Pov - Celestia

It’s so dark in here, it never crossed my mind the first time I walked down here in the mines. The first time I came down here I just thought, oh yeah it’s a cave so, of course it's dark, but now all I can imagine when I look into it, is the dark that I saw when I look at the unseen creature. The one that encompassed all but touched nothing, though at the same time touch the concept of everything, giving it strength and vitality but also at the same time giving it corruption and entropy. That contradiction, which burrowed itself into my soul's very foundation. Now it’s not every time I blink, but also every time I look out into the cave, the parts that are yet to be lightened by the torch. Though we did not bring one, the kobolds groups always carried at least one, or that is how it used to be, but we started to meet these groups of bigger kobolds, or that's how we are calling them. They were stronger, faster, and smarter than the other kobolds, though we have been seeing some in the earlier kobold groups, but we paid it no mind, thinking of them as a squad leader. Then we met the first group of the big kobolds, and to put it in light terms it was a struggle, they could even see in the dark, we could only conclude that it is a racial skill of theirs, but Arthur was not positive that it was that simple.

Bringing my head up I look at the rest of my group without a scratch, sure I healed them but even when I thought that things were getting difficult they pulled through with minimal injuries. Are they holding back on their skills? I know that at least Arthur has been because he has only been using physical skills, none of that holy and light magic that paladins are known for. I shake my head, sure Arthur might be holding back on the skill, but that is because he is part of the church, while the others are trying to train, they have a school they're going to or to at least gain some real combat experience, so why would they be holding back in that case. Though, at the rate that newbies are dying, the guild will soon stop people like that from coming in. Sure, the forest area outside the mines is relatively safe, but I’m sure there are some strong beasts out there. I even saw one, the Shadow Dire Wolf which I just recently looked up to be a rank C monster, that is the same rank as humans, sure there are more monsters out there with higher ranks, but that's not the worrisome thing. The real problem is that it can use the elements of darkness which should not be possible for that species and everything I read about the wolves also just points to them only being able to use shadow magic. With the Demi-planes, monsters never seen before, and too many exceptions for our knowledge, this place is looking less like a dungeon and more like a trial placed here by the gods.

Frowning, I end the thoughts racing through my mind. My mind has been wandering a lot more recently, I just figure that it's just my mind trying to protect itself from my newly gained PTSD. It has been going away very slowly, contributing to the fact that I’m able to help my team instead of just running away or curling into a ball. Though that's all conjecture for the future because I see Arthur raising his hand, signaling for us to all stop moving. Though most of our party has not really been listening to our surroundings, it looks like Arthur was, even if he has been babying me this whole trip, which I don’t mind that much. Our team has really been out of their element for a while now, though I can only blame myself for that. But I’m getting off-topic, if I were to fall down that hole of thoughts who knows how long it would take me to reach the end?

So sharpening my ears to the limits of my senses, I can hear faint claws on stone walking up to us. So far we have designated the mines into two pieces, the top part is pretty straight forward, but so far the lower part is starting to confuse my sense of direction with all the turns I took. Though I stop the thought as I hear two swords around me being drawn, I realize we're about to be in some conflict. Preparing my mind more than my body, I loosen the grip on my staff, which I unconsciously gripped harder. Crouching down, I follow Arthur and Noel, who got in front of me. We are sneaking up to a bend in the tunnel, but before we reach the bend, Arthur looks back at me asking permission to do something. I hesitantly nod as he then puts out the fire with his bare hand. Though a few flashes of the abyss cross my mind, I try my best to ignore them in favor of the incoming danger we’re about to be in.

We reach the bend and just wait for the kobolds, only the sounds of clicking claws drawing closer keep my mind from wandering. Bringing with it another hard-fought battle, because, with intelligence and strength, it is never even close to easy to take them down. Gulping, I see, Simmons raising his staff, most likely in recently for a spell. Though, before the clicking reaches us, we hear them get into a conflict of some kind. With blasting sounds of something massive hitting the walls, Arthur raises his hand looking around the bend, signaling for us to follow him, and with only some slight hesitancy on my part, I do.

Rounding the bend I see something I never thought I would, Tavarious of all people was standing there, sure he was bleeding, and his arm was broken, but he was there fighting them. Then the next thing of major importance is the one he is fighting, it is unlike all the other kobolds I have seen till now, it's big, buff, and looks far more sturdy than the others. That kobold is wielding a giant battleaxe, swinging it around with one hand effortlessly, while at the same time trying to grab Tavarious with the other. Though my attention is brought back when I see noel cut the head off of one of the bigger kobolds standing there from behind with a surprise attack, it was quite easy because the three bigger kobolds are just standing there, looking at the battle going on. Another one is also quickly executed by Arthur at nearly the same time. Before the last one can turn around, Simmons launches a wind blade from his staff, bisecting the kobold. With the noise created by their attacks, the massive kobold noticed us.

The massive kobold pivots on its heel, kicking Tavarious, while at the same time launching himself toward me and Simmons. Flashes of the unseen creature tearing apart the investigation team stop me from making any moves. Though the flashes stop as I see Noel blocking the hit from the axe for me, though she just doesn't have the mass to take all that force and not move, so she gets launched into a wall. Moving my gaze to her, I can see that she is cut in multiple places, with slight blood flow coming out of her mouth and her nose, but she does not seem to be unconscious just yet.

I then realize that I’m forgetting about the massive kobold, but by the time I realize, the kobold has his axe swinging toward me. I try to weave together a barrier of light, though I’m not that fast with my spell work, and I’m panicking, making it all the more difficult. Though before I’m slashed by the axe, a sword coated in golden light cuts through the arm of the kobold making the axe drop out of its grip, though with the force it was going at it still cuts into me slightly but not enough to the point where I can’t heal it.

Hearing the voice of Arthur, my concentration goes back to the kobold, and I see him behind it saying, “Mirror Blade - two-fold.”

With those few words, three replicas of his blade appear in midair, mirroring the movements of Arthur's blade. So with a single swing, Arthur not only cuts the legs off the massive kobold but also decapitates it, with two more major slashes going into its flesh. All I’m able to do at that moment is just let out a sigh of relief.

Though remembering the beating that Tavarious took, brings me back to standing up, though I don’t recall when I curled up in the first place. Before I’m able to run towards Tavarous, Simmons grabs me, dragging me towards Noels, who has blood pouring through their nose and mouth. Realizing the danger of blood loss she could be in, I set forth, using my holy magic to heal her. It takes a lot of Mana, but I’m able to restore her back to fighting condition. Simmons then lets go of my shoulder, allowing me to run over to the unconscious Tavarious. Tavarious is on the verge of death, bleeding out everywhere the eye can see. I start healing but soon realize I don’t have the strength or Mana to heal him, I don’t even know if I can fully keep him alive long enough for us to get back to a healer. Tears leak through my eyes, as I realize that Tavarious is just going to die here, with me not able to heal him to the point of non-imminent death. With my Mana getting close to zero I realize that what I’m doing is futile but even knowing that it, I still heal to the best of my ability. Suddenly, a lot of Mana just appears inside of me, allowing me to get Tavarious to the point where he is not on the edge of Oblivion. Not knowing who gave me that Mana, I look up to where I think the land of the gods reside, and I thank them for the gift of Mana to heal a friend.

I’m brought out of my revelry though when Tavarious grips my wrist and yells, “Run! There's more of them coming!” He then just passes out again without warning.

Arthur then pulls me and the unconscious Tavarious up, while slinging Tavarious over his shoulder, he says, “Let's listen to the man and run.”