Random battle 1!

Party: Horatio, Ceres, Primus, Egea

Music: Battle_16bitFF_loop

Background: TWRPG Cave 1

Dialogue during battle:

[Instantly:]

HORATIO: Oh for Qind’s sake! We haven’t even made it into the cave yet and there are already monsters outside it!

CERES: Horatio! Please don’t use the name of your God in vain!

HORATIO: Oops… sorry, Ceres…

PRIMUS: Never mind that, you two. We need to get inside, so we’re going to have to deal with them.

EGEA: Yeah! If they’re standing in the way of that sweet, sweet treasure then we’re going to need to take these beasties out!

PRIMUS: Indeed. Come on everyone. We’re practiced enough at this by now. Just stick to our usual tactics.

HORATIO: Got it!

[Fight]

[End of battle]

Music change: SNES_event01_loop

As the last of the monsters let out its death wail and dissolved into the air, returning to whichever level of Hell it had originally been summoned from, Horatio sheathed his blade.

His arms ached. ‘Phew. I didn’t realise there would be monsters outside of this place as well.’

‘Why not?’ said Primus in his usual condescending tone, dusting himself down. ‘If there is treasure in here, it’s in their nature to guard it to stop us getting hold of it. I’m sure there will be more inside as well. Now come on, let’s go in. I don’t want to waste too much time on this–we’re supposed to be searching for my Granddaughter.’

‘Don’t you worry, gramps,’ said Egea, ferreting around among the stones where the monsters had been to see if they had left behind any treasure when they dissolved. ‘This will be worth our while. I’ve got one of my feelings.’

‘Yes, well…’ said Primus.

‘You lead the way, Horatio,’ said Ceres, gesturing towards the sealed entrance of the cave.

Horatio swallowed. ‘Alright then.’

He picked his way carefully down the rocky outcropping to the cave mouth. It was sealed over with a light, grey stone that stood out from the darker, more weathered rock of the cave itself. Down the centre of the lighter stone ran a vertical seam, clearly indicating a set of two doors. There were no handles on them.

Horatio placed a hand on one of the doors. A shiver rippled along his arm, making it tingle. It was cold to the touch.

He pushed.

The door put a firm resistance to him, and did not budge one inch.

Not wanting to look like a fool, he quickly put his other hand on the other door too and put the whole of his considerable strength behind each of them, pushing as hard as he thought he could.

The doors did not move. His arms only ached more.

He dropped his hands back to his sides and turned round.

Ceres, Primus and Egea were all looking at him expectantly in the pale light of this overcast afternoon.

Did he really need to say it out loud?

‘Er. They won’t open.’

‘What?’ said Primus incredulously, stepping forward. ‘Nonsense!’

‘Whoever hid this treasure in here for safekeeping must really not want people to find it!’ said Egea. ‘They must have enchanted the doors with magic.’

Primus tapped his wooden staff to the stone doors. ‘Nope, there isn’t any magic here. Not that I can detect, anyway. These are just regular doors of stone. Come on, Horatio–you should be able to open these with those great big arms of yours!’

The others all looked at him again. Egea smiled encouragingly from within the multitude of plaits of her brilliant red hair. Primus frowned, wrinkling up his already quite wrinkly forehead still further above his massive, bushy, white eyebrows. Ceres rubbed one arm awkwardly where she stood on the rocks in her lilac robes. Qind, but she was beautiful. Horatio didn’t want to look like a fool, in front of her especially, but he didn’t know what to do. It appeared that he simply wasn’t strong enough to open these doors.

In his panic, an idea came to him.

‘Er, Professor Primus? Do you mind if I have a quick word with you?’

‘Alright,’ the old scholar said.

He looked at the mercenary blankly.

‘I mean, er, in private?’

‘Oh.’ Primus sighed through his beard. ‘I suppose, if you must…’

Horatio gave Ceres and Egea an uncomfortable smile. ‘Talk amongst yourselves...’

He and Primus walked a short way away until they were out of earshot.

‘Professor, I just don’t think I’m strong enough to open those doors.’

The magic-scholar waved his hand dismissively. ‘Nonsense, boy! Of course you are. There’s nothing magical on them. Why don’t you do that roaring thing of yours? That seems to get you riled up and lend you some extra strength when we’re battling monsters, doesn’t it? And why did you feel you had to speak to me about this in private, anyway?’

Horatio glanced back over at Ceres and Egea. They weren’t talking amongst themselves.

‘Ah, I see!’ said Primus knowingly. ‘Vested interests, is it? Which one of them has taken your fancy?’

In spite of his best efforts, Horatio could not stop a hot blush from rising in his cheeks. ‘That’s my business…’ he mumbled, despairing that his attraction was so obvious, at least to the Professor.

‘Well, for what it’s worth, I would stay well away from both of them. Mistress Ceres is a priest, for Qind’s sake–she’ll have taken a vow of celibacy in devotion to Qind, so you’ve no hope there. And the other one, Mistress Egea, she’s clearly only interested in one thing. Whichever poor sod ends up with her better have a very big purse, and better be prepared to hand it all over, if you know what I mean. I’d avoid pursuing anything of that nature with her if I was you.’

Horatio ground his teeth. ‘Professor, that’s not what I asked you over here to talk about. Look, can’t you just cast a ‘buff’ spell on me or something to make me stronger, even just for a moment, long enough so I can open the doors?’

The scholar fixed him with his pale sky-blue eyes for a moment, then sighed again at length. ‘Alright then, I suppose I could cast a small ‘buff’ on you. But I still think you’re better off using that roar thing that you do.’

‘Thank you.’

The mage laid a hand on Horatio’s shoulder and quietly said ‘Buff.’

Horatio felt nothing at all.

‘Did you do it yet?’ he said. ‘Did it work?’

‘Of course it worked!’ snapped Primus. ‘Are you questioning my magical abilities? Now get back over there and open those doors!’

‘Okay, okay!’ said Horatio.

He walked back over to the cave entrance.

‘Sorry about that, ladies,’ he said. ‘We just needed to sort some things out. I’ll open the doors now.’

He got into position and laid his hands on the doors.

Horatio pushed with all his might.

Still the stone doors did not move.

Horatio’s heart sank within him.

But this time, he kept on pushing all the same.

He pushed and pushed until ribbons of pain ran up and down his arm muscles.

Then, all of a sudden, the doors began to give ever so slightly, scraping along the ground as they opened just a little.

Qind, give me strength!

Horatio dug deep, grunting from the strain. The doors moved a little more.

He let out a roar of effort. ‘Aaaaaarrrgggghh!’

The doors swung open against each of his hands, revealing the darkness of the cave beyond.

At once, a collection of monsters rushed forwards to meet him.

Battle 2!

Party: Horatio, Ceres, Primus, Egea

Music: SNES_battle01_loop

Background: TWRPG Cave 2

Battle dialogue:

CERES: Well done, Horatio! I knew you could do it!

HORATIO: Thanks! Look out though, we’ve got company…

EGEA: I can almost taste the gold that is waiting for us inside this cavern!

PRIMUS: Less chatter, children! We need to eliminate these monsters post-haste!

[Fight]

[End of battle]