Extenuating Circumstances (5)

"We were trying to distract the Brontobeasts so they wouldn't head toward the town by attacking their flanks. It didn't seem to matter, though. They were intent on running forward as quickly as possible. Our only saving grace was the Mammoth Trees that forced them to slow down. Just when we started to make some progress in breaking their formation, we heard them. It's a screech that pierces your bones, and there were hundreds of them. The exhausted Brontobeasts redoubled their efforts. That's when the battle really began. The whole earth shook as they released one earth spell after another. It was all we could do to avoid getting crushed by the waves of soil. I gave the command to retreat. At this point, we were using the Brontobeasts to distract the Mankas." Travis pauses to collect himself. "I was holding up the rear when one of the scouting Mankas leaped at me. I couldn't dodge it, and if I fought back, it might alert the entire tribe; then we'd really be screwed. Yuki showed up out of nowhere and blocked it with her arm. I could see its talons dig deep into her flesh. And without a second thought, she chopped her own arm off. I've never seen anything like it. I was so angry at her at the moment, but in hindsight, it was the only way to save us all."

We all quietly listened to Travis's tale. I glance at Yuki and see the pride showing on her face. This story feels too personal to be shared with us, but I'm sure Travis has his reasons.

"What I'm trying to say is, We're not the strongest team, but we've survived this long by looking out for each other. There may come a time when you're put in a similar situation; I just hope you can make the right choice."

I realize he's saying this to motivate us, but I'm worried that it may scare the kids until I look back and see the fierce determination burning in their eyes.

[He's one hell of an orator; even I'm feeling pumped up. Still, to sacrifice yourself so easily, it's hard not to look at her in a better light.]

I can feel the air shift with this revelation. Our pace quickens. The low-hanging fear of the unknown is washed away by the lust for adventure. Somewhere, deep inside me, I can feel something growing, something greater than myself. As the heat of the moment rises, Inari's words float to the forefront of my mind.

[I can see why Inari is so afraid of humans when we're so quick to throw ourselves into the jaws of death. How can you stop a tidal wave? Like a force of nature, we alter the face of the planet over nothing more than one man's ambition. How do you withstand an army of ants that have received their orders from their queen? An army of fully conscious and willing ants. How can she withstand the will of humanity towering above her?]

Every breath of energy that enters my lungs feels like another nail in the fairies' coffin. Our footfall shakes the earth. The cruel, dark forest opens up before my eyes. For the first time, it actually feels like we can do this, that we can clear this dungeon. We maintain this emotional energy for the entire hour up until we reach the mouth of the dungeon.

"Alright, team." Travis's voice fills the clearing as he addresses us. "Let's take a break and check over our equipment one last time."

I take out some dried meat from my bag and munch on it idly while counting the potions in my bag. Everyone is fiddling with their gear. It's the calm before the storm. This ancient bastion is about to face off against our well-armed tsunami. We won't crash against the forces currently hiding below our feet; we'll wear them down. We'll use every advantage possible. We'll grind them into dust. We'll fight with everything at our disposal, and even if we fail, more will come to take our place. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday, this dungeon will fall. Of that, I'm certain.

"Shield!" Sakura uses what little mana she has to give our two vanguards some extra protection.

"Look who learned a new trick." Travis laughs as he checks the durability of the spell by lightly tapping his arm.

"Both Sakura and Josh can use magic now," I interject.

"Why didn't you get a Pure Mana Stone for yourself?"

"I just didn't feel like it was the right time. There's plenty of other things I need to be focusing on at the moment." I mix a combination of truth and lies into my response. No one will take me seriously if I say I just had a bad feeling.

"Whatever works for you," Travis replies absentmindedly. His thoughts have already moved on to the next task. He throws us one last fierce smile before asking, "Everyone ready?"

One by one, everyone says yes and gets into position. Moving through the tunnels, we will be ordered thusly: Travis and Josh at the front to act as tanks, Sakura and Jim holding the flanks as archers, Sam and Shinobu at the center as spell casters and finally, Yuki and I bringing up the rear. As Yuki and I specialize in speed, we'll reinforce any weakened areas at our own discretion.

The formation feels firm. Another wave of confidence pushes us through the maw of the dungeon. It's quiet. The irregularly placed lights on the walls dimly light our way down.

"Illuminate." An orb of light extends from Shinobu's hand and hovers a few feet above her head. With that, the dank walls come into full view. I can see the tell-tale signs of Polyportas clinging to the ceiling. The scars of battle are still visible from our last battle here.

"Jim!" Travis calls out to his archer.

"Right!" Without so much as blinking, Jim lets loose one arrow after another, each landing with a satisfying thud. It isn't long before the corpses of the small octopus creatures litter the floor.

"Wow," Sakura exclaims. "How did you see them?"

"You just have to know what to look for," Jim replies. "They may be able to change their color and texture, but they're almost always about the same size. Just shoot any rock that looks like them, you might break some arrows when you actually shoot a rock, but it's worth it to avoid getting stabbed in the back by those little bastards."

"I see, I see." She quickly notches an arrow and fires at a target further down the path. It trembles before falling down like all the others.