The familiar smell of burning plastic filled Trobek's senses as he started the chant for the spell [Full Heal]. As the healing aura reached her, Remington "Remmy" Wells let out a low moan of relief; her wounds slowly closing up in the soft greenish glow. The remaining two members of the party let out similarly questionable sounds as they sat down on the cobbled floor of the dark tunnel they were in.
"Goddamn, this never stops feeling good!", exclaimed Remmy as she too followed suit and sat down.
The twins Crescente and Zuriel sprawled out on the stone, basking in the warm aura emanating from Trobek. Their wounds had already healed up completely, being comparatively lighter to the ones received by Remmy. Seeing that they didn't need anymore help, Trobek turned his attention towards Remmy.
Her wounds, although more serious, were already in much better shape; the only one which remained open was a deep wound running along the inside of her left thigh. She had stretch out that leg towards Trobek, and had taken off her helmet to check the damage, her blazing red hair falling to just above the middle of her back. The helmet had taken quite the beating, cracked all the way to the middle and missing the visor entirely.
Crescente, missing the warmth, looked over and frowned.
"Come on Ur, don't just leave me high and dry!", she said with a pout. Then, gazing over at Remmy, she added with a mischievous smirk, "Oh, I forgot that's what you're into."
"Oh knock it off, you're just jealous!", Remmy retorted back almost instantly. She then made a show of taking off her greaves(as sensuously as one can in full metal armour) and showing her leg to Trobek. However, he remained impassive, his concentration on keeping the spell steady and stable to avoid any accidents. Crescente stuck out her tongue and scooted closer to Remmy to get back into the warm light. Zuriel, on the other hand, ignored the playful banter between the friends and set to work on sharpening the head of his ornate spear, dulled from the fight from before. Trobek, attempting to not smile at the exchange between the two women, focused on slowly lowering the intensity of the spell as the cut on Remmy's leg closed up.
"Feeling better?", asked Trobek.
"Yeah, much better, thanks." replied Remmy.
"Although..." she said with a playful smile, "If you could do anything about the scar, that'd be the real magic. A woman has to take care of her looks, you know."
"Oh sure, that's easy. Let me just grab you real quick." Trobek replied without breaking stride.
"Wait I was just ki- EEEP!!" Remmy cut herself off with a yelp as Trobek grabbed her ankle and lifted her leg over and ran his finger along the dark scar running along her thigh. It faded away almost instantly. Remmy quickly pulled her leg away and put on her greaves, trying furiously to hide her face that had turned scarlet from embarrassment. Crescente, never one to be known for subtlety, laughed out loudly, while Zuriel continued his maintenance, with a discreet smile.
"L-lets keep moving, we're all healed up now. Thank you Bek." Remmy stammered out while struggling with her boots.
The small four man party kept moving deeper into the Abyssal Labyrinth, the domain of the Unseen One who ruled over it. For years, they had trained and worked together, in preparation of raiding the Abyssal Labyrinth, the seat of the evil which had corrupted Greayknell, their beautiful world. They were not the only ones. A total of 12 such parties of four members each had been chosen by King Leon XXVIII to combat the being they had come to know as the Unseen One, a mysterious being believed to reside in the labyrinth which had formed over the centuries in the wastelands outside the borders of the country. Its corruption had spread through the years, and now threatened to take over the frontier towns and turn its residents into mindless drones acting as scouts for the Unseen One.
Trobek, even as a child, had shown strong affinities for natural and white magic, making him a natural candidate to work as a healer in any church in the country, and perhaps even become one of the highly revered priests later in life. However, a chance meeting with the then-rookie warrior Remington Wells changed the course of his life forever. Under her influence, Trobek joined the Guild of Healers and trained his talents for years, quickly making a name for himself as a natural born healer. Meanwhile, Remmy honed her own talents, meeting the twins Crescente and Zuriel, a duo of genius spear-wielders. While twins, their personalities could not have been farther apart. Crescente was outgoing and fun-loving, dragging her sober and serious brother on wild escapades through which they made their names as fearsome adventurers and formidable opponents in the martial tournaments held throughout the land.
Under the leadership of Remmy, the four of them soon became renowned as a near invincible party, clearing increasingly difficult subjugation quests, until they were finally noticed by the Royal Arms Master, and recommended to be one of the twelve parties to be sent into the Abyssal Labyrinth. Now, as they pushed forward into the seemingly endless maze, they had unknowingly gone much deeper than any other party had gone, deeper even than they themselves had intended. They had fought countless battles over several weeks, eating what monsters they killed. Hesitant at first, they had quickly come to enjoy it as their flesh tended to taste much better than the meat that was available back at home. The constant source of food, along with an underground river that provided them clean water, allowed the party to push deeper than anyone else in the history of their land. Trobek's skill as a healer kept them fit and Remmy's skills as a leader kept morale up as they journeyed forwards into the nest of corruption.
They stopped to rest after traveling for around half a day on the banks of the underground river. The twins set up camp, while Remmy and Trobek set up a spell to alert them in case any monsters broke a perimeter of 50 mylnes around their camp.
"You know, I never thought we would make it this far." Remmy said suddenly, just as Trobek was beginning the chant for the spell. Her sudden words broke his focus.
"What? Why not?"
"Oh I don't know, somehow all of this doesn't feel real, us being heroes."
"Well, we aren't heroes, more akin to scouts, or perhaps sacrifices."
"Don't say such things!", Remmy said sharply. Trobek turned away and resumed the spell.
"I apologize, I've been somewhat tired after casting the [Full Heal]." He said, without looking at her. Remmy frowned and walked up to him.
"Bek... look at me."
Trobek faced Remmy, his eyes betraying a hint of regret. Remmy's piercing green eyes scanned her friend, making him squirm slightly.
"How long have I known you Bek? You know that if something is on your mind, you can always tell me about it." Remmy said with the patience of a mother to her own son. Trobek looked down at his feet, ashamed to meet his friend's eyes.
"I'm sorry Rem. I've just been tired recently. It's been weeks since we last saw sunlight. Everyday has been constant fighting, all of you getting hurt. I might not be a fighter, but it still pains me to watch you three get sliced up by these... demons."
"Oh, Bek..." Remmy took his hand in between hers and pressed it. A warmth spread through Trobek's body from his hand.
"You really were tired, Bek. I'm so sorry I didn't notice it, all that healing and casting spells must have been taking their toll on you." She said with a sad smile.
"All right, let's fix that! We'll camp out here for a few days and rest up, compose ourselves. Take stock. This place feels safe enough. I'll go tell the twins!" Remmy let go his hand and walked back the way they had come.
Trobek looked at her receding form and smiled. She truly was an amazing leader. He returned to the spell he had been casting, concentrating on the chant. However, a sudden chill wind interrupted him, making him shiver. He frowned and looked around, but could see no one. He stared for a while at the cave into which the river disappeared, but still could not feel anything. Uneasy, he finished the spell and quickly hurried back to the camp, where the others had set up a fire to cook and cure the meat they had gathered that day.
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"Remington tells us we will be staying here for a while. I am okay with that, we all need the rest." Zuriel said as Trobek sat down in between Crescente and Remmy. Trobek smiled as he did so.
"Yes, it seems my attempt to hide my fatigue from our omniscient leader was a failure." Remmy laughed at this and punched him lightly on the shoulder.
"Yeah, but jokes aside, please don't hide these things from me. We need to be on top form at all times, especially here." Remmy said in a serious tone, but still with a smile on her face.
"But yes, we will be camped here for a few days while our beloved healer gets back the strength he lost from fixing you two up."
"Hey! That's not fair, you're the one who gets the most banged up in a fight!" Crescente piped up indignantly, her signature pout on her face.
"Yes, but that's my job, to draw in the beasts while you two finish them off. It's you who have no excuse when you do get your behinds kicked!"
"To be fair, sister, it was you who rushed in headfirst today into that nest of ice rodents today and got frozen stiff until Bek thawed you out after we were done."
"OI, I TOLD YOU NOT TO MENTION THAT AGAIN!" Crescente banged her fists on her brother's chest as Bek and Remmy shared a good laugh at the scene. As the twins fought, Remmy turned towards Trobek again.
"Feeling a bit better now?"
"Yeah, thanks to you. You really do know us inside and out." Remmy smiled at the comment.
"No, not all of us, just you. I've been with you much longer than the twins, after all."
"Yes, I suppose you have been. How long has it been, actually?"
Remmy frowned slightly, trying to recall.
"Well, we met when you were, what? 15? and I was 17. You went into training for a couple of years after that and we met up again when you were 20. So, I've known you for 18 years now." Remmy said, as if solving a difficult problem in mathematics, never her strong suit.
"My word, it has been a long time, then! We've grown quite old now that I think about it." Bek said, the light of the fire flickering on his face, showing the half smile he had.
"Oh shush, you don't say that kind of thing to a woman. Really! You still haven't learnt any tact." Remmy punched him on the shoulder again, Bek's smile reflected now on her face. They both shared another laugh as Crescente came over to them with a platter.
"All right you two lovebirds, dinner's ready!" She said, handing them both a plate full of grilled meat. The aroma rising from the plate was too good to resist. They interrupted their conversation to dig into their food.
The twins dozed by the dying fire. Remington wrapped a blanket around them and joined Bek by the riverbank. He offered her the cup he was drinking from. Remmy took a sip and wrinkled her nose.
"I never know why you keep drinking... what was it again?"
"Coffee. I have to get them from far reaches of the empire when we are in the city, but since we were passing by the village that made it, I picked up some before we came in here."
"How can you like it though, it's so bitter! It'd taste so much better with some milk and sugar."
"Tch, spoken like a true plebeian. Milk and sugar are the quickest way to ruin coffee. You need to drink it black to get the true flavour of the beans."
Remmy swirled the black liquid in the cup, thinking of something. She took another sip, made a face and handed the cup back.
"I don't think I'll ever get used to this. It's... how do you say it? An acquired taste." She unclipped a small flask from her belt and took a swig.
"Aah, that's much better. Nothing better after a good dinner." Taking another swig, she offered it to Trobek, who hesitated, and then took a sip. The fiery liquid burned a path down his throat and settled in his stomach like a rock, warming him throughout.
"Gods, how do YOU keep drinking this, it tastes like lamp oil and goes down like a mountain griffin on an unsuspecting hare. Remmy laughed at the analogy.
"I suppose this is an acquired taste too." She took back the flask and took another swig, then put it back on the clip on her belt.
"Will you take first watch, then?"
"Yeah, don't worry. The coffee will keep me awake. You go on ahead and sleep. Oh and get those two into the tent, or they'll catch a deathly cold." Remmy nodded and started heading back, then stopped and turning back, said,
"Thank you Bek."
"What for?"
"For... everything. If you hadn't saved me on that day, we could never have come this far as a party. I may be the leader, but even I end up depending on you and your sensibility time and again. So... Thank You." Remmy left.
Bek sat down on the bank and sipped on the cup of coffee. He thought about what Remmy had said. That day...
Suddenly, a sudden chill seized him, the same chill he had felt earlier. He quickly stood up and looked around, but could see or sense nothing. Almost instantly, however, a tightness gripped his heart like a vice.
"REM-", his voice got cut off, but she had heard him.
Remmy rushed back to the bank where she had left Trobek, and reached just in time to see her friend collapse on the ground. She sprinted to him and took his head in her hands, shaking him.
"Bek, BEK. What is it, what's going on!! BEK, ANSWER ME!!!"
"...urse..." Trobek weakly whispered something.
"What?! What are you saying?! Talk to me, Bek!"
"Curse... get away", came the reply from her fallen friend.
"Oh... No No NO NO!!" Remmy screamed wildly as she shook her friend.
"...et awa...", getting weaker by the second, Trobek managed to push himself away from Remmy, rolling on the sandy bank of the river.
Before Remmy could reach him again, he chanted a few words, and a flickering white barrier appeared over his collapsed form.
"NO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!! WE CAN STILL-"
"Not this one, Remmy. Not this time."
Remmy understood then what it meant.
"Bek no... Please... I still need you. WE still need you." Tears welled up in her eyes. The twins had heard the commotion and rushed to the riverbank. Zuriel, instantly appraising the situation, rushed to Remmy's side and held her, while Crescente started the chant for a blessing spell on the three of them for what came next.
"Bek... please... there's so much I had to say to you..." Her voice cracked.
Trobek Ur smiled at his friend, now forever doomed to remain that. A friend, and nothing more. He had known.
"I'm... sorry. I should... have said... something. I had... a lot to... say... too..."
Ur had never told her of his memories, and now it was too late to. Crescente moved the three of them back as Bek went into a fit of shivering.
Remmy wept as her friend shuddered from head to toe, then, as she watched, Trobek Ur, her oldest friend and one-sided love, exploded into a thick viscous black mass. The barrier he had put up stopped most of it, but some of it still made it through, which was stopped by the spell set up by Crescente moments earlier. She watched as what remained of her friend flowed into the river nearby.
She wept.
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The ringing of an alarm clock shattered the peace in the dark room. The curtains were pulled slightly apart, through it the skyline of a massive city was visible. Cars flowed along the streets some 30 storeys below the windows. A man lay under the blankets of the bed in the middle of the room. Reaching out from under them, he found the alarm clock and shut it off, and then sat up, rubbing his eyes.
Bek Hyung-So looked around dull-ly. It was his room. The alarm clock read 7:00 AM, November 11th 20XX. He got off the bed and went to brush his teeth and think about the upcoming day. All of a sudden, a massive influx of memories caught up to him as he stood up. Remmy. Crescente. Zuriel. The Abyssal Labyrinth. The Unseen One. All of it came to him all at once, making him collapse on the floor, just as he had when he... died. In the other world, in Greayknell. He shuddered violently as the memories took seat in him and spread their roots in his mind. As it subsided, he stood back up. Checking the alarm clock again, he confirmed the time and date. One night. That's how much time had passed. One single night. He had fallen asleep the previous day and woken up this morning, but somehow, had led an entire life in the world known as Greayknell.
He remembered everything far too clearly for it to have been a mere dream. He remembered his life there, his companions. Remmy. Her weeping face as he... melted. He shuddered again at the thought of it.
Pulling aside the curtains, he looked out on the city.
"What... the hell... happened...?"
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