38. Phoebe
38
PHOEBE
T he shadow resolves into the figure of a towering Urr’ki. He’s huge. Even bigger than Vapas, his frame filling the passage. He wields a massive weapon that looks like a crude combination of blade and club, its jagged edges gleaming in the dim light.
Vapas doesn’t slow. Drawing his sword with a swift motion he raises it between them. The sharp edge catches the faint light as he charges.
The clash is immediate and violent. Metal crashing against metal as Vapas meets the Urr’ki’s attack. The tunnel reverberates with the force of their strikes, each blow sparking in the dimness.
The Urr’ki swings his blade in a wide arc. Vapas sidesteps, narrowly avoiding the strike, and counters with a quick slash that the Urr’ki blocks with a deafening clang. The strength of the Urr’ki’s block makes Vapas stagger back a step.
I press myself against the cavern wall, my breath caught somewhere between my throat and lungs. The fight is primal and brutal.
The Urr’ki laughs, his voice a guttural growl. He says something in their language. Vapas growls in response and swings again, but his opponent dodges.
The return swing comes in low, forcing Vapas to leap back to avoid being hit, but that brings the fight closer to me.
“Phoebe, stay back!” Vapas shouts, his tone harsh.
The Urr’ki’s gaze flicks to me. A smirk curls his lips as he says something. I don’t know the words he uses but it causes a cold chill to rush over my skin.
A surge of rage swallows my fear, burning away the paralysis that had gripped me. Sliding further down the wall, I scan the tunnel, frantically looking for something, anything, I can use.
I spot a jagged piece of rock with edges that look sharp and cruel.
Vapas lunges forward, his sword striking the Urr’ki’s shoulder. The blade cuts deep, but the Urr’ki roars and swings back. The blow lands, slicing Vapas across his side. Blood sprays, dark and vivid against the stone.
“No!” I scream, the sound ripping through the chaos.
I grab the rock, its rough surface biting into my palms, and dart forward before fear can stop me. The Urr’ki, focused on Vapas, doesn’t notice my approach.
“Phoebe, no!” Vapas shouts, but it’s too late.
I drive the rock into the back of the Urr’ki’s knee with every ounce of strength I have. He howls in pain, stumbling forward as his leg buckles beneath him.
Vapas acts. He surges forward and his sword flashes as he strikes. The blade cuts clean through, slicing across the Urr’ki’s throat in a single, decisive motion.
The Urr’ki gurgles, his weapon clattering to the ground as he collapses in a lifeless heap. The silence that follows is deafening, broken only by the ragged sound of our breathing.
I drop the rock, my hands trembling as I stare at the fallen Urr’ki. My stomach churns, nausea rising as the reality of what I’ve done crashes down on me.
When did I become a killer?
Vapas steps toward me, his expression unreadable. Blood stains his side, and his breathing is labored.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” he says, his voice low and rough.
“I couldn’t let him kill you,” I whisper, my throat tight with emotion.
His gaze softens, just for a moment, before he turns toward the cavern exit.
“Come,” he says. “We have to keep moving.”
I follow, my legs unsteady but driven by the knowledge that this isn’t over. Not yet.