Green flame erupted from a gaping maw of tiny curved teeth, lighting the cavern in an eerie glow and a strangely sweet burning scent. The beast looked terrifying with its face shadowed by the flame; wicked teeth pushed against each other, reptile-like eyes of dark green fury, scaled lips drawn back hideously, neck bulging and deflating, a long, slim body of vermillion colored scales, three sets of clawed appendages alternating in turn to claw, rend, grab anything in reach, and a final set of thick pillar-like legs ending with a short muscular tail. The beast lifted its head as the flames stopped and made a guttural cough before hocking a steaming pile of ichor onto the ground. Lifting itself to stand tall on its hind legs, the creature leaned and crawled about the nearby stalagmites and rocks, searching.
"Fire! Ye said nothing about fire!" a coarse whisper echoed in the cavern. The beast crawled on all its legs across the ground to search the next set of possible hiding places.
"I told you about the excreting glands and to avoid the mouth," came an angry, slightly high-pitched whisper in reply.
"I'm not going to lose my beard to a flaming beast. How do we kill it?" the first hoarse voice whispered.
"Stop your fearful chattering, dwarf, or we'll be the ones killed. Where do I stick my blades to kill it, bookworm?" came a third, husky yet feminine whisper.
"Your blades are useless, hide is too thick to be pierced and scales are protected by magic. We need to get it to open its mouth wide, so I can shoot inside it," the second voice replied.
"Aye, just like we did back at Skala field then?" came the first whisper, sounding firm with conviction at a plan.
"Yes! Yes, that'll be perfect!" the second voice raised with just a touch of excitement.
"Pay attention! It found us, no thanks to you chattering fools!" the third voice said loudly with husky and feminine tones.
The beast leaned over the rocky outcrop they hid behind. With a fierce screech, it climbed quickly around the rocks toward a slim shadow running away. It stopped abruptly as it felt the pelting of rocks and whistling from below. It looked to the culprit with thinning eyes of annoyance.
"Aye ye dumb beast, come to papa," came the bellow of an armored figure looking up at the beast with a lean so far back it seemed he would fall over. The bright shine of chain and plate mixed armor would have glinted had there been any bright light. A determined, youthful face of fierce blue eyes, a large round nose, and a blonde beard of two braids intertwined with white and red strands below the snarling pink lips looked on the great beast without fear. Bare hands gripped a wooden medium shield shaped like a rounded triangle, the image of a tree painted in red upon it, and a hammer of simple wooden handle but exquisitely carved head.
"Kaya protects and provides. Her branches protect me from above and she passes on the strength of her trunk," the dwarf said his prayer with an accent that made his r's roll, never taking his eyes off the beast as it repositioned then reared up. As he finished his chant, the faint shimmer of golden light enveloped his shield. His face changed to determination as he gripped his shield tight and repositioned to hide behind it.
"The hunt is mine!" the woman near the dwarf yelled with a voice strong with as much excitement as it had daring for another to try to take her kill. She strode from her hiding place as a lion strides the plains; fearless and stalking. Her long, golden hair looked dark in the cavern but her long face was clear as she grinned with challenging eyes and the thrill of the hunt. Her taut, muscular body was mostly bare except for the hide and fur of a once black and white spotted beast covering her chest and groin. She wore no boots or shoes, trusting in her bare feet. In her hands she held two weapons comfortably, extensions of herself. Her right hand held a faded bone- or ivory-handled weapon, the end of which resembled a large round skull with jagged green stone protruding from where the mouth would be. Her left held what looked like a large dagger in the shape of a smooth, curved black tooth with the root carved into a handle. She looked defiantly at the beast rearing its head. Then her determined face changed from understanding to fear.
"You're a mad bearded stump!" she screamed at the dwarf as she moved quickly to stand in front of him, using her strength to shove him down as she stood tall. As she did, the room blazed with faint green light. From his vantage point the dwarf could see her clearly as soft green light silhouetted her. Her long, tanned face covered in tiny scars from years of hunting and battles grinned at him with playful eyes. For a moment, he found himself grinning back as he tried to yell at her.
"No lass, ye don't understand . . ." the dwarf yelled, reaching up to grab her. His face changed to horror as the intense burning heat followed the light. Her face changed to a grimace of determination, then pain as the green fire hit her with burning concussive force. She stumbled but remained upright, taking the brunt of the flame. The smell of burning flesh and hair overwhelmed the senses. She screamed a haunting howl of pain while fighting to keep standing, to keep shielding the dwarf. Flames wrapped around her, engulfing her. Her smooth skin blistered, charred, blackened. Her long mane was gone as her face melted and burned.
The dwarf dropped everything and grabbed her, ignoring the burning. The burnt cadaver-like husk of her body tumbled into him. Her eyes were blackened holes and her face was a mask of unrecognizable char and blood. The dwarf mumbled and rocked with her in his arms as her mouth, barely moving, moaned an eerily low cry. The dwarf didn't move or respond at all when drops of ichor fell onto his armor with a hiss. The beast lunged its maw down to snap the dwarf in twain.
The beast stopped as rainbow chains wrapped around its head, holding it fast. The beast roared in frustration and looked at its prey only arm's length away. The chains tightened, closing the beast's jaws together, pulling the head upwards and away from the dwarf and the woman.
"Move your ass Verkin or we will join the matchstick in death! I can't hold him long nor use both spells at once," yelled a tall figure, arms outstretched with glowing fingers twisted and curved as if holding the chain physically. The figure's finely made red robe swayed gently as he moved slowly but with confidence, the face of delicate, fine features twisted in concentration in the low light of the magic ebbing from his hands.
"Edwin, ye need to hold. Ai canna let her go. Ai have ta help," Verkin said flatly, placing his thick hands on her chest, ignoring the gagging stench of burnt death and heat of her charred flesh. Eyes closed, his deep voice chanted with strange hrum, hrum sounds from his chest and through his mouth; like the sounds of someone rolling a large cylindrical bell in the distance. A whisper of blue light appeared under his hands, growing in intensity as his chanting grew louder. In just a few moments the entire body was covered in a blue glow with rays of light piercing throughout. A cool wind swirled around them both as the light tingled to match the dwarf in his chant, creating a harmony of thunderous voice and jingling crystal.
The beast stopped its struggle for just a moment to watch the scene unfold below it. But with a hard yank from Edwin, the beast returned to thrashing about. The ethereal chains of rainbow were becoming cracked as the beast violently pushed against them. Edwin's face was covered in sweat, his body aching as he slowly dropped to one knee. He risked a glance away to see Verkin looking peaceful, his braids perfect, his face smooth and glowing. Another time and he might seem otherworldly, but in this moment, he was simply beautiful as the light faded with the chanting into nothing but a memory.
Too long distracted, Edwin cursed under his breath. The beast bellowed a roar of triumph as the chains broke, pieces of rainbow falling away into nothingness as the spell died. It took a moment to consider its choices then turned to face its original prey.
"Verkin, pay attention! We need to open its mouth," Edwin yelled with his last full breath. He breathed deep to bring his body and mind into one. He was almost spent of his energy; the chains were not a spell he intended to use. Not on a beast protected and strong against such magic. The next spell must be the Srak in order to bring the beast down without harming its hide or precious organs. As was their job and reason for being here.
With a gentle gesture Verkin touched the burned woman's head, which seemed to be encased in a charred husk. Standing, he gripped his shield and hammer, letting loose a fierce roar as a primal challenge to the beast, then struck a quick blow at the beast's thick underbelly. The blow did no damage, but it did get the attention the dwarf sought.
"Be ye ready, Edwin. This ends nao," he yelled across the cavern. Side-stepping away from the woman, he braced himself for the incoming attack. The six long arms of the beast reached for him too fast to see. Claws battered at his shield, one clawed through his plate forearm guard causing him to drop his hammer as he strangled a yell of pain, another smacked against his head as he managed to dodge out of the way just in time.
"Verkin! Guard yourself or end up a stuntie snack! I'm ready," Edwin replied as he watched the brave dwarf throw himself as bait. He winced watching the claws rend and tear away the armor and blood start to spread on the padding underneath. He wouldn't let him down.
In a moment of surprise, the beast ripped the shield from Verkin's grasp as other limbs knocked his feet from beneath him, then still others held him down. Its maw lunged forward to snap over the dwarf's left side.
Time seemed to slow for the next few moments. Splinters of chainmail, blood, and bone flew into the air as the beast's wicked curved teeth clamped down and the beast shook its head. Verkin's face of determination changed to fear and pain as his face became pale. Verkin's screams echoed throughout the cavern. Edwin's frantic shouting was lost to the roar of the beast as it attacked.
He walked towards the beast slowly as he yelled words of power. His face twisted in rage, his eyes blind from tears. The air around him shimmered as small rocks began to float. His robes flittered furiously to an unfelt wind. The air became thin and static. The beast stopped its chewing, stopped all movement, dropped the dwarf like a sack, sniffed the air with short inhales, then looked suspiciously towards Edwin. Edwin lifted his arms, fingers twisted as if lifting something heavy. Red lightning streaked from the ground and whipped around his body, then slithered around his arms and hands. He brought his hands towards his chest then pushed outward. The lightning streaks became thick cords of power, casting a red glow on everything around them. Edwin's face looked horrific in the red light, twisted in rage and sorrow.
With a crackling sound echoing through the cavern, streaks of thick red lightning shot forth, striking the beast full in its chest, knocking the creature back. The creature shook itself then roared in anger. Edwin screamed with sounds of rage, thrusting furiously as lightning bolt after lightning bolt flew from him to pound the beast. The beast's mighty legs started to slide backwards under the force of each impact; black holes with red embers formed where the beast was struck. One of the beast's smaller limbs trying to shield the chest was blasted away in a mist of smoking red. The beast's howling of pain lessened as it fell backwards, body heaving slowly as the bolts continued to fly.
As Edwin weakened, the power faded and he doubled over, breathing heavy. He moved towards Verkin. Kneeling, he took Verkin's hand as the dwarf turned slowly to look up at him. The dwarf smiled weakly through a bloody mouth. His left side was mauled horribly. Edwin was unsure if he could bandage him to save his arm.
"Stupid stump. We needed his mouth open, fool, not filled with your wretchedness," Edwin said between sniffles. The dwarf began to laugh weakly but turned to choking as he turned his head and spat a glob of dark blood.
"It was open for you, right before he bit me. You missed . . ." Verkin replied, patting Edwin's hand. The dwarf looked up at his friend with his bright blue eyes, still with a bit of mirth. The mirth quickly changed to fear as Edwin saw the reflection of the beast growing larger in the dwarf's widening eyes. The world around blurred as his head was smashed to the ground, white flashes pounded in his eyes. Verkin still held him and Edwin refused to let go.
From his prone position, Edwin saw the look of sad fear in Verkin's eyes.
"At least we die together, as we have lived," Edwin gasped to Verkin's weak grin.
"Together, my dearest friend."
Edwin barely paid any attention to the beast in the background as his sight began to darken. He smiled as he realized he was dying and seeing visions when he saw a burnt husk standing atop the beast's head before the darkness came.