The pagoda teetered on the edge of the abyss, tall doors flat against the ground and stripped of their paint. The dark stains across the stone dragged out from its interior where the rubble of the roof had long since caved in. Dark wooden pillars supported the sloped roofs and circled the entire building. It's peeling paint was green in color, too dirty for the exact shade to be distinguished anymore and broken up by deep gashes in the wood. Spikes of ice hung from the roof's edges, sharp and gleaming in the pale light.
Moss filtered between the cobbled stone path leading to the towering building through the small garden filled with overgrown bushes and clusters of flowering plants preserved in a layer of ice. Portions of the tall walls surrounding them had crumbled away into the darkness where the gaping hole's jagged edges cut through them. A few life-sized dolls were scattered about the garden, unmoving as always yet the feeling of eyes boring into them lingered in their presence.
Black Star jogged ahead of them, bouncing over to any little thing that caught his eye from the frozen plants to the pagoda's entrance. Kid kept up with him easily as his brother and Vajra poked around on their own.
Leading them around the building, Black Star slowed to wait for Kid. The excitement bubbling in his chest boiling over into excess energy. Digging around in his pockets he pulled out a handful of hard candies, unwrapping a blue one and popping it in his mouth. Once Kid joined him at his side, he offered the candies to his friend and watched him reach for a blue before changing to a purple one.
"Soooo what's the game plan chief?" He asked, nudging the reaper roughly in the ribs with his elbow. Kid raised an eyebrow at that, like he wasn't quite sure what Black Star meant. Rocking back on his heels, Black Star gestured wildly as he tried to put his thoughts into words. "Like. We didn't have much luck with the last bridge, what're we gonna do if we get cornered?"
A frown marred Kid's face as he looked over his shoulder. He raised a finger to his mouth in a shushing motion when he turned back to his friend. "Don't say stuff like that so loud. You'll make Asura all paranoid."
He nodded to show he understood and lowered his voice this time as he said, "Gotcha. But like, for real. I've seen lots of horror movies and I know that it's been too quiet for too long. Something's gotta happen soon and it's probably gonna be on that bridge if I learned anything from Indiana Jones! Shouldn't we have a game plan or something?"
A thoughtful look crossed Kid's face as he considered the words. It was true. He was considering what they would do when they finally encountered hostile forces, but there were too many variables to think about. They didn't know how many opponents they would meet or where they were likely to strike. Their power levels were unknown. How well they cooperated was unknown.
If Kid was honest with himself, he didn't know what to do with the lack of information. At least missions for his father or the school came with some information. He was able to go into a fight with enough knowledge to act accordingly. Going up against something with no information at all was new for him. Would a plan even help or should they all just follow Asura and Black Star's leads by relying on brute force and hoping for the best?
"Honestly… I'm not sure. If we get surrounded we'll have no other choice but to fight our way out and hope we make it. Otherwise I guess all we can do is run." He admitted. His frown deepened and he kicked at a loose stone as he walked. Black Star bounced after him, quickly falling into step at his side as he toyed with the zipper of his jacket. A gleam in the corner of his eye caught his attention and he paused. Kid stopped too but he didn't wait before taking off to investigate.
Snapping off frozen branches of a decorative bush revealed the blade stuck in the ground and hidden just out of sight. It was small, smaller than Tsubaki in her ninja sword mode even if it looked to be the same type of weapon, and rust crusted in spots along the blade. He wondered if it was usable. Gritting his teeth he adjusted his grip and approached the pagoda. The blade hit the wood with an echoing clang, slicing deep and leaving an obvious mark. It cut easier than he'd expected. Maybe it was worth keeping then.
"Well, you got that sword you wanted. That's something." Kid commented, watching his friend put the blade in his bag. The hilt stuck out of the top where it would be easier to draw if need be and Black Star did just that. He swung the blade out in one swift move, spinning it so it rested properly in his hand. Satisfied, he flipped it back and slid it back through the opening in his bag.
"It's alright. It's no Tsubaki though." A frown pulled at his lips and he shook his head. "I kinda miss her. She's probably worried about me cause I haven't come home yet." Tsubaki hadn't been at home when he left, so he'd left her a quick note to tell her he and Kid were going to look for an ancient city. It wasn't the first time they'd done something like this but they had been gone for a while. She was probably waiting for him to come home, maybe with a new trinket for the gift shelf she made after he brought her things from previous adventures.
Kid nodded, he understood how Black Star felt. The longer they spent in this god forsaken city, the more he longed to see his own partners. Liz and Patty were probably worried too. It had taken them a few days to find the entrance to the city, and it was pretty likely that the girls were beginning to worry. By now they would have contacted his father to tell him about his disappearance so hopefully someone would be searching for them. It would be nice to have a rescue party come and get them out but he sincerely doubted they could get to them even if they were looking.
"We'll see them again though." Kid reassured him.
Black Star smiled at that, the soft smile changing to a confident, toothy grin as he gave Kid a thumbs up. "Well yeah! I'm here so you don't gotta worry! I'll get us all out of here safely."
"Of course," he nodded in agreement, an amused smile on his face at Black Star's unwavering confidence. "Now let's get back to Asura and Vajra. Maybe they found the bridge." Kid didn't wait for an answer before walking back towards the front of the pagoda.
The garden remained unchanged, except for the absence of his brother and the weapon. Dread settled in his stomach. He had to shake his head and remind himself that they should be nearby. Maybe they went around the other side of the building? That was where the land dropped into the abyss so they probably went to find the bridge there. He relayed his thoughts to Black Star, who promptly took off to the other side without so much as a warning.
Turning the corner brought a wave of relief when he saw Asura's annoyed expression turn from Black Star to him. The annoyance melted into relief as soon as their eyes met but the older god covered it with tired indifference almost immediately. Once Kid finally caught up with them, Asura muttered just loud enough for him to hear, "I'm going to start bringing child leashes with me whenever I have to babysit you. Just in case I have to chase you into a cursed city again." Kid, being the more mature and eloquent brother that he was, stuck his tongue out at Asura. The older god knocked a fist against his head in response then said, "We're not getting over this."
"Wha- There's no bridge?" Kid's eyes widened, surprised to hear that. But he relaxed once he noticed the anxiety on Asura's face as the older god chewed on his bottom lip. "Ah you just don't want to cross it, huh?"
Asura bristled at the off hand comment, "I'm scared of heights! You know that." He fidgeted with the end of his scarf, twisting it in his hand and picking lint off of it. The scarf bunched around his neck shielded his face, an attempt to hide his embarrassment. It proved useless at hiding the blush turning even the tips of his ears tomato red.
"But you didn't seem scared on the other bridge. I heard you were a coward but it's just a bridge. We already crossed one." Black Star pointed out with a voice laced in confusion. His brow furrowed, one hand on his chin and head tilted quizzically to the side. Of course he was no stranger to the rumors around school about Asura. There wasn't a single person who hadn't heard that he was a coward afraid of literally everyone and everything. But he hadn't entirely believed that someone so strong could really fear anything.
His skeptical stare must have unnerved the older god because Asura puffed himself up defensively, "That one was solid and I couldn't see the endless pit under our feet through the floor! There is a big difference between solid ground and certain death! I've seen enough horror movies to know how this ends!"
"Wait if you're such a coward how can you even sit through a horror movie?"
"He spends the whole movie hiding behind his hands like this and pretends it wasn't that bad after it's done." Vajra spoke up, covering his face with his hands while leaving a small space to peek through in an imitation of Asura. He lowered them with a grin at Asura's betrayed squawk and earned an elbow to the ribs for the trouble. Kid rolled his eyes at their antics, ducking past his brother to the place he was pointed to.
Rounding the corner, he could see why Asura was so skeptical. The bridge here was nothing like the solid stone one they crossed on their way in. It was a narrow rope bridge probably only large enough for one person with wooden slats for the floor and rope for a railing. He could see the darkness below through the gaps and missing slats, but the end was lost in a haze of grey shrouding the other side from view. Giving it a quick kick confirmed that it swung easily, but felt solid under his feet. It should be okay to cross, but they would have to walk in a single file line. Kid called over his shoulder at them, "It feels stable enough. I think it's safe to cross."
Pumping a fist in the air, Black Star rushed over. He pushed Kid out of his way and ran out onto the bridge without a second thought. It swayed at the sudden weight, forcing him to stop to let it settle before continuing on. He waved a hand at them, bouncing in place excitedly as he yelled at them, "C'mon out! Bridge's fine!" As if to illustrate his point he ran back towards them before jumping to a stop, spinning in place, and bolting farther out.
Kid shrugged at this, opting to start after him while Vajra tried to convince Asura to follow them. The bridge wobbled with every step he took but held up under his weight. Black Star slowed ahead of him, waiting until he caught up to continue.
Glancing over his shoulder, Black Star smirked, "Looks like Vajra got your bro to come with us." And sure enough he was right.
At first he couldn't see Asura, just Vajra approaching them with an amused grin. Only when the weapon looked over his shoulder did he notice Asura behind him, huddle close behind his partner with his face pressed against the man's shoulder in an attempt to avoid looking at the abyss below. "We should probably wait for them to catch up." He suggested.
Pouting, Black Star slowed to a stop to wait. He hadn't realized just how far he'd run ahead until he actually stopped to look. The gap between them was steadily closing at least, so he'd be able to continue soon. It was boring to wait though, so he turned his attention back to the pagoda. A flash of black caught his eye, flickering into place on the third tier of the building's roof. The billowing black robe was topped by a bird skull mask, it's sharp, curved beak reminiscent of a bird of prey. It simply watched them with its head turning side to side in quick, jerky movements.
Chills crept up his spine, raising goosebumps across his skin as unease pooled in his gut. Slowly he reached for the hilt of his new blade with his gaze pinned firmly to the creature. Another joined it, sitting cross-legged on the roof and fiddling with its cloak as it pinned its empty eye sockets on them. Gritting his teeth, Black Star carefully reached to pull Kid along as he began backing up. "...Kid. C'mere."
Kid shot him a confused look at first, with one eyebrow raised and mouth open to question him. He shut it immediately and followed his friend's gaze. There were three now, two on the roof and one kicking its legs playfully as it sat on the top of the crumbling wall. Glancing back to his brother and Vajra, Kid met the weapon's understanding expression with one of worry.
To his credit, Vajra didn't even flinch despite obviously having realized that there was something behind him. It was probably just to keep Asura from panicking for the time being, but he still picked up his pace to reach them sooner. Another creature had joined the others, and soon after another followed that one. More and more appeared as if they had always been there, if he so much as blinked a new one joined the party by the time his eyes were open again. From three to five to ten and more kept coming with no end to their numbers in sight.
By the time their entire group was back together, Black Star counted about twenty on the roofs alone. He ground his teeth together, annoyance and excitement mixed in a frustrating mash that set his nerves on edge. Now that he thought about it, the masks on the faces of the first few creatures were the same as the ones on the dolls scattered around the courtyard garden.
In a low and shaking voice, Asura spoke up. "Why… why are we stopping? We need to leave before they do something!" His voice made them all jump from the sudden sound and Vajra turned to peer over his shoulder at the reaper.
"So you knew about them being there?" Vajra asked, tilting his head to try and see Asura's face.
"I may be a coward but I'm no idiot, I can feel their eyes on us. We should keep going!" Asura mumbled, as he peeled himself away from his partner to look behind them. He let out a choked noise, flinching back and burying his coat in Vajra's jacket with a muffled, "Fuck!"
A moment later Black Star chimed in, dread twisting knots in his stomach as he thought back to every instance he knew of in movies that involved a rope bridge. "For once I agree with Asura. Rope bridges are a terrible place to be caught on in a horror or adventure movie." He backed up more, lowering his hand from the blade's hilt. Once he'd turned around he took off, running as fast as he could and stumbling at the sudden swinging of the bridge under his feet. Kid followed close behind, watching his feet to be sure he wouldn't step through a gap in the slats. Vajra and Asura kept up easily, so he put on a burst of speed, trying to cross quickly so they all could reach solid ground before the creatures made their move.
The air grew heavier, weighing down his limbs and dragging his steps as he struggled against the unseen force. Pressure piled on the farther he ran and the harder he pushed until it blurred his vision and forced him to slow to a stop just to catch his breath. A quiet, terrified, 'oh no, no, no…' from Asura caught his attention and he turned to ask, only for him to add on himself, "Its… its back Vajra! I-it came back!"
Through wheezing gasps as he tried to suck in air, Black Star managed to ask, "What in the… what in the everloving shit are you talkin' about?"
Vajra responded for Asura once he'd caught his breath. "Malice. The spirit that tried to kill us earlier." He held a hand out for his partner and Asura quickly grasped it in a crushing grip. Concern was written across the weapon's face and he turned to comfort Asura better.
"You named it?!" Kid cried, surprise dripping from his voice. The nagging in the back of his head was growing louder as fear began to bite at his mind and drowned out Vajra's next words. It settled heavy in his stomach, making him sick as he thought back to the corpse in the plaza. Would that be them if they were caught? What if they fell before then? Would they fall forever or splatter across the bottom in an unrecognizable mess of shattered bone and bloody visceral for these things to feast on?
His focus suddenly snapped to the pagoda, cutting the fear off with frustration as he wiped the sweat from his brow. The building would have been perfect if it's dilapidated state were fixed. That piece of the wall and that chunk of rubble should fit. Where was that missing piece in the roof? It wasn't supposed to be like-
The hands on his shoulders shook him violently and snapped him from those thoughts. Though he wasn't suffocating anymore, the nagging continued to gnaw at him as he met Black Star's worried eyes. "Move now, lose it later Kid! They're armed!" He pointed to the creatures, each gripping onto a bow made of a polished black wood.
The weapons weren't aimed their way yet, but it didn't make him feel any better. Black Star's hand found his and he began to move again, backing away slowly. Both boys peered past Vajra to see the see of black cloaks parting for the new figure. They stood at an average height, but the creatures towering over them lowered their heads at their presence. It's presence thickened the air around them, just like earlier and even from so far away the searing heat of their glare burned his skin.
Long dark hair fell in waves against their back from beneath the upper half of a small deer skull set over their head, it's antlers branching out to either side. Their pale, ashen skin was a stark contrast to the black cloak around their shoulders and their dark clothes. Though he couldn't make out their eyes, Kid felt as if they weren't truly seeing them even if he felt their scorching ire. It shrugged the cloak back, letting the fabric pool on the ground around their feet. They held a hand out to one of the others and a bow was placed in their hands.
The air crackled, purple lightning flashing to life around it. Asura whipped around to face them, pushing Vajra aside just enough to see them. His eyes were wide and he gestured frantically at them as he cried out, "RUN!"
Black Star frowned but obeyed, turning on his heel and bolting ahead with Kid's hand held tightly in his own. He didn't bother checking to see if Asura and Vajra were behind them right now, solely focused on reaching the relative safety beyond the arrows range. An arrow whizzed past his head and disappeared into the abyss. His stomach dropped, bile rising in his throat at the close call as he tightened his grip on Kid's hand.
They pushed forward until suddenly Kid's hand slipped out of his and the weight in his bag lifted with the sword sliding out. He turned in time to watch the reaper swipe three arrows raining from above them. That wasn't right! Shouldn't they be out of range now? How the hell could the arrows reach so far? Something wasn't right with them. Could they even get away from those things if their arrows could hit them no matter how fast or far they went? Turning around, Black Star kept going. He couldn't stop like that if he wanted all of them to get out of this together!
Slats groaned under his feet as he ran, listening to the soft thunk of arrows burying into the stone and the thud of feet behind him. A sudden crack echoed under his feet and then he was falling, arms flailing to grab something, anything to stop it. The wood and ropes he reached for slipped right out of his hands. His heart leapt into his throat, fear gripping his chest even as a hand closed around his wrist. Kid tightened his grip as the boards groaned under him. He started to drag the other boy back to solid ground, only to throw himself back down to avoid the arrow flying at his head.
Bit by bit Kid hauled him back up until he was able to get a hold of the wooden slats himself. Black Star was quick to get to his feet, resuming his escape. He only got a few feet when another arrow zoomed past, a string of purple light attached to it. At first he was confused but instead of lodging firmly in the wood the string pulled it back. The arrow flipped in the air, wrenched back by the string too fast to follow. He threw himself to the side as it flew past, eyes wide as he lost his footing on the swaying bridge.
Behind him Kid swore loudly, one hand on the rope railing and the other clutching at the arrow through his shoulder. The weapon in his hand clattered to the ground and slid to the side. He had barely managed to save it from slipping into the abyss before rushing to Kid's side, blade ready to block the next rain of arrows. They never came, so he crouched at Kid's side to see if he could help. "Shit! Sorry! You okay?"
Kid nodded in response, standing back up slowly and pulling his hand away from the wound. Red coated his palm, the metallic scent making his nose scrunch up in disgust. His stomach twisted as anxiety reared its ugly head, the words of their ally swirling through his mind. Don't bleed...if you bleed it would be bad for you. But he was bleeding now. What would happen to him? What would happen to them? Was that the entire point of the ambush? To injure one of them? Why?
"Hey c'mon Kid! We gotta go." Black Star urged him, slipping an arm under his armpit and helping him stand properly. Vajra's concern joined Black Star's and he could make out Asura's frantic voice as well, all trying to see if he was alright.
Kid wanted to say that, no, he wasn't alright. He was just shot. And with an arrow that doubled back on them no less! His vision swam as he tried to organize his thoughts, so he took a moment to blink the dizziness away. He couldn't wait around to see what problems he caused because of his injury.
Taking a deep breath, he grabbed the arrow and ripped it out in one smooth motion. It slid out easily and he wondered if there was a god he should thank for the arrow not having a barb. He didn't even bother looking at the arrow as he threw it to the side. "I'm fine. It'll heal soon anyway." He brushed aside their concerns easily and leaned to look around Vajra. The person who had appeared stood still as a statue just like the monsters around them, with their hands pressed together and head lowered as if in prayer. It made him uneasy so he urged the other to move. "Pup warned us not to get injured like this, so I'd rather not stay and see why I shouldn't bleed in this place."
"R-right! And we're way too open here anyway! If they start shooting again, then we may be in trouble." Asura chimed in with his agreement immediately. They had made it quite far from the pagoda in their attempt to escape, but their arrows had still managed to reach them despite being close to the fog blanketing the other end. He hated the idea of walking into a place where he wouldn't be able to see well but at least it should hinder their attackers and make it difficult to target them should the creatures decide to fire again. "We can use the fog to our advantage so move!" He pushed Vajra gently, trying to force them all to keep going from the back.
Black Star frowned again, but he understood. He'd consider it a tactical retreat rather than giving up. The hand he offered to Kid was rejected as the boy insisted he was fine, so Black Star let it be and ran for the cover of the fog. He spared a glance to the creatures guarding the pagoda once more. The person in the center stared back, their expression unchanging even as an unease settled in his gut. Something told him they were doing exactly what was expected of them and he didn't like that.
Soon enough the fog swallowed him, obscuring his vision in a hazy grey and prickling his skin with cold. Only the shaking bridge and thud of footsteps behind him reminded him that the others were with him and he strained his senses to make sure all three were there. He didn't know how long it had been but his breath hitched as the bridge sloped upwards again. They were almost to the other side now! Just a little more!
A low, static sound pierced through the air and he heard Kid's footsteps slow for just a moment before picking up again. The static sounded again, accompanied this time by a deep rumble that shook the bridge beneath their feet and weighed him down like an anchor dragging him to a stop. He fought it, fought it as he pushed forward until his body shook from the effort. But the quiet, fearful murmurings of Asura behind him faded with every step and he paused to listen for footsteps. They were still there, but slower as they all pushed through the weight of the strange sound.
Then it came again, starting with the same rumble coupled with a crackle of static that grew louder and louder until it erupted into a bellowing roar rising from the abyss in a deafening cacophony that shook the air itself. It cut deep into his bone like knives, burning and stabbing across his body and choking the breath from his lungs. He gasped for breath through gritted teeth as he pushed forward until his knees buckled and he grasped the rope railing for support.
It hurt. It hurt. He'd never known a sound could be so painful, stabbing beep into him like thousands of dull knives trying to tear up his insides. But they couldn't stop here. It wasn't safe. Kid groaned behind him, the sound low and drawn out, but he could still feel the bridge shake as the other boy dragged himself forward. Asura's quiet voice reached his ears, though he couldn't hear the words, his tone reassuring and unusually encouraging as he spoke only to his partner. They all knew. They knew they couldn't stop and he wouldn't get in the way.
.
.
.
"They're gone my lord. What should we do now?" The creature with an eagle skull on its head asked in a low, rumbling voice, pointing its beak to the man among them.
Heran a hand through their long hair, twirling a strand with his finger as he tilted his head. A low hum escaped him and he said, "Move forward. Leave these bodies here, and wait on ahead. As for me…" The roar sliced through the air, shaking the ground beneath their feet. The creatures stumbled under the quake, but the man held his ground. Though his expression never changed they could sense the wide grin that would have crossed his face.
"The lord wakes. Will you go to greet him, Huli Jing?" He turned his head just enough to peer over his shoulder, the smirk felt clearly even if it wasn't visible.
The man gave no response, only stepped out onto the bride with long, confident strides. One by one the bodies of the creature thudded to the ground like lifeless dolls. He paid them no mind, instead wondering if the lord would appreciate the prey he'd brought in this time. His hands dragged along the rope railings, a crackle of purple lightning sparking under his palms and trailing black fire across the ropes.
.
.
.
Step by step they dragged themselves through the cutting roar with gritting teeth and suppressed groans. It would be fine, they've been through worse. The pain just wouldn't let up and that was the only problem. It didn't fade into a dull ache or numbness, it just sliced and sliced and sliced until finally the roar tapered off into nothing. The cutting faded with it, and he could finally heave in deep breaths of air.
"You… do you think that's… what a filleted fish feels like?" Vajra joked, flinching away from the awkward pat on his back from Asura. The shaking in his hands slowly subsided but he braced himself as if expecting another roar.
"Let's not joke right now." Asura said. He balled his fist into Vajra's jacket, keeping his eyes pinned to the man's back as he had done for most of their trip across the bridge. Looking down was not an option unless he wanted to give himself a panic attack. He could already imagine himself falling forever or hitting the ground with enough force to turn his body into an unrecognizable pile of blood and gore at the bottom. Even if he would eventually recover from it, that was not a feeling he wanted to experience in his lifetime.
Vajra nodded in agreement, "Yeah let's just go. We still need to get over there and check on Kid's shoulder." Black Star wasted no time in dragging himself up and trudging forward. He was surprisingly quiet but the determination on his face told the man he'd already resolved to do just that.
"Kid's shoulder is fine. It's healing like normal." Kid chimed in, pushing himself back into motion. Whatever made that noise was not something he looked forward to meeting and he had no intention of sticking around long enough to find out what that thing was. Vajra had no complaints as he followed the two boys closely, but Asura hesitated for a moment.
At first he wondered if the malice he felt was just his imagination as it came and went so quickly. But it returned, a burning glare searing through his back and sending shivers up his spine. There was something behind them. Malice was behind them. That spirit from earlier was back yet again and quickly closing in. A faint crackle caught his attention, not like the crackle of it's purple lightning but more akin to a campfire. His heart leapt into his throat and he turned slowly to peer over his shoulder as he bit down on his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood.
The man who stood among the beasts was behind him now, only a few feet separating them. His head stayed bowed to shield his face behind the skull on his head, but he could sense the cruel smile it hid. "Oh how I pity you. Soooo close to the end but sooo far away. Fear not though! The lord is coming to offer salvation even to thieving false gods. Your deaths can be painless if you beg."
Fear stabbed into his gut, but Vajra's comforting hand on his shoulder carefully guided him as he stepped back. The weapon's silence came with a sense of wariness as he eyed the stranger. Kid and Black Star stuck to his side, peering around him curiously with the latter already reaching for his sword. The nausea brought on by his swirling anxieties left him a bit light headed and Asura held tight to the rope railing for some sort of support. He had enough sense to
grab the dagger in his pocket, but didn't draw it just yet. Instead he backed up slowly, careful to mind his steps and pushing the others to do the same.
The man tilted his head, soft, smooth voice breaking into a cackling laugh. He reached out and set both hands on the rope railings, the laughter dying out. "My lord is waiting, let us meet him together." Black fire sparked to life under his palms, igniting the rope beneath it. The rope fell slack in his hands and he could only watch in wide eyed horror as those flames lit up under the man's feet too. Asura could only give a split second cry of, "HOLD ON!", whipping around to face the other's with terrified eyes before the burning ropes snapped.
He dropped to the ground, clinging to the slats in front of him with all his might. The rest followed his lead, holding tight to the bridge as it swung through the air. His feet fell out from under him, scrabbling uselessly in the air and struggling to find purchase in the open. It slammed against the cliffside violently. The impact jarred one hand loose and he panicked as he flailed in the air for something to grab. His hand latched onto cloth, and he held on like his life depended on it.
The bridge bounced, slamming into the cliff once more. It earned a startled cry from the reaper and he almost missed the frightened shouts of Kid and Vajra. A flash of blue passed him, the hand not holding onto the bridge shooting out instinctively to grab it. It let out a strangled noise as it stopped mid fall and Asura swallowed back the fear to look down at Black Star hanging in the air by his hood. Relief washed over him and he turned his attention upwards to see both Kid and Vajra staring down at him with similar expressions of horror and outstretched hands.
Quickly righting himself, Black Star grabbed hold of the bridge again and tugged his hood free of Asura's grip with a huff. His heart beat much faster than when he'd fallen through a bad board earlier. Seeing two people try and fail to save him sent his heart into his throat and choked the air from him. Even so, he smiled up at the rest to hide the fear he felt when his life flashed before his eyes. "What're we waiting for! Start climbing before they decide to break the other end." He urged them. They'd already come this far, dying now was out of the question.
Kid nodded, giving him a thumbs up as he faced forward and started to climb the broken bridge like a ladder. Thankfully there was just enough space between the boards to fit his fingers and the toes of his boots through. It made the trek upwards just a bit easier. The bridge shook under their weight and constant movements but held steady. He kept his head up to avoid looking at the void below for as long as he could.
Curiosity got the best of him eventually and Kid risked a glance downward. The man who broke the bridge was nowhere to be seen, having long since disappeared into the abyss. To think he had been willing to die just to bring them all down… It sent chills down Kid's spine. He was just about to turn back when it happened. The shadows moved, roiling and churning like boiling water. Dread sunk its claws deep in his gut and he turned away from it to scramble up to solid ground as quickly as he could. Vajra's concerned voice was lost on him as he hurried upwards.
From the darkness rose a smokey mass, shadows pouring from it in waves of black fog as it dug its claws into the cliff below them. The impact shook their makeshift ladder violently. Kid clung to it tightly, the temptation to look almost too much. He ignored it and instead turned his head upwards. Relief settled in his chest, they were so close! He could see the top now even from here, just a few more feet and they would be out! The cliff shook again and he cried out in surprise, his grip slipping for just a moment. Fear choked the air out of him, but he fought it back. Now wasn't the time to panic! He needed to keep going. Almost there.
Kid's hand met cold, slick stone and the soft wetness of moss. The sudden change snapping him back to reality as he clutched frantically at them, struggling to pull himself up. He pulled himself halfway over the edge before he could swing his leg up to solid ground. As soon as he hit it, he turned back, reaching a hand out for Vajra. The weapon wasn't even looking at him, instead peering over his shoulder with a bewildered expression.
Following his gaze, Kid saw it. The bleached bone of the giant skull was a stark contrast to the blackness around it. Its long snout pointed upwards at them, opened slightly as it hissed in a low tone. The empty eye sockets held nothing, yet he felt as if he were being sized up like a piece of meat. How big was it, he wondered. Those teeth alone looked to be as big as the temples they'd seen.
It turned its focus higher and Kid froze in place. A low rumble resounded from the beast's throat, lifting one hand high above its head and burying sharp claws deep into the cliff. The impact jarred the bridge from its place, making it bounce and shudder against the cliff. Claws scraping on stone reached his ears and he winced as he watched the smoldering beast haul itself up the sheer surface. Tearing his eyes away from the climbing creature, Kid stretched his hand farther out with fear lacing his voice. "Vajra come on!"
The man whipped his head around to meet Kid's desperate eyes. Casting one last glance behind him, Vajra hauled himself up the ladder until he could reach Kid. Despite his inhuman strength Kid struggled to haul the man over the edge. His feet skidded on the slick stone, threatening to give way and pull them both down to the monster below. In an effort to help, Vajra scrabbled against the frosty cobblestone path. The ladder was no help in his haste. He swore his feet caught in every one of the gaps and slowed him down, but he finally managed to haul himself over the edge onto solid ground.
Wasting no time, he returned to the edge, reaching down to offer a hand to Asura behind him. The man in question hadn't moved from his place at all, latched on like his life depended on it. His head stayed pressed to the board in front of his face and though he couldn't see it, he knew Asura's eyes were screwed shut to avoid seeing what was below him. Black Star shouted from behind him as he frantically pushed the other to move with little luck.
Drawing a deep breath, Vajra called out, "Asura! Hurry up!" The reaper's head snapped up at the sound of his voice, wide, terrified eyes meeting his. He smiled as reassuring as he could only for it to fall at the sight of the shadowed mass clawing closer to them. Seeing this, Asura tried to turn around to see only to pause when Vajra shouted for him again. "Don't! Don't do that! Just look at me and climb! Come on!" He waved his hand wildly to show he was waiting. With a nod Asura moved, climbing slowly but climbing nonetheless.
The shade rumbled again, shaking the ground beneath them with every hit of claws buried in solid stone. It stopped it's ascent suddenly, the shroud of shadow around it recoiling in tension. Asura was so close now though and he turned his full attention to his partner. He leaned as far as he could without falling over the edge, hand outstretched. Asura reached to meet him, fingers just barely brushing his when it acted.
An ear shattering roar reverberated throughout the abyss, cutting down to the bone and tearing a pained gasp from him. The beast lunged upwards faster than he could register, its maw snapping closed on the end of the bridge with an echoing clap of bone on bone. He ignored the pain of its roar, pushing himself farther to reach his frightened partner. His hand closed around Asura's thinner one just as the fraying ropes tore apart. Black Star leapt for safety, wrapping his arms around the god as the bridge fell out from under his feet. The added weight almost sent the two slipping from Vajra's grasp, but he quickly held on with his other hand to save them from that fate.
The beast turned its snout up at them and though it had no eyes, Vajra felt that it was glaring at them. Dread settled heavy in his gut for a moment, afraid that it would charge at them again while Asura and Black Star dangled helplessly from the cliffside. Instead it let out a low chortle. The sound vaguely reminded him of a hyena's laugh. It turned away from them then, letting go of the cliffside and disappearing in a flurry of darkness with the remains of the bridge still clamped in its jaws. Somehow that terrified him more.
Vajra stared after it, his shoulders tense in anticipation of its return. But it never came and he slowly hauled his partner and the boy clinging to his side over the edge. Black Star let go as soon as he was on solid ground, popping up and rushing to Kid with an excited grin as he broke into a ramble about how "cool" and "just like a movie" that was. It seemed like he completely forgot about their near death experience.
On the other hand, as soon as he was safe, Asura wrapped his arms around the weapon's middle and face buried into his side. In an effort to comfort him Vajra returned the gesture, hugging him tightly while his shaking subsided. He waited for his partner to calm down with practiced patience and chose to keep an eye on the boys. Black Star's carefree attitude must have annoyed Kid because the younger reaper cuffed him upside the head.
Casting a wary glance back at the cliff, Vajra frowned. He was grateful that the creature didn't chase them all the way up, but it felt off to him in a way he couldn't quite pin down. First it climbed slowly, then it moved so quickly that it could have caught them all if it wanted to. So if it could, then why didn't it? And it took out the bridge rather than targeting them. If it could have caught them, then there was no point in taking out the bridge. It felt… calculated. Planned. Like they did exactly what it wanted them to do. That thought made him shiver.
"Are… are you okay?" Asura spoke up in a quiet voice as he pulled away, finally able to do more than cower. He still looked tense with his shoulders drawn up and eyes darting about as he bit his bottom lip. When Vajra didn't respond immediately, he gently shook his arm to get the man's attention.
Hesitantly, Vajra responded, "I'm fine. Just thinking."
Asura nodded to show his understanding. Part of him was curious and wanted to ask what Vajra was thinking about but he held back. Whatever it was could wait until they left the area. So instead of prying, he dragged the man with him to get the boys and get as far, far away from the abyss and its inhabitant as physically possible.