What Awaits Past The Gate

I, alongside Sora and the two other magicians finally met back up with the rest of the group in an expansive centre where multiple tunnels led to multiple different places.

"So leader. Where is this potential lair located at?" Sora questioned, his eyes remaining tightly fixed at the multiple tunnels that seemed to span in those directions for miles.

"Well. We have, but at the same time we haven't."

"Huh? What does that mean?"

"Well, we, as in the pacemakers and the Souls, have searched all of these tunnels but two. I'm currently having Blind keep his eye's on the two as to not get confused on which one's we have been in and haven't been in." The leader puffed out his chest and stepped onto a smaller boulder in the centre of this maze like cave, his eyes centred towards me with intense projected feelings of opportunity.

"Get ready Blank! Soon it may be your time to be called up into action."

"Y-yes sir!" I said saluting awkwardly to a man I knew I had no respect directed to. Yet I still gave him the time of my day to salute him. I cannot embarrass my brother like this forever. I need to get stronger! Much stronger! So I won't have to rely on guys like these for money. But for now, I have to focus on surviving and proving my worth so they don't discard me.

"So, I want all of us to go down these last tunnels. That's why I called you here, rather than when we have had found it. So gather your stuff people. We may be coming to the finale of this journey." His eyes glistened with greed only similar to that of a greedy and prideful creature like a dragon. But his words were so insincere, you could hear the slithering of his tongue under every word. His lust for wealth accompanied by his underhanded moves that lacked morals, were only comparable to that of a snake.

By the leaders order, we had all voted on which one of the remaining two tunnels we should pick first, and then followed through with the decision. Unexpectedly, the decision was unanimous, with all of us selecting the left side first. I don't think any of us actually thought this way would be where the lair could be located at, everyone most likely wanted to build up tension within themselves. I guess they were all kind of weird, seeking that thrill. But in the end, I guess in that regard I am the same, since I chose the same decision as them.

Looking at things now, we all had the same goal. To get money. If I begin looking at the basis, I am quite like these people. However unlike them, I have morals that I'm unwilling to throw away for the sake of wealth. Especially if it would mean exploiting a poor child. Nevertheless, I'm hear now. And I can't escape their jaws. I can only prove that I'd be more worth while by their side.

Our party marched forwards at a moderate pace before the tunnel began leading into some sort of downwards spiral staircase, but much more uneven and the stair themselves could also be described as just a crumbled path that resembled the shape of stairs. The magicians of the party, excluding me, were now split with one burning light at the front, one in the middle, and the last one trailing along with me behind the rest of the group to illuminate the darkness that wrapped around us in this enclosed tunnel.

My eyes were fixed to the floor and not once did they look ahead, so when Sora had stopped moving, I bumped into his back.

"S-sorry Sora!" I apologised instantly, fearful of a potential anger and annoyance being projected towards me. But he just stood there frozen, just like the rest of the party. My actions nor registered and my words never penetrated his ear. All of them stood on the ground that had finally became flat and not like those endless stairs.

"What's going on-"?

"That's another door, right? The same one just like the entrance outside?" Blind inspected the thick double stone doors that presented themselves ahead of us.

"It appears so. Look, it even has the same writing as the door outside. Also, we finally found our first legitimate clue. You see those bulging veins of dirt and stone sticking out? That means that the Giant Earthworms Have gone past this door." Answered Skull face.

"Finally we found it!"

"Now to get past this door. Blind, come push the door with me!"

"On it leader!"

Blind jumped over to him without hesitation, his back moving further away from our group and closer to the door were our part leader stood. On the count of three they pushed, an enormous strain split between them as they attempted to unfold the stone gateway that opposed their effort's with it's substantial weight, that seemed to triple, possibly quadruple, the weight of the both of them combined.

"Hnnngggh!"

"Keep pushing!"

Both of them let out cries of desperate struggle as the door only budged with the both of them exerting their full force, source strength also exerted. Both had now clenched their teeth tightly and mindlessly pressed forward when slowly, the other Souls and pacemakers approached the stone pillars blocking their entrance with intent of supporting the effort of their party leader and ace.

"What are you guys struggling for? Did you forget you had us?"

"That's not considerate of you two. Forgetting you're very own members is rather pitiful for a leader and vice leader, is it not?" The two female Souls spoke for the entirety of the members that walked up, not just them, easing into the leaders and Blind's minds.

"Hahahaha! I didn't forget about you guys, I just didn't want my delicate ego to shatter but I guess I couldn't move it by myself." Our leader, Skull face, didn't say that out of consideration but rather out of honesty. It seemed he was rather prideful and egotistical. Truly a prideful man. So prideful in fact, he would never extort a child for his personal gain, right?

After the summoned efforts of everyone with competent use of source strength revealed what stood behind the door, all were quiet. What were we anticipating? The nest of the Earthworms? More of the dungeon? Wealth? I myself had no idea what I was expecting. But it certainly wasn't an empty room, that's for sure. Shrouded in darkness, an aperture the only thing that blessed this room with light, a massive circular platform made out of some smooth white stone that didn't fully reach the beginnings of the wall. Instead, those were left exposed and laying underneath a deep bed of water, so still and unmoving that it possessed an eerie aura unlike what a person could have. Nature, after all, will always conquer man. No matter the influence man may have on it.

Steadily and cautiously, our group edged towards the centre of the circular platform. At the centre, our magicians, except me, lit up a generous flame that uncovered that what was not existent to our eyes previously. Four doors, just like the one's we have passed through the last two times. One of them already open. That one being the door we passed through to reach this room.

From the jagged ceiling, littered with terraformed spikes, a small translucent water droplet fell below into the unknown depth's of the water below the platform, that broke the silence.

"More doors? Isn't this over excessive?"

"Right. I was thinking just the same. This is starting to get really annoying. Oi, Blank! Go to the door directly adjacent towards us and check for any clues or signs!"

"M-me?"

"Yes you! Don't make me repeat myself!"

Our leaders words were nothing short of motivation. Rather his words hit home the feeling of my situation. Prove yourself, Kana! For your brother! And for your survival!

"Ok, going now leader!"

My words came out louder than I intended for them to and sounded like I was taking out my anger on Skull face, but he paid no mind to my slip up.

I marched on forwards, acting on my leaders instructions. All I have to do, is inspect the door and check for potential clues or dangers. Any signs really. Anything that could tell me anything of importance.

"Come on, pick up the pace Blank!" Roars from my party erupted behind me, frustrated at looking at my back that ever so slowly and cautiously stepped towards the door. That was when I made my mind up to just send it. To walk over there with confidence and get it other with as quickly as possible.

My right foot tried to raise itself from the floor and direct it in a forwards motion, but before I could...

SHRIEEEEEKKKKKKK!!!

"What the -"

"AHHHHH!!"

Swarms of large rats and Dagger ants surfaced from the tunnels in the ceiling, almost like mould growing on aged Swiss cheese, and crawled in chaos with no organisation towards our party stood in the centre. I fell back in surprise, but I quickly scrambled myself up of the floor and ran to re-group with my party.

All of them in the centre had already taken action and organised themselves in a circular formation, with the magicians protected in the middle, the pacemakers in the gaps but further in front of the magicians and finally the Souls at the front, fiercely showcasing their weapons, which were unsheathed and prepped for battle.

"You know what to do. Eliminate the monsters and retake this place!" Skull face roared above all the party, grimace's appearing on their face's at the words of their leader. The battle to claim this place had began.

Red wolf was the first to make her move, as she swiftly hurled forwards in between the two charging dagger ants, clutched her two short swords, and slid on the ground ripping the two ants bodies in half from the head down to the pointy wasp tails. She ricochet her ankle of a stone that stuck out of the platform and used it to allow her body to get thrown over in a front flip and crashing down into the swarm of dagger ants and large rats with her longsword swinging downwards with heavy force.

"Don't kill them all! Save some for me!" Crafty called out as she took on a different front, jumping on the ants from one to another for support and raining down arrows imbued with source strength on the masses of our attackers. That psychotic smile creeping on her face, her parakeet eyes lit with a hint of flailing crimson.

Soon, Blind also charged forwards with no words but just a stoic face, both his steel short swords powering through the helpless hoards. The other magicians began co-ordinating with the rest of the groups and the pacemakers used a balance of both source strength and magic to ease the burden of both groups.

I was stood in a daze next to them. They may be awful people, but you have to credit their fighting and teamwork skills. But now was not the time to be impressed it was the time to prove my worth.

Remembering my training, I conjured a stone pillar underneath me, allowing me to have a bird's eye view of the battle to assist more effectively. From this position, I saw the endless numbers of Dagger ants and large rats flowing out of the ceiling. I quickly realised that it was vital for us to seal those holes. Otherwise, the masses would continue to tirelessly attack us.

Firstly, I decided I'd ignore the party below. They seemed to be doing fine without my help anyway. To help them in the most effective way would be to seal those openings. Sabre's of wind poured out of my hands towards one of the openings. My plan was to firstly cut them off, so then I can have enough time to direct my mana towards the ceiling and begin reshaping it, successfully closing it off.

I successfully managed to stop the first group, my lashes of wind seeming even stronger and more effective than they had been previously. Ok, now to cover those holes. I rested my hands on the pillar I formed and began guiding the mana through the cave all the way to the top where the holes were at.

"Come on, come on. Faster, faster." My concentration fully imbued into this task, but moving my mana over this distance seem to be a longer task than I speculated it to be. I knew it would take time, but I guess since this is my first time swaying mana in my intended direction over this distance, would be near impossible.

"Fuck!" This thought was confirmed as the mass once more broke through. I looked down towards my party to see them still fending them of, but their stamina slowly fading the longer this battle goes on for.

I once more began the process of eliminating the herds and focusing on getting my mana across to the holes fast enough. I failed another three times, but with each try, my mana seemed to moves faster and faster, more fluently and more controlled. It was as if my mana slowly began developing something similar to that of second nature, preforming this task instinctively with more precision as it narrowed down it's errors. All this until finally.

"Yes! I did it!" I erupted in euphoria. My cries seemed to have brought the attention of my party members towards me, as our leader smiled in my direction whilst also looking at the hole. Then he gave the orders to the remaining three magicians to support me and do what I was doing.

I'm doing it! I'm proving my worth! I've been acknowledged! Now to continue this and finish of these last monsters.

The other three magicians followed in my steps, but also seemed to struggle with directing their mana to the holes quickly enough. All of them did manage to accomplish this, however it was all just fractionally fast enough. I, on the other hand, had found it easier and easier to perform this task; my mana seemingly manufactured it's own passages that allowed it to quickly move around the cave system and distribute. It took us less than another three minutes to seal all the holes completely.

"Ok! Were done up here! You just have to finish things on your end!" Sora declared our feat and had instructed the rest of our party that it was all in their hands. Blind, for the first time since the battle began, changed his expression into some sort of twisted smile, his long onyx hair dancing in the rhythm of his precise movements which followed all the way to the tips of his swords.

"On it!" His voice raw, clear sounds of excitement in his tone.

He settled his feet firmly on the surface of the platform, took a deep breath in, closed his eyes and focused his source strength internally.

"Looks like he's bringing it out."

"I thought he'd save it for something bigger, but I guess this would be the most effective way."

His azure blue eyes lit up, flickering an intense light. His body releasing an explosion of ultramarine blue aura that swerved elegantly against his sharp features, creating an oppressive and ominous feeling that felt overbearing. His blades smoked the same ultramarine colour that looked similarly to incense burning, but instead of releasing an appealing smell, I could only smell fear and dread as my skin crawled violently. In the next instance, when I closed my eyes briefly and swallowed hard as if daggers were stuck in my throat, he was gone; only a trail of ultramarine incense trailing along a spark that moved violently as he kicked of the ground leaving small craters behind. But because I was too focused on the following the incense, by the time I caught up, the scene was painted red and he had come to a halt. The monsters corpses scattered around, the blood slowly trickling on the white stone.

He wiped the blood on his face that only made a smudge across his cheek and looked towards us. Especially towards me. "I've finished. So let's -"

KRHHHHKK!