Time passed slowly in the cavern, a cool settling in. The boy was asleep after his ordeal. Beneath him, Chul remained still, his eyes moving between the barrier and the mana pool as he waited for the boy to awaken. Jake was learning magic exceptionally quickly and faster than Chul had. It was a mixture of amazing and terrifying. Chul had never heard of such progress in such a short amount of time. However, with the boy’s supposed blessing from the Dragon Goddess, Lady Ferynith, Chul learned to not question things so much. Instead, he did his best to encourage, teach, and assist the boy.

Now, however, Chul was beginning to second-guess such a decision. As his magic advanced, Jake had become a mixture of brave and foolish. He was learning in the place known as the ‘Eternal Library’, a place created by Lady Ferynith that existed outside of the normal plane of existence. Because of his regular visit to such a place and lack of experience, Jake’s accelerated growth didn’t quite match the overall maturity required to hold such power. The boy failed to understand the true danger of magic and the power he held at his fingertips. Or, he simply ignored it. Chul wasn’t quite sure which one it was but he was hoping it was the former. If it was, then Chul could at least teach him to be more careful.

Such teachings would need to wait. They were in quite a predicament and Jake’s attempts at cultivating in the cave were proving deadly. The boy once more failed to understand the dangers of the Dragon Vein, the essence in the pool, and the foes they were facing. The Dragon Vein was a dangerous object to be near as someone from the surface. The mana here was poisonous to his kind and the Maedra hungered for the mana within his body. Should he die and should the Maedra get ahold of his corpse- it would be disastrous.

Thus far things had gone smooth. The Maedra they had faced were small and underdeveloped. It had only been two months and the number of Maedra was as estimated. However, Chul hadn’t expected a Maudrake or the large number of Maudraga. The creatures had proliferated much quicker than he had expected and he had spent more mana than he had been ready for. He had enough to get them out, but only enough for just that. If they had to deal with another prolonged battle, Chul would be in trouble.

The Arachkin did his best to feast on the mana in the air to replenish his reserves but the Dragon Vein’s pressure on him made it difficult. In the time he had spent on the surface, Chul’s body had already lost its comfort with the Dragon’s mana. His mana sources were struggling to process the raw mana in the air and his mana flow was being replenished very slowly. While he certainly wished for Jake to wake up soon, the longer the boy remained asleep, the more Chul could refill on mana.

The boy was alive, that was a blessing in itself. After coming in direct contact with the Vein’s essence, Chul thought that the end was near. Jake’s mana had become unsteady and it had waned quite a bit. Chul believed the boy would die in minutes. Jake proved his resilience, though, and was able to resist the poisonous mana bleeding into his body. It seemed he had found a way to control it, as the boy’s mana flow looked much different than before. Chul could feel the boy’s power leaking out of him now. A stark difference from when they had come to the Ravine initially. Whatever the boy did, it certainly made him stronger.

The mana Chul felt radiating from the boy was familiar and powerful, and it made him shiver with fear. It was mana he himself had developed after many centuries living near the Dragon Vein. However, Jake’s version seemed to be purer. While Chul’s was tainted. The Arachkin’s mana was powerful but inferior. His adaptation was caused by years of living beside the Dragon Vein. It was more like a virus, or an infection than actual growth. Chul’s mana sources had simply become capable of processing the mana in the air since it was all he had.

Jake’s mana, however, was more natural. The mana he now radiated was the True form of what the power in the cavern could produce. Chul’s own power paled in comparison. If Jake could truly come to control such power, he would become a formidable mage. While the mana on the surface would not be the same as the mana here, Jake would still be capable of powerful magic. And should the boy ever return to such a place or dive beneath the surface, he would have no trouble fighting the enemies within.

Chul was proud of the child. Jake had overcome yet another obstacle and had become better for it. However, Chul prayed that the boy wouldn’t be foolish with the newfound power. It was a dangerous thing to hold and if he became drunk on it, Chul doubted there would be many to stop him. Going forward, Chul would need to be more hands-on with him. More training. More discipline. More teaching. No longer could he simply sit back and watch. Chul would need to guide the boy, hand in hand, and keep him straight.

“If only he had a mentor more like him…” Chul muttered. He glanced up towards the boy, staring at the top of his carapace and the bottom of Jake’s feet.

It was the one thing Chul truly despised. Jake was Human. Chul was an Arachkin, a creature of the dark. A beast that many Surface Walkers feared. Chul couldn’t openly assist the boy. He could not walk with Jake through the village, could not stand beside the boy in the open to teach him, and Chul could not lead the boy through the world. Because of his race, the way he looked, and the way others viewed his kin, Chul would need to guide Jake from the shadows. It was a painful ordeal. One Chul truly wished could be different. For the first time in a long, long while, Chul wished he had been born different.

Either way, human or not, Chul had been given this duty by Lady Rastua herself. In exchange for freedom, he had been tasked with providing protection and guidance to the boy. And so he would. Whether others despised him for his looks or not- Chul would do everything in his power to ensure Jake lived and grew to become a true man, a true mage. He had lived for many years in the dark, acting as an evil entity and he had killed dozens of adventurers simply for traveling into the wrong dark pit. Chul had played his role of villain. He now would play his role as comrade and friend.

This would be his redemption for being so useless when his Brood had come under attack. Or, at least he hoped it would. Though Jake had wished for it, Chul knew his sisters would never all forgive him. Their hatred of him ran deep. It was why he had been exiled. Chul didn’t live in the Ravine by choice but by a mixture of necessity and because it was the only place he could be free from the pain of their influence. In time, Chul would make up for his terrible decisions on that day and those days afterward. His sisters may never forgive him, but that was fine.

If it mattered at all, he understood them, and he had forgiven them on his terms.

Amid his thinking, the boy stirred. Chul looked up at the boy, checking on Jake’s mana flow once more with his Sensory magic. It had stabilized finally and the danger to his life was long gone. Ever since, Chul watched Jake’s mana flow repair and refill itself. It was taking quite a long time and the boy was sleeping while it happened. Each time he twitched, Chul checked to see if the process had been completed.

As before, it was a false alarm. Jake remained asleep. And so, Chul remained on guard. Ever patient. Ever faithful. Ever ready.

The Guardian continued his watch, steadfast to protect his keep.

“...ow.” Jake groaned, his rest naturally coming to an end. The boy winced and grit his teeth. His body ached all over. His muscles felt incredibly tight again and he had a pounding headache. It was just like when he’d first touched the cavern floor and passed out then. However, he felt even worse now.

The boy felt Chul shift beneath him, the Arachkin stirring to life as he felt the boy begin to move about on top of him. Jake gave the carapace a few taps before slowly, very slowly, sitting up. In the entire time he had been out cold, Chul had remained in the same spot. From their position, they had a wide view angle and the barrier was a good distance away. Any threats from either the direction of the Dragon Vein or the cave entrance would have been spotted immediately.

“Feeling better?” Chul asked. Jake nodded and rubbed at his head, trying to ease the pulsating pain he felt hammering away at his brain.

“No,” he rumbled. “I feel even worse now.” The boy blinked a few times to try and get his blurry vision under control and slowly rolled over onto his feet. He stood up slowly, balancing on the thick armor as he made his way back to his more comfortable riding seat.

Chul’s fangs chittered as he remained immobile, waiting patiently for the boy to get himself together. “You need more rest, boy. I think it is time we left.” Chul wanted out of the cave sooner rather than later. The Maedra had gone quiet. Leaving now would give them ample time and space to escape the Ravine. Even if they prepared a trap of some kind, Chul would be able to blow through it.

“No, not yet.” Jake rested his head down against the armor, slumping forward as he took in a few long breaths. He wanted to leave, too. Being down in the cavern was making him a bit woozy and he hadn’t planned on taking so much time in the first place. Yet, now that he had gained some control over the rana in the air, he wanted to test it, cultivate with it, and possibly cast a spell or two with it to see how strong the new mana was. Returning to the surface now would be a waste.

“You are overdoing it again, boy.” Chul’s warnings were always pleasant to hear and Jake appreciated the advice. However, right now was the perfect time to prepare. The Maedra had been cleared out, the barrier was set up and in place, and Jake was confident he could make use of the new tool he had. If he waited, the environment might not be so perfect next time. The Maedra might learn of what they were doing and chase them relentlessly after the pair entered the cavern, or the Maedra numbers might spike somehow, making a return impossible.

“Just a few minutes is all I need, Chul,” Jake grunted as he pulled himself out of the small rut in the armor and the boy carefully moved over to one of Chul’s legs. The Arachkin followed the boy with his eyes, watching as Jake descended to the floor again. This time, Chul was ready to catch Jake should the boy faint. An unnecessary precaution, as when Jake’s feet hit rock there was no surprise reaction. The boy stepped away from Chul’s leg with no problems at all.

“Anything feel off?” Even though Jake seemed fine, things could always be more than they seem. Chul eyed the boy’s mana flow, using his sensory magic to check. There was nothing unordinary, aside from a change in the mana’s density and a familiarity to it. Chul recognized that mana.

The boy shook his head and tugged on his mana, coiling some into his hands. It was exceptionally easy to do so, easier than before. He extended a hand to his right and called forth some wind magic- Wind Ball.

“Whoa!” The mana in his hand ignited, cracking to life as a massive sphere of air expanded in front of him. With just a little bit of mana, the Wind Ball Jake had created was as large as his torso. The wind within the sphere cut at the air, whistling as the gust coiled on itself, waiting to be released. Jake couldn’t help but grin as he fired the ball, applying more mana than he probably should have into the trigger of the spell. It shot off straight, the ball deforming as it plowed through the air and into a distant wall. There was a loud suction noise followed by the cracking of wind as the rocks were blown out from the impact point. Several small cuts and lashes were dug into the stone at the impact point, showing how violent the internal winds of the ball had been.

Such a simple spell, such little mana, but an astounding result.

“Dragon’s Blood,” Chul rumbled, his fangs chittering as his feet adjusted beneath him. The Arachkin let out a long sigh, exhaling as his body lowered against the stone.

“What’s that?” Chul had spat that out of nowhere, and Jake was curious to know why.

The Arachkin huffed and looked down at the boy. “The mana that was within your body. You’ve come to control it, have you not?”

“Kind of.” Jake stared down at his hand, wiggling his fingers as he toyed with the mana in him. The air felt much lighter around him. The pressure of the Dragon Vein wasn’t as noticeable and Jake’s mana flow felt invigorated by the excess rana floating in the air. He stepped down from the rocks he was atop and hopped down to the actual floor of the cavern.

“The mana you have within you now is something similar to my own, and similar to that of the Maedra.” Chul remained behind, watching Jake warily as the boy moved towards the edge of the mana pool. Jake paused when Chul mentioned the Maedra. “Don’t worry. It isn’t harmful nor will you turn into one of them.” The Arachkin let out a long breath as if groaning.

“I didn’t think I would but it’s nice knowing I won’t turn into some mana-crazed beast.” Jake chuckled to himself as he knelt beside the mana pool. The boy extended a wary finger, his skin barely hovering over the pool itself. The nearer his hand became to the pool, the more excited his mana became. He could feel the power seeping through his skin, the rana bleeding directly into his mana flow. “...Whoa.”

“The mana within you is similar to those of Creatures of the Dark. My kin. Our mana comes to us directly from the world, unfiltered and with little affinity attached. It makes us far better at using Enhancement magic, Dark magic, and Fire magic. We are also capable of utilizing raw mana spells, much like you saw me use in the fight earlier.

However, I am capable of much more due to the influence of the Dragon’s Vein. I lived within this cavern for many centuries and over time, my body developed the ability to process the mana in the air, or Dragon’s Essence as it is also known.” Jake pulled his hand away before he touched the water and turned to face Chul.

“Dragon’s Essence? It’s not rana?” The boy had been told that this was rana by the fairies. Were the two the same?

“I have never heard of that name. Did you learn of it in the Library?” Jake nodded for his answer and Chul’s fangs tapped together. “I assume they refer to the same thing. We called it Dragon’s Essence, as it comes from the Vein and floats in the air much like Life Essence does on the surface. When mixed within your mana source the Dragon’s Essence, Life Essence, and your original mana, combine to make the Dragon’s Blood.”

Jake looked down at his reflection in the mana pool. To refer to everything with the initial title of ‘Dragon’s’ made sense. It put everything into the same neat category and was able to be referenced without confusion between individuals. Rana and Mana weren’t entirely different either in their terminology and definition. Jake would just need to make sure it used the proper verbiage depending on who he was speaking to. But, that led him to another question.

“Why Dragon?” He felt like he already knew the answer. Dragons were powerful beings. Lady Ferynith was an example of that, but Jake hadn’t read about them yet nor had he studied them. Until two months ago, dragons were whispers in stories from long ago.

“That, my boy, requires quite a bit of explaining.” Chul chuckled and slowly rose to his feet. The Arachkin took a moment to stretch out his limbs, wiggling them and extending them individually to work out the kinks in them before he made his way down to where Jake was squatting. The Arachkin stopped at the edge and reached an armored leg down into the pool. He just barely dipped the sharpened tip of his leg into the liquid, stirring it slowly as he began to speak.

“Surface Walkers named these places ‘Dragon Vein’s’ because to them, Dragons are at the top of their magic tiers. And the Veins are the strongest and most potent examples of what true mana can do. Though, they are simply Leylines for the rest of us. These mana pools provide life to the Surface.” Chul paused, tapping his foot against the green-ish surface.

“Here, is where the cycle of life starts. The planet creates mana within its core and that mana bleeds upwards through the earth and ground and dust. When it breaches the surface, it creates those Veins where the mana can flow outwards and bleed into the air, water, and dirt. The Maedra are the foundations of what life originally was but through a mixture of mutations, adaptations, and life seeking more for itself- the Maedra became only a forgotten piece of evolution.”

“Interesting…” Jake muttered. Chul nodded and then continued.

“We call it Dragon’s Blood because while Dragons were not the first to harness the Veins, they were the first Surface Walker to integrate themselves with the Veins. Dragons use mana in its rawest, purest form- like the Maedra. However, they do not fall into madness when they utilize the Veins. Their bodies do not distort. Their minds do not corrupt. Their magic remains powerful and beautiful. They rose to the peak of magical prowess because they were able to not only use the Veins but they were able to integrate it into their genetic makeup. Every Dragon can use the Vein's power without fear of injury and their skill with magic is unparalleled.

Because of this, when you wound a Dragon, it does not bleed blood. It bleeds this essence. Their bodies function entirely off it and it has allowed them to sit at the peak of existence ever since. The rest of the Surface had to make do with the standard essence after it cycled to the surface.” Chul paused again, to chuckle. “A momentary pause, however. You Surface Walkers are quire greedy.” The Arachkin’s fangs rattled as he continued to laugh for a few moments.

“Over time, as the rest of Life began to learn and mutate, so did their magical prowess. Eventually, slaying Dragons became feasible. Our ancestors learned the trick of the Veins and found ways to make use of the raw mana through mostly artificial means, weaponizing magic. Dragons learned of this and fled, too full of pride to let themselves be harmed by lowly Surface Walkers. They hid themselves away at the edges of civilization for thousands of years until eventually, the world began to forget them. Even now, they keep to themselves.

With Dragons out of the way and no reason to drive to new strengths, there was no need to progress. Civilization stopped seeking out the strength of the Veins and instead became complacent. The Surface Walkers figured that what they had was enough and made do with their version of the mana. For those of us who lived beneath the surface and were constantly under threat of both the Maedra and our greedy surface-dwelling neighbors, we continued to cultivate and feed off the Veins. My kind was the first to achieve the power of the Dragons. While it is not in our blood and is not limitless, we can use magic on par with the Dragons.” Chul raised a limb, coiling magic into it as he triggered a simple enchantment spell. The runes engraved into his armor flashed and the limb became as sharp as a freshly forged blade. He stabbed it into the ground, cracking the rock with ease.

“We Arachkin are the inheritors of the Dragon’s power.” Chul yanked his bladed leg from the floor and he lowered down close to Jake. “And now, so are you.” Chul rumbled faintly, staring at Jake and looking the boy over for a few breaths before pulling back.

“Lady Rastua would be proud to hear of it, my boy. She showed quite a bit of interest in you, and I can see why. Lady Ferynith may be your patron goddess, but Lady Rastua would be more than willing to accept you as an Apostle should you choose.”

Jake sighed. “An offer I would have maybe considered if Lady Ferynith hadn’t given me so much already.” The boy shrugged and tapped on Chul’s leg. “But thank you, friend.”

“Of course. It is because of Lady Rastua that I am where I am today, for better or worse. She is only one of two that I, the great Chul E’tana, would bow to.”

“Oh? And who’s the other that, the great Chul E’tana, would bow to?” Jake grinned as he teased his friend. Chul laughed heartily, his body shaking as his voice thundered through the cavern.

“That should obvious, boy! My mother!”

Jake’s eyebrows rose for a moment before he too began to laugh.

How simple.

Cutting off both of their laughs, and their joy, was the sound of a distant screech. In an instant, Jake felt a chill creep down his spine. He put on his game face and his hands curled into fists. Chul rumbled, his carapace cracking as mana coursed through it. The Arachkin prepared for battle.

“I know you wish for more but our time is up. Come. Let us leave.” Chul extended a limb and Jake happily climbed on top of it. The Arachkin’s body stiffened further as Jake made his way back to his seat. When he dropped into the small gap, Chul triggered the protective barrier, locking Jake in place.

“Still a no on the help?” While Jake expected the same answer, it wouldn’t hurt to ask. Jake certainly had more powerful magic now and he might be useful in a fight now. However, the gap between his abilities and Chul’s was far too much. If Jake were to fight beside the Arachkin, he would be nothing more than a liability. Chul moved too fast, had too powerful spells, and could mangle the Maedra well enough on his own. Jake would weigh down the Arachkin far too much.

“For now, no. When we return, maybe. We need to foster your new ability beforehand.” Chul took a few steps and then paused, glancing up towards Jake. “Worry not, boy, your time is coming. Remain patient and you’ll soon outclass even I.”

Outclass Chul? Jake wondered if that would ever be possible. The Arachkin was a Guardian. He could fight on par with hundreds of Maedra without breaking a sweat. His sigil magic was incredible. The Arachkin could even perform body-class Enchantment magic with ease. Jake was a hundred years too young to be on Chul’s level, that was a fact.

Chul began moving towards the barrier again once Jake was finally strapped in tight and the two began their final preparations for the fight. However, while the Maedra screams were nearby something was off. They weren’t getting closer and Chul was unsettled by the fact that none had approached the barrier yet. Something was off. As they approached the barrier, they realized why. Chul was first to notice and the Arachkin’s feet came to halt, one-hundred meters away from the barrier itself.

Jake was about to ask why Chul had stopped until his eyes took notice of the answer. They both stared at the shadow standing on the other side of the barrier. A massive beast stared back at them through the purple veil. Silent and unmoving, waiting for the moment the barrier was removed. It stood on four thick, powerful legs and two massive, muscular arms hung by its body. One arm was narrow and sharpened off at the end like a spear. The other was shaped like a large club, and the end of it shimmered in the light- it could use magic. It had no head, but at the top of its trunk-like body, four eyes stared straight ahead at the purple barrier. It had no mouth to howl with, which likely was why it was so silent.

A Maudrake.

How it had reached the barrier without alerting Chul of its presence was a mystery. It had come without a sound, without making even the slightest of noise. Now, it lingered mere inches from the barrier- the closest it could get without touching the barrier and disturbing the mana within it. Only the breath it exhaled brushed over the purple wall. Truly, a smart creature. One positive? It had come alone. From the distant wails and the lack of small shadows dancing around its feet, there were no smaller Maedra or Maudraga lingering in the dark. Judging by the distant cries, they were closer to the entrance of the tunnel. Likely waiting for the battle to conclude from a safe distance.

Chul let out a huff. “It seems a fight is inevitable. Hold on, Child.” Chul hissed and retreated from his barrier, backing away from the barrier. Chul’s carapace split, cracking open in several places to expose soft flesh underneath. Through those gaps, Chul gathered mana into his carapace and fed off the essence in the air, absorbing as much as he could in the brief time that he had left to prepare. Now that they had noticed the Maudrake, its eyes were following them. Dragon’s Blood accumulated in his body and Chul restored much of what he had used up, but his reserves were still shallow. He had just under two-thirds capacity and he had an inkling even that wouldn’t be enough. The sounds of the smaller Maedra were drawing closer, and the Maudrake remained still. With the timing of the fight still on their side, Chul began to prepare a surprise.

The Arachkin’s body glowed and he strengthened his feet to prepare for the upcoming melee. The gaps in his carapace sealed shut as the armor of his shell thickened. Jake listened to the grotesque cracking and popping as Chul adorned the grandest armor he had available to him. Then, four sigils appeared in front of Chul- familiar ones at that. Mana gathered within them and large purple balls formed at their backs. Chul fed the purple balls with mana, causing them to grow and expand. When they were prepared and filled to the brim, Chul finished the sigils and added several additional runes to refine the spells.

Chul let out a low hiss. He was ready.

The spells activated. The barrier dropped. Instantly, the four sigils fired beams of mana at the Maudrake. The entrance to the cave exploded with the impacts but there was no outcry or scream. The cavern vibrated and shook. Loose rocks fell from the walls and the ceiling. Several stalactites dropped into the mana pool below. A few which fell over the stony floor shattered, scattering pebbles and stones into the arena. The main zone of destruction was the entrance which crumbled from the magic output.

The four spells were expended quickly, the purple balls deflated as the mana within them was expended. Chul’s eyes flared a bright green as he surveyed the result of his casting. A thick cloud of dust and debris clouded Jake’s view so there was no way for the boy to see what had happened just yet. Since it had no mouth to scream with, it was hard to gauge if the Maudrake was injured or not.

Chul’s body stiffened, the Arachkin curling in as though his legs were coiling like springs.

The dust stirred before Jake could see anything beyond it. A warning enough.

“Chul!” Jake shouted. The Arachkin moved at the same moment a massive blue ball of mana was fired out of the dust cloud. It slammed into the other side of the cavern and exploded, detonating with enough force to blow a significant hole in the wall. Getting hit by that would have been fatal, even for Chul.

The Maudrake stepped out of the cloud, a heavy leg stomping onto the floor as the large beast entered the cavern. Even after such an assault- it looked unscathed. Chul hissed at the lack of a commendable result and prepared another spell. He fired several balls of mana, shooting them at the Maudrake’s legs to try and disrupt its movement. Yet the explosions had little results. The Maudrake continued on its march and its eyes stared down at the Arachkin.

“Magic has no effect, I see.” Chul ceased his casting and instead went to work enhancing his own body. His entire carapace began to glow purple and Jake found himself bathing in the faint hue of magic. Chul’s sharpened feet dug into the hard stone, cutting the solid earth with ease even as he stood still. Though, as he stood there, the Maudrake would not wait. It stepped forward and approached the pair, it's right-spear arm lifting as it prepared a strike.

It was big and slow but the power behind that arm would be dangerous. Chul cut his enchanting short and quickly moved to the left as the spear was thrust forward. It smashed into the rock, shattering the floor and causing an eruption of debris to fill the air. The pebbles and sharp rocks slapped against the barrier protecting Jake. While he was safe inside, Chul was not. Thanks to his carapace, the Arachkin seemed unaffected. The rocks simply bounced off his tough outer shell.

Chul touched the wall and quickly lunged toward the Maudrake’s side. The creature’s head tracked the move and it swung its powerful spear sideways like a club, swatting at Chul. The Arachkin immediately rotated his body, moving Jake out of the way as he stuck out his legs. They couldn’t avoid the hit so Chul decided to take it head-on. When his legs touched flesh, he used them to absorb some of the impact and collapsed them as the arm struck his underbelly. They dug into the meat and he clung to the arm. Out of his rear, thick webbing stuck itself to the arm and provided an additional anchor point. When the arm reached the peak of the swing, Chul pushed off and jumped, wrapping around the arm and tying a thick string of webbing around the spear. The Maudrake, agitated, raised its arm and then slammed it into the ground to try and shake off the pest.

Chul jumped off to avoid getting caught up in the mess and landed on the ceiling. From there, he swatted at several stalactites, cutting their foundations with his sharp legs. They plummeted and stabbed into the Maudrake’s exposed flesh. It began to bleed and its back was littered with the stone spikes, but it seemed largely undisturbed as it raised its left arm to cast another spell. Not daring to challenge the result of it, Chul skittered out of the way and hurried out of the line of danger, rushing to get behind the Maudrake as the large arm spit out a massive ball of mana. The cavern shook once more as it impacted and more stone fell from above. The boulders and rocky spikes wrecked the floor, along with the Maudrake as it stood beneath the earthy rain.

Rather than risk getting caught in the falling sky, Chul waited on the wall until the majority of the debris had fallen. When it was mostly safe, he quickly lunged forward and darted once more for the Maudrake’s legs. He needed to immobilize the massive beast if he wanted to make any progress.

The creature turned to meet him and the heavy spear cut across the floor like a knife, carving through the stone to cut off Chul’s advance. The Arachkin hopped backward to avoid the spray of stone, directly into the left arm’s line of fire. Chul’s fangs clicked and he slammed his feet into the ground, conjuring up a massive wall of stone as a ball of mana railed the other side. He created several layers of barriers to catch the mana ball once it broke through the stone wall and hunkered down as it pressed forward. There was no running now.

The stone wall shattered and the ball broke through several initial layers of the onion-like barrier. Chul continued to feed mana into them, but they all cracked and failed him. When there was only a single layer left, Chul poured everything he had into keeping it up.

Yet his focus on the magic left him vulnerable. Like a knight holding up a shield to fend off another combatant- his flank was fully exposed, and the Maudrake swung its heavy spear to sweep up the Arachkin. The mana ball’s energy dissipated, fizzling out as it ran out of steam, but Chul was struck in the side and launched across the cavern. He smashed into the wall and let out a terrible screech of pain as his carapace cracked. Jake clung to the Arachkin’s back and the barrier protecting him held up, for now. It too was damaged from the hit. Several thin cracks had splintered out from the impact point and a larger crack ran down the middle of the bubble. If it took another hit like that, Jake would be exposed to the fight. Chul fell to the floor of the cavern and staggered up to his legs, fueled by a mixture of adrenaline and grit. Still, one was broken. His mobility would be limited lest he find a way to mitigate the loss.

“Chul, let me help!” Jake shouted and pulled on the shackles around his legs, sensing the desperation in the air.

“And what can you do?!” Chul hissed as he finally got his feet beneath him. Yet, though he stood tall, there was no hiding how badly he was injured. The cracks in his armor ran deep and a bit of thick, blue goo flowed out from some parts. The damaged leg curled inwards as Chul tried to keep himself balanced on his remaining seven. Remaining down meant death, a coward’s way out.

“You may have Dragon’s Blood but this Maudrake is resistant to magic! Be silent!” Chul’s mind raced as he looked for an out, or for a way to fight and survive. The Maudrake was fast and well equipped. Running wasn’t an option. The Maudrake would chase them up the tunnel and at the entrance, the Maedra reinforcements were waiting. Chul wouldn’t be able to push through them before it caught them. That left him with only one choice. Fight. If he couldn’t win, then he needed to at least disable the creature to slow it down somehow.

“I can’t let you fight it all by yourself like this!” Jake wanted to do something. Anything to help his companion. Chul only hissed a response and jumped out of the way of another Maudrake spell, landing and skittering away from the explosion. He then moved forward and skidded, avoiding the spear, stumbling a bit due to the lack of a limb on that side. A heavy leg came next. Still off balance, Chul couldn’t dodge it. He was kicked backward and then swatted at by the spear. The second hit by the spear increased Chul’s velocity, and the Arachkin smashed into the wall again- with even more force this time.

Chul let out a painful wheeze as he rolled out of the stone. His carapace was cracked open and two more legs were broken. Even so, he struggled to get to his feet. Chul coughed, spit, and his fangs tapped together resolutely. He would not die on his back.

The Maudrake turned and leveled its left arm, preparing for another spell- this one a finisher. The barrier protecting Jake was gone, shattered to pieces from the impact against the wall. Due to Chul needing to send mana elsewhere, even the shackles were weakened. Jake stared up at the Maudrake and swallowed hard. If that spell got off, that would be the end of it.

“Something… There’s gotta be something…” Jake whispered and searched the cavern for some kind of answer- anything. Chul seemed determined to take the spell head-on, as he began to collect mana into his jaws. A massive sigil appeared in front of them and the Arachkin prepared one final stand.

But while Chul was comfortable with such a fitting end, Jake wouldn’t have it. Just to their left, the mana pool glistened. The thick liquid flowed back and forth as the cavern rocked from the residual vibrations. Jake had no time to think further and instead, he trusted his instinct and moved. He broke free of the shackles and stumbled forward. Chul let out a light whine to try and stop the boy but Jake wasn’t going to stop. He jumped off Chul’s back and dropped into the mana pool. Chul’s casting stopped as the Arachkin turned desperately towards the pool.

“You fool!”

The mana shot up his nose and his body felt extremely heavy. But, Jake felt the power flood his system. His mana screamed inside of his body and the Dragon’s Blood within him pulsed. Fueled by the rush, Jake kicked up to the surface and clawed for the edge of the pool. He slapped his right hand down to keep himself from drowning and then lifted his left, centering it on the Maudrake’s spell.

“IGNARUS!!!” He shouted, his voice cracking as he spat up a mouthful of the goop from his throat. At the tips of his fingers, he conjured up the largest fireball he could handle. Using the Dragon’s Blood in his veins and the mana pool encasing his body, the ball grew impossibly large. Jake grit his teeth, his mana flooding into the spell as he expended as much as he could push into it in the mere seconds they had. He could just barely control the thing when the color of the fire started to change, shifting from orange and red to blue. The heat scalded his skin, whisked away the sweat on his face, and burned at his throat as he took in a final breath.

“TYR!!” He screamed, his lungs emptying of air as he ignited the spell.

It didn’t budge. He used everything he had to just make the thing. The mana within him was nearly depleted now, and there wasn’t enough left to fire it.

Jake’s eyes widened as he felt the weight of his mistake.

“That is enough, my boy…” Seeing the struggling child, Chul reached forward and placed his leg onto the top of Jake’s hand. Chul’s fangs chittered, and then Jake felt the Arachkin’s mana pour into his body. “Once more, Jake.”

Jake shut his eyes and immediately began to gather all he could. Using the pool, Chul’S mana, and the scrapes of his own, Jake gathered as much strength as he could into his hand.

The Maudrake stepped back and swung its arm to the right, adjusting the trajectory of its impending spell to match the growing ball of flame. Jake pushed every bit of mana he could up, and then released the spell with another gasp. A soundless trigger as he felt the edges of his eyes soak with tears.

The force pushed him backward and his hand slipped off the edge of the pool. The sharp edge of Chul’s leg cut into his hand, carving his flesh as he dropped into the pool. Just as he fell beneath the surface, he watched as his fireball slammed into the massive mana ball the Maudrake was conjuring.

The ensuing eruption blanked out the surface and pushed the top layer of the mana pool away as the explosion filled the empty room. Jake felt the heat touch his face even as he dropped into the darkness below.

As a boy from the desert- he hadn’t quite learned how to swim.