When Jake returned to the Dragon’s Vein cavern, he did so with a surprise waiting for him. His eyes opened to a tranquil scene and a fair amount of quiet. He didn’t count the faint screeches of the Maedra as noise. It was ambience. The Warriors who had arrived and caused a ruckus were sitting off to the side, mumbling to one another quietly as they played a game with rocks. Xul and Tul were tending to their spears, while Yae was playing with the essence by the water. Her hands glowed a faint green, and she seemed to be channeling mana into the liquid. Without a keen eye for it, however, Jake couldn’t really see what she was doing.

However, all of that stopped as Jake stood up. Eyes suddenly snapped to him, the focus of the area now locked on to what his next move would be. The the Warriors ditched their game, Tul lowered his spear into his lap, and Yae stopped messing with the essence river. Jake felt uncomfortable with the weight of the attention on him and quickly turned away from all of the heavy stares. He walked over into the large cavern and took a knee beside the edge of the pool. He dipped his fingers into the essence and closed his eyes. He could feel the strength of the mana current as it flowed off to his left and down into the tunnel. It was slow, lazy, easy to manipulate as he coiled some of the essence around his fingers. He drew out a bit of mana from the pool and found it easy to integrate it with his own mana flow.

His plan might work.

Quick to try it, he picked up a large rock and placed it on top of the water. Using mana, he controlled the water beneath the stone and used a steady amount of pressure to keep it afloat. Once he had achieved the required balance, he pushed on the rock from underneath using the liquid and caused it to drift in a slow circle. Using the water as the force to move the rock, he maintained the steady turning. Then, he manipulated the rock to drift in a figure-eight route, then side to side, and then forwards and backwards. He even was able to cause the rock to sink a few inches beneath the surface and remain partially buoyant at the depth. He lifted it back up and then cut the flow entirely. With no support, the rock sunk into the black of the depths. Jake watched the rock sink before he looked out towards the Maedra scattered around the cavern.

There were five groups of the beasts in sight. Two groups were far to the left, well out of the way. None of them were Maudraga. One group was in the dead center of the cavern, their heads down and stuffed into the pool of essence as they fed off its power. A fourth group was raised up on a high ledge and away from the essence pool about half the distance to the ceiling. That group was entirely made up of the caster type- Maudraga. Six in total were on that platform.

And the final group were all standard Maedra. They sat on a large peninsula jutting from the wall just before the pool curved out of view. The two groups set out of the way wouldn’t cause an issue. The raised Six Maudraga would likely spell disaster if not handled properly, and the group in the distance would need to be cleared out if Jake wanted a break. If left undisturbed, the Maedra in the middle were also likely to not cause trouble. However, he would deal with them anyway. He didn’t know how the Maedra became Maudraga yet, Chul hadn’t told him. If the change occurred once a certain amount of mana was gathered, then their evolution could occur at any moment. He didn’t want to get caught off guard by that.

Along with the Maedra, there was also the obstacle of the Vein itself. Passing over the pool would get him very, very close to the Vein. If what Chul had warned him about was true, then the density of the mana near the Vein might be poisonous to him if he spent too much time in close proximity to it. Even here, at a slightly further distance than where he and Chul had been- Jake could feel the strength of the mana in the air. Though, there was also more essence here. Which one was contributing to the problem, he wasn’t quite sure.

But, he had traveled this far beneath the surface and had passed by the Vein once. Although he was unconscious, probably pretty deep underwater, and near death when he had gone by, the fact still remained. He’d survived one pass. He would just have to make another.

“Yae, Tul, Xul.” Jake called out, and the three hurried over. The Warriors came, too, but Jake would deal with them shortly. “We’re going to cross.”

“C-Cross?” Yae was visibly both confused and worried. Xul’s eyebrows furrowed, and Tul looked lost.

“Yes. Cross. I have to get to the other side.” Jake gestured towards the distant curve of the pool, as well as at the Maedra lingering there. He bit the inside of his cheek and began to seek out his mana as he began his preparations.

“Can’t. Dangerous.” Tul shrugged as he stated what he figured was the obvious. “Either. Can’t swim.” The sharp, yellow nail of the underground dweller stuck outward, pointed straight at Jake. Jake sighed and nodded. He wasn’t wrong but Jake didn’t particularly like the way Tul made the gesture.

“No, I can’t, but I’m still going to cross.”

“We go with.” Zara loudly exclaimed. The warrior stepped forward and folded his arms over his chest. He had a smug smile on his face, as Jake expected he would. Jake shrugged and passed off his attitude, not really worried about the warrior anymore.

“Sure. You can fight the Maedra,” Jake scoffed and took a few steps back from the water’s edge.

“No. You fight. We watch.” Zara grinned and his crew all laughed. Jake shook his head and kneeled to the floor. He placed his hands down and fed a large amount of mana into the ground, filling the ground with the flow. He visualized the shape he wanted and relied on his senses to get the right size.

“Safe…?” Yae knelt down beside him and whispered into his ear. She looked nervous, but her eye at least showed a bit of trust. He gave her a smile in hopes to help ease her worries.

“Safe.” Jake ignited the mana and cut a chunk of the ground from the rest of the floor. The ground shifted. Dust spit up from the edges and a dull thud echoed from beneath the loosened slab. Jake stood up and looked at the others. Xul and Tul were already standing on the new platform, practically hugging each other from how close they were. Tul looked the most concerned, while Xul was trying not to smile. Tul mumbled a few things to Xul, which caused Xul to start laughing. Tul didn’t like that.

The Warriors, however, hesitated. Jake waited for a few seconds as the group looked inward, their eyes turning towards Zara. The lead warrior stared at the slab of rock, his eye wide open as he stood there.

“Well? We’re leaving.” Jake said bluntly, extending a hand and creating a small wall of wind at the edge of the platform. His feet began to glow a faint blue as he dumped Dragon’s Blood into the floor, feeding it into the base as he pushed the large slate of rock away from the rest. The large pool of essence immediately flowed in to fill the fresh gap, signaling that they truly were leaving. Zara’s brain clicked into action first, and the lead Warrior swiftly stepped over and onto the floating platform. The others followed a brief moment later, just in time before the essence slapped into the now vacant hole in the ground with a loud crash.

The platform’s balance was shaky at first as Jake nearly lost control over the surprising weight of the slab, but he had made it fairly thin and just large enough to fit them all. Once he had the required mana set beneath the rock to keep them floating, Jake sat down and established the constant connection with the water. He found the balance to keep them afloat and maintained it. Any more and they would be pushed upwards out of the essence. Any less and they’d drop beneath the surface.

Yae clapped her hands excitedly, her eye peering over the edge of the rock as she spoke happily in her language to her friends. Tul and Xul both looked over the edge of the platform, surprised at the outcome. Tul muttered something and Xul gave him a weird look. Then, Xul gave Tul a nudge towards the edge- a playful shove. Tul’s eye widened and he let out a yelp before quickly dropping to a knee. He growled and whacked Xul in the shin with his spear. It looked like it hurt.

The Warriors, on the other hand, looked outright terrified. Zara scowled and slowly lowered into a seat just a few paces away from Jake, wary of the boy as the platform began to float out into the pool. Jake concentrated purely on the spell, using the water beneath the rock to steer it along. His mana didn’t quiver or shake like when he had used an excessive amount for the Fire ball experiment, but it certainly was being burnt through rather quickly. He drew on the thick mana in the pool and slowed the pace of the platform. He needed to find an equilibrium. The balance between the amount needed to float and push, and his recovery rate.

His second plan was also just about ready. As they drifted further and further out into the pool, Jake found the amount of available mana to him naturally was increasing. Drawing mana from the water was proving effective. He pushed his fingers into the floor and pulled the essence up through the rock, drawing the mana source directly into his body to replenish what he was burning through. He felt good, confident, and stable. He pushed them out further and further, closer and closer towards the center space where the Maedra island was. The rock built momentum and it became even easier to steer them along. At almost the midpoint to the little island, Jake slowly pushed them to the right. The platform stopped moving forward and began to slide sideways across the pool. He rotated the platform slowly to put himself at the front so he could better direct them. Mana beneath the slab gathered as he adjusted their trajectory/

And then, he cracked the slab in half. His head tilted up and he let out a huff of air as he shot the line of mana straight down the middle of the floating rock. The cut immediately split his group from the Warrior’s. Zara’s eye shot open wide and he started to scramble, but just as he rose to his feet, Jake yanked down on the now detached piece of rock. The mana beneath the surface triggered and flared. The large warrior lost his footing as the rock fell rapidly beneath the surface of the essence and he fell flat on his face on top of the liquid. The other warriors didn’t even get that far- they dropped straight down into the liquid. Jake disconnected his mana from the second platform, letting it fall to the bottom of the pool. Instead, he began to control the water around the warriors.

He created a strong wave and pushed the five warriors away from his rock. As they struggled and swam towards his platform, the waves nullified their hard labor and caused them to slowly drift further and further away. The essence was easy to control as long as he kept his mana flow open and bound to it. With that connection, he created a strong current beneath the surface. The Warriors flailed and struggled to stay afloat, shedding their gear in exchange for the chance to breathe. Even Zara was forced to focus on slapping at the surface and kick desperately to keep his head above the drowning line.

However, while Jake definitely wanted to drown them, he only pushed them backwards and towards the exit of the cavern where they had come. The Warriors instinctively turned towards it once they’d realized they wouldn’t be able to get to Jake, and he helped them at least part of the way. After a certain distance, Jake’s control over the essence weakened and it was taking up too much energy for him to justify further effort. Out of the five, only one didn’t make it back. Unfortunately, it wasn’t Zara.

“Funny,” Tul chuckled as he watched. Xul shook his spear victoriously in the air and let out some kind of battle chant as he too started laughing. Only Yae looked unsettled by the scene, but Jake wasn’t about to explain his choice to her. He wasn’t a fan of the way Zara had looked at him and he had no obligation to deal with him. She should have been happy he didn’t drown them and helped them at all.

The Warriors shouted something in their own language, their voices echoing faintly into the cavern, but Jake didn’t really pay them any mind. Even if he could understand them, he wasn’t listening. The small victory of separating himself from the troublemakers had been achieved, but the battle wasn’t over. He put his focus on pushing the remaining rock platform along and rotated it around so he could face forward. The next problem was already upon them, and the Maedra looked hungry.

Seeing the four tasty treats just a short distance away brought exciting looks to the grotesque flesh bags. Those on the center island were now fully aware of the other presence in the pool, and they gathered like rats to the one side of their own platform as Jake began to drift nearby. They hissed, gurgled, and rumbled. Jake expected one of them to lunge or jump, but instead he got an even worse result.

They fell into the essence.

Jake immediately pushed his rock platform away from the island, propelling himself away as fast as he possibly could. At the same time, he reached out into the essence to try and find the Maedra. They were there, beneath the surface- and they were swimming quickly towards them. Who would have thought they actually swam to the island? How else did he think they got there?

“Not good,” he grunted.

Jake dumped mana into the essence and added Wind to the element. He used the current to push the Maedra closer together and then started to spin the essence, swirling it around in a steady circle to keep them bound in one spot. Using the Wind element, he cut through the essence and sped up the rotation of it. This began to pull on the essence as a whole and the current started to shift. Jake’s floating rock platform shuddered and began to drift towards it, but he applied more attention to keeping his rock from getting caught by pushing them further and further away. Already within the dangerous trap, the Maedra found themselves stuck in the twirling whirlpool. They weren’t being injured though and they continued to fight against the flow. Jake needed to increase the pressure.

He pushed the rock platform further away and increased the rotational speed and strength of the whirlpool. The Maedra were eventually pulled tightly together at the center, unable to free themselves from the pressure. As the swirling grew stronger and stronger, Jake could feel them being squished even more. Yet, it still wasn’t enough- they were still flailing. He grit his teeth and created a small box around the Maedra of dense essence, solidifying it and trapping them all in place. He cut the current, let the flow of the essence return to its natural state, and focused entirely on the cage he’d made.

The Maedra stuck inside pushed and sliced at the sudden container boxing them in. They gurgled beneath the surface of the pool and struggled to break free. Jake kept them locked in and once he was confident in his control, he shrunk the box, compressing the essence down on them. The Maedra trapped within soon found themselves unable to even move as the box squeezed down more and more on them from all sides. Jake made sure to reduce the object slowly, making the Maedra endure its strength until the very last moment. He took in a deep breath, clenched his chest, and then cinched the box down, reducing its size steadily to the smallest he could make it.

On the surface, around where Jake had trapped the Maedra, the green essence changed color slightly. Maedra blood leaked out into the pool as the box shrank and shrank until it was nothing more than a brick sized cube- just large enough to contain a few chunks of meat and the Maedra’s stones of mana. Satisfied, Jake cut the spell and the block of meat and cracked crystals dropped into the depths.

Jake had no time to rest and turned his attention next to the Maudraga on the ledge. They were watching from above, but the platform was still a good distance away. Whether they didn’t want to cast spells because they were waiting to see the outcome, or they were waiting for Jake to get closer, Jake wasn’t sure- but the Maudraga had not attacked. Jake himself wanted to get closer, as doing so would ensure his accuracy with his own spells. Though, the attention was already on him. If they were in his range, then he certainly was already in theirs.

Jake rolled up onto a knee and maintained the mana connection with the rock platform through his feet, keeping it afloat and steadily drifting them slowly to the right. He erected two small spikes out of the floor and used them as pillars to create fire balls on top of. Xul moved out of the way, making sure to get clear as Jake fired the spells towards the Maudraga. From where they were, the spells didn’t reach at first. The amount of mana inside the first few volleys wasn’t enough to reach the raised location.

A quick adjustment changed that, and the spells quickly began to strike true. Jake targeted the stone floor and the fire balls exploded around the feet of the Maudraga. The creatures howled into the cavern, their arms raising as they fired off their responses. Unlike Chul, Jake couldn’t erect a barrier. Instead he met fire with fire. He created two more spikes from the floor and conjured up Wind Balls at their peaks, slinging them up to meet the Maedraga spells. The air filled with explosions, the collisions ripping through the silence and disrupting the peace of the cavern. Maedra in the area all turned their attention towards the racket, their bodies tilting to observe the conflict.

The platform the Maudraga were standing on was thick, but the actual connection to the wall wasn’t. After years of jutting outwards, the stone holding the platform up had been worn down by years of focused erosion. Jake targeted that weakness, his spells blasting apart the rock and whittling away at the stone. The Maudraga, focused entirely on trying to eliminate the unfriendly caster, paid no attention as the floor beneath them began to shake and crack.

After a few more shots, one of the fire balls broke through the rock. The support cracked and the platform trembled. A handful more pummeled the ledge and the platform began to splinter and crack apart. The Maudraga spells ceased as their platform gave way beneath them and the creatures tumbled into the essence below. Several were crushed by the falling debris, others were pelted by magic as Jake rained down Wind and Fire balls onto their heads. He covered the top of the essence with the spells, killing off any of the Maudraga that tried to float or escape the falling rock.

Silence returned to the cavern shortly after. The raging waves caused by the falling stone faded and smoothed, a quiet calm in the current returning as well. The route now clear of threats, Jake pushed the platform quickly across the pool of essence toward the distant small peninsula. The Maedra standing on it were hungry for a fight, but were quickly met by a barrage of spells once Jake found himself comfortably in range. Before they could jump into the water like the group from the island, the Maedra were cut into by a combination of Wind and Fire spells, their bodies shredded by the pair. Flesh was either burned and melted off, or ripped off by powerful balls of wind. There were a lot less than Jake had fought in the tunnel, and the peninsula was cleared before any of the Maedra could get into the pool.

The rock platform tapped against the solid ground, and Jake quickly had the other three cross onto it. He went last, letting the platform fall away once he was off it.

Indeed, standing so close to the Vein was difficult. Jake’s head throbbed and he found it hard to breathe. The mana in the air was so thick his body felt weighed down by the pressure of it. He didn’t know if the effects meant it was poisonous, but he certainly felt weak. Xul, Tul, and Yae seemed unaffected by it, though. They were standing there, staring at him and his discomfort as he curled his hands into fists.

“Can’t stay long,” he grumbled, hurrying forward and around the edge of the peninsula. The Vein was about two hundred meters off to his left, and there was a part of him that wanted to get closer. But he wasn’t here to explore or further test his luck. Just being this close was enough, and Jake was eager to get away from it.

The group moved quickly around the bend in the rock and a familiar space came into view. The familiar stalactites, the corner Chul had hunkered down in, and the remnants of Chul’s magic on the distant floor. However, while Jake was happy to see the place he and Chul had been, there was a problem. The Maedra were back. There were at least twenty to thirty of them, scattered along the edge of the essence pool and walking around on the floor itself. The Maudrake wasn’t anywhere to be seen.

Neither was Chul.

The place Chul had been lying in was just off to the right, a bit out of sight and around the edge of the wall, but there was no shadow or any trace of the Arachkin’s body near the edge of the pool. Jake had expected at least one of Chul’s limbs to be sticking out- the limb which had cut his hand. It wasn’t a good sign, nor was the presence of Maedra.

Jake felt his chest tighten and unease spread through his core. He rushed to the edge of the peninsula and quickly cut a platform out of the floor. His companions, not wanting to get left behind, climbed onto the platform as well. Jake quickly pushed them out into the water and shoved them across it towards the other space. He created a number of spikes in the floor at the front of the platform and filled the air with Fire and Wind spells, not wanting to waste time. The Maedra across the essence were caught off guard by the barrage and had little time to react as the sky fell on them.

A few dove into the essence, but Jake found them when they closed in on his platform and crushed them beneath the surface. A few skittered away from the edge and away from Jake’s line of sight, but they were obliterated when Jake’s platform closed in and he could strike more accurately. He cleared the space of enemies and the platform sailed swiftly to the edge of the rock floor. This time, he didn’t wait for the others to jump off before he himself disembarked.

Jake rushed over to where Chul had been, his feet slamming into the floor as he ran. His sandals struggled to cling to his feet.

“CHUL!!” He shouted, his voice cracking as he yelled. “CHUL!” The name echoed into the empty cave. The only response was the sound of the Maedra howling in the distance. There was no sign of Chul. No chittering of fangs. No voice in his head. No eyes tucked away in the corners of the cavern.

Jake ran around the cluster of rocks blocking his view to where Chul had impacted after being hit the second time. He followed the trail of dust and cuts in the floor and then looked up to the crater in the wall. The deep indentation that remained behind, showing where Chul had smashed into. The last place he had seen his companion.

Chul… Chul wasn’t there.

Crack.

Jake fell to his knees, his arms limp at his sides.

Crack.

His mind swirled and his hand began to throb.

His chest cramped up.

“P-Please…,” his voice was barely a whisper as his throat closed.

Tears flowed down his cheeks.

A fog clouded his mind.

His vision blurred.

Where is Chul? You were right here.

Chul. Where did you go? Why aren’t you here? Am I too late? Was I too slow? Was that all a waste? Chul, are you okay? Are you alive?

Where is the Maudrake? Chul. Why couldn’t you run? Did you leave me?

Was it all a lie? Chul. What do I do now? You were supposed to watch me. She said you were my Guardian. Chul.

Chul.

“Chul…” Jake’s voice was so faint, barely a squeak.

As he stared at the empty place in the rock in disbelief, a small object shimmered in the dim light of the cavern. Jake didn’t catch it at first but as he focused on the spot- the object caught his attention in the pile of rocks. The child struggled to his feet and staggered into the crater, his footing uncertain as he approached. In the center, just at the base of the impact point where the brunt of Chul’s mass had hit the wall, a dark purple gem lay on the ground. It was the same color as Chul’s mana, but clouded and dense. Jake dropped to his knees beside it. His hands cradled the gem, lifting it up into the light.

A Mana Crystal. The same kind of crystal the Maedra had inside of them, the crystal that acted as their hearts. In its center, a small purple ball floated in the black cloud. It was covered in runes. Their patterns were the exact same that Chul used for his spells. Same writing, same color.

It was Chul’s mana crystal.

“N-No…” Jake’s lips trembled as his hands gripped onto the crystal. He pulled it into his chest and he felt his body shake. The tears wouldn’t stop, nor would the pain in his chest.

“You… You were supposed to watch me.” Jake sobbed. “You were supposed to be my Guardian.”

“You were my first real friend.” The words didn’t come out and Jake could only let out a pained whimper as he tried to pull the crystal as close to his chest as he possibly could. He held it so tightly it hurt, the sharp edges of it digging into his chest.

The howl of the Maedra echoed into the cavern, cutting into his ears. Jake’s eyes opened wide as he realized how close they were.

“Jake! Unsafe!” Yae shouted from the base of the rocks.

“UNSAFE! UNSAFE! UNSAFE!” Xul began to chant, even as he held out his spear in front of himself toward the distant noise of the Maedra.

The howls were incessant, and they thundered down into the cavern from the direction of the large tunnel. Jake turned towards the three at the base of the rocks and then looked towards the tunnel. He clutched the mana crystal to his chest and stood up. His knees shook and he felt weak. He didn’t know what to do anymore. His mind swirled. He felt lost. Everything up until now he had done to prepare himself for adventures. Adventures he would have with Chul.

But Chul wasn’t here anymore.

So what’s the point…?

“Jake!” Yae shouted.

Shut up. Jake looked down at the other three, the three parasites which had latched onto him in the tunnel. The three worthless monsters that lived down here, that lived with the Maedra. They were pathetic, scared looking things. And as the Maedra howled again, Jake could see the terror in their eyes as they argued over what to do next. They were weak to the Maedra. The Maedra would devour them, strip their flesh from their little bones and feast on their hearts.

If they couldn’t stand up for themselves, then why should he help them?

All Jake wanted to do was get to Chul. If it weren’t for them, he wouldn’t have been slowed down. He wouldn’t have had to fight the Maedra before- he probably could have found a way around them. He wouldn’t have had to waste time on the warriors, and could have made a smaller platform. He could have been here sooner!

He might have been able to help Chul!

….

“On these grand adventures, you will meet people who will become your friends until death…” Chul’s words radiated in his mind, and Jake found himself staring at the fearful face of Yae. She looked towards the tunnel’s entrance, and then up at Jake again. The pale features of her face had never seemed to clear to him before.

“Become strong in your youth so that you may grow old together… Rather than live short lives and have your flames snuffed out…” Behind Yae, Tul stood next to Xul, but he wasn’t shouting like Xul. His eyes were unsure and his body was shaking, but he gripped onto his spear as tightly as he could.

Jake looked down towards the purple crystal in his arms and watched the small ball in its center radiate with strength. Jake gripped it tight, and clenched his jaw. He closed his eyes and gathered mana into his body, coiling it through every fiber of his being. From head to toe, he bristled with the power of Dragon’s Blood and gathered it all into himself. He began to cultivate it, twirled it, and centralized it all into his core. He pushed his mana into tails and made them as large and long as he possibly could.

He walked down from the top of the rocks and placed himself at the front of Tul, Xul, and Yae. They looked at him, eyes still wide. Terror still apparent.

“Hold him for me.” Jake placed Chul’s mana crystal into Yae’s hands and then turned towards the tunnel. “I’ll be back,” he muttered. He marched towards the large opening, towards the screaming horde of Maedra that was rushing towards them. He steadied his breathing, opened and closed his hands as he fought his nerves, and he felt sweat drip down his back as he grew tense. His stomach twisted with fear and his heart raced in his chest.

He stopped a short distance from the tunnel and stared up into its massive, black maw. He couldn’t see further than a hundred meters into its depths, but he could feel them beyond it. Their heavy, frantic steps. Their wails and screeches. The dragging of sharp limbs and the faint glows of mana being gathered. Jake steadied himself and cleared his mind. He quieted the noise and steeled his resolve.

Mana poured into the floor around his feet and he erected dozens of pillars around where he stood, all of them pointing directly towards the massive tunnel. Dozens of little fingers. He stretched his hands forward, coiled his tails around his body and filled the air with activation circles. Fire and Wind balls appeared at every tip of every spike, at the front of his hands, at the tips of his tails. He shot three fire balls into the dark, using them to illuminate the tunnel. And also as a warning.

They whizzed past hundreds of Maedra before fizzling out, but Jake wasn’t deterred. He felt the weight of his decision, but he wouldn’t die here. Jake swallowed a lump in his throat and quashed the last feeling of fear in his stomach. There was no running from this. Just like before when he encountered the group in the tunnel, there was no backpedaling allowed. He looked over his shoulder and saw them standing there- the people he needed to protect. Chul’s mana crystal- the reminder of the friend who shouldered the ultimate sacrifice to ensure Jake survived.

His open hands curled into fists as he took in another long breath. Jake felt his mana flow steady. He felt his mind clear. When he exhaled, he spread his fingers once more and released the flow of his mana. The balls of flame at his fingertips split. Instead of just two at his hands, there were now six.

“For Chul,” Jake whispered. His eyes narrowed as he glared into the tunnel. “For the King.”

When the first Maedra appeared out of the black veil, its maw open wide and arm raised to strike, he unleashed everything he had up into the tunnel. The Maedra disintegrated.

Maedra and Maudraga howled and screamed.

Explosions rattled and the floor quaked.

Rocks fell from the ceiling, dust clouds kicked into the air.

The faces of the Maedra flashed in the dark.

Jake’s throat went dry as his cheeks glistened.