Chapter Twenty-Four—Akarilion

“Did you… did you hear that?” Ali asked, a look of alarm on his face, then he whipped his head back to the demi-snakes before looking at Shiro again.

Shiro nodded, narrowed his eyes. “You said there was a jinni?”

Ali nodded fervently.

The demi-snakes were backing away now, to Shiro’s astonishment. He had thought he heard the voice say that they could leave them alone.

He swallowed, stood up straighter and stalked toward the statue. “Reveal yourself.”

Nothing.

“Why won’t it speak again?” Ali asked.

Shiro just looked at him, unsure of what to say.

“You don’t give me orders, mortal,” the voice said again.

Ali’s eyes widened and he took a step back. Shiro stood his ground. “Who are you? Do you have a name?”

“Does it matter?”

“Of course this jinni would play coy,” Ali said sarcastically.

“Did you command those demi-snakes to stop their attack against us?”

“What if I did?”

“Why would you do that?” Ali asked, looking up at the statue. “Why save us?”

“Why indeed,” the disembodied voice said. “Perhaps I need you for a task.”

“I task? What task?” There was a long pause. The voice did not speak. Finally Ali asked, “Where did she go?”

Shiro only shrugged, waiting patiently for her response.

It came.

“You dealt with the Spiders well.”

“Spiders?” Shiro asked. Why would she complement them on killing the spiders of all things? “There were only a few.”

“Not the spiders!” she snapped, “the Spiders.”

Ali glanced toward Shiro, then back to the statue. “Do you… do you mean the demi-snakes?”

“Yes.”

Shiro was confused.

“They are of the Order of the Spider,” she added. “An ancient order that worships the arachnid Queen Morgrylth.”

“We don’t know about that,” Ali said. “We don’t care who or what monsters worship, Jinni.”

“No, I suppose you short lived mortals wouldn’t. It is no matter. I may hold some sway over the monsters of this dungeon, but I do not command the guardian.”

Shiro was instantly alarmed. “There’s a guardian?”

“Yes,” she said. “A powerful monster, meant to keep me from escaping this festering place. You will battle it.”

“No!” Ali shrieked, then choked on something. H coughed. “We’re leaving. Shiro—let’s go!”

“Wait,” Shiro said. “Ali wait. Let’s hear her out.”

“Did you not hear her?” he said, gesturing frustratedly toward the statue. “The monster is a guardian, a dungeon boss. We are two adventurers. We must go!” He began to back away.

“Your friend… is either wise… or a coward.”

Shiro shrugged. “Perhaps a little of both.”

“Hmm,” the feminine voice chuckled mused. “Perhaps.”

“Do you know how we might kill this guardian?”

“There’s no time,” she said. “I’m surprised he hasn’t attacked you already. Kill him—then we can talk.”

Shiro took a few steps back. “Explain why we would do this?”

“Come on, Shiro!” Ali called.

Shiro glanced back, feeling a shortening of time, of a general menace in the huge cavern. Ali was far off. Shiro had hardly heard his call and the demi-snakes were nowhere to be seen.

If he turned and ran now, he and Ali could probably escape the dungeon. The monsters seemed to obey this invisible jinni.

“Why?” Shiro asked again, more frantically this time. He was very close to turning and running.

“Because if you do this, I will bestow great gifts upon you.”

“What gifts?”

“Magic, and much, much more. Now fight the guardian! Fight Akarilion and defeat him!”

As she commanded Shiro to do battle with the dungeon guardian called Akarilion, the water exploded and a massive beast full of spines and teeth flailed in the air. Shiro gasped as the creature crashed back into the water, disappearing under a tidal wave.