Through the thick forest, the two journey without ever encountering adversaries. After 2 hours of nonstop trekking, they finally came to the entrance of the cave. Observe— a crumbling box-type column slowly wrapped by roots. Its columns and walls were uneven, swallowed by the earth.
The ground holds many footprints of different creatures, small and oddly shaped footprints. Vashkeil is foreign, and treading without knowing is a suicidal mission for Natalak. Ashalain, without fear, strides towards the cave. Confident as she is, considering her guild crest— a gold class, it would assume she's an experienced one.
To Natalak, he first grooms his items. Prioritising the short sword as his weapon. Minutes passed, and he finally set himself, prepared and ready for an adventure. He wonders if the half-elf has already left him; fortunately, hidden from the corners and shadow, she waits for him just fifteen meters from the entrance.
Behind Ashalain's back, Natalak struggles to find a torch when Ashalain abruptly casts a spell: a white, burning orb appears, banishing the cave's darkness. Like Ashena's magic that he once saw in the garden. But Ashalain's orb is sun-like compared to her sister's glowing orb dangling in the palm.
"Might I ask, Lady Half-Elf, where did you learn some magic?" Natalak implores as they slowly walk deeper into the cave.
"Name's Erika, and tell me something— why do you keep asking strange questions regarding magics and people? Just what land did you come from?"
"Well, I ah— I was technically newly born here." The traveller smiled, a stupid smile, when they suddenly heard a rustle towards them.
Swords readied, hand stiff for an action. The paladin, however, was calmer and more fluid than Natalak's anxious body. Five strange, wolf-like beings and seven spider-mantis hybrids reveal themselves in the dark. From their eyes and movements, Ashalain noticed they were different from the standard creatures they were. Possessed or controlled by other powerful entities.
"Let there be light." Ashalain glides her hand at the border edge of the sword, engulfing the blade in fire.
Charging towards their direction, and through a single swing of her foil, the fire quickly devours the front charger. Intense and quick, the monsters were no more than ash, and for the remaining survivors, they were submerged in fear by what they saw. Raising the sword once more in cold blood, down she slashes, erupting a line of fire that emerges from the ground towards the two creatures, roasting them to ashes.
Witnessing her contest, Natalak's jaw dropped, and all he could do was remain silent at what he saw. Suddenly, a hideous, mutated undead spider, dripping slime, emerges from a hole. Providentially, Ashalain's light caught the ambush, granting Natalak a quick dodge of his life. The spider's palps ravenously trust and claw; in return, the adrenaline of Natalak's evasion manages to slice one of its palps.
Shrieking and before it could spit corrosive web, a flaming sword speared the monster. In agony, Ashalain blitzes in the second, punching the large spider, forcing it to retreat to its den. But the paladin was more likely to conclude its life than to give mercy.
A strength of a hundred people, she easily pulled the monster before it could escape and gave it a quick death. Pulling the sword, she easily decapitated the spider in half, its body still convulsing, but the grant of Ashalain's flame burns it in minutes. Here, upon witnessing such a performance, Natalak realised there's more to this world. And this is just the beginning of his journey.
Naturally, Natalak was itching to check the corpses, looking for any valuables to sell. But seeing their burned state, it was useless to continue such a thing. Even their burned stench was enough to make his nose squeal in pain from their cooked blood and internal organs, as there were no gleaming things to be seen from the dreadful cave.
Checking the map, they followed the direction to the temple, but Ashalain had better ideas; she wanted to clean this cave of monsters and abominations. So, rather than taking the main path to the temple, the two venture down the other route. Following the tunnel that led to who knows where, both came across a different-looking structure, unlike the temple's entrance. From the looks of it, it was a twelve-inch door.
"Dwarven tunnels." Ashalain blurts.
Natalak inspects the surroundings and sees that the dwarven tunnels are crumbling away. Too, there are residues left by monsters, bones, blood and large cuts on the door, frames and stonewalls.
Sensing a lingering danger, he secretly fishes out a potion. It was an Endurance potion that he bought at Ravalind's market. Furtively, after a quick drink, Natalak felt a heat surging through his body, a sensation of energy that told him he could run many miles nonstop.
When Natalak's eyes return to Ashalain, the sun-orb then bursts into dozens of copies. Spreading throughout the place, it illuminates every corner's shadows. He couldn't do anything but stare at her magic, awe and the sense of danger around her. True enough, when she focused her eyes on Natalak, he felt somewhat afraid to face such a woman.
"Your hand." Ashalain is extending her hand.
"Um, is there anything that I should be worried about?" Natalak's eyes were shifting up and down.
"No, but I can't guarantee your safety. If you want my flames to ensnare you, then be my guest." Ashalain's eyes widen for a reply.
"Fine."
The moment his hand made contact with hers, he felt a surge of holy power tingling both his soul and the flesh. The simple sword and shield he carries now burn in embers. Even his skin can be seen creating small lines of cinders. Combined with the potion's buff and the paladin's shared blessing— Natalak's wound from his throat instantly healed. The sword and shield, even his armour, radiate in holy energy.
"Can you cast any magic?" Ashalain implores.
"I can't, nor do I have any knowledge of such." Natalak shakes his head.
Disappointed yet from her expression, the paladin wasn't convinced enough.
"We should move on." The paladin said as she went towards the large dwarven gate.
Single-handedly, Ashalain easily opens the door, and what is revealed are flocks of enemies. Monsters of different kinds, mutated by some strange slime, coiled their bodies. Still, their movements and their expression show they are being controlled.
"Oh! Should we—" Natalak says, stunned by what he's facing: a crowd of enemies.
Many they may be, but that doesn't stop Ashalain from marching towards the enemy without sweating fear, for it is they that they should fear her.
They leap upon the quick sight of their presence, head-on, and the paladin recklessly clashes with the enemies. Swords split bones and flesh as flames scorch flesh.
Natalak joins the fray— awe, he can already feel the difference. His sword cleaves the enemy's flesh without giving too much effort. His strength was enough to send one of the enemies flying from a single kick. Though by the time Natalak's adrenaline begins to surge, he sees the paladin's flaming sword begins to grow dramatically.
One can see how alive her flame is, roaring, wrestling to be unleashed. Then it answered— when Ashalain plunged her sword from the ground. It burst like an unrelenting wildfire, spreading and incinerating all the enemies.
When Natalak saw the tsunami of flames, he shoved the sword on the ground and hoped for the best. As the blazes reached, he felt no burning, just a warm touch of the morning sun.
Quick and harrowing, all the enemies were burned into ash, or rather, only their scorches on the ground are left to be seen. Natalak alters his vision towards Ashalain and sees the illusion slowly fade. The skin begins to disintegrate, erasing her disguise.
No words, no thoughts, all he can do is stare. Strangely, the sword she wields is now different from the sword he stole. Moreover, he can see that Ashalain is rasping for air as she clutches her chest.
When their eyes met—Ashalain tries to suppress her gasp as they stare awkwardly. One asks for an answer, the other already knows this would soon arrive. Nevertheless, the two resume their venture after minutes of silent unveiling.
The deeper they go into the cave, the structure changes little by little. The walls gradually became more cement-like, but stone was carved to a smooth surface. There, they can see a dwarven sculpture holding a hammer and an axe. And it doesn't take long for them to reach one large hallway in just half an hour.
The place gradually scales, where more space to move around or large houses can be built, but—
"What the heck, I want to get the hell out of this gloomy place." Natalak's senses were gradually turning shivering.
Side by side as they walk along the large dwarven cavern. Until they came across a large erosion site consisting of heavy rocks and metals, but what interests Natalak the most is the large path leading to a blockage.
"Whatever is in there, I think it might hold some treasure or big monster or something. Or does this path lead to another dwarven kingdom that Garry mentioned?"
Turning around to explore more, again, they discover another place, a box-type house consisting of only one storage building. Searching, the two look, unpredictable about what holds this place. All in all, what they found was a pile of rotten wood, rusted plates, and many trinkets.
A few passing minutes, just as Ashalain tries to inspect the area, she hears a ruckus. Threading where the sound originates and what she found was Natalak stuffing every trinket, every item of what's left from the place, garbage or not. She gazes in disbelief as Natalak sits, slowly stuffing the items into his bags.
"What?" Natalak utters.
Ashalain didn't utter a word but looked embarrassed before leaving him to scavenge the place.
"Why can't I sense your presence?" Ashalain ponders as he glances at Natalak, gleamingly, taking in whatever his eyes catch.
Time fell, and Natalak found a book near a skeleton. What interests him was— the book didn't rot away, maybe it was maintained by magic. Hiding from Ashalain's perspective, Natalak quickly stuffs the book.
While Ashalain was looking for what holds this place, Natalak felt something dark, like a shadow that had just passed. It wasn't a shadow; he could feel the place slowly turning into winter. Relaying Ashalain what he felt, she quickly grabs his hand, and they run off from the place.
"What is going on!" Natalak says.
Returning from where the cave branches into two.
"Just what is that thing that I've felt?" Natalak asks.
"That was a lich, though what you felt was just its aura. And it seems that a powerful wizard or mage died there." Ashalain's face was filled with serious dread.
"And what's the connection?" Natalak follows a mix of nervousness.
"Some dark force is lingering in this place. Corrupting the souls of every living creature." Ashalain looks at the scorches of the enemies she'd killed.
"If only Farenggar were in my hand, I would finish this off quickly." The paladin clenches her teeth as she firmly tightens her fist.
Not a word to utter, they proceed towards the path to the temple. Half an hour of walking without rest, Natalak started to worry about the effect of the potion. Here, Natalak can tell the temple had sunk from the caving of maybe dwarven tunnels or brutes.
After battling undead, both creatures from the veil and monsters, the two adventurers found themselves a powerful foe.
Dispelling her light, hiding from afar, they spot a large humanoid. Estimating— standing elven feet tall or more, its appearance is grotesque. The creature's belly was hollow, and only a few intestines dangled, festering with dark energy and maggots. Jaws left hanging; intimidatingly greenish mist wafts out from the behemoth's flesh.
Furthermore, other undead monsters are loitering in the area, maybe fifteen or twenty.
"What is that thing? That giant thing." Tense of tone, Natalak whispers.
"An undead Ogre," Ashalain responds, eyes sharpened with confidence.
"Um, maybe it's best we call for reinforcement."
Flouting Natalak's words, Ashalain freely enters the lion's den. Shield glows, sword flares up in flames, as her armour begins to reveal embers. Then—sun-orbs erupt, flashing the darkness away.
Like a raging tsunami, Ashalain rushes towards the enemies. Powerful and roaring, she dances through the foes, shield-bashing, and her tremendous strength was enough to send the undead flying. It was more like a paladin dancing, but with swords and fluid movements.
"Oh bollocks!" Natalak exclaimed as he joined the fray.
Unlike Ashalain's movement, his was crude and unfashionable to see. Grabbing the enemy's leg and maliciously hammers it before tossing, once the body holds no weight, or rather, is worn out.
The elephant in the room, Ashalain matches its size effortlessly. When the ogre attempts to swat the paladin, a single shield parry is enough to send its fingers flying aside. Just as the paladin's flame was about to extinguish the threat, dark forces seemed to smother Ashalain's light. Natalak couldn't tell if his vision was blurring or if the light was truly being consumed.
Shadows creep closer, and as quickly as the paladin, she sliced the ogre in half. A fire erupts and rapidly cleanses the whole area. In return, she was drained—kneeling and panting, her fire dwindling, the dread of darkness crept closer.
Exhausted, Natalak tries to aid the paladin, and he feels a premonition. Pushing Ashalain from his spot, a malevolent force, a spear made of pure darkness, of shadow, pierced his left chest.
"Ayo, what the F—"
From the corner, it appears as a dark shadow, a mist-like one. Its body is full of undead creatures stacked together, welded. Some of the parts hold different kinds of weapons.
Luckily, the blessing of Azarus immediately burns the dark spear.
"Madam, I think we should retreat."
Stubborn and prideful, Ashalain tries her best to show strength. And from the looks of her unyielding personality, she was willing to bet her life on ending the enemy.
"Are you mad!"
No command and no words, the paladin charged forward, and so did Natalak. The two tried their best, but slowly the abomination seemed to grow stronger, and Ashalain's fire wasn't enough to eliminate the monster.
Puzzlingly, the abomination was targeting Natalak rather than the paladin.
"Return what you've taken", a voice echoes from Natalak's mind.
"Fuck you! I'm keeping what I found." Natalak answered as he struggled to evade the creature's relentless attack.
Thanks to Natalak acting as a decoy. In full brunt, Ashalain then draws all her might, and then she embeds her sword in the monster's flesh. She grins in victory, but her expression changes.
Stabbing and slashing, it opens, and it releases an unearthly scream from many. Humans, animals, monsters of different kinds burst like spilt water.
Victory was near at hand when Ashalain managed to finish the abomination. She saw Natalak was pierced by the creature's attack, vile and powerful that it managed to extinguish Azarus's blessing.
Jolted by its swift attack, Natalak couldn't even utter a word, not even a curse. Worst, he can feel a dark energy injecting his every vein before the monster could collapse.
"Ah, I sense thee…" Comes a voice, a harrowing call.
The shadows in the corners became vividly alive, as if the light were being walked upon. For the traveller, death was coming as his vision blurred. Just as the situation became dire, hope arrives.
A whoosh of light brightens the whole area, and from the entrance came Garrick in his flaming form. Adding Mishel's magic, the unknown forces of darkness withdraw upon Garrick's entrance.
"Goodness Ashalain!" Mishel announced.
"My bag-my bag…" Mutters Natalak before his sight turns to darkness.