D&D Horror Chronicles: Tales of Terror

D&D Horror Chronicles: Moths of Desolation #3

"You really are impossible, you know? Pushing me wasn't necessary," Lena grumbled to Y/n as they navigated the cramped tunnel on hands and knees.

Trailing directly behind Lena, with Kegan and Isabella following, Y/n's patience wore thin. "Your constant complaining isn't helping. Hurry up," he urged.

"I'll go as fast as I please." In a defiant halt, Lena abruptly stopped, causing Y/n to collide with her butt unexpectedly. "Watch where you're putting your face!" she snapped.

Y/n recoiled slightly. "Maybe keep moving instead of stopping up out of nowhere like a dumbass," he retorted.

From behind, Kegan whispered to Isabella, "They must have some kind of twisted affection for each other, with all this bickering."

Isabella smirked. "Or it's just unresolved tension."

Lena shot back at Y/n, "I should've left you to deal with those moths on your own, you ass."

"If you don't keep moving, I'll make you," Y/n threatened, his frustration peaking.

"Try it bitch," Lena challenged defiantly.

Their argument escalated quickly into a physical scuffle, with Lena and Y/n shoving each other, much to Kegan and Isabella's bemusement.

Amid their heated exchange, the ground beneath them gave way, sending Lena and Y/n tumbling down into a cavernous space below. They landed in a heap, a mix of frustration and pain evident in their exchange.

"I despise you so much right now," Lena declared, her voice a mix of anger and exasperation.

"The feeling is mutual," Y/n responded, equally aggrieved.

"Are you two all right?" Kegan's voice echoed down to them, laced with concern.

"I'm fine," Y/n managed to say, his voice steady despite the fall. As he lifted his gaze to survey their surroundings, his eyes widened in alarm. "Lena, try to stay calm," he whispered, a tense undercurrent in his voice.

"What are you talking about?" Lena asked, her confusion clear. Following Y/n's gaze, she froze as she took in the sight before them. The cavern walls were adorned with Mothsworn, but these were unlike any they had encountered before. Cloaked in tattered garments that seemed to pulse with life, moths infesting it.

"Move back, but keep it slow and silent," Y/n instructed, his voice barely above a whisper.

From above, Kegan's voice broke the silence. "Do you need a torch down there?"

"Kegan, please, just be quiet for now," Y/n hissed, desperation creeping into his tone.

Carefully, Lena and Y/n began to retreat, their movements painstakingly slow, their gaze locked on the dormant swarm. However, Y/n's backward movement was abruptly halted by a solid presence. Turning slightly, he came face to face with a Mothsworn, its red eyes boring into his.

A chilling shriek pierced the air as the creature alerted its kin, setting off a cacophony of screams throughout the cavern. In a flash, one of the Mothsworn lunged at Lena, its claws aimed with deadly precision.

Reacting with incredible speed, Y/n summoned his magic, his arm coated in a protective layer of blood that hardened instantaneously. The claws struck his arm instead of Lena, the impact resonating with a metallic clang.

"Run!" Y/n shouted, urgency propelling his voice. As Lena sprinted ahead, Y/n grabbed the Mothsworn by its flesh, using every ounce of his strength to hurl it towards another attacker, their bodies colliding with a thud.

Kegan, grasping the gravity of the situation from his vantage point above, acted swiftly. Retrieving a vial of alchemist's fire, he hurled it into the abyss, its contents igniting upon impact and casting a fierce glow that illuminated the cavern. The younger Mothsworn caught in its blaze perished instantly, their frail forms no match for the flames. However, the older, more formidable Mothsworn seemed unscathed by the fire, their ancient resilience evident as they surged forward, unimpeded.