Grotesque Worms

Leomord knew something was off the moment he set foot inside the cave. He felt a strange presence that even his heightened senses couldn't explain.

He had already signaled Vynn to sniff around the perimeter, but like him, Vynn couldn't detect anything unusual. They had traveled through the east passage, where the forest awaited them.

The forest there was wild and thicker than most of the surrounding area. It was filled with various trees and insects, but it was nothing compared to the dark forests of Colossus and the Forgotten Fjords.

As they advanced inside, they moved in formation. Ahead were the two youngest members, known as the Front Line. Two Werebeasts were behind the Front Line; they were the strongest and were called the Offense. 

If they were attacked, the Front Line would be the first to engage, giving the Offense time to counterattack. Next in line were the Sensers, the best trackers of the group, guarding all directions to ensure no enemies approached. 

The last group was the Intelligence, the smartest members. They made sure no one was left behind, everything went according to plan, and everyone coordinated seamlessly.

They didn't usually use this formation, especially when stealth was crucial and not full-blown war. But because of Leomord's and others' heightened senses, they had to be cautious. Underestimating the enemy was not an option.

The message from Percival hadn't arrived yet, so they weren't sure if their actions aligned with their mission. Without his approval, they acted on their own due to limited time.

If someone got hurt during the battle, Leomord himself would take responsibility. He needed to ensure everyone survived.

"Leo, three o'clock," one of the skilled Sensers communicated through their Mindlink. Since they were in wolf form, they communicated seamlessly through this channel unique to their species.

Leo sharpened his sense of smell and sniffed around but couldn't identify anything. He tried to listen, but there was nothing. He was about to ask the Sensers for clarification when suddenly, huge worms with little limbs rained down on them.

They had to dodge quickly to avoid being crushed.

The area soon filled with these humongous white worms. They weren't normal; they had multiple eyes on their heads, sharp teeth, and five slimy, slithering tongues dripping saliva.

They were slow but produced a yellow-green neon liquid that hissed and burned like lava upon contact with skin.

Leo immediately lifted his paw when it started to burn.

"Avoid the liquid," he ordered silently. "It's poisonous." He warned his team.

They swiftly acted to kill the scattered worms, which had become more violent and tried to swallow them.

The formation broke as the worms continued to rain down. Their foul smell and deafening cries overwhelmed their senses. Every time they killed one worm, another wave would rain down, filling the cave with more monsters. They couldn't step on the trails the worms left behind.

As time passed, the place seemed to shrink, and their movements became more limited. They weren't used to fighting in tight spaces, making it hard to avoid the rain, the liquid, and the monsters' attacks simultaneously. The worms were easy to kill but hard to handle.

They kept coming. "Where the hell are they coming from?" Leo asked.

He looked at the ceiling as he bit into a worm's fatty abdomen with his hardened jaw. Once it was hurt, it deflated and died like a punctured balloon.

"We need to finish this," added Leo. They weren't even in the main area of the cave yet.

Leo realized that all this was conjured by the Witch. Only she could create something this strange. But wasn't Beta Cavin in charge of fighting her?

"What's happening?" Leo was confused.

He turned left and jumped over the pile of worm bodies. He almost got hit by another falling worm but dodged and killed it quickly.

"I can't sense the Witch," one of the Sensers said. "I can't sense any of them inside the cave at all," added another.

It was then revealed that the Witch might not be inside the cave. 

"Maybe she's outside," Vynn suggested through the Mindlink, then he collided his massive body against the cave wall.

The ground began to shiver. Sharp rocks fell, randomly hitting the worms with echoing thuds. The others followed suit, shaking the cave further. Soon, stalactites began to crack and fall, striking the worms. Unlike the Werebeasts, the worms were too slow to avoid the falling debris.

They watched as the worms were pierced one by one. But they barely had time to catch their breath when a green sphere emerged from above, and a new set of white worms began to fall.

"You have to be kidding me!"

"Damn, don't tell me we're going to die from falling worms."

"This is unfair. We'll be killed by exhaustion."

Leomord couldn't tell how long they had been fighting these massive worms. The dead bodies already formed a mountain, stacking from the ground.

"We need to find that Witch now!" 

Leo nodded in agreement. That was the only way to end this nightmare.

He scanned the area with his yellowish eyes and spotted a swirling darkness at the ceiling of the cave. Without hesitation, he ran toward it.

"Vynn," he called. "Follow me."

Thanks to the pile of dead worms, they reached the upper side. Leo signaled Vynn to make their move. They had done this a few times already, so Vynn knew what to do.

They moved back, then ran forward. Vynn pushed off with his powerful legs, reaching for the energy but only halfway. 

Next, it was Leo's turn. He maneuvered his body, leaped as high as he could, and reached Vynn, who had jumped again, setting himself as a temporary platform. Leo used Vynn's body to leap higher, finally reaching the ceiling where the worms were falling from. He clung to the ceiling, sniffing the green energy, committing the scent to memory.

With precise movements and years of experience, he landed safely, though he fell heavily on his paws.

Leo then began sniffing the entire cave, including the passageways, but couldn't detect the same scent from the teleportation spell where the worms emerged.

"She's not here," Leo confirmed to his team. "She might be outside the cave or somewhere else entirely."

Vynn was frustrated as there was hardly any space left on the ground, which was now filled with bright green liquid.

"But we don't have much time to find her..." said one of the Offense.

Leo sighed, looking up at the continuous rain of worms. Then an idea hit him like thunder.

"Everyone, high ground!"

His companions followed. He explained his plan while they ran toward the path he and Vynn had taken earlier.

Everyone agreed. On his signal, Vynn jumped high, followed by Yohan. Then an Offense member, Soren, sprinted and used Vynn's body to jump to Yohan's height, using his body to reach the energy circle that was beginning to fade.

Soren used his companions' bodies as a ladder. Each time he stepped on them, Leo's body fell faster than it should have, as did Yohan's due to the impact.

Soon, Soren soared through and entered the sphere. Leomord did the same. He waited for Vynn and Yohan to reach them after they landed below.

He then jumped and used Vynn as a stepping stone to reach the Teleportation Spell. He used Yohan's back to jump again, forcefully nudging the worms aside to enter the sphere.

It was dark and cold before the surroundings seemed to shift. When Leo opened his eyes, he found himself in a forest. He sniffed the unfamiliar surroundings.

"Eldoria," he whispered.

That was why he couldn't sense the Witch inside the cave. She wasn't there. When Leo turned around, he saw her. Her long orange hair sprawled on the ground, and her body was in Soren's wide mouth.

Leomord shook his head at the sight. Now they had to run and travel back to Escrima. He told Soren, "You should've forced her to create a Teleportation Spell for us back to Escrima before you killed her."

Soren just growled. "That bitch annoyed and exhausted me with her worms."

Leo chuckled, momentarily forgetting their surroundings. At the same time, the Witch's real body emerged from behind a tall tree.

Quickly, she fired a spell at Soren, who was unaware of her real presence. Leo tried to save his friend by running toward him and knocking him aside to avoid the spell. But his timing was short, and the spell hit his body instead.

His wolf form hit the ground with a solid thud. Pain erupted in his body, and the last thing he saw was Soren's swift beheading of the Witch before darkness swallowed him whole.