Sacred

Chapter 23

Nick was still unaccustomed to the feeling of being in the open air again. The warm night air was a relief against his tired aching skin while the feeling of tender leave brushing past his face was more enticing than the rough stone of the tunnels.

They were hard on the furry heels of a Darklen that was leading them to what they hoped was the lair. It occasionally would glance back and howl in fear as they carried after it with torches and flaming knives. Caine was obviously still becoming used to having no depth perception because he'd occasionally brush past trees and boulders a little too roughly.

Louis was built much more lean than either of them and so he could leap easily around any obstacles while still maintaining their speed. Nick led the way, weaving a course through the undergrowth as the vile creature left them a perfect trail to follow. It had been clumsy and ripped through bushes and branches while leaving fur scraps behind on thorns and twigs.

They chased it for ages, until they felt they could go no further, and then the creature veered up the side of an embankment and into an opening in the rock. Urged on by the thought of victory, the warriors tore after it. Caine's knife had long gone out and so he wiped it off on his shirt before clutching it in his teeth.

He was the first over the embankment and suddenly, he gasped and froze, trying to keep from falling over it. "Woah! Guys, stop!"

Nick and Louis crowded around and looked down at what had almost been his fate. Below them stretched an endless pit of caves and tunnels. Dozens of the creatures were stalking through them, passing by each other and every now and then shoving at each other. Louis got daring and spat downwards into the hole of woe and despair. No sound came from the bottom when they expected the spit to make a noise. None of the creatures seemed adware of their presence. Even the one they had chased seemed at peace right then.

Nick shook his head and then pulled his torch forward. "Shall we burn those bastards?"

Caine was about to nod when he suddenly gasped and pointed down to a tunnel near the middle of the pit that their eyes could see. "Who is that?"

Nick narrowed his eyes and felt a bit of satisfaction at seeing Abel here. The abomination wad being dragged down the hallway by two burly Darklens who had both his feet in each of their paws. His hands were shackled together by some weird contraption that encompassed all of his hands in a box with a key hole on top. It was about the size of a loaf of bread, but it looked like it was made out of solid iron. It had two loops on the top that looked like chains could be attached.

Louis glanced at Nick. "He's a royal. Why didn't you save him?"

Nick clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes again. "He tried to rape Alex. He deserves everything that's come to him. Royal or not."

Caine nodded and then backed up. "Come on. It's obvious that these creatures have torn down any of those flammable vines and so we need to go back and make a new tactic. Something that's completely safe and will guarantee a victory."

Nick nodded and slid down the embankment after him. He had a sneaking suspicion in the back of his mind that wouldn't ease off, and it wasn't the presence of a Darklen. He stopped at the edge of the trees, glancing up at the sky and then at the angle of the hole. "Wait. Guys. Look at that hole. Then look at the sky. That hole is angled so that no sunlight can get directly in. All we need to do is come back during the day and beat a chunk out of the rock. Once the angle is obscured, direct sunlight can make it in and we'll have those creatures burnt out of house and home."

Louis nodded along with Caine. "Great plan. Now how're we gonna get that hole in there quick enough before those creatures come to fight us?"

Nick chuckled as he walked up and patted each of his new comrades on the back. "Don't worry. They can't fight us if we're outside the hole. Any of them who try will be shriveled like a raisin."