The escape tunnel sloped upward only a little at first, just wide enough for Yoshiya to walk with the lantern held high. Dust floated through the beam of light. Behind him, Omina kept one hand on her sword hilt and the other steadying one of the rescued women. Yumi, her wand already in hand, whispered a faint light spell to help guide the rear. The glow flickered blue along the tunnel walls.
The passage didn't feel like a natural mine shaft. Crude wooden supports had been hammered into the rock, and scraps of tattered cloth and bones hung from the beams. "Goblins built this," Yoshiya muttered. "Or claimed it."
No one answered. Only the shuffling of their boots and the uneven breathing of the captives filled the tunnel.
After several minutes they came to a wider chamber where the air grew colder. Crates and barrels sat stacked in the corners, some cracked open to reveal stale rations and dented pots. Against the far wall, stones had been piled into a low altar decorated with feathers, teeth, and old coins.
Omina's eyes narrowed. "A stash."
They approached cautiously. Inside one of the crates lay a small locked box, its lid bound with tarnished brass. Yoshiya tested the lock with his dagger until it popped open. A faint clink of metal greeted him—silver and copper coins, haphazardly mixed with a few trinkets and cracked jewelry.
Counting quickly, he poured the coins into three piles: thirty-six silver and fifty copper in all. "Split three ways," he said quietly. Each of them took their share and tucked it into their pouches.
Beneath the coins, something else glimmered—a wand, dark wood inlaid with a thin line of silver. The craftsmanship was far finer than the simple one Yoshiya currently carried. He turned it over in his hands, feeling a faint pulse of mana.
"Keep it," Omina said. "It suits you better."
He nodded and slid it into his belt. Yumi studied it with a flicker of envy but said nothing—her own wand was plain oak, nicked and scorched from use.
They left the rest of the goblin hoard untouched. The crates smelled of mildew and rot, and most of the trinkets were either broken or obviously stolen.
Past the stash room the tunnel narrowed again. The rescued women moved slower now, exhausted. Yoshiya glanced back at Omina and Yumi. "Stay close. If goblins used this tunnel, there may be more ahead."
The words proved prophetic.
A hiss echoed from the darkness ahead, followed by a low snarl. Two goblins appeared first, crouched low and gripping crude spears. Behind them came three more, these with short knives and jagged shields of bark. Their yellow eyes gleamed in the lantern light.
"Here we go again," Omina muttered, drawing both swords.
"Guard the civilians!" Yoshiya barked. He set the lantern down on a rock, raised his new wand, and whispered a word. Mana swirled around his shield, extending farther this time in a faint shimmering dome that covered the captives as well.
The first spear jabbed for him. Yoshiya caught it on the rim of his shield and shoved, twisting his body so the second goblin's thrust skidded harmlessly across the mana barrier. With his free hand he flicked the wand, a pulse of light bursting at the creature's feet and staggering it back.
Omina surged forward in a blur of steel. She struck one goblin across the thigh, pivoted, and slammed her second blade into another's ribs. Sparks danced as her blades clashed against their jagged shields. Her movements were still raw, but each exchange pushed the goblins backward.
From the rear, Yumi planted her feet and raised her wand. "Flare!" A streak of violet light shot past Omina, bursting above the goblins' heads. The flash blinded two of them, making them stumble. "Gale!" she cried next, and a gust of wind shoved the creatures off balance long enough for Omina to sweep her blades low, severing a leg and dropping another.
Yoshiya smashed his shield into the spear-bearer's face, knocking teeth loose, then jabbed the wand forward. A streak of blue light leapt from its tip, sizzling across the tunnel to strike the last goblin. The creature convulsed, dropped its weapon, and crumpled.
The echo of battle faded, leaving only the rasp of their breathing and the soft whimpering of the rescued women. Blood and dust coated the tunnel floor.
"Is everyone all right?" Yoshiya asked, lowering his shield. His mana dome flickered and vanished. The captives clung to each other but seemed unharmed.
Omina wiped her blades on a goblin's ragged tunic. "That's two fights in one day. I've had worse," she muttered, though her shoulders were tight.
Yumi's hands trembled but she forced a smile. "I hit my targets," she said. "Next time I'll do more."
Yoshiya retrieved the lantern and led them onward. The tunnel sloped upward again, the air growing fresher with every step. At last, pale daylight filtered through a ragged opening ahead.
They stepped out of the cave into the cool shade of the forest. Leaves rustled overhead, and the smell of pine washed away the stench of the underground. For the first time in hours, the rescued women lifted their heads and breathed freely.
Yoshiya glanced around, orienting himself. "We're out. Now we just have to find the road back to Reflynne."
Omina adjusted the straps on her swords. Yumi, still gripping her wand, shielded her eyes from the light. Behind them the dark mouth of the tunnel gaped, silent again—for now.
From somewhere beyond the trees came the distant sound of a horn and the faint smear of smoke curling up from the direction of the road. Yoshiya narrowed his eyes. "Something's happening ahead," he murmured.
The three of them exchanged a look. Their mission wasn't over yet.