(fantasy horror AU based off a dream I had last night)
Read the updated and edited version ~Here~
Nick isn’t sure what is after them, but he knows two things for certain. They HATE water, They’ll cross it, but they’re slow to, letting out these screams that sound like some twisted mix of a bear and a fox. And they move faster at night. They like the shadows in the day. Will leave them briefly, but not long enough to catch up to them.
Unfortunately they’re running out of daylight. They aren’t running out of water, though. Thank god. Because Troy had the brilliant idea to cut through the swamp that lies between the abandoned ancient city these things came from, and the far side of the villages that they know is home to the descendants of the ancient city. The only people that know how to stop whatever these are.
There’s a distant scream from one of the beasts, and Nick finds himself grabbing Troy’s hand in his own as they start to run. There’s a small mountain ahead, with a cave system. One that Troy is certain they can use to get to the village faster. Nick isn’t sure he believes him, but he doesn’t see much choice in the matter. At least in there they can use torches to help keep the creatures at bay.
The sun is starting to set, and more cries sound out as the demons draw closer. Nick thinks he sees one out of the corner of his eye as they run past a shadowy area of dead-fall and large, jagged stones. A glimpse of the hulking creature in tattered, decaying robes with massive ram-like-horns and gnarled tan hide like flesh, with sharp, curved claws on hands and feet..
The glimpse makes him run faster, lungs burning and legs aching from the effort.
They have to stop at the mouth of the caves. Pause a moment to pull the supplies they need from their bags.
Torches are prepared and lit as fast as they can before the two head into the waiting darkness. It’s reckless, dangerous, stupid even. They only have Troy’s old broadsword and Nick’s scimitar and bow as weapons. And neither thinks they’ll work on such creatures.
The passage they follow twists and grows smaller, then larger as they go, and Troy is muttering a prayer under his breath that the creatures can’t follow. Are too big to traverse the passages as they grow narrow in places.
They enter a cavern, not large, but big enough that the cave ceiling is a good 15 feet above their heads. The two trade looks of worry before noticing a twist in the rocks to their left that slopes up to a thin opening in the rock. Troy quickly scales the wall and waves for Nick to follow him after waving his torch through to see it goes into another cave .
Nick watches as his other half throws his torch and bag through the gap before finding his footing against the ledge and hoists himself through.
A cry echoes through the cave, up from the passage they left moments ago. Nick prays the creatures are far back, stuck at one of the knee deep puddles they had to wade through or perhaps one of the bottlenecks that only went a little above Troy’s head.
Nick doesn’t want to find out and he scrambles up the incline to where Troy climbed through the gap in the cave wall. It’s not a short passage. long enough that he’ll have to crawl a few feet before reaching the other side. Troy waits for him there, holding out a hand to catch Nick’s belongings.
Another tormented shriek resonates throughout the cave, then another. Much louder and closer sounding than before. Nick drops his torch to the cavern floor, close to the cave entrance as he can get it, hoping the light will help keep the creatures at bay. He throws his pack and bow to Troy before dumping his canteen’s contents down the slope of the rocks in hopes it will help deter the creatures from following if they do make it into the cavern.
He hears footsteps now. The scraping sound as the creatures claws dig into rock.
It takes a second to get his feet planted where he saw Troy had placed his before, just enough room to stand and push himself up. He’s almost fully into the mouth of the thin passage, hands scrambling for purchase on the smooth rocks inside as he gets most of his upper body inside.
The bits of rock beneath his feet crumble, and Nick shouts, hitting his head sharply as he slips back onto the landing of the slope.
The creatures snarl and roar in the passage, they’re almost to the cavern, and true terror strikes Nick as he scrambles to try and get up the rock face. “Troy! Troy help!”
He calls out, a cold sweat making his hands slippery. A chill runs up his spine and his skin feels like it’s crawling as he desperately tries to pull himself into the space that he’s certain will be his salvation.
“NICK!” Troy shouts as he scurries back into the tight space and reaches for his loves hand. He’s barely got his head and shoulders into the space again and Troy is certain he can reach him in time. He’s so close.
There’s a guttural grown from below, and Nick foolishly looks over his shoulder. Two creatures are entering the cave. One spotting him right away and locking horrifying ember red, sunken eyes with Nick’s wide brown ones.
He kicks, wriggles and claws at the rock, Trying desperately to reach Troy. To take his outstretched hand.
They both can hear the scrape of claws on stone. The ear piercing shriek as one of the creatures touches a rivulet of water that Nick had dumped down the rocks.
Nick fears this is it. This is how he dies. Torn apart by demons in a cave with Troy forced to watch. He closes his eyes tight, tears filling them as he thinks of all his regrets. Of Troy having to go on alone.
A warm hand wraps around his wrist and snaps the world back into sharp focus as Troy yells and pulls Nick as hard as he can. getting him the rest of the way up the rock face and into the mouth of the crevice.
The two scramble, trying to get through the passage to freedom as quick as possible. Troy makes it out first, and Nick is close behind. He’s almost free when he feels a sharp pain tear through his right calf. One creature made it up the slope and was able to reach a single, twisted claw into the space after him.
The scream that rips its way out of Nick’s throat is all pain and fear. It hurts like nothing he’s ever felt before. And he tries to kick out with his other leg, hoping to force the creature to let him go.
It works, his foot connecting with what might be the face of the creature, and in one quick motion Troy manages to grab hold of Nick by the arms and pull him fully out of the crevice and onto the floor of the cave with him. He lands on top of Troy, both of them breathing heavily and shaking slightly, Troy in fear and Nick in pain.
They can hear the creatures let out frustrated screams. Hear the scrape of claws that try to reach through to them with no success.
Troy is the one to move first, pushing Nick off of him before turning and grabbing one of their bags. He rips a long strip of cloth from one of their bedrolls and quickly moves to wrap it around Nicks leg, which as four large slashes through it where the creature tried to use it to pull him back.
It’s bleeding badly, the muscle clearly torn in places, but Troy is quick and is able to staunch the bleeding. Nick lets out another cry as pressure is applied, pain flaring so strongly he wants to pass out.
“We need to go,” Nick rasps after a few seconds of the two of them just staring at one another, his voice raw from screaming.
Troy gives him a worried look before nodding and handing Nick his bag and bow. He shoulders both before letting Troy help him to stand. Putting weight on his right leg sends fire shooting up his leg and it nearly doubles him over. But he grits his teeth and lets Troy throw his arm over his shoulder to help him walk.
The creatures continue to shriek and roar from the other side of the narrow passage, frustration and anger lacing the tones as claws continue to scrape furiously against rock.
It’s nearly sunrise when they get to the other side of the mountain. And the early morning fires of the village they seek let off smoke signals for them to follow through the twisting and tangled old trees.
The cries of the creatures are long behind them, but still echo through both of their minds, and it drives them to push on and move faster than their exhausted bodies can quite handle. They can’t stop though, stopping is giving up. And they won’t give up on each other.
They finally reach the edge of the village and collapse of exhaustion.
A woman screams in the distance and they faintly hear her shouting for the guards and healers to come quickly. They’re both unconscious before the healers arrive. Relief filling them both before it goes dark. They made it to the other side. It nearly tore them in two, but they’re safe at last.
