Free D'Mok Revival 1: Awakening by Michael J. Zummo Page B
Authors: Michael J. Zummo
one, charged them and threw them at Mencari. The two gems connected in midair and became a fizzling blob that splattered across Mencari’s body. The webbing dissolved from his acid-burned skin, and he was able to scramble away from the creature.
Ine yelled as the creature gored his side with its spear-like leg. Ignoring his own pain, Mencari grabbed his fallen pick and lunged, aiming at the large blue crystal on the creature’s back. It squealed loudly as a fountain of liquid spewed from the gash.
Ine took his pick and plunged it deep into the creature’s head. The squealing subsided and its legs buckled. As it fell, it disintegrated into a mound of blue gems and silver beads. Clear liquid oozed from the middle of the pile.
After she examined and tended the men’s wounds with her green crystals, Lady Weun stepped around the puddle of ooze and examined the gems on the floor. “Odd . . . These silver beads. They can’t be natural. It was a solid mass just a second ago. Now they look like they’ve been cut, polished and processed in a tumbler!”
She picked up a few from the top of the pile, avoiding the clear liquid, and placed them in the pocket of her robe.
“I’ll take them back to my shop,” she said. She glanced at Mencari and added, “I need to sort this out.”
* * * * *
Only an occasional smaller insect-like creatures of crystal challenged their progress as they moved deeper into the mountain. “Odd,” Ine said as they walked. “Only a few are here now, but before we were attacked by hordes of the things. Their legs and wings were as sharp as the big spider’s fangs.”
Entering the deeper sections of the mine, they found unharvested clumps of crystals embedded in the walls. Lady Weun looked at them as she passed, calling out each type as if cataloging. She paused at a large deposit of colored gems, and used Ine’s pick to collect a few.
“We’re getting into the raw section of the cave now,” Ine said.
“Close to the last place that anyone has harvested some of the fire marbles you’re looking for, Rhysus,” Lady Weun added.
As they continued, Mencari noticed an increased number of the gleaming patches along the walls, supposedly left behind by the creatures. The sheer number of the patches concerned him, but not wanting to alarm his companions, he said nothing.
Passing another alcove, he spotted a shape in the dark. Lady Weun jumped back while Ine bared his pick. When nothing emerged from the darkness, Mencari motioned. “Something’s in there.”
He crept toward the alcove. His feet kicked a small pile of amethyst crystals, scattering them across the ground.
“Hang on,” Ine whispered, took an illumination pod from the wall and brought it over.
The light showed the crystals landed in a red puddle. As light drove the darkness back, the sole of a boot emerged. A body came into view, a man’s, unnaturally pressed against the alcove wall.
“No!” Ine cried out, and dropped his pick as ran to his friend. A three-foot-long crystal spike staked one of the fallen man’s arms to the wall. Deep gashes in the man’s chest revealed the fatal blow.
With Ine’s sobs in the background, Lady Weun picked up a fist-sized amethyst crystal that sat atop a pile of quartz gems. “These crystals look the same as from the other creatures we’ve killed.”
Mencari pointed to the dead man. “It’s the same color as the spike in his arm.”
She turned to Ine. “I’m so sorry about your friend.”
“We should have stayed out after those creatures showed up,” Ine sobbed. He pulled the crystal spike from the dead man’s arm and tossed it aside. It hit the ground and fell into pieces. “I’ll be back for you, buddy, I swear. I won’t leave you here.”
He stood, retrieved his pick and rush down the cavern. “The breach the things came from isn’t far now.”
Mencari and Lady Weun hurried after him.
New sounds echoed through the cave. Ine paused to listen, the handle of his
Ine yelled as the creature gored his side with its spear-like leg. Ignoring his own pain, Mencari grabbed his fallen pick and lunged, aiming at the large blue crystal on the creature’s back. It squealed loudly as a fountain of liquid spewed from the gash.
Ine took his pick and plunged it deep into the creature’s head. The squealing subsided and its legs buckled. As it fell, it disintegrated into a mound of blue gems and silver beads. Clear liquid oozed from the middle of the pile.
After she examined and tended the men’s wounds with her green crystals, Lady Weun stepped around the puddle of ooze and examined the gems on the floor. “Odd . . . These silver beads. They can’t be natural. It was a solid mass just a second ago. Now they look like they’ve been cut, polished and processed in a tumbler!”
She picked up a few from the top of the pile, avoiding the clear liquid, and placed them in the pocket of her robe.
“I’ll take them back to my shop,” she said. She glanced at Mencari and added, “I need to sort this out.”
* * * * *
Only an occasional smaller insect-like creatures of crystal challenged their progress as they moved deeper into the mountain. “Odd,” Ine said as they walked. “Only a few are here now, but before we were attacked by hordes of the things. Their legs and wings were as sharp as the big spider’s fangs.”
Entering the deeper sections of the mine, they found unharvested clumps of crystals embedded in the walls. Lady Weun looked at them as she passed, calling out each type as if cataloging. She paused at a large deposit of colored gems, and used Ine’s pick to collect a few.
“We’re getting into the raw section of the cave now,” Ine said.
“Close to the last place that anyone has harvested some of the fire marbles you’re looking for, Rhysus,” Lady Weun added.
As they continued, Mencari noticed an increased number of the gleaming patches along the walls, supposedly left behind by the creatures. The sheer number of the patches concerned him, but not wanting to alarm his companions, he said nothing.
Passing another alcove, he spotted a shape in the dark. Lady Weun jumped back while Ine bared his pick. When nothing emerged from the darkness, Mencari motioned. “Something’s in there.”
He crept toward the alcove. His feet kicked a small pile of amethyst crystals, scattering them across the ground.
“Hang on,” Ine whispered, took an illumination pod from the wall and brought it over.
The light showed the crystals landed in a red puddle. As light drove the darkness back, the sole of a boot emerged. A body came into view, a man’s, unnaturally pressed against the alcove wall.
“No!” Ine cried out, and dropped his pick as ran to his friend. A three-foot-long crystal spike staked one of the fallen man’s arms to the wall. Deep gashes in the man’s chest revealed the fatal blow.
With Ine’s sobs in the background, Lady Weun picked up a fist-sized amethyst crystal that sat atop a pile of quartz gems. “These crystals look the same as from the other creatures we’ve killed.”
Mencari pointed to the dead man. “It’s the same color as the spike in his arm.”
She turned to Ine. “I’m so sorry about your friend.”
“We should have stayed out after those creatures showed up,” Ine sobbed. He pulled the crystal spike from the dead man’s arm and tossed it aside. It hit the ground and fell into pieces. “I’ll be back for you, buddy, I swear. I won’t leave you here.”
He stood, retrieved his pick and rush down the cavern. “The breach the things came from isn’t far now.”
Mencari and Lady Weun hurried after him.
New sounds echoed through the cave. Ine paused to listen, the handle of his