Leading the way, since I was the only one who could see, I led Angel around the cave with a name I really have no desire to repeat right now and looked for a spot to hide.
It was more difficult than I had thought due to how most of the spots I found were full of water, which makes sense as this was the place where the village gets its water now that I think about it.
After a short while I finally found a small little hole in the wall that was not full of water and was actually quite warm, how convenient.
So now it was just me and Angel sitting in a closed space waiting out the darkness until the lights came back on and the bell rang out once more, something I enjoyed a LOT.
Trying my best to not get lost in the floral scent coming from Angel's hair, I waited out the time...waited...waited and waited some more.
Yep I am bored, so bored that I feel it manifesting physically via an itch on my back. But no matter how much I try to scratch it nothing happens, it remains. How annoying.
Trying to distract myself, I let my mind wander around for a bit which didn't help as it kept going back towards the adorableness next to me.
Morals, morals.
Well at least its not cold anymore, it's nice and warm in...wait a second.
Why is it perfectly warm right in here anyways?
Curious, I slowly managed to move my head from facing Angel to facing the back of the hole, wandering if I could find any reason for this.
Visually I saw nothing, so I decided to feel alongside the wall for anything special or unique.
Feeling, feeling.
Ah, there are several small holes here that leak hot air. Perhaps this is a natural thermal vent of sorts? Or it could be something magical, I mean, I did fall through a mirror for Thor's sake. Not to mention that there are a bunch of things called 'bloodsuckers' out and about, which definitely reminds me of a certain fantasy trope.
Hmm hmm, what's this? Scratch marks all over the walls? I wonder what could have left those.
Now that I think about it there is indeed a weird smell in this hole, although it is hard to detect it over Angel's floral scent...I think she needs to use a little less of that whatever perfume that Penelope the perfumist or whatever their name is made.
Trying my best to crouch down as much as I could, having to turn my body from the hotdog to the hamburger position if that makes any sense, I ran my hand along the ground and felt it: fur.
It was long and coarse, of a dark color which explains why I can barely see it even now that I scooped some up, and when I smelled it I could detect a very faint but still ever present metallic scent of iron.
Hmm, what was the name of this cave again? Hahaha, shit.
Having stumbled upon a rather unfortunate possibility, I knew I had to alert Angel who was now unfortunately blocking the exit.
No touchy feely this time though, I need to be alive to mess around with cute girls you know.
"Angel, we need to leave this little hole we found" said the great I.
"Why-" began Angel, trying to ask but I quickly realized communication was grossly inefficient so I just decided to take a page out of a favorite comedy skit and say,
"Because I am going to GRAPE you in the mouth!"
Which caused her to freeze up and, understandably, start frantically exiting the hole that we were in.
Ah, I am sure I can explain that one away later. 'There are plenty of fish in the sea', was it? Let's hope that is true for I most likely just let this one get away...
Anyhow, following her quick escape I followed after her, caught up to her, and grabbed her shoulder to stop her from running head first into the side of the cave that she was about to hit.
Feeling my touch she froze once more for a moment, I could just imagine the goosebumps, and turned around to meet me with a flying knee.
Thankfully I had not eaten in awhile, even lowsec prison food was inedible for me as I threw it up the one time I tried, so while it hurt like hell and may have possibly ruptured a kidney I was otherwise okay.
"Hold it Angel," said I, who took a bit of distance so she couldn't pinpoint my location to hit me, "I was just kidding, we were in the lair of what I assume is the reason for the name of this cave. We should probably create a bit more distance though, I am sure we both like living."
My quick explanation seemed to have effect, for she stopped unleashing her machine gun blows into the darkness around her.
"Really...?" said Angel, her voice clearly steeped in caution and wariness.
Understandable, for she was inside a cave full of things that probably wanted to kill her trapped with a man who could see just fine in the dark while she cant see the wall in front of her...literally.
Maybe I am bit of a terrible person after all? Nah...
"Really, really. I swear on my homeland Other that it is true. Look, here is the fur I picked up off the ground."
Handing her some fur which thankfully I decided to pocket for some reason, she felt it for a moment and with it her tension was visibly reduced somewhat.
"Okay, I understand...next time you should be a bit more...delicate..."
It seemed that the longer I spent with her the more she became wary around me, to the point where she barely wished to speak a single word more than she had too. Good job me!
"Well the situ-"
Kicking the ground that I was standing on I propelled myself directly towards Angel, using a technique I didn't even know to do a half spin while moving forward and unleash a kick that probably broke the sound barrier.
My leg cracked past Angel's head, causing her hair to look like it had just entered a wind tunnel, and smashed into the head of whatever the fuck I just saw jump at her.
Whatever it was, even I could barely see it. Not only that but it was big, so much so that the amazing attack I never knew I could do before only knocked it away and dazed it temporarily.
I could still see a small change in the patches of darkness in the distance, which was most likely the thing I just smacked away.
"All right Angel, it's time to run for our lives. I can't carry you this time so just run straight in the direction I point you until you hit a wall, then follow the wall until you get to the incline we came in on. Good luck!" said I, faster than the fastest talking man in the world. Hopefully she got the memo, for even if I wanted to carry and run with her it was not exactly possible thanks to how tired I was, and how the kick I just unleashed totally didn't help with that.
Cutting off whatever word she was about to form, I pushed her towards the direction she needed to go and spun around on the spot once more with another spinning kick to knock the creature away.
It seemed to be intelligent, as this time it clawed me as I kicked it away...as evidenced by the sharp pain that emanated from my leg and spread to my whole body. My nerves felt like they were each individually being stabbed and then strangled, but adrenaline coursed through my veins which allowed me to ignore most of the otherwise mind numbing pain.
Durable, fast, and can detect me either through sight, sound, or smell. If its sight I have a chance, if its smell I am dead, and if its sound I have a chance.
Making use of the small window of opportunity I had from stunning the creature, I stooped low to the ground and ran my hands on the stone floor and scooped up a small rock.
Looking at the now quickly rousing creature, I threw the rock with a rather pathetic amount of force behind it to see how it would react.
Thankfully it reacted just as how I hoped it would, immediately pouncing where rock was thrown and even smashing into the wall of the cave.
Powerful, strong, but not intelligent.
Thus my plan was simple, throwing rock after rock I continually misdirected the the creature again and again while slowly closing in and even scooping up a jagged rock I had noticed on the ground.
Approaching so, so slowly, I was finally in a position to complete a final devastating attack: Throwing my entire body weight in an all out thrust with this makeshift weapon, right into its eye socket.
It struggled and screamed, and spurted blood all over me, but its struggle ended as soon as it had started and it only slightly tore up my chest in the process. Easy Victory.
I had no time to consider my victory or even look at whatever the hell I just killed, for I knew I had to get back to Angel in case something else went wrong. Not only that, but she couldn't even see down here so I am sure she was not having the best of times.
So I made my way towards her, ever so slowly but surely, doing my best to ignore the searing pain all over my body and the the extreme lightheadedness from blood loss... I quickly made my way to her.
I was presented to a shocking sight when I arrived at the incline, a petite girl fighting against dozens of pale, insidious looking humanoid figures with nails so sharp they looked like razor blades and flashing red eyes.
There was a bit more light in this area thanks to some glowy shit on the walls, but it was still only slightly better than no visibility at all. Angel was putting up as best a fight as she could, unleashing powerful blow after powerful blow with each one that hit completely incapacitating one of what I assumed was a bloodsucker.
She was not unscathed though, as she did a roundhouse kick to clear some space, I could distinctly see blood running down her arms from various scratches she sustained.
Full of righteous fury and empty of most of my rationality, thanks blood loss, I made my presence known with a war cry and joined in on the fight.
Immediately besieged by the disgusting things, that shrieked and whooped whenever they got a taste of my blood, I only managed to kill two of them before I was on the ground and was presented the feeling of having my blood drained from my body.
Using the rock dagger thing in my hand, I caked myself in the brain matter of two more of the creatures...but it was pointless.
My vision darkened rapidly as I turned into skin and bones...I was cold, so cold.
Panic and fear finally broke through my muddled head but it was far too late for regret.
Laying on the ground, not even able to move a finger, I heard a bell sound and the normal low level of light in the village turned on once more.
I heard several footsteps and voices, perhaps the villagers were running down to help?
Alas, it was too late for me.
Using the entirety of my lifes potential, I guess, I punched out one last time onto the bloodsuckers that were now going for my throat...which seems to be a thing as I somehow turned their heads into a bloody mist and even knocked away the rest.
Unable to rejoice at my newfound ability...everything went dark as my vision failed me.
Next my hearing failed me.
Next I could no longer even feel the cold stone ground...
Everything was darkness.
..
..
...
..
And then there was light.