None of them were used to the air blast. The whistling screech along with the blast of air was enough to knock over the tents that the others had brought. While there was a part of her that wanted to stay and help figure out how to stabilize their sleeping quarters, Penelope knew that she had other things she needed to focus on.
“Bradley, stay beside me.” Penelope motioned for the older man to come over to her. “I’ll try to kill them before they get to us, but I don’t know what they’re going to be, so if they rush us, I need you to taunt them.” She looked over her shoulder at the graying man. “Marlow will heal you, so just focus on holding their attention.”
“Yes ma’am.” Bradley saluted.
“Don’t…” Penelope shook her head as she turned to the others. “Whitney and Robert, don’t shoot at anything that’s around us. Shooting around allies is a good way to get hit by friendly fire. If you see something coming from the side, feel free to try to slow it down.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Robert snickered as he mimicked the salute.
Whitney just nodded.
“Kent.” Penelope ignored the miner and turned her attention to the oldest person in their group. “Your skill is
“I’ll be in your shadow.” Kent smiled.
“Let’s wait for the next whistle, then we’ll head out.” Penelope tapped on her leg while she waited. It didn’t take long until the headache-inducing shriek passed over them.
“Let’s go!” Penelope charged through the barrier. As soon as she was through, she spoke the words of her spell. “Light Torrent!”
Four orbs of light the size of baseballs and four smaller ones the size of tennis balls appeared behind her. Penelope guided the larger orbs in front of them, with the smaller ones following behind the primary spell.
“This will keep anything from surprising us from the front…” Penelope eyed the rock walls. Jeru, is anything going to burst out of the walls?
“It’s a possibility, but I wouldn’t plan on that happening until you get to the earth or metal floors.” The other inner voice snorted. “Demons like to be clever, but most of them have been around so long; they’ve got the one trick they really like, and that’s all they ever use.”
“Keep your eyes open!” Penelope squinted as more of the tunnel was illuminated by her projectiles. Unlike the first floor, where the light from the barriers lit up the whole floor, the light only reached less than a hundred feet. Given her light balls could reach that far and provided light for 40 feet around them, moving down the tunnel was a slow, cautious trek.
“Door on your left.”
“Wait.” Penelope pulled the glowing projectiles back to the hole in the wall 20 feet in front of her on her left. Jeru, is this something you know from previous runs?
“What do you see?” Bradley craned his neck to try to see why they’d stopped.
“Demons use all of the same tricks. That includes maps, monsters, and magic.” The Elf floated over to the opening. “I can’t see in there because it’s not within your field of vision, but there’s definitely a room here.”
“There’s a hole in the wall where my Light Balls are.” Penelope glanced at the others. “I’m going to check it out.”
“Be careful!” Marlow’s voice echod down the tunnel.
“If there is an ambush waiting for you in here, they know you’re coming…” Jeru scoffed. “Your idea of sneaking could wake a rock.”
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Just keep your eyes peeled and let me know if something is coming. Penelope suppressed a shiver. I don’t want to reset so soon.
Penelope stayed close to the right side of the tunnel as she approached the hole. Once she could see inside, she directed the projectiles into the room.
“Leave one in the hall.” Jeru floated inside. “The others aren’t going to be able to see if you don’t.”
Good call. Penelope pulled the closest one to her back into the hall and directed it towards the ceiling. It wouldn’t stop any monsters, but it wouldn’t get in the way of the rest of her group either.
The room was empty, save for a little dust on the rough stone floor. Penelope paced the wall she was on as she kept an eye on the opposite wall. “Forty feet by about eighty.” She stopped in front of the opening to the tunnel. “It’s clear! But there are two more doors in here!”
“What did I just say about stealth?” Jeru shook his head. “The whole floor knows exactly where you are!”
Bradley walked in and pointed at the set of doors on the south and west walls. “Want me to check them out?”
“Stay here until the others get close, then we’ll check them out.” Penelope moved a Light Ball in front of each door and put the last one in the middle of the room.
“I thought this was going to have more fighting.” Robert complained as he bounced his staff off his shoulders. “It hasn’t been ten minutes yet, and all we’ve done is shuffle our feet like scared little girls!”
WHOOSH…SCREECH
“It’s been ten minutes.” Kent walked over to the other end of the room, where the Light Balls were blocking the doors.
“Wait!” Penelope hurried over to him. “You don’t need to go first.”
“I’ve got this.” Kent twirled his short sword and dagger in his hands. “In the world of finance, you have to take risks to profit.” He pointed at the doors. “The same principle applies here. You don’t know how many rooms there are or how many monsters are hiding. All we know is that we’re not fighting, which means that barrier isn’t going down and we’re not getting any closer to going home.”
“I know!” Penelope took a breath. “But charging in recklessly is only going to get everyone killed.”
“From what I’ve seen..." Kent stepped up to her. He wasn’t much taller, but his glare was something that Penelope couldn’t meet. “You don’t know how to lead. Your caution is going to get us all killed because we’re never going to meet the deadline.” He eyed the rest of the group to see if anyone was going to speak up.
No one did.
“Now, Bradley.” Kent looked at their tank. “Head into the room in the back. We’ll clear that room, then move on to the next. We’re done with this slow-moving plan.”
“He’s going to get you all killed if you don’t let him see that you won’t be challenged!” Jeru’s incorporial foot went through the other man’s groin. “Just do that! Establish dominance! You can take him!”
“Not so tough when Mama isn’t here to hold your hand, are you?” Kent scoffed. “Pathetic.”
Penelope took a step back, putting distance between the two of them.
“You’ve killed actual Demons and you’re—” Jeru’s rant vanished as he was hit with the memories Penelope failed to suppress.
“You know what? This is a failed run; let’s just reset, and then we can start over with a new group.”
NO.
Penelope straightened her shoulders. “If you want to lead, fine.” She motioned at the door. “After you.”
“Seriously? You’re going to let him just take the team from you?”
He hasn’t fought a monster yet, and I can’t have him questioning my orders when we’re in the middle of a fight. Penelope swallowed.
“You’re going to let him and Bradley die just to prove a point?” Jeru tilted his head. “Harsh.”
It’s not like I’m not going to try to save them. Penelope hugged her arms. But I’m not going to fight him and the demons.
“I hope you know what you’re doing.” Jeru shook his head as Kent looked back at her.
“Hey! We need light in here!” Kent pointed at the shadow in the doorway while looking at her.
“MONSTER!” Bradley gipped his shield and took a step to the right.
A fat, beige monster with brown spots barreled into the Tank, knocking him into the middle of the room. The wolf-like face seemed out of place on the hairless, pudgy monster. It was so plump that it covered the man who was on top of it with the folds of flubber. Stumpy legs clawed against the metal armor as the Wulf scratched its downed prey.
Penelope didn’t have time to dwell on the monster’s name as she directed the Light Ball in the doorway to slam into the flabby monster’s back.
“Back—!”
Kent’s skill was cut off as a pair of bug monsters crashed into him. His weapons went sliding across the floor as the two flea-looking monsters the size of a wolf bit his arms.
“HELP!”
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