AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Then let’s get to work,” I stated.
The seven of us circled the largest pit and conjured our wands, before joining hands. Each of our cats sat at their respective person’s feet.
“We need a simple incantation,” Verla suggested. “Our dark intention is simply this: We seek passage to the Abyss.”
We repeated her words in unison, and tendrils of magic surrounded our circle, blowing Nadine’s hair back beside me. I could feel the magic growing, pulsing through the cavern as we spoke the incantation a second time. The cats peered into the center of the pit, until their forms began to glow with the power of our magic.
We spoke the incantation a third time, and I witnessed movement from deep within the pit. A dark, slimy liquid bubbled up from the center, rushing into the pit as if spilling out of hell itself. I shot a glance to the pit behind me and saw that the sludge was filling that one as well. Each second that passed, the pits filled another inch, bubbling and snapping with a tar-like substance.
“Uh… that doesn’t look like a portal,” Grant said warily.
“You must trust the process,” Verla stated calmly.
The sludge continued to rise to the lip of the pit, and several of us took cautious steps backward.
“I’m trying to be calm, but if that stuff keeps rising that fast, this place is going to be flooded,” Grant pressed.
Just as the sludge was about to tip over the edge of the pit, it stopped rising. Several tense beats passed as we waited to see if the sludge would do anything else, but nothing happened.
“So… now what?” Talia started, but she was cut off as the sludge in the largest pit blasted upward toward the ceiling.
We leapt back, and black liquid splashed down on us. A clump landed on the ground with a heavy splat, and then the entire pit of sludge began to bulge upward.
The clump moved… and I realized it wasn’t a clump of sludge at all. It was the leg of a beast crawling out of the pit!
“Everybody back!” Professor Warren shouted. He grabbed Nadine and me, shoving us behind him. Verla stood at his side, a battle orb at the ready. Grant, Talia, and Chloe ended up on the other side of the pit, their backs against the wall of the cave. Our cats stepped aside, their forms still glowing with the magic of the spell.
Nadine peered over Professor Warren’s shoulder. “That must be the questing beast. And it’s in our way!”
The creature pressed a hoof to the cave floor and hoisted itself out of the pit. Black sludge dripped off its form, showing patches of leopard spots on its fur. The creature had a serpent’s head and a horse-like body, with a long narrow tail that whipped from side to side. It opened its mouth and bared its sharp fangs at us. My hands trembled as I pulled Nadine closer to me.
Professor Warren blasted off a battle orb straight into the creature’s mouth. The magic sizzled through the air, but the beast did nothing except shake its head. The questing beast narrowed its eyes at us and let out a loud roar.
“Not helpful!” I cried. “All you did was piss it off.”
Professor Warren took another step backward, shoving Nadine and me closer to the wall. “If you have any better ideas, I’m all ears.”
“It’s got to be magical to withstand your spell, right?” Nadine asked. “If I can touch it, I can withdraw its magic. I’ve done it before with other monsters. Cover me.”
Before I could stop her, Nadine slipped past Professor Warren, aiming her sights straight on the beast. Nadine intended to grab the monster, but before she could, the questing beast kicked out its front leg. Nadine let out a pained oof as she landed on her back.
“Nadine, no!” The sound of Verla’s cry echoed off the walls of the cavern. She leapt forward the same time the questing beast snapped its fangs at Nadine. Verla lifted her arm protectively, but her shield failed as the beast snapped its jaws forward so fast that he blasted straight through her spell.
The beast’s fangs sank into Verla’s arm. Its jaws clamped down tightly, even as the rest of us aimed deadly spells at the beast all at once. The spells had no effect on the creature, other than to royally piss it off.
The questing beast wrenched its head to the side, then the other, dragging Verla along the floor. I heard the crunch of bones, and then came her cries of pain. Blood spurted over the cave floor. It all happened so fast that only mere seconds had passed.
A shield blasted from my palms, smacking straight into the beast’s nose. He dropped Verla as my spell sent him spiraling over one of the pits. He landed hard against the wall of the cave and slumped to the ground.
“Clarice!” Nadine screamed. Verla collapsed, and Nadine rushed to her side.
The questing beast wasn’t done with us yet, though. It shook its head and began to rise from the ground. Its eyes narrowed on Verla, like it’d already had one taste of her blood and wanted to finish the job. The creature jumped, soaring over one of the pits, its fangs aimed straight for Verla’s throat.
Professor Warren didn’t hesitate for a moment. He caught sight of the sword beside the pile of treasure, and he dove for it. He snatched up the sword then leapt in front of Verla, aiming the blade straight at the questing beast.
The sound of tearing flesh and a pained yelp filled the air. The beast immediately backpedaled a few steps. The sword remained lodged in its flesh, right above its front leg. Professor Warren’s aim hadn’t been precise enough to kill the creature, but it’d slow it down for sure.
The beast’s back legs slipped into one of the pits. It let out a loud cry as it tried to climb its way back out, but with an injured front leg, it couldn’t manage. The beast slipped into the pit, and the black sludge swallowed it up as it fell backward into the hole it came from.
