The canopy transforms into a battlefield as the Thaxil swarm erupts from the gaping pit, their serrated limbs glinting in the flickering light of fire and magic created by the guild members.
Despite the chaos, the guild moves with unison, their formations holding strong against the relentless wave. Firebrands unleash torrents of flame, carving swathes through the oncoming horde, while knights form impenetrable shields to protect the spellcasters rear.
Magic arcs through the air—flashes of fiery red, earth bullets and sharp, slicing winds—bolstering allies and striking down foes with devastating power.
The heat of fire magic burns through the swarm, gusts of wind carve paths through the chaos and earth-shattering strikes send shockwaves rippling through the battlefield.
The ground shakes beneath the stampede of clawed limbs and the air is thick with the hum of the Thaxil's eerie communication.
Through the chaos, Vanessa keeps Eska and Valen close, her glowing fists a blur as she ducks and weaves between the creatures, striking with devastating efficiency.
"Don't break formation!" she shouts over the din. A Thaxil lunges at her from the side, its blade-like arm arcing toward her. Vanessa counters with a swift punch to its thorax, the impact reverberating through the air as the creature stumbles back, its carapace cracking under the force.
Eska darts to the side, narrowly dodging another Thaxil as it swipes at her with lightning speed.
Her claws ignite in response, glowing faintly with traces of her bloodcraft and reinforcement magic. She slashes at the creature's legs, forcing it to stagger, but its antennae hum frantically, signaling reinforcements.
Valen steps in, a gust of wind magic blasting the creature back just as another Thaxil closes in on him. He raises his weapon, his strikes quick but the creatures' numbers keep growing.
"We've got three more closing in!" Vanessa growls, turning just in time to block an incoming strike with her forearm, her gauntlets absorbing the impact.
She shifts, driving her knee into the creature's chest before slamming her fist down onto its head.
Valen channels another burst of wind magic, sending a sharp blade of air toward a charging Thaxil.
"Eska, keep circling them! Don't give them a chance to corner you!" he shouts, sweat dripping down his brow. Eska nods, weaving between the creatures, her strikes tinged with slight desperation.
The trio fights in sync, their movements flowing despite the overwhelming odds, as the chaos of the battlefield rages around them.
The ground trembles violently beneath their feet, the vibrations intensifying with each passing second. Vanessa's fists glow brightly as she strikes down another Thaxil, but her triumphant smirk fades when the ground below them suddenly collapses.
"Move!" she shouts, but it's too late.
The earth gives way with a deafening roar and Vanessa, Valen, Eska and several other guild members tumble helplessly into the darkness, accompanied by a swarm of Thaxil clattering and screeching as they plummet alongside them.
As they fall, the world around them becomes a chaotic blur. The faint glow of the battle above grows distant, replaced by the sight of hundreds of Thaxil swarming upward along the walls of the sinkhole.
Their jagged limbs scrape and clatter against the rocky walls, their antennae humming an eerie, discordant rhythm. The sheer number of them is staggering, an endless tide climbing to meet the hunters above.
Eska twists in midair, her eyes wide with terror as she catches glimpses of the Thaxil, their grotesque forms illuminated by the faint glow of firelight filtering down from above. "Valen!" she calls out, her voice barely audible over the echoing sounds of their descent.
"I'm here!" Valen shouts, extending his arm towards Eska, his voice strained as he struggles to control his fall.
The walls of the sinkhole curve abruptly, funneling them downward like water spiraling into a drain. The narrowing space bounces them against the rough stone, bruising and disorienting them as they're hurled deeper into the hive.
Suddenly, the passage widens into a massive, open chamber and the group is hurled into the cavern with bone-jarring force.
Vanessa crashes to the ground with a heavy thud, groaning as she rolls onto her knees, battered but conscious. Around her, Valen, Eska and the others hit the resin-coated floor with sickening impacts, their bodies limp and unmoving.
The Thaxil that had fallen alongside them begin to rain down, their jagged bodies slamming into the ground with dull, bone-like cracks. Many remain motionless, their grotesque forms twisted and broken from the fall, while others twitch faintly, their limbs spasming in eerie silence.
Vanessa's breath hitches as she surveys the grim scene, her fists clenching as she forces herself to focus amidst the carnage.
The air in the chamber is thick and cloying, saturated with a sickly-sweet odor that seems to seep into her lungs with every breath. Vanessa's gaze darts around the eerie space, her fists tightening as she rises to assess the dire situation.
Vanessa's eyes snap to the far end of the chamber as movement stirs in the dim, pulsating light.
Emerging from the shadows is a horde of Thaxil, their humming growing louder with each step.
At the forefront are the familiar soldiers, their humanoid frames armed with jagged, blade-like appendages, their multifaceted eyes glowing faintly as they lock onto her.
But behind them, something far more unsettling slithers into view—the nurses.
Unlike the soldiers, their elongated, centipede-like bodies stretch unnaturally long, with countless legs propelling them forward in a sickening, fluid motion. Halfway down their grotesque forms, the legs give way to two sets of massive claws, snapping and digging into the resin-coated floor as they advance.
The nurses' serrated mouths twitch and clatter, revealing rows of sharp, jagged teeth, while two sets of antennae curl and shift, vibrating erratically as if scanning the air.
Vanessa's stomach tightens as she watches the horde close in, the soldiers moving with mechanical movements while the nurses twist and slither behind them, their presence commanding an even greater sense of dread.
She clenches her fists, glancing quickly toward her unconscious companions and the fallen guild members.
"This isn't good," she mutters under her breath, her mind racing as the humming grows louder, the swarm now fully focused on the broken and vulnerable group.
Suddenly, a high-pitched, haunting note pierces the chamber, echoing like a flute being blown in the void.
The sound reverberates through the cavern, freezing the horde in place.
The humming ceases abruptly and the Thaxil scatter, retreating into the shadows with eerie synchronization, as though called away by an unseen command.
Vanessa's breath catches, her heart pounding as her instincts scream at her to move but she doesn't.
Her gaze slowly shifts upward toward the pitch-black expanse above. The sound resonates again, filling the chamber and though its source is hidden, she knows exactly where it's coming from.
A massive figure stirs in the darkness above, its silhouette shifting as it begins a slow descent.
With a fluid motion, the creature releases itself from the ceiling, flipping mid-air before landing with a ground-shaking thud on four hind legs.
Standing before Vanessa is a monstrous form, towering at least fifteen feet tall.
Its thin, sinewy frame might have seemed fragile, deceptive even, if not for the palpable menace radiating from it.
Vanessa's fists lower slightly, her breathing shallow, as she takes in the figure before her—the Thaxil Queen.
Its elongated arms end in razor-sharp, mantis-like claws. Its neck arches forward unnaturally, allowing its grotesquely humanoid head to hunch over and lock its dark green eyes on Vanessa.
The two pupils seem almost alive, tracking her every movement with unnerving intensity. From its head, antennae stretch downward, nearly brushing the chamber floor, curling and twitching as if tasting the air.
Suddenly, its smooth, alien mouth parts, splitting into a grotesque grin lined with massive, serrated fangs, each one the size of a human hand. A rattling noise emanates from somewhere deep within its chest, resonating through the room and filling the air with an oppressive sense of dread.
Vanessa's fists tighten instinctively as she meets its gaze, knowing full well the overwhelming danger that stands before her.
In an instant, the Queen's jaws snap forward, aiming directly for Vanessa's head, too fast for her even to flinch. The sheer speed and force of the attack leave her frozen, her instincts failing to catch up to the danger.
"Stop!" Eska's voice cuts through the chamber, sharp and commanding.
The creature halts abruptly, its massive jaws mere inches from Vanessa's head. Its eyes widen in a rare display of hesitation as it slowly pulls back, its antennae twitching erratically.
The Queen's gaze shifts behind Vanessa, where Eska now sits on the ground, her once-bright yellow eyes now marked with a distinct four-pronged glow.
Vanessa, still catching her breath, turns her head slightly, her movements slow and disbelieving as she glances behind her.
Eska's body is battered—her arm twisted unnaturally, her leg torn and blood trailing freely down her torso. Yet she rises to her feet, her broken body defying reason as she stands tall, her glowing eyes locked onto the Queen.
"I allowed your soldiers to attack us. That's all," Eska says, her voice unnervingly steady. "The sinkhole? That's already pushing it."
Her narrowed gaze sharpens like a blade and the Queen twitches, drawing back as though afraid.
"E-Eska?" Vanessa stammers, her voice shaking as she struggles to process what she's seeing.
"It's a shame, really," Eska continues, her gaze flickering toward Vanessa as she takes a step closer. "I liked you. But random people knowing about this?" She tilts her head, her tone almost apologetic. "That's not something I can allow. Trust me, it's nothing personal."
Vanessa stares, her fear mounting as Eska approaches with jerky, unnatural movements, her broken body seeming to ignore pain or logic.
"What… what's going on?" Vanessa whispers, her voice barely audible.
Eska doesn't answer.
With a sudden motion, her arm lashes out, extending toward Vanessa's chest. Before Vanessa can react, a sharp, searing pain pierces through her as Eska's hand buries itself in her chest.