12 – Underground Pigeonhole

They arrived at the end of the tunnel, and a chamber with a towering ceiling opened up before them.

All was quiet as they entered the dark room. Light spilled from the two magic swords and the two spinning halos, making the icy walls shimmer with brilliant reflections of blue and gold.

“This must be their lair,” Ashley said, scanning the chamber.

The cavern had another opening on the far side. The light from her halo illuminated the distant threshold, confirming another passage lay ahead. On the higher levels of the cavern walls, large alcoves were carved into the ice and rock. She knew these monsters used them like burrows to nest in.

The alcoves were double her height. A larger opening right behind her caught her attention a split second before a bestial scream echoed through the chamber, followed immediately by a second one.

“Here they come,” Simon said. He took a guard stance on her left, his knuckles white around the hilt of his sword. Paco peered out from behind the pelt of the priest’s cloak, his snout twitching.

Aury’s wings folded closer to his back at Ashley’s right side. He raised his sword in a high, elegant pose. A stance better suited for a formal duel than grinding through mobs. His mask caught the light of the flaming sword, casting shadows across the porcelain features that made the mask look like it was smiling.

In the highest alcove, a gorilla-like mass of muscle and white, shaggy fur peered through the darkness. The creature stared down at them with pale blue eyes.

Intelligence sparkled within them, mixed with pure malice.

One four-fingered hand grasped the side of the alcove. Then a second appeared, followed by a third and a fourth hand. The beast used all four arms to launch himself over the edge of the wall, dropping directly in front of them with a heavy thud.

His fur shone as it caught the light. He shouted his rage at them, jaws wide, revealing tusks curved like a saber-tooth’s.

Ashley admired the thick fur on the beast. She rubbed her ice-cold hands together, the friction doing little to pierce the chill. “That will do.”

The monster punched his own chest in challenge. The sound reverberated through Ashley’s bones. A hollow thud like a war drum struck from the inside.

Hearing the call, another monster jumped down to his side. This one was bulkier, his hide stained and missing several patches of fur. The two beasts fought shoulder-to-shoulder for a brief moment, snapping at each other to claim the right to fight first.

[Winter Wroogs: B-Tier Monsters].

“I’ll take the small one. You two—” Ashley started, but a violet flame erupted from behind Simon’s back. She watched in horror as the stream of fire engulfed her target.

“Paco… no.” She sighed.

The flames scorched the beast, which screamed in pain. When the fire finally cleared, the pristine fur was ashen and still ablaze in several spots.

The beast rolled on the ground, thrashing against the ice to put out the embers, further ruining what had once been a magnificent coat.

The dragon looked up at Ashley. A string of smoke curled from his nostrils. His expression, if a dragon could have one, was the picture of innocence.

The bigger monster saw his companion rolling on the floor. He roared, enraged. It was a brutal parody of loyalty, or perhaps simple outrage at losing the chance to fight first.

He smashed all four fists into the floor and the ground shook and split. The walls reverberated with the force of the impact.

“That one doesn’t seem very happy,” Simon said. Then he turned his gaze upward.

Stalactites dislodged from the ceiling. They fell like lances, coming straight down toward them while Ashley was still mourning the scorched pelt on the other Wroog.

Aury threw his free hand high. “[Aegis of Mercy].”

A rounded shield of solid light sparked into existence. It formed a fraction of a second before the rocks struck. The stalactites impacted the barrier and shattered against it, raining sharp fragments onto the ice around them.

“Thanks, buddy. That was close,” Simon said.

“I did it for her holiness. You happened to be in the way,” Aury said. He extinguished the magic with a flick of his wrist. “Mistress, I ran out of mana with that one spell. I am not as adept at these things as you are.”

“Um. Okay. Thanks anyway,” Simon said, before Ashley could reply.

“Very well,” Ashley said, finding her composure once more. “Let’s deal with them and carry on.”

She reached out. The two monsters prepared to charge at the same time. They tensed, locking eyes with her, going taut beneath the fur.

The smaller Wroog’s face twisted in pure fury, turning toward the dragon. Paco did his best to snarl ferociously. Almost.

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Then the two Wroogs looked over her head. Both Wroogs went still, then retreated one step.

Ashley turned just in time to see a block of ice the size of a car flying straight toward them.

Simon stepped in front of Paco, raising his sword to brace for the impact.

Aury shifted his feet, but Ashley was quicker.

She slashed the air before her. She drew heavily on the reservoir of energy inside her chest.

“[Wind Blades].”

Three great blades of pressurized air rocketed from her palm.

The crescent arcs flew through the darkness. They connected with the flying iceberg, slicing the massive boulder into four distinct pieces. The fragments landed between them, cracking and scraping loudly against the frozen floor.

A scream of absolute rage preceded the enormous white shape that dropped from the darkness above.

The monster rose to his full height. He spread his six powerful arms in a brutal display of strength and size. He was at least double the size of the other two, twice as wide, and possessed four glowing blue eyes that burned with hatred.

[Winter Wroog King: A-Tier Monster].