I couldn’t help it; I burst out laughing. I was just as relieved and probably for the same reason, and it was all just so silly. The smile on my face probably wasn’t all that kind looking though.

Eshaan charged forward; his sword raised high for a power slash. The smugglers were quicker than they looked, and also a lot more dexterous than I would have been assumed.

I guess even dwarves … Moanian… can be agile and quick!

They scrambled to the side, tucked and rolled like acrobats, and came up with a pair of knives in each hand. Eshaan found himself surrounded by a ring of glittering steel.

Lakshmi hauled out her pistol, but fumbled the draw, her hands shaking. The weapon went skittering across the floor then fell into a grating. The sound of the banging and clanging fading into the distance below was uncomfortably loud, as was the uproarious laughter of the smugglers.

“If this is the best you’ve got, you’d best give up now!” They howled. “You think we’re some scrubs to be taken down by a bunch of kids!? In our own territory?!” One of them kicked a lever on of the nearby ducts, and ominous clattering and clanking sounds of golem spiders filled the air.

“Oh crap.” Said Lakshmi, her face going pale.

Daniyel slapped his fists together, the glowing gauntlets of force materializing around his hands. “This has gone far enough.” He snapped in a cold direct voice, interposing himself between Lakshmi and the smugglers. “Surrender, and we will see you delivered to the proper authorities and still drawing breath.”

“Don’t value you’re little friend here much, do you?” The smugglers brandished their knives at Eshaan, which left a lump of fear in my throat. Their knives looked awfully sharp, and it was clear that they were not bluffing.

“Oh screw this!” Soriya shouted. She started the chant for {Infernal Black}.

“Soriya, look out!” I screamed. Skittering shimmering spider golems, much like the malfunctioning units that we’d found in the Tol Jageren range flowed out of the walls. Soriya was forced to abort her chant with a cry, flinging herself to the side and banging hard against the ducts and pipework of the tunnels.

Oh dear. I thought. This is not going at all well, is it? Is this… not a comedy fight?! Are these smugglers actually a threat?!

It seemed absurd, we were the heroes, this was just a transit to the real action scene… wasn’t it?

Did I break the plot?! Is this… what happens when you go off script? Is the plot trying to force me back in!? I thought wildly.

Camaxtli held out his hands, and his oddly shaped circuitry engraved katana appeared with a flash of blue light. “This will be an excellent opportunity to field test several hypotheses I have formed.” He said calmly, and then dashed forward with a blur.

He flittered between the smugglers like a flicker of light, knocking them away from Eshaan. I felt my fears grow as the smugglers were knocked backwards, but not disarmed or instantly eliminated.

I pressed my lips firmly together and nodded to myself. If this is how it’s going to be, alright! Here I go! I thought.

I held out my hands and chanted {Barrier}. Flickering hexagon patterns appeared in front of my friends. A leaping spider golem was abruptly flung backwards from Soriya as it landed on the {Barrier} with a bright flash of light and was repelled.

Soriya gave me a quick grin and thumbs up. “Nice!” She said, then pulled out Ægishjálmur, and started to incant the words to {Infernal Black} once more.

Eshaan gave Camaxtli a quick tight grin, then turned back to the smugglers. “I don’t think we’re quite the easy prey you expected, but what I really can’t forgive you for-“

He dashed forward, and with three quick strikes disarmed the smuggler in front of him, pressing him against the tunnel walls.

“-is the way you disrespected my girlfriend!” He finished with a shout.

I turned bright red, looking down at the floor. Honestly, this is not the time, Eshaan! I had to admit… I didn’t hate it though.

Lakshmi fumbled with her gear, and pulled out a small dagger, then rushed forward with it. “I may not look like it, but I’m not someone you can treat lightly!”

Her words were well intentioned, but the smugglers dodged her rush with an ugly laugh.

“That may be so, but what about those little beasties!” one laughed, pointing to the spider golems which were clicking their way ominiously towards us. Lakshmi glanced back, and quick as a flash, one of the smugglers dashed forward, his dagger cutting a thin red line across lakshmi’s stomach. She cried out a staggered backwards.

“Captain!” Daniyel cried out, and then rushed towards her. The smugglers were ready for him, and the exchange of blows was ugly, Daniyel pushed into a bad spot by his concern for Lakshmi, the two of them huddling behind a conduit which belched steam.

Soriya finished her chant, and a flare of black lightning filled the hallway. Screams and roars of humans and breached pipes, and the sound of shrieking metal, and a sphere of inky blackness that was outlined with purple lightning. And before the sphere could collapse, the floor and pipes around the companions did, giving way with a shriek of metal and roar of escaping steam venting all around them, filling the hallway with chaos.

I tumbled wildly, trying to find some sense of balance, and there were screams everywhere.

Camaxtli landed solidly and gracefully on the floor below us, looking around calmly. “This has not been the most productive encounter.” Then he flicked his sword upright and swung into the mist. There was the sound of shrieking metal and an armored colossus strode out of the steam and wreckage, oversized spider legs flashing and lightning sparkling across its hide.

Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

“Fasinating.” Camaxtli observed, casually dodging a vicious blow from one of the golem’s eight legs, which tore a gaping hole in the grating. The metal gave a warning groan which rapidly rose to a shriek.

“Stay away from us! Just… just stay away!” I screamed at it. This was so bad, what else could I do? I started to chant my summon for {Forge}. Maybe it can help mend things here? Before everything falls apart?!

Eshaan staggered upright, wiping blood from his forehead. He spotted the clanking spider monster and dashed for it without hesitation. The golem must have spotted him coming, because before he could even get a single strike in, one of the golem’s legs lashed out, and knocked him away. He tumbled to the side, and slammed to the ground.

“Eshaan!” I shrieked in fear. I can’t stop, I can’t stop summoning now, I have to do something or we’re all going to die!

Lakshmi dashed forward, pulling out a familiar device id’ not seen for a while. Her multitool. I wild giggle escaped my lips as I saw her leap upwards onto the back of the bucking spider, jamming the multitool into one of the access hatches. Lightning and uncontrolled mana erupted around her, and I hear the scream of pain from her, but she didn’t let go. She didn’t back down. And she didn’t fall. Instead the access panel she had wedged her tool into flew off, revealing pulsing circuitry and mana conduits glowing brightly. Without a trace of hesitation, she plunged her hand into the tangled mess, and pulled.

The sound of frying meat filled the air and my stomach turned in horror. A glowing mass of tubes and wires hit the ground, and the golem froze. For a moment, I dared to hope it was over. Then the catwalk flooring we’d landed on gave way, and we fell. And we fell and fell and fell, a tumbling twisting mass of pipes and girders and gratings somehow weirdly lit with glowing pulses of mana conduits and flare lights.

I aborted my casting to summon {Forge} and cast the strongest {Barrier} I could manage, weaving it over and over and over, wrapping it around our tumbling group like bubble wrap around a package until the noise of the banging and buffeting stopped.

We finally came to rest, the giant bubble of hexagons wrapped around us slowly deflating. We were alive. And I had no idea where the honey we were. Other than in very deep trouble.

Camaxtli abruptly sat up, then gracefully stood. “Is everyone functional? Have there been fatalities?” He said calmly. He moved around the group, very gently removing wreckage and checking for injuries.

“Your innovative use of the {Barrier} spell was interesting, Lady Lilyanna.” He said. “I believe with refinement it might become a very useful spell. It appears to have prevented serious injury or death.”

I felt myself sag with relief at that, then dragged myself upright, grabbing my staff and casting repeated {Heal} on all my friends that I’d dragged into this madman’s nightmare.

Groans and fluttering eyelids were my reward. I kept expecting to see the Moanian smugglers, but somehow they’d been… lost, I supposed. Not within the sphere of protection, or perhaps blown away by the giant spider golems wreck… but not here.

Small mercies. I thought wryly, then sank down into a heap and let the shakes flow over me.

Sometime later, I realized somebody was talking to me. “Lily. Drink.” Eshaan forced a healing potion to my lips, and made me swallow. “I should have known you’d heal everyone else and not yourself.” He said, sinking down next to me.

I felt the worst of my injures fade away into mist, the rips and holes in my robe closing themselves. If only my guilt went away as easily. I thought, feeling tears start to fill my eyes.

“It’s not your fault, you know.” Eshaan said, putting his arm around me, and pulling me against him.

“You don’t know that.” I said quietly. I wrapped my arms around my knees and hugged them to my chest.

I felt him shrug next to me. “I do, actually. You’re thinking this is all somehow your fault because you didn’t follow your destiny. Or whatever it is you and Soriya call that groove in the world. But if free will means anything in the world, then this can’t be your fault any more than meeting me could be.”

I took a deep breath, and was just about to argue, when Soriya’s face intruded on my vision. “Hey! Bestie? If you don’t knock it off, when we get back to Breezewood, I’m telling the farmer’s son you’re crushing on him.”

My eyes bugged out, and I struggled to my feet in horror. “B-But you can’t! I mean, you mustn’t! I’m with Eshaan!”

Soriya nodded firmly, her hands on her hips. “Good. Because maybe we should go back home for a bit, and regroup. At the very least, Lakshmi’s mentor is going to want to see this, yeah?”

I blinked a few more times, then slowly started to smile, which turned into a giggle fit as my tension started to unwind.

Soriya nodded in satisfaction, then said off-handedly to Eshaan “Don’t worry it’s just-“

Eshaan interrupted with a quick nod. “The stress. I know. Some of the other cadets did the same thing after getting off a patrol. It’s either giggle fits, swearing fidgets, or a crying jag. Occasionally a fight. I honestly prefer the laughter, though it’s a little creepy to hear yourself doing it.”

I slowly managed to get my giggling under control, and looked over at him. “This… happens a lot?”

He shrugged. “A lot less now that I’m with you, but yeah. It has something to do with… well I don’t really understand it, to be honest.” He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. “The docs’ just said that if you fight for your life, emotional blowback does that. When it’s personal, it’s easier. When it’s less frequent… well, you know, there’s lots of reasons I’m glad I’m not a trooper anymore. This is one of them.”

He leaned over and hugged me, pulling my head to his chest.

“It’s ok Lily. You’re not broken. You’re not to blame. And we’ll get through this.” He murmured to me.

Without warning, a cork popped off the top of my emotional well, and a nasty mingled mix of sobbing laughter spilled out of me. For a long moment, I was only really aware of Eshaan stroking the back of my head and whispering nothing words into my ear.

I finally struggled back to control of myself, wiping my eyes and nose with my robe. “I’m sorry.” I said. “I don’t know why this hit me so hard. We’ve fought… lots of times before. People have died around us. We’ve… I’ve killed people. This was… this shouldn’t have been…”

Eshaan patted my head on the head lightly. “We let our guard down. It wasn’t supposed to be a fight. And I think you’re blaming yourself a little too much.”

“But-!”

Soriya tapped my lightly on the head. “Don’t go full anime heroine on us, ok?”

I glared daggers at her. “This is… that’s-!”

“Different?” Soriya interrupted me. “Not the same? Why, because you can feel the emotions yourself?”

I looked down. She was right, that really was the only difference. But it was the largest difference in the world.

“Miss Soriya, that was cruel.” Eshaan said.

Soriya opened her mouth, then slowly closed it with a sigh. “Yes, I suppose it was.” She patted my shoulder again. “Lily, look at it like this. If you were… standing outside yourself. Watching yourself on television. Would you want to shout at the heroine to stop moping about something that’s not her fault?”

I flushed red, and jerked a nod. I would, wouldn’t I? I feel… foolish and angry at myself at the same time. Beause it really does still feel like my fault.

“There we go then.” Soriya said. “So lets go home, and have a sleepover, and feast on blueberry lemon tarts.”

I jerked my head up and glared at her again, then pointed my finger at her. “Sparkleberry wine. You promised!”

Lily laughed, and nodded. “There we go. That’s my best friend. Lets go get roaringly drunk and tell Eideth all about our new discoveries.”

Lakshmi perked up and said “That’s right! Eideth was telling me that nobody’s ever gone all the way to the bottom of the Ancient’s complex under Hecate!” Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “I wonder how close we are!?”

I sighed and got to my feet, then looked around the group. “Alright. Everyone ready to go home for a break?”

Camaxtli said mildly “I must say, this is an extremely convenient method. Instantaneous teleportation through other space was a difficult process. It is intriguing that the subspace anchor points-“

“Camaxtli?” Lakshmi interrupted him. “Later. When us weak organic beings have had time for a long hot bath and bed.”

“Ah. Yes, I suppose that would be… optimal.” He said.

I conjured up Gate, and we walked through to my backyard in Breezewood.

“Home again, home again, jiggy jog.” I muttered to myself, then trudged towards Mother’s house with a weary sigh.