Eliona's War 2: Veiled Healer

Chapter 52

"This," Severance gasped, "is a terrible walk."

He leaned against the cave wall, chest heaving, dirt and sweat streaking his face and arms. Both his war fans were held in one hand, clenched in a death grip.

"Don't complain," Maun told him. The man stood nearby, and in the dim lighting, he was little more than a shadow. "The air's a little dank, but it's actually quite pleasant."

"We're in a dungeon! Where everything wants to kill us." Pleasant my butt! Severance thought Maun needed to get his eyes checked. And his brain, while he was at it.

"Exhilarating, is it not?" From across the narrow corridor, Batin appeared to detach from the cave wall like a living shadow. The brightest spot on his person were his eyes, which shone with something close to excitement. It appeared that he got a real kick out of charging through hordes of flesh-eating monsters.

Or, Severance grimaced, from the wanton slaughter of them. He wasn't sure which.

"No," he said shortly. "We almost died."

A nudge against his hip made him glance down. Vast was looking up at him with luminescent eyes. He had the leg of a marble dragon in his jaws.

Severance sighed. "No thanks, Vast. I told you stop picking up weird stuff. It's just going to disappear anyway."

A few dots of violet shimmered along the leg as if to prove his point. Vast was not deterred, though. He sat on his haunches and pawed gently at Severance's leg. The huge claws on his toes lightly scraped the material of Severance's pants, coming dangerously close to tearing through it.

Severance moved away. "I don't want it."

Vast closed the distance and butted the leg against Severance's thigh. His blue-silver eyes never once left Severance. More and more violet sparks covered the leg. It wouldn't be long before it disintegrated.

With a squeaky whine, Vast placed a massive paw on Severance's boot. Then he slowly leaned in, putting his weight behind his insistent demand.

"Ugh, fine." Severance grabbed the leg from the beast's jaws. It was heavy and gross and oddly squishy. He held it in outstretched hands for about ten seconds. Then it did him a kindness and dissolved into a pile of death sparkles.

He immediately wiped his hands on his coat. Thank goodness that was done with. Beside him, Vast snorted, ears flicking back. He didn't seem all that happy about his gift disappearing.

An amused chuckle came from Maun. "He's going to have a blast with the Bone Dragon."

That was a terrifying thought. Severance dragged a hand down his face. "Do you think we can just tie him up out here?"

"It would be easier to pull the stars from the sky," Batin said. He reached into the folds of his clothing and withdrew a small packet. He pulled out a piece of dried meat and tossed it to Vast, then took a second piece for himself.

Vast cautiously sniffed the morsel on the dusty ground. He raised his head to regard Batin intently, watching as the clansman ate. After a bit, he returned to the jerky and gave it a hesitant lick.

Severance watched, lips twitching. "I don't want him to get hurt. He can't just spawn back."

"He's smart enough to keep himself alive." Maun also watched Vast. The beast picked up the jerky between his teeth and trotted off a few feet into the corridor, where he dropped it again. The sniffing ritual started all over again.

"You can ask Olen to get him one of these, if you wish." Maun lifted an arm and tugged back his sleeve. This revealed a small bracelet on his wrist. It was a simple leather cord strung through a faintly glowing blue crystal, which Severance recognized as Amaurite.