Bloody Involvements

Chapter 30:

My beating heart stopped as I looked ahead- beyond the unlabeled door and after the flight of stairs lay absolute whiteness.

It was nothing....just pure white walls and white tile floors. The room was huge, meant for something big; something I didn't know of.

I gently stepped forward, grasping my shortswords and pulling them out, ready and waiting.

I listened closely hearing a soft click to my far left, my eyes zeroed in and I just barely had time to twist sideways into the air and land- my knee and hand pressed against linoleum; trapping the blade and just barely avoiding the laser.

I smirked. Nice touch, but not good enough.

I glanced back at Ragginao to see he had moved a few inches but was unharmed and walking his way towards me. I stood up with my senses on over drive. My vampryc body pumping rapid adrenaline through it.

I looked up, still finding nothing and continued forward until my foot came down on soft material. I lost my footing and fell into a deep pit.

As I landed I felt a large blade swish past my ear, cutting part of my hair. My eyes widened as I saw Ragginao high above. The great lion roared in anger, but refused to leave the side of the pit.

I had no idea what was happening above, but below in the pit I felt scales brush my bare arm. I flicked my gaze down to see a huge snake- no doubt created just for this moment and made a mutation.

I moved an inch away, but that alone caused the snake to start wrapping itself around me. I watched it's movements- fast, rapid, unpredictable. I winced; this was going to be difficult. A snap from above made me jerk my head up causing the great snake to proceed in further closing in.

I saw Ragginao battling against four large dogs, all dripping poisonous saliva; all ready to kill and feast. I felt the heat of survival surge through me and I shot up only to have the snake lash out, rip into my skin-releasing MORE dangerous toxins into my system, and curl it's body tight-to the point of choking-around my chest.

I fell to the ground, dizzy with the toxins and lack of air, but I still wasn't finished, I hadn't come all this way to fail, not now, not by some reptile.

I felt the coolness of my short sword graze my skin. I stretched my fingers, feeling the leather hilt, and closed them around it. I waited until my breath steadied.. I could do nothing about my heart as it retracted and released rapidly with the poison deep in my veins.

I opened my eyes and letting out a low growl, pushed against the snake's hold, it gave way just an inch. But that inch gave me the chance to flash to my feet although the snake was still coiled and seconds later it fell, landing in the dust, chopped in two.

I twisted the blade, it's sharp edge now covered in snake blood. I had wasted no time slicing the beast in half even in my very weakened position. I stood up, leaning against the wall and looking up until a strained and tortured whine erupted from Ragginao.

I gave myself a few seconds of recovery time and then leapt forward- pressing my feet into the walls with my weight and backflipped hitting the wall-springing forward. Then I continued up in a fashion of twists and backflips.

Reaching the top, I saw Ragginao laying on his side with blood everywhere, still swatting at the mutts who....devoured him alive. I screamed, in anger and desperation.

I didn't want to lose my companion, but now it looked so much like I was.

I hauled myself up, over the ledge and angled the swords in my hands. I took off then at full speed, slicing and dicing until all four dogs lie dead. I had severed each ones head clean from their shoulders so now they all lay in bloody masses.