Chapter 55: It’s Either Me Or Hound
Before he could regain himself, a bat slapped him into the air with its wings, sending Kaelor hurtling through the darkness. His body crashed against the cavern wall with a thunderous impact that echoed across the hollow expanse. Dust and loose stone fell from above as he crumpled to the floor.
Several bats closed in like a pack of wolves sensing blood. They clawed at his clothes, attempting to rip through to his flesh, but their fangs and talons skidded uselessly off the Mountainhide Armour. Sparks danced across his body with every frenzied strike. Then, a massive gray-skinned bat, its face scarred from countless hunts, lunged forward, mouth wide, yellowed teeth gleaming as it prepared to bite down on Kaelor’s exposed head.
He snarled and sent a surge of mana to his left leg, veins glowing faintly beneath his skin. With explosive force, he shot upward, bursting through the cluster of bats like a cannonball, his claws outstretched. As he passed the gray bat, he raked across its face, tearing five deep, bloody gouges into its leathery flesh. It shrieked in agony, flapping backward.
From behind, a sleek black bat dove down and sank its long fangs into his shoulder—only for its teeth to catch awkwardly against the hardened inner armour. Its eyes widened, just in time to see Kaelor’s fist slam into its face with punishing force.
The impact sent the creature skidding across the rocky floor, tumbling over its own wings. Kaelor gritted his teeth and retrieved his longsword, Ignis, dashing forward once more as the gray bat, wounded but not dead, began to rise into the air.
Suddenly, from above, another bat came, larger, darker, a blur of wings and malevolence. It dropped like a shadow over moonlight, growing larger in his eyes. Instinct took over. He dropped to a slide across the stone floor, dust rising from his boots, and narrowly avoided its claws. It crashed behind him, wings flailing, its screech following Kaelor as he sprang back to his feet.
Then came the roar.
Kaelor looked up just in time to see Hound standing atop a jagged boulder, muscles taut, sabers raised. With a feral cry, he launched himself high into the air and brought both Mountain Sabers down with all the raw might in his body. The blades cleaved through the gray bat’s back like they were cutting cloth.
The bat screamed again, a piercing, unnatural sound that shattered the tension in the air. Kaelor winced as the frequency stabbed into his skull like knives. Hound fell on his knees, visibly more affected due to his proximity.
Vi, on the other side of the cavern, faltered in her spellcasting. A bat’s tail slammed her mid-spell, launching her against the stone wall with a grunt. She hit the ground hard, leaving a streak across the dust and rocks.