Finn's legs seemed rooted to the ground when he saw the creature's hunched back. It was almost half his height, yet no less terrifying for it. Scraggly patches of hair on its head alternated with bald spots crusted with dried blue blood. The only hint of clothing was a filthy rag around its hips, leaving most of its body exposed. The creature's skin resembled coarse stone, just as grey and rough.
Panic flooded his mind, and Finn began frantically shuffling backwards towards the safety of the crawlspace. His trembling legs caught on a rock, the noise echoing sharply through the cave. The creature froze, then slowly, with a wet crunching sound, began to turn around.
What Finn saw froze the blood in his veins. The beast's eyes, unnaturally bulging, seemed ready to burst from their sockets. They were clouded, with pupils so dilated they nearly consumed the irises. Where a nose should have been, gaped two black holes, glistening wetly with each of the creature's breaths.
But the mouth was the most horrifying. It began to open slowly, wider and wider, until it reached an impossible angle. The creature's jaws stretched apart like a snake's, revealing rows of yellow, grime-caked teeth. Some were broken, others coated in some dark substance, but all looked razor-sharp.
The light of the tulwar reflected in the saliva dripping from those teeth, creating a revolting gleam. The creature's throat was visible within that gaping maw – a dark abyss ready to swallow anything that came too close. The stench of rot and decay hit his nostrils with such force that nausea rose in his throat.
The creature made a sound – something between a hiss and a wet gurgle. Its eyes seemed to study Finn, like a predator examining prey. It slowly shifted its weight from one foot to the other, its clawed toes scraping the stone, leaving deep grooves.
Finn felt his back hit the cold wall. The crawlspace was slightly to the right, but reaching it would require moving along the wall without taking his eyes off the monster. The tulwar trembled in his hands, casting flickering shadows that seemed only to amuse the creature.
The beast tilted its head to an unnatural angle, as if trying to get a better look at its victim. Its mouth began to close slowly, but not completely – the teeth remained visible in a ghastly parody of a smile. The blue blood on its skin looked almost black in the tulwar's golden light.
The creature took another step, and suddenly the air whistled – it lunged forward with incredible speed. Finn barely reacted, his body instinctively throwing itself sideways, obeying ancient self-preservation instincts. He felt the monster's claws slice the air millimeters from his face, leaving a trail of damp spittle behind.
The creature's blow struck the wall, chipping stone and leaving deep gouges. But it didn't hesitate – pivoting with unnatural agility, it charged the boy again. This time, Finn couldn't dodge completely. The creature's massive body slammed into him, driving the air from his lungs and sending them both crashing onto the cold stone floor.
The tulwar flew from his hand, clanging against the rocks and skittering away. Its golden radiance seemed to dim, leaving them in near darkness. Finn found himself pinned beneath the monster's weight, feeling sharp claws dig into his shoulders. The creature loomed over him, its jaws slowly parting, revealing endless rows of yellow teeth.
Fetid breath washed over his face, triggering a wave of nausea. Finn threw his arms up, bracing them against the creature's neck, desperately trying to keep that nightmarish maw away from his face. The creature's muscles tensed, straining against his resistance. Drool dripped onto the boy's chest, burning through the fabric of his clothes.
His arms shook with the effort, sweat stung his eyes. Every second of this struggle felt like an eternity. The monster pressed down harder, its maw slowly, relentlessly inching closer to Finn's face. The boy felt his strength waning, his muscles beginning to buckle under the monstrous pressure.
In desperation, he glanced sideways, searching for the tulwar. A golden glint caught his attention – the sword lay close, almost within arm's reach. The creature, focused on reaching his throat, seemed oblivious to everything else.
Finn knew – he would have only one chance. Keeping his left arm braced against the neck, he thrust his right hand sharply towards the sword. His fingers slid over the cold stone, barely grazing the hilt. The creature sensed the shift in resistance and bore down harder, its teeth now mere centimeters from his face.
In a final, desperate lunge, Finn reached the sword. As his fingers closed around the hilt, something incredible happened – the tulwar flared with blinding light, its blade wreathed in golden flame. The heat was so intense Finn felt it even through the grip.
Not allowing himself time to think, he poured all his remaining strength into a thrust. The blazing blade slid into the creature's flank like butter. The creature shrieked, a piercing sound that seemed to make the cave walls tremble. The fire enveloping the sword surged into the wound, spreading through the monster's body from within.
The creature jerked, trying to pull away, but it was too late. Golden flames erupted from its mouth and nostrils, turning the blue blood to steam. It thrashed in convulsions, its claws raking the stone and Finn's body, leaving deep gashes. The heat grew fiercer until finally the monster went still, its body still glowing from within, consumed by the devouring fire.
Finn released the sword hilt and rolled away, gasping for breath. His arms trembled, his ears rang from the creature's death cry. The tulwar still protruded from the monster's corpse, its flames slowly fading back to the familiar golden glow.
The creature's body began to collapse, turning into grey ash that slowly sifted down onto the cave floor. Within moments, nothing remained of the beast but a small pile of dust, gradually scattered by a draft. The tulwar clattered onto the stones with a dull clang, its blade pristine, as if it had never touched the monster's flesh.
Finn struggled to his feet, every muscle in his body screaming with strain. Grabbing the tulwar, he leaned against the wall, trying to catch his breath. The sword's golden radiance seemed his only anchor in this place.
Suddenly, a cry echoed from deep within the cave – identical to the slain creature's, but more distant. The echo distorted the sound, twisting it into a hideous cacophony. Finn froze, straining his ears into the darkness. A second cry joined the first, then a third, as if calling to one another.
The sounds grew louder, multiplied, rebounding off the walls and merging into a single chorus of horror. They came from everywhere – side passages, above, it even seemed from beneath the earth. The cries of the creatures sounded closer, and closer.