We made our way deeper into the caves, following the bloody trail left by the demons. It was hard to see, even with Flint's torch. The darkness seemed to swallow up the light, leaving us only glimpses of the half-eaten corpses we passed.

"This is awful," Eliaria said, her face pale.

I felt sick. My stomach churned at the sight of the dead. They weren't just ven'thik, it looked like the demons had dragged victims into the cave system from nearby villagers.

The only person that didn't seem disturbed by the carnage was the masked mage Cho'Maw. He walked with a purpose, barely looking at the bodies as he passed them.

"We have to keep moving," he said. "We are getting close."

"Close to what?" Flint asked, his voice wavering.

The masked mage did not answer. He just kept walking.

I could see Flint was struggling. His face was pale, and he was sweating.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

He glared at me, his face contorted with anger.

"No," he said. "We should be running as far from this place as we can, not walking deeper into it."

"We've come too far to turn back now," the masked mage said. "Just keep moving."

Flint looked like he wanted to argue, but he didn't.

We continued deeper into the caves, the blood-stained walls closing in around us. Small rat-like demons scurried away from us as we approached, disappearing into the darkness.

The stench of death and decay was overwhelming. I had to cover my mouth and nose to keep from vomiting.

Something strange was going on down here. It was obvious that this wasn't just a cave that the demons had taken refuge in. It looked like a well lived in nest.

If that's what it is, then what will we find at the bottom of this?

A shadow moved in the darkness ahead and Flint cast [Rift Bolt] in response, a glowing bolt of energy arcing towards it. The wall cracked as it struck.

"Stop!" the masked mage ordered, his voice tense. "It was just my shadow from the torchlight."

"Shit!" Flint muttered, breathing hard. "I'm a little on edge."

"It's okay," I said. "We're all a little on edge."

Cho'Maw stepped closer to Flint and spoke in a low, dangerous voice. "You make noise when we are trying to be stealthy, you jump at every shadow, and you draw the attention of every demon in the cave."

He poked Flint in the chest with a boney finger, "We have no time for you to get your shit together."

Flint stared at the masked man, his jaw clenched, his eyes wide. I knew he was being pushed to the limit. Flint hated closed spaces and the further we went, the narrower the passages became.

"If you want to keep up," said the mage, "you have to get a hold of yourself. If you can't, we'll leave you here. Your choice."

Flint swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. "I'll be fine. Just keep moving."

The masked man nodded. "Good. Now stay quiet."

I peered at the crack in the wall as we passed by, and I was sure I saw a pair of eyes looking back. But when I blinked, they were gone.

I could feel the tension growing as we continued deeper into the caves. The path was narrowing, forcing us to walk in single file. I couldn't see much past the light of the torch, and that made me uneasy. The light was ruining our night vision, I knew we had to put it out, but god's I didn't want to walk in the dark.

"We have to put out the light," I said.

"What are you talking about?" Flint asked.

"The light," I said. "We can't see past our hands, but whatever is out there can see us clearly."

"That's crazy," Flint said. "If we put out the light, we'll be defenseless."

"We're already defenseless," I said. "At least if we put out the light, we can get some of our night vision back."

Cho'Maw nodded. "He's right," he said. "Put out the light."

"This is bullshit," Flint muttered, but he did as he was told.

As he extinguished the torch, the darkness rushed in like a wave, washing over us. It was almost palpable. I could hear my own heartbeat, and I could feel the air move around me as the others breathed.

We stood there for a moment, adjusting to the darkness.

And then it happened.

A pair of hands, barely visible in the gloom, reached out of the wall and grasped hold of Cho'Maw. Before I could even react, they pulled him into the stone, and he disappeared.

We all froze, shocked.

"What the hell?" Flint yelled.

"Shut up," I whispered. "We have to be quiet."

I reached out, trying to feel where Cho'Maw had been. My fingers touched smooth, wet stone. It was impossible.

"Where did he go?" I asked, my voice shaking.

"How should I know?" Flint said, his voice shrill. "He just disappeared!"

"We have to keep moving," I said, grabbing hold of Flint's arm. "He's a tough bastard, he’ll be okay."

"Screw this!" Flint said, yanking his arm away. "I’m getting the fuck out of here."

"What about the others?" Eliaria said, her voice trembling.

"To hell with them," Flint said. "They made their choice. They knew what they were getting into."

As Flint turned to leave, I saw it, the shadowy form of a man.

"Behind you," I screamed.

Flint turned and fired a second [Rift Bolt], illuminating the cave for a second.

The wall was lined with eyes, hundreds of eyes, staring at us.

"Run!" Flint yelled, sprinting past us.

"Shit," I said, I grabbed hold of Eliaria's arm and pulled her after me.

We ran, the darkness pressing in around us. I could hear the sound of something chasing us, and the wet slap of its feet against the stone.

I looked back, and I could see it. A mass of flesh and eyes, tentacles flailing. It was gaining on us.

Eliaria turned and launched a golden javelin into the monster, and the thing recoiled, letting out a hiss of pain.

"Come on," I yelled, pulling her with me.

I didn't look back, I just kept running.

"This way," Flint yelled, leading us down a narrow passage.

I rounded the corner and ran straight into Flint's back. He had stopped suddenly.

"What's wrong?" I asked, fearing the worst.

"Hell no," Flint said.

I looked around the corner, and my blood ran cold. Cho'Maw stood before us, his mask cracked and blood dripping from a dagger in his hand.

Behind him were a dozen or so large demons and over a hundred small rat-like ones.

"I should have killed you when I had the chance," Cho'Maw said, his voice shaking.

"What have you done?" Eliaria demanded.

"I've failed," he replied, his eyes filled with sorrow.

He fell to his knees, and I saw a golden cane protruding from his back.

"Nightclaw!" the mage whispered, his voice trembling.

A hand reached out of the dark, grabbing hold of the golden cane and pulling it free, revealing a wicked blade on the end.

"Hello again, Bastion Ward," the figure said, his voice cold and emotionless.

The man known as Nightclaw stepped from the shadows. A red monocle covering one eye, he grinned wickedly at the dying mage.

"Malachi," I breathed, realizing who he was.

I felt conflicted, a part of me felt relieved to see a familiar face. Malachi and his partner Nidalee had shown us the way off of the genesis floor. But, this wasn't the same card mage I knew back then. It was obvious he was working with the demons, and was likely responsible for the missing Pathfinders.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

"I must say I am impressed that you have managed to evade Gothos' clutches this long," Malachi said, his mouth forming a smile, but his eyes remaining cold and emotionless.

Gothos, that was the name the Protector had called Patches.

"You're working for Patches?" Flint said, his voice filled with confusion.

"Patches?" Malachi said, the name seemingly unfamiliar to him. "Ah, yes, that is what he calls himself these days."

"Malachi," I said, stepping forward. "I don't understand. Patches is the one that tricked me into destroying Misty Hollow. He killed Evelyn. He is the enemy."

"Don't be foolish, boy," he said, shaking his head. "Gothos is my master. For a long time I thought he was dead, those were dark days indeed. I became someone else, giving up on my mission, but now that he has returned to us, my duty is at his side."

"How can you say that?" I asked. "He killed Evelyn."

"She was a casualty of war," Malachi said, his eyes flashing dangerously.

I looked past him, seeing the demons watching us, as if they were waiting for Malachi to give the word for them to attack.

"You're the one opening the rifts, the one summoning the demons," Eliaria said, her face filled with horror.

"Clever girl," Malachi said, his smile widening.

I noticed the demons moving closer. I tightened the grip on my dagger, but the card mage waved them off.

"You betrayed us, your friends," I said, anger rising within me. "What about Nidalee? Where is she?"

"Nidalee is safe," Malachi said. "She is helping the Master with his plans, when she is done, Gothos will free her."

He spread his hands, "You see, we are not monsters."

Flint raised his staff, but the card mage held up a hand, stopping him.

"Do not attempt anything foolish," Malachi said. "I would hate to have to kill you."

"Why are you doing this?" Eliaria asked. "What did the ven’thik ever do to you?"

"You wouldn't understand," Malachi said, shaking his head.

"No," Eliaria said, "you're the one that doesn't understand. You've killed innocent people. You're a murderer."

Malachi took a single step towards her, and I could see something in his eyes, almost like he was conflicted.

"You're wrong," he said, his voice growing quiet. "We had no choice. What would you do to save your world? To save your family?"

This was my chance to get answers. I was sure Malachi had doubts about what he’d done. Maybe seeing Patches as a raving lunatic instead of his old scholarly master had shaken him. If I pressed gently, he could have the answers to the questions that had plagued me for weeks.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, my voice low. "How is this saving anyone?"

Malachi pointed his cane at me, "Who else knows you are here? Are more coming?"

I shook my head, trying to reassure him, "It's just us. What do you want? Maybe I can help, so there doesn't need to be all this bloodshed?"

Malachi lowered his eyes, "Unfortunately, bloodshed is the one thing we need."

"You killed the Pathfinders?"

"Their lives were needed," Malachi said, his smile fading. "Gothos requires blood magic to summon the gate."

"You sacrificed them," Flint said, his face pale.

"What is the life of a few in comparison to that of an entire world," Malachi said, his voice calm.

Flint made to strike the man, but I held him back, and raised my hands in a sign of peace. "What is this all about? Just tell me that."

Malachi watched me for a moment, and I could tell that he was thinking, "You know I have to kill you? We can't let you leave this place."

I nodded, "There's nothing we can do against this many demons," I said, "I just want to die knowing what it was all about."

Malachi shifted his weight from one leg to the other, and then glanced back over his shoulder at the demons behind him. Finally, he looked back at me, "If you must, know we are going to use the Tower's core to restore our home."

"Home?" I said, a feeling of dread creeping over me. "You mean..."

"Yes," Malachi said, "The Tower is not my home."

I couldn't tell if his words were the ravings of a madman, or if he truly believed what he was saying. Patches had said something similar, something about saving his world.

Malachi smiled sadly, "I’m sorry, but our talk is over now."

The demons stepped towards us, hungrily.

"I’m sorry too," I said, and lunged at Malachi.

The blade sliced through the air, but Malachi was ready. He raised his hand, and time seemed to slow. I felt like a fly stuck in amber.

Eliaria's scream seemed to come from a thousand miles away. "No!"

Flint was frozen in place, his face twisted in a grimace of fear.

Malachi strode towards me, a disappointed look on his face.

"There is no place for heroes in the Tower," he said.

I struggled to move, but it was no use.

"You're weak," he said, "and the Tower has betrayed you. It doesn't matter what you do, the outcome will always be the same. We will win, because we have to."

He leaned in close, his eyes filled with sorrow. "I wish it didn't have to be this way, but the greater good must be protected."

I felt his cold, clammy hand wrap around my neck. He lifted me off the ground, my legs kicking uselessly.

"Any last words?"

I struggled to speak, gasping for air. "Go... fuck yourself," I rasped.

He laughed, "Arrogant to the very end."

He raised his cane, the end glowing with an unearthly light.

A shout echoed through the chamber, and Malachi's eyes went wide. Fire erupted out of Cho'Maw's extended palm, engulfing Malachi and his cane. He screamed, as the flames consumed him and time returned to normal.

I dropped to the ground, gasping for air.

A black shape materialized in front of Malachi. A griffin stepping from the shadow, its wings spread wide.

"Nocturne," Malachi choked, his flesh bubbling.

The griffin roared, its beak opening wide, it swung a claw at my face and I felt a sharp pain as it sliced through my cheek.

I fell to the ground and as I got back to my feet I saw that Malachi and his griffin had vanished.

The demons hesitated for only a moment before surging forward in a wave of claws and teeth.

Cho'Maw stood before us, his arms spread wide. His cloak burning with golden flames and a sphere of energy crackling around him.

"Go!" he yelled.

Eliaria pulled me away, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the sight.

The first demon touched the sphere and was incinerated instantly. More and more demons were caught in the blast, but they kept coming.

The cave shook, the walls cracking and falling.

"We have to go! Now!" Flint shouted.

Flint and Eliaria looked at me, their faces pale.

"Go," Cho'Maw said, his voice barely a whisper.

The mask had fallen away, and I saw the mage for the first time. His face was a blend of human and ven'thik, his skin a mottled green and gray.

"Go," he repeated, his voice growing weaker.

I hesitated, torn between my duty to protect my friends and the desire to help the man that had saved us.

"No," I said, shaking my head.

The masked man closed his eyes and sighed. "Ground-dwellers," he said. "Always so stubborn."

A smile spread across his face and his eyes snapped open. Golden fire burst forth from his palms, enveloping an approaching demon and turning it to ash.

I leapt forward [Toxic Barrage] launching from my fingertips and coating the advancing horde. They died by the dozen, but still more came.

Eliaria was beside me, a golden javelin in her hands, she hurled it into the advancing mass.

"Get back!" Flint shouted, he opened his portal and out came the river of water he’d taken from the ven’thik village.

The water crashed into the demons, knocking them off their feet and shoving them into the back wall of the cave.

Eliaria cast [Sky Shield] creating a dam against the flood and pinning the demons and the water against the wall. They clawed at the shield, struggling to break free of their prison. Slowly their thrashing grew less, the weaker ones who were pulled under, drowning in the dark waters.

A message that I had ranked up to Bronze-4 filled my vision, and I quickly blinked it away, too horrified to even feel excitement.

"Come on," Flint said, pulling at my arm.

I lifted Cho'Maw off the ground, his bloodied body feeling light in my arms.

"You cannot carry me," the ven'thik mage protested, his voice weak.

"Shut up," I said, "save your strength."

Eliaria led the way, her javelin casting a circle of light around us.

We ran, my breath coming in ragged gasps, the air thick and stale. The cave shook, a tremor passing through the stone.

"The tunnels are collapsing," Eliaria said, her voice tight with fear.

"We have to keep moving," I replied, my lungs burning.

We pushed on, the walls pressing in around us, threatening to crush us at any moment.

I stumbled, the weight of the ven'thik mage making my feet heavy. "I can't," I said, gasping for air.

"We have to," Eliaria said, her voice firm.

I was exhausted. While we ran, I poured a single stat point into [Stamina] before dumping the rest into speed and power equally. I felt a wash of renewed energy flooding over me.

Up far ahead I saw the light of day, we were close to the exit, but the walls trembled and stones were raining down from the ceiling.

It didn't matter how strong or fast I was, I knew that if we ran through there, we’d be crushed.

"There's no time," Flint said, his voice filled with despair.

We wouldn't make it through. I could feel it, the roof was caving in, our spells had somehow taken out the cave's support. At any moment, the roof would come crashing down on top of us. We had to do something.

"Flint," I said, the name almost catching in my throat.

He looked at me, his eyes wide.

"On my signal, pop an [Etherix] to empower your next spell and then fire [Rift Bolt] at us," I said.

"What? No, that's crazy," he protested.

"Trust me," I said.

He hesitated, then seeing no other option, he nodded.

I stopped running and summoned [Rootbound Bison]. The giant creature taking up most of the passage.

"Eliaria, help me lift him."

We positioned the ven'thik on the bison's back, and then Eliaria and I scrambled up behind him.

"What are you doing?" Eliaria asked, her voice filled with fear.

"Now, Flint." I yelled.

I sent a command to the bison, and instantly roots shot out of its fur and wrapped around Flint.

"Hold on," I said.

The roof caved in and at that moment Flint's [Rift Bolt] crashed into the bison, the purple energy washing over us.

Someone shouted, and the bison roared in pain.

I felt a moment of weightlessness, and then we were teleported forward, the darkness swallowing us.

***

We reappeared into sunlight, tumbling forward, my stomach lurching as the world shifted.

The bison let out a cry, and crashed to the ground. Its fur seared from the spell, but Eliaria and Cho'Maw were still on its back, clinging on for dear life.

I looked around, "Flint!"

I peered back at the way we had just come, seeing nothing but dust and debris, my heat sinking when I saw no sign of my friend.

I jumped off the bison’s back, running towards the cave entrance. I pulled rocks aside, tossing them out of the way as I frantically searched for him. And then I heard a weak cough and a groan.

I pushed a boulder aside and saw Flint. He was bleeding and covered in rubble, the bison’s roots still holding him tight.

He moaned as I helped him to his feet.

"That was insane," he said, looking around.

He looked bruised with a few bleeding cuts, but it was nothing, Elia’s magic couldn't fix.

"You're welcome," I said, grinning like an idiot.

"I can't believe that worked," Eliaria said, helping Cho'Maw to the ground. Her healing magic flowed from her fingertips, easing his pain.

I stood, looking back where we came from. The entrance to the cave was gone, buried beneath a landslide. The Pathfinders were lost, and if Patches and his kind had their way, they would be used as blood sacrifices to summon another rift.

"Are you ok?" Flint asked.

"I'm fine," I lied.

Malachi was back there, his words still rang in my head. He believed in what he was doing, the same way I did. In the end, it wouldn't be a battle of good versus evil, but of two sides struggling to survive. The thought made me uneasy.

"Come on," Eliaria said, "the captain will want to hear about what happened."

I nodded, "Let's get out of here."

***