Wait. My [Spring Scales] might be able to get me out of this! She willed her scales to flex and felt the powerful ability activate, and came down onto the collapsing floor of the tunnel, far below the surface.
Her body absorbed the impact, but it didn’t otherwise hurt her. She skidded down a mound of shifting dirt and rocks, bouncing and skidding, and coiling her body to slide down somewhat gracefully.
She heard a cry from above as Juni slid down on a slab of stone, tumbling to the ground in a heap, and letting out a groan. “Bastard…trapped us,” she coughed.
Damn. Should have known they could make a tunnel. But this is…immense. Neska shook off her disorientation and heard Jurik, Ragnir, and Hadley shouting up above them. She looked up to see the opening looming too far away for her [Spring Scales] to reach, and the sides were too steep to try and sidewind along them. She tapped Juni with her tail, then pointed up animatedly.
“No. We’re in his terrain now, and I think he has a limited ability to move the earth.” She tried clawing at the dirt and rocks with her paws, with limited effect. “Where is that creep?”
“Little tasty snacks, I’ll deal with you first, then your friends. I won’t be quick about it.” The serpent’s voice slithered through the air, echoing ominously through the connecting passageways. The tunnels were all roughly circular in cross-section and stable despite the large amount of earth above them.
“I’m coming for you,” it hissed in an amused tone. She saw the serpent leap from the opening down to their level, coiling his body to absorb the blow. It looked like her [Spring Scales] ability, but on a larger scale. She fired off [Mana Bolts] to no avail, and Juni launched a wave of [Terra Spikes] in a crisscross pattern, trying to bar his way. He laughed in response, and the stone spires only proved a temporary deterrent.
Juni waved to her. “Neska, follow me, we’ll lose him in the tunnels!”
“Juni, Neska, run! We’ll try to find a way down!” Jurik bellowed from up above. The duo was already in motion, on the run from a foe they couldn’t deal with yet.
Yet. Neska just needed time to work the problem. No monster was unbeatable. Tiers only counted for so much, and she'd beaten foes before that outclassed her.
She heard the rocks shift, and she dared to look back. The fissure above them closed, drenching the tunnel in pure darkness. It led to a quick spike of panic, but then her eyes adjusted to the gloom
It wasn't complete darkness: there were small glowing lights embedded in the wall. Looking closer, she saw they were faceted glowing crystals, giving just enough light to move at speed. Neska followed Juni's heat signature as a backup while putting some distance between them and their foe.
The serpent broke free of the stony impediments, shattering them as though they were fragile glass. By the time Neska heard the rocks shatter, they had slid down a tunnel network to a larger, deeper one. This one was rougher hewn and smelled ancient, like the air had been stale for centuries.
They took a few intersections at random. Juni walling off one entrance to try to trick the creature, then proceeded down another.
Judging by his frustrated tone a short time later, it worked.
“Neska, stay close,” Juni whispered as it grew quiet again, save for the sound of occasional dirt hitting the ground. “I can barely see here–hey, hang on. I see a light source.” She used her paw to guide Neska. Though her thermal vision was a blur of warm and cool elements, there wasn't much of a gradient here, making its use limited, except for spotting Juni.
She spotted another bright light ahead that looked angular and fragmented, just like earlier, but this was much brighter. The mouse grabbed it and pulled it loose, holding it tightly in her paws. The crystal was about the size of a small fruit. She examined it with interest. “Aether crystal. Magically charged. I can use echo sense in tunnels, but it's not perfect. Plus, I think I can take a small amount of charge of mana from these,” she whispered.
But she still looked worried. “Neska…how are we going to beat that thing? We need to fall back on our discussed tactics.”
She used her tail to draw in the dirt, making scratch marks. {Lure. Use roots. Force the jaw open. Bite inside. Run. Wear him down.}
Juni’s whiskers went straight on edge. “Neska, that is a crazy plan, we can’t hurt him!”
{All prey have weak spots. Eyes. Mouth. Nose. Limbs. Hit where it hurts.}
Her mousy friend nodded her head warily. “This is so dangerous. Though…hitting him in the eyes…it’s worth the risk. You immobilize him, I’ll jab him with [Shard Shot]. I can…sort of expel stones at high velocity from my body.”
Juni winced as she opened her fingers, and a spire of stone extended from her palm. It looked like the edge around the flesh bled briefly.
Neska tilted her head, then tapped her tail. {Gross.}
Juni grimaced and nodded rapidly. “Yeah, I don’t like using it. Now let’s get this guy. Keep an ear out. You’ll hear the earth shifting as he tunnels, which he certainly will. But he can’t bore through harder rocks like shale or granite. We need to find the deepest tunnel, where the densest rocks are. We’ll get him there, somewhere that he can't just dig circles around us."
The earth shook beneath them. Neska heard the sound of stone and dirt shifting and dropping down around them. They needed to hurry, before this monster got the jump on them. She pointed to one tunnel sloping downward, and they dashed toward it, with Juni using the glowing crystal as a light source.
Neska noted the roots were sparse around here. Would her ability not work? If they were deep enough down, maybe it wouldn't? She’d never actually tested it without being in a forested area or in an area with lots of vegetation.
Large rocks tumbled downward, and the tunnel behind them collapsed. They had no way back, now. They followed the passage as it twisted and turned to avoid large pockets of solid stone, dark grey, and some of it black and glossy.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
“Wait. Neska…that’s obsidian,” Juni breathed. “Fragile. But it has a deadly sharp edge when fractured. I’ll see if I can absorb some.”
Juni reached her paw down, clenching it in one paw. The material flowed like a liquid; her hand and her paw took on a black, glossy texture. The ability made it look as if her own hand were made of obsidian, too.
The rock flowed like molten honey until the deposit was exhausted. “I can’t transfer much right now. When I get bigger or have more Ranks, maybe I can take more.”
She flexed her palm, and a spire of obsidian material jutted out. She smiled faintly at the success of her actions. “Yep, this should work. Neska, whatever you do, don’t let him get loose when you immobilize him.”
He won’t make the same mistake twice. Neska knew they only had one chance to inflict maximum damage. As if on cue, she heard the sliding of scales against gravel again. Much closer.
“You Awakened are always a nuisance. You know how many of you I’ve eaten? Plenty. And I’m hungry again.”
They maneuvered through the tunnel until they came to a three-way intersection, with the tunnel sloping down in either direction.
Neska mentally prepared roots on the left side, if only to direct the serpent their way. Just as she felt the roots take hold and coil within the ground, the tunnel shook violently, and Juni pointed behind them. “He’s close, real close! Neska, we’re not ready!”
What I wouldn’t do for a voice right now! She hoped her next form was at least capable of vocalization, because this lack of communication could literally kill her.
The ceiling of the tunnel crumbled, and she set her root trap just as the massive serpent dropped down into the tunnel, eyes fixated on them and surging forward. “There you are, little vermin! What a little treat, killing two Awakened! Causing chaos behind the lines pales in comparison to getting rid of future threats!”
There was only one play left as the serpent surged forward. Neska activated her [Baleful Gaze], and felt the familiar sensation as her eyes felt like they intensified their focus on his own.
He saw the attack coming and squinted his eyes shut, slowing his advance. Even with his eyes closed, he only had one direction to go to catch up to them. His body surged forward, smacking into the sides of the tunnel and dislodging stone and dirt. “You think I don’t know your tricks, little one? I am you! I am everything you wish you were! Strong and deadly!”
Vivi, are the monsters able to pick their own evolutions, like us?! This was new information to her, and would be useful if she knew what level he was, or what other evolutions he might get at the second tier.
Inconclusive. But his statement strongly suggests they are cognizant of it, and possibly can select from your same abilities.
Neska triggered her roots now that the serpent was forced to avoid her gaze attack. She directed them to send out thrashing roots that ensnared it. He flailed and tried to break through them, shaking loose debris that nearly crushed Neska in a hail of sharp rocks, were it not for a timely pounce forward with [Spring Scales].
The motion put her dangerously close to the creature while she tried to assert more control over the roots, trying to make them an extension of her mind.
She could feel them, digging, wriggling, acting as the limbs she did not have, wrapping tightly against the serpent. She pulled them tight, trying to cut off his mobility. His eyes strained open, with Juni already preparing her orbiting shards of obsidian.
Now, Juni!
The mouse let fly with the deadly, sharp rocks, flinging them at incredible speed, and the serpent couldn't evade in time
The shards of sharpened rock cut into one eye, leaving it weeping blood, and the other took a glancing blow. The serpent roared in pain and thrashed with all his bodily might, nearly crushing Neska. She was forced to use another burst of [Spring Scales] to get out of the way.
She wasn’t fast enough. One coil of the creature hit her in a grazing blow, sending her tumbling and hitting a jutting rock in the ground. Pain surged along her body, and she let out an internal scream. She struggled to move, her muscles likely bruised from the impact, but nothing felt broken.
Juni dashed over and tried lifting her up, but Neska was still bigger than Juni. “C’mon, we gotta move! Move, Neska, he’s caving in the tunnel!”
“My eyes! You little bitch, I don’t need eyes to find you! I’ll devour your body and soul!” their foe thrashed against the tunnel sides, dislodging more slabs of rock and dirt. There was a hint of panic in his voice, fear that Neska needed to maximize.
Neska grabbed Juni with her tail and slithered at a breakneck speed. A chunk of obsidian came crashing down and shattered where they had stood mere seconds ago.
Neska felt the little shards bounce off her scales, and a few stinging cuts opened. Juni managed to get her stony shield up, but razor shards sliced at one ear, leaving a ragged cut. She let out a strained cry of pain, clenching her teeth and keeping them protected from more falling debris. They retreated down the tunnel further, with their foe’s vision severely crippled.
They only bought themselves a few seconds as they hit a solid stone formation at the perimeter of the tunnel; the end was roughly toroidal shaped, as if a serpent had turned around here in this artificial cavern.
“He’s hurt, but we’re trapped!” Juni called out.
I’m not out of ideas yet! He’s blind, which means I have my opening! Neska pushed her [Rooting Hex] to the limit, sending out roots to hang down from the ceiling where patchy dirt existed, and then left it hanging there. In the meantime, she charged a [Mana Bolt] in her tail. Neska pointed at the hanging roots, forming a loose web, then at the serpent’s mouth.
Juni nodded quickly. “We’re going to only get one shot at this! Oh, this is a bad idea, for the record,” Juni chattered, but readied herself.
Neska fired off the [Mana Bolt], then a few more for good measure. She felt her body slowly growing chilly, and a deep ache had settled into her bones. This was the most frequent use of abilities that she’d used before in a small span of time.
But this was do or die.
The serpent snarled, charging forward toward the direction of his perceived attacker. Neska grabbed a sizable chunk of rock with her tail, the weight of it feeling like practically nothing.
“Neska! What are you doing?!” Juni screamed.
Neska pointed her tail tip and opened her mouth for emphasis, then shook the rock. Juni went wide-eyed at the suggestion. “Oh, this is crazy! Here, giving you a layer of protection!”
She tapped her paw onto Neska, and she felt her scales become rigid, increasing in weight and clinking together like the gravel of a finished road. They even took on a rocky texture.
“There's nowhere to run!” the serpent snarled, keeping his mouth pressed tight after his threat. Juni funneled a charge of power into her hand and shouted out with fury as she slammed her hand into the ground.
A spike of stone hit the monster right in the jaw, unable to pierce it. The failed attack wasn’t the intent. It still had considerable force to it, and the snake’s jaw flapped open as his head snapped upward.
It was just in time for him to snag his upper jaw on the roots, stopping his momentum. He tumbled into the criss-crossing net. He tried to snap his jaw shut, but couldn’t.
Neska braced herself for the pain as she activated her [Ember Hex], the chunk of stone clutched by her tail growing hotter and hotter. It burned, it burned so badly, but she clamped her jaw shut, waiting for the rock to turn molten.
Juni screamed at her to stop. If her ability hadn't ossified her scales, she’d have burned clear through her tail by now. "Neska, you're hurting yourself!"
The [Ember Hex] was never intended for this. But then again, she was using plenty of her abilities in ways she never thought she would, feeling the burning sensation growing into a tail-scorching agony. She waited till the roots creaked and strained, and one let go. Then two, then more began snapping in tandem. The serpent hissing in outrage, its fangs bared as the last roots started to creak and snap.
Neska felt the pain reach a crescendo as her body cried out in agony. It had to be now.
She flung the molten hot rock into his open maw, even as her scales smoldered. She watched the vile fiend get a mouthful of red-hot rock before he let out a choked gasp, the overheated projectile burning flesh from the inside. Wisps of steam escaped his mouth, and the scent of charred flesh.
Enjoy your last meal, monster! That was for Gort and Finks–
“Neska, he's bringing the place down!” Juni screamed as the thrashing monster tried to dislodge the deadly projectile. His body smashed into the tunnel walls with unrelenting force. Torrents of stone, rock, and silt came crumbling down.
Juni jumped on Neska’s back and activated her [stone shield] as the world above them collapsed in a roar of shattering rocks and tumbling earth.
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