Finn scrambled through the brick wall on the side of the manor. Or rather, what was left of the wall. The onslaught of corrupt monsters was ongoing, and the fighting sprawled across the courtyard. From what Ivy had relayed to Finn seconds before, he might already be too late.
A huge portion of the floor of the manor was gone, either burned or washed away in the chaos. Below the destroyed floor was darkness, and he jumped into it without hesitation. He only fell a few feet before he splashed into the water. Not a good sign, he thought to himself. He’d been in this dungeon before, and he knew the floor was far below him. He sincerely hoped he wouldn’t find Matt down here.
He shifted into his animal form, finally feeling at home in the icy depths. Searching through the murky water, he spotted a prison cell by the far wall. His heart sank as he recognized the solitary prisoner incarcerated within. He swam up to the cell, cutting through the water like a knife.
He grabbed one of the metal bars in his jaws, easily rending it to make a space for him to swim through. His attention was drawn as he heard the noise of someone else splashing into the water above, but turned back to Matt as he realized it was the River Spirit. Damn nature spirits, Finn thought. Matt had recounted to Finn a different time when he’d narrowly escaped death due indirectly to the River Spirit. They’re always causing problems.
He swam into the cell and clamped his teeth on the chain that held Matt to the wall, tearing it from its metal hinges. He turned to look at the farmer, dread filling him. ‘Gentle’ was not a word anyone would use to describe Finn’s animal form. If Matt wasn’t already dead, Finn carrying him out of this dungeon in his jaws probably would kill him. Still, what other choice did he have? Finn groaned. Humans were too delicate. He risked puncturing vital organs, or even tearing Matt in half if he carried him out by his waist. Finn opened his mouth, about to clamp around one of Matt’s legs when he was stopped by the River Spirit. She’d drawn close to him and Matt, forming a bubble of air around Matt’s head.
Thank the Goddess, Finn thought before stopping himself. He hadn’t thanked the Goddess since he’d been born—he hadn’t even thought twice about her, even after seeing her imposing statue in the cave on Matt’s farm. He shook his head, dispelling the thoughts. Now was not the time to have a religious crisis. He could do that later, after they saved Matt.
The River Spirit conjured a current that brought Matt through the bars of his prison and close to the surface. There were a few feet between the water and the ceiling of the dungeon, and Finn rose under Matt, buoying up his body easily.
“He’s not breathing,” the River Spirit said to Finn, the words traversing through the water. While sprites could talk in their animal forms, Finn wouldn’t be able to form any coherent words while submerged. Still, the nature spirit did as Finn would’ve suggested, pulling the liquid from Matt’s waterlogged lungs. Finn knew taking Matt out of the dungeon would be tricky to maneuver. Woods held Corruption prisoner above, and corrupt monsters raged against the others in a battle that spanned the courtyard. The only choice was to try and revive him here, in the flooded dungeon.
The River Spirit must’ve thought of this as well, as she began working on Matt while he was still buoyed up on Finn’s back. She employed her healing magic, working on his lifeless body. Finn could feel his own stomach churning as the seconds passed. Humans were fragile, and it only took a few minutes without air for them to die. How long had he been underwater?
Even in the darkness, Finn noticed vines beginning to creep through the hole in the wall he’d come through moments earlier. The Forest Spirit appeared among the vines, holding herself above the water’s surface, a worried look on her face.
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“Is he alive?” she asked.
“Working on it,” the River Spirit snapped back, obviously stressed as she attempted her healing magic. She cursed before intoning a different healing spell.
Finn waited, his heartbeat pulsing in his ears, and he strained to feel Matt’s breathing, or any movement at all. Minutes passed. Too many minutes, it felt like.
Finally, the River Spirit spoke up, her voice tinged with disbelief. “I think—I think he’s gone.”
***
“They should’ve been back by now,” Ivy said worriedly.
Corruption still struggled under Woods’ paws, whimpering as black ichor drained from his wounds. Woods tore his glare away from Corruption, glancing at the broken wall. It had indeed been way too long. They should’ve been back up by now, at least one of them, Finn or the River Spirit. One of them should’ve come up with news. Woods felt sick. Something was off.
“The farmer is dead—” Corruption began, his words cutting off as Woods clamped down harder. He felt his claws slice all the way through Corruption’s shoulders and reach the ground on the other side. Corruption sputtered, but continued, his words strained. “Humans are weak, loathsome creatures. Such a pity—augh!”
Woods growled, baring his teeth at the entity. He briefly considered taking off Corruption’s legs. It still wouldn’t be enough payback for what had happened to Clay. Or, if what Corruption was saying was true, it would only be the beginning of what Woods would do.
“Someone else needs to go down there,” Ivy began. The sounds of battle raged in the background. She didn’t bother finishing her sentence. There was nothing else anyone could do.
In reality, both Ivy and Woods knew that Finn and the River Spirit were the only two who could help. They were the only ones who could survive this long in the murky, water-filled dungeon. The Forest Spirit had gone down to check, and the fact that she hadn’t come back yet didn’t bode well.
Tyr landed nearby, unleashing a rush of flames on the approaching horde of corrupt monsters. They were incinerated in an instant, leaving only charred remains. His serpentine gaze turned to Woods and his prisoner, his yellow eyes widening at the sight of Corruption pinned beneath the bear’s claws.
“I may have underestimated you, sprite,” Tyr said, watching Corruption struggle futilely under the bear’s weight.
Before Woods could respond, the Forest Spirit arrived, her expression somber. “I’m afraid Matt Miller is—" she paused, glaring down at Corruption, who smiled widely even in captivity. She lowered her voice to an angry whisper, “Matt Miller didn’t survive.”
A stunned silence blanketed the group. The surrounding battle seemed to slow as everyone took in the news. The silence was shattered by Corruption’s manic laughter. Woods bared his teeth at Corruption, digging his claws in deeper to silence him. Ivy burst into tears, and Tyr lowered his head in a gesture of respect. Woods turned to the Forest Spirit, who continued to glare down at Corruption.
“How did he die?” Woods asked, still unable to believe the news.
“He drowned. The River Spirit had to use a significant amount of water to extinguish the flames, and all that water flooded the dungeon.”
Woods, Ivy, and the Forest Spirit turned to look at Tyr. When he noticed all eyes on him, he spluttered, “Ah yes—well, that is bad luck.”
Woods snarled at the dragon, undeterred by the beast's larger size. “You took an oath, dragon. You promised no unnecessary deaths, yet you killed the man we came here to save!”
Tyr bared his fangs. “It wasn’t fire that killed the farmer,” he snapped, “but water. That spirit was trying to defeat the shadowy one and got carried away. It’s her fault, not mine.”
“You broke the roof and the walls!” Woods roared. “The only reason her water got through so quickly was because you destroyed the manor!”
Heat welled in the dragon’s throat as he opened his mouth to respond, but the Forest Spirit cut in.
“Enough,” she said authoritatively. “The only one at fault here is Corruption. He’s the reason why Matt was in the dungeon in the first place.”
Woods felt his rage subside somewhat, and it was quickly replaced by a profound sadness. Matt, he thought, despair filling him. Can you really be gone? He lowered his head as Ivy’s sobs filled the silence. Around them, the sounds of battle faded as the last of the corrupted creatures were killed by the southern sprites. Melvin covered his mouth, his eyes glistening with tears, and the Forest Spirit glared spitefully at her brother. Vines snaked their way around Corruption’s broken body, allowing Woods to step off and return to his sprite form.
We failed. We weren’t able to save him. Goddess help us all.