4 4. Endure

Astrid yelled as she chased after Mel and Jason. "Come back here you idiots! It could be a trap!"

The shadow glided ahead of the trio just out of reach. Every time Mel and Jason thought they were catching up, it put on a burst of speed that managed to keep it out of their gasp. They were so frustrated that they didn't even hear Astrid's screams fading as they ran down tunnel after tunnel.

The archer peppered the walls with arrows but the slippery little bastard dodged one after another. She finally managed to land a shot through the shadow's chest, only for it to coalesce a few feet farther down the tunnel — which only enraged her and Jason further.

A quarter of an hour passed by before they cornered the shadowy creature at a dead end. But Mel was still so focused on trying to line up a shot that she didn't even notice Jason come to a stop before crashing into him.

Astrid put her hands on her knees as she panted — trying to catch her breath. She looked around at the cave she was in. There were tunnels jutting out in every cardinal direction but she couldn't find any sign of Mel or Jason or which one they had taken.

A shriek came from one of the tunnels, followed by the sound of flesh hitting steel. Astrid's fear pushed her past her already superhuman speed as she sprinted towards the noise.

Her fear turned into laughter as she found Mel and Jason wriggling around on the dirt, trying to untangle their bodies. Mel was punching Jason in the arm — one of her legs stuck underneath his armored body. Jason looked terrified as he continuously apologized to Mel and tried to get off her. Unfortunately for him, Mel's other leg was draped over him. It was completely bare and he seemed more inclined to let Mel continue punching him than lay a hand on it. That kid is shyer than any eighteen-year-old boy has a right to be, she thought to herself.

The shadow took a tentative step towards the pair which made Astrid tense up immediately. She was surprised when the shadow began to circle them, a worried look etched on its otherwise featureless face, seemingly concerned for their health. It poked Mel and Jason in the face a few times and seemed to clap its hands together in excitement when Mel started shouting curses at it.

The shadow took a moment to wave at Astrid in a follow-me motion and then slipped underneath the large boulder that filled the tunnel.

"Don't just stand there, get him off of me!" Mel yelled as she tried to push Jason off. The poor kid was still recovering, his eyes completely focused on the creamy white leg sprawled across his stomach.

"Good thing you decided to wear shorts and not a skirt today Mels, you might have killed poor Jason," Astrid teased as she grabbed the archer's shoulders and pulled. Jason's face turned beet red and he scurried away the second that Mel was out from under him.

"S—sorry about that Melissa! I think I hit my head when we fell and I couldn't really hear what you were saying and—," the warrior sputtered. Astrid laughed.

Mel grinned. "Oh come off it Jason! I'll let you feel me up when we get the chance if it means you'll keep your head in the game next time!"

Jason groaned, blushing fiercely as he opened his mouth to reply.

"Alright, that's enough guys. I know this is marked as a low-level dungeon, but you all heard about what happened to George's team last month," Astrid said as she made her way over to the boulder. "The guild can't afford to lose any more members. It'll ruin us. We're already considered on the lower end of the E-ranked guilds."

Mel sighed. "We should leave when we level up a bit more. Sasha has been good to us, but we're barely scraping by as it is."

Astrid and Jason nodded in agreement. Their guild was small, and without the money or people to buy the rights to or clear higher level dungeons, it was only a matter of time before they stagnated. It also meant less money to buy the equipment and potions they needed to keep clearing dungeons.

"We all managed to hit level three last week right?" Jason and Mel nodded their heads in unison. "Alright, then once we hit level five we can go ahead and look to see if one of the larger guilds is recruiting. Now help me move this boulder."

Mel raised an eyebrow as she looked at Astrid. "Why?"

The healer's muscles bulged as she pushed the boulder with all her strength. "The … shadow … ugh … went … behind … it," she grunted. The damn thing didn't even budge.

Jason looked over at Mel, who shrugged and pushed up her imaginary sleeves.

The boulder must have weighed as much as a small skyscraper. Even with the three of them pushing, the thing wouldn't move an inch. Astrid scratched her head — puzzled. The boulder was big, but it wasn't that big. Jason alone — despite his low level — had the strength to lift a small car.

After several more minutes of pushing and pulling, Mel threw her hands up in defeat — panting. "Alright! I'm over it! Someone super-glued the shit out of that thing in there! Let's get out of here and grab some Chinese food instead!"

The archer turned around and sat down on one of the small, stool-sized pillars next to the boulder. There was a faint clicking sound, followed by a shriek from Mel as the pillar descended.

A screeching sound played as the boulder moved sideways — like the door of an elevator — right in front of their eyes.

"I'm a genius!" Mel exclaimed in triumph, half her body inside the hole caused by the descending pillar. It looked like someone had picked up the toilet seat and hadn't told her before she sat down.

* * *

The trio walked past the boulder and into a small tunnel. The tunnel led them into a pitch-black room. The darkness was oppressive. It chilled Astrid down to her bones and pulled on her mana. Like it was trying to drain her.

"Uhh, so, I know it's pretty irrational … being a dungeon-diver and all. But, I'm like … terrified of the dark," Jason squeaked.

Astrid took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She searched deep inside her chest, near her heart, and pulled at the pocket of mana. She guided the mana from its source, up her arm, and out her hand. "[Healing Light]!"

The mana in her hand turned a soft white as she shaped it into a ball. She willed the ball of light to float a few inches above her hand. The darkness seemed to retreat as she poured more and more mana into it, increasing its size. A wave of warmth radiated from the ball, relieving minor cuts and aches from the party.

Mel gasped, releasing the grip on her bow. It clattered to the floor and the sound seemed incredibly loud in the complete silence of the room. The archer raised a shaking finger and pointed it to the back of the room. "What—what's that?"

Astrid looked in the direction that Mel was pointing. There, in the far corner of the room, was a young man chained to a wall. He had long white hair that covered his face. Obsidian colored chains bound his arms and legs. They appeared to be moving. Black blood pooled around his wrists and ankles and soaked the ground near him.

The healer knew right away that the man wasn't completely human. A pair of tattered green pants covered the bottom half of his body. Blood, dirt, and sweat covered the pants and they were riddled with holes. His chest, however, was completely bare. His skin was a light gray, the color of the moon.

Her eyes widened as they searched his chest. There was a gaping wound where his heart should have been. The entire area was charred black, like a burn.

The wound shimmered for a moment, reminding Astrid of stars against a black sky, but then it was gone.

The man looked up, and Astrid was transfixed by his piercing blue eyes. The chains rattled as the man got to his feet and grinned.

"Hiet, salve vos maten ite." The man bowed deeply. "Est nomen eit Evan."

* * *

Evan smiled as he introduced himself to the three creatures before him. A few moments passed before it became obvious that they didn't understand him.

"Fenrir, can you speak with them?" he asked.

"I have managed to learn a little about where we are from the dungeon core above, my King. We are on a planet called Earth. The inhabitants here are called humans. The land is split into a vast number of religions and languages. Our portal has opened in a place called North America. They speak English. I will try to communicate with them," Fenrir replied.

Evan smiled as he watched the trio jump at the sound of Fenrir's voice. "Humans, my name is Fenrir. The person before you is called Evan. We have a request we would like to make of you."

The healer was the first to respond. "Who are you? What do you want?"

Her voice came out strong, but Evan could hear the uncertainty underneath. He let Fenrir fill his mind with knowledge. The previously gurgled words began to take shape. Clarity. Like putting on glasses after years of living in a blurry world.

"My name is Evan. Fenrir is a part of me," he sighed. "It is difficult to explain. But all we ask is that you help us break out of these chains. In return, we will help you."

The warrior cocked his head as he looked at Evan's mangled body. "How can you help us? It looks like you can barely stand."

Fenrir's laugh reverberated throughout the cavern. The warrior winced and spun around trying to find the source of the noise.

Evan grinned. "Your world is being attacked by portals — dungeons and monsters — is it not?"

The warrior opened his mouth to speak, but Astrid beat him to it. "Yes. How did you know?"

The summoner shrugged, "the portals belong to a higher power known as The Labyrinth. It grows in strength by destroying worlds and consuming their cores," there was a flicker of hesitation as his glowing eyes dimmed. "My world — my everything — was … destroyed by it."

A moment passed.

"Then let me ask you the same question that Jason did earlier — how can you help us?" The healer whispered.

Evan smiled as his blue eyes met hers. "Fenrir and I have fought the Labyrinth for centuries," he chuckled as he clacked the chains against the stone. "As you can see, we lost. Outnumbered. I promise that this time, we won't."

Fenrir howled. A low, menacing melody that conveyed their promises. Their sincerity. Their hope. Their power.

Moments stretched by. Fenrir and Evan waited. What were minutes or hours when they had waited for so long that the time could only be measured in centuries?

The healer continued to look at Evan. The archer approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder. The healer looked at the archer — who nodded. Then she looked at the warrior — who also nodded.

Astrid nodded. "How do we break your chains?"

Evan bowed, tears falling from his eyes. "The chains are made from a type of mana absorbing obsidian golem. A type of parasite if that makes sense. They feed on the mana of the wearer, weakening them."

His glowing blue eyes lit up. "Surprisingly enough, they are weak to fire."

The healer looked at the chains covering the man's arms and legs. "We would have to burn the manacles on your arms and legs. The pain would be incredible."

Somewhere inside Evan, his heart stirred. The blonde human cared for him in some small way. It had been so long since he or Fenrir had been cared for. He blinked the tears from his eyes and smiled at the healer.

"The parasites do more than simply feed on my mana. They ensure that I stay weak — broken — by burrowing into my body and feeding. Never enough to kill me, leaving only enough to keep me from the brink of death. Every movement, every word, every breath, and every moment for hundreds of years has been riddled with pain."

He shifted his gaze between each of the humans as Fenrir finished his thought. "There is no suffering you can inflict that we cannot endure."