Parallel Vol.2 [Legacy Edition]

Chapter 17: Suvron's Lair

Kashi led his party to the end of the abyss. It was a wide rock expanse roughly the width of a house that rose beyond the 'black zone'.

He placed his hand on the rock-face and frowned.

"It's a dead end," Hektor muttered.

Kashi shook his head. "That's what I thought too." He stepped back and released a multitude of magelights. They lit up the 'wall' and Hektor balked.

A straight 'gash' set in the middle ran as high as the eye could see. Separate gashes arched off both ends of the wall to meet beyond the 'black zone'. 

It was clear this was a door. But this begged the question: How large was the rest of the building? And more importantly: What being needed doors this large?

Kashi punched the door, then placed his ears on it. He shared a worried look with Kira who shook her head.

"What? What's up?" Hektor demanded an answer. He hated being the only one not in the know.

"We can't breach it," replied Kashi. "It's far too thick. I'd wager a meter at the least."

Hektor cursed. "How do we get in then? Unless you wanna turn back?"

The dark elf flashed a knowing grin. "No, we're in the right place. You smell that?"

Hektor sniffed the air as hard he could. "Don't smell nothing."

"Sorry, I forgot. Anyway, we're good where we are. We just have to wait for a bit. It should open any second now."

"How're you so sure."

"Well becau-" Kashi stopped talking and readied his bow. "Ready your sword. They're coming."

"Eh? Wh-" Hektor's words died in his throat. He readied his sword as the trio stepped away from the wall which had begun to slide open.

Surprisingly there were no accompanying noises from the gears or the door itself. It was no wonder they had not heard a sound throughout their brief stay in the abyss. 

Kashi did not have time to ponder how the machine worked because as soon as the gap was wide enough for a man to squeeze through, a beast rushed out at them.

Short but terrible, it resembled a bi-pedal cross between an ant and a rat. It sported two giant funnel like ears, with orange beady eyes. Its skin like most other monsters down there was layered with a hard material. Its armor was blue, and the extra armor down its middle was dirt-brown. It was an interesting color palette for a being of the darkness.

He rewarded the enthusiastic prey with an arrow to the temple. Hektor finished it off, and Kira gouged as much of it as she could before the next came.

It was most likely because of its size that the door opened at a snail's pace. 

The trio were glad for this.

It forced the monsters to come at them one or two at a time which made it easy to dispatch them.

You discovered a new species!

Name it?

"Skittles!" Kashi screamed distractedly as another of its kind was already rushing out the door.

As the opening widened, so did the number of skittles that ran out. Like rats they charged together, running over each other to reach their target. 

Kashi hands moved at blinding speed. He notched, drew and shot more than seven arrows at a time faster than some respected archers would one. He continued firing, but they just kept coming, almost single-mindedly.