"Frank, you're back!" Mia exclaimed, her voice filled with genuine concern and relief. She scanned him for any visible injuries, her eyes wide with worry. "What happened down there? Are you alright?"
Frank managed a grin despite his disheveled appearance. "I found a small stream," he began, his voice tinged with exhaustion. "But on one of the lower floors, the ground just gave way beneath me. I'm a bit banged up, but fortunately the stone floor cushioned the fall."
Hector snorted with laughter, his relief was visible as he helped Frank sit down. He looked immensely relieved that his friend had returned safely, injuries notwithstanding. "I knew you would come back okay," he said. "But Mia was worried sick about you.”
Mia saw Frank nodded, he probably knew this was the closest Hector would come to saying that he was worried. Diana sat down next to Frank after casting the healing spell on him. Frank sighed in relief.
Mia felt a complex swirl of emotions as she approached Frank. While relief washed over her like a comforting wave, there was a lingering sense of guilt that tugged at her. She knew that every wound on Frank’s body was a result of her decision. She silently berated herself for doubting herself so far down the line.
As she sat down next to Frank, Mia couldn't suppress a sigh. "I'm so relieved you're back," she admitted softly, her gaze fixed on his eyes. "But I wish I could have done something to prevent this." Her voice held a hint of self-blame, and she hoped Frank would understand that she did what was best for the group.
Frank offered her a reassuring smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "Mia, it's not your fault," he said, the honesty he displayed when talking with Hector gone now. "We're all in this together, and accidents happen. Besides, I will be fine as soon as Diana’s Healing Rune fixes me." His words brought a small measure of comfort to Mia, even though she felt Frank wasn’t telling her everything.
“How far is the river, Frank? Describe it.” Diana asked, always focused on the practical.
“Good to see you too, Diana. It's close, a ten minute walk from here. It's located in a dead end room, the water comes out of cracks in one of the walls and disappears into a small hole in the ground. It’s big enough to clean ourselves and our clothes.”
An undercurrent of excitement coursed through the group. Hector's rare smile and Frank's usual cheer mirrored the shared sentiments. Diana, looked keen to wash away the grime of the past days, and Mia longed for a moment of rest. As they walked towards the river, the prospect of a simple bath provided a brief escape from the myriad challenges they had encountered.
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The grand hall, now the home away from home, held a more relaxed atmosphere after everyone's refreshing baths in the river. They gathered there, their faces showing contentment.
Hector, having experienced a boost in morale after his bath, took a central position in the hall. His voice carried a sense of leadership. "Alright, folks, we've had our rest," he began, his brown eyes meeting those of his friends. "But we can't sit around for too long. It's time to go hunting again."
Diana, her dark hair still slightly damp, nodded in agreement, "You're right, Hector. We need to be cautious, We are currently out of food and need to secure more. Let’s stick to what worked before, Frank lures a monster into a prepared position, and we kill it."
Frank, still nursing his minor injuries from earlier, managed a grin despite the discomfort. "Ahh the bait again, how fun" He laughed but the sound felt somehow wrong to Mia.
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Frank crouched behind a large boulder, his gray eyes scanning the darkness for any sign of movement. Sweat trickled down the side of his face as he wiped it away with the back of his hand. He knew this plan was risky, but it was the best chance they had to take down one of the monsters without alerting the others.
"Alright, easy peasy lemon squeezy," he muttered, taking a deep breath before stepping out from his hiding place.
Like last time Frank kicked a small stone nearby, unlike the last time the monster seemed to zero in on him immediately. What's worse two additional pairs of glowing red eyes emerged from the darkness, their predatory gaze locked onto Frank. His heart pounded in his chest as the realization set in – he hadn't lured just one monster away, but three.
“Hard hard, lemon hard.” Frank said under his breath as he bolted towards the prepared trap.
"Guys! We've got a problem!" Frank called out, already sprinting back towards the group's hiding spot. The monstrous creatures gave chase, their claws scratching the stone floor as they pursued him.
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Hector was hidden behind a pille of rubble waiting for Frank to lure the monsters. Hector's eyes opened wide as he watched the three monsters chasing his friend. This was not the plan! Diana tapped his arm to get his attention .
“Shit, we can’t kill three, ” Diana whispered, looking to check if Mia didn't hear them, "We cannot spring the trap now. It's too dangerous with all three of them!"
"What?" Hector asked, his eyes angry "You want to abandon Frank?If we don't do something, those things will tear him apart!"
"Trust me," Diana urged, her icy logic evident in her tone. "If we go with the plan we will all die."
Hector watched as the monsters closed in on Frank, his breaths came in ragged gasps, and panic clouded his thoughts. He could hear Diana talking to him, but he didn't listen. The creatures were gaining on Frank, and Hector needed to make a decision that might kill them all.
Hector's heart pounded in his chest, the adrenaline coursing through his veins as he weighed their lives against Frank’s. He could see the fear in Frank's eyes as he struggled to keep ahead of the monsters. With the corner of his eye he saw Diana hide behind a boulder so the monsters wouldn’t notice her as Frank passed. He saw Mia on the other side of the narrow passage between two piles of rubble they selected as the spot for the trap waiting for his signal.
Then Frank passed right by him, a second later the centipede monster followed. Hector had a great and horrific view of its undulating body and sharp claws. He let it go by him.
He did the same for the second monster, he could hear Diana behind him sighing with relief.
Then the third monster came between the rubble piles. With a sudden burst of adrenaline, Hector lunged forward, his powerful frame propelling him out of the shadows. With a thunderous battle cry, he descended upon the unsuspecting creature, his two-handed mace raised high. The force of his overhead swing was devastating, as the weapon connected with the monster's head, sending bone and sinew shattering in a brutal display of raw power. Hector's battle cry echoed through the darkness as turned to face the other two monsters.
"Alright, let's take these fuckers down!" Hector shouted, brandishing his gore-covered mace as he charged towards the remaining two monsters; they in turn stopped chasing Frank and went for the new threat. The rest of the group quickly followed the trap now sprung as they had no other way to survive than fighting.
Hector heart raced as the two remaining monsters charged forward, their eyes filled with malice. Their grotesque forms rippled with muscle, and their fangs glistened in the dim light of the cavern. He could feel the ground tremble beneath their heavy footfalls.
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"Guys, Hector can't fight two at the same time!" Mia shouted, her green eyes darting between the snarling beasts and her friends.
"Agreed, we need to divide and conquer, Mia get one with Frank, we get the other." Diana replied, her voice steady despite the looming danger.
Mia ran forwards and stood shoulder to shoulder with Hector. As the two monsters lunged towards them, Mia focused her senses, trying to anticipate their movements. The air seemed to hum with energy, and she could almost see the faint outline of their trajectories. She'd never experienced anything like this before – it was a thrilling, if terrifying, new ability.
With Mia at his side, Hector felt a surge of confidence. As the monsters closed in, he swung his weapon in a defensive arc, forcing one of the creatures to divert its attention toward him. Mia's quick reflexes allowed her to evade the monster's initial charge, and with a swift motion, she thrust her spear towards its side, aiming for a vital spot. The strike hit home, and the monster let out a guttural howl of pain, momentarily distracted from Hector.
Diana, seeing the monsters engaging her friends, reacted swiftly. With a flick of her wrist, she cast a Slowing Rune beneath both of the creatures, giving her teammates the advantage they needed. She added two more Explosive runes to hurt the creatures and fell back to regain some of her mana. Enchanting weapons really hindered her fighting ability.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the chaotic skirmish, Frank moved under the cover of his skills. With his agile movements, he slipped behind one of the monsters, making use of the confusion caused by Mia and Hector's fierce defense. Frank's daggers found its mark, cutting the tendons on one of its legs with precision. The monster howled in agony, swiping its massive claws blindly as Frank danced out of reach, his grin never faltering.
"Keep up the pressure, guys," Hector yelled, parrying a vicious claw swipe from his own monstrous opponent. "Don't give them any room to breathe!"
"Got it!" Mia gritted her teeth, ducking under the snapping jaws of the creature she and Frank were fighting. As she rolled to her feet, she noticed an opening – a momentary lapse in the monster's defenses.
She used all her strength and slammed her spear right between the plates of its armor, the spear cut deeply. But the monster, far from defeated, thrashed wildly with the spear still lodged in its body.
In a desperate bid to free itself, the creature's frenzied movements caused the spear to snap off, leaving a jagged, bloodied stump protruding from its chest. Before Mia could react, the wounded monster lunged toward her, its massive frame crashing into her. Just as the creature closed in, Frank, with uncanny precision, jumped in front of the monster, delivering a final, lethal blow to its throat, ending the creature's life with a swift strike. Frank jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding the creature's crushing weight. Mia however didn’t manage the same feat and the monster's body fell down on her.
“Mia!” Hector shouted, his focus shaken. In the split second following the monster's crushing attack on Mia, he had hesitated, his attention shifted by the agonizing cry of his friend. His brief lapse in concentration allowed his opponent to seize the opportunity, and it lunged at him with startling swiftness. Its massive claws found their mark, ripping through Hector's chest and sinking deep into his flesh, inflicting excruciating pain that shot through his body like a searing blade. Despite the torment, Hector's determination remained unshaken. He knew he couldn't afford to falter, not with his friends' lives hanging in the balance. With sheer willpower, he fought through the agony, and blocked the next swipe of the monster claws.
He locked eyes with the monstrous creature before him. He could feel the weight of his mace increasing in his hand and the blood trickling down his chest. The monster's hideous form seemed to shift and distort, Hector knew they needed to finish this quickly.
As the monster lunged at him, Hector sidestepped its attack, surprising the creature. He swung with all his strength, aiming for a vulnerable spot just behind its head. His blow struck true, causing the creature to recoil in pain and fury. But the relentless beast wasn't finished yet, and it turned its attention back to Hector. Just as it prepared to strike again, Frank, with an assassin's instinct, leaped to Hector's aid. He drove his blades deep into the creature's side, drawing its attention away from Hector and redirecting its fury toward himself.
In the midst of the brutal battle, Hector's injury weighed heavily on him, the pain threatening to overwhelm his senses. Frank's and his combined efforts had wounded the monster, but it continued to thrash and claw relentlessly. Just when it seemed as though hope was dwindling, Diana, her face a mask of resolve, stepped forward.
With a grim resolve, Diana summoned her last reserves of magical power, her hands crackling with arcane energy. Her fingers traced an intricate rune in the air, and created an explosion just under the monster. It was the final straw for the abomination. The creature's death throes were violent and nightmarish, but it was a necessary end to their harrowing encounter. With the monster finally defeated, Hector collapsed in a heap and Diana tried to help him.
Frank, seeing that Diana was taking care of Hector, moved to the monster that fell on Mia. As he moved the massive creature's bulk, revealing the grim aftermath of their battle, his eyes widened with a mixture of dread and relief. There, beneath the body of the fallen centipede, lay Mia, her form battered and unconscious. Her chest rose and fell in shallow breaths, a faint glimmer of life amidst the carnage. Her shoulder was pierced, probably with the broken shaft of the spear. Relief washed over Frank as he realized that, despite her injuries, Mia was still alive. The sight of his friend, bruised and battered but breathing, filled Frank with both fear for her and the hope that everything would be fine.
Meanwhile, Diana rushed to Hector's side, her healing magic at the ready. She knelt beside him, her hands glowing with a soothing, ethereal light. She cast the Healing Rune and then gently, tried to administer first aid to Hector's torn chest. As the healing magic took effect, Hector's agonized expression gradually softened, and the pain that had gripped him began to ease. Diana's brow furrowed with concentration as another rune, mending his injuries.
“Diana, I need you here, MIa is still alive!” Frank shouted, desperately.
“Switch with me! See if Hector is stable” Diana responded.
Exhausted from the strenuous battle and the energy expended during Hector's healing, She tried to stop Mia bleeding from her shoulder, each moment feeling like an eternity, as she waited for her mana to slowly replenish itself. The darkness around them remained eerily quiet, a striking contrast to the chaos that had just unfolded.
Once her magical energy had partially recovered, she gently placed her hands on Mia's bruised and battered body, casting the healing spell. Mia’s injuries began to mend, yet she remained unconscious. Diana felt completely spent as she worked to mend her friend, hoping that with time and rest, Mia would awaken.
“How are you?” Frank asked Hector.
"Been better," Hector winced, pressing a rag bandage against his injury. “How’s Mia?”
“Still unconscious, we need to take her to the hideout,” Frank responded, sounding close to tears.
"Let's take care of these monsters before we head back to camp," Diana suggested. "We can't waste this opportunity for resources." Seeing Frank and Hector were about to disagree she added “We won't be able to hunt any time soon and we need the food, for Mia too.”
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Frank and Hector looked at each other and nodded, practicality trumped the emotional need to get Mia to safety as soon as possible.
The men carefully approached the fallen beasts, their movements quick as they worked together to butcher the creatures.
"Adapt or die, right?" Frank quipped, wincing at the pain his movement caused. "We're learning fast, at least."
YOU HAVE LEARNED A NEW SKILL, BUTCHERY
“Seriously?” Frank mumbled as he dismissed his popup. There were more, but he decided to deal with them later.
“Wrap the meat in these, it won't drop blood on the way home” Diana passed a couple of rags she had brought. Frank just nodded.
"Alright, let's get moving," Frank urged, his leg throbbing with pain. He didn't even know when he got wounded. "The sooner we're back at camp, the better."
"Agreed," Hector said, moving to pick up Mia. "Let's head out."
"Guys," Frank whispered, eyes darting from shadow to shadow, "do you hear that?"
"Hard not to," Hector replied, gripping his makeshift weapon tightly. His knuckles turned white as he scanned the surroundings for signs of danger.
"Blood," Diana interjected flatly, her face pale and drawn. "The blood from the butchered monsters must have attracted them. Move! Now! And hope they focus on the bodies here first."
As they moved further from the butchering site, Frank felt his stomach twist with hunger. It gnawed at his insides, begging for something to eat. He was not leaving the meat behind without a fight. Then he felt disgusted at himself for thinking about food while Mia was still unconscious and in danger.
Darkness broken only by the light runes, he group trudged on, burdened by their haul. Frank's leg throbbed with every step, but he grit his teeth and pressed forward, unwilling to slow the others down. At least the monsters didn’t seem to follow them this time.
"Almost there," Hector reassured him, his voice strained from carrying Mia on his shoulder.
"Thanks," Frank replied through clenched teeth, sweat beading on his forehead. He focused on the taste of his future dinner and the distant murmur of the campfire waiting for them – anything to take his mind off the pain.
Frank couldn't help noticing that Homer's eyes flicked toward Diane more than once during their trek; Something happened back there, besides the obvious, but Frank decided that now wasn't the time to dwell on such things. They had survived, and they needed to take care of Mia.