Chapter 24. DARIUS

Time seemed to slow as my body was suspended in mid-air. Panis surged through my veins as my mind struggled to comprehend what to do next. My heart pounded as gravity seized its grip. The wind whistled in my ears songs of death. I ignored them and focused on Ella. The mostri dived down at bullet speed into the jagged rocks – phasing through it like it was a mirage. I couldn't trust that the mostri wasn't some kind of phantom that could phase. I sure couldn't.

I tried to focus on my chaos. Tying it around myself. I hardened my skin as much as I could–which at the time was hard as an elephant's hide. I grabbed my cube and activated it. I positioned the butt of my spear to face the ground. I had to time the launch perfectly if I wanted to survive.

The ground approached quickly with its arms open for a deadly hug. I closed my eyes, "It is okay. It is just an illusion of the ground. It won't harm." I mentally said it and hoped I would believe it. I was right. I pushed through the realistic ground illusion. I kept on descending into an underground cave. This time the ground didn't give off "I am an illusion" vibes. Seconds from impact, I activated the launcher.

It reduced the speed at which I was descending right before I hit solid ground. I groaned in pain. The pain was bearable, especially since it was nothing compared to the pain I would feel after Alfonso's workouts. I stood up.

I was in an abandoned mineshaft. The air was thick with the smell of dirt. This shaft had multiple passages dimly lit by fire torches. Stalactites hung ominously on the ceiling threatening to impale you if you missed with them. Wooden poles provided support to the shaft. A railway stretched in the shaft. The ceilings of the shaft passages had bluish-pink crystalline gigantic tree branches. I don't remember that type of tree in the botany lessons.

I could barely see. I kinda wished I was a tenebris with their excellent vision in the darkest of places. All I got other than my chaos, was my talent at biology. I wasn't kidding. I was an A+ biology prodigy. Warriths could know the way the systems of an organism work by just looking at them–even a photo could work.

I listened closer until I could hear that nerve-wracking heartbeat. I entered the shaft while closing in on the heartbeat. I passed multiple skeletons on the ground. One had a shield next to him. The shield was very rusty. It looked like it could only block a few hits before it broke. I picked it up. I placed super glue on the exterior. I opened the salt sachet and poured salt on the shield making sure it stuck. Just like that, I had designed a salt shield.

I continued following the heartbeat until I hit a dead end. The passage was blocked by peddles held together by gigantic spider webs. I could hear Ella's heartbeat somewhere behind the barricade. I punched the barricade but only one peddle fell. I looked through the hole.

I discovered I was on a raised ground. I could see Ella below in a small tall cave where some passages ended. She was wrapped in a spider web cocoon. She was plastered like a fruit of a crystal tree – probably the one that owned the ceiling branches. A flash drive was cocooned next to her. Next to Ella was the tritheta–two of them. They looked like twins.

They were a disgusting mixture of a bat and a spider. They had grey long slender bodies with 4 pairs of limbs. The front pair were wide bat wings folded to conceal God knows what. Their faces could have won them a Guinness World Record for the ugliest twins on earth. They had 8 blood-red eyes glowing with malevolence, deformed faces, teeth overlapping the mouth, and a spinneret right end of the mouth. Spinnerets are supposed to be at the abdomen but I guess abominations don't shake hands with the laws of nature.

One with hair on his back said, "Vespertilio, how many minutes did Father say we leave her to marinate in fear?" Vespertilio replied, "I said call me Ves. He told us 20 minutes then we placed her in a bowl of cod, Aranea, or should I say Nea" Nea whined, "But I'm hungry. Isn't there a way we could speed this up?" Ves replied, "No, we're following Dad's instructions to the details." Ella barged in, "Aren't you being a little hasty? I'm not that delicious." Ves said, "Doesn't matter. I haven't got any hybrid dish since we were exiled here." Ella said, "Isn't it an honor to protect a sanctuary." Ves laughed, "Honor…more like a punishment. We can't leave this place." Ella said, "What stops you?" Nea grumbled, "That annoying veil. It teleports us here every time we try to leave town. It is selfish." Nea asked, "Ves, how are we going to all eat one hybrid? She doesn't have a lot of meat to give." Ella looked offended but kept quiet. Ves said, "Don't worry. Hybrids are fond of coming in groups."

He turned his eyes at me. He had seen. A wolfish grin spread up to his upper cheeks as if saying, "I'm coming." The twins camouflaged. Run. I could hear them running towards me. What would they do if they captured me? I didn't stay to find out.

I dashed like a panicked animal that just heard a gunshot. I had no direction I was heading. No plan that I was following. I usually had a plan but now I was still confused about what to do. I just ran hoping I was creating distance between me and my hunters not chopping it. It was hard to tell with the echoing of the hollow passages.

The twins were about 5 feet behind me. They were chopping the distance behind us really quickly. I could sense I was not faster than them outrunning wasn't an option. Fighting them was the only terrible option left. One of them spat a web at me. I barely dodged. The web burst open blocking the path. It was 8 meters away. They growled. One undid his camouflage and lunged for me–whether it was Ves or Nea, I had no idea. They were equally ugly and terrifying. I grabbed my cube and gripped my spear.

I turned with the shield positioned in front of me. I swung my spear at him. The spear failed to push through his hide. All it did was cause him to momentarily back off. He said, "Ah, that…didn't hurt." He jumped off the wall and was now behind me. He tried to attack but I barged into him with the shield. His skin smoked where the shield made contact. It released an acid hissing sound. A shield-like burn was left on his leg. I guess someone hated a little salt in his life.

His brother closed in and spat a web that blocked the path behind him. I was officially surrounded. I said, "Reveal yourself, Nea." Nea complained, "I'm the visible one, dummy. Do you need to check in with an optician?" I retorted, "No, but I will definitely need a therapist after seeing your face." Ves said still camouflaged, "So mean for a man who should be begging for his life." Nea said, "And my face isn't that ugly?" I said, "Is that what you tell yourself so that you could sleep well at night?" Nea looked hurt. I know dissing him was bad but he was about to kill me so don't blame me if I lost all remorse for him. Nea said, "Shut up, throw-up-inducing thighs. You disgrace all those who wear shorts."

Ves said, "Enough. Will you be coming with us harmed or unharmed?" Something about the wicked smile Nea told me he would make sure I died a horrible painful death even if I surrendered. My spear couldn't harm them so that was off the table. Even if I took care of one of them with the shield and dashed, the other to tear me apart by the time I attempted to tear the web. I had to play it smart.

I said, "Fine, I accept to be taken but at least tell me who will get the joy of eating me." Nea and Ves answered in unison but said different answers. Ves said, "Me" while Nea said, "Both of us" Ves became visible. Nea said, "What do you mean? We both put in a day's hard work and so should get an equal amount." Nea said, "What do you mean you did work? I'm the one who caught the girl and spin a web around her. All you did was whine about how slow the process was." I took advantage of the distraction to go behind Ves. I retracted my spear into a cube and pocketed it. It was useless anyway.

Nea focused his attention on arguing, "I have spent the longest without a meal." Ves said, "I gave you my cod yesterday because you said your food wasn't enough to fill your chubby body." Nea added, "We're the same size plus I caught him…where is he?" They turned towards me. I had a torch in my hand as I tip-toed to the cobweb.

Ves jumped at me. I threw myself to the ground. That makes it twice in one day. I was almost becoming a throw-yourself superstar. Ves missed and ended up getting trapped in his own web. Nea was momentarily stunned. I stood up and ran past him. Ves shouted, "Fool, get him." Nea returned back to planet Earth. He tried to grab but I blocked him with my shield. Another burn appeared on his skin. I joked, "Put some salt on it."

I threw the fire touch at the web. Fun fact: spider webs melt away when heated. The path was usable but I couldn't let Nea free Ves. Divide and conquer. I shouted, "COME AND FACE ME UGLY." He said, "I will make you regret that." He spat at me. I dodged. He tried to swing at me but I placed my shield in his way. He hissed. An idea struck. I thrust my spear into the burn and it cut through. He growled in pain. I grabbed the remaining salt from my backpack and sprinkled a mist of it. He screeched so loudly I could have sworn my ears popped. His skin had turned as red as a tomato. He stood on 2 legs. He used the other 4 to claw me down. I blocked some but keeping up with 4 arms wasn't fair.

He deeply scathed my arm. A piercing pain throbbed in my arm. Blood was dripping out fast. My mind tolled around. He took advantage of my confusion to jump on me. I tried to resist but his brother was right. He was as heavy as an elephant. If he clawed me apart, his weight would crush me to bone meal. I placed my shield against his body. He hissed but endured. His conviction to eat me was too strong for its own good.

He pulled out a kit of spices from behind his folded wings. He poured some pepper, garlic powder, cinnamon, rosemary, and ketchup on me. Our fight had turned into Chopped with me as the secret ingredient.

I somehow knew the position of his heart. I placed my arm under it. I activated the cube. It formed the 2-meter spear in his body impaling his wicked heart. He disintegrated. I stood up with barely any strength. Bleeding should not be underestimated. I got my sweatpants and sadly tore them. I tied part of it around the wound. I winched.

I walked to Ves. He looked at me with rage blazing in his eyes. I returned a snarl that exhibited my anger and pain. He understood I had also suffered a loss. I said, "I hope I never see you twins again or else I might get traumatized forever." He struggled to free himself, "If I survive, I will kill you." I said, "Too bad you won't live long enough to do so. I'll make sure of it." I hit his chest with the shield leaving a burn on it. I thrust my spear into his heart disintegrating him.

I phoned Ella. I followed the ringing of the phone. She picked up. I froze. If she is tied up how did she pick up? I asked the dire question, "Ella." There was silence. I started running following where I remember the phone was ringing. She replied, "Darius" I sighed, "You scared me there." She said, "I was just finishing melting the web with a torch." I asked, "How did you…" She replied, "Don't need hands when you have telekinesis." I said, "Stay there I'm coming." I continued following her voice. I asked, "Did you retrieve the flash drive?" She replied, "Yeah I'm just waiting for you."

I reached the entrance of the cave. There was another entrance parallel to mine. Ella was looking at it. She said, "I think I can see you." What does she mean? I'm behind her. Oh no. A shadowy figure was emerging from the dark path. His eyes turned from 2 to 8. His figure enlarged to the size of an elephant. Wings popped out his back. He had an extra pair of limbs. He moved into the light. A devilish smile was spread on his face. He spoke with a deep alien voice that sounded like he was choking, "Isn't it quite rude to leave a home when the man of the house has just arrived?" Ella said, "God I hate my luck."