Chapter 9
Their camp provides a valuable vantage point overlooking the cavernous systems sprawl but the scarcity of the caves luminous rocks and crevasses left hiding spots for enemies.
However, whoever hides among the shadows can wait, the next prey lies in plain sight with a raging camp fire drawing attention to their group of three with the flickering flame and climbing smoke. Their indifference to the attention they're drawing worries Ken more than anything as Lavinia notes in his conversations with Lucy.
"Attack them or don't. You've bulldozed through to this point so why stop now?" Lucy mutters, stirring away at her reptile soup.
Ken grunts, saying nothing more beyond glaring at the other team's camp fire. His eyes linger on the largest, donned with armour possibly as heavy as his teammates and a long, broad sword to complement his physique. The others are men as well. One exudes the same power and energy Lucy does and wears similar, loose thread clothing and hangs a satchel around his neck. The last of the three is a mouse compared to both and the only human Lavinia has answered yes to her most recurrent thought, "Can I eat that?"
A mouse in the berserker's shadow and a mute thrall within the Casters light Lavinia can't figure out a purpose for the man beyond existing beside them. Perhaps he hunts as well, after all her target— the Sniffer— rests beside him and his bags. Whatever the case, Lavinia crouches at the edge of the natural formed balcony within the growing Dungeon, awaiting the attack order from either of her humans.
"I'm abrasive, I know but I'm not stupid. In fact, no one in this challenge could be this stupid." Ken says, propping his chin up in thought, "It has to be a trap."
Lucy rolls her eyes, "Of course it is, did you hear me say it wasn't?"
"So? What's your advice? Isn't that what you're here for? Show me the true path to power or whatever." He groans, turning away from the camp to face her in another one of their arguments.
"It is not. I represent the wisdom of Magic and its protection. I will guide your actions and protect you against opposing forces of magic, but I will not-"
"Yeah, yeah, you won't aid me in martial conquests." He snorts, eying Lavinia as he returns to the edge, "At least you gave me this thing."
"Don't get her killed like the rest of your subjects." Lucy says, dishing a pinch of spices into the large pot she manifested from thin air. She beckons on Lavinia, "Come taste this."
"I'm using her." Ken seethes but Lavinia skips over without restraint or hesitation.
"No, you're not. Gather the will to fight for the power you seek or find the bravery to abandon it. Here you are, little Lavi." She coos and Lavinia opens wide for the spoonful. "How is it?"
"I can eat that!" Lavinia cheers.
Lucy only chuckles, stirring some more before shutting the pot and setting the spoon through the handle. "Another hour on the fire and the meat should be soft enough. Do you think you can make some progress before it's time for dinner and sleep?"
Her passive aggressive tone strikes its last nerve with Ken. Scowling he commands, "Come here demon, let's end this. Watch our backs, Caster."
"Finally." Lucy groans to her feet and the metallic staff snaps to her open palm, "I'll counteract their Caster's magic…if they cast any to begin with."
"Remember, your target is the sniffer, the big canine monster lying there. See it?" Ken asks Lavinia.
She nods, "Yes, Lucy."
Brows furrowed, Ken ignores that and checks himself. His two curved daggers glimmer as he channels a power through the metal. Lavinia's ears, covered by a sprouting fro of hair still manages to pick on the subtle vibrations throughout the blade as it did Lucy's staff, easier even.
Concerning herself with her own challenge, Lavinia narrows her sights on the creature they called the Sniffer. A beast of great, hard armour from the looks of it, but smaller than she unless it could stand on it's short, frail hind legs. It may or may not have eyes, too far too tell or even make sense of what she sees from the camp.
"Let's go." Ken says, leaping off the balcony and into the rocky jungle. Keeping to the edge of the walls, Ken wall runs across with two of his blades held in his balancing hand.
Lavinia leaps out after him, failing to keep up with Ken's speed but making good headway as she sprints. The cavern itself is well lit, spotted by bushes infested with glowing bugs, the pests are so many they appear as the bushes leaves. Careful to avoid knocking into them, the strange monolithic walls and shattered black crystal rocks, Lavinia bolsters her body with Essence, eyes narrowed at far wall lit up by the camp fire.
Feet gripping onto the walls surface, Lavinia claws and stamps across, a poor attempt at imitating Ken but one she quickly leverages to scale above the rocky maze of unseen danger below. A fiercesome power springs to life within her as she reaches the crux of her run and leaps off, covering the distance between the walls mid-end. As she hurtles down, Lavinia glances back at the camp and Lucy generously empowering her through the glowing tip of her staff.
Crashing onto her feet, Lavinia winces but quickly shifts into another sprint, already Ken has met his challenge, although rather than devour each other they're talking. Sickled daggers humming in each hand Ken faces off against their Beserker leader, a man double of Ken size and over four times Lavinia's. He palms a giant sword by its blunt end, hefting the entirety with one hand and swinging it over his head as he quakes with laughter.
Ken, the Berserker's Caster and their strained looking third member exchange looks before the giant man slams the weapon where Ken stood a moment ago, "Surrender? Be your subject? Don't joke with me! Urrooaaoaa!!"
{Augur's Roar Activated}— Attributes -5
Lavinia grits as the sprain from her fall suddenly worsens. Baring the pain she creeps along the rock incline leading up and around the Berserker's camp as well as the exit through to the next path.
"Very well!" Ken sneers, his violet-eyes blaze as his skin and flesh melt away, taken by his aura as he shimmers into the ready Beserker, his daggers caught by the large weapon in a striking clang of gnashing metal
The Sniffer stands at the ready, tensed as every one of them watching the Berserker and Ken battle and wreck through the monoliths and crystals. Lurking close Lavinia confirms the creature has no eyes as she extends her claws, coating them with a burst of Essence that strengthens her biceps.
"Henry! Look out!" Their Caster calls out a moment to late as Lavinia pounces.
"Reais Smite!" Lavinia roars, sending a gash through Henry's stomach, leaping off his falling body as the Sniffer snaps at her.
Its face is wholly a mouth. It's three jaws split open as it hounds a somersaulting Lavinia. She spares quick glances at Henry and the Caster, neither stand to intervene— the Caster's attention fully turned onto the battle between the Berseker and Ken with Henry potentially dead.
"Rugh!" The Sniffer vomits its tongue at Lavinia, latching the blackened appendage around her arm as it's fluid quickly sears through the flesh and bone.
"AAh! Reais Smite!" Punishing the mutt with a heavy swipe that rends it's acid pouring tongue. The burns burrow deep where it held her, threatening to eat through her left arm entirely, even as she fuels the area with Essence. Lavinia growls baring her fangs at the whimpering Sniffer, "Will eat that."
The tedious beast isn't done either. The acid burn seals the wound Lavinia's smite made and it pants, as if to show that it is unharmed before bursting into a galloping charge. Eyes widened in surprise narrow with infuriation as the beast charges. Quick thinking, Lavinia grasps her melting, boiling left arm and rips it out in one quick swing so she smacks the Sniffer in the mouth with it.
Doubling over, Lavinia grits the agony away, trembling as her precious blood pours out of the gaping wound and then a grace of calm and ease settles over her pain stricken mind and body. Bolstering her and sealing the gushing gap as well.
"Yes, Lucy." Lavinia grunts to her feet as the Sniffer paces, watching her for its next move.
The Crystal previously embedded in her left hand grows out of her right after, an ever present part of her being. She taps into its power as the Sniffers three jaws drool with acid and its paces shorten, waving her ripped arm ahead the Sniffer diligently follows, pacing towards the direction of each wave.
Gasping, Lavinia tosses the arm to the side and watches as the Sniffer pounces after it, leaving its behind exposed. Her right arm surges with Essence as she concentrates a large portion of her reserves into an orb of unstable energy she chucks at the Sniffer, "Wave Shot!"
The orb travels a short distance, reaching the Sniffer before it explodes in a spreading arc of volatile Demonic energies. The wave smacks and slices through the Sniffer's undefended, fragile legs and cuts up into its stomach before launching the beast far over the edge.
"Lavinia!" Lucy yells, transported behind her by a warp of dark mist, "You weren't supposed to kill it, oh I hope you didn't kill it."
"No, Lucy?" Mournful for Lavinia she leaps off the edge in search of the Sniffer.
"Urrooaaa!" The Berserker roars below, bleeding profusely from cuts and slices all over his body, his armour bearing cracks reeking the same energies Ken puts out. "Caster! Bring it, bring it now!"
Their Caster slams his staff as his eyes go white with power similar to Lucy's he mutters something in a language Lavinia doesn't understand and the entire cavern rumbles. The Berserker laughs hysterically once more, rising to his feet as the monoliths and broken, obsidian crystal assemble into a chain-linking, slithering colossus. Gems for eyes and a splintering maw form at the top rock, glowing and roaring in sync with the guttural chanting Caster.
"Ken!" Lavinia hears Lucy shout as the rock formed serpent crashes atop his head. Gritting away the throbbing pains in her shoulder, Lavinia narrows her eyes at the muttering Caster, if Ken's smushed then someone has to protect Lucy from the Beserker and his monster.
Resolved, a feeble flicker of Essence bursts to life in her hand as she charges, "Reais Smite!"