They had just rounded the final bend of the tunnel when a roar shook the air.

“What is it this time?” Nox swore, gripping Erebos readily. He looked at Galos, but the Ice Wielder simply shook his head, his brows knitting together. He swore again. “How far are we?”

“Past this chamber. Then another tunnel.”

And then freedom. It would be an easy sprint, at least for him and Galos, but Ireela wasn’t in a fit state to go on, her mind and body too exhausted from her ordeal. And he could already hear the stomping growing louder; a different monster, no doubt.

“I’ll stay behind,” he decided, avoiding Ireela’s gaze.

“Master!” she protested. Nox shook his head.

“I promised I’d keep you safe, and you promised you’ll do exactly as we tell you.” His intense gaze froze her, a strangled whimper escaping her throat. “Please, Ireela. There’s no time!”

“But—“

Galos pulled her arm, cutting off her next words. She shrieked, struggling against his steel grip, but she was soon dragged away. Moments before darkness swallowed them, Galos looked at Nox.

With a nod of reassurance, Nox turned his back on their retreating forms and jogged back to the previous chamber. He didn’t stay long to bid farewell; his will would just desert him if he did, endangering all of them.

Besides, he didn’t plan on dying. Not when Estella was still waiting, no doubt worried out of her mind.

He stood by the entrance, waiting, Erebos gripped tightly in one hand. The ground trembled. Thud, thud, thud. A frantic pattern, as if something was barreling toward his position with heavy footsteps. Something large.

It wasn’t a Remnant. The terrifying presence he felt last year back in the Coltar Ruins was absent. But he could sense the malicious intent oozing from the creature, a frustrated fury born out of its prey escaping its roar.

The footsteps slowed. Nox looked around. The chamber was relatively large, the ceiling no higher than the hallways of the Academy. It would hive him room to maneuver, provided that the creature wasn’t larger than his assumptions. He wished the torches were lit, but the exit was wide enough to let some light in from the outside, though it barely illuminated half the chamber.

A growl echoed in the gloom, and Nox turned his gaze toward the arched entrance. Yellow eyes peered at him from the darkness. Its bulk rose out of the entrance, and from where he stood Nox glimpsed plate-like brown scales and spikes sharper than swords.

The creature approached, maw slightly gaping as it breathed heavily, revealing rows of white teeth. Its legs, wide as trees, took it closer to Nox. A Cave Dragon, and an adult at that.

Nox watched it warily. It couldn’t have been new here; Cave Dragons stayed in their territory until death. But that wouldn’t explain why there were griffons in the keep and whatever that tentacled creature was.

A mystery to solve later. The Cave Dragon rose on its hind legs, exposing its armored belly, and roared a challenge. Loose stones fell from the ceiling. Snarling, the Cave Dragon charged.

Nox was already moving. Its torso was nearly impervious even to an Animarta, but there was a weak point he could exploit. Thrusting his free hand forward, he shouted, “Burst!”

A pillar of ice rose out of the floor. The dragon smashed through it, showering the chamber with glittering shards, but Nox had anticipated that. He dashed to the left, toward a marble pillar broken in half.

The dragon followed, baleful eyes glowing with hate. It covered the distance between them in three powerful strides, its heavy footsteps shattering the ancient floor.

Nox swerved to the left, looping back. Momentum carried the creature forward, but its spiked tail whipped about and swung at Nox. He leapt over it, the spike barely missing his right leg. As he landed with a bone-jarring impact, he looked at its back. Spines ran across it like a ladder, evenly spaced, but there was a slightly longer gap between where the shoulder and spine met.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

The Cave Dragon turned and growled. For a creature of its size, the way it moved was disconcerting. Faster than what its appearance belied, and there was a finesse that shouldn’t be achievable by its muscular limbs.

“Engulf!” Nox pointed at the dragon’s feet. Frost started to creep from the floor. The dragon hissed, lifting a foot to take a powerful step, only to hesitate and lower it back to the floor. It retreated as the frost crept closer.

Nox charged. The frost would keep it at bay, he hoped, but even if that weren’t to happen, he still had several options.

The dragon saw him and snarled. Its hesitation broke. Lowering itself on all fours again, it met him head-on. But Nox kept going, sliding at the last moment, Erebos extended to his side. There was a loud ring, and the Cave Dragon howled as one of its horns arched in the air before landing in front of Nox.

He grabbed it, arresting his momentum, then pulled it from the ice and leapt. The dragon thrashed wildly. Severing its horns was a certain way to enrage it, but it would leave it confused and vulnerable for several moments.

The horns’ tips were also sharper than spears.

When Nox landed on the tail, he rammed the horn straight through a chink in the plate-like scales. The muscles in the tail were some of the creature’s most sensitive spots, and he wasn’t surprised when the dragon howled so loudly that cracks formed on the floor and ceiling. It went on and on, reverberating through the chamber and inside Nox’s ears.

He winced from the pain; he endured it. The dragon’s right arm reached to grab him, but he was already running along its spine. It sensed his intent, and without warning the dragon bucked violently.

Nox was nearly thrown off. Using one of the spikes as support, he drew close to the gap in the armor. It was like climbing a ladder strapped to a horse, and every second he expected to finally slip and fall to the ground.

By some luck he finally reached the spot. Nox briefly relinquished hold of the spike he was using as support, but his fingers curled around it once more within seconds. The dragon’s thrashing had become urgent, like a wild cattle attempting to throw off a persistent fly.

The tail. He glanced at it in worry. It was still anchored to the floor by the severed spike. But Nox knew it wouldn’t be long before the dragon’s escape grew imminent. He could already see the tip rising from the broken masonry.

He gripped Erebos tightly and raised it. But before he could take the plunge, someone screamed, “Master!”

His head whipped around in horror. Ireela stood by the exit, one arm outstretched while the other held on her whip. Her eyes shone with terror.

“What are you doing here?” Nox bellowed, his heart nearly blocking the air from coming to his lungs.

“Don’t worry, Master! I’m coming to save you!” And then Ireela shouted, “Burst!”

The dragon was ready. It opened its maw, snarling, then pulled. With a crack, the spike and the dragon’s tail were freed.

It charged.

Ireela’s eyes widened. Her Animarta spun, then struck the Cave Dragon’s chest. Whether his pupil was brave or foolish, he didn’t know. All he knew was he had to save her.

The strike barely affected the dragon. Nox burst after it, leaping on its back. “Run!” he roared at Ireela as he grabbed a spike.

His Squire listened this time. She scampered away back to the exit, screaming in terror. But the dragon was still coming after her. It hunched its shoulders, arms outstretched.

Nox swore. The ceiling was too low, the dragon’s head scraping off loose stones and fading paint. He couldn’t reach its weak point; he would be crushed. But it was hindering its advance.

If it got out, it would be free to follow Ireela.

No, he couldn’t let that happen. He had to bury the creature here and now with no one else to see him do it.

Filling his lungs with air, he thrust out his free hand once more and stared ahead. Good, Ireela was far enough.

“Engulf.”

A blanket of frost rose to block the exit, forming a thick impenetrable barrier. Even the dragon halted, growling at the obstacle in its way. Its arm swiped, but its claws skidded on solid ice, leaving thin white gashes across the blue surface.

Nox dropped to the ground, boots crunching on flakes of ice. The dragon’s gaze swiveled in his direction, rage-filled and hungry. It bared its fangs in another snarl, but Nox was already running in the opposite direction. He needed more space for what he was about to do.

Are you sure about this?

No, but this is better than letting it get outside and harming Ireela.

Behind him the Cave Dragon roared. Nox pressed onward, following a tunnel that branched off to the right. It could easily fit the dragon, and he knew then where it led.

Sure enough, after several twists and turns, he emerged into a cavern. A pile of bones rose in the corner, and not far from it was a mound of mud and dried leaves that cradled a pair of eggs.

Nox grimaced. He didn’t want to break the eggs, but there was no saving them once he fight the mother.

He spun around just as the Cave Dragon lunged. Nox rolled out of the way, then leapt over the dragon’s swipe. As he landed, he launched a shower of ice toward the dragon’s head. They shattered when the head ducked, but it was enough distraction for Nox.

Erebos, help me.

Always.

He closed his eyes, letting darkness cloud his vision. His heart hammered. The dragon’s roar was faint, almost as if it was coming from far away. Then he felt it: a coldness blooming outward from his chest, spreading across his body. His fingers were stiff, his legs seemingly rooted on the ground.

And there was pain. Terrifying pain. His back arched. His forearms burned. In a distant corner of his mind a voice screamed, Nox!

He barely heard it. A fog rolled over his consciousness. It was getting difficult to think. Where was he? Who was he? All there was was a single thought.

Kill.