The Trials

by Zee

Ch 17: Monsters

"How long have we been walking?" Mosina asked the group as they made their way through the dark tunnel.

"Hard to say without a watch," Echo replied, thoughtfully. "Maybe nearly an hour?"

At that, Mosina furrowed her brows. "We should be nearing the lake room, then."

"Lake room?" Speck asked from the rear.

"It's a giant room with a big underground lake. There's a single path left that we've yet to take in it."

"And there are these dim light crystals that hang from the tall ceiliing," Echo chimed in. "The whole room glows a deep blue."

Speck's eyes glinted underneath her helmet. "That sounds pretty."

"It really is."

The group walked in relative silence, the only sound coming from their breaths and clinking armour. That is, until Echo picked up a faint, rolling noise in the distance ahead of them. Confusedly, she looked to Mosina with concern, perking her ears up.

The group stopped as they huddled around Echo.

"What is it? What do you hear?" Mosina whispered.

"I don't know... it sounds like... it's coming from the lake room."

Speck uncomfortably shifted in her armour and Night Watch held a neutral expression.

"I hear..." Echo trailed off and dead silence washed over the group, until her squinted eyes widened immensely. With a gasp, she muttered, "Screaming."

Mosina yelped as Echo burst past her and began galloping down the tunnel at full speed. Worriedly, she followed after her with Speck and Night Watch in tow.

"Echo! What is it?!" she yelled as they ran.

"I hear a voice! Quickly, let's go!" Echo yelled back.

After a brisk gallop of several minutes, a faint, blue light shone at the end of the tunnel. Breaking into full sprint, Echo felt a surge of adrenaline as the sounds became clearer.

It was the sounds of a struggle. A fight.

Finally, the blue light reached her and she leaped through, emerging into the large lake room. The water was no longer still, and instead, forms thrashed wildly in it. Water splashed everywhere, and surrounding the immediate shore were dozens of hideous creatures. Many of them swam through the water, seemingly focused on something deeper into the lake.

Echo stood in shock while Mosina, Night Watch and Speck appeared behind her.

"Wh-what are these things?!" Speck gasped, taking point in front of the group and readying her shield.

Dozens of amphibious, bipedal creatures moshed in a fierce frenzy to get to whatever it was they were focusing on. They had long claws sprouting from the ends of their arms, and their mouths wide and vertical lined with many hooked teeth. Their heads resembled Venus flytraps, and seemingly had no eyes.

A voice screamed through the mass. A bat pony.

"Go! Help her!" Echo cried, unsheathing her sword. Several of the creatures turned to her direction, barring their long teeth. She charged, Speck and Night Watch at her sides.

More of the creatures turned, seeing their new, oncoming adversaries. After deeming them hostile, the creatures charged in the dozens.

"Aaah!" Speck cried, launching herself forward with the Keel Regalia in front of her. She smashed right into several of them, her shield brightening with each contact. Their squishy, fleshy bodies flew back, taking many with them.

Night Watch spun before meeting the fray with a flurry of swipes and jabs from her golden spear, each swing gouging deep into their bodies with ease. Gold sparks erupted outwards in a display of yellowish fireworks, clawed limbs flying in every direction.

Echo joined alongside her, skillfully weaving her golden sword between targets and lopping off many toothy heads.

"Graah!" Speck cried, spinning and using the momentum to swing her shield vertically down on the head of one of the creatures. A metallic gong sounded and a powerful shock wave exploded outwards from her, sending many of them flying.

However, the monsters were relentless and many, shamelessly throwing their bodies at the bat ponies.

Soon, Night Watch and Echo found themselves slipping until a lucky creature leaped through their swipes. It collided with Night Watch, who attempted to shove it away with the butt end of her spear, only for it to latch onto the shaft. Echo turned to help, but was latched onto by another.

Before one of the monsters could sink their serrated claws or teeth into their flesh, a gust of wind overtook the fight.

Mosina channelled her pole-arm, swishing it in elegant patterns from the entrance of the tunnel. A strong wind blew the lighter creatures off of Echo and Night Watch, throwing them into the lake, beyond.

"Mosina! We have to get to her!" Echo ordered, pointing to the concentrated group of creatures in the lake.

"I think I can disperse the crowd! Get ready!" Mosina called back.

Echo nodded to Night Watch and Speck as the trio sprinted to the lake shore.

At the centre of the fight in the lake, a bat pony fought fiercely in the water, taking down any creature that came up to her with her hoof-claws.

"Help!" she cried, spotting the four bat ponies who had arrived. The bat pony tried to burst out of the water with a flap of her brown wings, but was intercepted by one of the creatures.

Twirling the Wind Ruler, Mosina brought it down to the floor and then slowly raised it upwards, vertically.

A powerful, spiralling wind tunnel overtook the bat pony, who tried to get out of the water again. However, the wind took her a bit too easily, and launched her into the air. With her, dozens of creatures flailed through the raging winds.

"Night Watch, let's go!" Echo ordered, pushing off the floor and flying into the miniature hurricane.

Night Watch followed, her spear at the ready.

With difficulty, they flew through the storm, dodging debris and the flailing beasts while approaching the bat pony.

"I can't hold it much longer!" Mosina cried, her spear held high while she conducted the storm. She felt herself begin to weaken, her efforts draining her energy, quickly.

"Let it go, we'll catch her!" Echo called back.

"Alright!" With that, Mosina lowered the Wind Ruler and gasped, nearly collapsing.

The swirling winds suddenly stopped, and all of the bodies held up in the air began to fall. The monsters let out wails as they dropped, and the bat pony in distress tried to flap her wings. However, tiredness overtook her, and her wings failed to generate enough lift.

Echo gasped, and Night Watch took a steep dive towards the falling bat pony.

Slicing through a creature in mid-air with her spear, Night Watch quickly caught up with the bat pony, tackling her and latching onto her with her front legs.

"N... Night Watch..." the bat pony whispered, nearly losing consciousness.

"I gotcha, Gloomie," Night Watch told her, turning around and making for the shore.

Echo flew up beside her as they touched down on the rocky ground.