Eastern Dungeon (Part 7)

"Lizard, it's time to go!" Ashley shouted as he kept his scythe out. Swinging it back and forth to cut down a scorpions as they came near. Working hard to make his way towards Bredret who scowled in annoyance at being called something as inferior as a lizard. The closer he got to the dragon he had to halt in his steps. Without Bredret controlling the flames carefully if he stepped too closely he would find himself burnt to ash.

Bredret's entire body was engulfed among the flames that burst forth from his body. Warmth from the flames was a comforting sensation for him. A deep bellow coming from his throat as a scorpion fell towards him from atop one of the large crystals. Gripping its pincers with his bare hands so that it could not grasp him.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

The tail of the scorpion slammed into the ground repeatedly as it tried to aim for the man who held it in place without success. A loud hissing sound could be heard as the creature got angry. Its anger drew in the focus of the others around that struggled to get close due to the blazing flames that filled the vicinity.

"Bredret-" For a faint moment the dragon felt like he had heard a familiar, soothing, and warm voice call out to him from behind.

No, I must have been mistaken. He shook the thought away as a sense of how desperately he wished he could hear her voice. It was her voice that had always filled him with a sense of warmth he had never had except in that short time he'd been with her.

He could not feel her nor hear her, but at least he could still see her. Even if that fact made him feel a heavy burden of guilt it still gave him a faint joy at the same time. Bredret could see Celeste's spiritual form leaning towards his back as if to whisper in his ear. There was a pleading look in her eyes as if she was urging him to calm down.

Without needing words Bredret knew that because Celeste cared about the situation he could not let himself fall behind. If he lost control of himself and morphed under ground right now it would put everyone at risk of causing a collapse.

Like a demon among the burning inferno Bredret waved his hand slowly through the air controlling the flames so that a path was cleared in Ashley's direction. The vampire quickly dashed forth through it in order to stand by him with his blood scythe out. Bredret's eyes glowing a beautiful gold as he kept the area of flames under control not to burn the man to ash.

"The others have already gone down. All that's left is for us to get out now." Ashley spoke up again trying to convince him to leave quickly.

Nodding quietly Bredret covered the vampire's blade in his flame as they made their way towards the hole in the wall. Ashley kept himself close to the dragon so that it was easier for him to remain unscathed by the flames. The flames on the blade of his scythe making his swings even more deadly to those that got too close to them.

RROOAARRRR!

A fierce roar echoed among the sounds of the crackling fire. As their gazes were simultaneously pulled into the direction from which it came. They could see a dark shape hidden among the flames as it leapt forth.

A pair of white paws hit the ground heavily. Crystals bursting forth from the ground where it landed.

The crystal tiger was staring them down with heavy intent to put and end to the intruders on its turf. From all around the scorpions seemed to shudder and step back from the tiger in fear. There was no way to deny that the beast belonged to the dungeon. It was not the main beast among the dungeon but it had lived among the dungeon long enough to make its presence known to those beneath it. Other beasts in the dungeon had long ago learnt not to go against the beast and instead avoided it out of fear for their own lives.

"What? That thing already got in? Didn't the prince collapse the entrance yesterday?" Ashley flinched at the thought of how quickly the beast had forced its way past the damage to the entrance that Leo had caused to slow the crystal tiger down.

"There is one way to out of this situation for now. We have to inform the others that it is catching up." Bredret spoke in a calm manner as if he already had an idea to avoid fighting the tiger for the time being.

"It can't fit down the hole in the wall.. if it lurks deeper that means it knows even hidden ways around." Ashley thought out loud.

"The dungeon is where it lives.. it would know the place better than anyone after all this time." Bredret said as he reached over and grabbed Ashley by his collar.

"What are you doing?" Ashley asked cautiously.

"Time to go. That's what you said, right?" Bredret answered him with his own question.

"That's right- but-" Ashley could not finish speaking.

Bredret tightened his grip on Ashley and lifted him up. The motion was enough to choke Ashley for a second. His feet dangling in the air if he was a normal human, but for a vampire he did not breath and only tried to understand the situation. When he glanced downwards he could see the dragon holding him over the hole.

"Wha-" Ashley started to force out the words to ask what was happening.

Whoosshhh!

Ashley's body was dropped straight down into the hole in the wall before he could finish speaking.

ROARRR! RRR!

The crystal tiger ran in their direction as fast as it could in order to catch them. It's massive paw swiping at Bredret's head as he dove downward into the hole. He could feel a faint breeze from how strongly the beast had struck the air. Wrinkling his face slightly at how annoyed he felt with their situation.

Sliding down the steep ground quickly the sounds of the enraged crystal tiger could be heard calling out to them from behind. In front of him he could see Ashley a slight distance ahead of him trying to control the position he was sliding in. Every so often he could see a lit up mana crystal as if lighting their way through the dark void they had taken a chance to use as a method of escape from the scorpion's domain they had left behind.

As they neared the bottom of the tunnel there was no way to slow down. They could only prepare themselves for the impact that was soon to come. He could see a faint light in the distance that illuminated the exit ahead. It was a beautiful golden light that had been lit by Zoe with her magic at the bottom where the others awaited them. Though he could not see the others outside of the tunnel they were inside of he could easily recognize the mana of those he was familiar with.