Chapter 12

Amazingly enough the flame did not just collide with the small heavy dwarven door and explode. The flame struck it like a train strikes a vehicle; carrying it along until it was rent unto pieces. Amy could barely stand against the wind. Sean, Lorenn, and Osgur traveled around Amy like water around a rock and burst through the entrance. The smell of burnt flesh overwhelmed Amy’s nostrils. She could hear metal colliding, grunts, then bodies dropping on the floor.

“We’re alive!”, Shatira said looking at Amy with a pale face, like she had used up several years of life to sustain herself in a single moment.

Glyn pushed the shocked Shatira out the door, then the shocked elves left, as if they were fleeing from Amy. Finally, Minerva grabbed Amy’s hand and lead her out as she had a dumbfounded expression on her face. Then Amy was met with the aftermath of her first spell. There were green mishappen limbs, and pieces of burnt flesh and blood everywhere. Immediately Amy’s stomach turned at the sight and vomited. Before was shocking yes, but to her this was different: she had acted unto her own will and decided to end the breath of living creatures.

Minerva slapped Amy on the back with her sturdy hands, which made Amy retch even more.

“Fantastic!”, Minerva said as she reviewed the scene of carnage before her.

Sean tore the head off the remaining goblin with his dragonic strength, “That’ll get the juices flowing”, he said jogging away as if doing warm ups.

Lorenn gazed at Amy, his short wavy silky black hair glistening off the light of the torches. He resettled his glasses and with a loud swoosh Lorenn swatted down with his gleaming sharp spear, purplish, blackish blood was strewn onto the floor with a splat.

Osgur came up to Amy, a friendly smile on his face as he extended a hand towards Amy, “Here you go”.

Amy stood up a little unsteadily, her stomach retched again and she bent over one final time.

“Here let me help you”, Veve said as she placed her hand on Amy’s back.

Amy could feel warmth entering her body from Veve's hand. Her stomach felt like it was filled with a cool soothing liquid, as the acidity was neutralized, and the indigestion ceased.

“We need to move, before they come here to investigate the sound”, Sean said as he gazed at Amy.

“It is best not to linger, more will come soon”, Lorenn said as he walked forward using his spear as a walking stick.

Amy’s gaze wandered around to take in her new surroundings. They were still mired in the labyrinth of the mountain kingdom, at least they were not in a wide-open cavern where the sound would carry further.

“Won’t they search to find out who killed them”, Amy said as she pointed to the corpses on the floor; could they even be called corpses in that state.

“Nah, monsters care nothing for one another. If they don’t have people to kill, they often devour each other after a long time. A pile of corpses is like an unexpected buffet table”, Glyn said her emerald eyes seeming to glow in the dark caverns of the mountain.

As they marched away at a hurried pace, Amy was expected to find notifications of experience only to find none.

“I didn’t gain any experience”, Amy mentioned to Minerva as a casual comment.

“Yeah, you won’t. They aren’t real, only the blood experience of monsters will increase your strength. It’s been like that since the beginning of written history, that we will be strengthened by their deaths”, Glyn responded, as expected of the history expert.

“So, then these Monsters are only a shadow of a thought”, Amy replied pleased with her turn of phrase.

“Exactly!”, Sean responded with confirmation as he led from the front.

“Hmm, shadow of a thought, where have I heard that phrase before”, Glyn said as she rubbed her face searching her memories.

Shatira had accessed her map, “We are in the far east of the mountain, the exit is on the far west. It says it is four miles; although, its gonna take us longer to get there. There is also a two-minute time limit when accessing the map”.

Evryone groaned.

Amy looked at the corridor, there were three passages leading here. They were not caves or tunnels no, these square passage ways were bore through solid stone and rock. The walls were rectangular and space enough for three people to stand side by side. They were blanketed by an eerie silence. Only the mild sound of torches burning

“I think we should take the right”, Shatira said still pointing with her recurve bow, arrow nocked and ready to draw.

“I’ll take the lead”, Osgur said.

Amy thought he looked cool.

“I’ll stay behind him to see if I sense anything. You three” Shatira said pointing to the hesitant dark elves, now wishing they had declined the lessons, “Take the vanguard with Osgur”.

“Sean and I will stand on the sides while protecting Veve and Amy”, Glyn said still unarmed.

Sean strengthened the grip on his two short swords.

Minerva stood next Amy wielding a hammer wordlessly.

“I’ll take the rear”, Lorenn said tapping the grey stone floor with the shaft of his weapon.

Amy had remembered the article she had read. She had wanted to learn more about the creatures here in Draegoch. As an aspiring biologist, Amy would view articles on the Draegun encyclopedia website. Of course, as a fantasy enthusiast, goblins were one of the first creatures that drew her interest. They were surprisingly similar to what humans had imagined, or was it more like remembered. They were the only known monster that could reproduce, though they kidnapped Draegun females to do so. It was a woeful end that made Amy shudder. She wouldn’t be devoured; she would be kept alive, tortured and ravaged, until she would want to cease to exist. That’s if they were real, even the demonic instructor probably wouldn’t allow his students to taste even a shadow of that fate. Even then she couldn’t be sure, and decided it would best to not take such things for granted in this new world.

Amy tightened the grip on her wand and strode forward in their rhombus shaped formation.

Liam looked at Radim, wondering such things knowing the disposition of his predecessor.

“Hey Relax of course instead of that, they’ll just be torn apart and devoured”, Radim said is if it were a merciful option, “What perverted mind would allow that”.

Liam snorted tobacco smoke out of his nostrils, it was a bizarre line to draw, but his methods were undisputedly effective.

“You have a weird way of teaching”, Liam said crossing his hands gazing at the students sitting silently in their chairs, “Tell me about this dream Amy had”.

“An interesting conversation indeed”, Radim said as his eyes lost their cheerful gleam, becoming more serious, “I have a suspicion that Amy somehow witnessed a scene from The Great Cataclysm. You also said the thing that attacked Amy originally was a dragon like us?”.

“Yes. It seems we have finally confirmed that at least some of the monsters were once draegun”, Liam sighed as this puzzle suddenly expanded in scope and scale.

Radim sighed as well, “To think that such discoveries we have been fruitlessly searching for thousand upon thousands of years, have been made in the span of a week. All connected to that wand. It is good that word of the dragon hasn’t spread. It would rock our civilization to its core”.

“Indeed, something is happening, even the raid felt different; and we must find out what that something is before it comes to pass”, Liam said with a grave expression etched on his face.

“I see the wand may or may not be connected, but we need to be sure; thus, you are sending Amy out on the ground to ascertain this one fact”, Radim queried.

“Exactly. It’s not she’ll be in great danger or anything now. But if that wand is connected, and that something does happen. I believe she may find herself in not just a dangerous situation but many”, Liam answered

“Does she know? It’s not every day one comes across a powerful relic like that”, Radim asked.

“I’ve explained it to her, or rather dragonsplained”, Liam said with a chuckle.

His focus shifted from Radim back to the gaseous purple mass of magic with Amy’s figure clearly visible like she was in a crystal ball, “She’s a good lass, and has agreed. Surprisingly courageous too, rather than denying, groaning, moaning and not accepting reality, she embraces it. She’s much different than your average earther. The more she uses that unusual wand, I begin to see her learn about it, I see it on her face. If she learns its secrets then we can solve at least one mystery”.

Radim too nodded and shifted his focus to the events in the simulated dungeon.

Amy was shaking nervously. Gwynyveve next to her was breathing heavily. Sean, Glyn, Osgur, Shatira, and Satriana were all covered with wounds. Minerva stood with them behind a barrier. Veve was using all her strength performing the famous Elven healing magic. They had found themselves in a chamber, they had found themselves amongst the gnashing of teeth, and bloodlust of fifty or so goblins. Their crude cruel dull stone blades constantly searching for an opening, an opportunity to visit torment upon their prey.

They had descended a flight of stairs, the landing area from the stairs was a large chamber. As soon as the last member’s foot hit the stone floor, goblins poured out from all directions. They had just barely managed to fend off this attack. The vivid screams of the dark elves as they were devoured helplessly in the initial frenzy left a lasting impression upon Amy; although, it had caused a distraction long enough to hinder the initial rush of the enemy. But now, this time, the enemy was ready to descend upon them with their full might. Everyone looked at each other, troubles straining their expressions.

Amy’s wand began vibrating as if it was reacting to the situation, it began to glow. As the goblins circled the party, a foreign emotion from an unknown source rose up in her heart: it was wrath. A warm gentle breeze came through the stale air. Then turned into a gust, no it became a terrifying torrent of warm wind.

Her eyes ablaze with fury Amy shouted from an unknown instinct, “CHARGE!!! FIGHT!!”.

Amy was shocked by herself, but an instinct to press forward overtook her. Her shout rallied the party. Her words and energy invaded everyone to the bone, like how a fluffy cake sucks up a sweet liqueur.

“Do Re Bun”, Amy shouted as she launched her only usable spell.

As soon as it touched the body of the first goblin the condensed flame exploded. Amy’s ears were ringing, burning from the sound. Ten goblins had just disappeared in front of them as if they were never there to begin with.

“She’s fucking crazy”, Shatira shouted as the party all dashed forward cleaving through the goblin ranks like hot steel through tofu.

“Run!! Run to the passageway”, Lorenn shouted as they squeezed every last bit of strength into their legs and dashed forward briefly breaking formation. They crossed the wide-open cavern to an archway. Lorenn, Sean, Osgur and Glyn turned and took up the vanguard. Shatira, Veve, and Satriana began unleashing arrows from behind the wall of tensed muscle and sinew. Goblins screamed in pain as the sharp arrows pierced through flesh, bone, and leather armor. Enraged the goblins rushed towards them shrieking an unsettling cry.

Amy’s heart was pounding, it seemed like it would jump up her throat and exit her mouth. She was exhilarated, the multitude of her normally pensive anxious thoughts evaporated. Her eyes were clear, the fog of worry, and self-doubt usually clouding her mind had dissipated. Amy didn’t know but she smirked to herself; this was exciting. Lorenn and Osgur stepped forward as the wall of goblins were within reach, the momentum of their charge was subdued by the ranged attacks. A sickening crushing sound rang out as Osgurs mace came down upon the head of the fleetest goblin. Its head split like a melon, and only a deep indent remained on the torso where the neck and head would have been. Lorenn sliced the heads off of three goblins, and Sean having thrown his short swords, began tearing goblins apart with his bare hands. No matter how much the goblins pressed them, the battlefield had changed, they were not surrounded, and forced the goblins to only frontal attacks. Veve kept healing them as they all rent those that approached asunder. The floor became slick from the spilled blood of goblins. Then a rumble came. Boom, Boom. The remaining five goblins began to retreat when a troll entered from a side passage. It swung its club angrily from side to side. The broken bodies of the would-be surviving goblins smashed up against the far wall broken horribly. The troll roared with a hungry glint to its eyes.

“A cave troll”, Lorenn said as he took a throwing stance, electricity began to arc itself from the tip to the edges of the spear head.

Lorenn hurled his spear. It arced through the dimly lit chamber like a shooting star in the night sky and impaled the shoulder of the troll that was used to grip its club. The club fell leaving it vulnerable. The rain of arrows from the rear guard filled up the bare grey skin of the troll’s torso.

“Do Re Bun”, Amy shouted again, the fire met the target and exploded. The torso disappeared and the arms and legs were propelled away as a torrent of black blood splashed on the floor where the eight-meter-tall cave troll had been standing.

“Whew!!!!’, Sean exclaimed as he collapsed on his rear, “That was invigorating”.

Shatira leaned up against the wall sliding down as her butt reached the floor, she stared at Amy silently in shock. Lorenn retrieved his spear that had surprisingly withstood the blast.

“Stand up! stand up!”, Osgur shouted, “They’ll likely swarm this place! Let’s move!”.

Feeling her bones creaking and aching, with her ears still ringing from the explosion, Amy solemnly, swiftly strode forward with the group. Complaining groans softly rang out as they pushed their own bitterly resisting bodies forward hurriedly, fleeing before another host arrived to overtake them.

Liam’s eyes widened as he viewed the spectacle. His mouth was open and it seemed like his soul wanted to escape from his parted lips.

“Fantastic!”, Radim said as he clapped his hands.

Liam watched them wordlessly as he nodded. Having maintained a far distance, they stopped to recover themselves before they pressed forward once again.