image [https://i.imgur.com/eY2gF5l.png]
Mila and Graybeard had valiantly vanquished the horde of minions that stood in their path, clearing the way for their descent into the dark, foreboding cave. Graybeard stood tall before the cavern's opening, his axe gleaming with the blood of their enemies, a testament to the fierce battle they had just endured. Meanwhile, Mila lingered in the safety of the woods, her eyes never leaving Graybeard as she provided vigilant support from the rear.
With a nod from Graybeard, signaling that the coast was clear, Mila stepped forward, leaving the shadows of the trees behind. Graybeard approached her, his back turned to the yawning mouth of the cave.
From the shadows of the cavern rose a skeletal figure, radiating an aura of unholy power that sent a chill down her spine. "Graybeard, behind you!" Mila's voice rang out urgently, her heart pounding with dread.
Graybeard spun around, his instincts honed by countless battles. He swiftly assessed the situation with a steely gaze, stepping back to avoid the grasp of the undead horror before him.
The undead creature chanted a sinister incantation, summoning ethereal magical circles that glowed with dark energy. Graybeard and Mila braced themselves, their muscles tensed and ready for the onslaught. The air crackled with necromantic power as they faced the formidable foe, their resolve unshaken in the face of this new threat.
From the magic circles emerged green flaming projectiles that hurled themselves at Mila and Graybeard. Graybeard's heart pounded as he watched the fireballs miss, not due to any skill on their part, but rather the undead's lack of aim. However, a new threat loomed larger than ever. The unchecked flames had ignited the surrounding forest, engulfing both trees and grass in a blazing inferno.
Graybeard felt the searing intensity of heat on his face as the fireballs made impact with the nearby ground, the smell of the burning foliage hung in the air mixed with the putrid smell of the dead goblins. "Put out the fire!" Graybeard's commanding voice echoed through the chaos, his eyes narrowing on his enemy as he braced himself for imminent combat, readying his axe to bring it down on his unholy foe.
Mila summoned fierce gusts of wind and directed them towards the flames, determined to extinguish them before they could cause any more damage. The flames were relentless, and her wind was not strong enough to put out the flames in unison, they only served to fuel it further, intensifying its growth.
"Use water magic!" Graybeard instructed urgently.
Mila replied, doubt filling her mind, her voice breaking with her nervous tone. "But... I'm not strong enough to use that on this scale..."
"Just do it!"
Graybeard's urgent command spurred Mila into action. Despite her doubts about her abilities, she knew she had to try. She looked at the burning forest which almost whispered to her for help, and with determination etched on her face, she focused her energy.
"I call upon you, lesser spirits of nature. Come forth, protect these woods you call home!" Mila's voice rang out, filled with conviction as she extended her hand towards the flames.
The air around them grew cold, far colder than expected. Mila's brow furrowed in confusion as she looked around, trying to understand what had happened. The temperature drop was not her doing, and she realized something was amiss.
A spirit of frost had answered her call, though it remained hidden. Its powers were faint, yet Mila could sense it, and so could Arbious from the distance. Mila felt her magical capabilities increasing as the spirit had lent her its support. She held her gaze at the flames which had begun to subside, however they were not entirely out yet.
Instinctively, she curled her fingers into a fist, directed at the fire before her. With her motion, the flames grew lower and lower, until the chilling air had completely put out the fires.
"What on earth was that lass?" Graybeard questioned, feeling the cold hit his old bones.
"I... I haven't got a clue." Mila replied.
The undead being before them let out a roar of torment. Graybeard's eyes narrowed, his body adopting a poised stance ready to charge at his undead opponent. "Cursed undead..." His words dripped with disdain as he assessed the situation, analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of his adversary.
Mila's voice rang out with power. "Air Cutter!" she chanted, her hands weaving intricate patterns in the air. With a sudden forceful motion, she released a concentrated wave of pressurized air, slicing through the air with a sharp, cutting sound.
The wave surged towards the undead creature, aimed to disorient and disrupt its movements. But the creature was quick to react, sensing the impending danger. With a swift incantation, it erected a shimmering barrier of magical energy, deflecting the air wave and nullifying its effects.
Mila gritted her teeth out of frustration. She knew that in this battle of magic, she would need to find a way to outsmart her opponent, for brute force alone would not be enough.
Seizing the opportune moment while the undead focused on neutralizing Mila's magical onslaught, Graybeard's eyes gleamed with ferocity. Without hesitation, he charged forward at an incredible pace, wielding his mighty axe with unrivaled fury, ready to unleash a torrent of relentless strikes upon his undead foe, aiming to cleave through its defenses and bring about its demise.
The Undead Mage swiftly redirected its attention towards Graybeard, its malevolent gaze emanating a sickly green unholy energy that sent shivers down his spine.
"Snap out of it." Mila yelled.
Sensing danger, Graybeard distanced himself from the mage.
"Raise undead,"
Graybeard's grip tightened on his axe as a sinister, ethereal glow began to emanate from the corpses around them. "Stay alert," he warned, his voice a low growl.
"This isn't good..." Mila exclaimed, her voice filled with concern.
Suddenly, the fallen goblins started to twitch, their limbs moving with jerky, unnatural motions. One by one, their eyes flickered open, now glowing with an eerie, unholy light. The once lifeless bodies rose from the ground, their movements stiff and mechanical.
A guttural, collective moan escaped the undead goblins as they stood, weapons clutched in decayed hands, ready to fight once more. Graybeard and Mila backed into a defensive stance, their hearts pounding with the renewed threat.
"Where is Arbious?!" Graybeard urgently demanded, a sense of desperation in his voice. "We need him here! Where could he have gone?"
With time running out, Mila and Graybeard found themselves encircled as the relentless horde of zombies closed in. The Mage, undeterred by the imminent danger posed by Mila and Graybeard, unleashed a series of incantations, conjuring fiery spells like fireballs. However, to his dismay, the arcane projectiles veered off course and wreaked havoc among the already weakened undead, reducing their numbers as the flames consumed his summons in the burning inferno.
Graybeard swung his axe, cleaving through the nearest undead goblins with a powerful blows, but the creatures merely staggered and kept coming. Gasping for breath as he fended off the relentless undead foes, Graybeard's mind raced with a new plan, a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos.
"We're being overwhelmed!" Mila shouted, her voice tinged with desperation as she fended off a particularly tenacious goblin with a burst of wind magic.
Graybeard's eyes darted to the raging fires consuming the nearby forest, a plan forming in his mind. "Mila!" he called out, his voice booming above the chaos. "Redirect the flames! Use them against these abominations!"
Mila hesitated, glancing at the inferno. "I'm not sure if I can," Mila replied, "I've already spent far too much mana."
"We have no other choice but to try! You know what must be done, we have no time to hold any special skills at bay." Graybeard insisted, his words cutting through the chaos as he swung his weapon, striking down wave after wave of zombified goblins.
Special skills... Is Mila stronger than she claimed she was... Then perhaps it was a wise decision to test them.
Mila's gaze focused on the relentless skeleton mage, who persistently launched fire spells their way. Although each shot missed, it was evident that the undead creature was learning from its mistakes, steadily improving its accuracy. With the flames inching closer, time was running out, leaving Mila with no option but to attempt their last-ditch effort.
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"I'll try... But it will take some time," Mila mumbled with determination, preparing her incantation while a sense of urgency lingered in the air.
The relentless horde of zombies pressed forward, their numbers seemingly growing despite Graybeard's valiant efforts to cut them down.
A fiery look blazed in Graybeard's eyes as he bellowed a war cry, proclaiming, "Time to show you what I'm made of!" With a mighty leap, he soared high into the air, defying gravity for a fleeting moment before descending upon the ground with incredible force. The impact shook the earth, causing the zombies to stagger and stumble under the sheer power of Graybeard's stall tactic.
Seizing the opportunity, Graybeard swiftly swung his axe with unparalleled fury, beheading the zombified goblins one by one, disrupting their ranks and sowing chaos within their disoriented masses.
Incredible... He turned this dire situation in his favor, and not only that, but he also cut down most of the undead ranks with ease... He is quite the talented leader... And he knows how to strategize to disperse enemy ranks.
Meanwhile, Mila began her chant, her voice rising with unwavering conviction. "In the name of the Heavens, and all that is just, spirits of magic, heed my call. Come forth and punish the forces of evil who DARE trespass on your ancestral lands. Do not let evil triumph!"
As her incantation intensified, an ethereal aura enveloped Mila, lending her the power she sought. The air around her crackled with energy as she focused her magic, weaving it into the impending inferno. The flames responded, dancing in harmony with her will, ready to be unleashed upon her adversaries.
The fiery torrents surged across the battlefield, their trajectory shifting against their master's will. With a deft manipulation of their paths, she directed the inferno to engulf the relentless undead goblins by the hundreds. The scorching flames consumed their decaying bodies, reducing them to ash.
The horde of undead goblins fell into disarray, as Mila seized the opportunity to redirect the flames toward her true nemesis, the Undead Mage who had initiated the confrontation. The relentless blaze, surged towards the skeletal figure, its unholy form momentarily overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of the inferno.
The flames tore through the air, closing in on the mage with unrelenting ferocity. The heat intensified, threatening to consume him in its searing embrace. The mage struggled against the onslaught of flames, and with the use of protection magic, was barely able to stand against the attacks. However, to his surprise, the flames came with an even greater force to aid its cause, a force brought on by a dwarf, who launched himself into the air, bringing his axe down directly at the skeleton's face with relentless fury and power, instantly shattering the skull and destroying the undead being. With the blazing inferno still about, the remains of the skeleton were quickly evaporated into the wind, and the battle came to an end, with the two-standing triumphant over a field of ash.
As the last of the undead fell, Mila dropped to her knees, exhausted but triumphant. The flames receded, their hunger sated, leaving a ring of blackened earth around Graybeard and Mila.
So, she can call upon the powers of the spirits to aid her... How peculiar... This incantation she used is the equivalent of a sixth-tier spell, and yet she can only cast third, meaning this was a gifted ability... Someone powerful gave this ability to her...
Graybeard rushed to Mila's side, concern etched across his face. "Are you okay?! Are you hurt?! That must have taken a tremendous toll on you... I'm sorry for pushing you to your limits."
Mila mustered a faint smile, looking up at him as she dismissed her exhaustion. "I'm fine, Gray."
"Don't rush it," Graybeard insisted, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We can take a moment to rest here. You did an incredible job back there. Your powers are remarkable!"
Mila looked around, as she imposed upon Graybeard with a question. "Where is Arbious?" she asked, her voice strained and weary.
A shadow crossed Graybeard's face as he responded, "I'm not entirely sure. He ventured into the depths of the cave, but he hasn't returned yet."
Mila attempted to move, still wobbly on her legs, "We should go look for him," she insisted, ready to embark on the search.
Graybeard hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "No, Mila. Stay right here. I will go find him. Trust me, I'll bring Arbious back safely."
"Are you sure about this?"
Graybeard's dwarven pride swelled within him as he responded, "Don't worry! I'm a dwarf, and navigating caverns like these is second nature to me. I'll find Arbious and return before you know it."
Mila nodded, placing her trust in Graybeard's promise.
Just as Mila and Graybeard were preparing to search for Arbious, a sudden movement caught their attention.
Arbious emerged from the cave. In his hand, he wielded his scythe, its blade gleaming with the blood of the goblins he had just slaughtered. The ground around him was littered with the lifeless bodies of the goblins, and he didn't seem to be phased.
As he stepped into the open, his presence seemed to command the very shadows, bending them to his will. His eyes scanned the results of Mila's and Graybeard's work on the surface, yet he showed no emotions as he approached the two.
Mila's and Graybeard's eyes widened in astonishment as they registered his unexpected appearance. Once he had reached them, Mila exclaimed, a hint of worry stretched across her face. "Arbious! You're alright!"
Graybeard's gruff demeanor softened, a glimmer of genuine concern shining in his eyes. "By the Gods, lad! We were worried sick about you! Where were you?"
Arbious met their gazes coldly. "I apologize for causing you worry."
Graybeard's expression became more serious as he asked, "How did you manage to get past all those goblins? And why didn't that mage goblin attack you?"
Mila looked at Arbious's blood drenched scythe, waiting for an answer with a curious expression on her face.
"I killed each and every one of the goblins inside the cave, but I did not come across any mage goblins that you speak of."
Graybeard's eyes widened in disbelief, his suspicion growing stronger. "You're telling me you dispatched all the goblins inside the cave without getting a single scratch? That's hard to believe."
Mila's expression mirrored Graybeard's skepticism as she joined in. "Arbious, you still haven't explained why you left so abruptly and without a word."
"I saw that you had your hands full dealing with the minions outside the cave. My intention was to reduce the goblin numbers inside the cave, alleviating some of the strain on both of you."
Graybeard's grip on his axe tightened, frustration evident in his voice. "How many goblins did you slay, Arbious? Give it to me straight."
"All of them."
"What in the name of the Gods... You were able to kill all of them?!" Graybeard asked in disbelief.
"And what about the skeleton mage?" Mila asked, astonished by Arbious's strength.
He took a moment to gather his thoughts before continuing. "I killed everything in my path... But again... I did not encounter any mages that you speak of, or any goblins of notable strength..."
"No goblins of notable strength?" Graybeard mumbled, his voice filled with disbelief. "So, the Undead Mage decided that it didn't want to fight with you, went out of its way to avoid you, and made its way up to the surface? Something just doesn't add up."
"Is there a problem with what I said?" Arbious questioned, his tone growing colder in response to their suspicion.
Sensing the sudden change in his expression, Graybeard quickly spoke up. "Sorry, lad, I didn't mean to offend you. It's just... I've never heard of goblins being led by mages, let alone skeletal mages... This whole situation feels off. The zombies, the incredible strength of that... thing... The guild request didn't mention anything like this."
"Then perhaps it's the guild that's been deceived, or maybe they intentionally withheld information from you," Arbious replied, subtly shifting the blame.
"Perhaps," Graybeard conceded, his voice tinged with uncertainty.
Mila sat down on a patch of grass, her body sinking gently as she let out a faint sigh, her gaze fixated on the sky above.
"Let's not argue... I'm exhausted," Mila softly spoke, her voice carrying a hint of weariness, as she continued to gaze at the clouds above.
Graybeard let out a sigh, finding solace as he settled down on the patch of grass next to her. "I suppose you're right," he spoke, his tone conceding to her words. "Come, join us, Arbious... Our victory was only made possible because of you."
"What do you mean?" Arbious inquired, genuinely curious.
"Well, you single-handedly took care of those goblins inside, didn't you?" Graybeard responded, admiration lacing his voice. "If they had come to aid that skeletal mage, I highly doubt we would be alive right now... You saved us."
A faint devilish smile formed on Arbious's lips as he absorbed Graybeard's words, a sense of pride for the scale of deception he had carried out. With a single move, he had managed to evaluate the strength of the two, and not only that, but forced them to reveal their trump card.
he settled down beside them, his back against a semi-scorched tree as he looked at the aftermath of all that had happened. The forest had multiple areas of it scorched, yet Mila had managed to save it from certain doom. Arbious cast glances in her direction, still unable to believe that she was capable of such magic.
"You must be tired as well," Mila spoke, a hint of apology coloring her words. "We're sorry if we ever felt like a burden to you... But please, next time, stay with us."
He nodded, acknowledging her sentiment, and took a moment to appreciate the breathtaking view of the carnage before him. "Let's cherish this moment, for we are all alive and well." Arbious replied, though not meaning a word of what he spoke. "And I apologize again for being inconsiderate and jumping into the enemy ranks, causing you to worry... I did not encounter such being, but it must have been a force to be reckoned with considering both of your exhaustions... I only wish I was here to lend you my aid.."
"Still, it's strange that it chose to avoid me, and I still can't wrap my head around that fact. Perhaps it would be best to confront the guild itself for their misinformation... But that is up to you..."
"Lad, I'll worry about that..." Graybeard replied.
As the trio surveyed the aftermath of the forest's ordeal, each of their thoughts diverged along separate paths. Graybeard, though he kept his concerns to himself, couldn't help but be alarmed by the sheer strength and ruthlessness Arbious had displayed in dispatching the goblins.
Mila, on the other hand, found herself astonished by the raw power of her magic. She pondered over the sudden surge in her abilities, questioning the source of such newfound strength.
Meanwhile, Arbious's mind was consumed by thoughts of the guild. He couldn't shake the unsettling realization that the quest they had been assigned by the guild seemed designed to lead them to their demise, a grim fate averted only by his own presence and power.
"That perfume was a clever call." Mila added.
Mila's remark caught both Arbious and Graybeard by surprise. The two looked at each other, and then her before laughing in their own fashion. She looked taken aback for she did not mean it as a jest, yet she felt a warmth in that moment, seeing everyone happy and well, she joined in on their laughter like no tomorrow.