Hungry Necromancer

Chapter 263: Final Stand

It's been hours, perhaps we've already sunk the entire day into fighting the Beast Mother's Cavern without ever laying eyes on the Beast Mother herself. But we've come far this day, farther than we'd come before at least.

We're right where I want us to be. I'm full of mana and the Spirit Warriors freshly summoned and Jungle stronger now that he's caught up on some rest albeit sick with a hunger that plagues us both because somehow, neither of us thought it prudent to pack a meal.

Frankly I thought I'd only spend a couple hours here with the large reinforcement of Spirit Warriors I stepped in with, but quickly proved not to be the case.

Still, we're right where I want us, need us to be. We're ready.

"Alright, Jungle?"

He gives me a curt nod, twirls his spear brining up the tip with a flame blazing and starts the unsteady march down the tunnel.

I take the first steps in with [Death Grip] and [Soul Drain] set to lash out at anything that approaches. Jungle's flamed spear illuminates the way forward and the Spirit Warriors creep along in a circular formation around us, Eldwin stalks ahead with Shaco resting on his shoulder, tasting the air for enemies.

Breathing heavy deep breaths we creep on along the tunnel, heads whipping about at slithering sounds, scratching, and growling around us. Nothing ever steps out of the shadows, but the thought that something is out there is enough to put everyone on edge.

It's wet. Splashing wet as we fall into some puddles as we creep. It's unlike what we've come across so far, the layers behind us all bore some unique features. The first layer is full of moss, and a variety of carnivorous plants and monsters. While the second starts off a trend of exclusivity with it being populated mainly by serpentine monsters, but at least its walls were brightly illuminated by mana crystals.

The third layer was made up of sharp rocky terrain, even having parts with pillars and a purple foliage and plants that let on a soft, lulling glow on the layer. But the tunnel has nothing. It's wet and creeping with skittering enemies.

"This is fun."

"Quiet."

"What, you don't joke to ease the tension of possible death?"

"I thought you weren't worried about yourself? Thought you were too strong not to get to the top now you're skittish at lurking monsters?"

"Oh wow, you kept that in your head all this time? Really? Aren't Knights supposed to be, I don't know, not vain? Forgiving and honourable? Just with their wrath?"

"Hahah, what would you know of Knighthood? You're a Mage filled with nothing but greed and lust for power."

"Well, I saw a couple shows and played a few games so-"

"Games? You speak of theatre and boys playing Warrior? You are truly ignorant."

Lips curling into a smile I chuckle, "I am aren't I? You should enlighten me."

His outrage snuffs away as he narrows his eyes at me through his mask, the growing suspicious easy to sense, "On what? Knighthood? Are you interested for Anselm's sake or are you seeking to make a perversion of it?"

I shake my head and tut, "My motivations aren't all as sinister as you make them out to be, if I were truly greedy I'd have had you kicked out of the Forest the moment I was through with you."

He makes a big show of the snide laugh he has at my expense, shaking and tapping his thigh, "Sure, but then you choose to ask for my help, offer me a chance to see my son and even become lord of Duchy. You speak with a silver tongue but I know these to be lies. Perhaps I'm truly not worth the extra effort for, but our presence here simply confirms you aren't of that mindset, you dived in because you're greedy and want more than what's required."

"....Okay, fuck, you got me there. But I am also asking with interest in Anselm. He's from a timelong before now." To my surprise Jungle doesn't react to this, only nods, "I guess he told you this much then?"

"Enough I know you two are meant to explore that lead sometime during this journey. Is tourism an expense you can afford during the start of a War or are you just cocky?"

I can't help chuckling at how different he sounds when the topic isn't his self righteousness, "I'm just that cocky. Now, Riveden, Saia, are these words ringing any bells?"

He hums, placing his chin between his fingers, "Rived- Shhh! There's something"

Shaco rattles his tail threateningly at the flickering light ahead of us, hissing at it's growth with each step we take. Before either of us can do anything about it the light expands, blinding and enveloping in a cold, harsh conundrum of warmth.

I take a sharp breath and immediately start screaming, my gargled cries of pain drowned out by the choking experience of water all around me. A head above me, a struggling mess is Jungle, kicking as desperately as I to get our heads above water.

Jungle breaks through and I barely make it, almost giving up on the last stretch. Shivering, trembling and hacking out cups of water we slosh out towards the closest stretch of land. Washing up the shores of what my hands tell me is most definitely not sand. I hack out the water that's left in my lungs and catch a good breath at last.

"Wherewhat is this place?" Jungle coughs out, Spirit Warriors burst out of the waters at intervals. Shaco slithers over to me and I bask on the strange place we've been transported to.

It's dark, that purple stint of the third layer is gonereplaced by a dark red sky that spans the horizon, a craggy landscape with geysers spitting out bursts of steam and fire. Directly in front of us and impossible to miss are the two large mountains bleeding lava, it's thin across the tips, over which a colossal dragon slithers.

"Zilant." Jungle mutters, "Two front legs anda pair of wings."

The giant Zilant yawns fire as it crawls across the expanse of the mountain tops. It stares down at us and snarls.

"Uhsorry, uhm, are we meant to fight that thing?" One of the Spirit Warriors stutters, a stutter that starts up a murmur of conversation and doubt.

"If we have to. There's no getting out without this things say soor death. So everyone's got to work together."

The ocean around us begins to sprout with several heads, Drakes, White snakes and Lindworms the easiest to identify, but the water is populated in a blink of an eye by reptilian monsters.

"Easier said than done" The Spirit Warrior mutters.

But there isn't any need to panic, at least not yet. The gathered hundreds of monsters merely encircle us, watching and stalking our every move on what I'm starting to suspect is a massive scale. All the islands here must be scales.

The mountains crack and massive rocks tumble down into the ocean as the Zilant shifts, curling its tail and yawning out another breath of fire. It glares down at us, its eyes large enough I can make out changes from this height.

"So you are the ones threatening my base." The Zilant growls, its voice feminine with a gravelled undertone of masculinity, I can't tell if its a man or a woman speaking, not that it matters.

The Spirit Warriors panic some more at the sight of the giant dragon beast speaking down at them and Jungle, Jungle roars.

"We are!" He says, beating his chest either to make himself look stronger or to send the fear out of his heart, "And we're here for the head of the Beast Mother, would that be you?"

He twirls and activates his spear, eliciting a round of hissing from the beasts circling in the waters

"Uhhe doesn't speak for all of us here." I step in to interject, his head whips to me, eyes bright and wide behind his mask, "I was merely helping the young man's quest."

His eyes fall and he shakes his head, disappointed at me.

'Sorry, but I'm about as ready to fight this thing and its monsters as I am ready to give up everything I've worked for and die.'

The Zilant shifts and more rocks tumble down the lava bleeding mountains, "Is that so? But your mana is the one I've sensed throughout, even now. You areMage?"

I blink but answer quickly, "Yes, yes I am Mage. G ood Mage."

It growls and starts to descend, Jungle bristles as the massive creature approaches but it merely snorts a bit of fire over his head and turns to me. Its body long reaching that it hasn't fully left the mountains even with its face to mine.

Its red scales rattle underneath a natural heat that has me sweating, I gulp, knowing the only thing I have as a defensive is Lotar's [Circle Of Death] boon, something I've been saving despite all the temptations to use it.

But I'm glad I didn't.

"Hi."

It takes a deep breath, sniffing me and snorts, "YouI know of you."