Born out of desperation, Sam didn’t expect anything to come of the yell. Mai held little regard for others. At no point throughout the weeks they’ve fought together had she shown concern for anyone or anything.

Mai forced herself past the hooded figure’s guard and stabbed him in the side. Before another wail made its way out of them, Mai grabbed both of her blades and kicked off the figure, filling the air with fresh blood as she ripped the weapons free.

A heavy slash pushed Sam’s sword aside and a blade dug into his shoulder. He bit down and tipped his head away from a stab for his head, a scratch left on his cheek. A skeleton buried another into his side.

Overworked flames tried to heal the wounds but flickered out only managing to dull the searing pain.

It was foolish to expect help. Selfish too.

The mysterious quest reward outweighed the worth of their lives to someone like her. In her position he wouldn’t throw away the opportunity of a one on one fight trying to save a bunch of dying people anyways. That figure was the source of these things; the smart thing to do would be to kill him while all the undead were still distracted. With any luck, the death of the summoner would equal the deaths of the summoned. It was the only real chance any of them had for survival.

Mai tossed her offhand short sword then flung the other. The second ricocheted off the first, bypassing the protective shield of bones the figured summoned and pierced their chest.

Brought down to his knees, Sam’s arms hung at his sides. The skeletons that towered over him pulled back their blades.

He failed to raise his own.

Their swords shot forward then slowed, clattering around him. The skeletons followed.

Mai stood over the pile of bones, a glow to her golden eyes and those pair of pristine silver bladed short swords he’d briefly seen in that chamber at the ready. The air around her shifted and distorted, the cool caress of rejuvenating breezes swirling around him and Sasha both. It didn’t heal. Rather, it stoked the flickering flames of his aura and allowing it to spread and heal not only his wounds but attend to Sasha’s, the woman’s bleeding slowed to a crawl.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Mai spoke not through words, but action.

Shredding through the horde that dog piled Ivan in one moment and picking apart skeletons in the next, those unusually sharp swords cut through all that Mai set them on, a faint coating of wind swirling along the blades.

She chosen to cast aside logic and give her all to save them.

Sam wouldn’t waste the opportunity.

He scrambled over to Sasha, medical supplies pulled out of his pack and got to work. His flames might’ve staved things off but the stab to her stomach still oozed dribbles of blood. The lack of anesthetic proved to be a problem, Sasha descending from her delirium with screams and thrashes. Fortunately Ivan joined them, his clothes little more than rags but no blood to be found, and held her still.

All the while, Mai tore through anything that dared to approach them, an unstoppable force powered by winds akin to his flames.

“Worthless trash!” At the back of all the summons the cloaked figure cursed, a swirling mist of shadows taking form behind him.

“You souls will be mine!” The figure shouted as they floated back into the darkness. The shadows dispersed and the undead collapsed like marionettes who’s strings had been cut.

「Quest Failed: The Lost」

「Description: Lead into an enchanted mansion by the blood trail of a survivor you did not arrive in time to prevent their death and the one behind their untimely demise escaped, but you’ve managed to preserve your own skin despite the dangers within these walls. Perhaps you should consider curving the recklessness of your party members least this happen again.」

「Quest Generated: Encroaching Darkness」

「Description: The budding necromancer might have turned tail today but that doesn’t mean this will be the last you see of them. Plan accordingly. Whether that means going on the offensive and tracking them down or waiting them out is entirely up to you.」

「Dungeon Cleared: The Enchanted Mansion」

「Reward: Dungeon Ownership Unlocked」

「Description: Abandoned by its master, the ancient magic imbued within the timeless structure desires someone to take up the position.」

「Eligible Candidates: Mai, Sam」

Sam removed his bloody hands away from Sasha’s hastily stitched wound and took a breath. This was the first time he’d ever been glad to see these alerts.

They had survived to see another day.