CHAPTER FIFTEEN—WARDEN OF THE URGHAWAN OASIS
Even now the time that had passed between when Ali and the others were devoured to now, was a short one, otherwise Shiro would have been extremely worried about their access to air inside of its stomach.
Knowing nothing about the Hahkamorra’s anatomy, he didn’t know how long they could survive in there, weather the monster’s stomach was one that allowed a lot of airflow, which would probably make the thing burp a lot, or the opposite.
Razul seemed unconcerned, so Shiro left his worries aside for the most part. Despite that, it was time to end this beast and free Ali and the Scorpions who had been devoured.
Had none of them managed to hang on to their swords on the way in? Shiro had been eaten once. He almost rolled his eyes at the memory, but thinking back to how he had killed the dungeon boss Akarilion, surely that was the only way he could have ended that beast.
While he had been inside the thing’s stomach he had little light and no way to find his sword had it became very lost within the sludge and slime of the monster’s throat.
Shiro nearly gagged.
Just thinking back to that made him want to retch.
Poor Ali.
Amusement did not flood into Shiro’s consciousness, nor did any other emotion from Jessamine, which meant she was keeping to herself.
That was good.
Shiro was in love with her, but that didn’t mean she could invade his thoughts whenever she liked.
Jinnis…
Adjusting his fingers over the black-ivory hilt of his burning scimitar, Shiro stepped forward, the heat from the blade radiating off the sword. It made him sweat even more in this heat, but thankfully the cave and the water therein was cool—and from what Shiro could see—crystal clear.
Narrowing his eyes, he realized he could probably cut through the monster’s clear filament protecting its body from attacks.
There was no way to find out but to try.
He hopped across the flat-topped chimneys protruding out of the pools of water until he came to solid rock under his feet.
The creature’s breathing was loud and heavy, the air it pushed through its nostrils fluttering past Shiro, making his hair tickle the back of his neck.
He stepped over the rocks quietly and went toward the beast’s side. If he could swing his sword in a monumental effort to kill the monster in one strike, he would attack the thing on its neck.
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It seemed to be the most vulnerable spot, other than the eyes, which were closed and too high for Shiro to reach.
He took some steps back, arched his blade behind him and ran, screaming as loud as he could. He jumped into the air, preparing to slam his razor-sharp magically enhanced blade at the Hahkamorra.
Before he could strike the monster with his sword, it bucked, a mound of wet flesh flying toward him as he thundered down toward it.
The force of the blow was unexpected and massive.
Everything whirled about so quickly, Shiro thought he must have slipped backwards and around at least twice.
He slammed into the wet rocks with a heavy grunt, his sword clattering to the stones behind him as pain blossomed within his back and chest.
Glancing back, the luminous hot sword began to dim.
He lunged for the blade and was impacted from behind.
Screaming, he flailed through the air and landed in the water.
Wet footsteps thundered behind him. The Hahkamorra! It was going to devour him from atop the water.
Shiro dove, swimming as fast as he could.
Now would be a great time for him to have borrowed Razul’s weapon, but he had never asked the adventurer and the man had never offered.
Kurso!
Because of the green luminescence from under the water, Shiro could see where he was swimming. When he reached the bottom, he turned and swam the other way, circumnavigating the area where the frog’s long sticky tongue quested through the water for him.
Feeling the burn in his lungs, Shiro changed his direction and swam up. When he broke the surface, he attempted to make as little noise as possible.
Glancing behind himself where he had last seen Jessamine, he realized she was gone, but in the distance, backlit from the bright light of the day, two figures hopped into the cave.
Ignoring all distractions, Shiro lifted his leg up over the wet stones and rolled over his back and then got up.
He trudged to his sword, his pantaloons soaking and filling up like balloons above where the straps of his sandals kept them tight.
The sword was completely dark, but he could still see it from what little light the cavern possessed above the water.
He picked the blade up, the tip sliding against the stones roughly as he reacted quickly to the Hahkamorra’s sudden pivot.
Shiro stepped away, back stepping as fast as he could toward the other end of the stone platform, surprised at how fast the beast could move.
“Come on!” he shouted at the thing.
It just looked at him.
When its lower jaw dropped a sticky orb shot forth, connected by a long red tendril. Shiro grunted as he jumped, rolling over the hard stones to avoid getting touched and then sucked into the creature.
By all accounts, even Jessamine had told him he would be going inside the beast. But if the blade in his hand—glowing and burning once again—could cut through the creature, then he would rather not be eaten.
And besides, the monster had teeth. Not massive spikes that could puncture through his forearm, but little barbs bent back into its mouth, obviously designed to help pull food in.
Shiro lunged to the side, then jumped into the air.
He crossed the distance between himself and the Hahkamorra which was about four and a half paces and slashed the creature over the face, his arms jouncing back toward himself.
Shiro flipped backwards and landed on his palm and knee.
“Akh!” he groaning from the pain.
Eyes widening, he saw the gash and then the lower jaw came down. He jumped, rolled like a sack of wheat—which was to say “not graceful”—and came back to his feet. Frustration assailed him.
“Tch!”
The mark clearly revealed that he had damaged the beast’s skin, but it was little more than a flesh would. He would need an hour to cut through that skin!
This was impossible—
The tongue shot out and smacked him in the chest, the sticky nature of the orb on the front connecting to Shiro in a strange way.
Then he was pulled in toward the Hahkamora’s jaws and slammed into the thing’s mouth.
Kami-sama!
Shiro screamed.
“Not again—Kuuursooo!”