"How good are you with the blade?" Cyrus asked.
"I have a fair share of experience, but I've never fought against a drake," Sylven said. He rolled his shoulders. "I fear I'll be able to do little more than fend off its attacks. While I do, I need you to keep looking for a way out. Try to find us another path, if you can."
"I'll do what I can," Cyrus said. He squeezed Sylven's arm. "Stay alive."
Sylven laughed. "I make no promises. Here, take the lantern and my pack. They'll only get in my way."
As Cyrus hooked the lantern to his belt, the clack of claws grew closer, cutting through the darkness. Sylven tightened his grip on his sword, and with a nod, slipped into the shadows, his cloak fluttering behind him.
Gritting his teeth, Cyrus turned back to the abyss, and frantically scanned the black sea. Nothing but emptiness filled the void ahead, the floor deep below, and the other side far out of reach. On either side, the cavern walls blocked any hope for escape, their cracks and crevices too narrow to fit through.
Cyrus paced the edge, his eyes darting back and forth. Behind him, Sylven's voice echoed through the cavern as he chanted an incantation. From his hands, a blazing ball of fire swirled into existence, before shooting across the cavern floor like a flaming cannonball.
With a thunderous boom, it struck the drake's side, enveloping its black scales in a blanket of flames. As the beast let out a wounded howl, a shockwave washed over Cyrus, billowing his cloak. He threw up his hands, shielding himself against the wind and scorching heat, and twisted away from the explosion.
Then, as the light faded, he noticed a nest of roots, pushing through the cavern ceiling. Scrambling over the rocks, Cyrus threw his consciousness out, and latched onto the tendrils, merging his mind with the thoughts of an ancient willow tree.
'Come on, come on. Wake up!' Cyrus slammed his consciousness against the tree, urging it to respond. The willow's mind felt like a giant stone wall, slow and unmoving, with an ego born from centuries of life. Its existence towered over his own like an elephant looms over an ant, unable to even notice him.
'Gods above! I don't have time for this!'
Cyrus flooded the tree with aether, digging into its thoughts like a dagger. A low groan echoed through the cavern, and chunks of the ceiling crumbled as the willows roots lashed back and forth. As the stones falling into the abyss disappeared with a splash, a beam of light slipped through the cracks, revealing a pale blue sky beyond.
"What are you doing back there?" Sylven shouted. There was a clang as his sword bounced off the drake's obsidian scales, leaving nothing more than a scratch.
"I'm making a way out of here!" Cyrus said. "Just hold on for a little bit longer!"
"I'll do my best!" Sylven said. He leapt back several meters, and dodge to the side as the drake's claws slammed into the ground, shattering the stone. With a lunge, he aimed for the beast's eye, but his sword was swatted to the side.
Cyrus bit his lip, the taste of iron light on his tongue, and fixed his gaze back on the roots. His aether swirled through his chest, his blood boiling from its heat. Ignoring the strength draining from his body, he sent it towards the willow, commanding it to grow, and split the ground.
Woken from its slumber, the ancient willow shook its mighty roots, and tore open the mountain side. With a shower of dust and crumbling stones, a gaping hole opened, allowing a column of sunlight to flood the cavern.
"Sylven! I've got it. Let's go!"
As the thick roots extended toward them, Cyrus's knees wobbled, but he caught himself on a spire of stone. Dragging Sylven's pack over, he rummaged through the top until he found one of the parcels of nerophim.
Across the cavern, Sylven blocked the drake's barbed tail with his sword, then spun on his heel, and raced towards the abyss. The drake snarled, its fangs gleaming in the sunlight, while its charred scales glowed like embers in the night.
Its muscles tensed, then it lunged forward, claws outstretched towards the back of Sylven's neck. With the grace of a cat, he ducked, and slid to the left, before continuing to run. The drake landed, skidding across the stones, before catching its balance.
As they closed in, Cyrus fumbled with the folds of the cloth, his fingers shaking uncontrollably. Finally, he tore it open, scattering the mushrooms across the floor. With a curse, he scrambled to scoop them back up, before jumping to his feet.
"Run to the roots. Climb to the surface." Cyrus said. "I'll be right behind you!"
Sylven gave a slight nod, grabbing his pack as he raced past, and dashing towards the edge of the abyss. The wind swirled around him as he leapt off, propelling him over the chasm. Time seemed to slow as he reached for the roots, fingers clawing through the air.
Cyrus held his breath, watching, waiting. Then, Sylven made it, his knuckles white as he latched on, and wrapped his legs around.
"What are you waiting for? Let's go!" Sylven shouted. He climbed the roots, hand after hand, foot after foot. As he neared the top, Cyrus turned his attention back to the drake.
The beast stalked towards him, its body low, fangs bared, and eyes narrowed into slits. His heart racing, Cyrus backed towards the edge, still clutching onto the mushrooms. The drake followed, its tail weaving through the air.
As the two faced each other, a clatter of stones echoed off the walls, knocked loose from the ceiling above. Like a whip, Cyrus snapped forward his arm, hurling the mushrooms towards the drake.
The drake leapt back, and swatted at the mushrooms, only for them to hook onto its scales, their stalks threading into its skin. Growling, the drake scraped its leg against the ground, trying to pry off the mushrooms.
Before it could, Cyrus filled the fungus with his aether, causing them to dig in deeper, and release their spores. A light blue cloud enveloped the drake, coating its scales, and swirling into its howling maw.
With a single thought, the drake fell into a gasping cough, its maw bulging with mushrooms. It staggered back as the fungus spread, covering its body, and constricting its movements. As the beast began to claw at its own throat, Cyrus whirled around, and dashed towards the edge of the abyss.
His head hammered and his eyes swam, blurring the roots ahead. His body was already at its limits, the little strength he had left sent to his legs as he leapt forward, arms swinging wildly through the air.
With luck, he barely caught one of the roots, his fingers clasping the bristled knots as tightly as they could. He winced as his weight yanked him downward, and he slid down towards the abyss before managing to catch himself.
Overhead, Sylven shouted at him, but his words were muffled by the blood pounding in his head. Narrowing his eyes, he could just barely read his lips.
'Drake…. Behind you!'
Cyrus twisted his head, only for the blood to drain from his face as the drake lunged off of the cliff, its body cloaked in fungus. As it sailed over the chasm, its tail flicked forward, the barbed end a glint in the light.
A shock ran through Cyrus as the tip pierced his shoulder, dragging him down as the drake fell towards the abyss, its body twisting in the air. Cyrus jerked back, and the needle snapped, the tip embedded in his skin.
The pain that blossomed afterwards felt like a thousand daggers, piercing every inch of his body. The world spun as Cyrus loosed a howl louder than the drakes, and it took all he had to keep a hold on the roots.
Through it all, he barely registered the blue sky growing closer, and Sylven's face as the young man grabbed him, and pulled him onto the soft warm grass. An eternity seemed to pass as he stared up at the swaying branches of the willow tree, its long wispy leaves fluttering in the wind.