Chapter 9

Sorry about not posting last month, the truth is I forgot. Still working on the game (a demo should be out by the end of the month) as well as the story...speaking of which, here's the next chapter [preview].

Tunnel of Horrors

With the sun waning in the sky a shadow was cast over the entrance to the tunnel. It was far too round and uniform to have been naturally formed, even though several centuries had passed since it was first opened. The ground around it didn’t appear to be heavily trafficked but if more than a cursory glance was given tracks could be seen. With her sword out Crono was the first to step through the entrance and almost immediately found herself in pitch-black darkness. She was soon joined by Lucca, who was carrying a torch, and could see the old, tool-hewn walls of the cave. The light didn’t stretch very far, maybe only a few meters, but it was enough to prevent Crono from running into any of the walls.

The three made their way through the cool, damp tunnel. Occasionally water would drip down on them, interrupting the regular sound of drops hitting the hard ground. After a few minutes the tunnel opened up into a small chamber and while the torch light could just barely touch the far side of the cave it highlighted the three other figures standing in the room. They were most definitely not human, having pale yellow skin and a wide, frog-like smile. Their squat bodies were thick but protected by a set of old, rusty armor. Their exposed arms bulged with muscle but also had a greasy sheen to them. Each of them was glaring at Crono and the one in the middle pointed in the redhead’s direction. “Death to the humans!”

They charged, headlong at the swordswoman but their clanking gear slowed their movement. Crono was able to jump out of the way of the first two but the third slammed into her side, sending her sprawling on the ground. The redhead found herself straddled by one of the goons and tried to deflect the heavy blows that flew at her head but a few made contact. Fighting through the stars that were dancing in her vision, Crono made a weak slash and cut into the unprotected arm of her attacker. The damage was only superficial and soon her weapon was wrested from her grasp and thrown to the side. The creature reeled back for an attack that was meant for her head but a bolt shot through the thing’s neck, spraying blood over the redhead’s face. It clutched at its throat, falling to the side while a pool of dark fluid began to spread out beneath it.

Crono managed to pull herself together and get to a knee, seeing the other two chasing her friends around the room. One of them managed to trip Marle and jump on her. With no time to find her sword Crono summoned the magic she had just been gifted with and held out both hands at the creature, shooting a blast of lightning into its body. The amphibian seized up, spasming uncontrollably before falling onto its back with smoke rising from several black patches on its armor. The energy it required took everything Crono had left to give and she keeled over. She watched helplessly from the ground as Marle and Lucca were able to take advantage of their favorable numbers and eventually kill the final creature.

Once they were sure they had won the two rushed over to the redhead to check on her. Marle used one of the tricks of her magic to infuse Crono with energy, allowing the swordswoman to recover far faster than she would have on her own. They collected what they thought they could use and continued on into the depths. It wasn’t long before the passage began to slope down as it made its way under the sea. The air grew colder while the walls sweated. Everything, including the three travelers, seemed to have a layer of water coating it. Crono wiped the fluid from her face while she tried to peer through the increasing darkness that was caused by the torch waning in the damp conditions.

It wasn’t long before they reached the next cavern, which appeared to be a much more natural phenomenon. The ground was smooth but uneven and dotted with stalagmites. The cool air was silent but for the sound of their footsteps. The flickering light gave Crono a small field of vision but she just managed to see the brief flash from the torch reflecting off something. The redhead paused for a second; waiting for an attack, but after none came immediately she inched closer to the source. With her friends staying close behind the swordswoman drew near what she thought was a ball of some kind but the closer she came the more Crono could see that it was an ornate vase.

It was a bit incongruous to see such a symbol of civilization deep in a savage cavern. Marle thought for a moment that it would look nice back at the castle but jumped back when she saw the thing shake. Crono’s shuffle backwards was hindered a bit by Lucca’s slow movement so all the redhead could do was swing feebly at the pink blur that shot out of the top of the jug. She turned to follow its path as it landed behind her, but immediately regretted her reflex when she felt something thick and slimy wrap around her wrist. With both hands gripping her sword Crono pulled away from the bottle with all of her might and immediately slipped to the ground. The combination of the wet stone and the lack of any resistance to her movement caused her to lose her balance and she was soon sprawled on the ground with another pink creature grappling her.

After stepping away from the swordswoman and watching her friend fall to the floor soon after, Lucca’s attention was drawn back to the vase when a third creature crawled out of it. Aside from the bright pink color the creature looked eerily similar to one of the mutants that had attacked them 1,300 years from now (she hoped she had gotten those tenses right). It had the same bulbous head, the same stubby tentacles and the same menacing eyes. Lucca recalled the battle and how badly it had gone the last time, but that was before she could cast spells. Lucca eyed the thing carefully and began to summon a ball of fire in her hand. The flame grew until it fit comfortably in her palm before she threw it at the creature in one swift motion. The orb exploded on contact, blocking her sight of the creature for a moment but when it cleared a moment later Lucca couldn’t see any difference with the creature. Puzzled by the lack of reaction, Lucca was caught off guard when the thing expanded quickly and shot a ball of its own flame back at Lucca through the circular opening that made up its mouth. The genius threw up her hands to protect against the attack and was thrown back when it burst against her arms.