Mascot of Ramshakle (TWST Fanfiction)

Mines, Magestones & Monsters

"We don't have time for this!" Ace yelled. "Let's move!"

Kayra ducked into the second tunnel and the others followed without question. They continued to fire behind them. After a considerable distance, Grim commented on loosing the ghosts. Their candles had gone out, so they stopped to relight them. A new sound made Deuce wonder if they really hadn't lost the ghosts. Ace shushed them, which eventually resulted with them blaming each other. Kayra felt like a fish, constantly opening and closing her mouth without releasing any sound. Then, once again, she was interrupted.

"Guys!" Deuce yelled. "We're in real hot water, remember?! If we don't come back with a magestone by morning, we're all being expelled!"

But it wasn't working on Ace this time. "Yeah, which is why we don't need you ordering the rest of us around. It get's old real fast."

The echoing voices worried Kayra more. Those ghosts might catch up because of it. That's when she heard it- an unnerving sound that made her latch onto Ace, and silence all of them.

"...iiivvv... ...oooouuu..."

They all froze.

"...neeevvvaaa... ...iiivvv... ...ooouuu..."

"Sounds like... it's getting closer..." Deuce whispered. They inched towards each other.

A monster crawled out of the shadows. It's head was a glass vial, with a black substance oozing out of the cracks. The stopper of the vial was hat-like. The substance went on to form it's out-of-proportion body, clothed with dirty garments. In it's left hand was a large pickaxe, in the right, a lamp from which a purple-red glow escaped. It's bottom half was a black mass which made the ground sizzle, as if the substance was something toxic. It's deep voice vibrated as it screamed in their faces.

"Stooonesss... Stooonesss aaare miiiiine!"

They screamed in union and bolted. Then slowed down as they realized that speed was not the monster's forte. They could still hear the shuffles, but it was out of sight. Fresh tears streamed down Kayra's face- she whimpered.

"What is that?!" Deuce asked.

Grim jumped into Kayra's arms, which forced her to the ground. "No one said there'd be monsters! Let's get outta here!"

"That thing's super creepy!" Ace used the cave wall to steady himself. "But didn't it just say something about 'stones'?"

Grim stopped panicking. As if on cue, they heard it's voice again. This time much closer.

Deuce smiled. "So there are still magestones here!"

Since no one wanted to fight the monster, Deuce decided to go in by himself.

"Are you outta your mind?!" Ace tried yelling some sense into him.

"You can't do it alone!" Kayra sobbed. "It's too dangerous!"

But Deuce was determined to avoid expulsion. The entity immerged- Deuce attacked. The other two reluctantly backed him up. It knocked Deuce down. Ace tried to save him but was also hit with the pickaxe.

Kayra sat on the floor, helplessly. Sobbing bcause she was tired and scared. Because she couldn't help- because she was probably going to die.

Grim whimpered and attacked, almost burning Kayra in the process. But the attacks were futile. She was so upset that she didn't see the flicker that the others saw.

"Behind the monster!" Ace yelled. "There's something sparking in the mineshaft!"

"Could that have been a magestone?!" Deuce dogged an attack.