14-4
The beast spun with a snarl as Syffox lunged on top of it, plunging one of his short swords into its jagged back. The other sword he brought around the creature’s neck, slashing its throat. The black beast tried to let out a howl of pain but only gurgled instead. The creature rolled over to try to fend off its attacker.
Syffox rolled with the beast to stay at its back. He let go of his impaled sword to pull the creature’s jaws closed, stifling its burbling snarls. He then thrust his second sword into its back as well. The creature’s body stiffened as it thrashed its feet, but the wounds weakened it too much to free itself from Syffox’s grasp. The thrashing of the creature’s legs slowed to spasms. The spasms then slowed to twitches, and the twitches eventually slowed to stillness as the final breath drained from the beast.
Vantaiga lay trembling on the ground, her eyes darting between the dead creature and Syffox. An overwhelming mix of terror, confusion, and relief swirled in her head and left her limbs paralysed. Syffox noticed Vantaiga’s wild-eyed stare. He let go of the fiend and reached out to her.
Vantaiga scrambled to him, throwing her arms around his neck. Panting and shaking, she buried her head into his shoulder, too overwhelmed to speak. Syffox held her tightly and stroked her hair while soothing her. But after a moment, he pushed her back; the feeling of being with her made his voice struggle with emotion while he whispered, “We have to get out of here. It’s not safe.”
Vantaiga wiped her eyes and nodded acknowledgement. She looked down at the expired beast that had instilled so much fear in her. Even in death, its monstrous claws and long teeth made her shiver. Weak and stammering, she was finally able to find her voice. “What is that thing?”
Syffox pulled his swords from the dark body. They came free of the carcass with a wet sucking sound that made Vantaiga sick to her stomach. He cleaned the swords along its leathery hide while he spoke in a hushed voice. “It’s a barghest—a creature from my homeland, believe it or not. I never imagined finding one out here. I was very lucky to catch it by surprise. This thing doesn’t just eat you; it eats your soul. The Snake King must have more power than I thought to keep it under control.”
Vantaiga looked at the loathsome creature but couldn’t help feeling guilty for its death. Of all the evils she’d experienced in the cave, this creature was the only thing that hadn’t harmed her. Perhaps it had been just as imprisoned as she was. “It’s not the Snake King.”
Syffox looked at her, puzzled.
“The Snake King is not much more than a beast himself. It’s a wizard I fought with a long time ago. He’s the evil one. He’s the one who must be controlling this creature.”
Syffox cursed. “We have two to fight? And one of them keeps a demon as a pet?” He grabbed Vantaiga’s arm and pulled her into the tunnel. “We have to get out of here before anyone wakes up.”
Vantaiga stumbled behind him. “What time is it?”
“It’s close to dawn. Now don’t speak and walk quietly!”
Vantaiga pulled on his arm and hissed, “Wait!”
Syffox gritted his teeth at the interruption and gave her a frustrated, questioning look.
“I don’t have any magic. I have no power in here.”
Syffox paused for a moment and then looked her over and cursed. With a curt nod he only responded, “Stay quiet.”
Vantaiga pulled on his arm again. “I need to be outside. I will have magic outside.”
Syffox squeezed his fist to suppress an urge to yell. He glared sternly and put his finger to his lips and then abruptly pointed down the cave.
The two walked quickly through the rocky cavern. Vantaiga tried to keep up as quietly as she could on her tiptoes. Syffox clenched his teeth to each grating slip of her sandals on the rock floor. She would be quieter with her bare feet, but she needed her sandals for running at a moment’s notice.
Once around the bend of the tunnel, Vantaiga could see that the dim light of the cave came from an oil lamp at an intersection of another tunnel. Syffox led Vantaiga silently down the new tunnel.
Vantaiga’s heart pounded in her ears with exhilaration and fear. Occasionally, she would realise she was holding her breath and would suck in a slow gulp of air, while trying not to make noise. Her nervousness fed a swarm of butterflies in her stomach and pulled the strength out of her limbs. She also found herself feeling light-headed from poor breathing and was fighting a strong urge to pee.
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She did marvel at how smoothly Syffox made his way while she stumbled and scraped through the darkness. His comfort sneaking in the shadows and the ease with which he slew her demonic guard made her realise she needed to know more about his past than she currently did.
The two came to the entranceway of what looked to be a cooking and dining area that was a bit brighter with more lamps. Vantaiga found it unkempt but refreshingly warm. She scrutinised the mess. If they hadn’t been so busy tormenting her, she could have cleaned it up.
Syffox led her across the room to a far exit. As they made their way, a noise caught their attention. A bluish-white light source appeared down another hallway. It was the Master of Servants walking towards the kitchen with a brightly glowing orb floating above his hand.
Vantaiga’s heart stopped, and she froze in her tracks not knowing what to do. Syffox’s throat clenched and he squeezed in a breath. He jerked Vantaiga forward and moved more quickly through the room. The Master of Servants could not see them yet as he was blinded by his intervening light and distracted with his thoughts, mumbling to himself about devil dogs and dreams of dying.
Syffox pulled Vantaiga towards their opposite exit. She stumbled and bumped a bench as she passed. The scraping of the wood on the stone echoed loudly in the still, empty chamber.
The Master of Servants was momentarily startled but then ran into the dining room. Syffox darted for the exit, yanking a terrified Vantaiga along behind him. He grabbed the oil lamp by their exit, whipped her around, and threw the clay lamp at the Master of Servant’s feet. It shattered open and flames erupted around the dumbfounded mage. Syffox pushed Vantaiga further down the hall. “Run!”
Vantaiga bolted, half stumbling, half running behind him. She was blinded by the burst of flame and moved on fear and instinct, not knowing at all where she was going. From behind them emanated an impossibly loud “STOP!” that blasted their ears and reverberated through their bodies.
At first, Vantaiga thought it was only an extremely loud shout. But as her legs gave out and an incredible ache burst in her head and chest, she realised she’d been hit with something much more powerful. She fumbled against the wall, disoriented and only vaguely aware she could no longer hear. Her vision blurred and her eyes streamed water. Her rattled lungs broke into a coughing fit as Syffox grabbed her hand and pulled her along, stumbling and wiping tears from his eyes as well.
Syffox and Vantaiga ran down the dark tunnel. Syffox turned a corner too quickly for her. Coughing, she careened into a wall with a grunt as they came upon a new room. Through her hazy vision, Vantaiga could discern cluttered robes and travelling clothes and equipment. On an adjacent wall was a large opening with the faint blue glow of outdoor light.
Syffox pulled her through the room, and the two spilled out into the chill morning air of the predawn mountains. Vantaiga shuddered. She was hoping being outside would finally warm her, but the early morning air was even colder than her prison. If only she could warm herself with magic.
She became aware of an invigorating tingle coming over her. There was magic here. She raised her arms to let its energising exhilaration consume her. The chill on her skin was soon replaced by a growing heat in her body. She felt a rush of energy. At long last, she finally had warmth and magic… and power.
Syffox stopped running and bent over coughing. Vantaiga grabbed his arm to pull him forward, but he waved her away. “I can’t outrun them.”
Vantaiga leaned in closer. With her ears still ringing, she could barely hear him. He began pushing her away. “I’ve been running all night. This is it. Now we fight.” She looked at him, bewildered. “Get by a tree. Use it to protect yourself. I’ll take the other side.” He pushed her toward a sparse acacia tree before removing his bow from his back and darting across the rough mountain trail.
Without knowing what else to do, Vantaiga followed his order and stood underneath the tree. She immediately felt a connection with the tree and its eagerness to help her. She was also keenly aware of the tree giving its magic to her, filling her with confidence as well.
The Master of Servants burst out of the cave entrance while pulling on a glove. He looked up and was surprised to find the two fugitives before him. Syffox released an arrow at the mage. It struck him in the chest, and he fell to his knees with a grunt. The arrow did not pierce through his flesh though. His skin was now formed of dark, magical snake scales.
The mage twisted himself back up and pulled a small glass tube from his robe, just as he had done long before to Vantaiga. Syffox had experience dealing with magic users and knew what it meant when wizards began to play with their trinkets. He let loose a second arrow, this time into the mage’s shoulder.
The arrow bit in more deeply. Wincing in pain, the Master dropped the small piece of glass. He looked about wildly for a moment and then, with his gloved hand, he summoned a giant transparent hand that shimmered with magic. The hand raced out at Syffox. It bowled him over, smashing him to the ground with a breath-taking thump.
Vantaiga cursed the mage and struck out with a spray of coloured lights that momentarily dazzled him. She had not yet enough magic for anything more powerful. Squinting through spots, the Master of Servants turned his attention, and giant hand, to her.
The hand rushed at Vantaiga, but she commanded the tree to stop it. The acacia tree bent forward and caught the magic hand in its spiny branches. The branches creaked and snapped with strain. The Master’s magic was extremely strong.
As Syffox struggled for breath, the mage cast a new spell that appeared to have no effect. Syffox managed to rise to one knee and launched another arrow. This time, the arrow ricocheted off an invisible barrier. Syffox growled at the sorcerer’s tricks but knew the magic shield wouldn’t protect everywhere. He nocked and drew another arrow with more careful aim at his target’s feet, but movement caught his eye.
by LT_Anderson
A big score in a small store.
What to expect:
A complete standalone fantasy adventure
Third-person PoV with a single perspective
A love letter to all sorts of fantasy and role-playing tropes
Humorous tone with real stakes
A solid amount of action without it being the main focus
No explicit sex scenes
