🎵: Dreadful Dirge, Rise of the Iron Will, Wellspring of Arcana

"Back to the door!" Liam yelled, his voice barely audible over the growing din of squeals and chittering, "Move, now!'"

"Sing Dash of the Daring!" Liam urged, already shifting into a defensive stance. My breath came in ragged gasps. "I can't," I called back, the words burning in my throat. "I swapped it for the fear song." The others' groans of frustration matched my regret at the choice.

We turned and fled, our footsteps echoing off the stone walls. Liam took point, his keen eyes darting through the flickering light cast by Caius's staff. Every shadow could hide an ambush, every corner a potential trap. Behind us, Kira's blade sang through the air, keeping our pursuers at bay. Each clash of steel echoed through the tunnels, accompanied by the death shrieks of Ratmen foolish enough to get too close.

The pressure plate corridor loomed ahead, forcing our pace to slow. "Careful!" Liam hissed, guiding us along the right wall. Each step was precisely placed, precious seconds ticking away as we navigated the deadly floor. Our pursuers burst into view behind us, their charge faltering at the sight of their own trap. Their hesitation created a bottleneck, their numbers working against them as they were forced to follow our careful path.

The delay proved costly. Three Ratmen burst from a side passage ahead, crude spears thrust forward with deadly intent. Liam dropped smoothly to one knee, his bowstring singing. The arrow found the leader's throat with deadly precision, dropping it mid-charge.

My enhanced sword training took over as I darted past Liam. The spear thrust came exactly as expected. I knocked it aside and drove my blade through the second Ratman's chest in one fluid motion. The creature's death shriek echoed off the stone walls.

You killed a Level 2 Ratman!

Blue-white lightning crackled from Caius's staff, catching the third Ratman in a web of electricity. The acrid scent of scorched fur filled the narrow tunnel, making my stomach churn.

We pressed forward, driven by desperation. Behind us, Kira's blade sang its deadly song as she held back the main force. "Keep going!" she shouted between clashes of steel. Each impact echoed through the tunnel, along with her increasingly laboured breathing.

Another group emerged ahead from one of their wall-holes. Liam's arrows whistled through the air, forcing them back into cover. But they'd achieved their goal - slowing our retreat. Kira's grunt of pain was followed by the distinctive sound of a healing potion being unstoppered. The Ratmen's strategy became clear - they were using their superior knowledge of these tunnels to box us in.

The warning came from above - a chorus of shrieks that sent ice through my veins. Ratmen dropped from crude ceiling holes, their claws extended. One crashed into Caius, sending him stumbling forward, his staff clattering against the stone. Another's weight drove me to my knees, the stench of wet fur and decay filling my nostrils.

Kira spun with deadly grace, her blade catching one of the falling creatures mid-drop. The clean slice nearly cut it in half, its body thudding heavily against the stone floor.

In the confined space, Liam couldn't bring his bow to bear, but the knife in his off-hand found a lethal mark. The blade sank deep into a Ratman's eye socket with practiced precision.

I heaved my attacker off, muscle memory from training taking over. As it scrambled to regain its footing, my sword drove through its chest, the blade sliding between ribs with surprising ease.

You killed a Level 2 Ratman!

"Watch the ceiling!" Liam's warning carried over the chaos as he helped Caius to his feet. The mage's robes were torn, but fury blazed in his eyes. Lightning erupted from his staff, arcing into the holes above us. The spell's thunder drowned out the death screams of any Ratmen preparing to drop.

We pressed forward in tighter formation, Kira still guarding our rear while the rest of us moved as one unit. Our eyes darted between the passage ahead and the treacherous ceiling. The barracks room appeared ahead, its wooden door seeming to promise sanctuary. My chest tightened with hope, but instinct screamed a warning - the silence beyond that door was too complete.

We rushed inside, Kira still holding the rear, but relief transformed instantly to dread. "Kira, we need—" Liam's cry cut off as the door slammed shut with devastating finality. Five Ratmen emerged from the shadows, weapons gleaming in the dim light. They'd positioned themselves between us and the door, trapping Kira on the other side. Their red eyes glittered with malevolent cunning - they knew we had only one escape route.

You sing Rise of the Iron Will!

I lunged for the door, the power of Iron Will surging through my veins, but their leader moved with unexpected speed. His twin daggers flashed in the torchlight, each strike precise and deadly. My enhanced sword defence turned the blades aside, but I couldn't break through his guard to reach Kira. Each clash sent shockwaves up my arms, my stamina bar steadily depleting under the relentless assault.

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Liam's bow sang its deadly note, an arrow finding its mark with deadly precision.

Blue lightning crackled through the air beside me as Caius's spell caught another Ratman in its deadly embrace. The creature's spasming form lit the chamber in strobing flashes before collapsing.

I activated Quick Jab, my blade darting forward with enhanced speed. The Ratman leader's eyes widened in surprise as my sword slipped past his daggers, finding the gap in his defence. His weapons clattered against the stone as he crumpled.

You use Quick Jab!

You killed a Level 3 Ratman Leader!

The final two Ratmen attacked together, their movements desperate and uncoordinated. Caught between Liam's arrows, Caius's spells, and my enhanced strikes, they never stood a chance. The last fell to my blade, its death cry echoing through the chamber.

You killed a Level 2 Ratman!

Battle Summary

Ratman Leader Killed: 1

Ratmen Killed: 11

EXP Gained (You): 180

Loot: Mixed coins pouch x2, crude short swords x3, leather armour scraps x4, suspicious vial x2, rat-bone charms x3

I rushed to the door, my heart pounding. "Kira! Open the door!" The sounds of combat beyond were crystal clear - steel meeting steel, her battle cries growing more strained, the wet impact of blades finding flesh. The door remained firmly shut, likely barricaded from her side.

My UI displayed her health bar plummeting into dangerous territory before suddenly spiking back up - the telltale sign of a health potion. The pattern repeated with growing frequency: health dropping steadily under heavy attacks, followed by the sharp rise of emergency healing. Each potion's effectiveness diminished, her system struggling to process the rapid healing. When her health dropped again, there was no saving spike - she'd used her last potion.

I slammed my fist against the door, desperation clawing at my chest. "Run!" Her voice was ragged, punctuated by the clash of weapons. "There's too many! I can't... can't hold them much longer!"

"I'll maintain Iron Will!" I pressed closer to the door, hoping my voice carried through. "You can still draw strength from it through the door!" The words felt hollow even as I spoke them - we both knew the odds she faced.

The combat sounds beyond the door reached a crescendo, then suddenly ceased. A moment later, the notification appeared in my vision, stark and final:

Kira has left the party

"No..." I whispered, watching her health bar fade from my awareness. The realization hit me like a blow to the chest. Kira was making the ultimate sacrifice, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

The sounds of battle beyond the door grew more desperate. We could hear her breathing becoming laboured, the effects of weapons striking home more frequently. Her voice, when it came again, was weak but determined. "Get them out of here, Liam! That's an order!" shouted Kira. Her words carried a finality that made my blood run cold.

I felt Liam's hand close on my collar. "She's right," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "We have to go," Liam said, his voice thick with emotion, as he closed his hand on my collar and dragged me away from the door even as I struggled. He knew what had to be done, even if it tore us apart.

"Brendan, please," Caius added, "Don't let her sacrifice be for nothing." His voice was softer, almost pleading. He understood my pain, but he also knew that we had to survive. We had to make it out of here, if only to honour Kira's bravery.

Liam's grip remained firm as he pulled me toward the exit, Caius covering our retreat. The last thing we heard as we fled down the tunnel was Kira's last battle cry, defiant to the end. It echoed through the stone walls, a haunting reminder of the friend we were leaving behind. Each step away from that door felt like a betrayal, but I knew Kira wouldn't want us to die alongside her. She was buying us time, and we had to make it count.

The tunnel seemed to stretch endlessly, the walls closing in as we ran. My legs burned, my chest ached, but I forced myself to keep moving. I could still hear the Ratmen behind us, their chittering growing louder as they pursued us through the darkness. Liam led the way, his eyes sharp and focused despite the tears I knew he was holding back. Caius's staff glowed brightly, illuminating the path ahead as we sprinted through the maze-like corridors.

We reached a fork in the tunnel, and Liam hesitated for only a moment before choosing the left path. "This way!" he shouted, his voice strained. I followed without question, trusting his instincts. The air was thick with tension, every breath feeling like a struggle. I glanced back, my heart sinking as I saw shadows moving in the darkness—more Ratmen, closing in on us.

"We're almost there!" Caius called out, his voice a mix of hope and fear. The tunnel sloped upward, the air growing fresher with each step. The promise of escape was just ahead, but the weight of what we'd lost threatened to crush me. Kira's face flashed in my mind, her determined eyes, her fierce smile. She had given everything so we could live.

As we burst out of the tunnel into the open air, the chittering behind us grew louder. The Ratmen weren't giving up. Liam collapsed to his knees, his bow clattering to the ground beside him, but Caius whirled around, his staff raised.

"They're still coming!" He started gathering energy for a spell. "We need to slow them down, or Kira's sacrifice means nothing!"

The first Ratmen appeared at the tunnel mouth, their red eyes gleaming in the darkness. Liam snatched up his bow, losing arrows that forced them back into the tunnel. I looked around desperately, spotting fallen branches and dry brush near the entrance.

"Caius!" I shouted, grabbing dead wood. "Can you light this?"

Understanding flashed in his eyes. He directed his spell at the debris we quickly piled, and flames roared to life. The fire spread rapidly across the tunnel entrance; the heat pushing us back. Squeals of rage and fear echoed from within as the Ratmen retreated from the flames.

"That won't hold them forever," Liam said, his voice thick with emotion, "but it should buy us time. And..." he paused, looking at the burning barrier, "it's a proper send-off for a warrior."

Caius placed a hand on his shoulder, his expression grim. "We need to keep moving," he said quietly. "We can't let her sacrifice be in vain." His words were true, but they did little to ease the pain that clenched at my heart.

I looked back at the blazing tunnel entrance, the flames dancing like Kira's fierce spirit. "We'll make it count," I whispered, more to myself than anyone else. "We'll make sure her sacrifice wasn't for nothing." And with that promise, I turned away, forcing myself to move forward, even as my heart remained behind in that dark, haunted place.