CHAPTER 16: THE MONSTER'S WRATH

“No! look out!” Nassima cried out as the foul beast sprung to life from the movement of the bandero. Norrin tried a quick dash towards the mouth of the cave, but the scorpinock proved quicker. It flipped from its perch on the ceiling and landed with a thud blowing dirt into the air, cutting off all escape. Norrin quickly made another dash backwards to avoid capture in its lethal claws.

Norrin called for Light’s Reach and began battle with the murderous beast as it charged towards him. He whirled and spun the spear to block the barrage of attacks from the creature’s four potent claws. He was surprised by the incredible speed a monster that size was able to move. The beast clamored up the walls and around the cave ceiling to find an angle for it to attack with its claws and venomous tails. Norrin rolled and dashed in a desperate attempt to avoid the strikes, but the space was so small, he did not have much room to maneuver in a proper fashion. Also, the scorpinock’s set of eyes gave it the uncanny ability to track his every movement. So, no matter where he dashed, the beast was right there with him preparing another assault.

Norrin fought with all the skill he could muster, and Light’s Reach sung in his hands, as he tried with all his might to strike down the behemoth. But even the divine weapon struggled to do damage to the scorpinock’s armored hide. Bolts of lightning bounced off the creature and exploded inside the cave, causing even more chaos as the rock walls crumbled around the two combatants. Desperation crept into Norrin’s brain as he began to believe the creature was too strong and too fast for him to keep up with. The high he felt while wielding Light’s Reach against the golems was replaced by paranoia and gloom. Despite the energy of the spear flowing through him he was being beaten, severely beaten, and did not know what to do about it.

Keep fighting! Kill it! Fight! Fight! The same aggressive voice in his head urged him on, and Norrin had no choice but to follow it.

“Keep moving Norrin!” Nassima said to encourage Norrin’s waning will. She faced the furious attacks of a scorpinock in her past, and conceded that it was one of the more treacherous beasts one could face. Norrin was in possession of her skills and powers but did not have the experience she did in facing such a monster. “I will find a weakness on this beast that you can take advantage of!”

Norrin suffered several cuts from the claws of the scorpinock and dodged two angry strikes from its tails by mere seconds. But he was finding it more and more difficult to land counterattacks of his own. He finally found an opening when he flipped over one of the creature’s attacks, then ducked under a second attack which embedded one of the monster’s claws into the cave wall. He chopped down at the joint of the pincher, severing it from the scorpinock’s body. The beast pulled back in pain, leaving the severed limb stuck in the wall. But at the same time, the scorpinock grabbed Norrin by the foot with one of its remaining three claws and tossed him across the cave. Norrin tumbled onto his head, and the blow made the room spin. The scorpinock roared and charged at him, resuming its deadly assault. Norrin could not match the ferocity of its attack much longer, so, he fell back on his training and instincts as a Chaser. He frantically reached into his hip bag and threw a pulse crystal at the head of the beast. The blast lit up the cave and completely blinded the creature. It reared back and screeched in agony, which gave Nassima the time to find the weakness she was looking for.

“Norrin! Its underside is not plated! You must strike at its belly!” She yelled out, hoping that the information would help. She yearned to come to Norrin’s rescue but had no other way of aiding him in this fight.

Norrin heard Nassima’s directions and devised his plan of attack. He had an advantage now. Before the scorpinock gained its composure, Norrin hurled another pulse crystal at the beast, and another, and another. Depleting his store of pulse crystals to the last. But it was worth it because the blasts had the effect he was looking for. The scorpinock backed off in pain, trying to shield its sensitive eyes using its three remaining pinchers, and exposed its soft underbelly. Norrin used this moment to perform a dash towards the creature and timed an upward thrust with the spear as he slid underneath the beast. He sliced through the scorpinock’s belly from head to tail while frying the insides with electricity. Its guts spilled to the floor and the carcass of the beast collapsed in a smoking heap. Norrin forward rolled out of the way of the dead beast’s still twitching, and still toxic, tails. He landed at the hovering feet of Nassima’s spirit, who beamed with a relieved smile. Still reeling from the fight, Norrin wanted nothing more than to embrace her, just to know that he was alive and okay. The look in his eyes gave him away, and Nassima turned toward the exit to spare him from any awkwardness.

“Look, we are free of this place!” she exclaimed, “I thought this day would never come. I felt I would be trapped in that accursed hall forever!”

Norrin limped out of the cave and felt the cool fresh air hit his face. He closed his eyes and stood in silent gratitude. He too thought he might not see the light of day again, but with the power of the Azuri Nassima he survived the countless dangers of the labyrinth. He was relieved and happy to be alive. Until he opened eyes to see the world and searched around to get a bearing on where they were.

Norrin's mood darkened as he began to recognize his surrounding. The cave they emerged from was at the foot of a dark mountain surrounded by a dense forest. It was not just any mountain though, but one that was known and feared by all. For the mountain was called Mount Hellhorn, the birthplace of monsters.