The roar of battle echoed through the ruined corridors as Aldric and Elijah fought side by side, their blades clashing with the relentless onslaught of the blue-eyed monstrosities. This time, the group were no longer content to hide in the shadows. The men had thrown caution aside.
Allen, Yusuf, Chris, Lumien and even Merry now fought, eager to help their friends and perhaps find out more about the state of their bodies and the changes they are experiencing.
Elijah analyzed the situation and sought not to stop them this time, and instead focused on dealing with the much stronger ones. He moved like a wall, deflecting vicious strikes and driving back the faster creatures that lunged at him with lethal precision.
The battle was brutal, and strange. The stronger, faster creatures-those with the feral, predatory gleam-focused their assault on Aldric and Elijah. Their strikes were vicious and coordinated, testing every ounce of the two men's' skills.
Meanwhile, the slower, more lumbering foes targeted the less experienced fighters, their attacks heavy and clumsy. Despite their newfound speed and healing, the group still sustained injuries-a slash here, a bruise there-each impact a harsh reminder of their vulnerability.
Yet, with every wound they endured, something unexpected happened. Their bodies seemed to adapt, their movements growing a fraction faster, their senses sharpening with each near-death experience. Allen, clutching a bleeding arm, muttered between gritted teeth, "Well, this is convenient." It was a revelation both exhilarating and terrifying.
Aldric, however, fought with a haunted determination. His eyes flickered with inner turmoil as he parried another vicious blow. In a fleeting moment between clashes, he thought, "If this goes any further, it'll be the end of me."
His mistrust had grown over time, and though he'd allied with the group out of necessity, he never truly believed they could be trusted, he merely thought it would be easier than dragging them out of this place by force to investigate.
In the midst of this chaos, a dangerous idea took shape: perhaps it would be simpler-and safer-to abandon them. Maybe, he mused darkly, capturing one of them was enough. To bring one of them back to Durnhart for interrogation could reveal the secret of this place and maybe what's happening in Neria, and perhaps even unravel their anomaly.
His eyes briefly fixed on Ava, whom he considered easier to control. The plan was desperate, ruthless-but his survival instinct was overriding his allegiance.
Lost in that treacherous thought, Aldric didn't notice Elijah's struggle. One of the blue-eyed beasts lunged unexpectedly, slamming into Elijah and sending him stumbling. Their bodies collided-Elijah's shock meeting Aldric's fleeting distraction. For an instant, Aldric's mind cleared from his internal machinations as he registered the impact.
"Watch it!" Aldric barked, instinctively regaining his focus as he helped steady Elijah. But even as they resumed their combat, Aldric's mind churned with a new plan.
After fending off a furious wave of attacks, Aldric slipped back behind the chaos, reaching for the small metallic artifact hidden at his waist-the same device he'd used to bind the group earlier.
His plan was clear: restrain Elijah, whose skills were too unnervingly unpredictable, and secure Ava whom he deemed the weakest and easiest to handle. He believed that by leaving the others unrestrained, their desperate struggle could serve as a diversion for the monsters.
His fingers brushed the familiar smooth surface of the artifact, but then-his hand froze. It wasn't there. Panic surged in his chest. He whipped his head around, scanning the chaotic battleground and the faces of his companions. His eyes locked onto a sight that sent a chill down his spine.
In the middle of the fray, where the blue-eyed creatures pressed in and screams echoed, Elijah stood with an almost serene calm. In his hand, he cradled a small, strangely designed artifact adorned with intricate blue patterns that pulsed with a gentle, rhythmic light. A faint, knowing smile curved his lips as he toyed with the device, completely unruffled by the carnage around him.
Aldric's heart hammered. No... he thought, recalling how Elijah had bumped into him earlier, a moment that now made sinister sense. Elijah had taken the artifact.
"Elijah!" Aldric roared, his voice raw with a mixture of betrayal and disbelief as he lunged forward, his sword raised. Their blades met in a clash that echoed like thunder in the narrow corridor.
Elijah's smile remained, calm and almost mocking, even as he blocked Aldric's furious strike. "Aldric, you're always too quick to judge," he said, his tone cool, as if chiding a wayward friend.
"You-what is the meaning of this?" Aldric demanded between parries, his eyes blazing. "That artifact was meant to keep you in check, to bind you until you proved you weren't a threat…"
Elijah's eyes twinkled with an inner light as he replied softly, almost regretfully, "that's one twisted way of describing it."
Elijah's smile deepened as he jumped back-securing some distance between him and soldier, and with a slow, deliberate motion, he pressed a series of intricate symbols on the artifact. The blue energy pulsed, then expanded outward, releasing the blue bindings from each of their wrists. The shackles melted away into nothingness, leaving the group unbound and staring at each other in astonishment.
Aldric's face contorted, torn between fury and reluctant admiration. "And what about you? You think this way we can get out of this place? All we need to do is work together until we make it out of here, you answer our questions honestly and you go on your way!"
Elijah chuckled while dodging a couple of monsters "I don't know, sound too easy. The guy who felt the need to restrain us in a dangerous place like this asks us to trust that his people would let the supposed otherworlders go free after a few questions"
"I told before, I don't like games"
The tension in the space grew, veiling the cave in an earie silence even in the midst of chaos.
Mia and the others took a step back behind Elijah. And even the blue-eyed creatures calmed their pursuit for some unknown reason.
Even with their agreed alliance, they knew full well that it was shaky at best, they could never trust some unknown man in a world they new nothing about, and a man that held them with a leash no less.
Aldric clenched his fist before raising his head to look at Elijah again "Fine, no more games" he said coldly as he raised his sword at Elijah and took a stance to attack.
Elijah glanced at Aldric and then at the group, his voice steady as he passed the artifact to Lumien: "We need to leave now, while we can. Run, and don't look back."
They had no time to respond or protest as the soldier lunged at their friend, and using the same dagger Aldric gave him, Elijah parried the attack and sent the sergeant back a few steps, he took this chance to hastily look back and repeat one last time "Go".
The others had no choice but oblige as they ran, leaving behind the sounds of weapons clashing and the growls of the monsters.