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The monster roared: Mirii and Hun covered their ears, while squeezing their eyes for a bit. When they opened them, their irises noticed candles in place of oil lanterns. Those were floating in the air, glowing a brighter blue light.
Mirii's eyes fell down: she gasped as her feet were touching the air. It felt like the ground, though… it even makes the same sounds as steps would when walking or running on the floor. Around the Inklings, there was complete darkness.
The girl's eyes went zigzagging, tracking down round blue lights which seemed to follow a line. The nearest round signs were located on the Inklings' left. Mirii thrusts her left forefinger on one of those blue lights, producing a breeze which hit the boy's left cheek: his eyes were already on the tip of the girl's forefinger.
"TO THE LEFT, HUNLEY!" She frowns, as her legs were moving faster.
Hun turns slightly on the left, aiming for the blue sign. His forehead impacted on the air, as his back fell and landed on the invisible ground. Yelping and holding his forehead with both his hands, the boy felt the world spinning around. His palms were capturing something liquid and mushy.
Steps and roars were coming all around him. His stomach was contracting itself: his legs sprung himself all the way up, turning over as his eyes perceived a play of blue colors. Mirii had her arms wide open, showing her back, as the monster was lowering down the head.
The boy dashes, with his right arm whipping towards Mirii's left hand. He catches her hand, which surface made his mouth hold a chuckle. Turning around, his legs were sprinting even faster, hearing a heavy breath right behind him.
THUMP!
The monster stopped the legs, as the head lowers diagonally down-right. Grunts and roars made the Inklings' sight trembling and their hearts beat even faster. A smell of burned tire kept appearing, while inhaling the air.
"Hunley, before you turn" Her eyebrows were up, her mouth downturned.
"I'm seeing illusions! Is that what are you trying to say?!" His head twisted to the left, together with the shoulders.
Mirii left her mouth open, then smiling a bit.
"But why this is happening?!" Hun's irises bounced left and right, catching far away round signs.
"I'm suspecting the fiend is causing those visual phenomenon." Her head turns behind, seeing the monster running on the 4th round sign. She returns her head, frowning a bit. "Look, let's try to turn into multiple directions as much as we can!"
Hun nods, as his sight found an incoming round sign on his right. His right hand let the girl's hand free, as his shoulders twist to the right. Mirii's back bended forward, going down as her arms were right on her sides, with her hands almost touching her legs.
Their eyes fell on the line of blue circles to the left: Mirii hugged the left corner with her left shoulder, while Hun slides down a bit as his body was aiming to the left. Both the Inklings left dust, which stood in the air for a short period of time.
Suddenly, the round signs were moving left and right! Hun followed the circles with his head, as his jaw dropped.
"Oh no! Is the path changing?!" Immediately he turns his head over Mirii, with his eyebrows up.
"Hmpf! Don't let those childish plays fool your brain." The girl kept looking forward, passing the boy just slightly. "That dinosaur cannot beat pure perfection."
The Inklings immerged inside the darkness, popping out when a round sign was crossing sideways. One round sign kept moving back and forth on their right. Hun's forefingers landed on his forehead, still perceiving that mushy liquid…
"Mirii, when we are going to turn now?! Those lights are making my head spin!" He grits his teeth.
"Slow down, Hunley." Mirii's legs moved slowly, as her posture lifted. "The key for this puzzle is in the wise use of patience. Behind us, there is nothing but harmless light shows."
They boy slows down, sighing loudly. The girl approaches the invisible wall, as her right hand slides along her walk. Her arm stretches even more, as her hand touches the air. She smiles, turning over Hun.
"I announce the solution in front of you, Hunley." Mirii nods. "The journey is officially resumed."
"Alright, Mirii!" He smiles widely, walking near the girl. "That bump I got is still burning a lot…"
"Unfortunately, our situation prohibits me to properly apply medications." Her right hand took her right tentacle, stroking it. "However, the disappearance of the dinosaur can be counted as an undeniable advantage."
"True!" His head looks forward. "But what about those blue lights…? Why we are still seeing them?"
"The monster's powers must have altered our sight. Maybe this unpleasant effect is not definitive…" Mirii gently throws her right tentacle behind, as her right forefinger taps her right cheek.
Suddenly, the round signs were now moving around: some in a clockwise direction, others in a counter-clockwise direction.
"Oh no!" The boy stops, as his head followed one blue circle at the time. "And now?!"
"Just a miserable attempt to stop our progress." Mirii clenches her fists, while walking. "Keep walking, Hunley."
Hun sprints a bit, slowing down once reached Mirii's left side. The circles seemed blurry, as the eyes couldn't stand on them. The boy closes his eyes, shaking his head quickly. In a jiffy, the darkness took every single round sign.
Quickly, the light from the smartphone emerges, as it moves left and right. Rocky walls and wooden boards were caught in the range.
"The games are over, at last." Mirii's voice was echoing throughout the corridor. "Although, the oil lanterns don't have any fire in them…"
"Why that question, Mirii? Did we walk through darkness just before?" He coughed once.
"True question, Hunley… however, with the new acquired information, such apparently-normal situation is hiding an important contradiction."
The light hit a wall, with another shut off oil lantern. It moves left and right, as the corridor fell silent.
"What contradiction?" The boy's right hand was briefly shown by the light.
"That miner claimed that the mountain is actually cursed. The paths suffer modifications, each time you walk into new directions…" Her left forefinger appears right from under the light.
"Yes… so?"
Step sounds were heard, blasting around the Inklings.
"Hunley, who lights the lanterns?"
The steps dominated the air, followed by some noises from the distance.
"I don't know this one, Mirii… do you?"
"The curse itself causes such effect." Her voice ringed inside the boy's ears. "When we were first venturing inside the mountain, that monster must have been around…" Her smartphone's light rests on different-sized, shining pieces of gold.
"So, what are you saying is that the monster is still around?!" His voice blasted throughout the corridors.
"Correct as always, Hunley. That creature must be related to those fallen clothes found on the ground."
The smartphone's light pointed right at the monster's head: a roar made the Inklings jump, as oil lanterns were instantly filled with blue fire. Immediately, her device fell inside her pocket. The boy stands in front of the girl, as his fists were almost near his face.
Another roar echoed throughout their ears. The boy's limbs kept trembling, same for Mirii.
"Hey, I-I can't move!" His teeth gritted, his eyebrows stood up.
"Me too!" Her irises bounced left and right. "That dinosaur must be the responsible for such curse!"
The creatures' steps were making the ground shake: the two Inklings were standing perfectly still, as Mirii's tentacles were like glued on her sides. The monster lifts the cage, as the eyes were on Mirii and Hun: they closed their eyes.
"Yee-haw!"
Their eyes reopen quickly. On the beast's back, an adult male Inkling was sitting right on it: his left hand was holding the left side of the monster's head, while his right hand was waving the cowboy hat. Grunting and snorting, the creature jumped and kicked around, impacting over the walls and knocking out an oil lantern.
"What's matter, rock-head?! Can't get this miner down, huh?! Nice try capturing my colleagues and making me believe those kids were the ones responsible for such mess!"
The monster roared, kicking a wall: the ground trembled even more, as the wall had visible cracks on it. The creature shakes the head violently, even falling down on the right side: the miner jumped away, as the right hand threw a plastic gun up in the air. It kept flipping, until his right hand caught its handle.
"Say your prayers, coal-face!"
The man's weapon shoots many small, blue ink projectiles, all landing around the monster. The creature turned, as ink moved all the way down, resting near the feet. The miner dropped his jaw, as his eyes expanded.
"No… how come it's not effective?!"
The monster bends, letting out a long roar: it penetrates inside the man's ears, as his limbs were now trembling.
"What the?!" He shows his teeth. "What did you do to me?!"
The creature lifts the cage above the man's head.
"Argh! Nooooo!"
Suddenly, his clothes were floating in midair: they fell all above his shoes. The Inklings yelled, as Mirii's eyes were watery. The monster turns behind, as the eyes were right on the two. Giant steps followed after.
"Wh-what happened to him?!" Mirii swallows loudly. "Who are you?!"
The monster stops, as his eyes were now on the girl.
"… I'll be back, Squids." His voice was very deep. "That man wasted all my magic… next time, you'll be all captured."
Mirii snarls loudly. Gradually, the creature dissolves into thin air, as blurry lights were coming from the oil lanterns. The Inklings' limbs stopped trembling, as both threw out a loud sigh. Hun dashes on Mirii, with his arms wrapping around her shoulders.
"It's all over, now… th-the nightmare is finally over." His eyes were squeezing.
"Don't declare any positive results, Hunley." Her arms were right on his back. "The exit is still out of our reach."
The boy opens his eyes, as his eyebrows were up. Suddenly, the eyes expanded and his mouth opened up wide.
"Mirii! You'll never believe this!" His smile grew a lot, as his arms let the girl free. "Look behind you!"
The girl twists behind: her eyes grew and her smile brightened her face. In front of the Inklings, a wide open entrance: it had a long sea of grass, some trees around. In the distance, a collection of tall buildings with some windows coughing out a light source.
"I can't believe this!" Her hands fell on her mouth, then she sprints right over the entrance. "Let's get out of here, Hunley! The Land of Riches awaits our arrival!"
Hun dashes, standing on Mirii's left side: together, the two Inklings passed the entrance, breathing some fresh air and smiling widely.
Alright! What you just read was the first part of this story. Now, it's time for Inkinators: a Splatoon fanfiction to finally return with new chapters!
See you all in the next chapter of Inkinators: a Splatoon fanfiction!