Page 70 of The Wind Dancer
And then it moved.
It was silent at first, and then came whispers. They were grating, as if someone was scratching at the wall. Then a howl broke out.
The demons crawled out of the darkness.
A short creature crawled forward, its pale skin stretched so thin that its dark veins were clearly visible. It scratched the stone with its bony fingers, and where its face should have been was a gaping maw full of needle-like teeth.
A suit of armor made of dark goo moved on its own, its sword slicing through the air with a wet sound. Black slime dripped from the helmet, leaving behind sizzling trails.
A mess of tangled hair twisted out of the shadows. Its hairs were thousands of arms that ended with claws that looked like scorpion stingers. Its hiss sounded like boiling oil, and it moved in a twisting frenzy.
A huge creature, twice as tall as any human and incredibly ugly, its massive limbs like pillars, came out last. It was holding a heavy weapon, which looked like a sledgehammer made of skulls.
Fouche spread his arms like a priest greeting his gods.
“Rip the renegade apart!” he shouted, and the creatures sprang into action.
I didn’t have time to think. I slipped the amulet around my neck and grabbed my daggers. My body began to move before my brain had time to catch up to the horror of what was happening.
The small creature jumped. Its chest gaped open, revealing a mouth full of needle-like teeth that formed a ghastly grimace. I dodged sideways, gliding like a shadow, and slashed its arm. The blade sank into the flesh, but instead of blood, the black goo oozed out, and the blade of my dagger sizzled.
The tangled mess of a creature moved in from the other side. I rolled to get away from it, but its claws still grazed my side, leaving fiery streaks of pain.
The odds were against me. But I fought, and the wind whispered,“I’m with you!”
Fouche was laughing.
And then the massive creature took a step toward me.
It raised its weapon, and I realized that if I couldn’t get away from this fight, I’d never leave this place. And then I saw my chance.
I took a step to the left, leading the thin creature right into the arc of the blow. The giant swung, and I saw the sledgehammer connect.
The small creature exploded, like a rotten pumpkin. The bones and black goo splashed onto the walls. And the sledgehammer, having barely met any resistance, continued its arc, straight into a wall.
It cracked, bits of masonry flying everywhere, revealing a dark breach.
I now had a choice: stay and die, or go into the unknown.
I chose the latter without a second thought.
And I ran, slipping under the hammer, and leapt into the darkness. And I just kept running.
My breath burned my throat, sweat dripped into my eyes, but I couldn’t stop. The tunnels twisted, leading lower and lower, and behind me the echoes of Fouche’s shouting turned into screams of rage.
“You won’t get away, you little rat!” He thundered. “They’ll tear you apart!”
I could hear the creatures running, shaking the stone behind me. They were right on my trail, their breathing wasloud, and the smell... The smell of rot and rancid blood burned my lungs. They were too close!
I didn’t know where this passage led to, but I had no choice. Either I ran, or I died. The walls and ceiling were shrinking, the air was getting colder. The ground was now wet and slippery, and I could barely keep my balance.
A shadow flickered on my left. Something jumped at me from there, and I darted to the side, narrowly avoiding the claws. It almost ripped open my side. I rolled forward, jumping to my feet, and raced on.
“Hurry!”My mind screamed. My heart was pounding like it was about to burst out.
Another turn. Then another. The tunnel kept spiraling down into a black abyss.
And then the light hit my eyes...
