"WE DID IT! WE ACTUALLY DID IT!"
Lars, Bavarthos, Viekar, John and I, we're all jumping around ecstatically, (Okay, I was the one jumping around.) after working on an effective defense against the magical bullets the past two months.
Each rotation we went out on, had us walking on eggshells, not knowing if we were going to be shot with one of the bullets. Bavarthos taught me and John how to extract items from our bodies with magic, so even if he was not with us, we might have a chance.
We had done well holding the line and gaining ground in Panama. We now controlled parts of Colombia after pushing back the Erl's forces. They still gained more ground in Brazil, Peru, and on the African continent. In Europe, Moldova, the Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia and parts of Romania and Belarus were still lost. Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, North and South Korea, and parts of China and Russia were now under the Erlking's power.
"Now we need to figure out how we're going to put this into the battle gear. We can't make it obvious either." John pulls us back down from our highs, as we had a new problem to figure out.
"How are we supposed to get enough to fill a whole suit? What was this stuff again?" I step closer to the dark gray material that's texture is quite odd. It was hard and dry, flexible, and had a weird smell about it.
Bavarthos nonchalantly informs us, "It's the molted skin of my Neergrof's."
My hand drops from the hide. "Which one is the Neergrof?"
"The largest one of my pets. I haven't pulled him out to use yet. He is a tad.... rambunctious." Bavarthos hints that he is down playing the creatures demeanor.
"It molts? What is it? A giant lizard or bug?" John inquired. Him and Bavarthos were not friendly but they had come to terms enough to be cordial with one another, which was a relief to all of us.
"Why don't I just show you?" He gestures for us to follow him out.
"Sure why not?" I shrug as I follow him and the others making their way out. We go through the labyrinth of halls and doors, not even attempting to figure out how they know their way around.
"So B... Curiosity has gotten the best of me. How do you not get lost in here? Everything looks the same and I can't see any markings to identify anything. It seems like we're just going through at random places?"
My question makes Bavarthos and Viekar both chuckle a little.
"What?!" I scoff at them feeling my nose wrinkle on the right side of my face.
'Seriously, why are you two being asshats and laughing at me?'
"We're not going to tell you, you'll figure it out. Eventually." Bavarthos flashes a cocky, pearly white filled grin over his shoulder at me.
'Where's a rock? I wonder if I can get away with tagging his ass...'
I grab a pebble as we walk along and John gives me a confused look.
I go to take aim and as I'm warming up Bavarthos speaks up.
"I'd appreciate it, Sin, if you left that on the ground."
"Damn it." Mumbling, I drop the pebble and we continue on.
It's not much farther after this that we stop in front of a double door entry. I've only seen a few halls have these size doors, and with how many halls I've seen.... There's not many of these doors.
"Please don't try to pet him. He'll turn you into a chew toy if you do." Bavarthos warns us.
John and I exchange a look, mirroring our confused apprehension.
Bavarthos opens the doors and we walk into a huge underground cave with a sea glass green lake on the left side. Bumpy, sweaty, cream-sickle and brick red lined, Stalagmites and Stalactites litter the outer edges of the cave.
"Where the devil is he?" Bavarthos addresses his thoughts out loud as he scans the area.
*Whistle*
Bavarthos lets out a shrill whistle that echos off the caves walls. In between the echos, we feel something.
*tha-tha-thump tha-tha-thump*
The vibrations coming up from the ground, make us and pebbles tremble.
John, Lars and I, all glance at each other, an unknown terror freezing our legs from moving.
As the rhythmic vibrations get stronger, a dark mass can be seen moving on the far side of the cave.
"B?" My voice squeaked out as the black mass ate the distance between us with ease.
Bavarthos merely started to whistle a tune.
"Okay Willy Wonka, please tell me that thing is going to stop?" I call out finally taking a step back, and bump into Lars who's taken up using me as a shield.
'So much for, I'll protect you Mija.'
*inner eye-roll*
The shaking of the earth from the giant horned beast that is barreling towards us, brings us to our knees. Viekar and Bavarthos stand unaffected, even as the beast slides to a halt, throwing thick clouds of dust, pebbles and minerals everywhere.
The thick, dry clouds coat my nose and throat. The strong odor and flavor of chalk, fills me, drying out every salivary gland in me. Sharp coughs erupt as I hack out the dust I inhaled. My eyes are burning, scratching pools of tears as they try to clear themselves. I hear John and Lars behind me coughing to clear their airways too.
"So dramatic." Bavarthos mutters, his eye-roll is felt, even though we can't see it. I hear him snap his fingers, even over the panting of the giant beast standing in front of us.
Instantly, our airways and eyes are clear. Standing up, I slowly take in the onyx claws the length of a broom, attached to a paw the size of car with black fur. Following the line of a well sculpted, muscular leg, bulging and heaving with each breath that swells the chest on the Neergrof.
The creature pants, tongue remaining inside of it's hellish mouth. It's head resembled a mix of a black panther and a Tibetan Mastiff, that was littered with horns from it's ears, down to it's snout.
It's amber and gold eyes glowed, intelligent amusement shining down at us. Dizziness starts to wash over me and I feel faint as my head cranks all the way back to look up at this thing.
It's panting slowed down as it laid down and rested its head on its front paws. Movement caught my eye, and wagging like a cat's is a bulbous, armor-plated, spiked club tail. A giant sigh escaped it's mouth. The force of it threatening to blow us over as we braced our stances against the hot, humid, and foul breath that reeked of putrid dog breath.
A deep booming voice, rumbles across us, "Who have you brought here, Bavarthos? Some one to eat or someone to meet?"
"It..It... IT talks?!" John spits out, gently trembling in fear and amazement.
"If that impress you, wait till you see my other capabilities." It raises it's head from it's paw while looking down at us, amusement crinkles it's eyes and snout.
"Dear mother.... I think I need to sit down." John takes a step back, kicking dirt and stones as he took a seat on the ground.
"Yes, well, Vartonix, this is Sin, her husband, John, and Lars. They are my allies." Bavarthos introduces us to the giant beast that still looks down with amusement at us.
"Allies..Servant...Business partner.... Why do you not have any friends, Bavarthos? Are you rude to everyone you meet?" Vartonix vibrates the ground with his query as Bavarthos gives him a glare.
"Look who's talking..." Bavarthos rolls his eyes and shakes his head in disdain.
"I know... You learned some of your best comebacks from me." Vartonix raises a paw and scratches under his chin, before dropping his head back down to our level.
John burst out in laughter. "Rambunctious?!" He turns to Bavarthos, questioning him with a grin.
"You know John, Vartonix is just a puppy that I've raised since he was born..." Bavarthos starts.
"So he got that smart mouth from you." I cock an eye and grin at Bavarthos.
Vartonix raises his head and laughs at the ceiling, "HA! Bavarthos, I like these little things! So tell me... why have you come to see me today?" Vartonix lowers his muzzle to nudge Bavarthos. "Are you finally here to tell me, I can help?"
The spiked club tail wags expectantly in the air.
Bavarthos sighs heavily while sticking his hands into his pockets. "I was thinking about it, but I don't know... you like to rip through everything, not caring if you hit friend or foe."
"Oh come on.... I take out a few machines that were in the way and I'm suddenly not good enough to battle?" Vartonix huffs in annoyance.
Bavarthos just as annoyed grinds out through tightly furrowed lips, "You know I can't risk you hurting our troops, even my machines. You get carried away and you don't like to follow orders when you're practicing. How could I get our allies to trust you in a real scenario?"
"Give me a real opportunity. I will not disappoint." Vartonix eyes Bavarthos, squinting his displeasure through his golden gaze.
'I wonder..'
"Hey B. I think I know a way to test him in the field." I regret my statement as I fall to the floor covered in foul smelling saliva.
'EWWW!' I scream in my head.
Whimpering, I scrape the warm, thick goo from my face and shake it off my hands.
"I like this one, Bavarthos." Vartonix flashes his feline smile, making me worry.
'Does he mean personally...or the taste?'