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Dexter

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I rushed through the cavern tunnels, sword at the ready, heart hammering in my ears. The pendant around my neck gave the darkness a shimmering appearance as I ran. I barely noticed the creatures scuttling above that gave me just a twinge of fear. I had more important things on my mind; more outrageous quarries to deal with. The tunnel was still barely shoulder width, winding back and forth as the air grew colder and the walls damper. I could feel my lips still pulled into a furious snarl as I glared ahead, searching for the Elites around every corner. “You Can’t Run From Me!” I shouted, turning another corner and seeing just the briefest trace of movement in the distance.

I rushed forward as a voice sounded from behind me; Dumag’s gruff growl making it an easier identifier. “OUTSIDER!” He bellowed, footsteps accompanying the shout. “Get Back Here.” I let out an annoyed mutter as I ignored him and continued running, my foot landing in a standing puddle as I rounded another corner. This time, I saw the full figure of the Elite rushing away around the next bend. They might have been good fighters, but they were bad runners.

I bolted forward as I felt a renewed surge of energy seeing the Elite so close. “You’re Not Getting Away That Easy!” I shouted, my shoes skidding along the stone as I ran. I practically slid sidelong into the stone wall as I rounded the next corner and bolted after the fleeing figure. It was here that the tunnel expanded into a large chamber; stalactites and stalagmites reaching so far as to meet in the middle, forming massive columns of calcified stone. It was also here that the Elite ducked out of sight, disappearing into the mess of pillars. I glared around angrily as I tried to find where they had gone, the pendant allowing me to see there wasn’t an immediate exit nearby. “I Will Find You!” I shouted, brandishing my sword threateningly. I rushed further into the chamber as I scanned my surroundings. The columns ranged in thickness, from as large as my torso to as thin as my forearm. Only a few wayward points had yet to meet in the middle.

I turned sharply as there as a sudden “Sard” muttered further along the cavern path. I gritted my teeth as I broke into another run and rushed after the noise. My footfalls echoed loudly about the cavern as I rounded another turn. I had just the briefest glimpse of movement as I saw a foot disappear into the wall of the cave.

I dashed forward as my voice boomed out again. “GET THE FUCK BACK HERE!” I had to twist as I pushed into another crack in the wall, the space barely big enough for me to shuffle through. This is where the Elites got the lead on me, their stout figures pushing through this narrow passageway with ease. I was tempted to cast a Move Earth spell to make the passage wider, but I had to remind myself that I could collapse the cave if I wasn’t careful. I felt my knee scrape against the rough wall as I pushed through to the other side. The cavern here was almost identical to the last, pillars of calcified rock keeping the ceiling held high. I quickly scanned back and forth as I tried to locate the Elites once more, but no luck. The forest of rock gave them ample opportunity to duck behind and disappear from sight. I wound back and punched one of the pillars, causing it to crack and a brief flash of pain to rocket up my arm. “FIGHT ME, YOU COWARDS!” I bellowed, running further into the cave as scanned for any hint of movement. The path followed a slight incline here, weaving this way and that as it avoided pillars and traveled along this stone cavity. The Elites had probably walked down that path many times already, but I wanted to be sure it was their last. I picked up pace as I heard the hints of muted scrambling up ahead.

I turned the corner and saw what was causing the noise that echoed about the walls. About seven of the elites were quickly climbing up the wall, reaching for a hole that sat about twenty feet up. I quickly cast Fireball as I pointed squarely at the hole. One of the Elites was reaching over the edge, about to grab on the nearest one and pull him up. “OH NO YOU DON’T!” I shouted, releasing the spell with an explosive BANG. I felt a wave of nausea as I drew about two points from my stamina pool and gave the spell an extra kick. The spell blasted into the dark crevice and engulfed the space with a loud BOOM, throwing the Elite from the edge and causing the others to fall as the wall cracked and crumbled from the force of the explosion. Three of them were still near enough to the ground that they could easily roll and jump behind pillars of rock. The rest yelled in surprise as they fell, slamming into the ground as chunks of rock fell away as well. I rushed forward as I lifted my sword, swinging down at one of the prone figures.

A hand reached out as an “Elephon!” was shouted from its owner. The hand, surprising, caught the blade, the leather-clad fingers gripping the edge tightly without allowing it to penetrate the surface. I yanked the sword back and drove it towards the Elite that had grabbed it. Surprisingly, he lifted his hand again, catching the blade on the back of his palm and causing it to skid down the surface of his leather armor not showing any signs that a sharp blade had just run along it. I swung again. He repeated a similar motion with his other hand, deflecting my blade with ease as he backed up, drawing me away from the group.

I bellowed angrily as I began to batter him with a flurry of blows, each one either being dodge or deflected with his damnable gloves. “STAND. STILL. YOU. SLIMY. LITTLE. BASTARD!” I bellowed, each word punctuated with another strike that hit nothing as the Elite backed away further and further.

In the glimmering darkness, I saw the corner of his mouth twitch upward for a brief moment before returning to his stern and focussed expression. He deflected another blow as he finally spoke, his voice filled with determination and focus. “You are out of your league, boy.” He deflected another blow and twisted his torso. I suddenly felt a flash of pain as the Elite punched me in the side, digging into the stab wound that I had completely forgotten about. I let out a pained shout as I reflexively swung and took a step back. The Elite dodged with ease and jumped back, returning to his old stance as he lifted his open palms again.

I snarled as I used my hand to nurse the wound. “Where The Hell Did You Get Those?” I barked, glaring at his gauntlets. “They Weren’t In Any Of The Cubbyholes. Where’d You Hide Those Fucking Things!”

The Elite’s mouth curled into a smile as he lifted his hands higher and widened his stance. “You are truly inexperienced if you assumed we would go without our weapons.” He chuckled. “No soldier worth his salt would journey unarmed. Let alone journey into enemy territory. Surely even a childish outsider would realize that.”

I swung again, my heart hammering in my ears at his taunting. “Don’t Call Me A Child!” I roared, missing him as he sidestepped the blow. I swung again and again but felt my sword being deflected as the Elite shifted his arms one more. It was vexing to no end, having him so easily avoid my strikes. “STOP DOING THAT!” I shouted, lifting my other hand. Another fireball was ready in a moment as I pointed it squarely at the Elite. “DODGE THIS!” He did, in fact, dodge as the ball of flame went sailing over him and struck a nearby pillar. The resulting explosion knocked down three pillars and created a new pile of rubble. The Elite took the opportunity to strike again, plunging a fist into my other side. I let out a yelp as I staggered back, feeling an unnatural pain from the blow. It felt similar to when Amelia and I sparred, only worse. I swung wildly, forcing him to jump back once more. “I’M GOING TO PAY YOU BACK FOR EVERY BLOW YOU LAY ON ME!” I bellowed. The Elite smirked knowingly, taking a few steps back. I took another step forward but suddenly stopped as I felt a sharp pain from behind. I yelled and turned around in time to see a second Elite jump back, a dagger in his clenched fist, dripping blood.

The Elite smirked, spinning the blade once in his palm. “At the very least,” he remarked, “we may complete one of our objectives.” I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my side as the first Elite struck my side once more. I swung my arm again hitting nothing as the Elite dodged my blow once more.

The Elite was scowling now as he lifted his hands in another defensive stance. “Shut your mouth, you fool.” He growled. “Just finish the task. Don’t taunt him.” My heart leapt into my throat as I realized what he was saying. I turned in time to see the other stab at me. I ducked as he tried to drive his blade into my torso. The blow was quickly followed up by another strike from the first Elite.

I felt a shock of pain up my side as I jumped back, placing the two Elites square in my sight. I wouldn’t let them catch me off guard again. “You’re Never Going To Get Out Of This Alive!” I bellowed angrily. “This Cave Will Be Your Crypt!”

The second Elite chuckled as he appeared to glance behind me. “That’s our line.” I had a moment to take in his words before I felt a presence behind me. I ducked in time to feel a dagger scrape along my back and draw a shallow valley of blood. I yelled in anger as I spun and swiped at the figure. The Elite in question lifted his dagger in time to deflect my sword. I heard movement behind me and I twisted in time to dodge another blade from the second Elite. The first Elite made an impact, however, and I felt another jolt of pain up my side. I straightened and quickly cast Teleport, popping into existence away from the group of three Elites. I spun in time to see the second and third elite strike the empty group with a look of confusion.

I quickly cast Fireball again and fired it at the trio, feeling yet another wave of nausea as I put three points of stamina into the ball of flame. The Elites jumped back as the ball slammed into the floor and exploded, felling six more pillars of rock and filling the room with an awful rumbling noise. I panted as I felt my strength being sapped. I ignored the fatigue and charged forward, scanning for the Elites that had leapt from my sight. I only found the crumbling pillars that were quickly turning into more rubble. I cursed and started running back towards the hole, hoping that they had just gone back the way we came. I turned a corner and spotted the part of the wall that once held the opening. The wall was not covered in rubble, not destroying the entrance, but not making it any easier to climb either. I scanned around frantically as I tried to find one of them, lifting my sword in a defensive stance. “COME AND GET ME!” I roared. “SOONER OR LATER YOU’LL HAVE TO COME THIS WAY. IT’S THE ONLY WAY OUT!” I heard another rumble and saw a pillar crack unexpectedly. I ran over and circled the pillar, looking for what might have caused it. I growled as I found nothing. “WHERE ARE YOU!” I bellowed, punching the wall angrily. Another crack formed as I stood. “YOU CAN’T RUN FROM M-” I never got the sentence out as I felt another dagger slice at my face. I barely jumped back in time to only get a dash across my cheek.

I twisted and swiped at the Elite as he dodged my blow. This one was new, his face covered in a black cloth mask. The dagger he wielded had a dark black tint to it. He brandished it again as he backed up. “You are annoying me.” He muttered angrily. “You know nothing of these matters.” At that, we swung the dagger wide. I lifted my sword to block the blow, but too late did I realize he was too far away to make a difference. Despite that, I felt a slash of pain across my torso. I let out a confused grunt before another slash dashed across my arm, unmarred by the armor I was wearing. I leapt back as another slash made its way up my leg and caused it to twitch.

I let out a groan of pain as I cast another teleport and blinked out of existence in time to feel half a strike carve its way across my stomach. I grabbed at my arm as the triple barrage of pain caused me to collapse against a pillar, another crack forming as the rumbling sounded once more. “Cheating punk,” I muttered angrily. “Must be that damn dagger of his.” I looked back as I saw the Elite scan the room angrily. I grinned to myself as I realized my advantage. “Can’t Slice What You Can’t See, Can You!” I shouted. No sooner had the Elite turned to swing when I cast teleport again and appeared behind a different pillar. “Must Be A Shame To Have To Face Me.” Another swing and another teleport later brought me to another pillar, still in sight of the Elite as he looked about angrily. I prepared another spell as I aimed it squarely at the Elite. “Slash This!” The Elite turned in time to see a fireball barreling at him and engulfing him in a wave of flame. I grinned to myself as I saw four more support beams crumble and fall into the fire, kicking up a cloud of dust. I was about to make some clever quip when the flames suddenly shimmered and shrank, causing a sucking sound to fill the cavern.

The fireball was quickly swallowed as another Elite was revealed beside the cloth face one, this one wielding an iron-banded kite shield that glowed brightly. The glowing steadily faded as the Elite let out a sigh of relief. “Ettrian, you fool. You know better than to face arcane wielders on your own.”

The cloth-faced one growled, straightening as he turned in my direction. “Forgive the ferver. I have not dealt with one so determined to discover his death.”

I growled and teleported again as another rumble filled the cavern. “I’m Not The One Facing Death! I’ll Slice You To Bits If It’s The Last Thing I Do. I WON’T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH HURTING AMELIA!” This time, I cast Lightning, causing a flash of energy to fill the cave and barrel towards the Elites. The shield-bearer lifted the kite-shaped barrier and the spell appeared to be drawn to it, causing the center to glow as the bolt was absorbed. I growled as I cast teleport again, appearing behind the two as the pair turned towards the bolt’s origin. I swung hard as I shouted in a fury. “TAKE THIS!” Finally, I hit true, digging my blade into the shoulder of the cloth-faced Elite. The Elite bellowed in pain and swiped with his dagger, drawing another slice of blood across my hand. I flinched at the attack as I cast Teleport again and retreated once more.

I began to pant as I collapsed against another pillar and felt my muscles groan from exertion. I looked down at my hand and saw the dash across it, as well as the blisters that were splattered about. It was bleeding, but not gushing. I heard the frustrated growl as the Elites scanned the cave for my presence. “This Game Is Growing Aggravating.” The cloth face one shouted, nursing the steadily growing stain of red on his arm. “Seak The Secondary Passage Swiftly. We Must Away Before The Others Arrive.” A lone pillar suddenly let out a large crack as it split and crumbled, causing another rumble to fill the cave.

I let out a tired sigh as I looked back towards the Elites. They too had turned to the pillar as it crumbled. The shield-bearer turned to the cloth-faced Elite as he pointed towards one of the cave walls. I slowed my breathing as I strained my ears to hear what he was saying. “The path leads south for a stretch. We should search that wall for another passageway. We shall deal with the outsider another time.”

The masked Elite shook his head as he grabbed the shoulder of the shield-bearer. “We must act as agitators for the aggravator. Allow our companions to commit to the cavern.”

The shield-bearer growled annoyedly as he turned to look about the cave. “Almar Will Have His Canary, Outsider!” He shouted. I felt my anger surge once more as he said it. There it was again. They called her a canary. The shield-bearer continued as I straightened and gripped my sword tight. “If Not Today, Then Another. The City Cannot Protect You! The Orcs Will Fail You!”

I began gesturing to cut his taunt short when a shout sounded from the far corner of the room. “ETTRIAN! ERENDRIEL! COME QUICKLY! WE FOUND AN PASSAGE!”

The pair turned sharply and bolted towards the sound, away from where I was standing. “DON’T ANNOUNCE IT YOU FOOL!” The masked one bellowed. “THE OUTSIDER WILL HEAR YOU! I let out an angry sigh as I turned and quietly rushed after them, not wanting to reveal myself before it was time. The pair rushed through the cave scanning their surroundings warily. A few pillars cracked and fell, causing more rumbling sounds to fill the cave, as we ran. I finally slowed as I noticed the pair running towards an Elite that was turning this way and that, searching for something. The pair nearly ran into him but skidded to a stop just in time. I felt the temperature begin to drop as I watched the trio carefully, sweat pouring down my face as I heard them growl at each other. “Do You Know How Close Our Outsider Could Obscure Himself?”

Stolen novel; please report.

The new Elite growled as he glanced around before gesturing behind him. “Get the others then,” He whispered. “I despise this darkness. This is not an advantageous scenario for us.” I let out a tired sigh as I felt the grip on my sword slipping. I could feel the warm blood pooling on my shirt and I quickly realized I didn’t have much time left. I straightened as I gritted my teeth determinedly. I needed to collapse that tunnel, preventing them from escaping. The new Elite suddenly pulled out a strange metal object. He examined it and let out a sigh. “The others have yet to leave the city. We should warn them before they stumble into a similar trap. The boar-faced simpletons cannot be allowed a victory.” I growled again as I tried to take a step, but felt my legs start to give. I let out an audible groan as I grabbed the pillar. I could feel the sweat pouring down my face. This wasn’t good. The cuts were starting to pile on and I was feeling weak and nauseous. I looked up in time to see the Elites squinting in my direction.

The masked Elite gestured for the others to move as he lifted his dagger. I could see him say something, but the pounding in my ears drowned out the noise. He swiped his dagger and I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder. I looked to see another gash across my left shoulder, spitting another weak surge of adrenaline into my system. I quickly ducked and scrambled away as I heard the swishing of more dagger swings. I panted as I felt my shirt grow heavy and damp. I felt my eyes glaze over as I felt like passing out. I growled as I gritted my teeth and focused; on the pain, on the Elites, on the moment, on Amelia. My fingers slowly clenched as I thought about Amelia, what she went through, what they did to her. I felt my rage boil over once more as I climbed to my feet and crept around the corner. Two of the Elites had vanished, leaving the masked Elite standing there and brandishing his dagger. “The Darkness Will Not Save You!” He shouted. “It Is Our Element. It Will Ingest You!” He then swung the dagger in a sweeping circle, forcing me to duck as I felt a twinge of fear from the random swipe.

I gritted my teeth and crept past another pillar as I started circling him. The flurry of swings continued to be directed at where I had staggered. He wasn’t able to see me, which was good, but that didn’t put my mind at ease as it should have. The Elite swiped wildly for another few seconds, the blade making a strange humming noise as it sliced through the air. I gritted my teeth as I focused on my anger. My outrage at what they had done to Amelia. The pounding in my ears was growing louder as I waited for the right moment to strike. I could feel the cuts across my body sapping my strength, but I refused to back down now. As the Elite wound back for another swipe, I charged forward, closing the distance between me and him before he had time to react. I bellowed a loud “AAAAAAAA” as I twisted and swung my sword and slashed at his exposed side. The Elite shouted in pain as his armor absorbed the impact, digging into his side and pulling the air from his lungs.

I raised my arm as the black tint dagger came sailing in my direction, grabbing the arm of the Elite and stopping the movement midswing as I pulled my sword back for another blow. I tightened my grip as I swung my sword, again and again, aiming for the exact spot I had struck earlier. I felt my chest tighten as I gritted my teeth and felt my rage surging into another boil. I couldn’t help it as a flood of words came spilling from my mouth. “I. WON’T. LET. YOU. HURT. ANYONE. EVER. AGAIN!” I punctuated each word with another blow as I battered his side with the blade. The Elite struggled to pull away and I felt my fingers slip on his bracers. I tightened my grip as I let out an angry yell, the sound echoing about the cavern as I felt one last surge of energy. I was cut short, however, as a hard lump suddenly slammed into my stomach and sent a jolt of pain through my body. My focus faltered and I felt my fingers slip free from the bracers as I stopped my swinging to clutch at the swiftly growing bruise on my torso. I looked up as I weakly staggered back to see the masked Elite raise his dagger once more.

I saw the rage in his eye as he backed up and paused for just a moment. “Your youth usurps you.” He growled. I raised my hand to futilely block the incoming blow as the Elite quickly swiped downward. A streak of pain traveled from my lower lip, over my chin, and jumped to my palm before stopping as it carved halfway down my forearm. I staggered back as I tried to run, but my legs felt slow and sluggish. I gritted my teeth as the Elite wound back and prepared for another strike. I flinch as the blade sliced at the air once more. However, the streak of pain never came. I panted and gasped as I lowered my hand and looked at the Elite, confused. I only saw the rapid swings of more strikes, the blade quickly slowing as the Elite suddenly realized his blows were doing nothing to me. I gritted my teeth as I felt a surge of anger once more, anger at the insulting weapon before me. It felt dishonorable to have a weapon that was able to slice through armor at a distance. It was doubly enraging to know it was in the hands of the likes of him, a lackey of Almar’s.

I lifted my free hand as I prepared another spell, gripping my sword tightly as I aimed the spell squarely at the Elite. “That’s Right. TRY TO CUT ME NOW!” I let the fireball sail forward as the Elite dove out of the way. The fireball soared past and impacted another pillar demolishing another pair of supports. I fired off more fireballs as the Elite scrambled to his feet and dashed further into the sea of pillars. I gritted my teeth as I fired off spell after spell, felling column after column of stone and causing a slowly growing rumble to fill the cavern. I didn’t notice it, however, and continued to send more torrents of fire in the direction the Elite had run. “COME BACK AND FIGHT, YOU COWARDLY FUCK!” I bellowed, the surges of flame easily drowning out my voice. I felt hyper-focus on the fleeing Elite, not caring as a part of the ceiling broke free and slammed into the ground not thirty feet from me. More flame-filled that part of the cavern, hindered only by more pillars as they crumbled under more explosive blasts of fire. A pillar cracked and toppled, still mostly intact, behind me and kicked up a blast of chipped stone. I bellowed angrily as I felt my rage struggle to maintain itself under the onslaught of exertion. Each spell cost me nothing in terms of mana, but the movements felt draining as the cuts continued to bleed freely.

The rumbling was constant now, the sounds of falling rock equally so as more pillars began to collapse. I noticed none of it, however as I tried my damndest to send the Elite to a fiery grave. Suddenly, I felt a large hand grab my shoulder and yank me back. The fireball fizzled out as my cast was interrupted and I turned to see Dumag quickly dragging me away. I staggered along weakly as my energy finally drained and I realized the state the cave was in. Boulders were rolling freely as they fell from the ceiling and converged towards the path at the center of the cave. Dumag pulled me around one resting stone as he made a beeline towards the crack that had been used as an entrance. Through the chaos, I heard Dumag shout “Enforce The Cavern Near The Wall! We Have Not The Time To Squeeze Through!” I panted as I tried to cast a spell that might accomplish that, but stopped as I noticed Brokil and Gremach rushing to the crack in the wall. The quickly cast spell and suddenly thin columns of rock rose from the floor, impacting the ceiling and preventing it from falling. I turned back as a thunderous rumble suddenly sounded from behind. My eyes grew wide as I saw the entire ceiling collapsing in on itself, folding towards us in an avalanche of rock. I urged my legs to move faster, but I could only stumble along as Dumag practically dragged me towards Gremach and Brokil. I felt a large rush of air as the collapse swiftly grew closer and closer. Stray rocks began falling on my shoulder, urging me to run, but my legs would not move how I needed them to.

Dumag let out a bellowing roar as a boulder clipped his shoulder and he suddenly staggered to the side. I could see him grit his teeth and plant his feet before bursting forward once more, nursing the shoulder as he dragged me along. The rushing air was growing faster, the cracking of rock sounding overhead as the ceiling gave out and began to fall. Dumag practically lifted and threw me forward as the pair of us leapt into the safe area Gremach and Brokil had created. A sneeze of dust burst in right as we fell onto the floor, filling the space for a few moments as the cavern behind us continued to collapse. I heard the sounds of magic as Brokil and Gremach continued casting spells to reinforce our makeshift shelter. Finally, the dust settled and the rumbling stopped as quiet filled the cavern once more. I coughed as I pulled myself up and looked back. Rocks and rubble formed a large wall where we once stood, held back by a series of impromptu beams that jutted out every which way from below. “Did I get them?” I asked hoarsely, turning to the other.

My question was immediately answered with a forceful slap to the face from Dumag. I felt the blood that was pooling on my chin briefly dissipate before being replaced with a fresh coating. “What Were You Thinking?!” Dumag roared angrily. “You Could Have Gotten Yourself Killed. Do You Have No Regard For Your Own Wellbeing?!” I let out a weak groan as I felt the last of my adrenaline fade and I fell back to the floor. I could feel every cut that damned dagger had made and the pool of blood the slices were creating. Dumag growled as I heard the swoosh of an angry gesture. “Heal Him, for his own sake.” He said defeatedly. “I need a moment to myself.”

I felt the firm but tired hands of Brokil grab my shoulder and try to lift me. I pushed off the ground once more as I batted the hand away. “I’m fine.” I croaked. “I can heal myself.” A quick gesture and a muttered incantation brought a warm light to the tips of my fingers. I touched the bottom of my lip as I began healing the freshest steam of blood. A sudden jolt of pain, like hot needles in my face, drew out a hoarse “Aah” as I instinctively pulled away and released the spell. The pain lingered and I let out a groan as I felt like a swath of my chin was being dipped in the embers of a dying fire.

Brokil let out a sigh as he grabbed my shoulder again and rested his own healing spell on my hand, closing the wound with ease and sending a dumb sensation through the region. “Your incantation is still incomplete.” He muttered. “You’re missing three enunciations.”

I let out an annoyed growl as I felt the tip of my chin. A thin scar now ran down through it, but it felt oddly warm, hotter than my normal skin. “I didn’t forget anything,” I muttered angrily. “I practiced that-”

“ENOUGH!” Dumag suddenly shouted, drawing everyone’s attention. He was rubbing the side of his temple angrily as he let out a long slow sigh. “You Have No Right To Backtalk Us After Saving Your Life. You Foolishly Charged In With No Plan And No Thoughts Beyond Your Own Selfish Desires. Did You Not Consider The Danger You Were In? I Thought You Were More Clever Than This! How Could You Act So Brazenly Foolish!”

I felt my face twist into a scowl as Brokil grabbed my shoulder and pushed me back so that I was sitting on my heels. “I knew the risk when we decided to go after these Elites.” I croaked. “They couldn’t be allowed to get away, not after what they did.”

Dumag let out another annoyed groan as he nursed the sides of his temple. “Nothing Could Possibly Be Worth Bolting Towards Your Doom!” He countered angrily. “You Were Outnumbered, Out Matched, Out Classed, And Most Certainly Ill-Prepared For the Reckoning They Brought Upon You. I Mean, Look At Yourself.” He gestured to me as Brokil began working on my other arm. “How Can You Let Yourself Receive So Many Blows? Did You Even Try And Block Their Strikes? Did You Not Consider They Were Capable Of This?”

I scoffed as I tried to climb to my feet, but Brokil held me down. “Since When Did You Care What They Were Capable Of!” I shouted. “You Didn’t Give A Damn About Any Of It When We Set Out This Morning. You Would Have Done The Same!”

“THAT WAS DIFFERENT.”Dumag roared. “THEY HAD MY FAMILY!”

“THEY HURT AMELIA!” I roared in response, my rage momentarily flaring before dying in a tired groan. I panted for a second before continuing, trying my best to ignore the pain. “She’s already been through so much. I can’t stand to think that Almar hurt her again, not after the promise I made to her.” Silence suddenly filled the cave as I felt Brokil press into my shoulder, trying to get me to sit back. I felt the stain on my jeans grow as the wound on my leg opened from the exertion.

Dumag’s scowl faltered for a moment as we glared at each other, the sweat and blood still dripping from my face. He finally let out a tired sigh as his shoulders slumped, looking away as he closed his eyes. “You should have been more cautious.” He finally sighed. I finally relaxed and let Brokil continue his work. He wasn’t even looking as he placed a healing spell on my leg and closed the wound. His and Gremach’s attention were instead focussed on Dumag. Dumag let out another forceful sigh before continuing. “I do not know what this promise was,” he admitted, “but I believe it would have been better to stay with her and comfort her. Instead, we are standing here, a cavern collapsed around us, leaving her, Bruga, and my nephew in worry. Do you not think your sounds of battle would spread to them?” He turned to me, eyes now full of concern. “What if you were slain? How would you keep your vow then?”

A painful knot suddenly appeared in my stomach, my shoulders slumping as the realization quickly dawned on me. I gritted my teeth and silently berated myself, as I looked away, not willing to meet his gaze. “Fucking Damn It. Fucking SHIT!” What was I thinking? What good would it have done me? It’s not all of them anyway. A dozen others were still in the city. Or worse, they would have met them here then I’d really be fucked. God Damn IT!” I let out an annoyed sigh as I clasped the sides of my head, rage boiling over as I felt a modicum of strength returning. “I’m still too weak. I’m not prepared to take on the Elites. None of us are. They were far stronger than I had anticipated. Fucking shit. Why had I not thought of magical artifacts? Of course mages aren’t the only ones that can use them. I should have anticipated the possibility.” I let out another low sigh as I finally looked ahead, hands folding together in front of me in a praying fashion. “Don’t start now. You just have to get better. This’ll be a learning experience. The world is far more dangerous than I anticipated. I’ll need to change my preparation tactics. Focus on the tribes more as well. I need to prepare for another fight. I might not get to choose when the next one comes.”

I let my head fall back as I let out another sigh. The cuts across my body seemed to have stopped bleeding, but they still hurt like hell. I turned to Dumag, the knot in my stomach easing slightly as I unfolded my hands and let them rest. “I’m sorry that I put you through this,” I said defeatedly. “I just couldn’t stand the thought of them getting away. I-I wasn’t thinking straight. I’ll do better in the future.”

Dumag was silent for a moment as he glared half-heartedly at me. I could tell he wanted to be mad, hell I was mad at myself, but he understood the thoughts that were running through my head at the time. He let out a tired sigh as he glanced towards the crack in the wall. From this side, it looked much more obvious. “We should return then,” he growled. “We must inform them of our failure. I’m certain they are worried for our safety.”

I nodded as Brokil helped me to my feet. “Let’s get to it.” I was tempted to stretch, but I didn’t want to tear open any of the wounds on my chest. “Wait, the wounds?” I looked down as I realized I was still wearing the Elite’s leather armor. It appeared undamaged and without a mark, hiding the still painful gashes across my torso. “Huh. I guess they can’t see those.” I let out a low groan as I began to reach for the straps of the armor. “Can you help me take this off?” I asked Brokil. “I need to show you guys something?” Brokil gave me a curious look before stepping closer and helping me remove the armor. The leather interior pressed tightly to my skin and rubbed my shirt into my wounds as Brokil slowly helped pull the armor free. I saw Dumag’s eyes grow wide as I straightened with a groan and he saw my blood-stained shirt. I reached down and pulled off the cotton garment with one careful motion, not wanting to agitate my wounds further. I let out what could amount to a sigh of relief as I felt the damp cave air on my skin. I gestured to the various wounds as I explained. “I wasn’t cut with an ordinary dagger. In fact, I’d say I wasn’t cut at all. Fucker sliced me from like twenty feet away.”

Brokil gazed in amazement, momentarily forgetting his fatigue, as he stepped forward to examine the cut. “Incredible.” He remarked. “I had never thought of such an item. What did it feel like to receive these?”

I winced slightly as Brokil gingerly touched one of the wounds and began to cast a healing spell. “That wasn’t the only thing of interest,” I replied, trying to ignore the pain. “There was a shield; swallowed an entire fireball right in front of me. There was a pair of bracers too. My sword didn’t come close to scratching it. It’s like it was made of metal.”

Dumag let out an annoyed growl as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Most disconcerting.” He remarked. “They are more prepared than anticipated. We are fortunate to have captured those we could.”

I nodded as I let out a sigh, feeling a sense of relief wash over me as the last wound closed. I flexed my fingers experimentally, still feeling drained from the whole ordeal. “In any case, this wasn’t a complete loss. We learned something. It seems each Elite has their own fighting style and accompanying magic weapon. We should be training up to fight that kind of skill.”

Dumag nodded, still giving me a concerned and angry expression. “We must also discuss our trust in each other.” He replied. “We cannot dash off alone to fight battles anymore, not if we are to consider ourselves a guild.”

I let out a tired sigh as I glanced towards the crack in the wall. A new problem suddenly arose in my mind as I considered the events of the last day or two. “You’re right,” I admitted. “I’ll do better next time.”

Dumag let out an assured growl as he nodded and gestured for everyone to follow. “Come. Let us return. We should inform the others. I am also sure Salthu will wish to hear from us before the day is out.” I nodded as I stretched again and pulled on the still blood-stained shirt, grabbing the discarded leather armor before following the others back through the crack in the wall. The shirt felt sticky against my newly healed skin, but more pressing notions were surfacing in my mind, one I would rather discuss in front of everyone. “White Rock prison won’t be able to hold the Elites.” I thought. “Not forever, at least. The Institute may need to keep them under special guard. Either that or come up with a different solution.” I took a deep breath as I turned sideways and began to shuffle through the wall. “Either way, this is definitely not over.”