‘Misty?’ I urgently questioned.

  She didn’t answer me, just arched her back and puffed up her fur, seeming to positively grow as she growled a deep, rumbling snarl.

  As I watched, her claws seemed to grow sharper, her teeth more dangerous, and her eyes seemed to glow a deep yellow.

  ‘What the fuck happened to my little kitty?’ I think in shock at her transformation.

  “Misty?” this time out loud.

  ‘I hunt!’ came back her guttural reply. ‘Protect the kit.’

  And leapt through the maw of the dark opening.

  Without a thought to the contrary, I grabbed Naomi and hoisted her quickly up onto the shoulder of Myrrith.

  “Stay,” I commanded.Her eyes wide with fear, she just nodded as she stared past me to the gaping trapdoor.

  “Stay with her, Elara. I need to help Misty.”

  “But,” she seemed fearful and unsure, “what if you need me?”

  “I will be ok, and Naomi needs you more. Now, do you have anything I can use for light?”

  Our torches were packed away and would take time to light anyway—time we might not have.

  Seeming to shake herself back into focus, Elara reached out to touch my hand.I felt the flutter of mana, and a light began to shine from the back of my hand.

  ‘Neat.’ It was a bit weird—no warmth, nothing to feel—just a gentle glow.

  Pulling my sword and a venom dagger, I ran to the stairs into the darkness below as Elara readied her bow to protect herself and Naomi.

  In the dank and dark stairwell, the magical light was more than enough to illuminate my way without casting confusing shadows.

  Ahead stretched a long stairwell ending in an arched opening into the blackness beyond. The heaviness in the air and the stench of decay we had felt earlier were so much worse now—a weight of oppression that seemed to suck the warmth from my bones and fill me with a sense of dread.

  But far worse than that was what I saw heading up the stairs towards me.

  The skeleton looked like it came from some beast—an ape perhaps. It was certainly not human.

  It pulled itself up towards me, its eyes glowing, and a faint sheen of deep purple light coated each bone, seeming to be the force holding its parts one to another.

  It pulled itself, as one leg was missing, seemingly ripped off at the hip. The click and drag of its bones were clearly heard over the rasp of my own short breaths.

  ‘Did Misty do that?’ I wondered as I headed towards it, resolution mixed with tightly controlled dread.

  Below, the snarls and crashes told me that the cat battled further beasts in the depths below.

  This one was mine.

  The temptation to charge down at it was strong, so taking a firm grip, I increased my pace until I was taking the steps two then three at a…

  “Oh Shiiiit!”

  My foot skidded on a stair slick with moisture, and my descent turned into a flight.

  Head first, arms extended as I scrabbled for a purchase that wasn’t there, my dagger flew from my hand, spinning away into the darkness to land God knows where.

  I was completely unable to stop my hurtling body.

  Looming below, and getting rapidly closer, the eyes of the creature locked onto mine and seemed to open wider, almost showing as much shock as I was sure I displayed.

  With an almighty crash, I hurled into the thing, and the two of us continued the rest of the way, smashing into the bottom just a second or two later.

  Groaning, I pushed myself up and readied my sword, looked down, and saw the magical glow fading from the skeleton as the remaining bones clattered apart.

  With a final sigh, the glow in its eye sockets winked out of existence.

  ‘How the hell does a bunch of bones sigh? No damn lungs!’

  [Congratulations; You have slain Skeleton Warrior lv 5. Experience gained.]

  Wincing at the bruises I could already feel developing, I spotted my dagger close by and grabbed it up.

  ‘Not a zombie apocalypse but fuck, man, skeletons?’

  I was not sure if my inner me was exultant at the thought or terrified.

  Me, I was definitely the latter.

  But I had work to do, people upstairs to protect, and I needed to figure out what the hell was going on with my damn cat.

  I headed through the archway, my light illuminating chaos.

  The floor was a maelstrom of skeletons waving a mixture of weapons and bones of the fallen as they tried to hit the furball that was Misty.

  ‘It has to be Misty; it’s ginger and killing things.’

  My cat seemed to be double the size I had been used to over the seven years I had shared my home with her.

  Her fur, while ginger, appeared to be somehow more real.

  She seemed more real.

  The air thrummed with mana—a deep, dark mana from the skeletons that each glowed with that purple light that somehow energised them. From above, I felt the competing mana of Myrrith, even now fighting for dominance in her desecrated shrine, and something else. A different mana, a flavour I didn’t recognise, boiled out from my damn cat.

  ‘What in all the hells has Misty gone and done now?’

  I gaped, trying to understand.

  ‘Who gives a fuck. It’s working, and she’s on our side. Now damn well fight before you get clonked and die.’

  The room was too frantic to even think about identifying anything. I was so grateful that Elara’s light thing seemed to omit no shadows, its glow evenly filling the space.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  My sword flashed left and right.

  A block of a mace here, a swipe at a head there, deflect a thigh bone and back into the mix.

  Using the dagger as well proved to be an effective method. I thought it might even be better than a shield as I could use it to stab…

  ‘Nope, stabbing doesn’t work at all well,’ I realised.

  ‘Nothing but holes to stab into.’

  I soon figured one of the quickest methods to use was the flat of my blade to bash. Bones could break if you hit them hard enough, even ones strengthened with some wacky magic.

  The floor was becoming more littered with broken bones and scattered remnants, and I had to take greater care not to trip or slip.

  Once in a day was enough for me, thank you very much.

  I also have to be careful of my own fragility. I have taken several slashing cuts to various parts and even more bruising blows from bones thrown or swung my way.

  My increased ability to cope with injuries that in my past life would have laid me low must be down to me getting stronger as I had used my points.

  It seems the level system definitely worked.

  I just had to avoid complacency. Just because I am tougher, I can still get well and truly fucked up.

  I swing my sword at a fast-approaching skeleton with what looks like an ancient flail in its hands. On the swing, I must have caught on something behind me as I feel a tug on the blade.

  As I bring it back round to strike my intended target, there is a skull shoved on the point, stabbed through its gaping jaw.

  Behind me, I hear the clatter of bones as the rest of my lucky kill falls to the floor.

  Its head, propelled by my sword, smashes into the other in an explosion of ivory shards and ancient teeth.

  Looking around for my next target, I meet the eyes of my cute ginger ninja turned hellcat.

  The room is silent except for our own breathing.

  ‘Is that all of them?’ I ask her.

  ‘Here yes, something other in the far room.’

  Looking around, I soon see she is right. There is another archway—a gaping maw into a further well of unnatural darkness.

  Beyond that door, I can feel malevolence.

  Looking around to assess the situation more fully, I have no idea how many we fought and killed. I guess I could count skulls, but to be honest, I couldn’t be arsed.

  The bloody BB would give me a full update at some point, I am sure.

  With a sigh, I realise I need to be ready for another fight. That oppressive presence was not going anywhere, and if we were to cleanse this place, it would need to be removed.

  ‘Did anything in the job description mention garbage disposal?’ I sarcastically wonder.

  ‘What fucking job description?’ My answer is on point.

  With reluctance, I pull out one of the healing potions we had. I wish I didn’t have to use it—we have so few—but I have a feeling I need to be in better shape than I am now for whatever it is ahead.

  As the liquid runs down my throat, I feel a warmth spreading out. I watch in wonder as cuts and bruises on my hands and arms visibly heal and fade. I crack my back and feel all my battered bits click back into place.

  Within moments, I feel fully fit and whole again.

  ‘OK, Del, let’s go fuck this a’hole up.’

  “Misty, are you ready?” She gives me a look that, if I am completely honest, is a bit scary.

  ‘Let’s hunt.’ she says.

  Leading the way, she prowls ahead, her every movement deliberate and sure. Even her claws clicking on the stone sound like a war drum to my ears. Meanwhile, I couldn’t stop the nervous flutter in my stomach, my sword hilt slick in my grip.

  The hall is not long, maybe 20 feet, and quiet—eerily so, as if it sits in wait, getting ready to pounce when it feels the moment is right.

  From somewhere, there is a drip of water. A steady drip, drip, drip, like an incipient heartbeat marking time.

  It felt alive, the air thick with the weight of something watching. My skin prickled, and my grip tightens further on the hilt of my sword as the oppressive feeling seemed to reach a crescendo, then withdraw for a moment, before once again building.

  Almost as if it moved in and out with the breath of whatever lay ahead,

  waiting.

  I look down at my cat in order to steady my nerves by leaning into her bravery.

  Misty, in this weird state she now has, was almost up past my knee. Her claws didn’t seem to retract but softly clicked on the stone floor as she prowled beside me.

  Her eyes, flashing yellow, were enough to give anyone nightmares.

  ‘So this, change… Is it permanent?’ I ask her.

  ‘Just hunting.’ I get back the simple answer, and I smile.

  Though this was certainly a major upgrade, I would have missed my little cat snuggles at night if she couldn’t change back.

  Besides, talking with her grounded me, helped me prepare for whatever lay ahead.

  ‘I still don’t know what the fuck a retired disabled office worker is doing fighting fucking skeletons in the crypt of some damn shrine in the middle of a bloody magical wood.’ I fume, my anger helping stir the adrenaline I am sure I would need any moment.

  ‘Stop your grousing, Del, we’re here.’

  Sure enough, Misty and I now stood in the opening into the next chamber, the impenetrable well of black set before us.

  Daring us to enter.