Chapter 23 – Salamanders

  The group pressed onward, moving carefully over the rough terrain as the forest thinned around them. The scent of damp earth faded, replaced by something heavier – an acrid, sulfuric tang that clung to the back of Kaelin’s throat. The temperature had risen noticeably, the air growing thick and stifling as they left the Great Boar territory behind.

  Kaelin wiped a bead of sweat from her brow. "I take it we’re getting close?"

  Lena nodded, her gaze sharp as she scanned the rocky landscape ahead. The ground had become uneven, fractured by deep crevices and jagged ridges. Sparse tufts of hardy vegetation clung to the stones, their edges singed, as if exposed to heat far stronger than the sun alone could provide.

  “Salamanders like to nest underground,” Lena murmured, kneeling near a patch of scorched earth. She ran her fingers lightly over the blackened surface. “This was burnt recently.”

  Zephyr crouched beside her, pressing a hand against the warm stone. “If they’re nearby, they’ll be in the tunnels beneath us.” He looked up, scanning the area until his gaze settled on a narrow ravine that split the ground ahead. “There.”

  Kaelin followed his line of sight. A deep fissure yawned open in the earth, wide enough to swallow an entire wagon, as if the earth had a tear. The rock formations around it were slick with condensation, and a faint, shimmering heat rose from below. The scent of sulfur was stronger here, mingling with the dampness of the cavernous space beyond.

  She exhaled. “Great. A lovely dark hole to climb into. Remind me why we aren’t fighting the Great Boar first?”

  Lena rolled her eyes. “We’re going for the Great Boar last, that way we can stay in one place until the end killing them. If we spend time searching for one now, there’s gonna be extra time spent travelling, and we don’t really have time to waste.”

  Zephyr stepped closer to the edge, peering into the depths. “There’s a path down, but it’s steep. We’ll have to be careful.”

  Kaelin glanced at the sheer rock walls. They descended in uneven slopes, jagged ledges jutting out at irregular intervals. In some places, thick roots wound their way through cracks in the stone, offering potential handholds.

  “Careful,” she muttered, swinging a leg over the edge, “isn’t exactly my strong suit.”

  With that, she began to descend into the crevasse.

  The descent was slow and tense. The deeper they went, the more oppressive the heat became. The walls of the fissure glistened with moisture, the damp stone radiating warmth as if the very earth itself had been scorched from the inside out. The only sound was the soft scuff of boots against rock, the occasional scrape as one of them adjusted their grip.

  Halfway down, a chunk of stone broke loose beneath Kaelin’s foot. She sucked in a sharp breath as she slipped, her fingers scrambling for purchase. For a brief, heart-stopping moment, she was weightless – then her hand caught a thick, gnarled root jutting from the rock face. She dangled for a second before hoisting herself back onto the ledge.

  “Still in one piece?” Zephyr called from below, watching her with amusement.

  Kaelin shot him a glare. “Laugh it up.”

  Lena reached the bottom first, stepping onto the uneven ground with a quiet grunt. She took her spear out from the makeshift scabbard on her back, sweeping her gaze around the cavern. “This has gotta be a nest.”

  Kaelin dropped down beside her, shaking out her sore arms. The cavern stretched before them, wider than she’d expected. Pools of water had gathered in shallow dips in the stone, the surfaces steaming faintly. Stalagmites jutted up in uneven clusters, the ground between them littered with deep grooves and scorched markings. The air was thick, oppressive.

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  Zephyr ran a hand along the rock wall. “This heat isn’t natural.”

  Kaelin glanced at the charred remains of something unidentifiable near one of the pools. A shiver ran down her spine.

  Lena knelt beside another patch of burned ground, her fingers brushing over the marks. “They’ve been here recently.”

  Kaelin exhaled. The weight of the cavern pressed in around them, the heat wrapping around her like a heavy cloak.

  The group started along the first tunnel, water dripping from above, the walls moist.

  Faint yips and loud barks could be heard echoing through the tunnel.

  Some got quieter as the salamanders moved away, other were getting louder.

  Too Loud.

  Suddenly a large salamander poked its head around the corner. It was as long as a fully grown horse, but no taller than Kaelin’s waist. It was black with orange spots and a fire lighting its tail.

  When it noticed the intruders, a great flame was lit going down from the top of its head to the end of its tail. It looked remarkably like the spines on a hedgehog, flaring up in order to invoke fear into its enemy. Except in contrast to the hedgehog, this was something to fear.

  The Salamander was still an apprentice class monster, but it was much stronger than the Great Boar. The two ends of the spectrum sat side by side in the same forest. What a coincidence.

  While the Salamander was on the verge of being Soldier tier, the Great boar was near the bottom of the apprentice.

  The cavern pulsed with heat, their vision hazy, the glow of molten rock casting jagged shadows across the walls. Kaelin steadied herself, her breath shallow as the two salamanders coiled, their crimson scales shimmering in the flickering light. Their glowing yellow eyes locked onto the intruders, forked tongues flicking in anticipation.

  Zephyr cracked his knuckles. "We take them together. No one splits up this time."

  Lena nodded, gripping her spear. "Agreed. Let’s make this quick."

  The first salamander lunged, its massive jaws snapping toward Kaelin. She reacted instantly, placing a speed spell on her legs to aid in her retreat. The creature’s momentum faltered, just enough for her to dodge to the side. Zephyr capitalized on the opening, slamming his foot into the stone and summoning a jagged spike of earth beneath the beast. The salamander shrieked, its tail thrashing as it twisted away from the attack.

  The second salamander lunged at Lena. She spun, using the momentum to drive her spear forward, aiming for the soft flesh underneath its weak hide. The weapon struck and got lodged in the back of the creature, but the salamander hissed and lashed out, forcing her to backpedal.

  Kaelin ran round to Lena in order to attempt a manouver they had been planning to try out since the fight with the Dire Wolves. Kaelin was to focus on accelerating Lenas legs while distracting the enemy. Lena would then move into a blind spot in order to attack.

  Lena gave her the signal, and Kaelin threw her spear at the Salamander. While it would leave her defenceless, Kaelin was confident in Lena’s abilities.

  Meanwhile, after the salamander’s attack, Zephyr wasn’t done. He focused his energy, the air around him shimmering as his Nature Threads pulsed. Vines erupted from the cracks in the stone, wrapping around the first salamander’s limbs, holding it down as he moved in for a final strike.

  The first salamander broke free of Zephyr’s restraints with a furious roar. It lashed its tail, sending a wave of molten rock splattering across the cavern. Kaelin barely ducked in time, feeling the searing heat against her skin. Zephyr launched a counterattack, summoning another stone pillar that crashed into the beast’s head, stunning it just long enough for him to drive his spear deep into its neck.

  The salamander let out a final, pained cry before collapsing, its body twitching before going still.

  Breathing heavily, Zephyr surveyed the battlefield. The smell of burnt stone and sulfur filled the air.

  He noticed Lena and Kaelin fighting the other salamander and went over to help. As he arrived at Lena’s side, she said to him, “You all done?” Zephyr simply nodded in response. “Can you get make some new weapons quickly, mine will probably break after this.”

  Zephyr exhaled, running a hand through his sweat-dampened hair. "Sure, won’t be long."

  Zephyr looked down at the earth and started to eject some pristine stone armaments for the three of them to use.

  Lena looked back at the salamander and leapt into action. No sooner than she charged forwards did the salamander use its limited neck flexibility to look up and launch a fireball at the ceiling.

  It exploded on impact causing a rockfall. Lena was blown back, and a stone blockade was erected between Kaelin and her. While Lena was stuck with Zephyr and the salamander, Kaelin was on her own.

  “Come on, get up. We won’t last long if we try fighting it in such an enclosed space. Theres a small path through here. I’ll block off the entrance once we get in.”

  Kaelin shouted through the boulders. “LENA! LENA!” There was no response. No sound could travel through, and so Lena couldn’t hear her.

  “Shit.”