Seven ran for the entrance of the tunnel system ignoring the cries of pain coming from his comrades as the beasts of the caves tore at them.  The fire mage refused to look back, refused to listen to the pitiful cries for help that punctuated the gravely laughs of the beasts.  As Seven ran his hand continued to swipe at the air in front of him as if the trauma of the day had suddenly manifested in a nervous tick. 

“Come on,” the young man cried quietly.  “Come on, work.” 

The screams and cries of his companions – people he’d known since he was four – faded away the last echoes calling out his name.  Now only the gravelly laughter of the monsters and Seven’s own haggard breathing bounced off the slick walls of the tunnel.  Seven continued to swipe at the air, barely breathing a sigh of relief as the natural light of mid-day began to pierce the otherworldly glow of the tunnel. 

“Come on, please.” He sobbed, the fear of the monsters racing up the tunnel after him griping his mind as tears threatened to obscure his vision.  “Please.” 

The hard rock and loose gravel of the tunnel gave way to open-air an soft, grass blanketed earth.  Seven began to race faster, dropping his Cane of Wizardry as he made a break for the tree line fifty yards away.  As the fire mage neared the trees – almost there, he thought hopefully – something bit into him just the right of the small of his back.  Seven let out a pained grunt but tried to ignore it even as he grew light-headed and his right leg began to feel numb and weightless.   

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“God please … please help me,”  He cried as he stumbled over his own leg and nearly fell.   

Through it all his hand still moved through the motions of the swipe, twitching again and again through the motion.  Even with the hindered leg, he was almost in the trees when something tore into his flank.  With a horrid gasp, he stumbled forward another few feet before he toppled over as his legs gave out to the numbness that was slowly spreading through him.   

His face half-buried in dirt, all he could do was cry as leathery hands rolled him over.  He blinked back against the sun as it pierced his eyes, almost missing the dog-like faces of his monstrous assailants. Thick streams of drool dripped from their mouths as large tongues lolled out their sides.  They ignored the young man, instead their faces following something out of Seven’s sight.  Their laughing began to grow, taking up every sound the human could hear. 

“Please let me out,” Seven whimpered as a shadow fell across his face. 

Straining against his numb body, Seven looked back to see another of the dog-faced monsters directly behind his head and holding his carved Cane of Wizardry.  A large gap-tooth smile crossed the creature’s face as it lifted the Cane above its own head. 

“Please let me log out!”  Seven screamed as the cane came rushing down.