ok... what's plan B?

The power crackled and faded. Whatever energy I had managed to channel was completely spent. At least I wasn't passing out. The lizards continued their advance as all I could do was hold the broken blade out like some kid with a stick. About as threatening as well. All I could do was back up. Barely catching myself as my foot slips over the ledge of the cliff. A small rock being knocked over the edge as I eventually hear a splash somewhere below. Somewhere in the dimly lit depths of the pit. In front of me? Four big ass dinosaurs who are after my blood. Behind me? An impossible hole with a puddle at the bottom. To the side? Who cares. It's just walls. In the distance? Mors and Nori have to be gone by now. He was only told to wait a few minutes but... he has to be gone by now.

I held the blade out as if, no... it was my only means of fighting back. With my magic spent, no gun, no bomb, no back up. All I had was a broken piece of metal and four hissing lizards. Nothing. I had already died once to these damn things and had to be saved by a magical deer. I didn't plan on seeing, hearing, them again. Last time gave me enough of a headache. Dropping my arm down I slid the blade back into it's holster. No point. Without any magic left what would I do? Jam it in their mouths and see if they ****? Sure, but that will only affect one of them. Next one will have to **** on my leg or arm. Not a good plan. As if the next one was spectacular.

"Fuck..." Spinning on my heels I launched myself over the ledge. Only to feel a cool breeze and hot breath as a snapping sound echoed behind me. Barely, just barely, missing their toothy maw.

The fall was rapid. Avoiding the rocky wall and jutting crystals as I plummeted down the pit and quickly crash into the water below. Deep. Deeper than I expected but too deep for comfort. Bathed in nothing but darkness flailed my arms and legs as I struggled to reach the surface once more. Finally reaching the top only to be dragged back down. Cold water crashed into my lungs as I felt something strange wrap around me leg. Strong. Soft and stiff all at once. Looking down I can saw something writhing just outside of the barely existing light. Something massive. Something hiding deep in the pits of the earth.

I kick and pry at the strange limb before finally grabbing my blade once more. Slashing at the flesh before it finally gives way and I'm able to scramble to the top. Pulling myself onto the shore as I crawl as far back as possible. Using what little light the crystals allow to avoid falling in any more holes or pools. It's only as I feel a cold rock against my back that I finally look down. A purple tentacle wrapped around my leg and ankle. It's suckers clinging onto the fabric of my pants. Peeling them away I saw more than suckers. Each one tipped with a hook. Each one dripping blood.

I rolled my leg up to see a dozen painful looking cuts digging into my leg. Yet... I couldn't feel it at all. It's only later that I finally put together that the octopus... squid... thing used numbing agents in some way. Likely to make prey that much less likely to fight back as it fed. I ran my hands along the bloody mess and used a nearby creek to clean it out as best I could. Though I didn't feel my leg at all I could still feel everything else. Once more, later on I thought about how the numbing agent was only local. Interesting, if not terrifying in it's own way.

It didn't take long before I heard another set of splashes behind me. Somewhere in the dark as three distinct splashes bounced off the nearby walls. Followed shortly by hissing, snapping, and even more splashing. I'd have felt bad for the animals... if they weren't trying to kill me too. "Note to self, don't go swimming."

The cold stone did little to comfort my confusion as I **** myself to continue on through the cave. Though flat I noticed more than once that it seemed to dip lower and lower. Far from ideal. Each step taking me further from the light as I delved into the darkness. Soft glowing crystals acted as my only guide. I kept my right hand against the wall as much as I could. Though I did have to take multiple diversions to avoid watery voids with Eros' knows in the depths. The darkness crept on for god knows how long. Hour, days, I didn't know. I didn't care to think on it. I just had to keep moving. I wasn't about to go back. Not to those lizards. Not to the tentacle thing.

After an eternity in the dark I finally saw a bright beam. A bright light cutting through the air. Blinding in all respects. For what must have been an hour all I could do was stare at it. Barely able to understand what I was looking at. A small fissure in the stone allowed an even smaller bit of light to penetrate through the void. A beam of light. Of hope. Of survival. More than I'd gotten in the last few centuries.

I ran my hand over the damp stone. Examining it for anything to exploit. Any cracks in the rock I could possible peel away to dig through. Unfortunately I don't find anything worth note. The only thing worth paying attention to was the small creek that had managed to bore through the rock. Likely a gentle spring on the other side, I thought to myself. Lifting my blade once more I try to channel the magic once more. Only managing a small burst of energy. But it does scorch the rock. Something at least. Placing the blade into the water I focus on the power for a long moment. Channeling it. Focusing it. I imagined it as a ball of power stuck in a straw. A knot holding an elephant's weight. Small but impossibly strong. I focused on that power, that charge, for as long as I could. Building it until it became too much to withhold.

In an instant the magic exploded forth. Traveling along the water, just as I had hoped. Using it as a conduit before there's a painfully loud explosion from somewhere in the stone. Followed shortly by the distinct sound of cracking rock. I quickly rose to my feet and ran back. Just as the wall completely gave way. Collapsing on itself before it exploded out in all directions. Shards of stone stabbing into itself and small pieces dug into me as well. Warm blood ran down my back and arms as I fall to the ground. Barely out of the most damaging range of the explosion.

Immediately the cave was swarmed with dust and after a long while sunlight began to seep through. Warm and full of life. I climbed to my feet after awhile and drag my wounded body over to the newly formed hole. Six feet wide and almost as tall, whatever the magic had pulled off, it was effective. I wasn't even expecting that to work, yet I was happy with the results nonetheless. Stepping out into the light I barely catch myself before falling into another pool of water far below me. What's more interesting however was the forest and it's imposingly tall stone walls. Cliffs of rock carved smooth. A quarry.