Ancient Wings : Book 1 - Aegis

10 - The Things Under

Cidney eyed him mischievously before gesturing to the tunnels on the right and in front of them.

"I'll take these two," he said. He raised an eyebrow at him. "Want me to barrier off one of them for you?"

A bloodthirsty grin crossed Aveo's face.

"No lad, I think I can manage," Aveo countered.

Cidney smirked before he turned to his tunnels and let out a shrill whistle.

"Ghoulies, ghoulies, ghoulies!" he shouted. "Fresh meat!"

"Oh, that was subtle," Aveo observed.

He shrugged.

"Subtle doesn't get their attention," he pointed out as white, deformed bodies started to shamble towards them.

He hit a lever on his short sword which split it into two blades.

"If ye get into trouble-"

"Call," Cidney finished for him. "We want as many in the tunnels as possible," he explained watching the ghouls pick up speed. "So, make noise."

"Ye sure you can handle two tunnels?" Aveo asked. "I can take another."

He chuckled. "Oh, believe me, I can deal with two little tunnels full of ghouls."

That was all the banter they had time for.

The ghouls were on them. Ghouls were incredibly strong but stupid.

You were fine if you could keep them from getting their hands on you. The first to reach him didn't last long.

He sliced through one arm and took its head. The next took a boot to the face and lost a leg, then a blade through the skull. He pulled the blade and swung at another coming at him from the left.

Aveo's grunts and cursing told him he was fine. Cidney kept his movements fluid and fast. Then something flashed out of the corner of his eye. He didn't think, just threw the short sword in his hand at the ghoul going for Aveo's back.

Aveo turned in time to watch it go down with Cidney's blade in its eye. His gaze moved to him. "Down!"

Cidney dropped to his knee instantly. Aveo's axe decapitated the ghoul that had snuck up on him.

He moved forward, grabbing his short sword on his way to take Aveo's tunnels while Aveo moved to take his. He checked the numbers.

"Is that side full?" he shouted before he severed another head.

"Aye!"

"Good!" he dropped a blade, gathered energy to him and gave it shape in his left hand. "Get down!"

They both dropped to a knee as Cidney threw the ball of light into the air.

The energy took form and conjured blades of white light raced down each tunnel, decapitating every ghoul in their path.

Once the last body dropped, he got to his feet and looked him over. Aveo had patches of black ghoul blood here and there.

"That's a neat trick, lad," Aveo told him, his eyes sparkling.

He winked at him.

"You haven't seen anything yet," he countered.

Aveo grinned at him before cleaning the blood off his axes. Cidney cleaned off his short swords and started making their way down the corpse-laden tunnel where the flame trail led.

They walked for what had to be several blocks underground before he smelled it.

Sulfur.

Aveo smelled it at the same time he did as they reached a corner. Cidney started to build a ball of light in his hands. Aveo saw it and grinned.