Page 13

Earth Elemental

T he ground beneath our feet shuddered as we ran and the cave filled with the echoing roar of the massive monster giving chase behind us.

The earth elemental was pissed at us for apparently stealing its most favorite snack ever.

It seemed like a silly reason to hunt us all down and kill us, but then again, reasoning with a giant humanoid rock seemed like an impossible task.

I had a feeling it wasn’t terribly open to bargaining or being friendly.

“Keep running!” Sky shouted, his voice barely audible over the thunderous footsteps behind us.

I glanced back, catching a glimpse of the elemental’s craggy form silhouetted against the dim light of the mana crystal’s glow. Its eyes burned angry and white, and chunks of stone flew from its body as it barreled through the narrow passageway.

“There!” Kai pointed ahead, where the cave opened up into a wider chamber. “We can split up there!”

As we burst into the open space, Sky and I veered left while Kai and the others went right.

The elemental hesitated for a moment, unsure which group to pursue.

However, that hesitation lasted only a split second before its gaze narrowed on Sky and myself.

The footsteps started again, faster this time, as the elemental came after us.

Sky cursed under his breath, his wolf ears flattening against his head as we sprinted deeper into the cavern. The elemental’s thunderous footsteps grew louder, closing the gap between us with alarming speed .

“We need to lose it!” I gasped, my lungs burning from the exertion.

Sky’s eyes darted around, searching for an escape route. Suddenly, he grabbed my arm, yanking me towards a narrow crevice in the cave wall. “This way!”

We squeezed through the opening just as the elemental’s massive fist smashed into the rock where we’d been standing moments before. The impact sent tremors through the cavern, loosening debris from the ceiling.

“Keep moving,” Sky growled, his tail brushing against my leg as we navigated the tight passage.

The elemental roared in frustration, unable to follow us through the narrow gap. We could hear it pounding on the rock, sending vibrations through the walls around us.

“That won’t hold it for long,” Sky muttered, his eyes reflecting the light of the lantern still miraculously clinging to the end of his spear. “We need to find another way out.”

We pressed on, the passage gradually widening until we could walk side by side.

The elemental’s furious roars grew fainter, but I knew we couldn’t let our guard down.

The pounding against the stone continued in the distance and I knew the stone wouldn’t hold him back forever.

Clearly whatever stone melding abilities it had were of no use in this part of the cavern.

I didn’t know why, only that I was thankful for it. Even so, we were on borrowed time.

“Do you think the others made it?” I asked, worry gnawing at me.

Sky’s expression softened slightly. “Kai’s with them and he’s the only one in your group with any sense. He’ll keep them safe. Besides, the path they took leads to the exit.”

I nodded, grateful for his reassurance. Though I was a little put out by not being included as a person with sense.

“Wait… where does this path go then?” I asked.

“Your guess is as good as mine. I’ve never been to this part of the cave before.”

I opened my mouth to reply as we rounded a corner, and a faint glimmer caught my eye. “Look! Is that... water?”

Sure enough, a small underground stream trickled along the cave floor, widening as it flowed deeper into the cavern. Sky’s ears perked up, his nose twitching as he scented the air.

“Fresh water,” he confirmed. “And I smell trees... This might lead us out.”

We followed the stream, our pace quickening with renewed hope. The passage gradually widened, the ceiling rising above us until we could no longer see it in the dim light of Sky’s lantern. The sound of rushing water grew louder, drowning out the distant echoes of the elemental’s fury.

Suddenly, the ground dropped away beneath us. I yelped as I lost my footing, sliding down a slick, moss-covered decline. Sky grabbed for me, but he too lost his balance, and we tumbled down together in a tangle of limbs.

We landed with a splash in a deep pool at the bottom of the slope.

The cold water shocked my body, driving the breath from my lungs.

I flailed for a moment before finding my footing, gasping as I broke the surface.

Thankfully the water was only a couple feet deep, enough that I could stand up.

Sky emerged beside me, shaking water from his ears and tail.

“Are you alright?” he asked, his usual gruff tone tinged with concern.

I nodded, teeth chattering. “J-just cold. Where are we?”

As our eyes adjusted to the darkness, we found ourselves in a vast underground cavern. The pool we’d landed in was fed by a thundering waterfall, its roar echoing off the stone walls. Bioluminescent fungi clung to the rocks, casting an eerie blue glow across the water’s surface.

Sky waded to the shore, extending a hand to help me out.

His touch lingered for a moment longer than necessary, and I felt a warmth spread through me despite the chill.

The moment he let go, I tried to push the sensation from my mind.

It didn’t mean anything. I was just making it up.

And survival was more important right now.

“No more lantern,” Sky sighed, hefting his spear. Sure enough, the lantern was gone after the fall, probably sinking to the bottom of the underground lake as he spoke. “Good thing these mushrooms are here.”

“Yeah, lucky break,” I agreed, wringing water from my clothes. “But now what? We’re even more lost than before.”

Sky’s ears twitched as he surveyed the cavern. “Not necessarily. Listen.”

I strained my ears, trying to hear past the roar of the waterfall. At first, all I could make out was the steady drip of water and the echo of our own breathing. But then, faintly, I caught it - a whisper of wind, carrying with it the scent of fresh air and outside.

“There’s a way out,” I breathed, hope surging through me. “You were right!”

Sky nodded, a rare smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “See what happens when you don’t give up Immediately?” He gestured for me to follow. “Come on. This way.”

We picked our way carefully along the shore, the glowing fungi casting strange, shifting shadows as we moved.

The ground was treacherous, slick with moss and hidden pools of water.

Sky moved with the grace of a predator, his wolf-like senses guiding him through the darkness.

I tried my best to follow in his footsteps, but my human reflexes were no match for his heightened abilities.

As we rounded a bend in the cavern, a gust of fresh air hit us, carrying with it the faint scent of pine and earth. Sky’s ears perked up, his tail swishing with excitement.

“We’re close,” he murmured, quickening his pace.

No sooner had the words left his lips than there was an ear splitting crash behind us.

We spun on our heels to see the earth elemental standing at the shore of the underground lake, debris raining down around it.

Somehow it had broken through and now it was right on our tails.

Sky uttered a single word that summed up the situation perfectly.

“Fuck.”

The elemental’s eyes blazed with renewed fury as it spotted us. Without hesitation, it plunged into the underground lake, sending massive waves crashing against the shore. The cavern trembled with each of its thunderous steps.

“Run!” Sky shouted, grabbing my arm and pulling me forward.

We sprinted along the narrow shoreline, slipping and stumbling on the wet rocks.

The elemental’s roars echoed off the cavern walls, growing louder with each passing second.

I risked a glance back and saw it emerging from the water, its massive form dripping and glistening in the eerie blue light of the fungi.

“There!” Sky pointed ahead to a small opening in the cavern wall. “That has to be the way out!”

We made a mad dash for the exit, the elemental’s footsteps shaking the ground beneath us.

But as we neared the end of the passage, we didn’t see the crevasse splitting the tunnel floor in half.

Sky stopped easily, but I nearly went over the edge.

Thanks to his quick reflexes and his hand in the back of my cloak, he stopped me from going over.

I landed on my hands and knees, staring down into the darkness.

There, just beyond the edge of the light, I could see all the jagged stones at the bottom some thirty feet down. If I’d gone over, I’d be dead. There was no doubt about that.

But as I got back to my feet and turned around to face the elemental, I felt my stomach drop. I was going to die, anyway. It was with a sinking feeling that I realized that maybe the jagged rocks would’ve been an easier way to go .

“Can’t you do anything?” I asked Sky, unable to look away from the massive creature stalking toward us. “Magic or something?”

“I told you,” he hissed, brandishing his spear uselessly. “They’re almost impossible to kill. I’m stronger than you and your friends, but that’s a low fucking bar.”

I didn’t have time to think about his admonishments.

There had to be a way to survive this monster.

Ever since I’d stepped foot into Cindersea, I’d been battling to survive.

It didn’t matter if it was monsters or starvation, I was determined to live.

The feeling that I had yet to live a full life was too strong in the back of my mind to give up now.

The earth elemental got closer and closer, bright white eyes flaring in the darkness.

It emitted a strange glow, magic crackling all around it.

The mana crystals in its body reflected the light in all directions, putting on a spectacular show that would’ve been quite mesmerizing if we weren’t about to be killed.

But that’s when I saw it, the mana ore vein streaking through the creature’s body. I wasn’t sure if the ore gave it life or if eating the ore somehow made its body bigger. Regardless, it was only after one thing.

My hand shot out, diving into the folds of Sky’s cloak.

“What the fuck are you doing?” he cried, not looking away from the creature.

My fingers found the cool metal thrumming with magic quickly.

Pulling it out, I tossed it high into the air.

I hefted my wooden staff high, tightened my grip, and swung as the tiny piece of ore fell in front of me.

With the dull clink of wood on metal, the fragment of ore went sailing over the earth elemental’s shoulder, bounced off the stone, and fell into the lake.

For a moment, everything went silent. Sky’s gaze darted to me, an expression of fury on his face.

However, his attention was quickly pulled back to the elemental as it began to turn.

The stones of its body ground together as it spun, heavy feet crashing into the tunnel floor as it forgot about us completely and headed for the lake.

My plan had worked.

“Quick,” I whispered, lowering my staff. “Let’s get out of here before it changes its mind.”

Sky stared at me in disbelief for a moment before shaking his head. “You’re either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid,” he muttered, but there was a hint of admiration in his voice. “Come on, let’s get out of here before it realizes we’ve left.”

We scrambled towards the exit, the sound of splashing water echoing behind us as the elemental dove into the lake in search of the discarded ore.

After we’d climbed down the crevasse and then back up the other side, the narrow opening on the opposite ledge led to a winding tunnel.

It was barely wide enough for us to squeeze through side by side.

As we hurried along, the air grew fresher, and I could feel the warm breeze on my face. The tunnel began to slope upwards, and soon we could see a faint glimmer of daylight ahead. Behind us there was no splashing or roaring, only the silent darkness of the cave and the still lake that lay beyond.

“We’re almost there,” I panted, hope surging through me.

At last, we broke into the light of a late afternoon sun.

Sky and I stumbled out of the cave entrance, blinking in the sudden brightness.

We found ourselves on a rocky ledge overlooking a vast forest, the trees swaying gently in the breeze.

The sun was low on the horizon, painting the sky in brilliant hues of orange and pink.

For a moment, we just stood there, catching our breath and letting the reality of our escape sink in. Then Sky turned to me, his blue eyes intense and surprisingly, full of wonder.

“That was... impressive,” he growled. “How did you know that would work?”

I shrugged. “I didn’t. You said it liked to eat the stuff, so I took a wild guess.”

Sky’s ears twitched, a look of begrudging respect crossing his face. “You’re not as useless as you seem. Most people couldn’t bear the thought of throwing away an entire month’s worth of luxury food and lodging.”

“Money’s not very useful if you’re dead.”

Sky stared at me for a long moment, his searching blue eyes seeming to look right through me. I felt my heart pick up its pace and heat rise to my cheeks. I’d noticed how handsome he was before, but now, the way he was looking at me, it made it almost hard to breathe.

“Hey,” I said, noticing a trickle of blood coming from his right eyebrow. “You’re hurt.”

“It’s nothing,” he said, turning away from me.

But my hand was already on the side of his face.

He froze up, turning to face me as I began to chant.

A soft golden light coalesced around my fingers as I brushed my thumb over the cut on his eyebrow.

I smiled as it stitched itself back together in an instant, all traces of the wound gone in less than a second.

“There,” I smiled, pulling my hand away. “All better.”

“You… You didn’t have to?— ”

“Oliver! Sky!” a voice shouted from above.

We both leaned back, searching the rough rocky cliff above until we saw Kai and the others standing some thirty feet above, waving down at us from the upper ledge.

By some miracle, we’d all survived.