207 Blood And Fire

Surgit and Karla walked through narrow, dark tunnels. Gray walls surrounded them, and if it weren't for the torch Surgit was holding, they wouldn't have been able to see a single thing. The smell of mould and rotten flesh invaded their nostrils with every step. And the sound of moaning creatures in the distance haunted their advance.

They expected beasts to jump at them at every corner. Despite their excellent sense of smell, it was impossible for the hunters to pinpoint the exact location of the beasts that surrounded them, mainly due to the putrid smell that infested the chalice dungeons.

Surgit and Karla made a great team however. They'd each cover one side of the tunnel, dealing with every beast that tried to ambush them. The dungeons they were exploring were teeming with scrawny men with pale skin.

Most of them were naked, save for the loincloth that covered their private parts. Others wore tattered clothes with deep hoods that covered their heads. Those were the dangerous ones. They held scythes and could reach the hunters from afar.

Once, they almost cut Karla's head. She had heard the sharp whistle of a blade then a grunt. She ducked right on time to avoid the extended scythe, which still managed to cut some of her hair. Surgit was upon the hooded creature immediately after. He swiftly dealt with it then let out a relieved sigh.

"These bastards will be the end of me," he said in a crazed tone. He kicked the inanimate body by his feet and then spat on it. "Fucking... GAH!" he kicked the corpse again.

Karla burst into uncontrollable laughter. Surgit turned to her, his eyebrows arched. "What's so funny?!" he asked, almost hysteric.

"You've been fighting more dangerous beasts than these puny little ones. Yet, they still manage to get under your skin. Pffft..." she went on with her laughter.

Surgit's knitted eyebrows slowly loosened. The confused look he gave Karla pushed her to laugh even harder. She clutched her stomach and guffawed while tears trickled down the corners of her eyes. Surgit crossed his arms and observed her in sullen silence.

After Karla finally calmed down, she wiped the tears away then looked at the hunter, her eyes twinkling. "I generally burst into uncontrollable laughter when I'm nervous. That thing scared the hell out of me too. I apologize if I caused you any offense," she said in a modulated voice.

Surgit gave her a warm smile. "No worries," he said in a flat tone. He looked toward the end of the tunnel they were walking. "Shall we keep going?"

Karla nodded. They left the tunnel shortly afterwards, to find themselves standing in a spacious room. Pillars rose on each corner, which old wooden coffins leaning on each of them. On each side of the room, the hunters spied doors that led deeper into the dungeons. Karla was about to head to the door on her right when Surgit stopped her.

"Do you hear that?" he asked, frowning.

Karla pricked her ears. "It sounds like... wheezing?"

Surgit nodded. He motioned his chin toward the coffins that leaned against the pillars. One of them in particular was dangerously close to the door Karla was attempting to reach. Karla brought her finger to her lips then slowly approached the coffin, stalking like a feline.

Using her Saif, she smashed the coffin and cut the beast that hid inside it with extreme ease. Surgit watched, amazed at how powerful Karla had become. After defeating the pale creature that tried to ambush them, Karla proceeded to smashing all the scattered coffins in the room.

Once done, she gave Surgit an encouraging nod and headed for the door she initially eyed. Just as she approached the entrance, however, Karla stiffened. Surgit had sensed something was amiss too. He heard faint footsteps approaching them. Then the smell reached his nostrils.

It smelled like sweat and sticky fur. He smelled blood mixed with putrid saliva. There was also a whiff of burnt hair on skin. Then he heard the faint grunts in the distance. He motioned to Karla to hide on one side of the door while he hid on the opposite side.

Soon after, a werewolf rushed inside the room. Its large, lean hind legs carried it faster than any of the hunters could run. Surgit spied the horns protruding from its head and cursed under his breath.

"Watch out, this one spews fire," he said then rushed toward the beast.

The monster immediately turned to face Surgit and, as the latter predicted, it opened its mouth and fire shot toward him in a furious combustion. Surgit jumped aside then, with a quick swing, cut the beast's leg.

The beast grunted then turned its sharp fangs toward Surgit. It bit the air, missing the hunter's exposed neck by a hair's width. Surgit didn't lose any time. He thrust his sword toward the beast chest, only to be surprised by the monster's reaction. It jumped backwards at lightning speed, leaving a trail of fire behind him that almost caught on Surgit.

He ducked underneath the deflagration while flames licked at his cape. He saw a shadow run behind the beast. Then he heard the beast howl in pain. He jumped to his feet, tearing his cape away as he did. Then he dashed toward the beast that was already engaged in a fierce exchange with Karla.

The last time he'd fought one of these, he had finished it fairly quickly. This time around, however, the beast wasn't going to give up easily. No matter how many times the hunters tried to surround it, the flaming werewolf would retreat and shoot fireballs at them.

"You stay behind. I'll draw it toward me and get it to attack. You're a better shot than I am. Shoot it before it attacks, and I'll do the rest," Surgit told Karla after a while.

Karla didn't protest. She nodded and waited for Surgit to lay his bait. As soon as he approached the beast however, it did something neither of them expected. It jumped over the hunter and headed for Karla, snarling and grunting.

Karla cursed under her breath as the beast aimed a sharp claw toward her chest. She quickstepped aside then shot the beast twice. One bullet landed on its leg, while the other landed on its forehead.

The beast turned to face her, showing its canines and growling. Gray fumes exuded from its nostrils while it eyes the two hunters with extreme disdain. It howled. Then two fireballs, bright like two miniature stars, materialized before the werewolf. It flung them at each hunter then dashed after Karla.

As soon as Karla dodged the fireball, it found the beast facing her, sharp claws aiming at her head and chest, a gaping maw ready to devour her whole. She didn't have any time to avoid the attack. She knew this was her fatal mistake, and she awaited the beast's punishment.

But the punishment never came.

As the werewolf made to slice Karla in half, she heard a distant shot then the beast fell on its knees.

"Give it hell!" She heard Surgit scream in a guttural voice.

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