Rook’s heart jumped into his throat. The ogre rose from his throne and stormed over to the impact zone underneath the ledge. Rook glanced over, watching the ogre reach for something. Its giant fist rose, holding up something for the rest of the crowd to see. The body of a limp and bloody goblin hung in the ogre’s fist. Oh God, it looks like a frog that took a spin in the disposal.

  “Intruders!” The ogre roared, pointing at them.

  Rook waved like a royal princess in response. What else could he do? He was a sucker for awkward moments. To nobody’s surprise, the ogre roared again, raising its meaty fist up. With a windmill of a windup, the ogre pitched the corpse softball-style towards the wall of the cavern. The body soared through the air like a child’s doll until it splat into the wall, sticking in place. That’s not good. None of this is good. Rook continued sliding until he neared the ledge with Reina.

  “Can you not go a few moments without pissing something off?” Reina asked.

  “This makes things more interesting,” Mara said, with a lopsided smile. “‘I’ve been waiting for a fight.”

  Watching the crowd split into two separate entities, Rook noticed a large split; some crawled down into dark holes, to floors below, while others ran into tunnels. The ogre stumbled around, waving a meaty fist and bellowing commands at the quivering mass of stragglers. Are they afraid?

  “How do we do this?” Reina asked the elf. “You can’t expect us to go into this.” She scoffed. “Cave hole? It’s a death sentence.”

  “It’s this.” Alderion pointed at the hole. “Or this. Which do you prefer?” Then he pointed at the wall above the crowd.

  “Uh, I’m guessing it’s the hole, Reina.” Rook blew out a breath.

  The remaining mixed group of stragglers huddled close to one another. Like one trembling mass of fangs, pointed noses, and ears. Their fearful eyes were unnaturally yellow in the dim blue hue, and they worked like men possessed by spirits of fury, moving about in a frenzy at the bellowing orders of the ogre.

  Well, into the hole I go. He followed after Reina and Mara, pacing on his elbow in the murky dark. Each foot he crawled became increasingly more difficult to gain purchase and to Rook’s dismay, wet. If it’s tight to me, Mara must be having a hell of a time. One thing that he’d come to know is that Mara didn’t complain about anything so far, most likely because of the death of her son or the conditions of Ollar.

  “A dark. Wet, Narrow hole,” Rook muttered.

  “Don’t say it, Rook!” Reina hissed. “I won’t hear any filthy jokes like that while I am crawling through this-” Her words cut off.

  “What I’m just trying to make light of the situation,” he said, pulling himself further into the gloom. “Reina?” A jolt of panic crackled through his body. “Reina?” He pulled his body forward, now unable to hear the group’s shuffling mass. “I hope this isn’t because of my hole joke?” Rook’s heart thumped in the enclosing, immovable darkness. “Right, Left, Right.” His left elbow caught empty air, and he reached forward. “Down?”

  He inhaled slowly, then exhaled. It must go down. The sounds of chuckling water broke his concentration. In an instant, his world dropped, and he was dragged down a waterslide into God knows what. Crying aloud, Rook covered his face with his hand. Just hold your breath. Just hold it a bit longer. He crashed into a wake of chalky water. Rough hands pulled him free from the water, leaving him coughing on the bank. Where am I?

  Mara held him up like a child, placing him on the ground and patting his back. “Let the water out and breathe.”

  “I’m fine,” Rook said, sputtering a laugh. “Good lord, your motherly instincts are taking over full force.”

  Mara gave him a sad smile and opened her mouth to say something.

  “I don’t mind, really, Mara,” he said back.

  The torokin gave him a nod and stepped back. Rook stood up and coughed several more times.

  “You better make it quick. We don’t have time for you to recover. Unfortunately, someone killed a Thunderfist goblin,” Alderion said, staring directly at Rook. “I sense the ogre’s tribe rushing all around the tunnels. The goblins aren’t going to leave any stone unturned.”

  “I tried to say sorry. Do you think they accepted it?” Rook asked sarcastically.

  The elf whirled around to look in his direction. In a low crouch, Rook sidestepped so the elf was addressing the wall.

  “Do I think they accept your apology for killing one of their tribe?!” The elf exclaimed. “One can only be so foolish. For example, you kicked a boulder on top of the tribe. Don’t be serious, of course they don’t forgive you.”

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  “Alright, I’m sorry already, Al,” Rook said, stifling a laugh.

  “My name’s Alderion, do not shorten it.” The elf pointed towards where Rook was standing.

  Reina covered her mouth, composed herself, and then slowly shook her head. The elf’s cheeks flushed, and he pivoted on his heel again to the darkness further beyond. They continued in silence, Rook feeling the wall for purchase, and following the sound of footsteps in front of him. Down here in the tunnels, the cool air tickled Rook’s throat, and the damp smell of earth and mildew was intoxicating. The temperature was dropping steadily, bringing with it a chill. Doesn’t help that we took a spill in the cave water.

  “My map says we’re several levels below where we entered the hole from. Do you know the way out of here?” Rook asked.

  Alderion nodded. “We can follow the energy to determine the way out of here.”

  Cryptic. Their boots echoed down the corridor they walked, while Al’s feet slapped like an undisciplined monk. He guessed by the amount of fatigue in his bones, and the aching numbness in his limbs that they were most likely here for around a day or so.

  It wasn’t long before the stretching hallway brought them to a cavernous space. Sharpened stalactites pointed from the roof, like jaws ready to skewer an unsuspecting traveler. Surrounding them on all four walls and the roof were those blue mana crystals, and Rook smiled like an idiot. Looks like we just got a gracious handicap. They weren’t alone. Unfortunately, they were on the floor just below where the crowd gathered. At the group’s entrance, the mine cavern burst to life with noise, whooping and gravely yells. Chittering goblin upon goblin crawled down the cliff face, effectively fixing them into place. They were caught between a rock and an ugly face. These goblins meant business, brandishing feathered spears and swords. Many waved the bladed weapons through the empty air as they circled the group.

  Black Dagger Goblin Swordsman

  Level 8

  Thunderfist Enforcer

  Level 10

  Reina’s identify cycled through the growing crowd. By themselves, they weren’t much of a threat; however, all together, it was kinda a death sentence.

  Screams within the distance made Rook’s stomach drop. A horrible reminder that they were outnumbered. This can’t be it right? I don’t want to die anymore.

  “Is this where the fun begins?” Rook asked, thinking about the trial for what must have been the eightieth time here. “I guess this is how I wanted to go out.”

  “As a goblin pin cushion?” Reina asked.

  “There are too many, I can’t make sense of all of it.” Alderion shot his head in all directions.

  The intoxicating scent of nickel mixed with the goblin stank permeating through the cavern, carried by a draft that swept through the stale air. It was no lavender bath salt mix, that was for sure. He stared up the cliff face. Here comes big papa. On top of the cliff at the center of the crowd, like a pillar of strength, the ogre lumbered amongst the goblins.

  Rook’s eyes widened at the chief, and a shiver traveled up his spine to the roots of his hair. His body knew death was there, but the serene calm from Command Presence kept him from losing his marbles. All around them, the atmosphere was pulsing with hatred and malice. Rook could feel their ill intent pulsing through narrow yellow eyes and snarled teeth.

  This was the end, or at least the beginning of it. Rook took a deep breath and stared at Reina and Mara for a long moment. He met the enhancer’s blue-eyed gaze. Were they always this blue? Then at Mara’s fierce, steely eyes. Better to die amongst friends. Then he briefly glanced at Alderion. Eh. He shrugged. Well, at least I’ll die with Reina and Mara.

  In this cavern, amongst the tunnels and the gloom and the corridors, he felt like he was ready to fight. Fuck it all. Enforcers with their broad shoulders and angry steel weapons marched forward. Goblins and their pointed weapons snarled as if they were fighting dogs restrained only by a command.

  Bare feet slapped throughout the chamber as the goblins circled around the group. Laughter sputtered from Alderion’s blue lips. Rook jerked his head towards the elf. What’s his problem? Rook gripped the mace of doublestrike and waved it a few times, feeling the air part between the spiked ball of death.

  “I can feel them now, their auras. Pure menace,” Alderion said excitedly. “How do they look? Are they ripe with fury?”

  “Okay. Calm yourself, buddy,” Rook looked around at the hungry wolves. “Oh yeah, they’re pissed, alright.”

  Rook rotated his shoulders and wiped the gathering sweat from his forehead. The humidity within the cavern amplified his discomfort with every body of the growing crowd. There was a dangerous feeling in his gut, similar to when the ghoul’s magic dispersed.

  Alderion’s fingers waved through the air, and his thumb settled in front of his face. “By the dawn, protect me. Give me strength and the fury to kill these beasts!”

  A faint glow seeped from his skin, creating a barrier of pure light that lit the surrounding area. The nearby goblins shielded their eyes, some cowering away. The light formed into a blade, made from pure starlight. As if dawn blinked into existence in the cavern.

  An enforcer stood across from Rook, his forked tongue waved side to side within his smiling face. The yellow eyes were flat, and he shifted uneasily in the brown armor. The Thunderfist goblin most likely never knew love or anything other than combat and pain.

  Rook fixed his gaze on Reina as she produced a small golden tin from her bag, roughly the same size and shape of the challenge coin Phane gave him. With a click, she flipped the lid open and smiled widely. Grey smoke exited the tin and coalesced around her head in a small cloud.

  “I was saving this for a troubling time, but this is as good a time as any.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting the smoke drift in her mouth.

  What in God’s name is that? Her lids slowly flicked open, and her pupils expanded within bloodshot eyes.

  “Vapors of focus, better than a potion,” she said with a strain. Breath hissed from her nostrils, blowing out the grey smoke. “That’s better.”

  Rook was about to ask a question when he noticed the stamina bar pulsing with an orange border. The lactic acid built up from crawling through the cavern tunnels disappeared, and his legs felt light, warmed as if he could run. Mara thanked Reina and faced to the left, her greatsword down in a fool’s stance.

  With a practiced motion, Reina flipped the coin-shaped tin in between her fingers and tucked it into her satchel.

  “Me go through!” The Ogre roared on top of the cliff before sailing down the cliff like a meteor.

  Rook’s lips curled into a smile as the ogre chief landed on a large group of the massing goblins, sending a thunderous shock through the chamber. When he rose, easily a quarter of the goblins below him were pulped to goblin chili.

  I'm looking to add a few characters to the story. Would you be interested in getting added to the story as a side character?