Dracus roars surged mercilessly off the cavern's rough walls. My heart hammered hard and my chest heaved, so I staggered backward, hardly able to keep upright. Every breath tore painfully down my throat and into my lungs, burning as keen as ice.
The cloaked girl grabbed my wrist and pulled me forward into the darkness of the next tunnel with a sharp urging. "We must relocate," she remarked. Her grasp was shockingly strong, and her motions were quick and deliberate.
With every stride I staggered after her, my muscles protested by screaming.
The essence I had released just under my skin—strong but erratic. It gave strength, yet it also relentlessly sapped my body.
"Who is you?" I pulled my hand free momentarily and demanded. My voice reverberated sharply among the stones around us.
Her annoyed eyes narrowed as she stopped for a single heartbeat and turned back at me under her hood. "Now is not the time."
"I disagree," I said, my voice tight with weariness and resentment. "I'm sick of mindlessly following."
Her eyes blazing with urgency, she inhaled sharply, obviously agitated, and came toward me. "Be attentive. One can talk and die or move and live. Act quickly in decisions.
Though I resisted, frustration boiled inside me. Survival took precedence. She whirled around and leaped ahead, guiding me deeper into the tunnels under ground. As the air grew thinner and colder, our surrounds were only partially lit by faint, bioluminescent moss that shimmered in soft blues and greens.
Every turn in the twisted tunnels was exactly the same from one another. Claws rubbing against stone echoed behind us, approaching ever more. Following us tightly, the hungry Dracus growls were shockingly calm.
I pushed harder, matching her pace despite leg burn-through. We finally came into a large, circular chamber with high walls covered in obscure ancient symbols I couldn identify. But something unnaturally familiar about this place made my spine quiver.
My heart hammered as I looked about the room in frenzy. Just faded inscriptions on stone walls; no exits. Her head jerked from side to side in panic and stopped abruptly.
She whispered, "This isn't right," as she hurried her hands over the engraved walls. This was supposed to be an opening... WHY IS IT NOT HERE"
I turned sharply toward her and felt sick. "What does meant to mean?" Do you mean to say you have us caught?
Her voice was obviously desperate; she hammered her fist against the stone, widening her eyes in horror and frustration. "It always opens first." I've made rather frequent use of it.
Claws sounded down the walk-through louder and closer. I whirled around holding my dagger; strain turned my knuckles white. With their brilliant eyes cutting the darkness and their terrible silhouettes filling the tunnel entrance, the Dracus was upon us blocking any chance of escape.
Heart pounding, I swallowed, turned back to her, voice low and urgent. "Now would be the time if there is anything—anywhere you know."
She cast wide, doubtful eyes back at me. "Like what?"
I inhaled shakily and pushed myself to be calm even as my panic grew. "Essense—do you know anything about it? You have observed me struggle. You have seen my using of this power. What precisely is it?"
Her uncertainty got more obvious. "Essence"? What the devil are you referencing?"
My heart fell. I had been sure she possessed knowledge, skills, anything. Desperate bleeding through my words, I said, "The energy I used when fighting those things." You were watching me. Though it nearly tore me apart, right now it is the only thing keeping me alive.
She shook her head slowly, her bewildered look honest. " Whatever you are using, I have never seen it before. Having battled the Dracus for years, trust me; I have never come across power quite like yours."
My mind ran. I had been depending on her to have answers, explanations, direction—anything but she knew even less than I did, leaving me even more uncertain about the Essence that was trapped inside of me.
As the Dracus cockily walked into the chamber, their snarls bounced off the stone walls. A fresh surge of adrenaline quickened my pulse. Their intentional movements seemed more focused, as though they knew triumph was inevitable.
My shaking muscles notwithstanding, I raised my weapon and moved defensively in front of her.
"Fine," I said with a sour note. "We'll figure it out later—if we live to see a later."
She suddenly stepped forward shoulder-to--shoulder with me, eyes narrowed with great determination despite her injuries. "We die together if we are dying here. I'm not going down without a fight!
The wonder and respect replaced the earlier annoyance, and my chest felt oddly warm. I gave a strong, definite nod and muttered "Back to Back?"
She answered right away, shielding me behind her and gently aligning her body with mine."Behind back."
The Dracus rounded slowly, savoring the moment while their ravenous eyes never left us. The chamber grew tense, terribly so. Under my skin, essence sparkled wildly while my dagger trembled in my hands.
"You owe me answers if we make it through this," I murmured.
She laughed low, tired, strained but honest.
"You can ask whatever the heck you want if we survive this."
The Dracus lunged ahead at the same time. Their strong muscles rippled beneath scaled skin as claws tore precisely for our throats.
I turned all uncertainty and fear aside and let my instincts lead me. Strong but irregular, essence surged once more. My vision sharpened, my motions picked up speed. I parried blows dodging claws by inches. The cloaked girl behind me battled valiantly and with startling agility in spite of her scars. We coordinated desperately but successfully since we trusted each other to cover our blind spots.
But as tiredness ripped at my limbs, my motions slowed. Once more the flammable spirit began to break down, threatening to swallow my mind. Gritted my teeth against the growing agony, I stayed straight and avoided falling.
Suddenly a second wave of Dracus emerged, engulfing the room and so blocking any last hope. Now they were together, snarling, triumphant, knowing we were limited with
As tiredness and hopelessness sought to seize me, my chest contracted sharply. I looked momentarily at my friend, her face pale and her gasps erratic. We had arrived at the end; her red eyes silently communicated mutual understanding.
Still, something deep inside battled to give up. Once more, I changed my hold to get ready psychologically for whatever fate lay ahead.
The Dracus advanced, steady and patient. My heart hammered fiercely, hopelessness fighting valiantly inside me.
Not yet, this was not how it finished.
"Get ready," I said softly, drawing strength from her being at my back. "they are arriving."
"I know," she said softly, her voice steady in spite of all. Then, together.
I lifted my dagger, the essence screaming under my skin burning more brilliantly than it had ever done.
But one unresolved mystery tormented me mercilessly.
Would my essence devour us both or save us now?