PreCursive

  The eyes that were watg us from the ceiling didn’t blink once as they watched my panions scrabble onto shore. Out of the er of my eye, I could see everyone capable of it shivering from the cold. I could feel it myself, but I was frozen in pce.

  I didn’t know if the owners of those eyes had noticed that I had seen them yet. Whatever there, most likely a group of aurians, hadn’t shifted or moved even once since I’d seen them. From the number of eyes that I saw, there must have been over a dozen of them above us. What the fuck were they doing up there? aurians were mostly aquatic creatures to my uanding, not goddamn bats. I had no doubt they were strong enough to g to the ceiling, but…

  Wait, what the hell was I doing. I didn’t have time to be frozen like this, I had to warn everyone. Slowly, trying not to draw attention, I tried to sit up, shivering from the cold all the while. My slight movement immediately drew the attention of several of the eyes, causing them to fix on me.

  I wasn’t able to keep my own from meeting the eyes of the lurking creatures above us.

  The pair I’d met narrowed at me, causing a ripple among the rest of them. Almost as one, I saedal shapes begin to fall from the ceiling.

  I abandoned any attempt at stealth. “ABOVE US!” I shouted into the cavern air, scrambling to my feet. My voice echoed off the walls, though it did its job.

  My panion's heads rocketed upwards, just in time to watch as over a dozeaurians closed in on their position. Azarus and I rolled out of the way in order to avoid being crushed under one partieptaurian, while I could see Venix uhe his four swords at lightning speed and block the cws of another.

  With a shout from Grey, the light that he had been projeg intensified. Suddenly, the entire cavern was illuminated in a bright silver glow, that mao fully dispel the darkness surrounding us. Stumbling bay feet, I drew my colpsible spear, ae iion. I didn’t want to fight these guys up close. At the same time, I activated The Stilnt Bde, lending my own rainbow light to the cavern. I saw Azarus draw his hammer and shield from their p his back, while activating whatever skill he had that caused the s he used in bat. Meeting his eyes briefly, we got back to back.

  I didn’t get a ce to che the others. The aurians chose that moment to attack.

  One of them charged my position, cws brandished, hoofbeats ringing off of the cavern walls. Dug down, I set my spear ahe aquatic horse creature impale itself on my spear from its own momentum. The creature shrieked as my burning bde easily pierced its scales, scrabbling weakly at the spear in its chest. Thank God for The Stilnt Bde. The skill hadn’t failed me yet. Well, except that oi-

  I was knocked out of my odd mental ta by the sound of an impaetal from behind me, followed by a grunt of effort. Immediately colpsing my spear to get it out of the flesh of the aurian, I spun in pce. Behind me, Azarus was bug uhe blow of one of the aurians as it bore down on his shield.

  Automatically bringing up my free hand, I aimed it at the face of the pseudo-taur and cast Poisonthorn Shot. The corrosive barb pierced into the right eye socket of the monster, causing it to reel ba pain with screeg whinny.

  Azarus didn’t miss his ce.

  Direg a to around the neck of the monster, he yanked downwards on the with his right hand. Simultaneously, he maneuvered the edge of his shield underh the falling jaw of the beast. I didn’t know this, but apparently the edges of that shield must be sharpened or something.

  The head of the aurian was sliced in half crosswise, and the beast fell over dead. No doubt because I could see whatever passed for a brain on that thing.

  Nice.

  Azarus turo look at me, and we exged short nods. Our attention was stolen when we heard the war cry of another aurian. Another one was charging on our position.

  A fsh of light came from behind us, flowing around both of our forms, casting us in shadow on the far wall of the cavern. At the same time, I heard a shouted word from Grey, followed a crag boom and the sound of several screamiaurians.

  The aurian charging us flinched and stopped, blinded by the light.

  This time, both Azarus and I didn’t miss our ce.

  Azarus threw out a with his hammer attached to it, winding it around the legs of the monster. He yanked, causing the creature to fall over with a nicker. As he was doing that, I was running at the downed creature with my spear trailing me. Before I reached the monster, I engaged Sylvan Vigor for a brief burst of strength, and jumped as high as I could manage. As I desded towards the downed aurian, I ahe bde of my brilliantly burning spear over its form.

  Impact.

  Driven by both my skill and the weight of my jump, my spear pierced through the equine abdomen of the aurian. The creature let out a final weak screech, and then fell silent forever.

  I didn’t get a ce to celebrate the kill.

  I was knocked off of the aurian I was standing on by the charging swipe of another, actally losing my grip on my spear and leaving it behind. I cried out in pain as I flew, as I’d felt the beast’s cws slice through my flesh. I hit the floor of the cavern with a grunt of pain and sp of wet clothing on stone. I looked up in time to see a aurian charging on my downed form, cws brandished. My eyes widened in panic, causio scrabble at my bay spare spear-dagger.

  I have bothered.

  With a whisper of air, a bde shaped entirely of densed air came out of nowhere and bisected the monster’s upper body from its lower ohe beast didn’t evehe ce to blink before it fell over dead, the pieces of its form skidding to a halt o me.

  I blinked.

  Seds afterward, a bloodied but manic Bel appeared above me. She thrust her left hand down in my dire with a wide grin, a drawn cutss in her right. Hastily, I grabbed hold of it a her yao my feet. I looked around to see how the fight was going.

  It seemed to be dying down. There were only a few stragglers left out of the attag aurians.

  I watched as Venix separated all fs from a aurian he was dueling, before ending it in the motion. Azarus was also finishing off one of them that he seemed to have been grappling with, bursting it’s head open with one brutal down swing of his hammer. I guess that’s why he hadn’t been able to help me with the ohat had knocked me off my feet.

  Oher side of the cavern, Grey was surrounded by a group of five charred aurians, seeming to not have even drawn his sword. Aurum was huddled behind him with eyes wide from fear that was rapidly dwindling. Sylvia was standio her Father in a guard position, blue short sword drawn but unbloodied. Holy, I don’t even know if she had o fight during the impromptu ambush.

  Meanwhile, Bel ping me on the shoulder, causio hiss in pain. Looking at the shoulder she had touched, I saw that it had three deep cw marks in it from the aurian she had killed. “Ooh, sorry about that.” She winced, wiping my blood from her hand on her pant leg.

  I took a breath to settle my nerves after the battle. “It’s fine, I’ll just-”

  I was cut off by cool blue light desding on my form. With a sigh of relief, I felt the wounds on my shoulder close. Looking up, I saw that Grey, Sylvia and Aurum were approag us. Aurum has his staff our and poi me.

  I gave a low chuckle. “I was going to say, I’ll just get Aurum to look at it. Thanks man.” I said to the Sculpted healer.

  He gave me a shaky smile iurn. “I-it’s my job.”

  Now that the battle was over, I was starting to feel the cold of the cavern again. I shivered, rubbing my hands over my arms. Doubly so because of the blood I’d lost.

  Grey must have noticed, because he frowned and cast a g our party that was verging on us. “Everyone else is uninjured?” At their nods, he tinued. “I see. Good job.”

  Aurum spoke up hesitantly. “Is that…it then? Did we get the herd?”

  Grey immediately shook his head. “No, these were just meant to soften us up. The Prime was not among their number. Believe me, we would have known. Everyone has noticed the unnatural cold that permeates this cavern, yes?” At our nods, he tinued. “Obviously, this is unusual. The cavern was a bit chilly the st time I was here, but it wasn’t bone chilling.”

  Azarus sighed. “I’m guessin’ the Prime is the ohat’s makin’ it so damn cold?”

  “Yes,” Grey nodded. “I believe it’s having an effe the surroundiher. The beast must be Ice aspected in some erhaps Darkness as well, judging by the gloom.”

  Grey was still holding up a bright ball of silvery light, allowing us to see in the cavern. I gnced out at it from his words. Seemed likely to me. I remember how the forest outside Addersfield had been crawling with those red vines, as if to indicate its presence.

  As I watched the cavern, the bodies of the ambushiaurians began to poof into Miasma, leaving behind their cores. I pinched my nose against the smell. “So, you think the Prime is further in?” I asked my mentor in a nasally tone.

  “I do,” Grey smiled at me in slight amusement. “But first, I believe we should light a fire. We’re in danger of frostbite from the cold, if we don’t warm ourselves up first.”

  I raised an eyebrow at Grey. “Isn’t it kind of dangerous to light a fire in such a fine space? Couldn’t we suffocate?”

  Grey shook his head. “We won’t linger for long. Only enough to warm our bones as we venture in deeper to sy the Prime, and ultimately, access the prison. Everyone, search around to see if there’s anything we burn.”

  roup dispersed to do as he asked. It didn’t take us long to notice that there lenty to burn.

  It looked like the aurians had been dragging their victims back to this cave. There were…a lot of bones in here with us, along with scraps of driftwood and clothing. I grimaced to see all the remains of the people that had been killed by these monsters, but tinued my searg. Other people didn’t seem to have the same hesitahat I did.

  Bel crowed to herself, causio look over in her dire. She was holding up a gold that she seemed to have pulled out of a small sack she had found. She gri me, wheiced my staring. I shook my head, and got back to work.

  Before long, we had found enough rags and driftwood to burn for a small fire. I settled dowo it, and held my hands out in order to warm them with a satisfied sigh. Grey sat dowo me, and copied my as.

  As he was warming his hands, he addressed everyone, who had gathered around the fire. “I would expect more traps or ambushes further in. This Prime seems like a y example of its kind indeed.”

  Oh, joy.