The Uninvited Guest

Leonardo's heart pounded in his chest as he crawled forward, his gloved hands scraping against the rough cave floor.

The darkness pressed in around him, but thanks to the tips he had cut from his gloves, he could still feel his way forward.

Every time he stumbled or fell, he forced himself to get up quickly, driven by fear and determination.

Finally, he found a rock at the left side of the carven, large enough to conceal his body.

His mind raced as he tried to process the situation. "He said west," Leonardo muttered to himself, recalling the stranger's instructions.

But how was he supposed to distract the massive creature? He peered around the rock, his eyes widening as he saw the Donrolf drinking from the pool of water at the far end of the cave.

The beast's multiple eyes lowered to the surface, lapping up the glowing liquid with long, forked tongues. The sight was both mesmerizing and terrifying.

Leonardo's gaze swept across the cavern, taking in the grim scene.

More people were scattered about, some lying motionless, others frozen in terror, unwilling to move lest they meet the same fate as the unfortunate soul who had been cut in half earlier.

Turning his attention to the western side of the cave, Leonardo spotted the mysterious dark-blue-haired man.

"Is he looking at me?" Leonardo wondered, his breath coming in short, panicked gasps.

"What does he want me to do?" As the seconds ticked by, Leonardo's resolve began to waver. "I mean, I could hide until the guards come," he thought, his mind grasping at any possibility of survival.

"Yeah, I have Ronald waiting for me at home. They won't mind if I just... stay put." He glanced around, noting the numerous small openings in the surrounding walls. With his small frame, he could easily squeeze into one of those crevices and wait out this nightmare.

Suddenly, a rock sailed through the air from the direction of the dark-blue-haired man, arcing high before clattering to the ground near the Donrolf.

The beast's eyes snapped up, water dripping from its jaws as it zeroed in on the source of the disturbance.

With startling speed that belied its enormous size, the Donrolf charged towards the western wall. Leonardo's eyes widened in horror, certain he was about to witness the stranger's gruesome demise.

But at the last moment, the man produced some sort of grappling device from his side. With a practiced motion, he fired it at the opposite wall and zipped backwards, narrowly avoiding the Donrolf's snapping jaws.

"That's it," the man whispered, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth despite the dire situation.

Leonardo watched in awe as the supposed prospector sped through the air, the grapple line retracting with incredible force.

The man executed a perfect backflip, landing gracefully on his feet in one fluid motion.

The Donrolf, meanwhile, crashed headlong into the eastern wall, the impact sending tremors through the cavern. Rocks and debris rained down as the creature shook its heads, momentarily disoriented by the collision.

"Hit his eyes now!" the stranger shouted, his voice echoing off the cave walls.

Without hesitation, he scooped up a large chunk of rock from the ground and hurled it with impressive strength.

The makeshift projectile struck true, connecting with one of the Donrolf's many eyes.

The creature let out an ear-splitting screech of pain and rage. Inspired by the man's bravery, Leonardo grabbed a nearby rock and threw it with all his might.

But his feeble muscles betrayed him, and the stone fell short, barely grazing one of the beast's wings. Disappointment and frustration welled up inside him. "I can't do it, old man," he called out, his voice cracking.

The Donrolf, recovering from the blow to its eye, charged once again at the blue-haired stranger.

With incredible agility, the man used his grapple to swing towards Leonardo's position, executing another flawless backflip to land beside the boy.

"I'm not an old man," he said with a wry smile, his chest heaving from exertion.

"And boy, I know you want to leave or hide, but think of it this way: those people are weak and need a hero. I'm not telling you to be the hero; I'm telling you to show them that even a little, scrawny boy like you has what it takes."

Leonardo bristled at the description. "You're insulting me," he shot back, though there was less heat in his words than he intended.

The man's smile widened. "I'm not. Just know that your name will be on the moon if you do this."

"The moon?" Leonardo asked, his curiosity momentarily overriding his fear. "The large one or the smaller one?"

"The large one," the stranger replied with a chuckle before activating his grapple once more.

The device latched onto the upper wall, and he zipped away, leaving Leonardo to ponder his words.

"The moon," Leonardo mused, the concept seeming so far removed from their current predicament that it was almost laughable. But something about the man's confidence, his unwavering belief that they could survive this, resonated.

As the Donrolf began to stalk through the cavern, its multiple eyes scanning methodically, Leonardo ducked behind another rock.

Leonardo noticed that despite its massive size, the creature couldn't fully extend its wings in the confined space.

"Then why does it have wings?" he wondered, his analytical mind kicking into gear despite the danger.

Leonardo watched as the stranger grappled up to a high vantage point, his gaze fixed on the waterfall.

"It definitely came from there," the man muttered. "A nest, perhaps?" In one smooth motion, the stranger descended, snatching up another rock as he landed.

A desperate survivor clung to his clothing, pleading for help. "That's what I'm doing," the man assured them, flashing a thumbs up before zipping away once more.

With deadly accuracy, he launched himself directly at the Donrolf's cluster of eyes.

The beast reared back, unleashing a deafening screech that reverberated through the cavern.

"Close your ears, everyone!" the man shouted, but his warning came too late for many. Leonardo watched in horror as people around him began to collapse.

Some dropped dead instantly, their faces contorted in agony, while others writhed on the ground, clutching their heads in unbearable pain. By some miracle, Leonardo had managed to hear the warning and cover his ears just in time.

As the echoes of the scream faded, Leonardo's eyes fell upon a familiar sight: natrium crystals scattered across the cave floor. In that moment, an idea began to form in his mind – a desperate, dangerous plan, but one that just might work.

"Old man!" he called out, his voice stronger and more confident than before. "I have an idea. Draw it to the lake!"

The stranger turned, curiosity evident in his expression. "What are you planning to do?" he asked as Leonardo began gathering as many natrium crystals as he could carry.

A grim smile played across Leonardo's face as he replied, "Just try to guess." With that, he took off running towards the pool of water, his mind racing with the possibilities and dangers of his plan.

As he ran, Leonardo could hear the Donrolf's heavy footsteps and the whir of the stranger's grapple behind him.

The beast's hot, putrid breath washed over him, spurring him to run faster than he ever had before.

The glowing pool loomed ahead, both a beacon of hope and a potential watery grave. Leonardo's lungs burned, and his muscles screamed in protest, but he pushed on.

He knew that everything – his life, the lives of the survivors, and perhaps even the future of their moon – hinged on what he did in the next few moments. He clutched the natrium crystals tightly and prepared to execute his desperate gambit.