The Crystal Mines

65 Nik

Strong arms yanked me to my feet, the force jarring. The camp was a mess, and several bedrolls were shredded to bits. The smell of burning flesh permeated the night air and someone screamed nearby.

What I saw nearly had me vomiting.

There was a giant creature that had all the same features of a canine. It stood at least seven feet tall and from its mangy fur jutted bones and sinew. Gods. It was half rotting. Our group attacked it from every angle each one closely avoiding a snap of its massive jaws. Callion and Ameer were taking a stance near the front of the thing and inappropriate laugher tore through me at the sight of Trife holding onto Callion's hair for dear life. I readied fire in my palm and snatched my sword from the ground. Dath stood in front of me, and I knew instantly he was the one who had pulled me to my feet. Without hesitating, we joined the onslaught in front of us.

The wolf-like creature opened its mouth ready to strike at Faolan and I shot a fireball into its open mouth. The scent of the tongue burning had Sera gagging as she hacked at a front leg with a sword. The creature roared and a large green eye zeroed in on me. Something cool and silky touched my arm causing me to up at Dath emitting shadows at his fingertips.

"Reel it in," I commanded him with more force than I meant. Immediately, the grey substance disappeared.

I tried to think but was failing desperately. We had all only gotten a couple hours of sleep after all. Rion was at the rear of the beast with Alden and Jakota. They were the ones most versed in combat strategies. The creature took a step towards me, his target found. I stood my ground, trying to fecking think.

We were in a forest, and I was adept at Terramancy. Without tearing my gaze away from the corpse in front of me, I dropped to my knees and thrust my hand into the ground, keeping my sword hand ready.

I sought out Rion's mind and shouted, Be ready to leash this bastard!

Between four legs, I saw him nod and I plucked the correct string inside of my magic system. I grew the roots of the tress around us up through the ground and around each rotting paw, trying to trip the canine. But my attempts did not fell him. I grunted at the force of his tugging on my restraints. Adjusting my tactics, I shouted to the others to send a force of air on top of his head. Lilta, Emyr, and Faolan obliged, forcing the beast to bow at last. Reed rose his sword for the killing blow at its neck, but I put up a hand, "Wait!".

Surprise flickered through me as our group froze in response. I hadn't meant to take charge, but we needed information. I strode up to the closest eye that tracked my every move. "What manner of creature are you?" I asked it.

"Nik, I don't think it speaks," came Mohan's otherworldly calm voice. I heard Trife squeak in agreement.

"He's intelligent. See the way he looks at me." I watched the beast shake his head, fighting the pressure of the air and the roots Rion leashed his neck with. "What is your name?" I asked him. Now only feet from his massive maw.

He blinked that green eye as if memorizing my face. "I am called Callas. I am one of many in the legion of hounds." His voice was like nails against rock in our ears. Though his mouth did not move, he spoke audibly all the same.

"Are you trapped within this body Callas?" The theory had come to me as I watched his mannerisms.

"I cannot say. It has been too long to recall another life." He snapped he teeth in my direction and I added my own Aeromancy atop his head so that he'd bow further.

"Do you wish to be spared?"

Nik... Callion warned. I shook him out of my mind, ignoring him entirely. He growled in protest just behind me. I wasn't shocked to learn he had followed me closer to the creature. Somehow, I knew Ameer and Dath were by his side, but I didn't dare turn around.