Maya jolted awake to the sound of an echoing thunder clap she could feel in the marrow of her bones. She tried to sit up only to feel a straps cutting into her neck, wrists, and ankles. This along with the coppery scent of blood nearly caused her to break down in panic. Only her training allowed her to keep a level head.

"Ah, it seems your friends putting up a fight next door has woken you." A nasley female voice said from behind Maya. "My name is Firihel, and I'll be your physician in today's operation."

Firihel stepped into Maya's field of view, and the first thing she noticed was she was slightly angled headfirst towards the floor. The second was the female Shoul'k dressed in body length robes similar to a priest, and a belt full of sharp dainty implements. What skin was visible was dark blackish grey like that of a moonlit shadow.

"Are you sure you're not my torturer?" Maya snarked.

Firihel smirked as she grabbed a pair of long rusted tweezers off her belt. "Actually your torture requires a physician's skill."

She walked out of Maya's view, and sounds of her sorting through glass objects shortly reached Maya's ears. Within minutes she heard a triumphant exclamation came from Firihel. The pop of a cork, and the sound of tweezers tapping against glass sent shivers up Maya's spine.

The sound of demonic hisses, chittering, and chattering came next, coming ever closer. Finally Firihel stepped back into Maya's view; where she stared, wide-eyed, at Firihel's red gloved fist, where the demonic chatter resonated. She shivered unconsciously. "What is that?"

"Why don't you see for yourself?" Firihel opened her fist slightly.

Pinched between Firihel's thumb and index-finger was a crimson-red centipede-like worm writhing viciously, its skin secreting toxins. Every time it screeched, it's mouth opened to reveal a mouthful of yellowed, razor sharp teeth. It had tiny, red, dot sized eyes, which spun around, taking in everything at once. Billions of needle-thin legs laid flush with its ebony speckled belly.

Maya couldn't see anything but the head. The only reason she knew of its body and feet was from old, bat-crap-crazy warriors describing this parasite as it fed on their friends. No one ever survived it.

"No. You wouldn't!" Maya fought against her chaffing leather restraints.

One of the nameless Shoul'k placed the gag back over her mouth.

"Oh, but I would." Firihel's grin became as wide as her eyes. "Haven't you wondered who created these creatures? It would only make sense that their creators used them, wouldn't it?"

Maya shook her head back and forth, trying to avoid the worm as it was carried ever closer. She thought of praying, but then again, who would answer? She was positive that the reply she would get would be equal to what was out there; nothing.

Firihel let go of the worm. It landed in an ungraceful slimy heap over Maya's nose. Its slime burned like acid as it made contact with her skin. The worm itself seemed stunned at the unceremonious deposit. Stunned as it was, that didn't stop it from unleashing its rage upon the nearest victim; which happened to be Maya herself.

Quicker than what Maya thought possible, it half slithered, half crawled over to her left eye. Only then did she notice the old warriors forgot to mention the orange striped split-in-two tail, whose tips dripped an unknown toxin. All she could do was watch in horror as it leaped, aiming directly for the center of her eye.

Maya's muscles tensed, bracing herself for the pain.

As it touched her eye, it seemed to split the surface like a straw going through an orange. Mashed, blood infused, eye pulp oozed out from the hole as the worm burrowed through her eye and into her brain.

She howled in pain, her body convulsing with enough force to snap the restrains on her wrists. To an outside observer she appeared to be having multiple seizures simultaneously. Her eyes (or more like her right eye, and what was left of her left eye) were filled with tears. Bloody eye pulp ran down her face alongside the tears. Oh how she wished they had just burned her alive instead!

"You shall become the prince's worst nightmare, and that's not even the worst part." Firihel viciously grinned as her fingers danced along Maya's arm before tapping right above her heart. "He won't be strong enough to kill you. He won't have any choice but to watch you – his once trusted friend – drive your blade through his heart."

She could feel it slithering over her brain; it's slime leaving a mind-numbing pain in its wake. It was as if it knew not to destroy that part of her. Then, as if that wasn't enough, it plunged deep into where her cerebral cortex and spine connected. There she could feel it plunging its tail deep into the tissue before the billions of tiny feet buried into her mind and spine. She knew the worm was the only thing keeping her lucid.

"Now to fix that eye of yours..." Firihel said.

She snapped her fingers. "Ah yes, I know just the spell, but sadly, it won't hurt you nearly enough." Firihel began chanting as a dark mist, which smelled of sulphur, started swirling around Maya.

Maya screamed again as her eye began to bubble and melt; then solidify into a sphere. This time the pain did take her. With one final mental effort, she pledged she wouldn't forget this, and instead warn the others.

---

Ryden watched as Hunter unleashed a power so feral it seemed more like an act of nature than human. Nor the way Hunter acted as several Shoul'k guards descended upon him seemed human. He was growling like a wolf cornered, but like a wolf cornered it was only a matter of time before he would be put down forcefully. He also wasn't sure how Hunter had managed to get past the bars separating them from the Shoul'k.

Ryden was paralyzed with fear. Fear that if he moved, his control over his own power would crumble to ashes. Fear that the little mana he had recovered would be used up. Ryden realized with a sickening horror how unprepared he actually was for this quest he chose to go on. Because of him, he didn't know where Maya or Drake were, or if they were even alive still. Because of him, he was about to watch two people who followed him die. Becua-

Ryden's thoughts were interrupted by a heart piercing, gut dropping, scream that echoed off the cavern's walls. Ryden was so engrossed in his own self-pity he hadn't noticed the female Shoul'k finish the gate symbols. Nor the fresh cuts across Adalstan's wrists, ankles, and sides.

Blood flowed freely down Adalstan's arms to his feet where a pool of blood was forming. At the edge of that pool, blood was being wicked up the walls by the chalk, turning it a deep crimson. As the blood soaked chalk met at the top, a low rumble reverberated across the cavern. Adalstan's face had become as white as the chalk had been moments before, and then his skin began to darken to the same shade as the Shoul'k.

"The gate is finally being reopened!" The female Shoul'k shouted with glee. "Nothing can-"

Three things happened simultaneously. First was a second, more distant scream that Ryden somehow knew was Maya's; sending Ryden's flames into a firestorm around him, and consumed more than just his mana. Second was Hunter, who cleaved a Shoul'k twice his size in half barehanded; black demonic sparks mixing with his normal ones. The third was a low manik chuckling coming from the mouth of the Cavern.

"A gate to an underworld requires the permission of Death, and yet you tried to forcefully sneak in." Achmetha stepped into view, holding the severed head of the Shoul'k boy who tried stopping him from entering the cavern. "Stupidly you either didn't care - or maybe realize - his brother was sampling your hospitality. I found it... Lacking.

Achmetha drop kicked the head to the female Shoul'k's feet.

Stammering she replied, "I-I-It's too l-l-late!"

When no one replied she grew more confident. "The sacrifice has been made, the circle drawn, and now the gate shall open!"

"Too true." Achmetha nodded enthusiastically.

"I don't know nor care for this sacrifice" he waved to Adalstan. "But you don't just sneak into the underworld, keep a soul from death - corrupting it and it's body, and expect to not be punished."

"Surely a being of chaos like yourself will not interfere." The Female Shoul'k replied haughtily.

"Of course not!" Achmetha's voice dropped to a loud whisper. "But you forgot there's at least one in here, that's a being of order. Currently it seems you have upset him."

"Now!" As Achmetha said this, he snapped his fingers. the cave erupted into a swirling firestorm of pure white flames with black and silver lightning shooting through it. It's power raged through the cavern, atomizing everything and everyone it touched. Everyone except Hunter, Achmetha, and Ryden.

As quickly as it had came, the firestorm vanished. The only evidence that anything had happened here was the lack of any cavern being there in the first place. The three looked at each other as what was left of the cavern's ceiling began to crumble around them.

"We need to find Maya, and Drake!' Ryden shouted.

Achmetha shook his head. "I don't need to do anything princeling. If you want to die, be my guest. I'm-"

Hunter grabbed Achmetha and Ryden. "You're both going to get out of here before we're crushed. Then we can all bicker. Do I make myself clear?!"

"Crystal!" Ryden and Achmetha said in unison.

======

A/N

Hey all, here's another chapter! I was really excited to get to this one! I've been sitting on the 'eye-scene' for a few years now. I know when I go back in a couple years to edit this book, I will be keeping it. It's probably not as impactful as I wanted it to be, but maybe I'm wrong. Let me know in the comments!

Also, two chapters in a year! That must be a record for me... At least in recent years!