I followed Netty’s gentle cues, her nips and shoulder grips guiding me through the winding cave. It was an odd but effective system, and soon, I didn’t need her physical directions. A strange connection was starting to form between us, a silent understanding that let me sense her intentions without needing to feel her claws or teeth. It was like we were becoming more in sync on a level I couldn’t quite explain, but I didn’t question it. In this place, I needed every advantage I could get.

Jinx moved ahead, her form bathed in the glow of Nix’s fiery light, which flickered like a living torch. The cave was vast, its walls jagged and ancient. Occasionally, the path branched off into narrow offshoots, but the main route was surprisingly direct. I took comfort in that; if the tunnels had twisted and splintered like a spider’s web, we’d have been hopelessly lost.

“So,” I said, breaking the silence, “what do you think lives down here? Bigger cousins to our new friends?”

Jinx glanced back, her expression thoughtful. “I hope not. I’m not sure my abilities would work on something… bigger. These two were already a challenge. Their minds are different -more complex than any creature I’ve touched before.”

“Complex how?” I asked, curious.

“Well,” she began, her tone contemplative, “most animals are straightforward. They’re driven by instinct, basic needs. I can pick up on those feelings -hunger, fear, contentment, that sort of thing. But these two? They’re more… aware. It’s like they have a sense of self, a depth that’s unusual. It’s harder to communicate with them, but also kind of fascinating.”

“So you really are Miss Doctor Doolittle,” I teased. “You’re an animal whisperer.”

“Sort of,” she said with a smirk. “It’s more like I share impressions. They don’t speak in words, obviously, but I can sense what they’re feeling, and I can send them my own feelings in return. It’s not domination -more like persuasion. They help me because they want to, not because I force them.”

I nodded, running a hand along Netty’s warm, smooth scales. “And what makes these two so special? Besides the obvious.”

Netty nuzzled my neck, and I saw Nix’s fiery aura flare briefly, as if responding to the conversation.

“They’re not just animals,” Jinx said. “Nix might look like a bird, but he’s more than that. For one thing, regular birds don’t glow like living torches.”

“True,” I said, chuckling. “And their patterns… they’re incredible. Constantly shifting, weaving, like they’re barely holding themselves together.”

Jinx stopped mid-step, turning to face me. “Wait, about that -you can see their patterns? I thought that was just something tied to the Way. That’s incredible, Declan. You’re… you’re amazing, you know that?”

“Well, gorsh,” I said in my goofiest impression, scratching the back of my neck and feeling my cheeks heat up as I kicked a rock into the darkness. “Way to make a guy blush.”

I reached up and scratched behind Netty’s head, earning a pleased trill in response.

“What about her? What do you see or feel from her?” I asked.

“She’s… remarkable,” Jinx said, her voice soft. “She looks like a dragon, doesn’t she? A tiny, impossible dragon. And the way the shadows play across her scales -it’s like she’s made of living smoke.”

“And Nix is like living fire,” I added, marveling at the intricate patterns dancing across the bird’s form.

We continued in silence for a while, the only sounds the crunch of our footsteps and the occasional drip of water echoing through the cavern. It was peaceful, almost serene, though a faint tension lingered in the air, as if the cave itself was holding its breath.

After a while, Jinx broke the silence. “So… can you see the patterns of anything else? What about me?”

“I could, back on the Path,” I admitted. “But not now. I thought I’d lost that ability until these two showed up.”

She nodded thoughtfully. “Maybe it’s tied to the Way somehow. Or maybe they’re connected to it. I’ve never encountered anything like them before. Or you, for that matter.”

“Same here,” I said. “It’s all uncharted territory for me.”

“So,” she said after a pause, her voice hesitant, “what did you see? When you could… see my pattern?”

I hesitated, unsure how to describe it. “It’s like… like a web of light in your shape. A network of threads, intricate and beautiful. And your colors -they were like autumn, all greens, golds, and blues. You were… beautiful.”

Her steps faltered for a moment, and I could feel her smile even if I couldn’t see it. “Thanks,” she said softly.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

We walked in silence after that, the sound of dripping water gradually growing louder as we went. The faint drip became a steady trickle, and soon, we found ourselves standing before a wide, fast-moving river that cut across our path.

“Well, that makes sense,” Jinx said, eyeing the water. “All that storm water has to go somewhere.”

“Yeah,” I said, stepping closer to the edge. “So now what? Do we cross, or do we turn back?”

Before she could answer, something dark and massive erupted from the water. A tentacle, slick and glistening, lashed out and wrapped around Jinx’s waist. She let out a sharp scream as Nix squawked in alarm. In a heartbeat, they were both yanked into the river’s depths.

“Jinx!” I shouted, my voice echoing wildly in the cavern.

Without a second thought, I ran to the edge of the water. Netty gripped my shoulder tightly, her claws digging into my skin as if to steady me. The river was dark, the surface churning violently, but I wasn’t going to let it stop me.

“Hang tight,” I said, more to myself than anyone else.

Then I dove in.

The water was icy and turbulent, crashing against me like a living thing determined to drive me back. I couldn’t see anything in the murky depths, only feel the slimy, sinuous tentacle that wrapped around my ankle moments later. Instinct took over. I lashed out with my claws, slicing through the rubbery flesh. Instead of retreating, I grabbed the tentacle and held on, letting it pull me deeper into the darkness.

My lungs burned as I fought against the current, the memory of my first death flashing vividly through my mind. The weight of the water, the oppressive darkness -it was all too familiar. But I wasn’t giving in. Not this time.

I wasn’t going to lose her. I wouldn’t let the darkness take her. I wouldn’t fail her. Not again.

The descent was swift and painfully cold. The icy water bit into my skin like shards of glass, and I realized my mistake almost immediately. I had no way to breathe underwater, and I’d barely taken a deep enough breath to dive this far. My lungs burned with the effort, but my worry wasn’t just for me -it was for Netty. Some lizards practically live in the ocean depths, sure, but I knew next to nothing about her aquatic capabilities.

Was she even built for this? I imagined her tiny talons losing their grip, her body drifting lifelessly in the dark currents. The thought sent a pulse of panic through me, but then I felt her steady claws clutching at my shoulders. Her grip was firm, resolute. Despite her size, she was anything but fragile. Her presence, small but fierce, offered a surprising sense of comfort.

Still, the cold pressed in from all sides, and the crushing depth felt as if it were squeezing the air from my body. My lungs should have been on fire, my head pounding with the need for oxygen, but then I noticed something odd. The burning sensation in my chest faded, the need to gasp for air becoming a distant memory. It barely registered that I even needed to breathe.

System Notification:

Ability Activated: Adaptive Physiology.

You have adapted to the aquatic environment.

Breathing: Not Required. Resistance to water pressure increased.

Swimming Efficiency: +20%. Vision Clarity in murky environments: +10%.

Huh. That was new. It seems being a newborn vampire had its perks. I guessed I was alright after all, though I’d have to hurry for everyone else’s sake.

I swam onward, gripping the tentacle that had dragged me down here, letting it guide me deeper. I could feel the creature’s power beneath my fingertips, but I wasn’t about to cause any trouble until I had reached the main mass of the beast.

As we plunged deeper, the water pressure intensified, and my only sight was the brilliant pattern of Netty beside me. The pressure increased with every kick, a tangible weight that seemed to coil around my limbs. Eventually, I reached what I assumed was the bottom, and there I saw it.

My adaptive physiology triggering reminded me of my other abilities. So, I decided to take the initiative this time, and I sank my teeth into the rubbery flesh of the tentacle I held, activating my Essence Drain ability. Because, remember kids, -if you’ve got it, use it. And equally importantly, never let an opportunity go to waste.

As my fangs punctured the tentacle’s slick, rubbery flesh, a surge of alien vitality coursed into me. The creature’s essence resisted, but its chaotic energy faltered as my vampiric hunger overwhelmed it. Its power seeped into my veins, foreign yet strangely fitting, a potent blend of shadow and fluid strength.

Essence Drain Activated

Abyssal Cephalopod [Tentacled Horror]

Essence Absorbed: Abyssal Fluidity.

Clan Attribute Gained:

* Cephalopod Reflexes: Heightened reaction time and fluidity of movement, enabling enhanced evasion and adaptability in water or unstable environments.

Ability Unlocked:

* Abyssal Shroud - Generate an inky veil that obscures vision and confounds enemies, ideal for stealth or disengagement.

Partial Skill Unlocked:

* Tentacle Strike - Temporary extension of physical reach in combat by manipulating shadow-matter, mimicking cephalopod-like strikes.

Duration of Newly Acquired Abilities: Permanent.

Bingo.

The tentacle weakened in my grip, its thrashing slowed to feeble twitches, and I continued to hold on as I got a ‘look’ at the beast. If I didn’t know better -and I did, because hey, I’d just taken a bite out of slime- at first glance I would have thought it was an eldritch horror from Lovecraft’s wet dreams. But now I could ‘see’ it, just like I saw Netty, and Nix -who was doing his best to attack the creature, with little results to speak of- and I knew it was pretty normal.

I mean, don’t get me wrong -the thing was immense -a sprawling, miasmic mass of writhing tentacles that pulsed and shifted like living malevolence, a horror brought to life. The pattern of its rubbery flesh glowed faintly in the darkness, its illumination slick and oozing a dark, oily presence that dissipated into the water around it, tainting it. I could make out it gaping maw, lined with rows of needle-sharp teeth, which sat at its center, pulsating with a sickly rhythm.

The thing was nightmarish. Just not Elder God level, you know?

And there, entangled within its tentacles, were Nix and Jinx. Their once-bright patterns flickered faintly, the vibrant colors now dulled and erratic. Nix had given up on his struggles, and I could tell he was holding onto Jinx with all his might.

They looked like dying stars, their light slowly fading as the creature dragged them closer to its maw. A surge of dread and determination shot through me.

I couldn’t lose them. Not like this.

Quest Objective:

Rescue Nix and Jinx.

Threat Level: Severe.