—— ? ——

  Simon peered around the corner slowly, holding his breath. Behind him, molten trickles of metal lit the tunnel path he’d taken. Ahead, the silence was broken by a rhythmic clanging.

  He stared into the dimly lit cavern, scanning it quickly. Two constructs moved in jerky patterns, moving from one side of the room to the other. They looked just like the one he and Kaelalin had destroyed earlier.

  Shit.

  They had known it was a long shot, but they had still hoped that the number of enemies wouldn’t grow. Two tunnels in, and that hope had already shattered.

  Simon slipped back into the tunnel and retraced his steps. His mind went from one idea to another, but he had no idea how they were going to beat two of these damned creatures. He reached the next open chamber, where Kaelalin stood waiting. Alert, eyes scanning, brows furled in concentration.

  “What did you see?” Kaelalin whispered as Simon drew near.

  “Two metal constructs. Same type as the one we fought earlier.”

  Kaelalin tsked and bit her lip.

  “At least… it’s not something new,” she said, brows furling deeper. “You’re sure it’s just two?”

  Simon nodded and took a moment to scan the cavern. It was smaller than the one they'd first entered but shared a similar design. Veins of molten metal trickled down the far walls into shallow depressions, casting eerie glows across the floor. There were three pools of cooling material that gave the cavern its sinister glow. While the air was still stifling, there was less of the acrid metal bite to it. Dry but breathable.

  Kaelalin muttered under her breath and shrugged off her pack. She dropped to her knees and began rifling through it with focused intensity, pulling out sacks, boxes, and assorted tools. Simon watched for a moment, trying to make sense of the items. He wanted to ask what she was doing, but her face was painted with a look that said, “Don’t bother me, I’m busy.”

  Simon left her to it and wandered to the nearest molten pool.

  As he approached, the heat grew oppressive. The air thickened, and with every breath, it stole moisture from his lungs. It reminded him of a summer trip to Arizona. Dry, stifling, and miserable. At least that place had fewer monsters.

  As far as he knew.

  He stepped closer to the edge and stared down into the metal. His skin tingled as the radiating heat baked him. The pool looked like it was filled with a type of gold. The cooled edges of the pool glistened in the low light, beckoning him. This was what kids dreamed of, and it just waited. Ready to be scooped up and ferreted away.

  Simon was tempted. Maybe he could summon an instrument and use it to ladle some up? Kaelalin probably had magic bags or containers somewhere in that massive bag of hers.

  He glanced over his shoulder. The woman was completely unaware of what was happening in the cave. She was carefully pressing a softly glowing shard into a metal frame. Without pause, she pulled another gem from a pouch and repeated the process. Her eyes gleamed as she finished, then another glowing gem came from her bag and she repeated the process.

  Simon turned back to the pool..

  It shimmered like treasure. Just sitting there. Waiting.

  He narrowed his eyes.

  … nah…

  Simon shook his head and turned away, leaving the golden glow behind. He moved back toward Kaelalin, eyes flicking to the distant tunnel as he walked.

  She looked up from the device she was assembling.

  “Anything interesting?”

  Simon shrugged. “Just a pool of shiny metal. Think we should try collecting some of it?”

  Kaelalin glanced at the pool, then back to him.

  “Perhaps... but I’d be cautious. For all we know, something’s lurking beneath those pools,” she said, stowing her materials. “Or something worse.”

  Simon pointed at the five glowing metal devices she’d laid out. “And what are these?”

  Kaelalin finished packing and looked up with a grin.

  “I’m an inventor,” she said, gesturing proudly at the array. “Last fight, I was caught off guard. This one? Not happening. These are magically infused traps.”

  Simon pulled away from the device he’d been inspecting.

  “Traps? What kind of traps?”

  Kaelalin’s mouth split in a wicked grin.

  “The explosive kind.”

  —— ? ——

  Simon peered around the corner for the second time.

  Yeah, yeah, Simon. Just go attract the monsters and run right past the fucking magic mines. He grumbled. What could possibly go wrong?

  He hated this plan.

  Kaelalin had assured him–repeatedly–that the mines definitely, totally wouldn’t go off when he ran over them. Sure, she’d demonstrated. Yes, she was confident. But Simon figured she’d overlooked one teeny, tiny detail.

  His luck.

  Every instinct he had screamed in protest. And honestly? He agreed with them. Sprinting across glowing magic-infused explosives was a whole new level of stupid.

  Still..

  When Kaelalin had asked him for a better plan, all he’d managed was a blank stare and some stammering. Two constructs meant he couldn’t repeat his strategy from the last fight. So without an alternative, this was the best option.

  Simon crouched and watched the two constructs wander the room. They moved with slow, listless steps, drifting from one side of the chamber to the other. He studied them, curious. He needed to learn more about how they moved, how they behaved.

  No, he wasn’t stalling.

  He was learning about his enemy. Yeah, that’s what he was doing.

  Several minutes passed as he observed them. The monsters just kept wandering… until one of them paused mid-step. The thing's head swiveled and looked around the room.

  Simon froze, holding his breath.

  But its eyes locked onto something else. The construct turned toward one of the molten pools.

  Simon watched with interest as the creature lowered to its knees with a heavy clang. One hand reached into the material, then scooped out a glob. Its fingers glowed bright as it raised the molten mass to its face–

  Then it screamed.

  Simon nearly jumped out of his skin as a wailing teakettle-like sound burst from the creature.

  Was… it in pain? No… that wasn’t right. The screeching sound contained something else.

  Longing. Grief.

  This is messed up.

  The cry dragged on for several seconds before cutting off. The creature stood again and resumed its wandering as if nothing had happened.

  Simon swallowed hard, then drew in a breath, steadying himself. Time to begin the l’m Totally Not Going to Explode plan.

  Simon cursed under his breath, then reached for his skill. Power coursed through him–warm and tingling–followed by a pop as his new golem whackers appeared.

  He instinctively flexed his grip, and his fingers closed around thick leather straps running down the sides of the new arrivals.

  He frowned.

  What the hell was he going to do with two… bongo drums?

  That was the closest comparison he had. The shells of the drums were forged from a burnished bronze material, with a taunt dark membrane stretched across the top. Each membrane had a dense, darkened patch in the center. One had wooden pegs woven into the leather cords running down its sides. The drum in his right hand was slightly larger, but both were still hand-sized.

  Simon stared at them, face blank.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Alright. These are completely useless. He thought to himself in the tunnel's silence.

  Wait. Why was it silent? Where was the clanging? The metal footsteps of the creatures?

  Uh-oh.

  His head turned slowly towards the cavern.

  Two sets of glowing eyes stared back. The constructs were just standing there. Watching.

  Simon flashed them a wide, nervous smile.

  “The weather’s horrible out. Great time to be indoors, don’t you think?”

  Then he turned and sprinted like a bat out of hell.

  Behind him, a metallic cacophony erupted as the constructs gave chase.

  As they targeted him, energy flowed into him, and Simon surged forward, kicking into a higher gear.

  “Kaelalinnnnnnnnnnnn — THEY’RE COMING!” he shouted, banging the two drums together.

  The right drum let out a deep dumm while his left gave a higher ting sound.

  His feet slapped the metal floor as he raced past the tunnel’s midpoint. Behind him, the thunderous clanging of construct feet echoed louder by the second.

  Simon’s eyes wildly searched the tunnel, finding the glowing mines. He gulped, but kept plowing ahead, hammering the drums together in a frantic rhythm.

  Kaelalin had needled him about his skill, trying to figure out how it worked. His rapid drum beating resulted from that discussion.

  Her theory? Repetition charged it. Even if he wasn’t attacking, the constant playing might still charge it.

  Simon hoped she was right as he kept banging the drums together. He shifted to the right, avoiding the first mine in the tunnel. Dumm-ting, rang out from his instruments as he clapped them together.

  This was when his brain offered up a distant memory. Bollywood. An image of an absurdly choreographed fight scene with dazzling colors, explosions, and over the top acting.

  Simon dodged the mine on his left, confused.

  This was not the time for a memory from that film industry. There were far too many explosions in those movies. Simon slammed the drums together as he needlessly ducked the mine on the roof of the tunnel. Better safe, then sorry. The sound of the drums echoed in the tunnel, and he glanced down at them mid-sprint.

  Wait... were these drums from a Bollywood film?

  His feet pounded on the metal as he pushed himself to run faster. A quick glance back confirmed it. The constructs were closing in. They had nearly reached the tunnel’s midpoint.

  Just two more mines to get past. He could make it.

  The creature's wails reached a new level of awful. Simon dashed past another mine.

  Faster, Simon. Faster!

  The last mine sat dead center at the tunnel’s mouth. Simon’s legs pumped furiously. At the last moment, he shoved off the ground and sailed over it.

  BOOM!

  Blue light filled the tunnel as a mine detonated. Simon flew through the air. A wave of air rushed down the tunnel, buffeting his back mid-flight. He landed in the cavern but didn’t lose his footing. His legs surged again, and he rocketed forward.

  To his left, Kaelalin stood at the ready, pressed against the wall. Her fingers glowed with crackling energy as she held her spell. Her face was grim, but the glowing light from her hands gave her eyes a mad gleam.

  BOOM! BOOM! … BOOM!

  Three more mines exploded, and the magical energy lanced through and out of the tunnel. Simon’s feet didn’t stop moving until he approached the far wall.

  He slid to a stop and spun to face the exploding tunnel.

  BOOM!

  Blinding blue magic burst from the tunnel’s mouth, lighting the cavern like the midday sun.

  Simon heaved in breaths, banged the drums, and waited.

  Dumm-ting! Dumm-ting! Dumm-ting!

  From the receding glow, a construct burst forth, armor crackling with magic.

  “The other one is dead!” Kaelalin shouted in victory, unleashing her spell. Dumm-ting!

  The bolt shimmered as it flew across the cavern, streaking toward the charging creature

  Simon grinned. One down. One to go.

  Dumm-ting.

  He braced as the construct clanged towards him. Its steps were labored, slowed by frost and explosive damage, but its glowing eyes stayed locked on Simon.

  Dumm-ting.

  The creature’s wail rose, echoing through the cavern. Its features took on a sinister look from the glow of molten pools.

  Simon gulped as it barreled down on him. Another bolt slammed into it.

  Dumm-ting.

  His heart pounded in his ears as he waited.

  Not yet.

  Not yet.

  NOW.

  Simon dove aside, and the creature smashed into the wall. He rolled to his feet, then charged, brandishing his drums like hammers.

  Dumm-ting. Dumm-ting. Dumm-ting. Dumm-ting. Dumm-ting. Dumm-ting. Dumm-ting.

  “What in all the frozen hells are those?!” Kaelalin's voice barely registered over the rhythmic din of the drums.

  Despite his flurry of blows, the creature wrenched itself free from the wall and turned towards Simon. He leapt back and continued to beat his drums of war. Dumm-ting. Dumm-ting.

  The monster hesitated, glancing between the muscular lunatic repeatedly banging hand drums and the woman wielding actual combat magic..

  It made its choice. Dumm-ting.

  Simon sighed, “Of course.”

  Then he gave chase as the thing lumbered toward Kaelalin.

  “SIMONNNNNNNNNN!” She screeched.

  Dumm-ting.

  Simon caught up and kept striking, giving the creature a marching rhythm as it chugged towards the screeching inventor.

  “RANDOM REMEMBER!” Simon shouted back. Dumm-ting.

  “YOUR SKILL SUCKS!!!” she shot back, followed by a bolt of magic that splashed onto the molten creature. Dumm-ting.

  Simon agreed, but what was he supposed to do?

  The creature picked up speed, leaving his reach. Simon growled, but then kept slamming the drums together as he worked on catching it. Dumm-ting. Dumm-ting. Dumm-ting.

  Then, just as he was about to close the gap, he hit the drums together and Thum…

  A grin broke across his face. His skill was charged. Kaelalin’s theory had been right.

  Dumm-ting. Thummm. Dumm-ting. Thummm…

  Energy pulsed out every time he brought the drums together. Simon glanced over his shoulder and saw small cracks left on the metal floor in his wake.

  A flash of blue magic lit up the space ahead, then WHAM!

  The monster slammed into the wall where Kaelalin had just been standing. She’d dodged easily, and was muttering another incantation.

  “It's READY!” Simon roared, charging towards the wedged construct.

  Kaelalin’s expression flipped from annoyance to glee. “I was right!” she crowed, energy buzzing between her fingers.

  “Hell yeah, you were!” Simon yelled as he shoved off with both legs, leaping the final distance. His drum-covered hands descended on the back of the poor monster.

  Dumm-tingthummm Dumm-tingthummm.

  Power radiated with every blow as Simon created a rhythm of death. Each strike drove the creature deeper into the wall. Its wails became muffled as it forcibly joined with the cavern.

  A mad grin split Simon’s face as he windmilled the drums into the monster again and again.

  It was done for. There wasn’t even a need to trade off attacks. The already damaged armor shattered under Simon's unrelenting assault. This time he didn’t pull out the heart like a deranged moron. He left dealing with that to Kaelalin, who poured magic into the creature's heart.

  With one last muffled cry, the metal construct fell silent as its heart froze over.

  “YEAH!” Simon pumped the drum into the air.

  —- SYSTEM NOTICE—-

  > You have slain Bronze Reliquary of Resentment x 2

  > Experience has been earned.

  ——————————

  Simon turned to Kaelalin. She had her pack on the floor and was already assembling new mines.

  “That plan worked great!” he said, still catching his breath.

  Kaelalin glanced up from her work. “It did…” Her eyes slid to the drums. “Although, we might need to change one or two things.”

  Simon looked down, just as the scent hit him. Burnt leather. He winced.

  As if to emphasize Kaelalin’s words, the right drum’s straps gave way. It slipped from his hand, hit the floor with a metallic ding, and rolled.

  They both watched it in silence as it wobbled across the cavern, its leather membrane separating from the metal after a few feet.

  Then it continued to roll, following the natural incline of the cavern. Picking up speed with every second.

  Simon cringed. Oh, come on.

  The drum raced across the room, bounced off the lip of the molten pool, then landed with a gentle plop.

  Simon stared. The last bits of leather caught fire, giving off a faint glow. It slowly sank into the molten gold. He blinked, then his gaze snapped to the tunnel, as did Kaelalin.

  They froze, not daring to breathe.

  Seconds rolled by. Simon's head fill with the sound of his heartbeat.

  Silence filled the cavern.

  Nothing happened.

  Simon exhaled and looked back at Kaelalin. She was glaring at him, lips drawn into a snarl. Simon flashed her an innocent smile and rubbed his face with his now-empty hand.

  “Okay. Maybe one or two changes.” he said. “But hey, at least we know the molten pools are safe to touch!”

  Kaelalin stared him down for several moments. Simon glanced at her fingers, growing a bit worried. Finally, she let out a deep sigh, then turned back to her work.

  Simon looked back at the pool. The poor drum was gone; the only record of its existence was a bright spot where it had slid beneath the surface.

  “Thank you, little guy,” Simon said quietly, as he tapped his remaining drum. A soft ting echoed through the cavern, giving its brother a send-off.

  He felt Kaelalin’s stare, sharp and disbelieving. Simon tensed, but after a second no ice bolt slammed into his back. He glanced over his shoulder and saw she had gone back to tinkering.

  He shrugged. All’s well that ends well, I guess.

  That’s when the wailing started.

  A distant low echoing note, the familiar sound of metal shearing through grief.

  “Oh, by Shearwind’s Fang,” Kaelalin snapped, already scooping up her materials. “Back to the first room. I’ll trap that tunnel as we go.”

  Simon didn’t argue. He just moved.

  His mind reached towards his skill, and to his relief, it was ready.

  He reached the tunnel and slowed, waiting. Kaelalin’s hands were a blur, multiple bags and pouches now strapped to her body. Magical mines seemed to assemble themselves in her hands.

  The wailing sound grew louder. Still distant, but it was coming. It grew in volume faster than any construct they had fought so far.

  Kaelalin rushed past him, racing down the tunnel. After several steps, her arm shot out, slapping a mine onto the right wall.

  “Right, left, up, right, down–same as before!” she shouted.

  “Got it!” Simon said as he carefully set his last small drum on the floor. Good luck, buddy. Then he moved into the mouth of the tunnel, taking careful note of the planted mine.

  He exhaled, steadying himself.

  The wail rose into a full scream, and the clanging began.

  Simon reached inward.

  And pulled on his skill.

  —— ? ——

  — AUTHOR NOTICE —

  Oh! I just realized. We just hit over 100,000 words for the story.

  ~TheBusyBard

  ——————————