Lost and Found

Chapter 9 - Burning Back Fire

Nya thought she was going to die. Bye world, she said silently in her head. Of course, she had thought this before. 

When a flaming shadow buffalo had run past her. When a bear had put its face two inches from her nose. When she had walked into this cave. When a voice had come from the dark, whispering in her ear.

But here she was. About to get eaten, swallowed, whatever, by a huge monster with an BO problem. As the monster thumped closer it's smell wafted under Nya's nose, and let's just say it wasn't roses and cinnamon.  Nya coughed. Maybe it was all that water sweat.

But, like all good heroes saving the world, Nya wouldn't go down without a fight, and it seemed neither would Pat. He studied the monster as if deciding which would be the most painful place to stab it.

Nya took a deep breath and charged. She ran right up to the monster and stabbed it in the leg. Red hot blood, like molten lava, oozed out. Nya quickly jumped out of the way as the monster howled.

It went to swipe at her, but before it's arms could reach her Pat took a running leap and sank his dagger into it's gut. The monster's hand went to it's bleeding wound in a reflex. Suddenly it's eyes became alight with fire.

The shadow's red pupils burned into Nya. If it hadn't been that angry before, it was now. The monster flicked Pat off his belly, his dagger still in the shadow's gut. It swiped at Nya in rage and she flew to the ground like Pat. Nya's skin burned where it had been touched by the shadow. The monster thumped over, lifting it's foot to squash them. 

But before it could come down on them Nya scrambled up and jumped as high as she could, stabbing it right in the curve of it's foot. The shadow howled and took's it foot in both hands. The drums thumped with it as it bounced around on one leg.

The molten lava blood was everywhere now but, like them, the monster wasn't going down without a fight. It trampled around in a blind rage, nearly stomping them to death. It's blood spewed across the corridor in all directions.

A blob of it flew right at Pat and hit his arm. He groaned in pain as it seared his skin. Nya looked in horror as the top layer of his forearm's skin began to burn away. Some say panic freezes your brain, but it only made Nya act faster.

She threw her dagger as hard as she could at the monster. Maybe it would be the stupidest thing she ever did. What if it missed? But the knife flipped through the air, tiny against the giant's rage, and lodged in it's chest. Nya rushed over to Pat, the shadow preoccupied with the metal stuck in it's chest. 

She took the first fabric she could find - her shirt - and wiped the blood off Pat's arm. He gave a little moan. She could feel the blisters forming on her skin, but she kept at it until all traces of the lava blood was gone and the side corner of her shirt almost in ashes.

But the damage was already done. Pat's forearm skin was pink and raw on the edges, but black and sticky were the burn had been worse. Nya could barely stand to look at it, but forced herself to rip her sleeve off and wrap it, as gently as possible when hurried, around the burn.

They would have to fix it better later, for now the monster had slid out the knife and was glaring at Nya like it wanted to tip 10 litres of molten lava on her head, chop her up and fry her on a barbecue alive. Then eat and digest her incredibly painfully. Not an ideal situation, then.

There wasn't much they could do. The corridor out was block by shadows, Pat's fighting arm was out of order and both their weapons were in the hands of the enemy. As the monster came towards them, Nya couldn't help but remember the voice that had spoken to them not ten minutes ago.

What you rely on the most will only hinder you. So vulnerable without your sight.

It came to Nya in a brain wave. The stupidest, craziest idea that only a lunatic would try. She didn't even know if it was right, would work or would just get them killed quicker and easier. But hey, you don't know if you don't try.

"Pat, close your eyes."

"What?" Pat's eyes did the exact opposite and opened wide. "Are you kidding? We can't give up, we're not dead yet."

Nya looked him right in the eye. "Trust me. You have to close your eyes."

Pat looked right back at her as if in pain, which he obviously was. "Alright, but if we die your going to feel real guilty." He closed his eyes and Nya did the same. 

At first it was just black. They were going to die. Than suddenly the world seemed to change. She seemed so much more... just more. Her sense felt like they had gone up five notches in sensitivity. She could feel her surroundings.

She was surround in darkness, but could see better than she had ever before. She could feel the vibrations of the monsters steps pulse through her. The air move as it swung back it's arm. She took a sharp breath in.

No matter how good her senses were now, she was still going to die. Nya grabbed Pat's good arm and stepped back. Goodbye world, she thought silently for what seemed the one millionth time today. She lent back against the hard cold concrete of the dead end.

And sunk into it. She was being squished on all sides, couldn't breathe. And all at once she was through. Nya heard Pat coughing. The were somewhere else. The air was colder and from the way Pat's coughs resonated, they seemed to be in a giant cavern, as big as a cathedral. 

Pat's cough went silent with a choke. Nya opened her eyes and found herself staring at the thing that had scared Pat into silence. They were surrounded by shadow animals, monsters and people. What seemed to be the leader stepped forward. 

It was in the vague shape of a human, only a few inches taller than Nya. That didn't make it any less frightening. It's eyes like black holes and body a swirl of shadow. It spoke in a whispering voice that seemed to come from everywhere and sunk into Nya to her very core.

You will meet our master now. Sweet dreams.

The Umbra closed in.