Right, how do I do this?

Rohl hadn’t exactly gotten up the tree with any amount of ease, but unfortunately for him, getting down didn’t seem like it would get any easier. Especially since he didn’t exactly revel in the idea of looking down as he did so.

It’s not like I have any reputation to lose at this point.

Given the spacing of the branches and thickness of the tree trunk, Rohl could just about wrap his arms around it and shimmy his way down the tree. It was definitely far slower than the elf’s technique and far less dignified but if it got him down without him falling to his death, then who was he to complain?

I can feel her staring at me.

There was little chance her piercing eyes weren’t glued to his back, but despite Rohl’s confidence in that, he didn’t have the will to turn back and check. Instead, he focused on his technique and ever so slowly shimmied down the tree until he was confident, he could feel solid ground beneath his feet.

Even then, he didn’t acknowledge what he had just done and instead simply turned and gave his companion a small smile. “Let’s get moving, no need to dawdle around here.”

The only response his words received was the slight narrowing of his companion’s eyes as she continued to stare at him.

It was enough to make him feel somewhat self-conscious but before he could comment on it, the elf turned away and began taking a few steps in the direction they had been headed.

Kind of surprising she didn’t say anything about that.

Rohl wasn’t about to look such a gift horse and so simply followed after her in silence.

It was an action Rohl had gotten quite accustomed to by now, staying silent and mimicking the elf’s careful footsteps as they trekked through the forest, he had lost count of how many steps they’d taken long ago.

Tens of thousands, hundreds even, I can’t even remember the days never mind steps.

The dungeon had to be altering the days or at least his perception of them, he knew he had been here a while but surely not so long that he couldn’t even remember the days. The fact they hadn’t starved yet and still had some of their chewy black twigs left pointed to that at least.

Shame I can’t remember how many we started with, would have been a good way to count. the days. If we’re not out of here soon, we won’t be making any money from this trip.

It was a rather disappointing prospect but if they did return with knowledge of the dungeon, surely that was prized information was worth any cost. He knew it was but that fact still kind of stung a little.

The roots they had collected would still fetch a good sum, one that they sadly couldn’t increase any further. There were so many trees around them and a likely innumerable number of spirits within them and yet, killing them would mean nothing. Their bodies would simply be returned to the dungeon, reabsorbed into its body and strength.

It was enough to make Rohl glare slightly at a passing tree and in doing so almost walk into the back of his companion.

With a reaction speed that he didn’t quite realise he possessed, he just about diverted his momentum to his left, narrowing avoiding his companion. Instead, his body stumbled to the ground just to her side.

“You’re an idiot.”

“Yep, thank you.” After giving a somewhat half-hearted response, Rohl pushed himself up to a seated position before ever so carefully attempting to stand. The jolt of pain that erupted through his right ankle was enough to put an end to that idea, however.

“Just sprained it, I might need a few minutes to rest it.”

The only reply his companion gave was a look that screamed ‘What is wrong with you’ but still he made no motion to leave him and instead nodded slightly towards a small outcropping of rock.

After a handful of half-hobbled steps, Rohl made it to the rather his rather uncomfortable rocky seat and lifted his throbbing ankle off the ground and into his lap. A quick once-over told him it wasn’t broken, just a little sore from the sudden fall. If he could get a few minutes of rest, Rohl knew he would be good to go.

Minutes that would apparently be filled with an awkward silence as his companion simply chose to watch him silently during his recovery. Rohl honestly had no idea if it was out of concern or disbelief of him and his actions, either way, Rohl knew he had to try and fill this silence with something.

“So, how long does a wandering last for?” Rohl asked in a likely vain attempt at getting a conversation going.

“Some elves have only wandered for a few years, other decades, you return when you are ready to do so.” His companion answered without her usual mocking or derogatory tone.

Kind of suspected silence, guess she’s getting bored of just walking as well.

“Oh, how long have you been wandering for?”

“Close to a year.”

“How long do you think you’ll be in Elmon and Offa for?”

“Until I’m ready to leave.”

This feels more like a quiz than an actual conversation, I don’t want to just sit here asking her questions all day.

“Why did you choose to be an adventurer, you could have just travelled without the danger?”

“The wandering empathises independence, self-finance is a crucial part of that. Your adventuring guild provided me with an easy source of money for no real danger… usually. Why did you become an adventurer, you don’t seem particularly skilled at it,” Ell replied rather monotonously.

I’m not going to tell her about the attack, I can go with a half-truth-type answer.

After taking another second to rub the edges of his ankle, Rohl finally answered his companion.

“I guess I always dreamt of it you know. Adventuring, fighting monsters, becoming famous, that kind of thing. But now, it simply seemed the best way to get strong, without the restrictiveness of the army that is.” It was a fair answer and one that did hide the truth without him having to straight-up lie about it.

His companion didn’t give a verbal reply to his words, instead, she simply gave a look that was the perfect embodiment of ‘fair enough’. The look was soon followed by the elf taking a few steps toward him before nodding for him to move over.

But as soon as she got within a step or two of him, Rohl rushed forward, reached for his sword and half pulled his companion with him. He had felt something, something stirring within the ground.

It had been small at first, an almost unnoticeable rumble within the stone, but that soon changed as the rock he had been sitting on began to shake violently.

Fucking ankle.

The urge to run was great but with his ankle flaring up with pain, Rohl didn’t fancy his chances when it came to that. And with running no longer an option, all Rohl could do was draw his sword and watch as the ground around the stone fell away and whatever creature they were facing began to rise higher and higher into the air.

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Golem, some kind of mutated stone troll maybe.

Rohl had no idea what he was facing, and it seemed neither did his companion who was far too busy muttering angrily about him under her breath to give him a quick rundown on their enemy.

Whatever the beast was, it was not something he could recognise easily, its large ogre-like size was far from unique and whilst its rocky body wasn’t exactly common, the large bulging growth of flesh that erupted from what could only have been its head was not something he had ever seen or even heard of before.

“Stop just gawking at it you idiot and get back. You’re too slow for this, keep behind it and look for any opportunities, I’ll draw its attention.”

His companions’ orders came quick and sharp, and almost instinctively Rohl moved to obey, in a series of somewhat pained steps, Rohl stepped behind the elf and watched as she rushed forward and made a half-hearted attack on its rocky body. Given the monster's lack of facial features, it was hard to tell if it felt the attack or had even fallen for Ell’s attempted distraction.

The creature's facial structure was barely recognisable never mind readable but a handful of seconds after the attack landed, it finally moved to act, its large rocky body moved to lumber after Ell as one of its stalagmite-like arms rushed to slice at her.

Neither action came any closer to actually hitting Ell whose nimble footwork kept her easily out of range of the attack.

With the creature entirely focused on its target, Rohl finally had the chance to move towards its back and attempt to try and analyse the creature.

Its large stone body didn’t appear to have any weak areas, its entire mass seemed far too strong to be pierced by their swords. Perhaps with men as strong as Thaddeus wielding war hammers, they might have had a chance of breaking its legs and smashing apart its topped form, but without that, they only had one real option.

Its head, there is some kind of flesh up there, but I have no idea if that will kill it. If it’s a golem, we’d need to fully shatter every bit of it. Going for the head is our only option. If it doesn’t work, we split up, one leads it away and tries to lose it in the woods somewhere.

He had a basis of a plan and whilst its effectiveness was questionable, it was still his best chance. But before he could put it into action, he had to wait for an opportunity to do so. The beast’s size would make a direct attack on its head impossible, it was just too tall for that, he would either have to leap up its back or wait for it to get closer to the ground.

Both options meant waiting for an opportunity to come along and given the fact one successful attack could likely mean death for his companion, Rohl wasn’t keen on waiting for too long.

Ell’s dodges were masterful with every one of her steps taking her out of the way of the creatures’ swipes. Every one of its attempts to gorge her left it swiping at the air with Ell stepping to its side or just out of range, only when the creature slammed its arms downwards did Ell have to do anything more drastic than step to the side.

Its small had enough force to send up a wave of dirt and stone, something Ell seemed keen to avoid, in her current condition, it seemed ed she could dodge its attacks for hours but if the cloud of dirt and stone impacted her breathing and vision, her chances decreased greatly.

For now, at least, Ell was able to weave out of its attacks and remain alert of the twists and bumps of her surroundings. Rohl couldn’t help but be somewhat impressed by her ability to kite the creature and avoid any trees or other obstacles as she did so, but still, as impressive as it was, it gave Ell no time or chance to meaningfully counterattack.

Any attempt to parry an attack with her sword would likely do nothing but leave her with a broken arm. And even if she did attempt to strike or swipe as she dodged, Rohl doubted the attack would do so much as scratch its rocky form.

It’s not going to lower itself willingly, she has to use its momentum against it like she did to me during the training.

“Get it to fall or lower itself.”

Rohl’s words were brief and not as clear as if he had simply shouter to her his plan, but he was rather keen on avoiding drawing its attention.

It wasn’t exactly clear if she understood or not. Rather understandably Ell did not immediately reply and instead correctly prioritised putting all her focus on weaving to the right of one of its attacks.

Rohl had faith she would eventually find a way to do what was needed and so he made sure he was ready to do his part, he positioned himself in line with the creatures back, held his word ready and moved his feet into a sprinting position, when the time came, he would make his strike.

With his new position secure, his view of the ensuing battle wasn’t the clearest, the creature's hulking form completely hid his companion behind it, occasionally he would get a glimpse of the elf during one of the creature’s wide attacks or unsteady movements but that was about it.

Rohl wasn’t completely sure if he was seeing it correctly, but it did appear as if the elf was starting to lead the beast towards the forest, given its need to attack as soon as it recovered from the last, it wasn’t following her particularly quickly.

Still a handful of seconds of the creature being baited towards the forest and a few glimpses over the shoulder from Ell all but confirmed Rohl’s suspicions.

What’s she doing?

Rohl had somewhat of an idea of what the elf was planning but still, he lacked the full knowledge of her plan. For now, all he could do was watch as Ell slowly moved closer to a nearby tree before stopping just before it, just waiting for the creature to get closer.

It was a risky but necessary manoeuvre and one that made Rohl rub his fingers together nervously. If the plan didn’t rely on him making the attack, he would have closed his eyes over watching the beast move closer to his companion and raise its arm to strike.

The creature’s intentions were clear and if she truly wanted to, Rohl knew Ell could have easily sidestepped to the way, but yet the elf didn’t move. She kept her feet locked in place and simply waited as the creature got closer and closer.

For every second that Ell allowed the creature to close the gap, the harder dodging would be and yet Ell remained steadfast until finally the creature rushed forward with a ferocious attack of its own.

In a move that reminded Rohl of his own sparring with the elf, Ell ducked down, and allowed the creature's stalagmite arm to pass overhead before rolling to her left until she was safe from being crushed by the creature’s massive body.

Rohl would have loved to track her movements and make sure she hadn’t been injured but he was far too distracted by the beast for that, the glorious sight of its body crashing into the oak behind it and turning its trunk into nothing more than a bombardment of shards and splinters was not something he could ignore.

The creature had collided with it headfirst and that was Rohl’s signal to finally trike.

He rushed forward as fast as he could, determined to reach the beats before it could fully pry its body out of the splintering mess it had just created.

With as much power as he could muster, Rohl leapt onto the creature's back with a nasty thump as its jagged surface collided harshly with his skin. The force was enough to leave him gasping for air but within a moment of his breath returning to him, Rohl pushed himself up the creature's back, raised his right arm and thrust his sword through the back of its head with as much strength as he could.

Fuck.

His poor grip combined with the creature’s tough leathery flesh meant his blade had barely pierced the beast, perhaps a third of the blade had become lodged in its skull, with the rest simply remaining lodged outside.

But before Rohl could attempt to unlogged his weapon and strike again, the sudden shaking of the creature put an end to that, it had forced itself out of its predicament and was now stumbling backwards.

With no desire to get crushed if the creature fell, Rohl threw himself off the creature and onto the trampled ground below.

Unfortunately for Rohl, the manoeuvre proved more of a mistake than a blessing as the creature soon steadied itself and turned to face him. Without affording Rohl the chance to scramble away, the monster raised its leg and moved to crush him beneath its bulking weights.

With adrenaline pumping through him, Rohl scarcely avoided the blow as he rolled to the side.

Too fucking close.

Just feeling the secondary impact of the blow crashing into the ground was enough to send a small shiver down Rohl’s back, there could be no surviving such an attack. And with the beast readying itself for another, Rohl wasted no time in continuing his desperate roll to safety.

In a manoeuvre that reminded Rohl far too much of his encounter with the blessing-affected Thaddeus, Rohl once again relied on his rolling skills to narrowly move him out of the way of the incoming attack.

The monster scarcely afforded him the time to roll and recover never mind get himself to his feet and with the treeline soon to put an end to his desperate escape, Rohl felt his chances of survival diminish.

He could not fight the creature from his position, nor could he plead with its emotionless bubbling fleshy face, all he could do was wait and hope he could sneak through its legs before Rohl found himself crushed to death by its now rising foot.

Before he could put such a plan into motion, the sound of pounding steps and trampled leaves caught Rohl’s attention, Ell had rejoined the fight, she was sprinting at the beats from its left and with a leap Rohl knew he wasn’t capable of she jumped forward and slammed her weapon into the hilt of his still lodged sword.

“Move you idiot.”

Rohl rushed to obey the hastily shouted order and so began to backpedal as much as he could. His feet tore apart the shaken ground as they attempted to push him away from the stunned monster. If the sight of the beast wasn’t enough motivation by itself, the threat of it now toppling over and impaling him upon its rough jagged body certainly was.

With a mix of panic and adrenaline fuelling him, Rohl narrowly managed to move himself out of the creature's way but not so much as to avoid a spray of dirt and mud as the creature’s heavy body collided with the ground next to him.

Is it dead?

It was a question Rohl desperately wanted answering and one it seemed he never would as within seconds of the creatures fall, Rohl watched his winded and bruised companion rush forward, yank his sword out of the beast before then dragging him along with her as she race out the clearing.

As much as Rohl thought about questioning her, the sight of its bubbling flesh fizzing and popping as they got further away put an end to that and gave Rohl all the motivation he needed to slip out of Ell’s grasp and fully commit to getting as far away from that monstrosity as he could.

That was far too close of a fight. Bastard dungeons, we can’t keep doing this forever.