ELDRITCH NIGHT (Rough Draft)

Chapter 29: Trapped

I used Eldritch Mimicry to copy the Arcane Shield spell, creating an additional barrier between the writhing ball of flesh and myself. It momentarily reduced the tension on my limbs, but the tentacles quickly readjusted their grip until the pressure on my joints was almost unbearable.

That is exactly what I wanted, the harder they squeezed the more likely my plan was to work. I poured as much energy as I could into the shell of eldritch energy around me, thickening and reinforcing it as much as possible.

The eldritch energy had grown thicker the deeper I had dived. It seemed to flow up from the sea floor like a dark crimson mist before it then spread out into the water like a cloud of sediments slowly being dissolved into the water. The marine life hiding beneath rocks or buried in sand absorbed this dark energy, allowing it to gradually change their form and nature.

I pulled on it, willed it to obey me. I consumed and guided the energy as it slowly formed a shell around me. When the energy of the shield became too dense to be strengthened further I bent it around itself to create layers of folded energy.

The swirling eldritch miasma in the surrounding water quickly thinned, consumed faster than it could be replenished. The energy flowing into my spell slowed until only a trickle remained. I took the final drops, squeezing all I could, before finally releasing my hold on it and grabbing onto the energy of the shield itself.

The eldritch energy within the shield reacted to my will, gladly calling out to be shaped. Its nature was chaos, ever changing and mutable. My nature was to command it.

The shield expanded outwards as it changed into long thin needles of black and crimson energy. The spikes pierced flesh and drew forth streams of blood, black and thick as oil. A high-pitched screech rang out, muffled by the ball of tightening flesh that was slowly constricting around me.

Rather than loosen their grip the thick limbs instead squeezed harder. I didn't release the spikes, instead driving them deeper into exposed flesh. I twisted the spikes, once more changing them – this time into spiral blades like the head of a drill but as large as fire hydrants. I could feel the tentacles begin to weaken as more and more of their flesh was ripped away – slowly drifting down onto the seabed below.

The creature would not relent, and new tentacles continued to appear around me as others were severed or retreated. They squeezed and pulled with relentless determination. I once more pulled the energy into a shell around me as I curled my body into a ball, trying to take up as little room as possible. I visualized the shell growing, pushing the shield as far out from myself as I could.

This created a bubble of space around me large enough that I was able to thrust my arm straight down without touching anything. I reached out with the six long 'wings' created by my Companion, using them to anchor myself to the wall of flesh surrounding me.

I released the spell made from eldritch energy, calling every ounce of energy into my open palm. The energy condensed into a dense sphere of flowing mist, black and burning with sparkling crimson embers.

I thrust out my hand forming within it a curved blade as thick as my wrist and longer than I was tall. The blade cut through countless tentacles before emerging on the other side of the sphere.

I spun. Pushing outward using the anchored limbs of my companion for leverage, I struck out around myself in a perfect circle. The 'wings' on my back pushed as I twisted my body, twirling me around in violent and deadly dance.

A mist of dark black blood filled the water, dyeing everything around it as if a cloud of ink had been poured into the turbulent waters.

I could feel the eldritch energy flow out of the blood and seep from the slowly dying limbs. The energy flowed into me, and I could feel a fire in my chest that was slowly converting and filtering the energy – changing it into something else.

The mist was slowly beginning to clear, and I knew that I had to act fast. I dove downwards as quickly as possible, kicking my legs with all my strength even as my Companion pumped its tentacles to propel me through the water. I performed a perfect flip turn right as I struck the bottom, using the extra limbs for a greater boost– it was a maneuver that would have made my old high school swim coach proud, if he hadn't been too busy screaming in terror.

As the mist cleared I had already covered half of the distance to the fleeing creature. Behind me several tentacles were attacking a vaguely humanoid simulacrum I had left as a decoy. A few tentacles had launched towards me as well, but their momentary hesitation combined with my speed caused them to strike short.

My prey was just ahead, and nothing would come between it and me. I began to spin like a perfectly thrown football as the squid-like appendages of my Companion rotated, propelling me forward even faster.

As the creature grew closer I took in its enormous size. It was roughly ovaloid and had countless tentacles growing from every inch of its surface, save for the two far ends which were flat and rounded.

Most of the tentacles clung loosely to the sea floor, with only a few retaining the strength to strike at me as I grew closer. Even these were beginning to slow – missing me by wider and wider margins.

I could sense thick rivers of blood and eldritch energy flowing from the creature and diffusing into the waters around it. Wide chunks and deep channels had been carved out of its flesh and a deep crater had been tunneled into one of the creature's sides.

I didn't hesitate – I drew forth as much energy as I could, even pulling as much as I dared from my Companion. I recreated a harpoon that matched those I used during the battle on the surface of the river. It grew larger as more energy was poured into it, soon extending to nearly three times my height.

My speed increased as I recklessly sped towards the creature, gripping the harpoon in both hands and extending it forward like a lance. I struck flesh. My arms exploded in pain and my left wrist snapped – but my aim was true. The harpoon sank into the crater in the creature's side, digging deep into the exposed flesh.

Every tentacle came to life in an instant. Each widely flailing as they cracked stone and flesh – some even colliding with each other with deafening cracks.

I cradled my injured arm, releasing the gigantic harpoon. I once more launched myself through the water, this time upwards and with as much speed as I could manage.

For a moment a deathly silence covered the world, only to be broken by a deep and sorrowful wail. I could feel every bone in my body vibrate, eliciting a scream of my own as my wrist exploded in pain.

As I lost concentration the harpoon I had lodged in the side of the creature faded away, removing the only obstacle holding back a thick deluge of blood that quickly drowned out everything in a sea of black mist.

As I watched the final moments of the creature my anger and thirst for blood subsided, leaving behind only a great sadness. I felt a kinship with the creature for a moment, and I mourned its passing.

I watched as its movements slowed and its many limbs grew torpid. In the final moments before its death I sat in quiet witness – the only courtesy I could extend.