“Nothing. Not a single gem in either of them.” Roq's disappointment rang through my skull. “We should press deeper into the chasm. That's where the real treasures lie. The powerful ones. The ones worthy of our—”

  “No gems,” I told Eryn, cutting off Roq's building monologue.

  She nodded and swiped the Vanguard into her storage, all the fragments disappearing in an instant. A twinge of disappointment ran through me, but it would be unrealistic to hope for a gem every time we killed something.

  I did the same with the Striker's remains, storing the crystalline mass away. The spatial storage never failed to amaze me with how it could distinguish between monster parts and regular objects, how it knew exactly what belonged to each monster. If we'd had to gather all the crystal shards by hand, well, neither of us would be doing much hunting. Or scavenging for that matter.

  “Are we done playing with our wrists? Powerful monsters await!”

  “You don't want to test yourself against this material in the smithy?”

  “True. Good job picking things from the ground, my loyal steed.”

  “That's not what I...” I trailed off, pinching the bridge of my nose.

  What a child.

  “Ready?” I asked Eryn, adjusting my grip on the shield. It was a comforting reminder that no matter how strong the enemy was, I would stand between it and Eryn, ensuring she could get out, one way or another.

  “Ready when you are,” she said, nocking an arrow and giving me a quick nod.

  We stepped into the chasm's entrance. It led downward at a gentle slope, and was just wide enough for the two of us to walk side by side, arms out. The odd glowing crystals sticking to the roof gave enough light for us to see comfortably. Once our eyes adjusted, we could see just fine. The walls were covered with the same glowing crystals, but the ground was mostly just rock with the occasional shards that had either fallen from the ceiling or the walls. My boots crunched on loose stones despite my attempts to move quietly as we descended. We slowly passed through a narrowed part of the tunnel, closing in on what looked like a chamber from where we were.

  “Can you feel them ahead? How they beg to be destroyed by my might?”

  “You sure they're not begging to eat you or something?”

  “These are not quiet the way Shardfangs were. They are... talking?”

  I raised my hand to stop Eryn. She gave me a questioning look but remained silent. I pointed to my eyes and into the tunnel, to tell her what I was trying to do, and inched forward.

  “What are they saying? Can you hear anything?”

  “How in the rusty nail should I know? I don't speak crystalkin and neither do you! If you don't use your head and refuse to charge into combat, what use ARE YOU!?”

  “Roq?”

  “YES!?”

  “Calm down or we are leaving.”

  “I CAN'T! THEY ARE JUST OVER—” An intense pressure filled my head and it was all I could do not to groan. “They are right there,” Roq continued after a short moment oddly similar to when us humans took a deep breath and then continued with a lower tone. “Please, Ash. I need this. Their essence is calling to me, begging to be devoured.”

  I considered turning around and going back to Sentinel Station, but he had clearly made an effort. If I wanted him to continue doing just that and growing beyond wanting to destroy everything, it should be rewarded.

  “Slow and steady, then, until we are ready.”

  I inched closer to get a better look at the chamber. Three Crystalkin leaned against the wall, their heads gently shifting back and forth as if they were having a casual conversation, which only made things even weirder.

  I held up three fingers to Eryn and she mouthed 'healer?'.

  The third figure was so slender it made the striker look bulky, and its crystals were see-through. Inside, where blood would flow, light pulsed brightly from within its chest.

  I touched my eye sigil, and the name came to me. It was a Resonant Weaver. Definitely the healer. It was marked light green.

  “Plan?” Eryn whispered.

  Before I could answer, a crack sounded as the Striker's head snapped toward us, having spotted me. It let out a high-pitched keening sound that made my mind ache.

  “So much for surprise,” I said, bringing up my shield. “Take out the healer!” I ordered and a second later, Eryn's arrow streaked for the glowing figure. But the Vanguard stepped into its path, and blocked the arrow. It shattered harmlessly against its thick chest plates.

  The Striker charged me, already swinging its claws.

  “Use the new skill!”

  I met its attack with my shield, deflecting its strike downward.

  “IT'S HAMMERING TIME!”

  Energy rushed down my arm and Roq’s head lit up with a red glow just before it slammed into the monster's side. A loud crash resounded in the mostly-empty cavern, and the red light flared where we'd struck the monster.

  Part of its side just ceased to exist.

  “Take that, you fragile excuse for decorative glass!”

  I stepped sideways in front of Eryn and raised my shield. The Striker's body exploded. Most of the shards bounced off my shield, but one slipped past my defenses and embedded itself in my hammer-arm.

  “That was amazing, Roq! What even was it? What does it do?”

  “I am AMAZING! Watch my DESTRUCTION!”

  “But please tell me we don't have to call out something stupid every time you use a skill.”

  “Do NOT belittle my combat poetry, you soft-fleshed biped!”

  Behind the Striker, the Vanguard started towards me, trailing its hand along the crystal-covered wall. The healer touched the wall, too, and light pulsed through, streaking toward the Vanguard. As light reached it, the chip in its plate healed.

  “The wall!” I shouted to Eryn. “It's using the crystals to heal!”

  She loosed an arrow at the wall near the healer, splintering a formation of crystals, but the light just shifted, finding a new path around the damage.

  The Vanguard charged through the debris of the Striker. I’d learned from my last encounter, and this time I deflected more of its attack, but the impact still sent me stumbling back several steps.

  “Your left,” Eryn warned, and I leaned right. An arrow ricocheted off the Vanguard's oval head.

  “It's too thick!” she said.

  I swung for the Vanguard's side, but it stepped into the blow, and only Roq's handle made contact.

  “Keep the healer busy!” I said.

  “Can you use the skill again?”

  “What? Do you think I'm THAT awesome? Pff! I am but... I, too, have restrictions. We’re halfway through the cooldown!”

  “Damn it.”

  The monster swung for my head. I ducked, striking upwards at its exposed shoulder joint. Crystal shards exploded upward.

  “Watch out for—”

  My shield slammed into me, throwing me against the wall, crystals pushing at my leather armor. The Vanguard's other fist connected and I felt as if a horse had hit me with both hind hooves.

  “—that.”

  It pulled its arm back and hammered again, but I stumbled out of range and swept at it half-heartedly with the hammer just to get the fist away.

  The Vanguard didn't care and it advanced, its damaged shoulder already starting to repair from the pulses of light following it through the crystals.

  “Portal-cursed healer!” I said, readying my shield.

  An arrow hit the Resonant Weaver's chest, pushing it backward, and the healing light faded for a brief moment.

  The Vanguard pressed on and I could almost feel its deadly intent. I stepped in, tempting a strike. It complied, its massive fist rushing to meet my head.

  If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

  Instead of blocking, I ducked and lunged forward, driving my shield and shoulder into the Vanguard's midsection. All I managed to do was push it back half a step, but it gave me just enough time to strike at its knee joint. Roq smashed through it, and the monster toppled sideways.

  “GLORIOUS! Now FINISH IT!”

  I brought Roq down on its domed head and the crystal splintered. It didn't destroy the head as I'd intended, but it killed the creature.

  “DOUBLE KILL!”

  “Get the other one!” Eryn said, loosing an arrow at the healer who had turned to flee. It hit it in the back, sending it tumbling to the ground.

  I charged, going after the damned creature before it could bring back more of its kind. Light bloomed inside the healer, so strong it filtered out its back, and then spread outward toward me like a wave.

  “Roq?”

  “HIT IT!”

  I didn't like the look of the light, but couldn't risk it getting away and bringing in fresh monsters, so I jumped, tucking in my legs.

  Sharpened crystal spikes pushed up from the ground, and if I hadn't jumped, I would have probably been skewered from below, and in very ouchy places. As it was, I nearly cleared the jump, but one last spike clipped my foot. It tipped me forward in the air, so I pulled my shield in front of me before landing flat on top of the healer, smashing into it.

  “NOOOOO!”

  Crystal shattered and light exploded around my shield, so strong even the reflection in the crystal wall momentarily blinded me.

  “WHY!?”

  I picked myself up, blinking away stars and stomped a few times on the creature's neck for good measure, making sure it was indeed dead.

  “Aash! Answer me?”

  “What the hell do you want?!”

  “You filthy gemless class-cursed KILL STEALER!”

  I raised Roq in front of my face.

  “I what now?”

  “You STOLE my KILL! I was right there. So close I could taste its crystals, and then you went and spoiled it all by doing something stupid like SMASHING IT WITH YOUR SHIELD!?”

  I couldn't help myself. It was too much, and I just burst out laughing.

  “What's he saying?” Eryn asked.

  “Don’t you DARE laugh at my wrath!”

  “He's angry I killed the monster with my shield.”

  “Why?” Eryn asked.

  “Don’t you UNDERSTAND? Is your IMAGINATION truly so LIMITED?”

  “Maybe he didn't get experience for killing it?” I said, doing my best to ignore the screaming hammer.

  “MAYBE? MAYBE!?” Roq seemed to draw in a big breath, and I swiped him into my storage before he could unleash more of his 'wrath'.

  “Oh, he's not going to love that,” Eryn said.

  “He was being rude, screaming in my head and threatening and stuff.”

  “Did he at least let us know if there were gems in any of these?”

  “Nope. Let's just store them for now in case something else comes along.”

  Eryn nodded and swiped up the Vanguard and Striker, while I took the weaver.

  “How's your back?” Eryn asked as she collected her arrows.

  “It'll be fine. But we have to find a way to deal with the healers faster or it could go really bad for us really quickly. Their restoration powers are really strong, and those spikes? Damn. The crystal just regrows as if it's nothing.” I looked at my empty hand. “Roq's skill was great, but next time I think I'll use it on the tank.”

  “How much did it cost?”

  I opened my soul chart and swiped to Roq's tab to double-check his new skill.

  ARMOR BREAK, LEVEL 1: Channels crushing force through the hammer's head on direct impact, delivering a blow that can crack armor and temporarily stun the target.

  Requires direct contact with the target and consumes energy from stored monster carcasses.

  I opened my spatial storage and looked at the striker corpse I'd stored from outside.

  “I'll have to ask Roq for the exact number, since the skill doesn't say, but eyeballing it, I'd say a fifth?”

  “Hey, that’s pretty good. Five times per carcass. We have a use for gemless monsters after all now, huh?”

  “Amazing for now, yes. But if we were a full party of five, it would have just cost me a carcass, because I doubt it’ll regenerate when we head through the portal. Any gem inside would have been lost.”

  “True, but for now you need to use it whenever you can,” Eryn said. “We can always get more carcasses.”

  I took a deep breath and held it, staring at her.

  “As long as Roq doesn't act up,” she added with half a smile, and I nodded.

  As long as the little diva didn't do anything stupid, everything would be just fine.

  A distant crystalline screech echoed up the tunnel, warning us of more enemies.

  “We need to finish this quickly,” I said, drawing Roq from storage.

  “Oh, NOW you—”

  “Roq, stop.”

  “You DARE silence me?”

  “Shut up!”

  My voice cracked against the crystal walls. I felt Eryn's hand on my shoulder.

  “How dare you speak to me like that?”

  “Because you're acting like a child!” I kept my voice low but firm. “I need you to focus. More monsters are coming. If you want to kill stuff, here's your chance. Stop acting as if anyone owes you anything. Prove that you are worthy!”

  “I am ALWAYS worthy!”

  “Then act like it.” I hefted and spun him around. “You're supposed to be the most powerful soul weapon in existence, right? Not some petulant hammer throwing a tantrum because someone else 'stole its kill'.”

  Silence filled my mind for a moment.

  “That... that's not fair.”

  “Life isn't fair. But right now we have a choice. Work together to slay monsters, or go back home. What's it going to be?”

  There was another crystalline screech, but much closer this time and it punctuated my words.

  “I... apologize for my outburst.” Each word seemed dragged out unwillingly. “But you must understand, I NEED to prove myself.”

  “Then prove yourself by helping us kill whatever's coming. Show me you can be trusted as a partner, which includes working with all of me, even my shield.”

  “Ugh. Fine. But I still think its a dirty kill stealer.”

  Another screech came, followed by the grinding sound of crystal on stone. It was so close now that I could practically feel it.

  “Later,” I said. “Right now is time to fight.”

  Two Crystal Strikers appeared from the tunnel ahead, and they were running straight at me.

  I trailed off as a pair of Weavers appeared behind them, chests pulsing with stored light.

  Eryn loosed an arrow at a striker's chest, but it blocked the shot with a raised arm. The limb shattered and fell to the ground, but stopped the arrow. The two healers slammed their hands against the wall and light raced forward. The wounded striker slowed to a walk, dragging its torso along the crystal-covered wall to heal up.

  “Four this time?” Eryn said, drawing again.

  Then, as if to tell us the universe wanted us gone, between them appeared one more.

  “Portal-cursed luck,” I muttered as a Vanguard stomped into view.

  “Five!?” Eryn hissed, drawing her bow again. “Should we run?”

  “NO RUNNING!” Roq protested. “We SMASH them all!”

  Roq was right in one thing. We couldn't run. They'd catch up sooner or later. “No. We fight. But where?”

  I studied the terrain for a quick second.

  Eryn loosed another arrow, aiming it at one of the weavers, but they dodged and the arrow splintered apart a crystalline formation running along the wall.

  “Hey, I have a plan,” Roq said all seriously.

  “Yeah?”

  “Totally. WE SMASH THEM ALL!”

  “Not helping, Roq.”

  “The walls,” Eryn said. “If we don't stop the healers—”

  My eyes went wide.

  “You are brilliant! Both of you!” I said and turned, pushing Eryn towards the exit. “Go!”

  “I am? I mean, of course I am. But... why now?”

  “Where are we going?” Eryn asked, picking up speed.

  “There,” I said, pointing Roq at the spot we’d passed through on the way in, where the tunnel narrowed to a natural chokepoint.

  “It'll have to do,” Eryn said. “At least it will funnel them to come at us two at a time.”

  “No, go a bit further,” I said and looked over my shoulder. The first striker had made it to the chamber by then. A few more moments and he'd be on me in the tunnel.

  I raised Roq and smashed him into the wall with a battle cry, crashing through crystals at the chokepoint place. The striker shrieked in rage. I struck again, shattering more crystals, running my hammer down along the wall.

  “Brilliant!” Eryn said excitedly as I did the same thing on the other wall before raising my shield just in time to take the Striker's charge. It pushed me back, slamming all of its force into me, but this was no tank and I held.

  “LET ME AT HIM!”

  As the Striker reached for my face, I indulged Roq, smashing through both of the monster's arms. The head shattered, but before it could explode, I stepped aside and raised my shield, rushing forward, smashing it against the wall.

  The Striker exploded, throwing me back. But I'd planned for it, and stopped myself before hitting the opposite wall.

  The second Striker, now healed, charged at me, but Eryn's arrow caught it between the eyes. Its head jerked backward, shattered, and its body stumbled two more steps before exploding. I raised my shield again, the crystal shards bouncing off harmlessly.

  The two Resonant Weavers stepped into the tunnel, one next to the other, and knelt in unison.

  “DIE, FILTHY MONSTERS! DIE!”

  They placed their hands on the ground and light spread outward, rushing towards me. If they could make those spikes shoot out from any side, they'd turn me into a very dead pincushion.

  I glanced at the gap I'd created in the crystalline formations along the walls. A makeshift firebreak. It should stop them, as long as...

  Pioneers plight!

  A thin line of crystals still clung to the tunnel's ceiling.

  I jumped and swung Roq, smashing through the remaining crystal, completing the break. I landed and threw myself backward, just in time as crystal spikes erupted from the ground. Luckily, I'd been right and they stopped when they reached the gap I'd created.

  “Nice thinking,” Eryn said, loosing an arrow at one of the Weavers. A spike shot up from the ground, blocking her arrow with a musical chime.

  “I must admit,” Roq said, “That was adequate planning.”

  The Vanguard stomped between the Weavers. Both healers turned toward it, and the light retreated from the floor, instead flowing back and up its thick legs. New plates of armor materialized across its body, thicker than before. A crystalline spear formed in one hand, and a buckler in the other.

  “Portal-cursed luck,” I said, backing up beside Eryn.

  “Oh my shaft! I LOVE it! Come, crystal warrior! Test yourself against TRUE power and find how short you come!”

  The enhanced Vanguard advanced through the spikes, which retracted before its feet. But as it crossed our makeshift break line, the crystalline weapons faded, the extra armor growing dull, and it stumbled.

  Thank the bells!

  I charged forward, shield raised.

  “Roq! Skill!”

  “Which one?” Roq's voice dripped with false innocence. “I have so many...”

  “Armor break, you bastard!”

  “Fine!” Red light blazed along Roq's length as I swung, and my hammer crashed through the Vanguard's chest like it was made of glass, crystal spraying everywhere. The monster staggered backward, crossing the crystal line. Immediately, light surged from the Weavers, racing through the formations to reach it.

  But Eryn's arrow hit a healer in the shoulder, spinning it around. Its light retreated and the Weaver fell to the floor.

  I lunged forward, bringing Roq down on the Vanguard's head before it could recover. The dome-like skull shattered in a brilliant explosion.

  “TRIPLE KILL!”

  Another arrow whistled past me, taking the wounded healer in the chest and its light died.

  The final Weaver slammed both hands to the ground. Once again, light surged forward, just to stop dead at our crystal-free zone. It knelt, staring at me with its featureless face, chest pulsating with a glowing light.

  “Let me at it! I haven't tasted healer yet!”

  My hand warmed, and I nearly stepped forward.

  “Eryn,” I said, gritting my teeth.

  “No! We should go to it! Kill it ourselves! Think of the glory! The strength! Together we can slay! Devour its power!”

  “Take the shot!” I said.

  Eryn's arrow took the final healer through its head and the light died.

  The warmth in my palm faded. The urge to charge forward, to claim more kills, to prove ourselves, also receded. But some of it remained, an echo of bloodlust that I couldn't quite separate from my own thoughts.

  He'd just done it again.

  I held Roq up before my face.

  “Did you just try to manipulate me again?”

  “I... may have attempted to... suggest a course of action. But it wasn't anything dangerous! Just one little monster!”

  “You promised,” I said quietly.

  “I... I know.” Roq's voice was subdued. “I tried to resist. But when I see them, all I can think of is mayhem! Sometimes I'm not sure where my hunger ends and yours begins.”

  I wanted to be angry, but found I couldn't. Not completely. Because he was right. Part of that urge had been mine. And that scared me more than any manipulation. He just amplified what was already there. I sincerely doubted he could plant foreign ideas and push them. No, …this had been just as much my wish as it had been his.

  I sighed.

  “Any gems?”

  “Yes,” Roq said, his voice suddenly dejected. “One. In the first healer Eryn killed. But what does it matter? My glory has been stolen.”