After Selora managed to calm down, she felt a fresh wave of energy fill her body. The shine of her metallic staff immediately doubled in its intensity. She stood up, grasping the weapon with a grateful smile appearing on her face.

"Axis…" — She murmured to herself as she stared at the almost entirely enlightened cave.

There was a saying back in my world… If God is with us, then who is against us… well, it sounded something like that. I am starting to understand what they meant.

Selora thought to herself while beginning her long walk across the dark cave system.

I walked aimlessly into the darkness. I didn’t know where I was or where I was headed, yet I felt a certainty in my heart… One that I had never experienced in my previous life.

It was the absolute knowledge that I was not alone. A man, well… a woman with a purpose, a mission, entrusted to me by a God none the less.

So I walked and walked, on uneven terrain, leaning on my staff occasionally. It was double functioning as a walking stick and a light source, since its weight was too much to hold all the time.

Over my painfully slow traveling, my mind has cleared completely, and I realized that there were other memories added to my original collection. The thought that my mind was tweaked even more than I originally realized made me feel quite annoyed.

However, that sense of frustration quickly dissipated as I focused on the strange memories.

I squealed in pure surprise and excitement as I understood what they were.

"Spells! I am an actual wizard, or witch… whatever… Its like being reborn as Gandalf, but a girl and an elf and younger… Ugh… Now that I said it out-loud, it doesn’t sound that similar anymore…"

Still, the thought of actual proper spells has kept me excited for the time being.

As I recalled the memories that were clearly inserted into my mind thanks to Lord Axis, I understood something that I should have questioned far earlier. The light emanating from my staff was already a spell that I was using instinctually. Since it was one of the simplest ones that could be activated by a fickle thought or the desire to see. I only needed to have physical contact with my staff as a requirement.

Without the staff, I could still use the spell, but then it would be weaker while consuming more power.

There were many other spells that could be useful. One could create a shield of light, while another could unleash a raw force of energy. Those were the ones that could be used with a powerful intention. And so I focused on those for the time being… The reason for that was simple, more powerful spells needed a long incantation, one that had to be recited carefully to achieve the desired result all that while focusing on the place and exact way of the spell’s manifestation.

The specifically chosen words served as the designs to focus the careful intention in creating the spell structure. It helps the visualization process and allows enough time to channel the raw power into the spell of choice. It is quite hard to do that while simultaneously chanting. At least I won’t have to memorize the chants, as they were burned into my mind quite vividly.

While lost in my thoughts, I stepped into a wider cavern.

Standing on the edge, I raised my staff, focusing my intentions to empower the light even further. A powerful burst of light filled the darkness, showing me the ridiculously wide and tall cave for a short time. I could see many paths connecting to this particularly enormous cave leading towards other similar places, no doubt.

Just before the burst of light dissipated, changing back to its modest glory, I saw a curious glint from the corner of my eyes. Having nothing better to do, I decided to head towards the direction of that small twinkle.

I didn’t have to walk far before I saw the cause of the anomaly. There was a sword, laying on the ground, its blade covered in a black, ominous substance. It looked like congealed blood, except it was black.

"That’s definitely a real sword…" — I probably shouldn’t be surprised by that since it’s supposed to be a fantasy setting… but still.

I didn’t like the discovery or its potential meanings, but decided to still look around more. There might be other items around here… something that I was willing to bring along and might even provide some use, like a knife. Come to think of it, I never checked the contents of my backpack.

As I thought about it, memories I didn’t know I had come to the forefront of my mind. Containing a visual image of a water flask, a small knife, some simple food and a change of undergarments put inside my backpack just above the small bag of gold.

I blushed, feeling embarrassed from the image of similar looking female undergarments being on me just under my robes. I shook my head, chasing off those thoughts. Refocusing on my current situation.

I was already struggling with the staff. There was no way I could drag a sword with me on top of that. This body might have an above average fitness level, but it was nothing extraordinary. Not even mentioning that that black substance might as well be poisonous.

While I was searching around, my eyes were constantly focused on the ground in my vicinity. That was the reason why I didn’t notice the unusually small yet thick form sitting against a nearby wall. Not until an unfamiliar, gruff voice reached my ears.

"Eat my beard… it’s an elfmaid loitering in the deep roads, of all places. Now I have seen everything… cough…"

My entire body shook in fright. I was taken off-guard by the unexpected voice. Jumping in my place, grabbing the staff tighter while looking around menacingly.

An amused chuckle greeted me, and I finally found the location of the mysterious speaker propped against the crook of a nearby wall.

"Calm yer tits, lass… I ain’t bite, no longer." — The man’s overly cheerful voice was strained and tired. He was clearly making an effort to not scare me away. Not that running was the first thing on my mind…

A light blush sneaked onto my cheeks as I blatantly lied to myself, just remembering that there was a God possibly reading my mind and snorting at me at the very moment.

I shook my head. It was not the time to think about that.

I raised my staff, focusing more power into it, to see the figure in a clearer light. I squinted my eyes and said suspiciously, my voice barely shaking from the excitement and fear of meeting someone in this godforsaken place.

"My name is Selora, an elf, as you clearly noticed. But who might you be, good sir?"

My voice echoed through the darkness. It left behind an uncomfortably long silence. I was just about to repeat my question when a loud exclamation made me flinch.

"Hah! I can’t help but wonder if I have died without noticing it. An elf with manners was thought to be a legend. Cough-cough… argh! That must mean… you have come here… to reap my soul, isn’t it? I am already seeing the light of the afterlife…"

What is he talking about? I wondered to myself, then understanding dawned on me. He was either injured or magic was not as common in this world as I initially thought. Could be both.

"Ah, you must mean my staff. I am a witch of sorts… It’s an instrument of my craft."

I tried to calm the wheezing man while slowly walking towards him. I didn’t have to wait for his reaction half as long this time.

"A witch? Hah-haha!" — He burst into a maniacal laughter. — "That’s my luck… should have known that a long-eared, leaf chewing bastard with manners would be the death of me. Fine… get it over with… feed me to your frogs or whatever evil you can conceive. I have already accepted my death hours before you crawled into this god-forsaken place."

I froze for a second, hearing the ridiculous statements of the man. Then slowly continued to walk towards him, when I finally could see him completely. My eyebrows shot up to my hairline as the strangely proportioned man appeared from the darkness.

"You are dwarf?" — The question left my mouth without thinking.

The man leered at me as if I was stating the obvious.

"No, I am a short-necked wyvern, you ignorant, pompous fool. Get it over with, a dwarf should face death with a spring in his step!"

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

I ignored the half crazed ramblings of the man of short stature and kneeled down next to him. He was clearly heavily injured, incapable of posing me any threat at this point. Yet his mouth was quite a dangerous weapon, even in this state.

"You have misunderstood me, good dwarf-sir… I have no intention of feeding you to any frogs, I assure you. I come with good intentions. What would you say if I offered to make a deal with you?"

The man seemed relieved hearing my words, and not finding any deception in them. He relaxed slightly, until he heard the word deal, at which point his suspicions came back twofold.

I could see in his dark expression that if I mentioned anything about his soul, he would curse me to hell and back. Still, understanding that he didn’t have much choice in the matter, he made a more conscious move.

"What sort of deal?" — He grumbled, sounding annoyed, but I could see the barest hints of hope reigniting in those dark brown eyes of his.

I showed him a warm smile, one that I hoped would be innocent enough to make him believe me.

"Well, as dwarf-sir has already suspected, I am indeed lost… Would it be too much to ask for you to be my guide through these tunnels after I healed you?"

The dwarf looked at me, his hard expression morphing into that of shock and pure disbelief.

I waited for the half minute that took for him to gather his wits. Then he spoke up in a surprisingly companionable voice.

"I might have seen elves in the deep before, some even had manners occasionally… But a humble witch… I must have gone nuts from the blood loss… Do what you will, lass. If by some miracle you actually save me. I won’t give a rat shit about you being a witch or whatever. I will lead you wherever you want to go in this cursed place. I will burn my beard off before I break my word!"

The man said, in a tired voice, dropping any previous pretense. Showing me how tired and injured he truly was, which I already expected. Seeing his battered body covered in bloodstains, both red and black.

"I see… than I will take your word for it. Now try to relax and stay silent. I shall focus on the incantation."

I quickly retreated into my mind, searching for the healing magic I had previously browsed over. As I pulled it into the forefront of my mind, I could feel the ingrained memories come to life. As power swirled in my stomach and chest, buzzing with a readiness to follow my orders.

I took a deep breath, envisioning the effects of the spell. Trying to imagine the dwarf in a healthy condition. As I started the incantation.

"By the power of light, entrusted upon me through my holy patron. I Selora command thy wound, heal!"

As the words left my mouth, I could feel an amalgamation of power gathering in my chest and stretching it from the inside. Then the moment I spoke the last word, the energy began to flow towards my right hand. As more and more power concentrated into my palm, a luminescent glow began to radiate from it. Becoming hotter and hotter by the seconds.

I was startled from the growing discomfort, then a new intuition came over me and I slowly hovered my glowing hand above the injured dwarf’s body. As if the spell was just waiting for the opportunity, pure white spider web like tendrils started to flow between my hand and the dwarf's body. Effortlessly finding their ways into the minuscule cracks of his armor.

The dwarf, in the meantime, was staring at the process with comically wide eyes and a statue like rigidness.

The entire process took about five minutes, which we spent in complete silence. I was focusing on the spell, not even realizing that the dwarf’s skin had gained back some of his healthier color. When the last of the spell’s energy waned from my palm, I sighed and suddenly was glad to be on my knees as a wave of nausea hit me. I was sure that I would have ended up on them, anyway, possibly scratching them in the process.

I sat down completely next to the dwarf, only now realizing how drained I was. My skin was drenched in sweat, my breath quickened, not even mentioning my heart beating in my throat like a sledgehammer.

I must have unknowingly overexerted myself… great. Even the magical staff’s light seemed to dim to a shadow of its former glory.

I heard shuffling next to me as I tried to calm my breathing. I looked up and saw the dwarf standing up. His expression was still that of disbelief. I tried to stand myself, seeing this, but couldn’t will my legs to do the heavy lifting. They felt numb. Upon this realization, a knot began to form in my throat.

I… might have made a huge mistake… if the dwarf decides to turn on me for whatever reason… I am done for!

My breathing hitched with a tinge of panic as I desperately tried to will my legs to move. The dwarf's attention finally caught onto my struggle. He stepped in front of me, looking down at me with an imposing aura as the shadows ominously circled his silhouette. I gulped audibly as I looked up, trying to search for his expressions, only to realize that his features were shrouded in shadows and I couldn’t see anything.

I suddenly felt two powerful arms wrap around my shoulders, pulling me closer into a bear hug. My face plummeted into a spiky, reddish beard bush. I yelped while being showered in kisses of gratitude all over my face.

A fierce blush appearing on my cheeks, running along my elongated ears. I pushed against the man, who was clearly overcome with emotions.

Luckily, he eventually caught onto my discomfort and backed off, looking quite ashamed of himself.

He coughed this time out of awkwardness instead of injuries.

"Sorry about that… I thought I was a goner… and… is everything alright, miss?"

I looked to the side, my face still burning with frustration and embarrassment. I mumbled.

"Think nothing of it… but… I am afraid that I will have to rest for a while after that stunt I pulled off… my legs are throwing a tantrum, you see…" — I added with even more embarrassment leaking into my voice.

The dwarf, whose name I was still yet to know, looked at me with a troubled expression.

"Unfortunately, we can’t have that." — The man stated with dire certainty.

I was surprised. My ears twitched, a new habit that I was still getting used to. I watched as the dwarf walked around the cave looking for something, which he found in a few minutes of aimless walking.

It was the sword I had seen previously. He put it into his scabbard and the weapon slid in, showing only a little resistance, no doubt thanks to the blood still smeared over it.

Under my confused stare, the dwarf walked back to my side, kneeled down, put a large hand under my bottom…

"Hey! Where do you think you are touching?" — I hissed at the man, my face flushing to a deep crimson.

The man chuckled lazily. Waving off my frustration with almost no reaction.

"Stop squirming about. I am trying to lift you up so get a hold of your staff. We will need the light."

I stopped moving for a second, which was enough for him to find a stable hold under my legs and back, lifting me off the ground in a fucking princess carry… I would imagine that I had a dead inside expression, because I definitely felt a small part of me die at the realization.

The dwarf seemed to sense my strained mood and wisely chose to remain silent for the next ten to fifteen minutes which we spent traversing through the dim place at a surprisingly quick pace. Especially if you consider that he was carrying me all along.

As my emotions calmed down, I realized that my body still felt numb, but it was better than before. Maybe in another half an hour I could walk on my own again.

Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, metaphorically speaking. I sighed and accepted my situation. Letting go of another part of my past male pride seemed to be less problematic than anticipated. Well, the fact certainly helped that my last years were spent mostly bound to a hospital bed. And in that state, humiliation was the daily routine.

Instead of boiling in my discomfort, I decided to focus on the environment. I saw that the dwarf was walking with a purpose. He clearly knows this place and has an exact idea of where to go. I was almost certain of it and the thought filled me with a greater amount of relief than I thought it would.

While still not willing to look at the dwarf directly, fearing that my embarrassment would come back twofold, I asked.

"You seem to be in a hurry… what is wrong?"

The man faltered for a fraction of a second, then marched on without care. His gruff voice whispered to me, which surprised me since I figured he had a loud personality.

"Lass, you pulling me leg or what? If we stayed in that place after all that ruckus we made, then you might as well could have fed me to the frogs."

My neck whipped around, facing him with a pale expression.

"What!?" — I hissed at him, trying to keep my calm, and succeeding only partially. — "If that was the case, you shouldn’t have shouted all the time!"

The man made a disgruntled noise, along with a sour expression.

"Well, sorry for that lass… But I wasn’t in my right mind back then, thought I was seeing things and stuff, and you didn’t make it easier on my mind either girly!"

I looked at the shameless fool with a scandalized expression.

"What?! So it’s my fault now!"

"I didn’t say that, girly…" — He sighed. — "Look, what’s done is done. Now we have to get as far from that place as we can before…"

My ears twitched… and my body shivered instinctively, in the arms of the dwarf, who, noticing my reaction, turned eerily silent.

My ears twitched again. I was sure of it. There were sounds of running steps echoing through the tunnels somewhere ahead of us. The trampling sounds didn’t belong to people. It reminded me more of a pack of dogs or wolves.

"Do you hear that?" — I whispered fearfully to the dwarf while staring into the darkness ahead.

"What? What do you hear" — He asked impatiently, panic leaking into his gruff voice.

I felt annoyed by his reaction.

"What do you mean what? Just listen, there are sounds of trampling feet ahead of us. It’s getting closer."

The dwarf, hearing my words, immediately turned around and bolted into the opposite direction.

I flailed my arms, trying to get a hold of him in a panic as the unexpected wild movement surprised me.

"What are you doing?" — I asked as a sense of fear dropped to the bottom of my stomach.

The man practically growled at me.

"Stupid girl! You should have told me the moment you noticed them!"

I tried to defend myself, taken aback by the sudden tongue lashing.

"Well… sorry I thought you heard them too…"

The man snorted disbelievingly.

"Do I look like a long-eared prince to you? Your kind have thrice the hearing of mine! I have no way to hear them from that distance… how can an elf be this ignorant?"

I blushed furiously as I realized the issue.

"… It’s my first time meeting a dwarf…" — I mumbled reflexively, trying to find some sort of excuse, but the man ignored me.

Damn it… I might be an elf now, but I was still used to living in a world where only humans lived. That meant everybody had the same sensory standards, mostly. I never even thought about it…

I was shaken out of my thoughts as the dwarf spoke to me.

"Listen, lass, tell me when you notice any change, so I can keep track of where not to go. Can you do that?"

I pressed my lips together and said.

"I will do it."