Chapter 79
Muddy Entrance
Erin’s group was doing their best not to move around at all in order to prevent themselves from sinking any further. However, this only prevented them from sinking faster, as the heavy rain was causing them to slowly sink deeper and deeper.
“Uhhh… Guys? Hate to tell you this, but I don’t think that whatever we’re doing here is really working,” Ryle called out to the others. “I’m pretty sure that unless we actually do something, we are all going to be taking a full body mud bath soon.”
“I know, asshole! You don’t need to point out the obvious here!” Lexton shouted. “Had the rain stayed the way it was at the beginning, we could have gotten through this by just staying still and waiting for the weather to clear up. Now that it’s pouring, we’ll sink no matter what we do!”
“There are some large rocks over there,” Erin pointed out as she looked out of the window. “How come they’re not sinking any deeper?”
“Those aren’t just rocks. They’re mountains that have sunk years ago,” the kobold answered, causing the others to look at him with wide eyes. “The reason they’re not sinking any deeper is because there isn’t any further depth they can sink to.”
“Is there a way for us to get there?” Durge asked. “If that’s a spot that won’t sink no matter how hard it’s going to rain, we could wait for the rain to stop there.”
“That would work, except how are we going to get there?” Lexton asked. “None of us can fly or even jump that far. Even if one of us could, what about the others?”
While the others were trying to come up with ideas on what to do, Erin kept her eyes on the mountains that were sticking up from the mud. Knowing that something had to be done and fast, she leaned out from the window and held out her left hand. She started to concentrate on summoning ice magic from her palm and soon felt a gentle coldness wash over her palm.
“Hey, what’s Erin doing?” Arkay asked, having noticed her leaning through the window.
The others turned their attention towards the redhead, wondering what she was trying to do. However, only Durge was able get a decent look at what she was doing. Upon realizing what it was, his eyes went wide with realization.
“She’s trying to freeze the mud!” the orc said. “She’s been practicing ice magic and is now trying to put it to use!”
“What!? Really!?” Ryle asked with some excitement in her voice. “That’s great! Maybe she can help us get out of this mess!”
“I wouldn’t bet on it,” Lexton said with a frown. “She only recently started practicing the use of ice magic, so I doubt that she’s yet a master. Not only does she lack the skills necessary for this,
but there’s also one other thing that will prevent us from getting out of her using that method.”
“B-But at the very least she’s trying to do something!” Arkay said. “It might not be the thing that will save us, but it might help us, right!?”
“Yeah, Lex! We should give her a chance!” Ryle said.
The kobold remained silent, but was obviously doubtful over the success Erin was going to have with her plan.
Back with the redhead, the ice magic coming from her left hand had started to freeze the mud around the door on her side. While it wasn’t fast, there was a visible change in the area she was trying to affect. Slowly but surely the wet mud was starting to solidify and form a platform for them.
Erin’s plan was very simple. She was going to freeze the mud and keep doing it until she had created a path from their sinking car to the mountain. Once there, they could just wait for the rain to stop and continue their journey.
However, much like Lexton had predicted, her efforts were in vain. Soon after she had frozen an area, it soon melted into mud again. No matter how much she tried, the redhead was unable to create the makeshift bridge out of ice that she had planned to do.
“I can’t… It’s no use,” Erin said in a saddened tone, as she finally gave up. “It’s too much for me. I don’t have enough power to get us out of this.”
“Hey, at least you tried,” Durge said in a comforting tone. “We just need to figure something else out.”
While the others were busy comforting and encouraging the redhead, Lexton noticed something out of the corner of his eye. It was movement within the mud surrounding them. He immediately realized what this meant.
“Erin, get away from the window!” the kobold shouted.
The redhead was too tired from using a large amount of magical power, so she was unable to immediately react to the sudden command. Luckily, Durge was quick to react and pulled her away from the window.
As she was pulled back, Erin saw a massive fish-like creature jump up from the mud and close its massive jaws at the area her head had been at just a second ago. The monster looked like it was a barracuda from hell, as its body was built simply for killing. The most striking feature it had was the lack of eyes on its head.
image [https://i.ibb.co/FqFWsvZ/Ch-79-Pic-1.jpg]
The monstrous fish quickly disappeared underneath the mud that it had come out of, leaving the members of Erin’s group shocked, with the exception of Lexton.
“W-W-What the hell was that!?” Ryle asked. “How the hell are there monster fish living under the ground!?”
“Those things are known as Mud Stalkers,” Lexton said. “They only appear in this area, when it’s raining. Otherwise, they just hibernate underground and wait for a chance to come and hunt again.”
“Dammit, Lex! Couldn’t you have told us about those things a bit earlier!?” Erin asked angrily. “One of the nearly took my head for lunch!”
“I wasn’t certain if they would appear,” the kobold explained. “Much like you guys, this is my first time here. I had heard that they only appear during heavy rains, but I wasn’t sure if this was enough to bring them out.”
“So what!? We were just some sort of bait to test it out!?” Ryle asked angrily. “How about next time you dangle yourself in their reach and see what happens!?”
“Hey, I wasn’t looking towards meeting those things! I was hoping that they wouldn’t appear at all!” Lexton said. “As long as they didn’t come up, I believe we would have a chance to get out of here!”
“So what are you suggesting? That we just wait here and hope for the best?” the blonde asked. “That seems like a pretty shit plan, if you ask me!”
“Well, do you have a better one!?” the kobold asked angrily. “Like it or not, we are stuck here now! The best we can hope for is that the rain stops before we sink completely!”
“Yeah, I don’t think that’s an option,” Durge said. “We are still sinking. It might be slow, but it won’t take long for us to end up completely covered in mud.”
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The others took a look outside and saw that the orc was right. At the rate they were sinking, they would be completely submerged in mud in just a few minutes. Not only that, but there was movement around them, which indicated that the Mud Stalkers were looking forward to their new prey.
“Shit! If only I could use ice magic properly, then we could get out of here!” Erin cursed. “Don’t tell me that this is how it is going to end!”
While the others were racking their brains, trying to find a way for them to escape their current predicament, Lexton wasn’t thinking about a plan. The truth was that the kobold had something prepared for a case like this, but he didn’t like the idea of using it. There was a great risk involved that he wasn’t sure they should take. However, with their situation as dire as it was, it seemed like there was no other choice.
“Erin, can I ask you something?” Lexton suddenly called out to the redhead, getting everyone’s attention turned on him.
“Sure. What is it?” the redhead asked.
“Are you willing to risk your life to save everyone here?” the kobold asked. “Are you willing to go through the most agonizing pain imaginable to save us all?”
“What the hell are you asking that for right now!?” Ryle asked angrily. “Can’t you see that we are in the middle of-!?”
“Yes,” Erin answered to Lexton’s question without hesitation. “If it means that you are all going to be safe, I am more than willing to do it.”
“Alright. Also, do you trust me?” the kobold asked further. “Are you ready to put your life in my hands?”
“Lex, I would never doubt you,” the redhead said with a smile. “Whatever you tell me to do, I am willing to go through with it.”
“...Then take this,” Lexton said as he took a vial out of his jacket and gave it to Erin. “This might just save us.”
Erin took the vial that was offered to her. Inside was a clear blue liquid of some sort that she had never seen before. The most striking thing about it was that the liquid seemed to glow slightly.
“What exactly is this stuff, Lex?” the redhead asked. “Some type of a potion?”
“It’s kind of a potion, yes,” the kobold answered. “It greatly boosts the magical powers of those who drink it. I was able to make it from some of the ingredients I managed to gather, in case we didn’t have enough magic power on our side. This could allow you to use such powerful ice magic that making the bridge you were planning to do, might just be possible.”
“Really!? That’s great! Why didn’t you give this to me earlier!?” Erin said excitedly, as she was getting ready to drink the potion.
“WAIT!” Lexton shouted, stopping the redhead. “You should know something before you take even a sip of it!”
“...What is it?” Erin asked.
“This thing is highly dangerous,” the kobold began to explain. “It essentially forces all magical power out of your body, damaging it in the process. If you drink it, I can promise you that it will be an agonizing experience that will probably make you wish you were dead. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if it did end up killing you.”
Silence fell over everyone as they let this new information sink in. They had been handed a method for them to get out of their predicament alive, but it might come at the cost of Erin’s life. It wasn’t a deal that any of them wanted to take.
“ARE YOU INSANE!?” Ryle screamed angrily. “Why would you make something like that!? No way are we going to trade Erin’s life just to save our asses! You might not agree with that, but-!”
“DON’T YOU EVEN DARE SPEAK LIKE THAT ABOUT ME!” Lexton shouted angrily at the blonde. “I only made this in case we might end up in a situation it’s needed! I never wanted to use it, but any decent businessman knows that you need to prepare for the worst as well! And right now, we are in the worst possible situation imaginable!”
Silence came over once again, as everyone thought it over. No one liked the idea of sacrificing one of their own in order to save the others, but it might just be the only option to make sure the whole group didn’t end up dead. It was a decision no one wanted to make, but they might just have to.
“...Can this really do it?” Erin asked after thinking about it. “Can I really save you all, as long as I drink this?”
“Erin, no!” Ryle yelled. “You shouldn’t even-!”
“I can’t say for certain, but it’s the best option we currently have,” Lexton replied. “I wish I could promise you that it will succeed with this, but the best I can give is about 50 % chance.”
“You’re saying this might not even work!?” the blonde asked. “Forget about it! Erin, just throw that thing out of the window! No one wants you to be a suicidal martyr!”
“...I know what Ryle thinks about this. But what you guys?” Erin asked as she looked at Arkay and Durge. “What do you guys think I should do?”
“I’m not going to force you to make either choice,” Durge replied. “Whether you choose to drink that or not, it’s up to you. All I can say is that I don’t see any better options, even if I do hate to admit it.”
“I… I don’t want you to sacrifice you either,” Arkay said in a sad tone. “B-But I understand that we can’t just sacrifice everybody else! And I want to be saved as well! I-I just don’t know what to say!”
“...What about you, Lexton?” Erin asked. “What do you think?”
“Much like Durge, I’m not going to make the choice for you,” the kobold answered. “However, if I were you, I’d probably take it. There’s pretty much no other way to save us.”
Having heard Lexton’s answer, the redhead smiled as she took the cork off the vial.
“That’s all I had to hear,” Erin said before looking at her friends. “Get ready to start moving. I don’t want to stick around for long.”
In one quick gulp, the redhead drank the potion before handing the empty vial back to Lexton. After she was done, Erin leaned out of her window and began casting her ice magic once again.
At first, it didn’t seem like there was any change in her magic, but it didn’t take long for the potion’s effects to show. Suddenly, the ice magic Erin was casting exploded in power, causing the mud she was aiming at to freeze right away. The others watched in amazement, as the redhead created a platform of ice in a matter of seconds right before their eyes.
With the platform completed, Erin wasted no time to climb out of her window and continue her work. The ice bridge was being created like she had planned to.
“Holy shit,” Ryle said as she watched the redhead work. “She’s actually doing it. And so fast, too!”
“Yeah. It’s unbelievable,” Durge said.
“What are you all standing around for!?” Lexton suddenly yelled, getting their attention. “Erin’s currently risking her life for our sake out there! We can’t just waste time by staying here! Besides, we need to protect her from the Mud Stalkers, while she’s focusing on her magic!”
Realizing that their friend needed help, the others quickly climbed out of the car and got on the recently formed ice platform. Almost as soon as they did that, the vehicle sunk into its muddy grave.
The group didn’t have any time to stand around or rest, as the Mud Stalkers were coming for them now. The fish-like monsters were jumping out of the depths and flying towards them like missiles with sharp teeth at the ready.
However, now that Erin’s friends were able to properly defend themselves, the bloodthirsty beasts were easily pushed back. Thanks to the amount of experience they had in facing dangerous foes, the Mud Stalkers were not too big of a deal. Ryle used her martial arts skills to send the beasts back to the muddy depths they had come from, while Durge was batting them around with his hammer. Arkay also provided assistance with his magic by shooting down the creatures and even Lexton was able to help by using his pistol.
This type of one-sided fighting went on for some time as they were getting closer to the mountain they had noticed earlier. They were already halfway there, so they only needed to hold out for a bit longer.
“Things are looking great, guys!” Ryle said happily, as she kicked another Mud Stalker away from Erin. “Only a bit more and we can- WOAH!”
The blonde’s boasting was cut short, as she slipped and fell on the frozen ground. Knowing that staying down in a battle was a bad idea, she was about to get up quickly, only for her hand to touch something wet and thick. Upon inspecting what it was, Ryle’s eyes went wide as she realized it was blood. Not only that, but it was from a trail of blood that Erin had left behind. Even if the redhead wasn’t letting out any pained sounds, blood was constantly falling from her mouth, as she struggled to keep her concentration on making the ice bridge.
Knowing that drawing attention to Erin’s painful situation wasn’t going to help anyone, Ryle simply grit her teeth and continued to fight back against the attacking Mud Stalkers.
This battle continued for a while, until Erin finally reached the mountain, having completed her ice bridge. Upon touching solid ground with her feet, she finally stopped casting her magic and fell.
However, the redhead’s body didn’t connect with the solid rock beneath her, as she was quickly grabbed by Ryle, who carried her away from the edge of the mountain, so she wouldn’t be attacked by the Mud Stalkers. The others quickly followed after them, escaping from the beasts and the muddy trap they had almost gotten caught in.
Once at a safe spot, Ryle carefully laid Erin on the ground so that they could check up on her. The redhead’s situation wasn’t looking too good, as she had a very bad fever, she was constantly coughing up blood and her breathing seemed very strained as well.
“Oh God… Erin, how the hell could you do this to yourself?” Ryle said almost inaudibly. “She needs help! Quick! Do something!”
“Hang on!” Lexton said as he rushed over. “I’ve got something that might-!”
However, the kobold was pushed away by Ryle, who gave him the most murderous glare.
“You… YOU STAY AWAY FROM HER!” the blonde screamed in fury. “This is all your fault! It’s because you forced her to drink that potion of yours that she’s in this state!”
Lexton looked at the others, hoping to see at least some support, but found none. Arkay was looking away, saddened over Erin’s state, and Durge just looked at him blankly, most likely because he was torn between blaming the kobold and focusing on Erin.
Seeing as he wasn’t wanted anymore, Lexton stood up and turned around, before walking away. But before he could take even a single step, a hand grabbed his leg, preventing him from leaving. He looked down to see Erin holding onto him with a smile on her face.
“Hey… Where are you going?” the redhead asked. “Our group still needs you around. Besides, didn’t you have something that could help me?”
“Erin, you can’t be serious!” Ryle yelled. “This is all his fault! Had it not been for him, you would still be-!”
“Ryle, I drank the potion fully aware of the risk I was taking,” Erin said. “I did it in order to save all of you, which I was able to do thanks to Lex. No one had any better plan anyways, did they? So why should we be getting angry at him, when he found a way to save us and was completely honest with us?”
“But… But you…” the blonde tried to argue, only to not find any words for it.
“You know that I’m right as well, don’t you? Had it not been for Lex having that potion, all of us would be dead now,” the redhead said, before looking back at Lexton. “You shouldn’t blame yourself either. I don’t regret what I did at all.”
Lexton, completely taken aback by Erin’s words, couldn’t bring himself to say anything. Instead, without saying anything, he knelt next to the redhead and gave her one of his potions, which she happily accepted. Despite trying to hide it, the others could see a couple of tears fall from Lexton’s eyes.
The kobold suddenly felt a strong hand gently grip his shoulder, as Durge sat next to him.
“Sorry about earlier,” the orc said. “It was just a lot going on at the moment.”
Lexton looked at Arkay and Ryle, who both gave him apologetic looks. It seemed like they had realized that it was only thanks to the kobold’s help that all of them were still alive.
“So what do we do now?” Ryle asked.
“Nothing much there for us to do, but wait for the rain to stop,” Erin said as she drank the healing potion that had been given to her. “Once that has happened, we simply continue our journey.”