He soared at Treycore, his blade-like claws ready to attack. Treycore leapt into the air, whirling around, with his and Eilee’s swords spread on either side. He was a helicopter, flying mid-air, as his blades sliced through Waller’s knees.
Waller’s legs dropped. His flapping slowed as his upper-half collapsed beside his fallen comrades.
His high-pitched squeal sounded like a sound Eilee would make, not like any of the baritone echoes he’d produced before.
Treycore folded his forearms into an X. He rolled across the tar, sprung back onto his feet, and slipped his sword through the vines restraining Eilee.
“You fucking idiots,” Raph said, far more at ease than before.
He leaned back in the tar, smiling.
“You have no idea how fucked you are.”
“Come on, Eilee,” Treycore said, ignoring what he assumed was Raph’s bluff.
Treycore and Eilee headed for a hall that had led into the chamber.
As Eilee knelt and swiped her black-soaked dress, a vine reached out of the wall, wrapping around her wrist.
“Eilee!” Treycore sprung forward and struck at the attacking vine with his sword.
Raph’s laugh echoed throughout the chamber.
“You’re dead,” Finter said with a smirk. “Dead, dead, dead.”
Treycore snatched Eilee’s hand and raced for the entrance.
Vines sprung from the wall, stretching toward them.
Treycore and Eilee took either side, slicing the oncoming tendrils, which sealed off the entrance.
Treycore and Eilee beat their blades through, as if cutting their way through a jungle.
Eilee stumbled forward.
As Treycore turned to help her, he saw a vine was now tangled around her ankle, dragging her through the tar.
***
“Trey!” Eilee called.
Rushes of the warm floor grime swept across her legs and pressed against her clit. She flailed about as she tried to grip onto something, anything.
Treycore raced after her.
A vine pounced from the wall, coiled around his arm, and pulled him back.
As Eilee’s thoughts collected, she flipped onto her back, did a sit-up, sliced through the vine around her ankle, and bounced on her feet.
“Got you!” a voice called.
A force like a boulder struck her from behind, knocking her forward.
Her face smashed into the gooey floor.
“That’s right, bitch,” Waller said, his face creeping beside hers. She threw her arm back to strike him with her sword, but he snatched her wrist.
“Oh, no, you naughty higherling.”
