Towards Regaleon.
His Halberd thrust outward. It was clean, precise and merciless.
The silver blade pierced through the creature’s eye and burst out from the back of it’s skull.
SHRIIIK!
The monstrosity shrieked but Regaleon’s expression remained unchanged.
He twisted the weapon once and finally, it collapsed lifelessly...
"HELL YES!" Vaelorin roared hoarsely.
The remaining winged monstrosity suddenly turned away from him toward Regaleon. Perhaps it determined that Regaleon was the greater threat between the two but Vaelorin wasn’t having any of it...
He activated "Eruption Pulse" instantly.
BOOM!
The ground beneath the creature exploded open as a pillar of fire erupted outward violently and swallowed the monstrosity whole.
SHRIIIK!
It’s shrieks echoed briefly before vanishing entirely. Moments later, only ash remained where it once stood.
Vaelorin collapsed onto one knee immediately afterward, wheezing like someone deprived of breath.
He had emptied the last trace of Fiery Aether within him for that final strike.
Nearby, Aureleah finally ended her battle.
Using the chance when the creature was distracted by Regaleon’s killings, she appeared atop it’s back...
SHING!
The creature was slow to react as both of her daggers plunged downward simultaneously. One pierced through the skull while the other sank into the base of it’s neck...
The creature convulsed violently before collapsing with a soft thud.
Then, Aureleah landed silently beside the corpse and withdrew her blades carefully...
Across the cavern, Valmyr roared like an infuriated beast.
Then, he charged forward with everything left in him.
His Great Shield slammed into the monstrosity hard enough to crack it’s chest inward...
BOOM!
The creature staggered backward. It had yet to regain it’s footing when Valmyr’s Broadsword descended...
SHING!
The massive blade severed it’s neck completely.
The head rolled across the floor before the body followed with a thud.
Finally, the five nightmares were dead.
There was only ragged breathing as everyone stood motionless for several seconds.
The battle really had been perilous and they were greatly exhausted...
Then, a furious scream erupted across the cavern.
"YOU BASTARD!!!"
