“There were only four, another hiding in da shadows,” The orc told Golga, holding his still bleeding eye. “Dey took us by surprise, and to our greatest shame we were defeated.”

Golga folded her arms, taking in the story of the orc patrolling the outer edge of the tunnels around the ruin.

“Impossible!” An orc by her bellowed. “How did humie’s get in here without our boyz knowin’?!”

“Dey must have found da cavern too,” Golga said to herself. That was worrying. That cavern the goblins found was their key to victory over the humans the previous night. If another army of humans was on the way and they discovered the tunnels then the situation would take a turn for the worse. As strong as Kuzak is, the expedition simply did not have the numbers or beasts for a pitched battle, something plain to only Golga, the only female who accompanied the warband, the goblins under Tek, the warboss himself and his handpicked warriors.

“What do we do?” Another orc asked her. “We can’t lett’em scurry’bout da place.”

“No, we dey most certainly musn’t. If it is only a handful of humies, day must be scouts.” Golga said to him. “Send word to da goblins to patrol da tunnel. We can’t have anymore humies in here.”

“And da humie’s?”

Golga turned to the wounded orc who gave her the report. “Name.”

“Burzrag.”

“Burzrag, do you wish to face dem humie’s once more?”

Burzrag grunted. Tearing off some cloth from his bloodied tunic, the orc took an axe, wrapping the cloth around it to ensure it was fastened to his grip.

“If day’re heading here… they’d pass by this place,” Golga smiled sadistically, pulling out her bow. “Rally da patrols. We have pray to slaughter.”

****

The dim torchlight fought back most of the darkness as the new party continued moving through the tunnels, supported overhead by badly maintained beams that threatened to bring the mountain down on top of them. Silica was grateful for her experiences in the catacombs as venturing through these tunnels could prove claustrophobic to one who’s not used to crawling through the underground battling monsters and orcs. Compared to that, roaming around in a mine was like a stroll in the park.

“Here we are,” Soma suddenly stopped, shining his light on a group of dead orcs.

“Hey, isn’t this where we started?” Mar asked.

“We found the girl here, yes,”

“So… we’re going the right way?” Silica asked.

“I think so…” Soma said unsure. “Those orcs have made their camp near the ruins. Logically, these orcs must have been patrols from said camp.”

“But you're not really sure of where they came from?”

“Honestly…” Soma shone his light ahead, showing three separate paths branching left, right and up. “I’m not too certain,”

“Well there’s four of us so maybe we should split up.” Mar suggested.

“No. We shouldn’t go alone. The orcs could be waiting to ambush us,” Liana suggested.

“O-oh, right. Didn’t think of that.”

“One of them has to be the right way so-”

“That way.” Silica pointed to the top path swirling upwards. Everyone stared at her, not sharing her enthusiasm.

“Do we not need to be going down?” Jil asked skeptically.

“Trust me. When you're underground you can’t always assume up is up and down is down.”

“I suppose… but that is hardly-”

“If I’m wrong, we’ll come back here and start again,” Silica walked towards the top passage with Jil fluttering behind her.

“Your sister’s very… decisive,” Soma said.

“To a fault,” Liana sighed. Despite being unsure of the route, the others followed after Silica. As they were entering the new tunnel, Liana drew an arrow and stuck it to the wall below the lit torch. “In case we need to come back,”

****

Golga Dragoneye took her place, hidden from view. Her warriors were doing the same, hiding in whatever crevice they could find, waiting for their prey to come.

The moment they arrived, their fate would be sealed. Her name complimented her sharp eyesight and prowess with a bow. While many orc would love nothing more than to tear their opponent to pieces with their bare hands, Golga found more satisfaction in reducing the strongest of foes to a bloody stump with her great bow and bone-tipped arrows mixed with her life energy.

The swift death. The fear of the survivors, ripe to be picked off. It happened all the time, and these humans would be no different; like animals wandering unknowingly to their doom.

****

“Ahh, how big is this place anyway?” Silica groaned. After walking for goddess knows how long through the twisting tunnels, the party had at long last come out into another large cavern. It was similar to the underground lake, smooth rock, a forest jagged stalagmites and stalactites and the unmistakable sound of running water. What differed this chasm from the last was the evidence of man; lit by torches, several of the stalagmites cleared with a track in the process of being laid. Work seemed to have been abandoned long ago, maybe before the invasion.

“Is this still the right way?”

“Do not ask us. We were following your lead.” Jil cynically pointed out.

“There’s one way to find out,” Mar strolled past the two, kneeling behind a stalagmite staring down at the shaft entrance. “If it’s the wrong way, we can always turn back.”

“What he said,” Silica grinned at Jil before following after the lancer.

“I suppose so,” Jil said reluctantly, keeping pace by Silica’s right shoulder.

Behind them were Liana and Soma, bring up the rear.

“This place is much bigger than I thought it would be,” Liana said, marking the entrance with another arrow.

“What’s being mined here?” Soma asked.

“Iron I think,” Liana said. “A college of mine said they increased the operation due to the new war with Mahama to the south,”

“Ah, that must be how they found the vault,”

Liana looked puzzled.

“You’re not aware?”

“Well, we don’t get much news from where we’re from honestly. We didn’t even know about the orc invasion until yesterday.”

“I see,” Soma adjusted his cap, “About two weeks ago, the guild got an anonymous tip that the empire had just unearthed an Asharyen vault in the Gormott archipelago. Typically, researchers from Guldenherf would be sent to examine it which would mean the mine would be closed to outsiders until the excavation is complete.”

“Asharyen? As in ancient elves?”

“Ah, so you know about them.” Soma’s lit up with excitement.

“Not… exactly. I just heard that girl Fay mention it,” Liana admitted. “So… are they special?”

“Very,” Soma nodded. “It’s long been theorized that the center for the Asharyen civilization was in fact the dark continent. But like with the powers today, elven colonies were established on the other continents, even entire nations separate from the main hub. Of course, all that was destroyed in the great calamity, yet even with the displacement of the earth, enchantments kept a lot of these colonies hidden.

“Discovery of even a single fragment of their lost civilization is extremely rare. When I heard about this ruin, I simply had to come.” Soma let out a deep sigh, “of course, I was not expecting an orc invasion to occur which has certainly made this entire endeavor far more difficult.”

Taking a quick glance to Liana, Soma’s cheeks went red. “S-sorry. I can get carried away,”

“It’s alright.” Liana chucked at the young boy’s bashfulness. “Are you a scholar?”

“F-first and foremost. A promise I made to my teacher. I only became an adventurer because the status allows me freedom to travel. A means to an end,” Soma admitted. “I realize might be a selfish reason to pursue the carrier,”

“I think it’s fine. We all have her reasons.” Liana looked ahead to Silica who was still leading the way. “By the way, you seemed startled when we told you about the orc warboss,”

Soma nodded. “I suspect what’s been unearthed is a vault, where the elves store powerful artifacts, stuff that must not fall into the wrong hands.”

“Artifacts?”

“I cannot give you any specifics, but let's just say the elves have incredibly powerful and dangerous artifacts hidden within their ruin. Can you imagine such power wielded in the hands of an orc?”

“Oh… In that case, we better keep moving,”

****

The pray was in sight, walking into the light of one of the torches.

The warriors were prepared, waiting for the first shot to obliterate on of their pathetic numbers.

Silently, Golga drew a bone arrow, drew it in her bow deciding who to slay. Her dragon eye gaze fell on the silver-haired human, in the front.

****

Jil stopped suddenly, gasping as though someone had squeezed the air out of her.

This feeling….

She turned to the darkness of the cavern. It was strange but she could feel something radiating from the shadow; dark malice, a cold gaze, an urge to kill. A string of emotions aimed right at Silica.

“Wait… WAIT!” The fairy quickly flew to the back of Silica’s head, tugging a full lock of her hair.

“Owowowow! WHAT ARE YOU-?!” Silica yelled as her partner pulled her backward, falling over just as something shot past the girl’s nose, smashing into the ground throwing up dust.

****

The dust plumed from the impact of her arrows. The silver-haired one was no doubt anything more than a stain on the walls of the mine. Now as panic ensued her companions, the orcs would rush in and slaughter the remaining. It was amusing for Golga, seeing the chaos wrought by a single arrow.

Yet as the dust settled, her eyes adjusting, her smirk disappeared. The unthinkable had happened. The silver-haired human was moving.

She had missed.

****

Silica coughed and sputtered as the dust began to settle on her. “Wh-What was that?!”

Liana coughed, quickly drawing her bow. “I-I think that was an arrow…”

“Wh-what kind of an arrow does that…?” Mar spluttered as he slowly getting back to his feet. Behind him was a crater that had opened following the shot. “It’s like someone shot a cannon at us.”

Soma looked out in the darkness, using his crystal staff to illuminate as much of the darkness as he could.

“.... Look out!” He then quickly rushed in front of his dazed compatriots, banging his staff on the ground. A bubble barrier formed just as something struck it with the force of a cannonball. Sparks flew from the impact zone as whatever was attacking them tried to drill through his defenses. The barrier shattered as the momentum of the object was lost. It was a large arrow made of bone.

Exhausted, Soma collapsed to the ground.

“Soma!”

“Hey!” Both Silica and Mar rushed to the boys side, the latter catching him as he fell.

“We got company!” Liana yelled as she drew an arrow. A loud warcry could be heard. They had walked straight into another ambush.

“Behind us!” Jil shouted.

Mar turned about, in time to see an orc emerge from the shadows, running it through as it rushed him.

“Silica!”

Gritting her teeth, Silica jumped to her feet as another orc emerged. Jil transformed into Caliburn, right as Silica dodged an overhead swing from the brutes axe, slashing at its side, ducking as it swung its weapon at her and stabbing it once more in the gut.

“Watch out! Another shot is coming!”

“Ah shit!” Silica leaped onto her belly as another powerful blast ripped through the ground. As she rolled onto her back, another orc appeared through the dust, raising its weapon overhead before an arrow caught it in the throat.

“Come on!” Mar suddenly grabbed and pulled Silica back. Liana and Soma were both there, taking cover behind a nearby stalagmite.

“Wh-What the hell was that?!”

“I think someone’s shooting at us,” Soma said. “I could sense a strong flow of mana from the point of impact.”

“He’s right,” Jil said. “Off in the darkness, there is a strong malice, an overpowering will to destroy us similar to the green brutes we’ve been facing.”

“Could you speak some sorta sense for once?” Silica responded angrily to her sword.

“I believe I was speaking in a manner you would easily understand, you brute.”

Two more orcs charged towards the group, but both were hit by Soma’s magic, blasting them back.

“We need to take out that shooter. We won’t be able to progress further.” The mage said.

Liana poked her head in a small gap, spying over the darkened arena where somewhere, something had them targeted. Her eyesight was good, but she certainly could not see in the dark. However, there seems to be one among the group that can. “.... Silica, can I borrow Jil?”

“Sure-Huh? You wanna borrow caliburn?”

“Not caliburn. Jil.”

Silica looked at her sword confused. “Uh… you okay with that?”

“I…. see no objection.” Jil reverted back to her original form, flying to the archer’s side.

“Okay, you guys stay out of sight. We’ll be back.”

“Huh?”

“Wait, where are you-”

Before anyone could raise questions, Liana squeezed through a gap in the stalagmites. Though confused, Jil followed after her.

“Where are they going?” Mar was about to run after them before Silica stopped him by grabbing his arms.

“Don’t worry. They got this.” She said, turning to face the darkness where the sound of orcs and goblins were still out there, moving towards them.

“What are they up to?”

“No clue. Let’s just survive long enough to ask them,” Silica readied her sword before realizing that Jil was gone. Crap. Three more orcs burst from the darkness. One was struck in the head by Soma’s magic, while another locked his crude axe into Mar’s spear before the boy broke the stalemate and ran the monster through. The third reached the disarmed Silica, hauling his chopper overhead. Silica rushed through its legs as its weapon crashed onto the ground, quickly drew the dagger on instinct and stabbed the creature through the shin. As the beast staggered, Silica jumped to her feet, plunging the dagger into the brute’s throat, kicking it down as it clutched its bleeding throat.

It dawned on her that the weapon she had used was the silverstine dagger that was gifted to her by Gran, its gleaming metal now stained with orc blood. Gran…

There was no time to be sentimental. Silica twirled her dagger, standing alongside her new companions.

“Bring it on you monsters!”

*****

Liana and Jil had put some distance between them and the others, hidden from within the darkness from the rest of the rampaging brutes whose war cries now echoed throughout the chamber.

“I’m certain you have a plan,” Jil asked, just as another powerful shot smashed through more of the trio’s cover.

Liana fought back her growing worry for her sister. Silica was reckless, but she always had a way to cheat death. Nonetheless, she had to put an end to the immediate threat before that side of her younger sister got the better of her.

“Jil, you know where the shooter is, right?”

“P-Pardon?”

“Just before the first shot, you pulled Silica out of the way. You knew it was coming, didn’t you.”

“Y-Yes,” Jil nodded, her eyes widening as she understood what Liana’s plan was. “B-But I could not identify the persistent location. I can only sense the malice coming from our opponent.”

“But you know the general area. Where it came from.”

Jil looked out into the darkness.“If we get closer to the source, I should be able to identify the origin point.” She said. “I cannot guaranty pinpointing the arena, but I can determine the exact area,”

Liana twinged her bow, scanning the darkness. “I’m counting on you Jil.”

****

Golga moved, changing her position to get a better angle on the humans. On her first shot, the warriors had begun their assault. She could only catch a glimpse at them before moving but she could tell that these humans were highly skilled, with sharp senses given that they were able to evade her gaze thus far.

Yet even as the ambush failed, Golga could feel excitement beating within her breast.

It has been far too long since I’z had a proppar hunt.

These humans were different from those who were slaughtered the other night. They showed promise. They showed strength. Even though just human, orcs value strength above all else. To fall to the strong without showing fear was a sign of honor, a lesson Golga drilled into her children. Yet there if the strong fell, then you would be stronger.

In her exuberance, she found another spot, further away from the humans but with a clearer line of fire. Golga drew her bow and fired.

****

Silica had just rolled back from an orc attack as another arrow struck the ground, tearing the orc apart while blowing Silica back.

“Ah, damn it…”

Another orc rushed towards her, intending on killing her while she was vulnerable, but was killed when Mar landed on it, piercing his lance through its chest.

“Are you okay?”

“Y-Yeah. Somehow…” Silica struggled to her feet twirling her dagger. Those final two orcs seemed to be the last of the wave. Mounds of orcs lay dead at the trio’s feet, yet the sounds in the darkness meant there were far more still waiting impatiently for their turn. Then of course there was the shooter that Liana and Jil were hunting.

“We need to keep moving! Before they regroup!” Soma rushed past them. Silica and Mar ran after him, running down the rocky path just as another arrow was fired at them, coming close to Mar who brought up the rear.

“Let’s make a break for the tunnel!” Mar yelled, yet as they came in view of the tunnel they were moving towards, they saw rocks and carts had been laid before it blocking the entrance. Three orcs stood by it, greeting the gang as they arrived, all three armed with giant, imposing glaves.

“Something tells me they're not gonna let us,” Silica said, bringing forth her dagger.

“Get back!” Soma yelled, holding out his staff as the glaive orcs charged. “Burst forth o purifying light. Light burst!” A wide flow of blue energy suddenly exploded from Soma, creating a wave that struck the rampaging orcs, breaking through their armor, shattering their weapons as they were thrown backward, their flesh simmering from intense burns.

“Oh wow…” Silica said her mouth agape. “Wish I learned magic,”

“They’re not dead yet,” Soma said, witnessing the wounded orcs struggle to their feet. Mar meanwhile looked to the rear before readying his spear.

“Here come more!”

Another wave of orcs emerged from the darkness, led by an orc with an eyepatch with its axe fastened to its right hand.

“Ahh, where are they even coming from!” Silica said, finally beginning to lose her patience.

****

The humans were all in place, right where Golga wanted them. Burzrag’s boys had them encircled, now blocking whatever means they had to escape. While they were strong, they were now at the mercy of the Dragonseye.

Slowly, she drew another bone arrow, tugging at the string, aiming directly at the silver-haired-

“?!”

Golga loosed her arrow early.

****

Another meteoric arrow hit, striking and destroying the barricade.

“What the-?!” Silica looked behind them confused, though not as much as the wounded orcs, thrown on their bellies while those behind were stunned seeing their hard work undone.

“Now’s our chance.” Mar ran to the tunnel, leaping over the dazed orcs.

“Wh-Wait! Liana and Jil!”

“We can’t fight them all exposed like this!” Soma pointed out as he ran for the tunnel, avoiding the orcs.

Silica looked behind and saw the orc wave coming towards her. “… Ahh, damnit!” She then ran. “Jil! Liana! We’ll circle back around! Just stay alive!” She yelled as she kicked a wounded orc in the face, hard enough to knock a tusk out.

The three disappeared into the tunnel with the orcs set to ambush them in hot pursuit.

****

As furious as Golga was to see the pray run, what irked her more was what had knocked her aim off. A small arrow was embedded in her left forearm, piercing the flesh and cutting to the bone.

Golga took the arrow, wrenching it from her arm before snapping it underneath her grasp.

“I waz carelezz,”

There were four humans that came into the cave. Only three had escaped, now pursued by the warriors. There was one still here cowering in the darkness; an archer like she was. A human archer that had made missed her chance to kill her.

Fury taking her, Golga drew another arrow and fired in the direction the arrow seemed to have come from. The human was still here, and they will become a smear on the walls of this cavern.

****

The arrow struck dangerously close to Laina’s position, tearing through stalagmites before hitting the ground. The backblast knocked her on the ground while Jil was sent flying before she regained control of herself.

“That was far too close!” She said as Liana dusted herself off.

“I… I think I hit her. Or grazed her.”

“That would explain the fury I feel.”

Liana broke from her position, moving deeper into the stalagmite forest, hiding in a patch of dug-up earth. The archer was there, somewhere in the elevated limestone plateaus that dotted the area that was devoid of light, somewhere that had a clear line of sight over the rest of the chasm. If not for Jil, Liana would never have pinpointed her last location.

“I need to get closer,” Liana said, drawing another arrow. “Jil, do you still sense it?”

Jil flew a few feet over her head. “…. It is faint. I think the archer has moved again. No doubt they will be more vigilant of your movement.”

“I’m counting on it,” Liana broke from cover.

Startled, Jil followed close behind. No sooner had they run, another meteoric shot passed by, slamming into the ground. Whoever the shooter was, the shots they fired and the power was unnatural for a normal bow, even a great bow that some orc tribes use. It was as though she was being fired upon by a catapult, cannon, or a ballista. It would explain the power but not how the shots were coming from different angles.

There was only one explanation Liana could think of; and something she had hoped never to encounter. Mana users among orcs were rare, which made those who could channel mana incredibly dangerous. This archer was using mana to increase the power of the arrows.

She had to end this fast. Her luck would not last forever, and one hit would be enough to completely obliterate her body, rendering her nothing more than a bloody smear.

Finally reaching a new location, Liana gently tugged on her string. “Jil,”

The fairy slowly inched out from cover. “…. There.” She pointed to a cove. Liana jotted out from cover and fired.

****

The arrow fired past Golga’s head, grazing her left cheek. The sudden jolt of pain threw off her aim once more. Growling, Golga began to move again, channeling her inner spirit through her feet in order to pounce away.

There was no mistaking her eyes; that human wasn’t alone. It was small, but there was something, an insect or a bat that glowed a strange color. Whatever it was, it was able to pinpoint her location to the human archer.

Yet even with the creature’s aid, there was no denying the human's skill, each shot becoming more and more accurate despite the overwhelming darkness that plagued the chasm.

As she reached her new location, ignoring the blood that now seeped from the cut to her cheek, Golga’s grin only widened.

“How long has it been,” She drew another arrow. “Since I’z had such an invigorating hunt?!”

*****

The next shot smashed through the stalagmites. Liana and Jil had only just managed to run away as the explosion of dust knocked the former on her front.

Coughing from the dust, Liana crawled forwards, collecting her bow.

“Liana! Are you alright!” Jil fluttered into her field of view.

“I-I’ll be fine,” Liana said as she crawled into a small cavern to collect herself. “Those shots are getting closer…”

“I can feel our opponent,” Jil said. “They’re… excited. They relish in the trials of combat. It’s… it’s quite sickening,”

What Jil described was what Liana had seen in a lot of orcs during the various attacks the burrow launched on Holbourgh. These creatures relished in combat and slaughter, something she could never understand.

“I recommend we end this quickly. I fear our luck will not prevail for long against this bombardment.”

“Agreed,”

The problem was that even with Jil’s help and her experience in the catacombs of Chadd, trying to hit something from far away in the dark was difficult, even for a prodigy like Liana.

I need to get closer.

If she could see the orc, then she could definitely hit and kill it.

“Jil, grab my hair.”

“P-Pardon?”

“We’re going to rush it.”

“E-Excuse me?! That is dangerous!”

Liana slung her bow over her shoulders. “Tell me where to go and warn me if it fires.”

Reluctantly, Jil flew into Liana’s light blue locks, clutching a strand close to her right ear, clinging on for dear life. “I had it in mind you were more cautious than your sister…”

“She kinda rubbed off on me,” Liana chuckled. Then, taking a deep breath she broke cover and ran across the darkness, keeping the light of the torches in her sight.

“T-To the right!”

Liana turned.

“I-Incoming!”

Another meteoric arrow shot overhead, slamming into the ground. Jil barked more directions into Liana’s ear as the archer moved through the darkness, stopping only briefly before running again with the meteor arrows smashing through the ground. Each shot was becoming more accurate, screeching in dangerously close with one passing directly over Liana’s head. After the impact, Liana collapsed into a gulley seemingly out of the archers line of sight.

“S-S-She’s… above you…” Jil said, dazed from the constant movement.

“Right…” Liana drew out her bow, taking a single arrow.

This was it, her final shot. Stealing her resolve, Liana ran from her hiding place, turned sharply, drew her arrow, channeling a fraction of mana into it and then fired.

Liana stood there frozen in place, retaining her stance waiting for the retaliation.

“I-It’s still there…” Jil said, poking her head out from Liana’s shoulder. “I can’t… I can’t feel anything.”

Liana sheathed her bow as the fairy released her hair, taking filght once more. She then started climbing up the rock, feeling out the cracks and hooks on instinct. She then reached the top, expecting to see the large build of an orc warrior with a massive bow.

What she saw was partly what she expected. Laying on the ground was a giant bow made of bone, a quiver of large arrows adorned with feathers she had never seen before. The creature though, slumped against a stalagmite, clutching an arrow that had burrowed deep into its left breast was… an orc woman.

The wounded orc, panting from her wound, turned to face Liana, her face unreadable. Liana stood there, transfixed.

The woman grunted, bowing her head to Liana. “…. Finish it,” She snarled. “Now…”

As the orc lay there panting, Liana drew another arrow from her quiver, slowly drawing her bow. Woman or not, she was still an orc. No different than the monsters that dwelled beneath her home, butchered those soldiers and adventurers, forcing the residence to excavate the elven ruin. As she took aim, the orc closed her eyes, taking in deep breaths.

Jil reached Liana just as she fired. The orc fell over sideways, slumped on the ground.

“Liana…?”

“I’m okay…” Liana sheathed her bow. “Come on. Let's get back to sis and the others.”

“Y-Yes,” Jil nodded. “Though they seem to be on the move. I can feel your sister's presence moving away from us.”

As Liana began her climb back down, Jil took one last look at the dead orc. Bowing her head she flew to catch up to her temporary partner, leaving the orc’s body where it lay.