Chapter 30: The Good Oracle

  Ursula pushed off the ground like an unchained projectile. Earth exploded behind him, roots tore from the soil as his massive body charged the salamander at full speed. His shoulders were lowered deeply, the muscles beneath his torn, blood-soaked fur stretched tight like thick steel cables on the verge of snapping.

  The impact struck the salamander’s throat with devastating force.

  A dull, wet crash echoed through the forest as Ursula’s skull and shoulders drove into flesh and cartilage. Skin burst open. Scales shattered. The windpipe crumpled beneath the pressure like rotten wood.

  A revolting, gurgling sound erupted from the salamander’s torn maw as blood and shredded tissue sprayed outward. Dark, warm streams poured over Ursula’s face, dripping from his chin and staining the forest floor in heavy, steaming arcs.

  The salamander tried to rear up. Its feelers twitched in panic. Its massive legs clawed desperately at the ground, carving deep furrows into the earth.

  But Ursula did not relent.

  He pressed harder.

  Bones gave way. A sharp splintering sound rang out. The cervical vertebrae shifted under the brutal strain. With one final, strangled rasp, the enormous body collapsed backward.

  The impact was so heavy that the ground trembled. Loose stones jumped. Leaves cascaded from the treetops like dark rain. A flock of birds burst into the air with shrill cries.

  The salamander hit the ground.

  Hard. Heavy. Final.

  Blood continued to pour from its mangled throat, pooling between roots and moss. A final twitch ran through its massive body, then it lay still, its chest sunken, its neck grotesquely twisted.

  The metallic scent of fresh blood hung thick over the clearing.

  And for a moment, everything was silent.

  “Darek, see? That’s how it’s done!” Votaria shouted proudly as she ran over to him.

  Darek looked at Ursula.

  He was drenched in blood. The blow he had taken earlier had inflicted more than enough damage on him as well. It was a miracle he had been able to rejoin the fight at all. His fur was torn open in places, and beneath it glistened blood that did not belong solely to the salamander. His right foreleg trembled slightly beneath his weight, but he ignored it, head held stubbornly high.

  And yet he had nothing better to do than boast before Seraphis with his unmistakable victory. He — Ursula — had made the kill.

  Ursula stood there, hands on his hips, laughing.

  Seraphis, also covered in blood, merely hissed and tried to explain that he had pierced it first and that it had been just as impressive. But in truth, he did not really care.

  Ambitious type, Darek thought.

  “It doesn’t have a second phase, right, Iris?”

  Iris sighed. “Cave salamanders are end-bosses, Darek. This one must be around eleven years old. We’re lucky. If it had been an older one, we’d all be history.”

  If Iris had hands, he would probably be making an awkward gesture right now.

  “Do you see that with your Vision too?” Darek asked directly.

  “You could say that.”

  “What does Goggle say?” Votaria asked, glancing at Darek.

  “Don’t call me Goggle!” the floating eyeball shouted. If he had a fist, he would have raised it indignantly.

  “Hey! You too? I thought you were neutral!”

  Darek said to Votaria, “Yes, he may be a goggle-eyed one, but you should trust his words. He usually knows what he’s talking about.”

  “Thank you, Darek. I mean — HEY!” Iris protested, still agitated. With an angry glare, he continued:

  “Cave salamanders can live up to a hundred years, and this one is still a small child. And by small, I mean its regenerative abilities are already developing. Killing it won’t work. You’d need a few more holes for that. That’s why I said at the beginning we should leave it alone. It’s pointless.”

  Silence fell over the group.

  Their gazes drifted toward the salamander’s body.

  Darek and Votaria rubbed their eyes.

  Where a six-meter corpse had just lain, there was now only a pool of blood, leaving one to guess what had happened here.

  The metallic smell of blood still hung heavily in the air. Flies had already begun to gather, buzzing over the puddle — but the body that should have contained that blood was gone.

  They both blinked in disbelief.

  “It… it’s gone!” Votaria screamed.

  Seraphis and Ursula stopped their small contest of pride and looked around just as bewildered, searching.

  Ursula used her keen nose, trying to scent it, while Seraphis flicked his tongue out in probing motions.

  Iris continued, unaware of their rising panic:

  “Oh yes, did I mention their skin can adapt to the structure and temperature of stone? Under certain conditions, they can even become transparent — as if made of shadow and water. Survival experts. Masters of camouflage without equal.”

  As the group heard this, their eyes widened in horror — and Iris went on, oblivious:

  “Their eyes are nothing but relics. Mere decoration. Remnants from a time when seeing still mattered.

  Instead, they feel their environment.

  Through their feelers and skin, they can detect every movement, heat signature, scent — even magnetic fields.”

  “Iris, that’s enough!” Darek said, still stunned.

  “Why is it already gone? Hmm. Fascinating. That means it’s relatively strong for its age. It must be about as strong as a thirteen-year-old cave salamander.”

  “Seraphis! Ursula! Here!” Darek and Votaria shouted at the same time.

  The group formed a back-to-back formation so that every direction was covered.

  Their steps were careful, nearly silent. Every breath sounded too loud in their own ears. Between the tree trunks lay shadows that now seemed deeper than before.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  “Watch every movement! Leaves, branches, grass — anything. It may be invisible, but it will leave traces when it moves. As long as we can see the environment, we have a chance!” Darek called out.

  The group regained focus and resolve.

  They stood close together, shoulder to shoulder, forming a circle that covered every angle of the forest while slowly rotating clockwise.

  It will attack again. That wasn’t the end. What are we supposed to do?

  Rustling leaves, falling droplets, even jumping grasshoppers triggered their reflexive attention, each suspected to be the salamander.

  Nothing happened.

  For a moment, the entire world seemed frozen.

  Iris broke the silence. “It’s not entirely hopeless. If it were night, we’d be at a clear disadvantage — pure prey for the lizard.”

  “Iris, don’t summon that here!” Darek snapped tensely.

  The light suddenly seemed paler. The forest’s colors lost warmth. A barely perceptible pressure settled on their chests, as if even the air sensed that something greater was approaching.

  A tone rang through the forest and burned itself into their minds. It shattered their concentration for a heartbeat. Darek and Votaria squeezed their eyes shut and clutched their heads until a bright voice sounded:

  “There will be a solar eclipse. A total one.”

  The wind shifted. Leaves began trembling for no visible reason. A flock of crows rose screeching in the distance, as if the world itself had heard the verdict.

  One did not even need to hear the words to understand.

  You could read it in the air.

  That was the Oracle.

  We are fucked.

  Those were the first two thoughts Darek had.

  He looked at Votaria with wide eyes, and she returned the same look.

  He said nothing.

  But what he was thinking was obvious.

  He was practically screaming it in his mind.

  Nothing ever happened. Never. Of course.

  “Aria, how long do you think we have until the eclipse?” Darek asked.

  “I can’t say. Anything between immediately and two or three hours,” Votaria replied, her voice slightly tense.

  The forest light already felt altered. Not darker — but flatter. The colors lost depth, as if a thin veil had been drawn over the world. An uneasy stillness hung between the treetops, and even the wind seemed reluctant to move the leaves.

  Darek gathered energy into his compass.

  A thin, flickering line appeared intermittently.

  The line twitched restlessly, as though pushed aside by something invisible. It surfaced for fractions of a second, then vanished again, as if the forest itself were swallowing it. It did not feel like simple camouflage — but like a deliberate distortion of perception.

  This will be hard to work with. Looks like it really is a master of concealment if even my compass is being interfered with. This goes far beyond ordinary camouflage. I need more — especially with the eclipse about to descend on us. What am I supposed to do?

  Between the trees lay shadows that did not move with the light. Roots jutted from the ground like twisted fingers, and the undergrowth was dense enough to slow them with every misstep.

  Darek thought quickly. The dwelling cave would eventually be smashed apart. Running was not an option either. The salamander was faster. At least faster than Votaria and him.

  Mmh. We are at a disadvantage in every possible way.

  Suddenly, an idea struck him — and with it, a trace of hope.

  “Aria, is there a swamp nearby?”

  “Yes, about thirty minutes from here. Why?” After a moment, realization dawned on her. “Exactly! Darek, that’s a fantastic idea! Its camouflage won’t help nearly as much there! The ground and the splashing will reveal its position much more easily. We could even reach it in fifteen minutes if we hurry. But how are we supposed to manage that? It definitely won’t just let us walk there.”

  “Hruu… gruu,” Ursula growled, as if explaining something to Votaria.

  “No, Ursula, absolutely not. I’m not letting you stay alone!”

  “What exactly is she saying, Aria?” Darek asked.

  “She wants to hold it off here until we reach the swamp. That’s suicidal. Last time, one strike from its tail nearly finished her,” Votaria said, visibly upset at Ursula’s selfless suggestion.

  Darek fell silent again, thinking — until he made a decision.

  “Aria, she’s right. It’s much faster. We wouldn’t be able to lure it to the swamp once we’re there. I have a plan. Seraphis and Ursula hold it off here for fifteen minutes. We run to the swamp as fast as we can. Iris positions himself high in the sky so he can see all of us, and I keep an overview of the situation. Once we reach the swamp, Iris gives the signal, and they run after us as fast as they can. They’re much faster than we are — they can catch up. We need to relocate the fight if we want even the slightest chance once the eclipse hits. Otherwise, we’re nothing but prey.”

  Votaria, still somewhat uncertain, said, “Mmh. Seraphis and Ursula then… Fine.”

  They remained in formation, shoulder to shoulder.

  For a moment, they simply stood there. Breathing. Listening. Waiting. The scent of blood still lingered in the air, mixed with damp moss and disturbed earth. Somewhere between the trees, something cracked softly.

  “Then that’s the plan,” Darek said.

  “Seraphis! Ursula! We’re counting on you. Show it what you’ve got!” Darek and Votaria called simultaneously.

  Seraphis’ and Ursula’s gazes burned with determination. Rivalry, pride, revenge — all of it shrank before the trust placed in them. Only seriousness remained in their eyes.

  “Alright. Iris, Aria. On three, we run. I’ll follow you, Aria. Iris, you go up and find the best vantage point. We can’t lose time.”

  They nodded to each other, clear on the sequence.

  Darek began counting down.

  “Three… Two… One… GO!”

  The ground gave way beneath their feet. Earth sprayed up, roots cracked, branches lashed against their legs. Every step was a battle against time and fear.

  Votaria and Darek sprinted east. Iris shot into the sky. Seraphis and Ursula watched with razor focus for every movement, every tremor in the grass, every unnatural silence.

  And there it was.

  Darek and Votaria had barely taken two steps when a branch snapped behind them and a puddle burst upward.

  Seraphis and Ursula did not need even a fraction of a second to react. They were in a state one could only call flow. Their movements were synchronized, instinctive. No hesitation. No backward glance. Only target. Only speed.

  And they launched.

  Darek and Votaria turned once more. A trace of sorrow flickered in Votaria’s eyes. Darek grabbed her hand.

  “From here on, they’ve got it. We need to hurry.”

  She steadied herself, looked ahead, exhaled, and nodded.

  Then they ran.

  Faster.

  Harder.

  The forest thickened. Branches struck their shoulders. The ground grew uneven. Every breath burned in their lungs.

  This was no longer retreat.

  This was survival.

  Seraphis and Ursula against the cave wyrm.

  They ran.

  The forest swallowed them step by step.

  Branches whipped across their arms. Roots clawed at their boots. The air felt heavier, thicker — as if the world itself were holding its breath.

  Behind them, the forest erupted.

  A violent crash split the air. Wood shattered. Something massive tore through undergrowth. The ground trembled again.

  Seraphis and Ursula had engaged.

  Darek did not look back again.

  Not because he didn’t want to.

  Because he couldn’t afford to.

  “Keep going!” he shouted.

  Votaria nodded, breath already ragged. Her steps were light but fast, her movements instinctive — she knew this forest.

  Iris climbed higher into the sky, rising above the treetops. From above, the canopy stretched like a restless green ocean. But even from that vantage point, something felt wrong.

  The light.

  It was changing.

  Not dimming.

  Flattening.

  Shadows no longer behaved naturally. They stretched in directions they shouldn’t. Some didn’t move at all.

  “I see them!” Iris called down telepathically. “They’re engaged. The salamander’s focusing on Ursula. Seraphis is circling. They’re buying you time.”

  Good.

  Fifteen minutes.

  Just fifteen minutes.

  Darek forced his breathing into rhythm.

  Step. Step. Step.

  Behind them, another explosion of sound.

  A roar.

  A deep, vibrating cry that seemed to shake the trees themselves.

  Ursula.

  Darek’s jaw tightened.

  Hold on.

  The forest floor grew softer.

  The scent changed.

  Less pine.

  More rot.

  Water.

  “We’re close,” Votaria gasped. “Another five minutes.”

  The air became damp. The ground sucked slightly at their steps.

  Somewhere ahead, something squelched.

  And then—

  Open space.

  The swamp.

  Dark water spread between patches of muddy earth. Dead trees jutted upward like broken spears. Thick mist hovered above the surface.

  Perfect.

  “Signal them,” Darek said immediately.

  Iris’ perspective shifted.

  From high above, he watched Seraphis coil around a trunk, Ursula slamming her weight into stone and root alike, the salamander lashing violently through trees — now clearly visible as it tore through terrain rather than blending with it.

  “They’re holding,” Iris said. “Barely.”

  “Signal.”

  Iris sent it.

  A sharp pulse through their bond.

  A call.

  Seraphis reacted instantly.

  He disengaged in a flash of silver, vanishing between trunks.

  Ursula followed seconds later, breaking contact with a final, brutal shove that forced the salamander back half a step.

  Then they ran.

  The salamander hesitated for only a heartbeat.

  Then it followed.

  The forest between the two battlefields trembled as the chase began.

  “Positions,” Darek said.

  They spread out slightly at the swamp’s edge.

  Mud. Water. Reflection.

  Now let’s see you hide.

  The first splash came violently from the treeline.

  The salamander burst through.

  This time, its body did not disappear.

  Each step sent ripples through the murky water. Each movement displaced mud. Its weight betrayed it.

  Its camouflage shimmered — but the swamp revealed everything.

  There.

  Left side.

  Movement beneath the surface.

  “I see you,” Darek muttered.

  The eclipse shadow deepened overhead.

  The light thinned further.

  They did not have long.

  Seraphis slid into position on one flank. Ursula planted herself firmly, shoulders squared.

  The salamander lowered its head.

  Water trembled.

  The fight was not over.

  It had only changed terrain.

  Seraphis and Ursula against the cave wyrm.

  And this time—

  They were ready.