Venturing Graces

Chapter Twenty Three: Mines

(Gem Eater Arc)

Rose hurried down the path. In front of her stood a gaping maw of a cave. "He must have gone in there," Rose thought. She took a flashlight out of her purse. It had started to rain. "That's odd, the weather forecast said it wasn't supposed to." Inside was narrow and dim with only the flashlight illuminating the rocks. 

"Welcome," Rose stood in a center of rocks. "I can't move!" 

"I've sealed off your power and your movement. I was a mage when I was alive," Spyre stepped out of the shadows. He circled around Rose. 

"It's likely that he can't enter," Rose thought. She could hear her phone buzzing. "Shit, that must be Ren." Schrod purred on Rose's head. "Schrod, what are the chances of me breaking out of this circle?" The cat's head began to spin. 

"Impossible! My magic should have been able to contain it!" Spyre screeched. The cat's head stopped spinning, showing its golden eyes. The rocks shattered and Rose jumped forth. She drew a knife out of her purse. "Repel!" Spyre cried out. He used his extendable claws to push himself up and away from Rose. 

"Boa!" The red boa flew out of Rose's bag and wrapped around Spyre's leg. Rose pulled on it and Spyre slammed into the floor. "I think I got him!"

"Go ahead, exorcise me. I know about your knife," Spyre said. 

"I dislike killing," Rose said. "Now give me back my dogs." Blu jumped up from the shadows and grabbed Rose's purse. "Give it back! Hey!" Rose kicked at him but he got away. 

"You don't have anything do you?" Spyre asked. His claws reached out and pinned Rose to the rocks. Rose searched around for an item. "Hex told me about your weakness."

"Hex would never do that. He's part of our team and the one who'll likely marry Ren," Rose stated. She looked down at Schrod. "Schrod? What are the chances of me getting my purse back?" 

"What are the chances of her not getting her purse back?" Spyre asked. The cat mewed and looked around. "I figured out its weakness. You have to confuse the cat. It's the same question essentially but with different wording."

"Fuck! How did I not realize that?" Rose wondered. "Schrod's out of the question.....I can't reach an item."

"Now I'll use you to show the humans what we really are! This is our mines!" Spyre screeched. The screech splintered Rose's eardrums. 

"Is this how Ren feels?" She wanted to cover her ears. Rose's heel hit the stone she was pinned to. "That's right.....Rocks, the ground, even the air." 

"I want a mine that I can control and mold!" Rose shouted. The floor trembled and shook. "Check mate, Spyre." Stalactites fell from the ceiling, which made Spyre jump back. Rose felt something hot burning in her throat. She covered her mouth with her sleeve. As she looked down she spotted the crimson blood. "It's too much for my body to handle."

"Hex didn't tell me she could do this," Spyre thought. He cut through more stalactites. "It seems like she has to touch the item in order to command it. But it is wearing her down."

"At best I have about......Two minutes left," Rose thought. "Earth dragon!" She pressed her hands together. The rocks in the mine formed into a dragon. The ground was bouncing like jelly. Spyre climbed up the walls. The earth dragon crashed into him. "I got it!" Another dragon flew towards Rose. 

"Dragon's Protection Spell!" 

"Fuck! That's the exact spell Ren uses," Rose thought. Walls of rocks burst up around her. "I don't think I can hold this off." The dragon burst through and slammed into Rose. She hit the wall and fell limp.