The Last Lands

CHAPTER 9-KING OF THE CASTLE

A semi-circle with a lightning strike through it. Almost looks like a sword.

Sir Douglas slammed a fist against the metal doors, only emitting a gentle tapping sound.

“It's solid.” He said, stepping back.

“Wh-wh-what is it?” Khol asked.

“Looks like a bunker of some kind .” Master Gybalt said.

He placed his hand on the soil stained metal, tracing the strange insignia. Sir Douglas stepped closer, but still working to survey the valley around them.

“I-I-is this another one of those castles, do you think?” Khol said optimistically.

Kad scoffed.

“What, like were kings live?”

“This is no castle.” Sir Douglas said.

“Have you ever seen this before, Aeinon?” Master Gybalt asked in a hushed voice.

Sir Douglas shook his head. He turned and affixed Busco with a cautious look. Busco shifted, looking towards his confused friend, and their worried prisoner.

“We found what we were looking for. We should start making tracks.” Sir Douglas said.

Master Gybalt did not respond, instead the broken crystal still hovered around. The glowing rune beneath their feet began to subside.

“We should find out what's in here.” Master Gybalt said as if to himself.

Sir Douglas gently grabbed the mage's arm.

“No, Gybalt.” He said roughly. “We have two students and a prisoner, and we have no idea what's inside. We should head back up to the hill, and follow the Blarewater as we discussed.”

Master Gybalt gently shook himself free of the old knight's grasp.

“Sir Douglas, if you wish to escort your prisoner back to the settlement, that is your own prerogative. Mine and my student's, however, is to investigate magical anomalies, and we shall remain here doing just that.”

He turned back to Busco, and pointed to the soil roof still above the doors.

“Busco, there's more earth obscuring the doors, can you clear it? There might be more of an indication.”

Sir Douglas growled irritably.

“You're just going to cause a land-slide, now.” He said bitterly.

Busco hesitated, looking between the two.

“Don't listen to him, Busco. I'll help you if you need it.” Master Gybalt said, somewhat reassuringly.

Busco breathed in deeply, as Sir Douglas stepped away, standing between him and Kad. He raised both of his hands out-stretched. He pulled downwards, and the blanket of soil and stone fell in a great cloud. A fissure formed above them, and Busco began to strain.

“Concentrate now.” Master Gybalt said. “Only pull the earth above the metal doors.”

Busco's body tightened, and sweat began to form. With a final exertion, he yanked away the last of the buried earth. The doors continued for another five feet, until ending in a frame of metal. As Master Gybalt had predicted, there was something above it.

“Look!” Khol said, pointing. “There's something written up-t-top!”

Busco took a deep breath, returning his hands to the air.

Visualise, concentrate.

With gritted teeth, he pulled away the final pockets of soil on to the stone ground before them, revealing large characters stained onto the steel.

“Sector...thirty?” Khol read out.

The words and number were bold and black, directly above them, chipped and marked by millennia of soil.

“Gybalt...” Sir Douglas breathed. “I don't like this...”

Master Gybalt waved him away.

“It appears it's just a bunker, Sir Aeinon. Perhaps a military bunker of the Old Age. If there were any inhabitants inside, I very much doubt they're still alive after four thousand years.”

“If it's just a bunker full of dead people and weapons, then why should we go in? You just said you were searching for magical anomalies.”

Master Gybalt did not reply, but pocketed the crystal. His eyes were affixed to the sign and doors.

Sector 30. What in Hel's name is it?

Master Gybalt continued to press his hands against the doors, even trying to get his fingers between the groove that separated them.

“We have to find a way in.” He said quietly.

“Can you use your magic, Master?” Busco asked.

“Possibly.” Master Gybalt scratched his beard. “Although Sir Aeinon's grumblings are correct, we do not know who or what could be inside.”

He took a step backwards, examining the tall structure.

Sir Douglas rubbed the back of his head, exasperated.

“We shouldn't be doing this.” He muttered.

“Ye-ye-yeah.” Khol interjected. “Are-are-aren't we sup-suppose-supposed to be looking for Sareta?”

Master Gybalt shook his head, annoyed. He turned to Busco, a determined look in his old eyes. Busco stared back, then turned to the door. He walked up to it, placing his hand on the rigid, cold metal, still feeling the last skin of soil.

That's as solid as it gets.

He traced his hand away, turning to the sides, and caressed the earth around it. He brought his hand down, and onto the stone below. It was colder than steel, slightly damp. It's structure was stubborn and unyielding compared to the far less dense soil, but still it spoke to him. He traced his fingers lightly over like it was a lover's back, and finally knocked on it.

That might be it!

“Stand back everyone.” He said as he rose, still facing the stone floor.

He braced his legs, his thigh was burning. He clenched his hands, his finger-tips tingling.

Come on now, speak to me.

His breath whistled through clenched teeth, he pulled as hard as he could. The stone began to rumble. The others braced themselves, backing away from the cavern entrance.

Come on, concentrate, visualise, feel!

The stone became an extension of his hands, suddenly breaking like eggshell before them. A small rift opened, its jagged edges rising to claw at the forgotten metal. He pulled farther, the hole widened. He yelled as it opened further, and relaxed his arms. He began to pant, but was determined not to show any exertion. Without a word, he walked to the hole, and jumped in with both feet.

The rock-face gave way to more soil, the hole was up to his chin. Against the freer soil, he pushed, carving a small tunnel. Darkness overtook him, but he did not let the panic take him, for he was one with the earth. It was ancient and foreboding, or at least it would be to one who did not how to communicate with it. Above him, he applied pressure with the palm of his hand. The earth shifted, jolting forwards, and a new, fresh air rushed to meet him. Kad's sword banged against the dark walls, leading trickles and trails running down his back. He dusted his hands, and pulled himself upwards. From behind the door, he could hear the voices of his master and the paladin. It was a new kind of darkness, all consuming. He could not see his hands, and was almost overcome with the fear he had lost them, were it not for the sensation of the earth melding with the skin on his fingers. He heard Sir Douglas calling his name, with increased desperation.

“I'm okay!” He called back, his voice echoing. “I'm on the other-side of the door.”

“What do you see?” Master Gybalt shouted back, his voice faint.

“Nothing.” He replied. “It's pitch black.”

“Is there a mechanism or anything to open the doors?”

“No, no I don't think so.”

There was a brief pause as the others discussed.

“Alright, stay put, we're coming over.”

Busco stepped back, coming into contact with the walls. Despite being inside, the air was much cooler. There was a current, and it carried an odd smell, something in between an old bookshop and a vehicle depot. The wall behind him was metal and silent. There was a scrambling sound as Master Gybalt made his way through, and Busco heard him bump his head as he came in. He crouched down to help his master up, pulling him upright. Master Gybalt dusted his hands on his robes. He stepped forward.

“You were right, I can't see a thing.”

Master Gybalt rustled in his pockets again, and Busco heard hushed whispering. A violet light, dull at first, then a deep blue illuminating Master Gybalt's face. It grew stronger, the gem on Gybalt's wrist shining brightly. Busco could see his left hand was gently placed on the crystal, as he looked around.

“I didn't realise that doubled as a light, Master.” He said, somewhat impressed.

“It doesn't.” He replied. “But if I channel just the right amount of energy through it consistently, the gem shines.”

He smiled through the blue light.

“M-master? Should I come through now?” Khol shouted through the burrowed hole.

Busco widened it enough for the minotaur to fit his larger frame through, though his horns banged against the metal door edge. Kad was sent through next, and he and Khol both helped the bound, thin figure up. Finally, Sir Douglas joined them. Even in the darkness, his disapproval was evident.

The tunnel stretched on, and Gybalt led the way. Before them, was another set of doors. Once again, was more signage. Sector 30, and more emblems. The stone floor turned to concrete steps, and Gybalt approached the doors. They were much smaller than the ones that barred the outside world. There were metal crates and equipment put to the side, and in front of them, was a small console, only halfway up to their waists. Gybalt wiped his hand on the metal console, which glowed brightly under the blue light. Clouds of dust sparkled with the motion. On the top was a slot for something, as well as several blacked out circles of glass. There were several black buttons, but all eyes were on the single red one in the middle. Master Gybalt's fingers hesitated above it.

“No.” Sir Douglas said. “Gybalt, don't. We have no idea-”

“This button opens doors, Aeinon. Either the ones in front of us, or the ones in behind.” He retorted.

Quickly, he pressed down on the red button before the knight could protest, but nothing happened. Master Gybalt merely shrugged.

“Look around, maybe there's a way inside.”

The others fidgeted nervously. Busco heard Sir Douglas grumble, and Kad sink to the floor, leaning against part of the metal frame as he breathed cautiously. Busco followed the tunnel to the curved edge, there was solid concrete in between them. He tapped at it with his palm.

All these years, it still seems so intact.

He stepped back to inspect it, when he heard a sickening crunch below him. Master Gybalt turned round at the sound, allowing a patch of blue light to illuminate someone's toe bones sticking out from a hole in a shoe, and a shin-bone with a large crack in it.

Busco called out, stepping away, as Master Gybalt came rushing to see.

“Wh-wh-what is it?” Khol asked.

Master Gybalt crept forwards, slowly showing the exposed skeletal foot. Busco gulped and Khol whimpered. The cracked shin led up to a tattered black trouser that was almost just rags. The skeleton's legs were splayed open, the other boot was more intact. Their legs are short and stumpy, and as the blue light lifted, the skeleton was leaning against the wall. There was a white uniform with a black collar and cuffs. It was made of a strange, shiny synthetic material that Busco had never seen before. The emblem on its chest was the semi-circle and thunderbolt insignia. The skull was proportionately larger than a human's compared to their body, their eye-sockets were large holes. It was smaller than any of the races presently here.

“A sk-ske-skel-skeleton?” Khol stuttered.

Busco rolled his eyes at the obvious, but Master Gybalt was kinder.

“One of the inhabitants of Sector Thirty.” He lowered the crystal closer. “It's not a race I recognise. What do you think, Sir Douglas?”

“A Dvergr, probably.” He said, scratching at his beard.

“Perhaps. It looks a little small to be a Dwarven skeleton though. Almost like a child's.”

Busco felt a sickness creeping inside. Indeed, it did almost look too small to be an adult anything.

“Why would they have children here?” He asked meekly.

“I don't think that's it.” Master Gybalt mused. “Perhaps it's a previous species of Dvergr not seen since the Old Age. Or...”

He trailed off and the others waited patiently for a conclusion that never came to them.

“Or it's another species entirely?” Busco finally said.

Master Gybalt turned with a wry smile, half hidden in the darkness.

“M-m-Master, look at its hands.” Khol said.

The crystal illuminated the skeletal hands together in its lap. Inside one of them was a small chain, connected to a dust coated pendant. Gingerly, Master Gybalt grabbed the chain, careful not to disturb the deceased inhabitant of Sector Thirty. He pulled it away, letting it hang in the violet light, particles floating in the air. Master Gybalt gently blew on it, generating a small zephyr of old dust. It was a blue rectangle with an indentation at the very top, almost like a Zwiper card, but thick. It wasn't made of metal, or wood, but something much lighter. Master Gybalt grinned, and stood up, immediately walking to the console.

“Gybalt, wait-” Cautioned Sir Douglas, but it was too late.

Once more, Master Gybalt exhaled on the console, this time a greater cloud of dust leapt up and vanished, and with the small pendant in his hand, he inserted it into the slot. Busco felt every muscle in his body clench, as it fitted perfectly. That was a slotting sound, and through hundreds and then thousands of years of inactivity, the red button began to emit a light. Master Gybalt licked at his lips, his fingers poised. Sir Douglas gripped his sword by the handle, and the button was pressed.

The sounds of metal crunching and shaking had everyone on guard, event the bound Kad crouched, hissing away. Above them, an orange light flashed from a hidden sconce, periodically and repeatedly. A klaxon boomed, timed with the light, and before them, the great metal doors clicked and shifted. A sound that had not been heard in millennia echoed through the cavern and then the gorge before them, as the doors began to scrape the ancient earth, moving inwards.

Blades of daylight pierced Busco's eyes, as Master Gybalt began to laugh triumphantly. Clumps of dirt and earth fell and were swept aside from the giant doors fanning out. The very ground beneath them shook, and Busco felt his body tremble. The doors roared, until they finally reached their end, and with a final shudder, they became still. The klaxon alarm finished in time, and the orange light ceased. Master Gybalt gave Sir Douglas a teasing look as he pulled his sleeve to cover the caged crystal. The afternoon light reached in with its grey tendrils, painting the concrete walls of the tunnel silver.

“That's not a bad start.” Master Gybalt said cheerfully. “Now let's see what else we can do.”

Before Sir Douglas could protest, he rapidly began pressing the four black buttons above the red one. Immediately, fluorescent lights lit themselves, casting the entrance room in perfect light. Each time he hit one of the buttons, a metallic sound from somewhere nearby activate something, and with the final one, they heard a metallic click behind them. Master Gybalt gave a curious look to Busco, and the two turned to the set of doors behind them.

“Well, we might've just solved two problems with one stone there.” Master Gybalt grinned.

As they approached the metal doors, they saw that one of them had been pushed slightly away from the other, breaking their apparent seal. Master Gybalt left the pendant in the console, and walked to the doors, placing his ear against it.

“I can't hear anything. Kad, can you feel anyone inside?” He whispered.

Kad only shook his head, the weakness making him faint. Master Gybalt fixed Sir Douglas with a serious look, and nodded. Sir Douglas reciprocated, and withdrew his sword. Khol and Busco steadied themselves.

“Whatever is on the other-side of this door, expect danger.” Their Master whispered.

He wrapped his old fingers around the protruding edge of the door and pulled, grunting as he did so. The door gave way, allowing a small pile of skeletons to pile out. Khol yelped and spun around, hiding behind Kad. Busco watched in horror as half a dozen similar skeletons to the previous one spilled out, all in similar garments in similar stages of decay. With a grotesque clatter, they fell into the hallway. One of their skulls separated entirely, rolling towards Busco's feet, stopping and staring at him with hollow eyes. Busco tried to steel himself, feeling his feet trying to shuffle themselves away as the empty face gawked at him.

Sir Douglas spat in disgust.

“More skeletons?” Kad purred with a beast's smile.

Master Gybalt took his eyes from them, and towards what was inside. The long corridor ahead was lit, though the long strips of glass above were caked in filth.

“There's still Nexos energy.” Busco gasped. “How is that possible?”

He imagined the green electricity flowing through the hundreds of meters of wire and cable in the middle of this hill in an ancient land. It had the power to move vehicles, illuminate lights, open ancient doors, and apparently could never cease.

“There must be one Hell of a generator in here.” Sir Douglas muttered. “Either that, or there's someone still inside.”

Master Gybalt carefully stepped over the pile of skeletons. The corridor was grey, but light. There were thick black lines following all of the way down. He looked to his students for protest, but only saw fear.

“If anyone's still alive in here after four thousand odd years, they'll have one Hel of a story to tell us, but somehow I doubt it.” He turned, following the lines, and beckoned for his students to follow.

Busco gulped heavily, and took a slow, careful step over the corpses. He reached where Master Gybalt was standing, and turned around to watch Khol, sure as anything he was going to trip and fall over the pile. The corridor was much smaller here, and Khol had to bow his head slightly to avoid his horns catching on the strips of light on the ceiling.

Crunch, as he immediately stepped on one of their wrist bones. Before Busco could snigger, something caught his eyes.

“Master, behind Khol, look.” He pointed.

Khol was startled, and spun, stepping on a femur and nearly tripping, but made his way to hide behind Master Gybalt. His Master bent down to study the doors. There were silver scratches on the door, dozens of them, scarring the surface.

“Scratch marks...?” He said quietly.

“Looks like someone didn't want them to leave.” Sir Douglas said darkly, stepping inside.

“So it would seem.” Master Gybalt said wistfully as he stood up.

He turned, back down the corridor.

“Come on, it's time to find some answers.”

“Or more questions.” Sir Douglas muttered.

Before they reached the end of the corridor, there was another skeleton lying against a wall, but this one had some sort of dagger between its ribs. Sir Douglas reached for it carefully. As he pulled, only a handle came into his hand. There was no blade, not even between its ribcage. The hilt was caked in filth, but fashioned like a miniature sword.

“What in the world?” He said, transfixed.

At the end of the corridor, it split into left and right. The black lines ended here, and instead new lines formed, reaching off down the new corridors. On the left side was pink, green and black, on the right, was red, white and black. There was writing on them, but in no runes or letters any of them had ever seen before. Master Gybalt approached it, wiping off the layer of dirt and dust.

“I've never seen this language before.” He said softly.

“If we were going to head back, now would be the time.” Sir Douglas said grumpily.

Master Gybalt only smiled.

“Perhaps we should split up, take a corridor each.”

“Absolutely not.” Sir Douglas growled.

“Fine.” Master Gybalt said tiredly. “Then pick a direction.”

Sir Douglas sighed, looking at the students, before pointing to his left.

“This way?” Master Gybalt confirmed.

“Lucky lefty.” Sir Douglas said tiredly.

They followed the pink and green lined walls past closed doors. When they peered inside, all they saw were sterile offices and desks. Many of them were far too dark to see through the dirty windows, most of them were locked. More skeletons appeared here and there, some bent over desks or unceremoniously cast to the floor. The air grew staler and staler as they followed the corridor to the end, where once more, it split into two more corridors.

The pink line ran to the right, and the green to the left. The right side was empty and well lit, while the green held two more skeletons next to some metallic crates and a trolley. The light was flickering, one and off, one and off. Master Gybalt turned to Sir Douglas.

“Lucky lefty?” He asked.

Sir Douglas did not respond.

Cautiously, they stepped down the green lined corridor, the flashing light briefly casting them in darkness, then vanquishing it, then darkness again. The corridor ended in a closed, rounded door. On the top, was the tell-tale insignia again, engraved into a metal tile To the side of the wall, was an embedded module, that seemed to have a similar slot to the console in the entrance room. Master Gybalt examined it and cursed.

“Check those skeletons, maybe they have something.” He said intensely.

The others hesitated, before Khol finally crouched by the closest skeleton, wincing as he gently pushed it aside. Sir Douglas approached the second one, and quickly frisked it. He called out, and held a chain aloft, with a similar pendant to before, but red. He threw it to Master Gybalt who caught it, and inserted it. The card fit, but did not click. Nothing happened, and Master Gybalt cursed, thumping the module as he did. Busco took a step back, examining the metal crates and equipment left behind. One of the smaller crates had been upheaved, leaving a pile of strange long tools and bolts over the floor. Beside them, was another pendant. This one was green.

“Master!” He said picking it up. “Here, try this one.”

He ran to the door, and Master Gybalt quickly snatched it out of his hand, and inserted it with some kind of fascinated desperation. Immediately, it clicked. Master Gybalt laughed and patted Busco hard on the shoulder. A green light appeared on the module, and the metal door slid as if pulled away by unseen string. Master Gybalt breathed deeply.

The hidden room was much darker than the others, and released a cloying, metallic smell. The others recoiled from it, but Master Gybalt breathed it in, sampling it for himself. Quickly, he stepped into the dark room. Busco followed, and Khol reluctantly did so too. He heard the scrape fo Kad's feet as Sir Douglas pushed him forwards. There were Nexos lights in here but dim, and not coming from the ceiling. There were strange cubes on desks with glass windows that spilled some synthetic light, a pale teal. Before them were rows and rows of tables and equipment, beakers and instruments.

There was a sound of motion and bubbling liquid. More skeletons lingered here, and before them, was a great, silver tank. It was filled with tubes that stretched into it, and ran up to the ceiling and beyond, feeding into a great tentacled mass. There were empty tanks next to it, most with broken glass, some strange metallic liquid spilling out, almost like mercury. The bubbling sound was evidently coming from the central tank.

Master Gybalt walked towards the middle desk. There was a slumped skeleton here, with an identical dagger sticking out of its back. Like the one found previously, it had no blade. Here though, they could see the ribs and vertebrae of the slain figure glowed almost silver, as if they were metallic. Beside him, was a dusty black dossier with the white insignia on it. He slid it towards him, and opened.

Busco watched as Master Gybalt scrunched his face in confusion.

“Project...Silve'Lok?” He said.

“What does that mean?” Busco asked.

“I'm not sure, it's the only part that's in Universal, for some reason.”

“Hey, over here.” Sir Douglas called out from the far end of the room.

They quickly walked towards him, and saw two skeletons on top of each-other. Unlike the others, these did not have the white and black apparent uniforms the rest of the fallen crew here were clad in. They were both in deep crimson, a smoother, almost velvety jacket. The one at the bottom was trimmed in gold, which had been turned to ochre by time. There was no sign of the insignia here.

“Whoever these guys are, they weren't part of the same organisation that built this place.” Sir Douglas said.

There was a crashing sound from behind them, that turned to rolling and then breaking glass. They all shot a look towards a guilty Khol, who was desperately halting a piece of lab equipment from falling from a desk.

“Sorry!” He winced.

Master Gybalt grunted, annoyed.

He stormed over to either help or chastise the minotaur, when something caught his eye. Directly in front of the silver vat, was another small console. This one had another slot in it, a green one. He looked to Sir Douglas again, who shook his head.

“Let's find out what project Silve'Lok is, shall we?”

He pressed it in, click, and then tapped the red button. Another alarm sounded, another orange light. The bubbling sound increased, steam jutted out from the pipes ahead. They shook, and slowly, the vat began to drain itself of molten metal. Some of the pipes and seals began to drip, and the mercury-like substance smoked as it came into contact with anything.

The others braced themselves, when Kad suddenly began twitching.

“What is it? What's wrong?” Asked Sir Douglas, worried.

Clack.

“I think you should unbind my hands now.” He said, panicked.

“Why? What do you sense?” Master Gybalt asked.

“I think we're about to meet the king of the castle.”

As the vat began to drain, Busco saw what was inside. The filthy glass was mottled with speckles of grey and silver, but something within shone. There were eyes. They were the colour of blood, and very angry.

The glass before them burst, shards sent like thousands of tiny knives at them. Khol screamed, Sir Douglas rushed to him. A single claw stuck itself out. Its fingers were shaped like blades, they were long and their silver gleamed.

Silver.

A perilously long arm stretched itself out, pulling at the glass. Something shrieked from within.

Silver hands.

“Busco!” Master Gybalt called out. “Get behind me!”

It's always silver hands.

He felt a hand pulling at him. The red eyes glared above two rows of pointed fangs.

“Why is it always silver hands?” He said in a daze.

“What are you talking about?” Master Gybalt shouted, terrified.

Whatever was in the vat lurched at them both, its long arms and claws stretched towards them. Everything about it was silver, its skin, to its long hair from the top of its head, even its tongue and teeth. All of it, apart from its hate-filled eyes. Before it could land on them, Master Gybalt punched forward. Dark and light blue encased the silver, and beyond the vat, a heavy crashing sound as the creature collided with equipment. Wires and cables broke, spilling out steam and viscous liquid. The creature gargled.

“Move, out through the doors, now!” Master Gybalt commanded.

The others ran, with Sir Douglas taking the rear. There was a slicing sound as silver blades carved through the air. Sir Douglas screamed in pain and fell. The silver blades retracted themselves as the Silve'Lok reappeared, jumping onto the desk. It was a similar size to the skeletons that littered the bunker, but leaner. Its nose and ears were pointed, but not as much as an Eve's. Its arms were hideously long, each of them ended in five knives. Its hair was long, metallic tendrils, and its feet were like an eagles. Out of its back were a jutting spike above each of the shoulder blades. It hissed, its red eyes focused on the fallen knight.

Busco was the first to get to him, even as he heard the others call his name. Sir Douglas's arm had been sliced, and it bled profusely. From his back, he unrolled Kad's sword.

“No, wait-” Kad tried to protest, but the creature had already leapt towards them.

Smoothly, Busco unsheathed the cleaver-like sword, bringing it into an arc just as the creature landed before them. He brought it down onto its head, standing twice as tall as it, a swift killing blow. There was a wrenching sound as the blade shattered on its head. The creature did not react, still and snarling. Busco stood there, stunned, unsure of even how to move his body. The silver hands were on his throat, pushing the air out of it. He was taken off of his feet, flying through the air, the bladed fingers tightening, his throat beginning to bleed. He felt the back of the wall hit him, almost fifteen feet away, but the creatures hand was still on him. From a grotesquely extended arm, the creature snarled at him.

Within a blue flash, the hand finally released him, and he gasped for breath. The creature was sent again to the vat, landed heavily enough to knock it over. He felt his Master grabbing him by the arm hoisting him up.

“Come on, time to go!” He shouted.

Sir Douglas rolled over, and scrambled to his feet. The creature roared from within its sealed coffin. There was the sound of a crashing river, and Busco saw that the creature had dissolved, becoming a raging torrent of metallic silver, heading towards them like a tsunami. It shrieked as it reassembled itself, its claws this time trained for Master Gybalt. With the sound of a charging bull, Khol knocked his master to the side, grappling with the silver monstrosity. Busco was bowled over too, too weak to stand. The creature was tangled within the minotaur's hands and horns, still trying to scratch at him.

“Owowowow!” Khol shouted, blood streaming down his face.

Busco tried to hear the sound of the earth from within, but it was too far away, too obscured by the dull blankness of concrete. Sir Douglas rushed to aid Khol, his sword expertly interlocking with the creature's claws. It hissed, as they combined their strength, lifting it briefly off of Khol, but the Silve'lok swung its legs around, kicking Sir Douglas in the chest with its talons. The breath left his lungs, and streams of blood curved through the air as he fell.

“Enough of this.” Kad growled, standing tall and proudly.

With bound hands, he reached to the wrappings that covered his face.

“Kad!” Master Gyablt shouted. “Kad don't!”

Kad disregarded the human, his hands tearing at the cloth, revealing the horror that was underneath.