Last Son: Book One

Chapter 6 Aza Pterodactyl's Cave

"Alright, pal! We can do this! Me and you," Keino exclaimed, and Samael raised his right arm and firmly gripped the handle of his sword. He looked ahead, witnessing the terrifying scene before them. Samael turned to Keino and said, "If we move slowly, we can avoid drawing the attention of these Aza bats." Keino was about to shout in excitement, but the relentless screeching continued, accompanied by the constant dripping of an unknown liquid. The Aza bats' eyes glowed with a fierce yellow light, and the screeches eventually transformed into unsettling clicking sounds. Samael's expression turned serious as he looked at Keino and whispered, "Shh... keep quiet and move quickly, but slowly." With caution, they started stepping toward the Aza bats, their ears twitching in response to the incessant clicking. Sweat started to pour down their foreheads, dropping onto the ground below. The sound of the dripping sweat only seemed to intensify the Aza bats' awareness of their presence. Samael managed to control his body's response, but Keino was losing an alarming amount of fluids through constant sweating, causing the bats' ears to twitch even more. Samael leaned closer to Keino and whispered, "Keino... get a hold of yourself." Keino's heart raced, and the sweat continued to drip from his forehead, forming a small pool on the ground. He replied, "I'm trying... uh—I hate Aza bats." However, his heart still pounded rapidly as the clicking sounds created a haunting backdrop to their predicament. Samael sensed the rising tension and urgently whispered, "Stop." Keino wiped the sweat from his face, his breathing unsteady, and responded, "Oh god... There are, like, millions of them." Suddenly, Keino sneezed, triggering the Aza bats' sonar. The bats took flight, circling them in a frenzy, further escalating Keino's already racing heart. The once-clicking sounds now transformed into piercing screeches, filling the cave with a terrifying symphony of chaos. "Alright, pal! We have no choice but to fight!" Samael declared, preparing himself for the battle ahead. Keino, feeling a mix of fear and determination, looked at Samael and replied, "Eh... alright, but Imma take the lead!" Samael smirked and responded, "Whatever you say, leader." Keino's eyes focused straight ahead as he reached for his long steel sword, unsheathing it and holding it up between his eyes. With closed eyes, he took a moment to gather his thoughts amidst the screeching sounds of bats and the sweat dripping from his forehead. "Samael is right... I haven't killed tons of monsters. But this!... this is my chance to make history. After this... the emperor will for sure take me in and make me the best Aza knight!" Keino opened his eyes, filled with determination, and charged forward into battle as the bats flew towards them. "Ahhhhh!!! Imma kills ya rabies, ugly Aza bats!!!" Keino skillfully wielded his sword, slicing through the bats and splitting their bodies apart. "Oh, yeah!!! I'll be number one, an uh-certified Aza knight!!!" Samael, displaying his prowess, effortlessly dispatched the bats without breaking a sweat. The blood covered his sword as he decapitated the creatures. Samael turned to Keino and asked, "What did you say up there?" Keino, catching his breath, replied, "Uh... nothing!" The bats continued to fly rapidly, and more of them descended upon them. Samael swung his sword, cutting through the bats with precision. In Samael's mind, doubts arose about Keino's trustworthiness. "Maybe he's not so bad after all. What am I saying? This fool is keeping something from me, and I'm going to find out!" As the bats were swiftly eliminated, both swords were drenched in blood. Suddenly, a high-pitched screeching sound reverberated through the cave, causing Samael to shout, "Keep fighting!" Keino pressed forward, bravely battling the bats. The screeching noise intensified, and the cave shook violently, resulting in a cave-in. "Oh boy... uh, what-what are you gonna do?" Keino asked nervously. The bats flew away, separating Samael and Keino. Samael took charge, instructing Keino to stay put. "Where are you going, pal? Are you gonna get me outta here, eh?!" Keino shouted. Ignoring Keino's pleas, Samael walked away, and it was at that moment that Abbie appeared to guide Samael. "Adventurous, are you going to get him out?" Abbie inquired. Samael stopped, turned his head back towards his right side, and replied, "He's not worth the time." Abbie disappeared, and Samael turned his head forward. Abbie appeared before he could change the position of his head. "You do need him!" she insisted. Samael gave her an awful grin and replied, "Why do you think I need a fool like him?" Abbie responded, "He knows the emperor!" Samael smirked and retorted, "He knows the emperor." Abbie disappeared but then reappeared behind him on his left side. "Keino has a tamed pterodactyl!" she revealed. Samael turned his head to the left side and acknowledged, "Yeah... he does have a faster way." Abbie pressed further, "So does that mean we will be helping your friend... oh, I mean Keino?" Taking a deep breath, Samael replied, "Yeah... but we won't be moving this pile of minerals." Abbie disappeared once again but then reappeared in front of Samael. "I do see another way, but it will take time," she proposed. Samael's disappointment was evident as he replied, "I don't have the time!" Abbie, determined to convince him, responded, "You just have to believe me—adventurous! I will do my very best to get you to the emperor." Samael, seeing her determination, nodded and said, "Okay, show me the way." Abbie immediately pulled up the holographic map, marking the new location, and Samael started heading towards the given coordinates. As he journeyed, Samael encountered a group of bats up ahead. He quickly drew his sword and got into a battle position, but to his surprise, the bats' heads suddenly exploded. Bewildered, Samael exclaimed, "What the heck? Abbie, what just happened?" Abbie appeared on Samael's right side and said to him. "It might be a glitch in the system," Abbie responded. Samael pondered for a moment and suggested, "Hmm... maybe someone caused the Aza bats' heads to explode." Abbie processed the information and said to him. "You mean someone is controlling the system from the outside world," Abbie speculated. Samael nodded, saying, "Yeah... maybe. Who is your creator, Abbie?" Abbie appeared on Samael's left side; "I'm sorry, adventurous... I'm not programmed to answer your question," Abbie replied. Undeterred, Samael continued his journey. As he entered the cave, he was captivated by the intricate drawings of an ancient civilization. This civilization revered a giant reptile, which symbolized their greatness. Inside a small chamber of the cave that led to Keino, Samael experienced a vision. Although the vision was blurry, his hearing remained unaffected. He saw seven candlesticks arranged in a perfect circle, with a figure cloaked in a dark robe holding a book. Samael instinctively placed his right hand on his face, trying to refocus on the vision, but it only became more distorted. A voice emanated from the person in the dark robe. It was a deep, male voice that sent chills down Samael's spine. "Welcome to the chamber! This is where it all started," the mysterious figure proclaimed, his laughter filled with darkness. "Are you here to worship the great reptile? I praise this magnificent creature! What about you?" Samael grunted, fear causing him to break into a sweat, and cautiously replied, "Who... are you?" The dark-hooded man grinned and cryptically responded, "You will soon find out." With a sinister smile, the dark figure vanished from Samael's sight, leaving him both confused and intrigued. Samael, still trying to make sense of the vision, asked aloud, "Who was that?" Abbie appeared on his right side and inquired, "Who, adventurous?" Samael looked at her with a puzzled expression, and Abbie repeated her question, "Who did you see, adventurous?" Samael, feeling frustrated and confused, decides to put aside his thoughts about the mysterious hooded man for now. He continues moving forward, his mind still preoccupied with the man's words echoing in his head: "Are you here to live on the great reptile? I praise this magnificent reptile! What about you?" As Samael emerges from the chamber onto the other side, he realizes that Keino is nowhere to be found. Concerned, he asks aloud, "Where did Keino go off to?" Abbie appears on Samael's left side and offers to scan the area to find Keino's trail. Samael agrees, urging her to do it quickly. Abbie swiftly scans the surroundings and discovers a set of footprints. Excitedly, she informs Samael, "I found his tracks, adventurous!" Samael rushes over, examining the footprints, and asks, "Abbie, which way did he go?" Abbie scans the area ahead but finds nothing, disappointing Samael. She admits, "Adventurous, I lost his track." Frustrated, Samael pounds his right fist into the ground, exclaiming, "Darn it! He could've gone into any of these chambers!" Suddenly, Samael spots a dark-hooded man entering the far-right chamber and immediately calls out to him, "Hey you! Stop there!" He runs towards the chamber, but upon entering, he finds nothing but the cold darkness and the chamber walls. Confused, Samael recounts the encounter to Abbie, who appears on his right side and asks, "What did you see?" Samael, still perplexed, refocuses and replies, "Nothing... just nothing." He continues into the chamber, deep in thought, unable to shake off the voice and the unsettling vision he experienced moments ago. As Samael progresses through the chamber, he encounters a group of Aza bats. Reacting quickly, he unsheathes his long steel sword, preparing for battle. To his surprise, the bats' heads explode once again, leaving him wondering who or what is causing this phenomenon. Samael thinks to himself, "There's definitely someone controlling the Aza bat explosions. But who could it be?" Calling out to Abbie, Samael urges her to accompany him as they continue their journey. They move forward, exiting the chamber and entering a series of interconnected chambers. Abbie scans the area while Samael remains lost in thought. Suddenly, Samael notices a figure wearing a dark hood entering one of the chambers on the left side. Curiosity piqued, and he followed the mysterious figure. Entering the left chamber, Samael finds himself alone, but he continues walking ahead and encounters more headless bats. Observing the surroundings, Samael remarks, "It seems like these Aza headless bats have been here for a while." Abbie appears on Samael's right side and questions the cause of the bat explosions, expressing her curiosity about this unprecedented event in the digital world. Samael admits that he doesn't know, but he is determined to find out. He spots more footprints and decides to follow them. The footprints lead Samael to a dead end, where he hides behind a chamber wall. He spots the man in the black hood standing ahead and patiently waits for him to move. Once the man starts moving, Samael follows him, heading east. However, he soon loses sight of the hooded man, frustrating him. Abbie appears behind Samael and asks whom they have lost track of. Samael looks at her and replies, "We lost... Keino's track." Undeterred, Samael continues walking along the path until he reaches the end, arriving at an open space within the cave. Assessing the situation, he realizes that going straight would lead to a dangerous fall into a giant hole. He suggests taking the right path, which would eventually lead them to the bottom, but the contents of the hole remain unknown. Alternatively, going left would take them to the other side. Samael decides that their best option is to go left. As Samael walks along the left path, he hears a male voice shouting up ahead, catching his attention. Samael recognized the familiar voice of Keino and wasted no time in urging Abbie to follow him toward the source of the shouting. With determination, they sprinted towards the sound, encountering a swarm of Aza bats along the way. Samael's eyes caught sight of a figure running from the colony, and to his relief, it turned out to be Keino. "Run, Samael!" Keino shouted urgently, but in the chaos, he accidentally collided with Samael, sending them both tumbling over the edge and into a gaping hole. The two adventurous fell, their descent finally coming to a halt at the bottom of the massive hole. Slowly, Samael picked himself up and surveyed their surroundings within the cavern. "Keino! Are you alright?" Samael called out, concern evident in his voice. Keino struggled to his feet, blood trickling from a gash on his forehead. With a hint of pain, he replied, "Damn...that was a high fall." Noticing the blood on Keino's hands, Samael's worry deepened. "You're bleeding," he remarked, his voice filled with concern. Keino raised his hands, observing the blood dripping from his forehead, and winced, "Ouch! Damn, that hurts." Realizing that they needed to keep moving, Samael wasted no time in urging Keino to continue. Side by side, they embarked on a treacherous journey through the mysterious cavern. The path ahead led to hidden chambers, each holding its own secrets. However, they soon discovered that there was only one way out of the cavern, and it lay within the most perilous part of the pterodactyl's cave. As they ventured deeper into the next chapter of their adventure, Samael and Keino braced themselves for new challenges and the presence of deadly monsters. The odds seemed stacked against them, with only one exit to be found. The question lingered in their minds: Would they both survive the daunting trials that awaited them?