Jaron walked into the cavern. Behind him entered Aaron and Dalila.

"—Team up?"

"Sure."

He shook his head. Don't these kids know what their surroundings were? It was a monster lair. An unknown monster. Yet they are walking into it like a summer picnic. In the end it lands on him, the adult, to be responsible. He nodded in determination. No harm would fall on these kids when he was here. Though the fact he was only a few years older than them never entered his head.

"It's so dark. " the boy, Aaron, said.

" Hold on, I should have a rune for light. I can't see my book"

Jaron sighed, pulling out his collapsible lantern. He inserted a magic stone and in an instant the lantern glowed revealing a circular tunnel leading down into darkness.

"Hm" Dalila walked over to the wall and rubbed it. “This...no...maybe.” She pulled out another book and flipped to a page. “No, this isn't right.”

" What is it?" Aaron peered over her shoulder.

"The sketches on the wall. They are so messy." She showed the page to Aaron.

" Oh, you're right. That doesn't make sense."

" Right, Right."

Jaron tilted his head. What were they going on about? He peeked at the page they were reading. Drawing and passages covered the page explaining different types of creatures. He didn't understand their point. A monster created this tunnel so it shouldn't be weird for the marking to be off.

" So, what?" But as his word left his mouth both Dalila and Aaron turn to him.

" What do you mean by 'So, what'?" Aaron asked.

" But, Isn't it the most important clue?" Dalila's eyes widened.

Jaron didn't get it. What Clue did they find? How was it so important?

"How?" He asked.

"Here, look how messy it is?" Dalila pointed.

Jaron shook his head. He still didn't understand.

"Well, um," Dalila tried to explain.

" The problem is," Aaron spoke up, "even if a monster dug this tunnel the claw marks should be orderly, but this is mindless."

"Right." Dalila agreed.

Mindless. If a monster went mindless then it means it went berserk. Jaron nodded. He saw it now.

" Berserk, right?"

"Right," Aaron agreed.

"Huh" Darnell raised her voice.

Jaron flinched. What did he say wrong this time?

" That, That. Impossible" Dalila grabbed the helm of her robe. "Look at the markings. It was made by a creature with six claws on each paw. There is only one creature at this size that has six claws, digs tunnels, and it can't go berserk."

When Jaron with Aaron gave her their full attention she covered her face with her book.

" Plus," she whispered, " the tunnel is too straight for it to be mindless. It seemed to be controlled. "

" Wow, you figured the creature out from the markings alone." Aaron praised.

"Well It's nothing." She lowered her eyes. "My specialty at school is Magical Beast."

Jaron crossed his arm and closed his eyes. So she was an expert at magical creatures, then he had no reason to not accept her deduction. He peered at her approvingly.

"Eek," Dalila squeaked, "Did I say something wrong?"

Jaron frowned. Why did she panic at his approval?

"No, Dalila." Aaron patted her back. "You made perfect sense. Jaron, stop giving her a scary face."

"No." He wasn't giving her a scary face.

"Huh, No? But she explained it very well." Aaron scrunched his face.

He shook his head. He didn't mean that.

" Okay, Dalila, can you explain it again to Jaron? "

"No." He didn't need to hear it again.

" But Jaron," Dalila spoke up. " We have to work together. So we need to be on the same page."

"Right." Aaron nodded.

"I got it already." He was already on the same page.

" Okay, if you understand us. Then I will go back to the beginning." Dalila repeated her explanation.

Jaron frowned. This was pointless.

"And so, huh?" A rumble sounded cutting off Dalila.

Jaron didn't have time to register the sound before the shocked wave hit them. The dirt from the ceiling collapsed and the ground shook.

"Blast, Cave in. Aaron! Dalila! Outside, Quick. "

Jaron dashed towards the entrance, but as he looked back the ground crumbled under Aaron's and Darnell's feet.

" Watch out." Jaron ran and thrust his hand out.

He tried to grab them but a flash of bright light blinded him for a moment. Followed by a wave of mana pushing him against the wall. His sight returned in time for him to watch the ceiling collapse. He covered his head with his hands as rocks fell pinning him underneath. Slowly the shaking weakened until the earth was still again. Jaron opened his eyes to an eerie calm darkness. The weight of the rocks threatened to crush him. He slowly breathed in, letting his mana circulate through his body . A dim blue aura encased Jaron. Using his Arts he activated the warrior ability Armor skin and enhanced muscle. Breathing out he pushed all his might off the rocks. The rock slid away freeing him. He sat up. With the lantern long gone he pulled out his rush light. A natural reed that had been soaked in rendered animal fat. A little old-fashioned, but handy in an emergency. He grabbed his gun and pulled out the fire rune from the gun's magazine. He poured mana into the rune, lighting the rush light. The light shone blindly in the darkness revealing a looming wall blocking the entrance way. Looking around, Jaron frantically searched the cavern.

“Hey kids are you there! Hey! Aaron! Dalila!”

Jaron paused for an answer but only silence replied.

“Blasted it! I should have never let children go on a mission.”

Jaron bit his lip. The last he saw of them they were standing on the calving ground. If they had fallen they would have been crushed to death. A pit began to form in Jaron’s gut. They were right in front of his eyes and yet he let them die. He shook his head. No, he was being too rash. There was a flash of mana from before. It had to be a spell cast by either Darnell or Aaron. So they could still be alive.

Reassessing the situation Jaron recollected his thoughts. His first priority was to search the cavern. In the best case scenario he would find Aaron and Darnell. Worst case scenario he will come across the monster. In the worst worst case scenario the monster would find them first. Standing up he dusted himself off than heading deeper into the cave.