Darkness Below

Dominique's eyes remained fixed on the artifact, his mind still wary of Duke's intentions. But when Duke patted him on the shoulder, he seemed to snap out of his thoughts. "Relax, I didn't plan to use it on you. You're my ticket out of here," Duke said, moving away from Dominique.

Dominique followed cautiously, careful not to get too close, still fearful of being used as bait. But Duke didn't stop walking, and his pace seemed steady and purposeful. As they approached the creature still wandering midair, Duke pointed the artifact at it. The blue artifact slowly turned red, as if ingesting the creature's energy.

Duke waited patiently, hiding behind the rocks to avoid being spotted. But suddenly, he felt something rubbing against his shoulder. "Not now, Dominique, I have to pay attention to this. One wrong move and we're dead," he whispered, trying to brush it off.

However, the rubbing persisted, and Duke realized it wasn't Dominique. The touches felt slimy, and they were coming from multiple points on his back. Duke's eyes widened in alarm as he tried to stay focused, his heart racing like it wanted to escape his ribcage.

Just as the gem turned completely red, Duke withdrew his outstretched hand from mid-air and carefully tucked the artifact into his pocket. His eyes scanned the surroundings, searching for the source of the unsettling touches.

Duke's eyes widened in horror as he took in the scene before him. A disgusting red tentacle had wrapped itself around Dominique, restraining him from moving any further. Dominique's eyes met Duke's, filled with a mix of fear and desperation.

Duke's mind raced as he tried to think of a plan. He couldn't fight the creature off with his bare hands, and the artifact was still warm from absorbing the creature's energy. He needed a new strategy, and fast.

The tentacle began to pull Dominique closer, its slimy surface leaving a trail of goo on the ground. Duke knew he had to act quickly or risk losing his only ally in this hellhole.

With a surge of adrenaline, Duke charged forward, grabbing the artifact from his pocket and holding it up like a shield. The red gem glowed brightly, and the tentacle hesitated, as if sensing the power emanating from it.

"Let him go!" Duke commanded, trying to sound braver than he felt.

The tentacle writhed and squirmed, but refused to release its grip on Dominique. Duke knew he had to think fast, or they'd both become the creature's next meal. He raised the artifact again, this time holding it mid-air, and his voice rose in a commanding tone. "Let him go!"

The tentacle recoiled quickly, moving as fast as it could away from Duke and Dominique, leaving behind a trail of slime. Duke grinned, proud of himself, before helping Dominique to his feet.

"That was-" Dominique started to say, But his words hung in his throat as he stared at something behind Duke.

"Awesome? I know" Duke chuckled with pride. "Takes a bit of dominance and an artifact to pull that off."

"Duke-" Dominique stuttered, his eyes fixed on something behind Duke. "I don't think the dominance radiated from you…"

Duke's smile faltered, confused by not Dominique's words. He turned to see what had caught Dominique attention, and his eyes widened as he took in the sight.

The creature behind Duke was the same one that had been flying midair, and its presence sent chills down their spines. It opened its mouth and screeched at them, but no sound came out. This seemed to enrage the creature further, as if its silence was a source of frustration.

It kicked a stone with its claws, and the rock rolled down towards Duke and Dominique. They rushed out of the way just in time, avoiding the stone by mere inches.

The creature's eyes blazed with fury, its gaze fixed on them with an unrelenting intensity. Duke and Dominique exchanged a terrified glance, knowing they had to escape the creature's lair as quickly as possible.

"We need to get out of here!" Dominique shouted as they ran.

"No, we need to shatter this stone in the burrow," Duke replied, suddenly veering off in a different direction.

The creature, momentarily confused, hesitated between pursuing Duke or Dominique. Dominique's eyes widened in alarm as Duke disappeared into a narrow tunnel.

"DUKE, NO!" Dominique yelled, but Duke was already gone.

The creature quickly gave chase, its wings beating the air as it pursued Dominique. Dominique sprinted down the main tunnel, his heart racing with fear.

"Oh common!" He yelled, panic stricken, as he increased his pace, realizing the creature was right on his track.

Dominique raced down the tunnel, his footsteps echoing off the walls as he desperately tried to escape the creature's clutches. But in his haste, he failed to notice a small rock on the ground, and his foot struck it with a loud thud. His legs flew out from under him, and he crashed to the ground, the wind knocked out of his lungs.

As he struggled to catch his breath, the creature loomed over him, its shadow towering like a dark specter. With a cruel precision, it raised its claws and brought them down, pinning Dominique to the ground. The claws dug deep into the earth, creating a small pit with Dominique at the bottom. He coughed, and a trickle of blood escaped his lips.

The creature raised its claws again, preparing to deliver the final blow. But just as it was about to strike, it froze, its head cocked to the side as if listening to a distant sound. A screech echoed through the burrow, a loud, piercing cry that seemed to come from the very depths of the earth.

The creature's gaze flickered, its attention diverted from Dominique to the sound. For a moment, it stood there, frozen in indecision, before turning and disappearing into the darkness, leaving Dominique battered and bleeding in the pit.

Duke jumped into the pit, landing with a soft thud beside Dominique. "It worked, he's inside and not coming out. It appears he's recovered its voice," Duke said, relief washing over his face.

Dominique, still weak and battered, managed a faint smile. He raised his hands, and with a shaky gesture, gave Duke a thumbs up. But the effort was too much, and his hands slumped back down, limp and weak.