Chapter 221: I'm trying
The platform glides through the air as easily as a slow bird but the darkness is so deep or the space is just that vast. Azaroth thought it must it must be the later because Stallus light touched nothing but the platform as they rolled in the space.
Azaroth didn't like that because suddenly they must now be the focus of attention to anything in the darkness. Not to talk them not knowing where the platform is taking them.
Azaroth had thought its a simple up and down platform but this one have been curving around since and there haven't been a single structure in sight.
It made the others cranky, at least it raised their hackles. Alex frowned into the darkness. "Maybe this is bad idea. We don't know this place and with all the skeleton there monsters it's definitely a bad news. We don't know where this thing is taking us."
Azaroth noted with dark amusement that the words are coming from Alex who's the most reckless among them all.
Catena shrugged. "Bad news or not this is a crypt that we are clearing. Maybe not the most ordinary crypt but here we are anyway."
Alex didn't look satisfied with that but before he could say anything eyes they all felt displacement in the stale air. Flickering movement, barely noticeable but that was enough for the team.
Since they don't know what is going on Azaroth raised his hand upward and unleashed a wave of fire. It roared upward, lighting the surrounding in red orange, far brighter than Stallus light.
It was just for a moment because Azaroth didn't sustained it but they saw. Monsters. A whole lot of then. They are bat like but with a feline body and they hung above them, their wings extended, it must be some kind of skill.
The darkness returned but not entirely. This time there's a yellow dot in the darkness. Lot of yellow dot as the monsters gave up their disguises.
There was a pause and then a howl tore through the air as the monsters descended, a tornado of talons and fangs. Alex cursed and released a wave of lightning into the midst of the spinning monsters frying some of them but they are simply too much of them.
The monsters kept spinning around then, and now they are the new darkness, forming a wall of shifting bodies around them. The smell of dirty, dusty fur filled the air.
Azaroth held his formation in his mind but he doubled how much his fire will help here. "Stallus, are we close?"
She twitched, her eyes flicking towards him. "I think so but I can't fight like this."
Azaroth gave his orders. "We protect Stallus because if her concentration fails. We fall. We die."
And then the flying monsters collapsed inward, sharp talons outstretched to rip and rend. Catena and Alex rushed towards Stallus, her weapons at the ready.
But that did little as the monsters slammed into them, a wave that waved over them biting and cutting. Alex screamed as talons pieced his essence forge and sunk into the flesh of his shoulder blades, his sword reached out to cut the monster but three more talons gripped his hand and more reached for his head.
Hasty, he grabbed his lightning, barely manifesting it before he shoved it forward blasting any monsters in front of him away, he shoved himself forward and spun his hand, sending bolt of lighting away from himself.
The monsters screeched, screamed like iron scraping iron and dived down again. Alex knew his lightning isn't something for fighting swarming monsters like that and he prepared himself for the pain that's about to follow but something flew out towards him and blasted the monsters around him away, shedding them to bits.
He looked up in dazed amazement. Catena had opened up a space for himself admist the waves of monsters. He did it by making stones half the size of humans to fly around himself in a blur, creating his own tornado of speeding stones.
He didn't have to say anything before Alex ran forward and the stones paused enough for him to pass through. Alex took a deep breath, his heart hammering and pain flared in his body. "How are you doing that?"
Sweat bidded Catena's head and he was breathing fast, he gritted out. "My manipulation have increased with our new rank but I can't keep this for long. Stallus?"
She's also breathing and sweating, her eyes narrowed in concentration. "Well, I'm trying...."
It was then that Alex remembered Azaroth and he turned towards the place he was last standing but he saw nothing beyond the noise and darkness monster tornado. Alex swallowed. "I'm sure he'll be alright, if anyone should be. It's definitely him."
Immediately the monsters have began attacking, Azaroth have created a ring of fire around himself and like the previous one, he kept this one burning hot and tall with essence. He was burning his core faster than he likes but there was nothing he could do to keep the monsters wave away.
The made the ring as thick as he could without dangerously burning his core in a full swoop then he waited. It kept the monsters away at first, they shy away from him flying on a disorganized manner but they finally muster enough courage or they're just suicidal but the waves curved forward then slammed into the ring.
They burnt, turning into charred meat as they fell, their bodies smoking. The smell of burnt meat and fur almost made Azaroth turn up his nose, almost. But his face remained cold as he brought out his sword and sweat dripped from his body from the heat.
But that didn't stop the monsters, there's just so much of them that the fire couldn't keep up and Azaroth have to step in with his sword and fireballs. He's using two skills at once and it's as easy as using one.
But even with all that, the waves of monsters seems unending.