Dungeon Raider System

Chapter 76 : Walk with grace

From the top of the ossuary Uriel was finally able to scan his surroundings. Since the fog was only at ground level it was possible for him to see it properly in sunlight for the first time since the mist appeared, though there wasn't much to see.

The mist carpeted the whole site and didn't allow him to spot any landmarks to orient himself, for a brief second he almost faltered an made a run for it towards the zeppelin as he had a general idea on where it was landed but, the sole idea of running blindly in the mist while being chased by the nameless horrors that just tore Flanagan apart was enough to deter him.

After all, he had just destroyed the priceless artifact those cryptids safeguarded, it was only natural they would seek for revenge.

The only thing that allowed him to remain somewhat calm was that no matter how fast those cryptids were, he had a headstart of at least a couple minutes.

He stood still for a few seconds quietly enjoying the warmth of the sun for the first time in what seemed to be ages. It was a peaceful day, even if his demise was only delayed for a few minutes until the creatures caught him, it was a beautiful day. The gentle breeze rocked the tree tops at the distance mimicking the sound of the ocean.

With a clear head Uriel's attention was drawn towards the forest and he noticed something odd. The strange mist wasn't affected by the wind and, instead, moved like a silent fog river slowly making its way towards the Cenote.

"Walk with grace... walk with grace..." He muttered over and over as if trying to remember an elusive word on the tip of his tongue. The itching feeling that he was missing something crawled to the back of his head until it became impossible to ignore. "The 'grace' the carving referred to is water, but why is it bothering me so much?" He said out loud like usual.

Speaking his thoughts out loud had become a habit for him. One that proved to be useful for solving most of the mysteries of the archaeological site but, in truth, it wasn't voicing his thoughts the important part but the dialogue with other people that sparked his best ideas.

Forced to solving the mystery on his own only wasted his precious time, but he was left with no choice but to spin the gears on his mind until they finally clicked. "Water... is this fog made out of water too? could it be?"

If 'walking with grace' meant walking with water, then following the fog could also be considered as such. Despite the jeweled bracelet being broken and maybe lost forever in the underground passage, the eerie mist was still present. Not just that, it was moving in a certain direction.

As Uriel pondered about his situation, a familiar figure appeared from downstairs. Enveloped in the blue shimmer of its flames, the Ocelotl climbed the stairs towards him. The massive feline was all battered and bloodied, there were even some patches of missing fur and burn marks, but none of that did anything to diminish its imposing appearance.

If anything, the signs of a dire battle only made it look even more fearsome.

"So this is how it ends, huh!" Uriel smiled bitterly at the cryptid that would spell his doom in but a few seconds.

The jaguar cryptid walked calmly towards Uriel and, much to his surprise, not only did it not attack him but it also bowed its head in front of him. Uriel placed a hesitant hand on top of the creature's snout and the jaguar allowed it. The blue flames that came off from the cryptid's shoulderbones didn't burn him in the slightest.

Oddly enough, it was the exact same pleasant feeling of placing one's hands under a hand dryer machine.

Uriel was overjoyed when the creature let him ride it and without missing a beat he commanded it to take him to follow the trail of fog. Even if he couldn't make it to the zeppelin without risking getting caught by the nameless, he might still be able to lose his pursuers if he somehow managed to get into the underground structure.

In other words, if outrunning them was impossible, the only safe place for him would be one they couldn't follow.

The Jaguar emitted a deep raspy meowing sound that wasn't anything like that of a cat's, but for some unknown reason he found it cute and couldn't resist the urge to pet the creature on its head.

Although there were some high ranking hunters with traits that allowed them to, for a short period, summon and command cryptids not even them would have dared something as dangerous as naively petting such a creature, let alone ride it. A tame cryptid was an existence so rare that most people could only dream about ever riding one.

Uriel, though, couldn't enjoy the experience as much as he wanted because it moved so fast he was constantly being shaken from side to side. Not just that, the mist was so dense he couldn't see anything either. He limited himself to grasp the fur on the Ocelotl's loin to avoid falling over and let it find its way across the jungle.

Usually, the trip to the Cenote would have been at least half an hour but thanks to the Jaguar spirit Uriel made it in less than five minutes.

"Good job, you can rest now." Uriel said as he patted the battleworn Ocelotl on the side. The creature swiftly pounced away disappearing into the bushes to get its well deserved rest. When Uriel summoned the Ocelotl he only expected it to kill a few cryptids on its way to freedom, but not only it stayed and killed many enemies, it also protected the humans far surpassing Uriel's expectations.

He still didn't know whether the creature was on his side or under his control, but while riding on its back he was now able to sense some sort of connection between them. After reaching the ten flux orb mark he experienced reality in a different way. In the past Uriel would have called it instinct, but now he could only think about it as a 'sixth sense'.

It had always been present, but the previously faint feeling had become more tangible.

The first time Uriel went to the Cenote he was able to figure out that the door towards the underground structure was hidden somewhere in there, but back then he had no clue on how to open the entrance. It was only thanks to Flanagan's betrayal who, albeit unknowingly, gave him the key to finding it that Uriel knew exactly what to do.

"Walk with grace and the path will be revealed" He repeated once more after slowly climbing down the chasm that lead to the cave in the Cenote.