Umbra《Book 2》

Chapter X

Byze

"Okay. I'm starting to think we are on a very dangerous island." Puffer said. They stood in a clearing with a creek running through the center. Ice spikes twisted up from the stream towards them. The flowing water either found a way through or around the twisting spikes.

"What keeps attacking Smii7y that made him need to freeze a whole creek? This is insane." Blarg asked.

"Something that definitely pissed him off." Flom responded.

"Just means we are on the trail. We have to get close to them. These spikes are barely melted. Smii7y must have made these a few hours ago." Byze said.

"I thought Smii7y's ice never melted." Blarg said.

"The ice he produces doesn't, but when he freezes water it does." Puffer explained.

"Let's keep moving so we don't lose ground on them." Byze instructed. They walked around the ice and headed toward the base of the mountain.

"I wish Tucker was with us so he could change into something and run ahead to find them." Blarg said after walking for a while.

"At this rate, we won't catch them. They are probably a few hours ahead." Flom agreed.

"We have to keep trying. We will find them." Byze said. They glanced up at the sky through the trees when a deep rumble echoed through the sky.

"Great. Now there is a storm on the way." Puffer said irritably.

"We definitely shouldn't try to travel through a storm." Flom responded. Blarg yelped and was suddenly pulled to the ground. He had a black tentacle wrapped around his ankle. The tentacle pulled him into the trees.

"Blarg!" Flom shouted.

"Hurry! After him!" Byze exclaimed. They ran after Blarg, who was being dragged deeper into the woods. Puffer used some water to slice the black tentacle. Something hissed in the trees as it let go of Blarg's ankle.

Blarg scrambled to his feet, "What the hell is that?!"

"I think the reason why this island is so dangerous." Byze answered.

More black tentacles crept out of the trees towards them. "What do we do?" Flom asked, "We're surrounded."

"Fight?" Puffer asked uncertainly.

"That's the only thing we can do." Byze said. His hands became warm with energy. Whatever that was attacking them, he was going to blast it to pieces.

Puffer shot a blast of water at a tentacle that was near him. The tentacle seemed to recoil a bit but continued to move in closer. Byze couldn't see where the tentacles were coming from.

"Our abilities aren't having much effect on these things." Flom said after he tried to blow a tentacle away but it quickly recovered and continued towards him. Byze didn't want to get close enough to touch the tentacles. He took a step back to get away from the two tentacles coming towards him. He nearly tripped over something in the grass. A medium size rock.

He got an idea and picked it up. His palm heated up as he transferred explosive energy into the stone. He then threw the stone into the trees. The rock exploded and the creature hissed again. A few tentacles retreated but even more slithered around the trees. "Well, that just pissed it off." Puffer said unhelpfully.

Flom was trying to keep a tentacle away from him but another one had snagged him from behind. "Eww! They are slimy!" Flom exclaimed.

"Fuck!" Blarg shouted as he was pulled off his feet again. Puffer ran over to Flom and used high water pressure to cut through the tentacle. The monster squealed and whipped the stump away.