They had only been walking for fifty minutes, and Zeltara was already falling behind. Ahead of her, Kaztos was marching with his usual exuberance while Saiya calmly followed along. She grumbled curses to herself for bringing so much gear. Did she really need to pack over a week’s worth of food and water along with her equipment? It’s not like they’ll be out here for more than half a day. No, Zeltara let herself get too excited and over-prepared for the trip. She couldn’t help but let out a loud sigh that caught the other two’s attention.

  “Is something the matter, Zeltara?” Kaztos asked. Both had stopped to look at her. She did her best to give a reassuring smile before answering.

  “It’s nothing really, just the weight of everything I’m carrying. It must be at least thirty pounds.” The other two looked surprised at the explanation. Saiya looked down at the satchel she had given her.

  “This isn’t really that heavy. Are you sure you’re carrying that much? I don’t even see a weapon on you.” Zeltara held up her satchel, revealing it to be over twice the size of Saiya’s.

  “I have a lot of inventions I want to test out while we’re at the caves. Some of them can be disruptive, and I’ve had enough of Dad yelling at me for causing a ruckus.” Zeltara pulled out several small white and black marbles to show them. “Besides, I have rather unconventional weapons myself.” Kaztos leaned in to take a closer look. He reached out to grab one, but before he could touch it, Zeltara pulled them away. “Now, I don’t want to spoil the surprise. I’ll show you what I have when we get there.”

  Kaztos grinned at her. “Sounds great! I can’t wait to see it. Knowing you, I’m sure it’ll be quite exciting. Nevertheless, how about I carry your satchel to lighten the load? We’re almost there, and I wouldn’t want you too tired to enjoy yourself.” Zeltara gave her agreement and handed it over. “Though in the future, how about you practice carrying heavy loads? You’ll need to get used to carrying weight for long distances on the road. It can take days or even weeks to reach a destination.” Zeltara thought about it and found wisdom in his words.

  “That's a good idea, Kaztos. I need to get used to this before I become an adventurer. How about I carry my things on the way back? That way I can get my practice in and still have the energy to explore with you guys.”

  “Fantastic idea! I’m sure before long you’ll have no trouble whatsoever. Now, let us continue our adventure. Onwards!” To Zeltara’s relief and jealousy, Kaztos easily threw her satchel over his shoulder. He marched on with as much enthusiasm as before. She and Saiya shared bemused glances before following him.

  The three of them continued walking in silence for a few minutes. Kaztos was a few paces ahead while the two girls walked beside each other. Zeltara took the time to admire their surroundings. The treeline was thick, and they couldn’t see more than a dozen feet in front of them. They had to dodge out of the way of the numerous bushes littering the area. She couldn’t see any animals around, likely because Kaztos scared them off with his eager marching. She continued to take in the forest’s natural beauty until a voice to her right caught her attention.

  “You know you didn’t need to pack so much. My satchel is full of supplies not needed for a few-hour trip,” Saiya said. Zeltara turned to look at the blond girl, who was giving her a sideways glance. Though her voice and expression were reserved, she could tell there was curiosity hidden underneath. It was nice to see Saiya slowly open up to them. Zeltara hoped she would continue to share her thoughts with them more.

  “Well, you never know when you’ll need something. Even if the danger out here is negligible, we should still be cautious. We could get lost if we’re not careful.” Zeltara then reaches into one of her inner coat pockets and pulls out a folded up map and compass. “Though, I don’t think that’ll be the problem with these. I copied a local map at the library and bought a compass. Even if we get lost, we can find our way back to town.” Saiya acknowledged the point, and they continued to exchange small talk for some time.

  Anticipation overtook the group as they continued to their destination. Zeltara was waiting for a break in the tree line to see the caves in the distance. Distracted by their goal, the three were caught off guard by a sudden loud screech in front of them. Kaztos promptly backed up to join the other two as they all faced the direction that noise came from. They soon heard another screech from the same direction. The sound was guttural but high-pitched. It seemed to come from only a few dozen feet in front of them. Zeltara got the other two’s attention.

  “Let’s sneak over and see what it is. Better to be quiet than potentially startling whatever this thing is.” Kaztos gave an easy agreement while Saiya looked annoyed, but nodded in acquiesce. The three sneaked forward. They found some underbrush to advance closer. Zeltara was anxious to see whatever was screeching. As they reached the edge of the bushes, they saw the source of the dreadful noise in a forest clearing.

  Twenty yards in front of them was a goblin. He stood at just under four feet tall. His skin was sickly green, and black hairs spotted his head. He wore rudimentary leather clothing and had a club lying beside him. What caught the three’s attention was the dead squirrel in his hands. The goblin was eating it raw, fur and all. Saiya turned green at the cheeks while Zeltara and Kaztos quietly gagged.

  “Oh, that’s just disgusting,” Zeltara said. She gagged a few more times before getting herself under control. Kaztos also regained composure and studied the goblin.

  “Yes, it is quite a repulsive creature, isn’t it? I almost can’t stand keeping my gaze on it.” Saiya turned and shushed them. They both fell silent and continued to watch the beast. Zeltara reached into her coat and pulled out her journal and pencil. With her gaze fixed on the goblin, she started to write.

  Saiya took notice of this and asked, “What are you doing?” She looked rather annoyed with her because of the disruption. Zeltara paid no mind and continued to write.

  “Just making a record of this in my journal. If I’m to write about my adventures and discoveries someday, I need to keep track of everything I find. This goblin is just the start of my countless entries.” Saiya looked more exasperated at the explanation, but before she could give a rebuttal, Kaztos added his thoughts.

  “Still, this doesn’t explain what it’s doing here. There shouldn’t be any kind of creatures out here. The closest sightings are almost a hundred miles to the north of us.” They continued to stare in disgust at the goblin as he devoured his meal.

  Zeltara said, “Perhaps something happened up north to cause it to migrate down here. Maybe some natural disaster or something. It doesn’t matter in the end. What are we going to do about it?” The three looked at each other to see who would offer a course of action. Saiya proved to be the first one to come up with something.

  “It’s obvious, isn’t it? We should head back to town. We didn’t sign up to deal with goblins. It could kill us if we’re not careful.” Kaztos gave her a look of surprise at the statement.

  “You don’t think we could deal with one goblin? They’re almost harmless alone. The average adult can take on two or three at once with a weapon.” Saiya shot him a glare.

  “So you think we should run out there and fight it?”

  “Of course, who knows what that thing is here for. It could get closer to town and hurt someone. It’s the duty of any citizen to take care of such creatures. Besides, the three of us should handle it just fine.” Saiya looked frustrated at this point.

  “That’s not our job. We should inform the guards back in town if we want to get involved. We’re out of our depth here.” The two were now glaring at each other. In the middle, Zeltara finished her writing and put her journal away. She glanced at the two with concern. Kaztos took a breath to calm down before speaking.

  “Isn’t it the job of adventurers to take care of creatures such as this? How are we ever going to make something of ourselves when we become cowards at the first sign of danger?” Before Saiya could argue further, Zeltara gave her opinion.

  “Saiya has a point. We don’t know if we’re ready to take on something like this. True, it may be easy, but something could still go wrong. It’s not cowardice to exercise a certain level of caution.” Kaztos looked down in disappointment while Saiya shot her a relieved smile. However, Zeltara continued, “That doesn’t mean we have to go back to town. I have another idea we can do. We’re still twenty minutes away from the caves. If we avoid the goblin and make it to our destination, we won’t have to worry about it. All we’ll have to do is take a slight detour on the way back to go around it.” They considered her words.

  “Well, I still believe we should do something about this creature. However, I suppose we should exercise some vigilance here,” Kaztos said reluctantly. Zeltara gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder, and both turned to hear the Saiya’s answer.

  “This is needlessly reckless, but I can’t stop you. Let’s go.” With her acceptance, the three began to tiptoe around the goblin. At this point, he had finished eating and was lazing in the clearing. The three stayed low as they silently walked through the underbrush. However, just as they were about to make their escape, a loud crack resonated throughout the area.

  Zeltara and Saiya turned to see Kaztos red-faced in embarrassment. Under him was a large branch was broken in two. Both shot him exasperated looks. Before they could say anything, a screech tore through the forest. All three turned to see the goblin staring at the three of them with rage-filled yellow eyes. He reached over to grab his club and stand up.

  Zeltara said, “Damn it Kaztos! You couldn’t have looked where you were going?” She and Saiya took a step back from the goblin, planning to run away.

  “I think we should-,” Saiya said before Kaztos interrupted her. He let out a battle cry and charged the creature with his hammer in hand. Saiya looked on in shock. “That idiot is going to get himself killed.”

  “Kaztos, get back here!” Zeltara got up from her crouch and chased after Kaztos. Saiya turned back towards the clearing, but stayed where she was. Kaztos reached the goblin and attacked.

  “Have at thee, you foul beast!” Kaztos swung his hammer downward. By luck more than intent, the blow was brought off course when the goblin swung his club sideways at Kaztos. Both weapons collided and missed their mark as Kaztos stepped back. Zeltara stopped a small distance away and reached for her satchel. It had a weapon that she could use to help. She looked down to find nothing and realized Kaztos was still wearing it. Cursing her luck, Zeltara tried to think of something she had on her that could help.

  Meanwhile, Kaztos and the goblin were exchanging attacks, yet neither could land a direct hit. He managed to kick the creature when a small opening presented itself. However, before Kaztos could capitalize, the goblin retreated away from danger. Kaztos seemed to get frustrated at the lack of progress and brought all his strength to bare in one decisive swing. Unfortunately, the goblin took a step back and completely avoided the hammer. The force behind his swing caused Kaztos to fall off balance and leave himself open. His opponent took advantage as the goblin swung his club at Kazto’s torso. The attack connected and knocked him to the ground.

  Zeltara watched this from the side while searching her coat for something to help. Most of what she had was in her satchel, but she had a few inventions in her pockets saved for an emergency. As Kaztos was knocked to the ground, Zeltara pulled out a white marble from her pocket. She saw her friend needed immediate help and moved to intervene.

  “Everyone shut your eyes!” Zeltara threw the marble between the two combatants. The marble broke as it landed and emitted a bright white light that blinded both fighters. The flash lasted for a moment before disappearing. Zeltara opened her eyes to see that Kaztos was covering his eyes in pain. “Kaztos, I told you to close your eyes.”

  The blind goblin flailed its club around in a panic. As the creature did this, Saiya abruptly rushed in with a throwing knife and stabbed the goblin’s hand. This caused him to drop the club and desperately flail his arms around. Saiya just managed to avoid the retaliation and back away to a safe distance. Kaztos recovered and, with tears in his eyes, picked up his hammer. He charged the goblin and with a decisive swing struck the goblin’s torso. The creature collapsed into a heap on the ground, unconscious.

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  The only sound that filled the clearing was their heavy breathing. They stood there, taking in what had just transpired. Kaztos recovered first and brought his hammer above his head. He yelled out a victorious cheer. “Fantastic! I knew we could do it.” Zeltara jogged up to him while Saiya trailed behind in silence.

  “Are you okay, Kaztos? You took a nasty blow there,” Zeltara asked. Kaztos responded with a grin, patting the spot he was struck.

  “Luckily, I was wearing armor. Goblins aren’t known for being the strongest species. Though I do feel a bruise forming.” Zeltara sighed in relief. Before she could do anything else, Saiya marched past her up to Kaztos. She grabbed him by his undershirt and brought their faces closer. The icy glare she gave him stopped Kaztos’ words. Saiya took advantage of his silence.

  “What possessed you to do something so stupid, Molinar? I thought we agreed to avoid a confrontation so we wouldn’t get hurt. What would have happened if Zeltara and I hadn’t been there? You would have died. If you’re going to do something so foolish, how about we just leave you out here as carrion for the wildlife to eat?” Kaztos became incensed at her criticism and backed away a few steps from Saiya.

  “How dare you? I didn’t break that branch intentionally. We never spoke about what to do if the goblin spotted us. What, did you want us to run off in different directions and get lost? Like that wouldn’t have put us in more danger. I did what I thought was right to protect the three of us.” They looked to be at each other’s throats. Zeltara got in between and separated them. She glanced at both of them before attempting to defuse the situation.

  “Listen, I know things are heated because of the situation. But let’s just take a minute to calm down.” Saiya turned away from them and stared out at the tree line while Kaztos looked at the ground in frustration. She shook her head at the situation before checking their surroundings. There appeared to be nothing else there besides the fallen goblin. Zeltara went up to the creature and poked it with her foot. The goblin gave no reaction. At least it still seemed to be breathing. She thought about what to do about it.

  “We should kill it,” Saiya said. Zeltara turned to look at her. She hadn’t realized that she had thought out loud. Saiya remained facing away. The suggestion brought up mixed feelings, which Kaztos shared first.

  “Do we really need to kill it now?” Both girls glanced at him with some surprise. The question seemed to reignite Saiya’s anger as she turned toward Kaztos.

  “Didn’t you say earlier that it’s our duty to kill this thing?” Kaztos looked hesitant as he stared at the down goblin.

  “I know I said that, but it’s defeated now. There’s no honor in killing a defenseless opponent, even one as deplorable as a goblin.” Saiya gave only a scoff in response to that. Seeing a deadlock forming, Zeltara gave her opinion on the matter.

  “Most wouldn’t see any wrong with killing a goblin. Though, like Kaztos, I’m not sure about doing so in this situation. I don’t know if we’ll have the stomach for it.” Saiya’s face became resolute as she stared down at her friends.

  “Just let me do it, then. Look away if you must.” Kaztos looked indecisive but didn’t object to the offer. Zeltara accepted the solution.

  “Very well. If you think you can, then do it.” Saiya pulled out a knife and walked toward the goblin. She pressed the knife to the creature’s neck as Zeltara and Kaztos watched with bated breath. Seconds passed without a resolution. She could see Saiya’s hand shaking. The blond girl seemed to fixate on the blood coating the goblin’s hand from the earlier knife wound. Before Zeltara could bring herself to say anything, Saiya finally acted. With a sudden motion, she stood up and put away the knife. The goblin lay unharmed on the ground. Kaztos let out a sigh of relief as Zeltara felt the tension leave her body.

  Saiya grumbled to herself before she turned and began walking east towards the caves again. Her pace was brisk, so Zeltara had to hurry to keep up with her. She considered saying something, but seeing the look on Saiya’s face, decided against it. On her other side, Kaztos caught up and joined them in stride. Zeltara gestured to her satchel, which he gave without a word. The three continued toward the caves in silence.

  They were only a few minutes from their destination. Already, Zeltara could see glimpses of the cave formations past the tree line. The only noise in the forest was the sound of their footsteps. The atmosphere between them started tense but transitioned to uncomfortable. Being between the two of them, Zeltara had the misfortune of catching the many pensive glances the two gave each other. She was hoping they would just talk already to get it over with. Yet, they continued on without a word.

  After the tenth glance Kaztos gave Saiya, she had had enough. Zeltara stopped in place, which caught the two’s attention. “Alright, that’s enough. Say whatever it is you need to and get it over with.” She could already see the complaints on their faces and interjected before they could start. “No, I don’t want to body block for the both of you anymore. Just say it, and we can get back to having a fun day again.”

  Both Kaztos and Saiya looked at each other, waiting for the other to start. Suddenly, both said sorry to each other at the same time. Both stopped for a moment before Kaztos went first.

  “I apologize for my words and actions. It was foolish of me to charge in, which threatened our safety when it was unnecessary. I also wasn’t considerate of your feelings and only did what I felt was right.” Saiya wasn’t far behind in her apology and spoke up next.

  “I’m sorry too. My fear got away from me, and I took it out on you. I’m just glad you’re okay.” Kaztos gave a bright smile, which Saiya returned with a shy one. Zeltara clapped her hands to catch their attention.

  “Well, now that we’re all good, how about we get on with our day?” Zeltara asked. The other two agreed, and they continued on their way. She was glad that the argument seemed resolved now. As they walked, Zeltara remarked, “Man, I wouldn’t have thought you’d have it in you, Saiya. Underneath that shy exterior is quite the attitude.”

  Saiya blushed. “Sorry. I’m usually better at controlling my emotions.” Zeltara waved off the apology.

  “It’s fine. I think I understand.” From what Zeltara knew, Saiya was closed off to strangers. The strong-willed girl they’re beginning to see was probably who she really was when her guard was down. It spoke of the level of trust they had already gained from the blond girl. It made Zeltara happy despite the recent argument.

  It took only a few minutes for them to clear the trees and see their destination. In front of them were the Urada Caves. Around a dozen entrances spanning from chest height to fifteen feet tall were situated on forested hills. The interiors were too dark to see from outside. However, they could see gray and brown rock covering the entrance walls. There were stalactites on the ceilings of a few larger caves. The natural beauty before them amazed Zeltara.

  “You rarely see something so extraordinary back in town.” Kaztos said. Saiya gave a murmur in agreement as Zeltara took several steps towards the caves. She took out her journal and began adding an entry.

  As she worked, Zeltara said, “It’s the same for me, Kaztos. To think such a simple natural formation would excite me so much. I can’t wait to go out and see what else is out in the world.” The others joined her at the hill’s base. She finished her work and turned to the other two. “Let’s pick out one of the big caves to explore. It took longer than expected to get here, so we don’t have much time.” Kaztos nodded in agreement.

  “I agree. We should skip practice for another day. We don’t want to be missed in town. Besides, I believe we already received a workout earlier.” Zeltara looked up to see the sun at its peak in the sky. They still had a few hours to have some fun. Choosing the cave to explore was a quick decision. It was the largest one that stood partway up the hill. It took only a few minutes to navigate their way up there. They peered inside from the mouth of the cave. The three could see only a short distance before darkness set in.

  Zeltara opened her satchel and grabbed her oil lantern. She lit it with flint and steel. Her lamp’s yellow light mixed with a teal lighting on the walls. She turned to see both her companions channeling small mana lights on the palms of their hands. The amusement on their faces caused her to puff out her cheeks in annoyance. This made both laugh, which she joined in on. After settling down, the three made their way into the cave.

  The only sounds besides their echoing footsteps were water droplets hitting a puddle further down in the cave. It was easy to travel as, besides the occasional pile of stones, there was a clear pathway. Thirty feet into the cave, there was a bend, which took them deeper. After making the turn, they traveled a further fifty feet. The cavern began to enclose around them as the ceiling was now just above their heads. Stalactites from the ceiling had to be avoided as the three continued on. Zeltara hadn’t found anything of interest until something caught her eye. Their lights caught something shimmering a short distance away.

  “Hey, I see something ahead. Keep your lights steady, will you?” Before her friends could answer, Zeltara rushed forward to the source of the shimmering. The cave’s ceiling descended even lower, forcing her to crawl on her hands and knees to go further. Kaztos and Saiya stopped several feet back and watched her go deeper. Kaztos called out to her.

  “Be careful in there. Whatever it may be isn’t worth getting stuck.” Zeltara shouted back in agreement and continued crawling. After about twenty feet, she reached the shimmering to find some kind of crystal. It was deep purple with the exterior of a smooth stone. She called back to them.

  “I found some crystals in here. It’s from the inside of a broken rock.” She then noticed several rocks surrounding the crystal. “There are other rocks that look similar to the outside of the crystal. I’ll throw one out for you guys. Try to open it with your hammer, Kaztos.”

  “Crystals, you say? Spectacular! Our journey had a reward at the end. Just like a true adventure. Throw one out and I’ll get it open in no time.” Hearing his confirmation, Zeltara threw one rock back at them. It made it most of the way before hitting the ground and bouncing the rest of the way. It stopped at Saiya’s feet, unharmed. She picked it up and handed it to Kaztos.

  “Try to be careful, Kaztos.” He gave her a confident grin and set the rock on the ground.

  “Not to worry, my friend! I am the definition of caution.” Saiya gave a skeptical look at his claim, and Kaztos sheepishly corrected himself. “Well, I try to be anyway.” He then turned his attention to the rock. The noble knew of an easy way to find out the contents inside. He lifted his hammer overhead and hit the stone with all his might. The rock exploded into small pieces that fired across the cavern. Saiya covered herself for protection against the debris.

  She gave Kaztos a menacing glare. “I thought you were going to be careful.” Kaztos rubbed the back of his head and looked away.

  “My apologies. I got carried away in the excitement.” As he looked away, Kaztos spotted the remnants of the rock he had destroyed. He walked up to the remains and spotted white crystals lining the side. “You were right, Zeltara. The rock had crystals on the inside as well.” Zeltara smiled at the confirmation.

  “That’s amazing. Get ready. I’ll throw the rest of the rocks back to you.” She chucked rocks similar to the first two towards Saiya and Kaztos. There were only about half a dozen of them among the rest of the stones littered about. She grabbed the purple crystal and crawled her way back to the other two. When Zeltara got there, she saw them holding the rocks. Each was small enough to be held in the palm of their hands. They stared down at their bounty in awe. “To think we would find something like this out here. I wonder how valuable there are?”

  Kaztos inspected the purple crystal in Zeltara’s hand. “I’m not an expert, but I believe these are quartz. Not the most valuable, but they are fine souvenirs for the trip.” All three put two of the rocks into their satchels to carry. Zeltara cheered at their find.

  “I call this a successful practice adventure!” Kaztos matched her enthusiasm and celebrated as well.

  “Indeed, we accomplished magnificent feats today! We slew a beast and found treasure at the end. I knew adventuring would be exciting.” Saiya watched as the two raved at each other. She seemed to let them have their moment before getting their attention.

  “Can we head home now?” The two stopped and turned to look at Saiya.

  Zeltara said, “You’re right, it’s probably afternoon already. We should head back now before we’re missed. I don’t know about you two, but the excitement has tired me out today.” Kaztos and Saiya gave their agreement, and they all headed back to the entrance of the cave.

  The mood was jovial as Kaztos and Zeltara traded quips about the events of the day. However, when they reached the bend, a loud screech stopped them in their tracks. They’ve heard that sound before. To their dread, another screech joined it. Then another. Then several more. The sound was overpowering as it echoed in the cave. Kaztos was the first to recover and peaked around the corner. Zeltara saw him flinch back at whatever he saw. She looked as well, if only to confirm her fears.

  There were goblins at the mouth of the cave. They stood in a group, apprehensively staring in. All of them had clubs or spears for weapons. One looked at the ground while another sniffed the air. Zeltara guessed they probably tracked them here. Among their number was the goblin from earlier. It must have woken up and alerted the others. Altogether, there must have been twelve in total. A deep fear blossomed within her. One had been bad enough, but a dozen? They faced a strong possibility of being killed. She turned to her friends to find them in similar states as her.

  “What do we do?” Saiya asked. “They’re blocking the only exit. We’re trapped here.”

  Kaztos appeared to summon some bravery and said, “We’ll have to fight our way out.” Saiya glared at him.

  “There’s no way we can fight them all. They will kill us before we can get through half of them. Maybe we can hide deeper in the cave.” Zeltara took a deep breath to calm herself and got her companion’s attention.

  “Kaztos is right. The only way out is through them. Hiding wouldn’t work. The low ceilings of the cave would favor them more than us. We don’t need to beat them, only create an opening to run away.” The other two considered her words for a moment before nodding in agreement.

  Kaztos asked, “Do you have a plan?” Zeltara thought for a moment, trying to come up with something. The goblins caught her attention before she could. It seemed like they were overcoming their fear and entering the cave.

  “We don’t have time. The deeper they get, the more we’ll have to fight to escape. Kaztos, take the front and keep them at bay. Saiya and I will cover you. Force them outside the cave and run on my signal.” The other two agreed with her plan. After a moment of collecting themselves, they charged around the corner. The goblins were several feet into the cave and stopped in surprise upon seeing them.

  The element of surprise allowed Kaztos to charge forward and hit two goblins with a mighty blow of his hammer. They were knocked backwards, but before Kaztos could advance, the other creatures attacked. He had to throw wide swings with his hammer to keep his attackers at bay. One got through his defense, but before the goblin could attack, a knife thrown by Saiya nicked the creature’s arm. The goblin backed away in pain and rejoined its group. Meanwhile, Zeltara reached into her satchel and pulled out several black marbles. She threw one at the goblin threatening to get around Kaztos. It hit the creature on the chest and released a small explosion. The detonation left a slight burn, and the goblin retreated back. Kaztos continued using his hammer to ward off the goblins, while Zeltara and Saiya gave support.

  Despite their best efforts, ground was gradually being lost. Kaztos constantly had to retreat because of the pressure from the goblins. The battle that started at the mouth of the cave was now almost fifteen feet inside it. The enclosing walls helped Kaztos in warding off their enemy but prevented an escape route from opening.

  Kaztos yelled back to the other two. “This isn’t working. At this rate, we’ll be trapped and killed.” This moment of distraction allowed a spear to get through his guard. Fortunately, his armor deflected the blow, but it forced him to yield several more feet.

  As Saiya backed up, she said, “I’m almost out of knives. Can you give me any of these marbles to use, Zeltara?”

  “I’m almost out too. There’s no time to make more. Hang on, I’ll think of something.” Zeltara looked in her satchel for something to help.

  Kaztos said, “Hurry, please. I won’t be able to last much longer.” His swings began to slow. At this point, they were almost forced back to the bend. Zeltara frantically rummaged through her satchel. She ended up pulling out a small bottle of black powder. It was the key ingredient in her black marbles. She then looked at Saiya thoughtfully. A plan came to her at that moment.

  “Saiya, get the wand out. When I say so, launch a small fireball towards the goblins. Kaztos, get ready for something bright.” Both gave their acknowledgements. Zeltara pulled two white marbles out of her satchel. “Close your eyes!” She threw the marbles at the goblins. The goblins were all blinded by the intense light. After opening her eyes, Zeltara said, “Kaztos, drop to the ground and protect yourself.” Kaztos fell down and covered his head. His back was facing the goblins now. Zeltara enacted the next part of her plan as she threw the bottle of black powder at the goblins. Upon impact, it shattered, and a black dust cloud covered the creatures. She then turned to Saiya. “Now Saiya!”

  Saiya took a deep breath as her hand holding the wand began to glow. The mana transferred to the wand as blue lines raced up to the tip. The end glowed red as a small fireball fired out of the wand. It traveled to the powder cloud and ignited it. The goblins caught on fire and panicked. Kaztos stood up, and the three watched as the creatures all ran back out of the cave. Zeltara got her friends’ attention.

  “Now’s our chance, run!” The three raced to the mouth of the cave. The goblins were outside, putting out the flames. All of them had suffered burns but were still standing. They had only a few moments to escape. However, as they prepared to flee, the ground began to shake. Massive tremors forced everyone to the ground. A loud roaring noise from above caught Zeltara’s attention.

  The sky turned red and orange, not unlike during sunset. The heavens themselves were ablaze. This paled in comparison to the northern horizon. A white pillar of pure energy was firing upwards into the sky. Where the light disappeared, cracks appeared. They expanded until the sky looked like a broken mirror. Zeltara turned away as the intensity of the light increased. The energy surged forward like a tidal wave threatening to crash over them.

  Realizing the danger, Zeltara screamed, “Back inside the cave and take cover!” She ran and hoped that the other two followed. She couldn’t run fast because of the continuing tremors. The goblins’ screeches indicated that some of them were coming into the cave as well. She made several dozen feet into the cave and dived for cover behind a rock formation.

  The light hit, and Zeltara couldn’t do anything but scream. The light immediately blinded her, and the roar deafened her. Her body. No, the entire world felt like it was being ripped apart at the seams. It was the worst pain she had ever experienced. It made what were a few seconds last for an eternity. But the whole thing ended as abruptly as it started. The light dissipated, leaving the cave in darkness. Still in agony, Zeltara passed out, unsure if this was her death.