What do we have here?

Despite the cursed flavor of the elixir I could feel the magic working through me. I could see the venom being counteracted in real time. The sickening color melted away before it finally seemed to break up. The bite itself wasn't fully healed, and continued to bleed rather badly. I could, however, put weight on it again and move freely once more. Though the hike back would be unpleasant. With the immediate crisis averted I turned my attention back to the room I had found myself in.

One thing that caught my attention was a dark spot within the crystal wall to my right. Where it had swallowed the lockers, there was a darkened space within. Likely an opened locker, broken or otherwise. Unfortunately, or fortunately, for me I couldn't get it out of my mind. Whatever was behind the glowing wall had my fascination. After a brief search I managed to find a large enough rock that had broken away from the wall. Roughly the size of a coconut, at first I thought I wouldn't be able to lift it but it was surprisingly light.

When I tried to stand my leg gave out in an instant. Dropping my back down to my knees. Even though the pain wasn't unbearable, my body wasn't ready to move. With a grunt I fell back against the wall once again. My miniature boulder next to me. In some grim intrusive thought, my first idea was to remove the leg. Surely that would have solved my issues. Rather than dismember myself, however, I opted to use my dagger and to cut the bottom of my shirt off. It hurt more to wrap my leg than it did to just **** my way forward.

With one issue out of the way I lifted the rock once more and, this time, managed to walk over to the lockers with my caveman tool. The first, second, third... not until the sixth strike did I make any headway into the strange crystal. At around the eighth attempt a long string of cracks began to form. With only a few more hits I managed to break the crystals apart in an explosive shower of sparks and horrible shards. I found the occasional needle in my arm for three days after the ordeal. After protecting my eyes from the surprise acupuncture I set my stone back down and took the chance to actually look into the space.

Despite the glowing network that seemed to inundate the cave system the locker was rather dark inside. I could only make out that it was mostly unaffected somehow. After a quick look inside, to ensure there wasn't some kind of horrific spider waiting to devour me whole, I stuck my hand inside, felt around for a bit, and pulled out the first thing I found. A small plastic box, because of course the plastic would survive time immemorial. There was a lock on the side that had long withered away, letting my easily open the small case. Though I did have to use the dagger to pry it open. The plastic had somehow welded together in the countless years. Inside I found something that shouldn't have existed, not in this time.

I took it into my hands, a small revolver. Ugly and long beyond repair. Along with the gun there was a small pile of ammunition. The bullets also in bad shape, however both of their general structures were there. After a moment of staring down at them I remembered my third strange class. I dropped back onto the ground once again as I examined the newly found items. "Artificer... you're going to have some explaining, Eros. What the hell is going on."

Rather than try to perform a miracle I decided to pack away what I could. I set the case into the bag before filling it nearly half way with as many large crystals as I could. Each one glowing softly. It took some reorganizing but I managed to keep my bottle easily accessible despite the now crowded space. With my surprise haul brought together I slung the bag back over my shoulder. As much as I would have liked to, I couldn't risk being cornered by the entire nest. I had to act while I only had a two of them after me. With my cargo hanging off of my shoulder I squeezed my way back through the narrow crevice that had hidden me. Once back through I was met with an uncomfortable sight. In the trail of blood that I had left, were dozens of foot prints. Each one seemed to be bigger than the last. Each one splattered across the ground in every direction. Every direction, pointed directly at my little hide.

In an instant I drew my blade and prepared to fight. I looked around and it wasn't until the shadows began to move did I truly realize how dire my situation was. Hulking masses writhing in the darkened spaces of the cave. They hid just out of sight. Ready and waiting for me to either fall over or let my guard down enough to take me in an instant. They were waiting for me to give up and let them tear me apart. Something I wasn't keen on giving them the satisfaction of. With a low growl I **** myself onward. The dull throbbing in my leg keeping me from sprinting entirely. I only made it a few feet before my old enemy made it's face known once again. The dog sized youngling burst out of the shadowed wall and went after my leg once more. This time it didn't get the luxury of taking another chunk.

With all the strength I could muster I swung my blade at it's neck. Narrowly dodging it's snapping jaws. Narrowly avoiding what would have been a killing bite. I swung with everything I could, and my blade found purchase once again. The sharp edge hitting a few inches away from the beast's other cut. This time cutting much deeper. Actually embedding the blade into the meat of it's neck. This time I could feel hard bone stopping my blade from cutting cleanly through. This time, I didn't stop. With a yell I ripped my sword free before slashing once again at the other side. Then one final hit to snap the bone. With a disgusting squelch the head fell free. The body writhed around, the muscles and nerves fired frantically, before it slump off in the distance. Blood oozed out from either end of the chop. The lizards head continued to snap in place on the stone floor for a few seconds. It tried desperately to have one final meal. My small victory was short lived before I could hear as the other shadows grew more and more restless.

I moved quickly, as quick as I could. I reached down and grabbed the beasts head, making sure to avoid the maw, and I ran, limped. I moved as fast as I could back through the way I came. Thankfully, with the makeshift skylight I had a good idea where I was going. I had only made it a hundred feet or so before another of the beasts came into view in front of me. Larger, much larger, than the one I had seen earlier. This behemoth was nearly the size of a cow. A thousand pounds of dinosaur like fury. The hulking beast hissed a horrid hiss at me before it started charged. Its gaping maw wide and full of jagged teeth. Luckily, with it's mouth open so wide it couldn't actually see where it was running. With a painful leap I jumped to the side. Even with my enhanced agility I barely dodged it's main attack. What I didn't plan for, was the tail swipe that knocked me back ten feet.

I could feel my ribs crack with the tremendous **** of the lizard's hit. Such a strike that it sent me sprawling across the space. When I managed to gather myself once more I could see the others tear into the juveniles corpse. Being locked underground, I wasn't surprised to see them act as cannibals. When I finally managed to pull myself to my feet I also noticed that my back seemed far lighter than it had. My bag had fell from my grip and was now laying against the wall of an enclosure roughly fifteen feet away from me. Likely for the best, otherwise I would have crushed everything in it. I raised my blade once more, the searing pain radiating through my shoulder and chest as I did. Painful tears welled in my eyes as I prepared to fight, or die. As I prepared to fall to some over grown gecko. I readied myself for its next strike.

I didn't have to wait long. The massive monster charged again. Once more with it's scarily large mouth wide open, ready to snap shut on my broken body. I didn't have a way to move. To my left and behind was the enclosure wall. To my right sat a cliff face that climbed straight into the ceiling above. The only space I had was directly in front of me. That's what I got for being flung across the room. I raised my blade in defiance of the beast that charged me once more. I had nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. So as the beast barreled down on me, I held my blade out in front of me in some vain attempt to defy ****. I held my blade, even as the beast's venom tipped fangs dug into my shoulder and it's terrible weight threatened to crush me.