Dark Energy by carlsojos

Chapter 16

Akkosua is backed into a corner, surrounded by four of those mosters that were previously inside the capsules, awaiting a signal to tell their bodies they were ready to live. There is no way around them. Oh, my fucking Light...

A pebble bounces off one of their slimy heads. Hey! The monsters spin around and make what I assume is an angry growl at me.

Akkosua gets up, Oh, Light. Save me! As the monsters begin to approach, sizing me up as a potential meal, Etirn picks up a sword, still sheathed, from behind one of the machines around us. I glance at the sword, and notice Ackland, M.U. Biology written on the hilt.

Etirn draws the sword, looking at Akkosua. If you're gonna die on my watch, you damn well better die fighting! Etirn throws the sword over the monsters, and Akkosua manages to catch it. Her eyes go wide. So either get off your ass, or it'll be a closed casket for you.

You fucking psycho! I'm not sure whether Akkosua is more afraid of the monsters, or Etirn.

Charge! At Etirn's command, I run at the first monster and spin to backhand it. Even with the blade on the other side of the claw, I still connect with enough force to knock it away. Keeping up the momentum, I slash at another with my other claw, tearing through one of its fins. I look to see Akkosua still frozen in her place, and I feel pain shoot through my right shoulder.

Damn it! I go to the ground and roll away to regain my composure as Etirn puts a hole in another monster. Getting up, I immediately charge the monster with blood on its fin, and drive home my appreciation with a barrage of slashes. As it collapses, I turn just in time to block the strike of the monster I first struck, bruises already forming on the side of its head. I notice for a split second, small barbs spring from its fin until it drew back. Etirn! These things have poison!

Putting another shell into his weapon, Etirn delivers a swift boot to the groin of his closest monster, smashes his weapon into the top of its head, and stomps on its right fin. It shrieks in protest, but when it gets up, Etirn uses his weapon on it. Yeah, I see barbs. Watch yourself! I turn my attention back to my target, and drive both claws into its gut, pulling to force it to the floor. One final blow to the head and it ceases to struggle. I get up and begin to walk to Etirn.

A sudden sharp pain in my back convinces me to stop. I swat at a blur in my peripheral vision and catch a shredded fin at the wrist. I feel a tugging at my back and realize the creature's barbs are stuck in my back! Etirn, kill this one!

Etirn raises his weapon, but instead of a loud bang, it only makes a little poof sound. That ain't good. Thinking quickly, I run backwards, driving the creature into the wall. It loses balance, but I feel something inject into my back. I slam into the wall again, and this time it falls to the ground with me in tow. It growls at me again, but I'm fresh out of tricks. Rolling the two of us to keep it off balance, I contemplate my next move, but it suddenly goes limp. I look over my shoulder to see Akkosua standing beside me with her sword quivering violently, the blade wet.

With a little help, the barbs are removed, and I get to my feet. Akkosua's knees begin to buckle as I stand up. I need a drink...

Etirn pokes a metal rod in the breech of his weapon, and a lump of metal falls out the other. I'll buy, but we aren't outta the shitter yet. Who knows what else is crawling around now? Marika, how you feel?

I felt something inject in my back. I think I may be poisoned.

Wish I knew Anti. There's gotta be some Antidote in camp, we need to hurry there. Marika, you take point. Ackland, bring up the rear. I carefully led the way out, moving slow, since I understood the correlation between heart rate and an early death from poisoning.

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