Chapter 21 – Now’s Our Chance

The Nightcrawler advanced, its massive legs pounding the earth, each footfall sending tremors through the clearing, the very air seeming to crack and splinter under its immense weight.

Thud… thud… thud…

The ground beneath us trembled, the vibrations intensifying, the oppressive air of the Abyss closing in, suffocating us. I watched in horror as the creature reached the first of our traps, its massive foot crushing the pressure plate, the vines and thorns exploding outwards, not to ensnare, but to shatter, to disintegrate under the sheer force of its weight.

“No! The traps… they’re not working!” Luna cried, her voice trembling, her small hand gripping her spear tightly.

I’d hoped the inner ring of traps, reinforced with Arka’s stronger thorns and spikes, might offer some resistance. But the Nightcrawler’s foot came down again, crushing the traps, flattening them, rendering them useless.

“This… this can’t be happening…” Yuri whispered, her eyes wide with disbelief, her hand lowering from her bow, the fight draining out of her.

The creature turned its grotesque head towards us, its dozens of eyes fixing on us, not just seeing, but
knowing
, their gaze piercing through our defenses, our very souls, amplifying our fear, our despair.

And then it roared again, the sound a physical force, a wave of pure, primal terror that slammed into us, making our ears ring, our heads spin, our limbs go numb.

“This is… impossible…” I muttered, my spear heavy in my trembling hand.

It stopped just meters from us, its massive form towering over us, casting a long, dark shadow that seemed to drain the very life from the surrounding trees.

“Can we… can we even survive this?” The words escaped my lips, a whisper of despair.

“We must try,” Arka said, her voice calm, resolute, a beacon of strength in the face of overwhelming odds. “We must use everything at our disposal. Or we will not survive.”

I looked at her, her metallic form gleaming in the pulsating light of the central device, her blue eyes unwavering.
How can she be so calm? So… focused?

The Nightcrawler lowered its head, its many eyes glinting in the light, its massive foot lifting, poised to strike.

“Now, Noah,” Arka said, her voice sharp, urgent. “We must act. Hesitation… is death.”

“What do we do?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

“Follow my lead,” she said. “We will exploit its weaknesses. Yuri, Luna, prepare the explosive spheres.”

“The… the spheres?” Yuri asked, her voice trembling.

“Yes. They were designed by the explorers. They may be able to penetrate its armor. Aim for the legs. The joints.”

“Got it,” Yuri said, taking a deep breath, retrieving the spheres from her bag. She moved to the creature’s flank, her movements slow, deliberate, her gaze fixed on its massive legs.

“Luna,” I said, taking her small hand in mine, “you and I… we’ll attack from the opposite side. Keep its attention divided.”

The Nightcrawler roared again, its foot coming down, the ground shaking, making it almost impossible to maintain our balance. But Arka stood firm, her metallic form unyielding, giving us the precious seconds we needed to position ourselves.

“Ready,” Yuri called out, her voice steadier now.

“Aim for the head,” Arka said. “The leg joints. Those are its weak points.”

“Now!”

Yuri and I threw the spheres simultaneously.

Boom!

The first explosion rocked the Nightcrawler, the force of the blast sending shrapnel and debris flying, the light momentarily blinding us.

“Direct hit!” I shouted, already reaching for another sphere.

The Nightcrawler roared in pain and fury, its massive body twisting and turning, then it let out another ear-splitting cry, a wave of pure sonic force that slammed into us, making our heads spin, our ears ring.

“My head…” Luna whimpered, collapsing to the ground, covering her ears.

“Luna! Get up!” I pulled her to her feet, supporting her.

“Noah,” Arka said, her voice sharp, “prepare another sphere. Luna, provide covering fire.”

“Now!”

I threw the second sphere, aiming for the creature’s head.

Boom!

A direct hit. The explosion momentarily stunned the creature, its many eyes blinking, confused.

“It’s working!” Yuri shouted, notching an arrow, imbuing it with the light from the central device, aiming for one of the creature’s eyes.

The arrow struck true, and the Nightcrawler roared again, thrashing wildly.

Arka seized the opportunity, darting forward, her arm transforming into a blade, striking at the creature’s leg joint.

Clang!

The sound of metal on metal echoed through the clearing. The blade sank deep, but not deep enough. The Nightcrawler’s hide was thick, tough, resilient.

“It’s not enough!” Arka cried, her voice strained. “We need more force!”

She struck again, and again, sparks flying as her blade met the creature’s tough hide, each blow causing the massive leg to tremble, but not to break.

The Nightcrawler turned its attention to Arka, its many eyes fixing on her, its massive foot lifting, poised to crush her.

“Arka, dodge!” I shouted, but she didn’t move.

“I cannot,” she said, her voice grim, her blade still embedded in the creature’s leg. “I must create a weakness.”

CRUNCH!

The massive foot came down, crushing Arka beneath it, the sound of tearing metal echoing through the clearing. She’d raised one arm to shield herself, but the force of the blow was too great. The arm buckled, twisted, then tore free, sparks flying, wires exposed, the smell of ozone filling the air.

“Arka!”

“I am… functional,” she said, her voice strained, pushing herself up, her remaining arm transforming into a massive spear, its tip glowing with the light from the central device. “Now is your chance! Attack!”

“Throw!” Arka shouted, her voice strained.

Yuri and I threw our last spheres, aiming for the creature’s head and torso.

BOOM!

The explosions rocked the clearing, sending shockwaves through the air, toppling trees, the light from the central device intensifying, pulsing, as if feeding on the chaos.

Arka, ignoring her mangled arm, darted forward, seizing the opportunity, her light-infused spear aimed at the Nightcrawler’s exposed leg joint.

“This… ends… now,” she grunted, thrusting the spear deep into the creature’s flesh.

The Nightcrawler roared, its massive body convulsing, then collapsing, its weight shaking the very ground beneath our feet.

Yes!

But the force of the blow had also thrown Arka backwards, her body tumbling across the clearing, sparks flying from her damaged limbs, the exposed wires sparking and sizzling.

“Arka!”

“I am… operational,” she said, her voice weak, her movements sluggish. “Do not stop… now is your chance…”

I knew she was right. We couldn’t hesitate. We had to finish this.

“Now!” I shouted, gripping my spear tightly. “Finish it!”

We charged, Yuri, Luna, and I, our weapons raised, our hearts pounding, adrenaline coursing through our veins.

The Nightcrawler was struggling to rise, its movements slow, labored.

“Now’s our chance!” I shouted. “Don’t let it get up!”

I lunged, my spear aimed at the wound Arka had created, a deep gash in its leg joint, praying that this, finally, would be the end.