Once a God drowned here

Part 4

My eyes have adjusted to the darkness. I can not foresee where the river will run because I have lost any orientation after landing in the water. Stirring through the high water proves difficult because of the water stream as well as the unsteady ground. The water is clouded by dirt and in addition to the darkness this prevents any chance of spotting a danger. I bet I will be attacked sooner or later. Otherwise I see no other reason why I have been thrown down here. Right as I thought about it a suspicious noise echoes from the tunnels walls. Something is approaching. Slowing down I scan my surroundings put could not make out any movement. Right after total silence turns in my leg is punctured by a lot of teeth. I stab my sabre down the water in the area where I expected the attacker to be. My sabre pieces into something. Blood clouds the surrounding water. I haul the sabre out to jab again. The fish changes his approach in attacking me while standing up. The thing got sharp teeth that snap at me. I burrow my sabre's hilt inside its face. Repelled it does not see my finishing stab coming. The fish goes down and gets carried away by the stream. The drawn blood will attract even more of its kin. Just after a few meters more fishmen come swimming at me. The first ones face meets my sabres tip right away dying on the spot. In an additional overhead swing the second ones head splits apart. I am unable to fend of the third one which tackles me down into the water. Submerged and without clear vision I move my sabre between us to prevent some attacks. My torch has long went dark and I let is slide out of my hand. With my free hand I get a hold of the fishs neck holding it away from me. I get up from the water again to take the fish into a headlock where I could align my blade to slip its throat. The life is draining out of the fish as he return to where he came from. Fighting mindless beasts is a restless task. The next wave is already on the way. Slashing left and right I strike, stab and punch into the dark. Standing this high in water fighting is difficult. The animals attack despite being cut down by the second. As the last monsters are cut down and swept away by the stream, the silence returns to the tunnel. To many fish monsters in a far to short time. The attacks show no pattern of strategy or coordination. Jumping out the water, biting and slashing is all they seen to posses. For a short while I catch my breath but the monsters from the ocean are not willing to let me rest. Not even for a second. Out of the dark tunnel a bulking presence emerges. An eight feet tall fishman covered in an orange crust drags through the stream. Its hands are replaced by sharp claws. Clicking sounds from its mouth appear as it is speaking to me. Threatening me on what it is about to do to me. I raise my sabre to anticipate and defend myself. The crab enters into combat. Its first snap I am able to dodge rather easily but from here it will only be much more difficult. It can cross the distance to me through the water much faster and the stream in against my favour. I am forced to take it on in combat. Swinging the sabre over my head I strike at its upper chest. The steel is able to create a small cut in the orange armour. That is not enough. Somewhere between its armour plates must be an opening. Channelling my spirits power I focus on landing a heavy blow on the crab. I do not understand the so called spirit powers that well and I can not rely on them in every situation but this situation I am in now is most urgently one were I need it. A shaman of the native people once explained to me how his people view this powers. He said that the powers are manifestations of the spirits that dwell inside our bodies. The spirits not only live inside us humans but also inside every other being. Not only through physical strength but even more through will power these spirits can be brought into the physical world. Here it possesses the ability to increase the damage of heighten the bodies own defence. I remember what knowledge I have brought from talking to the shaman and strike out. My strike hits on the same spot as the first one but is unable to inflict any more damage than the first one. Shit! Getting these so called spirits under control is a requirement for becoming a higher ranking soldier. In our branch of fighting monsters is could very well be the sole recruitment demand. I am not capable of manifesting the power all the time. In frustration the crab attacks by snapping at me with its sharp claws. Two times I am able to dodge but against the current of water movement is strongly restricted. The third snap at me will inevitably cut my neck. In a defence stance I manoeuvrer my sabre between the two blades of the claw before it could close. The sabre prevents the claw from closing. It is not strong enough to break steel. At least not. It will rip apart my limbs as soon as I slip and get caught. Taking a step to the side I twist the crabs arm to release my sabre. Slashing and hitting prove no effect against the thick armour. Blunt attacks are useless but a sabre is made for even more uses that pure hitting. The pointed tip is the most dangerous part of the weapons. Arranging it at the right angle I could use it to get through the sturdy armour. So I take a few heavy steps back, grab my sabre with both my hands and point its tip towards the crab man. In a dispirited last effort I thrust forwards, ramming the blade into the crabs belly. The sabre is able to find an opening to get a hold into its lower torso. By now I have not inflicted any damage. Pushing the blade further in shows no effect. For it to finally find a way through I kick it with my knee. Breaking the crustal armour it slides deep into the stomach. The crab beast screeches in pain. Pulling at its handle I want to drag the weapon out again but it jams. With even the little focus that the ocean man had before, lost in pain it reaches out with its claws throwing me into the water. Again I am submerged by water. The last weapon on me is my breach loading pistol. Fighting my way back to the surface I imminently take aim to land the killing shot. The crab is this screeching in pain and tries to remove the sabre but to to effect either. I pull the trigger and the bullet pieces the head through the left eye. I must have hit a vital point. Succumbing to the deep injury the crab man falls to his knees and into the water. The stream is faster than I could move so the dead crab with my weapon this buried inside its belly is swept away. Non the less I have to descend the stream of water to find a way out of the tunnel. I need my sabre back! Otherwise I will be defenceless against any new threat which are just waiting behind the next corner.