The portal shimmered ahead of us, a vertical tear in the fabric of the world. It pulsed with a sickly grey light, casting long, dancing shadows across the rocky ground.
Tobias raised a clenched fist, bringing our small procession to an abrupt halt.
The air grew still, the only sound the faint, electric hum of the gateway.
"All right, team," Tobias's voice was low, a gravelly command that cut through the tension. "Gear check. Plan. One last time."
We formed a loose circle, the preparation beginning.
I watched as Lily meticulously checked the fletching on each arrow, her fingers moving with an archer's ingrained precision.
Tobias ran a whetstone along the already-razor edge of his claymore, the 'shhhk-shhhk' sound unnaturally loud.
Marcus simply spun one of his daggers around his finger, a blur of steel, his eyes already scanning the portal as if he could see through it.
I didn't have armor to adjust. My jacket would have to be enough.
I drew my dagger. The plain, dark blade felt solid and honest in my grip.
It was a tool, not a treasure. A world away from the enchanted weapons the others likely possessed, but it was mine.
"Got enough potions, newbie?" Marcus asked without looking at me, his dagger still spinning.
"Two healing. One stamina," I replied.
"Not bad," he said, finally catching the dagger and sheathing it with a fluid snap. "Just make sure you don't fumble them when the screaming starts."
His smirk was a permanent fixture, a mask for the sharpness underneath.
Lily looked up, her hazel eyes serious.
"Goblins might seem like small fry," she said, testing the draw of her bowstring. "But they're clever. They fight dirty. Don't get surrounded."
"Especially their ambush tactics," Tobias grunted, sliding the massive claymore into the scabbard on his back with a heavy 'thud'.
"They attack in waves. They'll try to isolate the weakest link first." His gaze, heavy and brief, landed on me, but he didn't say anything more.
"Allen." Evelyn's soft voice was a contrast to the others. She stepped closer, her violet eyes full of a quiet concern. "If you're hurt, stay near me. I can't help you if you're too far away."
"... Okay," I said, offering a small nod.
Tobias unfolded the worn map, the parchment crinkling.
He pointed a thick finger to a section just beyond the portal's maw.
"Formation holds. Lily and I lead. Marcus scouts ahead, but stays within sight. Evelyn in the center. Allen, you cover her flank." His finger traced a path through a labyrinth of tunnels. "First chamber is a skirmish. Scouts, maybe a few warriors. We clear it fast, we move deeper. That's when it gets tricky. Traps. Reinforcements."
"Fun," Marcus drawled, his grin widening.
"Stay focused," Tobias warned, his voice dropping to a growl. "This isn't a game. One mistake down there, and you don't get to try again."
Lily slung her bow over her shoulder with a sigh.
"Let's get this over with. I've got a date with a steak and a warm bed waiting."
Marcus chuckled.
"You're assuming we make it out in one piece."
"We will," Tobias stated, his voice leaving no room for doubt. "As long as everyone does their part."
His eyes swept over us, a general inspecting his troops one final time.
The hum of the portal seemed to grow louder, a siren's call laced with menace.
Tobias turned to face it, his broad back to us.
"All right. Final check. Everyone ready?"
A series of grim nods answered him.
"Then let's move out."
He stepped through the shimmering veil. Lily followed without hesitation, then Marcus with a cocky roll of his shoulders.
Evelyn took a deep, shaky breath and disappeared.
I was last. I looked back at the ordinary world for one second, the gray sky, the cold air, then stepped forward.
The world twisted. A sensation of being pulled through cold molasses, then—
We were in.
The air was the first shock. It was damp, heavy, and thick with the smell of wet stone, rot, and something metallic.
The light came from faint, phosphorescent moss clinging to the walls, casting everything in a sickly grey glow.
The tunnel walls were slick with moisture, scarred by deep claw marks that spoke of countless passages.
The silence was absolute, a pressing weight on the eardrums.
Marcus was already ten feet ahead, a phantom in the gloom.
He held up a closed fist, then pointed two fingers towards a widening in the tunnel ahead. He moved like smoke, utterly silent.
Tobias and Lily flowed into position behind him, their movements a synchronized dance of practiced warriors.
Evelyn stayed close to my side, her staff's crystal emitting a soft, reassuring pulse of light.
The tunnel opened into a small chamber. Marcus froze, then gestured sharply.
Two small, green-skinned figures were crouched over a grisly pile of bones, their backs to us.
Goblin scouts.
Tobias glanced back at me, his face hard in the eerie light.
"Allen. Watch. Learn. If it goes sideways, cover us with your lightning."
I just nodded, my fingers tightening around the hilt of my dagger.
Lily moved like lightning herself. An arrow was nocked, drawn, and loosed in one fluid motion.
The 'twang' of the bowstring was shockingly loud.
The arrow took the first goblin in the base of its skull. It crumpled without a sound.
The second creature spun around, beady eyes wide with shock.
It never had a chance. Tobias was already moving, a force of nature.
His claymore didn't gleam; it was a dark blur.
The swing was economical, brutally efficient.
The goblin was severed cleanly, the two halves hitting the damp floor with wet, simultaneous thuds.
The fight was over in less than five seconds.
"Boring." Marcus whispered.
"This was the easy part," Tobias said, his voice a low rumble as he cleaned his blade on the ragged tunic of the dead goblin. "It only gets harder from here."
"Better." Marcus replied, a grin in his voice.