Chapter 29 #2
Screams filled Aryana’s head. Her heart raced even harder.
She squeezed her eyes shut, trying not to imagine the deathworm attacking.
Its sharp unforgiving pincers ripping into the soft fleshy parts of the demon, tearing them apart, or the acid pouring from its mouth, melting skin and bone.
Her own deathworm wrapped around her leg, and hissed in delight.
Be calm, be calm, be calm, be calm, she chanted to herself.
After what seemed an eternity, the screams stopped.
One down.
They’d somehow linked the kalators together so that their thoughts and feelings were connected, designed to raise their panic and fear. What was the point of burying them like this? It wasn’t as if the crowd had the ability to see or witness them.
The crowd most likely has taken a lesser form of the bread with the Communication Potion. A thought entered her mind. It is what allows us to connect. It will allow them to hear our thoughts and feel our fear, panic and physical pain, but we cannot feel theirs.
Jesir? She reached out with her thoughts.
It’s me, he replied. This is quite terrifying. Forgive me for trying to find something to distract myself by tuning into your thoughts.
The deathworm attacks when we are panicked, Aryana thought. So we must remain calm.
Oh gods, its legs are piercing my throat. It’s reaching for my face, cried a voice.
Aryana’s heart raced as another kalator started to panic.
Remain calm, Aryana projected her thoughts louder than the softer ones around her. It will not attack unless you let fear overcome you. Breathe in and out.
Everyone, listen to Aryana. She knows what she is talking about. This time, Aryana recognized Pohan’s thoughts.
Neri here, not panicking is all well and good but in a bit some of us are going to run out of air, and even though that may not be a concern to demons, it is definitely a problem for this human.
They didn’t know how long they’d been passed out in the coffins. That meant Neri might have hours or minutes.
We need a way out, Aryana thought. The creature slid up her calf to her knee, its sharp legs jabbing into her flesh, emitting a disturbing clicking noise. The deathworm usually only attacks when it senses fear, but if it gets hungry or bored, it may attack anyway, out of spite.
That’s not comforting, someone thought.
How do we get out? Jesir asked. I’d wager we are trapped under several feet of dirt, at least.
Thoughts swirled through the others’ minds and Aryana had to shut her eyes and focus, despite the slimy, cold body of the deathworm sliding across her thigh, burrowing under her dress. She tuned into her own thoughts. How could they get out before the deathworm decided to attack?
And then it came to her.
We have to use the deathworm, Aryana thought.
Are you mad? someone projected, and she sensed their terror intensifying.
Everyone, listen to Aryana if you want to live, Pohan’s voice boomed.
They release an extremely acidic liquid, she explained, fighting not to arch and maintain her nerves as the mandibles brushed at her center. If we attack it, it will expel the liquid.
Did you say to attack the creature that is confined with us and could kill us at any second? someone said.
She bit her tongue as the creature continued to explore her, its slimy skin coating her body, its spindly legs roving over her bare flesh and most vulnerable parts.
If we direct the acid toward the part of the coffin above the top of our heads, it should melt the wood enough for us to break out without it completely caving in on us. Then we can dig our way to the surface.
Did you say dig? Neri asked. Someone’s heart was pounding.
Shit. Neri would have to hold her breath while digging and risked drowning in the surrounding dirt.
It’s all right. Aryana tried to project calm out to the others, and especially Neri.
The deathworm had spun around, unable to burrow any further into her dress, falling out of the tear along her side and latching onto her arm.
She fought to stay still and not provoke it.
As soon as I am out, I will come and help you.
And why should I believe that? Neri’s caustic voice came next.
You don’t have a better option, Jesir pointed out.
Gods, I wish I could burn the whole lot of you to ash, Neri thought.
Everyone, try to remain calm and wait for the right moment to strike, Pohan said.
Aryana laid still, even though adrenaline rushed through her body as the deathworm crawled toward her shoulder. She needed to move soon, otherwise it would attack from the others’ fear and trepidation.
Someone started screaming. It's got me. It's got me!
It hadn’t worked. This time she wasn’t prepared for the panic that ripped through her and caused her hands to shake and breaths to come uncontrolled.
The deathworm reared its head, its mouth opening.
There was no other choice. She lunged for it, grabbing it.
The creature squealed and writhed, acid coming from its mouth.
She tried to avoid it but hissed when her elbow went down and a searing ache jolted through her.
She lifted it and slammed the thing into the side of the coffin, then pressed it up to the planks directly at the crown of her head where acid spewed out over the wood.
The creature continued to fight, its sharp legs scratching Aryana’s arms. More acid issued forth.
She felt the cries and pain of her fellow kalators.
Was it working out for them or were they all dying?
The wood melted away in front of her. She snapped the deathworm’s neck and scrunched to the bottom of the coffin. The creature lay inert, unmoving. You need to kill it. Break its neck, she struggled to send through the rushing emotions and fear.
When the panic died down, Aryana ventured out with her thoughts. Who’s still here? Neri?
I’m here, though nice and burned.
I can’t believe that worked, Jesir said.
I am present, Pohan said.
She waited, but nobody else sounded off. Only Aryana and three others remained.
The trial council really didn’t care if the kalators were there to protect their champions or not. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have separated them from their fighters each time. Aryana and the others actually were only there for entertainment and to be killed off in the most horrific ways.
When the potency of the acid wore down and soaked through the wood, she extended a hand to test it.
The wooden boards gave under her hands. She pulled them back, and the dirt poured in and she waited for it to stop as the force equaled itself out.
She let out a long breath and projected her thoughts once again. Time to dig.