How she get’s me into these situations… I murmured wondering why I had bothered to go on this little ‘adventure’ with okami in the first place. She had a knack for putting me in danger and now i was really in for it. The water had already submerged the lower rock piles and was now diligently moving upward.
You did volunteer for this little trip.. Taka, the falcon spirit residing in me, said smugly inwardly preening his feathers. He did not seem worried about the water or the fact i could drown at any moment.
You should be a bit more helpful, If i die so do you, you know? I said climbing up on top of another rock, this one fairly smooth with strange repeating groves in it. I flop onto it, resting as I look down, the water still flowing from the crevices.
You could just use your earth nature chakra to bust a hole in the wall here and get to one of the other tunnels, sealing this one shut. Taka offered trying to sound a bit more sincere.
Not a bad idea, here goes nothing.. I say making several hand signs and then placing my hands, with concentrated earth nature chakra, against the walls. The earth underneath begins to tremble a bit, then stops completely. Taka, that should have melted the rock like butter, turning it to mud.. I say, now looking around for another exit.
It’ll be fine, there is a small hole in the roof just… He did not get the chance to finish as a large claw swung out, knocking me off the the rock and into the water below. swimming to the surface i looked up, stunned to see a creature emerge from the stone.. no it’s back was stone. It appeared to be almost like a scorpion except that it’s back was covered in stone, which followed the course of it’s tail all the way up to the stinger.
“What have you done to my hallow!” It bellowed at me, enraged at the encroaching water below.
“It wasn’t my fault” I say to him, looking down at the water flowing in below. “I was simply exploring this cave system with my relative and came upon your hallow, when I entered I shifted a small rock and the water began to flow… Had I not awakened you in my haste to escape, you might have drowned..” I say, swimming to the far end and climbing up on the rock.
“You admit it was your fault then!” He yelled before digging his tail into the stone behind and hurling a bolder at me where I sat on the ledge. Jumping up I grabbed the next ledge and climbed up. Taka, what do we do? i asked him, afraid we would be crushed or drowned. the water was now almost to the edge of the second ledge and the roof was only two feet above my head. the pressure building in the cavern weighed heavily upon my shoulders as I waited for his reply.
The roof has a small hole near the center, we should be able to fly up if we hurry. He said as we jumped off together, becoming one and the same. We took to the wing, flying a circle around the cave and avoiding the claws of the scorpion.
“You will not escape me” He bellowed, throwing several small chunks of rock from his claws at us. We dodged nimbly in the air and made for the hole, which was unfortunately right above the scorpion. As we neared the hole, he jabbed at us with the stinger which, unfortunately was now blocking the hole. With precious few seconds left I transformed mid flight and concentrated my chakra, slicing off his stinger near the base of the tail and transforming again mid fall.
Taking to the wing once more we wheeled quickly through the hole in the roof arriving in one of the tunnels we had already explored. Below we heard the final gurgles as the scorpion met his fate in his hallow underneath the ground. Unfortunately we were not out of the woods as the water began to fill up through the whole in the ground.
Transforming back into my human form I began to trek, hopefully, back the way I came towards the surface and away from strange creatures and beasts. I had made it a little ways when I heard the cracking of stone and gushing of water. Turning I say that a crack now split from the whole towards me, almost to my feet. I had just enough time to swear and turn as the floor exploded in a shower of stone and water as the scorpion broke through, enraged and wounded.
Like twin shots we ran through the caves, towards whatever end. Thankfully Taka’s eyes allowed me to see quite clearly in the cave and my sprint was easy. The creature however, was blindly smashing through whatever was in his way. We reached the entrance cavern with a burst as dust and stones showered around us. Here in this cavern we had set up some small lights and torches so the area was well lit. I took the time it took the scorpion to recover to look it over.
It’s stinger still hung from it’s body, attached by the stone-like flesh which comprised it’s back. The rest of the creature however, was simply flesh, which could be cut. We will come in from underneath and strike it with our lightning attack, put it out for good. Taka advised, wanting the creature dead. I stayed my hand for a moment and looked at the poor creature. No Taka.. we will leave it. I said turning towards the entrance and pushing myself between the rocks. We had caused the creature pain and suffering, destroyed it’s home. We had done enough to it.