NovaForge by Scott Toney Page B

bodies moved through the darkness. She had thought it only moments since Riad left her side, and when she had rejected the voices of the essences, but she still saw no sign of him or Bayne.
    A warm rush of air blew thickly over her and she stopped, seeing a red light in the distance beyond the UV light of her weapon.
    Boom! The light of an explosion erupted beyond the opening of the tunnel there, the force of the blast enough to shake the stone floor beneath her and cause her to brace her hand on the wall to steady herself.
    They are there, she thought, her heart racing. And what else will we find when we arrive? “Only the strong should follow me.” She turned back to Olan’s people. “There is battle at the end of this passage, and I have no spare weapons to give you. If you wait here, then I give you my word that I will return.
    The people of Olan said nothing. She turned and looked to them, watching their hollow eyes stare at the red-lit passage in the distance. “Then do as you will. I have done what I can do for you for now. If you protect yourselves, then I will come back for you.”
    With her strength returned, Julieth pumped her wings and soared quickly through the darkness, embracing the cool air of the cavern as she spliced though it, and yet remaining alert constantly.
    Howls echoed over the passage’s rock walls as she neared the red illuminated chamber. She landed in the darkness. Juieth remained a way back, squinting to see cells much like the ones she had been held captive in lining the far wall in the red chamber. Sweltering heat wove over her form as she walked closer. Her vision swam, as if her sight were a mirage.
    BOOM! Another blast rocked the ground beneath her, lighting up the chamber with fire and then blanketing it with smoke as the bodies of two beasts were thrown through the air, landing in front of her. One of the bodies morphed back into the form of a man, its arm severed and its body covered in char from the explosion. The other beast was stunned for a moment, but soon dug its massive clawed hands into the cavern floor, hefting itself up, looking around and locking eyes with Julieth. Its spine curved grotesquely and its beady, haunting eyes shimmered, sending a surge of fear through Julieth’s body. A grin moved over its saliva-coated maw.
    It moved quickly as it rose, running on all fours towards her.
    With barely a thought Julieth held the guns high, drenching the beast with UV light from the one and blasting it with electricity as it leapt for her. Meat shed from bone and it howled in agony while thrashing into her torso, knocking her to the ground.
    It was dying, but still fought her, thrashing with its claws down toward her skull.
    Julieth thrust her head away as its claws bashed against the rock below them, sending a screeching sound through the chamber. As it lifted its arm to strike for her again, she grappled for her weapon on the ground nearby. The beast’s arm thrashed down and she blasted it with her gun, disintegrating it with electric charge and sending it toppling to the ground beside her in agony.
    Julieth’s muscles burned as she stood. She illuminated the thing once more with her light. Its muscles twisted and pulled as it morphed back into human form. Blood soaked the rock floor from its wounds. Half of the now human looking thing’s jaw was missing.
    “Why? Why do you hate us?” Julieth asked it. “Why would you choose to live a life like this? Surely there is consciousness and morality somewhere in the makeup of your race.”
    The dying man’s eyes rolled into the back of his head as he convulsed violently, choking on the blood pooling in his throat.
    I will put you out of your misery, whatever you are, Julieth thought. She leveled her weapon at its chest and fired a long blast of electricity, decimating its core and charring the blood that had been liquid in its extremities.
    Searing bile rose in her throat as Julieth turned away from him to walk into the red