The Chronicles of Tenroha

Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-four

Ryan and Jonah dropped the food that they were eating and grabbed their weapons when they heard Chloé scream. They ran after the sounds echoing through the tunnel ahead of them. They ran through the tunnel, taking no regard for their own safety. They went around the bends in the path and leapt over large cracks in the floor. The screaming stopped suddenly. They reached the end of the tunnel as it opened up into another enormous cavern.

This was the largest cavern that they had been through since going beneath the mountains. There was an underground lake that stretched out in front of them. There were many more of the glowing crystals spread throughout the cavern. The ceiling was as bright as the night sky on a moonless night. Ryan could see the ruins of an ancient city that had been carved into the walls of the cavern that surrounded the lake. They looked around nervously, trying to find Chloé.

On the far side of the lake, on the shore beneath a giant archway, they saw a large figure with something much smaller that was lying motionless on the ground in front of it. The creature let out a snarling growl that reverberated off of the walls. The sound was deep and menacing, and it made them feel as if their very bones were vibrating with the sound. The creature jumped into the lake and began to run towards Ryan and Jonah.

Jonah raised his bow and fired an arrow at the beast as it splashed its way through the water towards them. The arrow flew true and struck the creature above the eyes, but the arrow reflected away from the creature instead of piercing flesh. They now could see that it was an enormous wolf. The wolf leapt from the water and landed between the two men with its mouth open and its teeth in full view. It growled as Ryan raised his sword and began to circle it.

Jonah shot arrow after arrow. None pierced the wolf's hide. The wolf was completely unphased by the arrows that were bouncing off its hide. The wolf kept its attention focused solely on Ryan. It opened its mouth and lunged toward Ryan. Ryan ducked low and rolled beneath the mouth as it snapped closed behind him. He leapt to his feet beneath the being and brought his sword up into the wolf's chest with the full force of his body behind the blow.

The sword pierced into the wolf's skin, but struck bone underneath the fur. The shock of the blow caused his sword to fall from Ryan's hands and it fell to the ground with a loud clang that echoed through the chamber. It was several feet away from him when it stopped. The wolf yelped in pain and then turned to face Ryan again. Ryan dove towards his sword, but the wolf blocked his path. Ryan rolled to his feet and turned to run towards Jonah, but the wolf pounced on top of him with its paws.

Ryan felt severe pain in his back and legs as the wolf landed on him. He had tried to roll out of the way, but the beast landed too swiftly and stood over him. Its mouth opened, and as if in slow motion, Ryan saw the wolf's maw drawing towards his head. He closed his eyes and prayed to whomever would hear him. He felt the wolf's warm breath upon his neck, and the wetness on his back from saliva that had dripped upon him from the beast's gaping jaw.

Jonah loosed another arrow. It caught the beast directly in the eye. The wolf shrieked loudly and flung itself backwards, away from Ryan. It wailed in pain and began pawing at the arrow that was stuck in its eye. The wolf howled in agony when it broke the arrow free. Ryan crawled towards his sword and used it to regain his feet.

He stood there panting as the initial pain began to subside. Jonah's arrow had given him a chance to rest. He knew that he had to get to Chloé, but the wolf stood in his way. His legs were shaking from adrenaline and the pain. He regained himself. He ran to the wolf's blind side, trying to remain just out of view as the wolf's attention turned away from him and went to Jonah.