"Indeed. We go on."

We continue along, the passage has no marked differences except the blue flamed torchlight.

We keep silent as we walk along ready in case of any more undead.

I can’t shake the impression that something is off.

The rancid smell is faint but always lingering. It is more than that, something else whose presence alone made us all quiet with fear. It is a mark of their trust in us that the Twins didn’t question or ask to leave.

"The tunnels stretch on forever, August." Gareth calls out.

"We have been walking awhile." I reply, noting the sweat and looks of exhaustion on the Twins.

"Perhaps we should turn back, whatever awaits requires more experienced blades than ours?"

He didn’t look afraid but the narrowing of his eyes betrays anxiety.

One that I share.

I cast a summon whispering "Underdark moledevourer" adept class.

I touch it immediately on summoning, enforcing the binding and completing the two-step adept spell.

"Follow me. Protect the four of us. Kill any lone undead. Come to me when called to be touched." I bind.

Whereas for a novice summon the binding is separate for adept is combined conveniently for mana efficiency, separate again at expert and futile for any master level summoning.

It is a mole but the size of a horse combined with all the aspects of a crocodile-like beast. It has claws, sharp teeth and a hide tougher than steel. Further, I watch as it moves through the rocks and replaces them like a fish in the water as it burrows following us.

It comes from a plane of existence where life is all underground in pitch blackness as beasts small and gargantuan alike slaughter one another to survive. It may be one of the weaker creatures of that world, but it is a powerful threat relative to the foes we face.

"More magic, Master?" asks Subia.

"Yes, it will kill any more stray undead. We shouldn’t have to worry…"

Lovia screams out in pain. I turn around and see an arrow piercing through her shoulder, Lovia on her knee from the impact of the blow.

An undead stands many steps behind her, its ribs poking out from its decaying flesh unnaturally persevered by mana. A steel helm rests atop its skull. It holds a bow and is slowly notching another arrow.

A bolt flies loose but hits the helm and deflects off landing in the distance with a soft clutter.

I let loose a mana bolt which hits its chest destroying the bow and stunning the undead archer.

Meanwhile, Subia charges forward in fury and tackles it, the archer still off-balance topples to the ground.

Subia rips off its helm but the archer claws at her. Unsteady it makes a shallow cut across her stomach and through her clothes.

Ignoring the pain, Subia brings down the steel helm multiple times on the skull managing to crack it open. With a final two-handed smash, she shatters it ending its undead presence.

With the skeleton gone. I rush over to check on Lovia and Subia.

I reach Lovia first but a shout calls out, "One on me!"

I swivel my head around and see Gareth has locked blades with Undead with mail armour, wielding a thick two-handed sword.

It stands tall over him pushing its blade down and Gareth's back is bending backwards under the strength of the undead.

A feeling of dread sinks into my stomach and I reactively turn back to look at Subia who is already dashing over to her sister and me.

She fails to notice a second undead carrying a longsword behind her or its disappearance as the mole devourer grapples it and drags it underground crushing its body parts. The head rolls off into the darkness.

The summon again appears moments later this time ahead of Gareth and takes down two more undead that had been coming to join the ambush slowed down by their heavy gear.

The feeling of dread dissipates.

I had made the right call, we are just unlucky.

"August, focus. She is hurt!" Subia calls out.

I snap back to her face and her beautiful blue eyes. The fight is not over and Lovia is still bleeding. I stabilise her as best as I can with my limited knowledge of battlefield aid.

I take a glance again at Gareth; he could bring her back to health.

Gareth and the Undead were dancing with swords each dealing precise strikes and deflections. They were of nearly equal strength now that Gareth had held from its initial momentum.

The undead from a glance has greater skill with a blade but is far slower from the curse of becoming undead. The outcome of the fight is uncertain.

A draft of air passes by my face as Subia fires off another bolt but it lands on Gareth's back. The impact pushes him slightly forward and likely knocks the air from his body. He is unsteady but swiftly regains his composure managing to fend off a flurry of attacks.

The bolt fails to pierce his mail, it tears off a few steel rings at his back before dropping to the ground. Leaving behind a new small opening for a blow on his back.

"Enough! Do not interfere again." I call out.

I remain and watch. The last defence between it and the twins. Better to stay guard in case it charges. I doubt brave Subia could match the skill of this foe despite her worthy ferocity.

"I understand your love of life. To envy the living but you would harm my companions. Your existence is to destroy life. I will not rest until your evil taint is vanquished. Return into darkness. What say you?" Shouted Gareth.

The augmented strength of the adept level fills Gareth with a final blow; he cuts off its head. The head rolls along the ground and comes to a stop as the body collapses to the ground.

"Gareth, you okay?" I call out. There is a moment’s pause before he replies...

"I’m fine. Just winded. You?"

"Twins need healing."

He spins rounds taking in the injuries gives a grunt of affirmation and jogs over casting augmentation and boosting their healing processes till wounds close healing in a matter of minutes rather than days or weeks.

"Thank you. Sorry for being a burden." Speaks Lovia.

"No, it is our responsibility to protect you. The Mountain King’s crypt is too dangerous for the unprepared. Many evil foes lurk within."

Subia winces, and Lovia's expression sinks further into a deep frown.

"They will learn as we did, none of us was prepared for the ambush yet we emerged alive and victorious. We should be proud."

"Proud? They almost died! Why didn't the summon protect her?" Asks Gareth, his voice rising his jaw tense with anger.

I admit reluctantly. "It could not sense the arrow. It wasn't aware of the attack. So it didn't strike." I look to the ground. "My summon choice, I didn't anticipate arrows. Frankly, undead tombs are beyond my experience. I know the battle, and how to survive a long campaign. I am a mage who has peered into the mystery of worlds beyond our own."

"You think you can bluff your way out of this? She could have died!"

"How the fuck I am supposed to organise slaves into soldiers in a few days? We cannot walk away; the guild will put us in enough debt to chain us for decades till all we know is mediocrity. The girls will be sold off to the ones with the loosest change and save us a month."

"I'm not a coward, I didn’t say runnin. Don’t you dare."

"What would you have us do?"

"Better than this. The right way."

"Which is?"

"We all get out alive. And safe. Together."

I look at him.

Feeling a mixture of both respect for his nobility and annoyance that he would doubt my attempts. That he had questioned me.

What else did he think I was doing? He is right though. We had enough as adventurers but we wouldn't run. Not unless commanded to. No. We learned not to run when afraid, better to fight and die than run and live.

Feeling the twins' eyes on us and the weight of their lives on my shoulders I wonder if we did have the right of it.

Gareth's hand pats my shoulder with a wide smile on his face. "To the end and home." He says.