The clompings from the snarling creepers coming through the path leading to theirs could only mean in Dryad's mind truly this was never a drill as it was, the creepers being here whether they sneaked in or not—they are coming for them, In that moment Dryad felt his whole body stiffened, his heart-pumping hard as the cold air bit into his lung looking as though he woke up from a nightmare but unfortunately this was the nightmare he'd feared and never will he be waking out of it sooner or later.
"What the?" Dryad uncle whispered, then he looked around saw the anxieties on everyone's face but on glancing at Dryad, his stiffened-little nephew's eyes were fixed staring at the direction of the screams underneath the creepers clompings.
It seems he was ready to protect everyone as the prince of the Forest Nymphs.
"Everyone move deeper through the other tunnels. Help the young first then the fertile and the old. For those that have the art of teleportation forest technique, hold as many as your might can and teleport them deeper into the havens!" Dryad uncle commanded. "you, you, you and you stay here with me and fight these monsters—The remaining hunters go with them and protect them with your lives!"
He looked at his little nephew as thin layer of sweats covered the nape of Dryad's neck.
"You also."
Dryad blinked, all he could thought of was one thing. He always being a coward filled with discouragement and desire to run the opposite way whenever there's danger—merely thinking about the situation can't actually do anything if he doesn't take actions here and now.
"No… Uncle… I will stay and fight." He spoke slightly with determination. "This is my kingdom and as the heir of the Forest Nymphs Kingdom, I shall not leave my position until I safe and protect everyone from these creepers."
"Hmmm." Then his uncle sighed. "Well it is your choice, since your needs is to save life not to hurt it. I will allow it but, one thing, stay behind me. I don't want to tell your father stories that touch."
"Right!"
"Okay. Form positions."
"Aye Sir!" the four hunters responded separating to different positions ready for an attack—two of the hunters climbed the walls of the tunnel at opposite directions holding a steel short spear as the remaining two went in front of Dryad's uncle in a stance while holding their chakrams with a shield fastened on their backs.
Forest Nymphs from other tunnels frightenedly ran pass them as many of them did as they were told using the art of teleportation.
Suddenly, Dryad's uncle saw one of the Forest nymph's official dressed in fancy apparel with a bokdu hat on his head running out of the tunnel infested with the creepers.
"Do you see Oshoshi?"
"Ye.. Yes he's with other hunters and the mystical creatures fighting the creepers." the frightened nymph replied without stopping with his great speed he could barely see who was talking.
Dryad turned his face to him.
"What about his family?!"
"He... actually teleported them out of there before anything." The frightened nymph official panted then he looked at one of the teleporter in distress. "Hey! teleport me out of this place at once!"
"Alright Sir."
"Is he the last one!" Dryad's uncle asked, the four hunters including Dryad looked around.
"Yes Sir!" The hunters answered.
Dryad's uncle grabbed a shield from the back of the hunter in front of him then gave it to Dryad as it overshadowed his little nephew.
"You need it for your protection at least." he said after.
Then, the whole place was quiet only the clompings creepers getting louder and nearer. Dryad took the opportunity to inspect his surroundings as the hunters were still in their position glaring at the only path the snarling creepers will appear from.
The underground thick, blackened wall and floors were filled with little sparklingly crystals shining in varies of colors but more of the color-blue glows more brightly than any other color there serving as the main illumination within the underground and it's passages, having a towering roof the same as the height of it's creator—the glowing sky-worms with each tunnels connecting to each haven as a creek flowing from the east to the west. A total of ten haven built and still ongoing with each one holding many of mystical creatures for traps and protections.
The sparkling stones switched off within the tunnel the snarling creepers were coming from for some unknown reason.
"Release the creatures!" Dryad's uncle said, immediately the two hunters on the walls hit the bottom of their spears on the wall twice, suddenly, eight large stony wild canid with their body glistening formed out from the walls growling as they landed on their four feet facing the direction of the snarling creepers sounds then with one whistle from Dryad's uncle they immediately charged inside the tunnel.
A short, loud explosive noise follows then suddenly, their glistening light shut off with a squeak, over everything was darkness and thick silence.
Dryad blinked as he swallowed.
His uncle removed his golden dwarven axes from their scabbard behind.
"Ready your weapons."
Suddenly, two creepers leapt out of the darkness, Dryad was horror-struck then leaned back holding closely his shield as he stumbled to the sparklingly ground with a grunt.
"Now!"
Two hunters in front immediately threw their chakrams slicing off the creepers arms to the ground then the two hunters on the wall threw their short spears strongly at the armless creepers thrusting through the creepers lower body nailing them closer to the ground unably them to move.
Dryad's uncle noticed some slight changes on the creepers.
He held tightly his golden dwarven axes. "They must have evolved. Cause' they seems to have the ability to dig deep holes, looked at their long fingers and sharpened teeth." He said then sliced the two creepers' head in half.
"Get ready more are coming this way."
Dryad drew in a long breath before standing up, his uncle and the hunters never looked his way for they were more focused on what was coming before them.
Now the sounds made by the raging creepers was deafening, the hunters took another spare of their weapons tightly sheathed behind them, firmly gripping it observing the darkness within the tunnel.
The raging creepers footsteps suddenly stopped then a single but more loud clomping sound was heard as it walked slightly outside of the darkened tunnel and stopped before reaching the light.
Dryad's uncle nodded at one of the hunters near him, the hunter then nodded back after, he sat on his hams placed his hand on the ground as vines crawled from the ground to the walls within the darkened tunnel sprouting out glowing flowers slowly lightened up the path.
Dryad and his uncle including every hunters in an act of disbelieve, their eyes immediately widened. What they saw was the most terrifying thing they'd ever seen. The creepers were eating some of the forest Nymphs that were dragged along side with them but what was more terrifying was a bigger and taller creeper in their midst—What was held in it's hands made the hunters burst into tears including Dryad.
On both hands was dead Oshoshi being shredded into two.
Suddenly, the vines within the tunnels as well as the glowing flowers dried out. Leaving once again darkness inside the infesting tunnel.
The bigger creeper took a step forward to the Haven dousing a small portion of the sparkling stones on the floor.
This paved way to a whole thinking about creepers not only did they evolved into diggers only indeed had the abilities to do something this extraordinary.
It all goes to the bigger creeper in front of me now I know the cause of the sudden smothering of everything that has light around here. Dryad's uncle said to himself.
"But this alone is... Im… Im… impossible… " Dryad's uncle muttered.
.
.
.
The flaming domed form was still huge as the pressure and temperature slowly enveloped the vines that held the Egregious being same as the now molten ground.
The Egregious being struggled trying to break off the vines to move away from the endangered positions.
"It all ends here." Randall said.
"You think?" the Egregious being questioned trying hard to hide its pains from Randall, "the vines trying to hold me down will totally burnt off by your flames sooner or later. After it does, I will kill every last one of—"
Randall immediately held the Egregious being face lifting it up completely breaking off the vines on it body then slammed the Egregious being hard to the ground with a force of destruction.
"This is how you did it, right?" Randall said, the Egregious being felt overwhelmed as new vines thrusted out from the ground immediately wounding the Egregious being.
"What… what is this… this feeling of being pressured! No I can't give in. It will be the end of my pride if I can't destroy a single being from this little gifted world, never! Never will I submit to the likes of them!"
Suddenly, three Egregious being formed right behind Randall as the King of Humanes perceived it.
"So this is how you form your clones. And I'm guessing the real one is under my palm right now," he said then side looked at the two Egregious being one at his left, the other at his right side.
The two beings were immediately set ablaze with only a look from Randall. Hmm.. where did the third one ran to? he wondered.
He looked straight to the Egregious being's blazing purple eyes.
"Given that you aren't from my world you are the only one that survive in my blazing dome for this long."
"Make it two." Someone said behind him.
Randall widened his eyes then rolled his eyes.
"What are you doing here?!"
Priscilla thrusted her fists deep into the hot ground and grabbed two clones of the Egregious being out from the ground while holding their heads tightly she squashed them with her bare hands then she threw them up to the skies as they exploded.
"Things could have being better if I hadn't talk," Priscilla said. "oh? How I knew they were beneath—I was taught by Gage on how to sense things from the ground using your palms and your energies from within."
"No, not that, how long have you being here? Leave before my flaming dome destroys you."
"That's not going to happen, my King. I was behind you since the very moment you created the dome."
"What?!" Randall yelled, "You can't hide it from me I could feel the effects already taken place."
"I don't care, now that you and I are alone and the people outside the dome wouldn't hear us, could we talk about the things you said to me on the cliff when we were young."
"What?! Seriously?! In this kind of situation?!"
"Yes, my King I mean it."
Randall sighed, "it is officially, no doubt the things in a woman's head are incomprehensible ."
"Woo~ let's hear it. I'm all ears."
"Shut it. You will die any way and if you're thinking of a sneak attack. I don't mind killing every last one of you, try me and see."
"Divine Humane of Strength as your king I command you to leave this endangered place at once." Immediately Priscilla kneeled on the molten ground on one kneel.
"No my King, until you remember the things you told me the day you saw me crying on the cliff."
"The day I saw you crying..? The day I saw you… "
Immediately Randall remembered.
.
.
.