“I believe thewendigo are light sensitive,” Fibian said, after atime.
“I was thinkingthat too,” Cyrus said, rubbing his eyes, “It must be why they fear the fire.”
“It would makesense,” Tier said, “Living down here so long without sunlight.”
“Where do youthink they’ve gone?” Edward asked.
“Probably stillbusy eating their catch,” Tier replied.
A less staleair began to waft in from the passage ahead.
“What aboutthis one?” Cyrus asked, pointing down a tunnel to his left.
The edge ofthe footpath was narrow and jagged, the throat of the cave seared and frozen.
“I don’t thinkthis is it,” Edward said, from Cyrus’ collar, “It looks too small, and it leadsmore northwest than north.”
“How is yourinjury?” Tier asked.
Fibian touched his neck.
“Their bite isnot poisonous. It has healed.”
The yetinodded towards Edward.
“The spider,one bite, they just turn to sand. How does he do it?”
Edward lookedto Cyrus, his eyes watery.
“He is a blodbad spider,” Cyrus said, stroking Edward’s blue mark,“The blodbad were the most poisonous spiders in all ofcreation. He is the last of his kind.”
“Yes, heis our secret weapon,” Fibian said, “We are alivemany times over because of him, and he is the reason we still have fire.”
Tier continueddown the tunnel in silence. She now knew it was Edward that had delivered hermother’s killing blow. Would this change their bargain?
Like theprevious passage, the cavern’s walls had been melted and cooled, giving thesurface an almost liquid feel.
“This is theway,” Edward said, pointing down a tunnel to their left.
“What makesyou think that?” Tier asked.
“It heads duenorth, and look there.”
A skeleton,dressed in armor, rested just beyond the shadows. Cyrus and Tier moved closer.The creature’s cat-like skull had been split open at the top. Its steel chestpiece had been pulled apart, exposing its broken ribs.
“Water klops,” Tier said.
Cyrus picked upa short sword lying amongst the remains. The weapon’s steel was tarnished andcrooked. He handed it to Fibian.
“It’s ofbetter use to us in your hand.”
The end of themachete-like blade was wrapped in thick leather.
“It would bean honor,” Fibian said, sheathing the weapon in hisbelt.
Cyrus heardfootsteps behind them.
“Did you hearthat?” he asked.
“They havebeen following us for some time now,” Fibian said.
“You didn’ttell us?” Cyrus replied.
“Would it havehelped?”
“What do wedo?” Edward asked.
“We stay calmand keep moving,” Tier said.
The groupedtrekked on for countless hours, exhausted and on edge. Lone wendigo watchedthem from shady recesses throughout the subterranean maze.
“They’ve beenat this forever,” Cyrus snapped, rubbing his eyes, “What are they waiting for?”
“They are tryingto wear us down, just as the troll said,” Fibianreplied.
The grouppassed the remains of three more water klops. Thedead klops wore the similar rusted armor. Their skullshad been smashed open like raw eggs.
“We must keepour heads and push forward if we are to make it through the mountain,” Fibian said, watching their rear.
A heavy draftbegan to whisper through a large chamber ahead.
“What isthat?” Cyrus asked.
Tier walkedforward into the room; her torch held high.
“It’s a largecavern blocked by a rock slide. It’s a dead end.”
Cyrus and Fibian rushed to Tier’s side.
“Where’s thedraft coming from?” Edward asked, from Cyrus’ shoulder.
“The outside,”Tier said, “They’ve blocked the exit. We’re trapped!”
A rock searedthrough the air and struck the flame from Tier’s hand. The fire fell betweenseveral boulders, only able to illuminate their immediate surroundings. Thechamber grew dark. Out of the shadows rushed a pack of wendigo, silent andfrenzied.
“Behind us!”Edward screamed.
Fibian’s eyes lit up like two moons. Cyrus aimed his crossbow,searching for a target.
BOOM!
Tier’smuzzle-flash lit the cavern. The image of thirty relentless and depravedwendigo burnt itself into the back of Cyrus’ eyes.
Again, theroom grew black. The first savage splashed to the floor at Cyrus’ feet. Tiershot her crossbow, then began to reload her rifle. Cyrus fired an arrow intothe darkness. The bolt sounded as if it shattered against rock. A wendigorushed into the glow of Fibian’s eyes. The froskman shot his crossbow. The projectile punched cleanthrough the savage’s chest. The wendigo’s feet slipped out from under it and itcrashed lifelessly to the ground. Like a rabid beast, a second fiend sprang at Fibian. He dropped his crossbow. His sword flashed from hisbelt. He cleaved the wendigo in two.
Two moreattempted to scramble past the group, running towards the torch. Tier swung hercannon at the first. The savage ducked under the barrel and leaped up onto theyeti’s chest. Cyrus struggled to load another bolt. The second wendigo grabbedthe flame from between the rocks and turned to throw. Cyrus aimed and fired. Heshot the creature in the liver. It fell to its knees, clutching the arrow. Withits other hand, it threw the flame back to its kin. Fibianleaped into the air and intercepted the toss. Three more villains closed in.They took the froskman to the dusty floor. Cyrus ranto his aid. A fourth and fifth came at him. He turned to Tier. The yeti wasslamming her first attacker to the ground as three more converged.
“Edward, whatdo we do?” Cyrus shouted, scrambling to reload his weapon.
A fourthwendigo jumped on Fibian. It pulled the torch free.Then all went black.
Chapter 21
A RAY OF LIGHT
WENDIGO TACKLED CYRUS TOTHE FLOOR. He kicked and thrashed. He felt iron fists grip his arms and legs.He pulled his left arm free, pushed, punched and grasped what felt like a neck.The creature pressed forward. Cyrus could hear its teeth snapping against hisear. The creature’s breath was still and musty.
“Help!” Cyruscried.
He lookedaround. Fibian’s glowing eyes flashed about inbattle. White bodies twisted and scrambled in their glow.
Cyrus foughtto get his right arm free. He grasped for his crossbow. He felt a bolt lying onthe floor. He grabbed it and stabbed it into the snapping wendigo’s face. Hefelt the savage’s hand go limp. Panicking, Cyrus slashed wildly at thedarkness. The grip on his right leg vanished. Cyrus sat up. Tier’s cannonfired. For a split second, the room exploded in light. Cyrus saw a wendigostanding over him with a boulder held high.
“No!”
He fell backand curled up like a child, bracing for impact. The bone-breaking hit nevercame. Instead, the stone struck the ground beside Cyrus’ head. Then sandshowered down, pouring over his face and chest.
“Cyrus, getup,” Edward
