They walked towards where the sound had gone. It looked like their only choice was to put themselves in danger.
Michael asked them if they were going to set the place in flames just like back then. But Ellis said that was a horrible idea because the passages were too small. If a flame were to break out, they would die from suffocation before any of them could take down a mana beast. They were going to do it old-fashioned with their swords and wits.
"Stop." Stefan held his arm out. "Something's coming."
Michael listened along with them. His sword quickly snuffed out its glow, listening to the urge in his body.
Jule's party came from the corner. "There you are."
Ellis popped behind Stefan. "What's that?"
There was a blue glow coming from her party. She didn't use a torch for light, instead there was a lantern that was following them around. What confused Michael was none of them were holding it. It was simply floating around them.
"Fairy in a lantern," she said. "Magical artifact. Pretty handy, isn't it?"
"Did you guys find anything?" Ari said behind her. "I think I'm going blind walking through this dark over and over."
Hoss stood behind Ari, leaning his head down as his height practically reached the top of the passage. Dean was beside him, clearly just as frustrated.
"No, we haven't." Ellis said. "We're meant to go deeper. I believe these types of mana beasts are especially nocturnal, getting away from the farthest light they can."
Jule glanced behind them. "Should we split up, cover more ground?"
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"Why not? You're the one that's been sucked up about time, you wanna make this quest longer? We're already in their nest, what difference does it make—"
"We're not in their nest, we're in the uncharted. Mana beasts territory is the uncharted. They're not just stupid either, they have their own way of thinking. If we go out there and it's already night, then we'll have to deal with other species."
"But you would rather prefer us to stick together, take twice as long in their nest?"
"We're being stalked." Mave said. "Go ahead and wander on your own but you can't get your pay if you're dead. You know that, right?"
"Sheesh," Jule shrugged. "Whatever you say."
The two parties joined together, moving along this cold underground temple that took them nowhere but darkness. Michael wasn't sure what that sour smell was coming from but he didn't want to point any fingers.
Jule's party followed behind them as Stefan took the front. There wasn't a lot of talk as they all acknowledged Ellis was right about these mana beasts. It appears that they also had their own cycle of hunting, only going outside their nest when it's dark, and staying inside when there was sunlight.
They stopped at a room, wide and round, and spacious enough to have a temporary respite. The walls were still enveloped in roots but not as clustered as they encountered earlier.
Jule pushed her magical lantern in front, having it circle around them for light. Mave extinguished her torch like it had put her primitive skills at shame. Though, Michael really hoped they didn't notice the lantern droop down when it passed by his head.
Ellis reached in his bag and pulled out small servings of dried jerky. He passed some to his party.
Ari reached out his hand just like them. He didn't get one.
Michael sat in the back as he chewed on his jerky. He wondered what type of work Jule's party had done to be also noticed in the Adventuring guild. He also wondered how jerky could taste so stale.
Ellis was in the middle conversing with Jule about what their next step could be instead of wandering inside this pesky darkness. Stefan leaned on the wall beside Mave as she guarded the way they came. Michael didn't really want to know what the two of them could be talking about.
Ari laid on the floor, closing his eyes like he was heading to sleep. Throughout meeting him on their quest, Ari had come off as careless and made someone like Stefan look more responsible which was rare. Hoss was crouched over and studying the roots like a friendly giant. Though, looking at his massive sword didn't make him any kinder. Dean was pacing back and forth behind Jule like he was her pouty child.
It looked funny. Michael turned his attention away before anybody could catch him staring.
New friends, the voice said, are you going to find a way to make them kill you?
Michael didn't know where she would get that idea from.
Everyone you meet has tried to kill you, the voice said, even your party would throw you away for some stupid quest.
He knew that wasn't true. His party did actually care for him. Even if they treated him a little difficult, he knew either of them would value his life as if it was theirs.
She appeared beside him as a floating ghost. But she materialized her limbs, sitting right next to him facing everyone else. It was still hard to believe that nobody else could see this but Michael.
At least this feels nice, she said, that blue light makes this room look pretty. Hard to think if this really is a nest filled with beasts trying to eat you.
"I thought you could still see as a sword," Michael said quietly. "Does looking around as a ghost make it different?"
It's different when I'm sitting next to you, she said, does kissing you like this still break your stupid challenge?
"Yes."
You're so stupid. Why would you ever do that to yourself?
"I just thought it would make me want it more, you know? To win so I could kiss you."
Michael, you could kiss me anytime and I wouldn't care. Do you need my permission to kiss me? You know that I can hear your thoughts, right? I know all about those things you try to hide in the back of your head.
He covered his face in embarrassment. Why would she point that out? Did she just like teasing him that much?
She giggled, her ghostly voice was ethereal and soothing.
"Then…what do you hear in my head right now?"
You think if I'm okay with those thoughts, she said, you want to get over this challenge as soon as possible so you could smother me in kisses.
"I didn't think that last part—"
I did, she said, you're lucky enough I know how to control myself. But what about you, Michael? Could you control yourself?
Michael thought about it. He imagined himself losing over and over, just to quit over this challenge and kiss her already. What type of boy was he to refuse somebody like her? But Michael wasn't a quitter. He wouldn't give up that easily to his temptations. And judging from her face, she expected him to agree with her.
He didn't. Michael was going to pull this challenge over even if it meant driving her crazy. And thinking about it, they've been kissing way too much for his own good.
She disappeared in a scowl, returning back to the voice in his head.
He was going to win a fight, as soon as possible so she could have her kiss or whatever she wanted to do. That thought sort of calmed her down.
Stefan walked over to him. "Is she talking to you?"
He nodded, feeling the hilt in his hands.
"What's she saying?"
"Tell this drunk to get away from you."
Stefan chuckled. "Are you sure you didn't say that?"
"I'm sure."
"Yeah, alright."
Michael glanced at Mave. "Were you two arguing?"
"I was asking her for some of these," Stefan showed him a handful of candies. "Want some?"
Michael gladly accepted.
"You need to stay awake." he unwrapped the ones in his hand. "This dark is playing tricks on you, your mind gets tired, and you get slow. That's where sugar comes to help."
"I didn't think she would give some to you."
"Mave is just a hard woman, so you have to work around that. Believe me, kid, I know them far too well."
Michael was more focused on the flavor of the candy. It was the same ones Mave's father would give to her and then stolen by Evelyn.
"Actually, who am I kidding," he scoffed. "You're the last person I should give some advice to. You already have a girlfriend."
"She doesn't like Mave."
"Oh, really? Good to know."
"Let's go." Ellis called from the center. "Six hours left, let's not stay here and get too comfortable."
"Come on," Ari yawned, flipping over. "We just got here. It's not like we're going to spend all those hours trying to find the beasts."
"And the first one we've discovered completely nothing. Who's to say we won't do the same for the next six?"
Ari shrugged, leaning his head back.
"Winslow, was it?" Dean said behind Jule. "How about we approach a different type of strategy? It sounds like yours mindlessly walking through the dark will only get us nowhere."
Ellis looked like he was offended. "And you have something better to offer for us?"
"Like Jule said, we split up. We can cover more ground if we can—"
"No, I said that loud and clear. You're underestimating these mana beasts—"
"Mana beast, mana beast, is that all you can say? They're beasts, you half-mite, all they do is eat humans. That's why we're here to kill them, not play hide-and-seek."
"You called me…a half-mite?"
"You have the exact physique as a court jester."
Ellis punched him across the face. Jule rushed in between before Dean could retaliate. Then what unfolded was straight chaos. The sounds of yelling, laughter, and irresponsible adventurers. Stefan was holding back Ellis by his armor's straps while Mave just stood back and watched. Ari and Hoss didn't pay much mind either.
"Relax," Stefan tried to sound concerned. "We're all in this together, right?"
"I knew this would suck from the start," Ellis shook him off. "You can't mix parties together, never and ever would that work."
"I'm gonna gut you!" Dean yelled behind Jule. "You and your tiny heart! You small piece of shit!"
Stefan turned his face away and covered his mouth.
"Dean!" Jule held him still. "Calm down! What if the mana beasts can hear us—"
"I don't give a damn!" he yelled louder. "Come and find us, you hear me, mana beasts?! Eat this short freak and his party!"
Jule turned to them. "Could you please excuse us?"
Stefan gave her a thumbs-up.
Ellis sighed. "Maybe he's right."
Stefan looked at him. "Really?"
"We can cover more ground if we split up."
"Oh—you meant, yeah, we can do that."
"This darkness is a maze driving all of us insane. We can definitely find those beasts within six hours if we search with our own parties."
Stefan signaled at Mave. She stood from her post and prepared to leave.
Then there was a sudden muffled scream, stopping Dean's loud outburst. It was Ari on the floor, kicking around as he clawed his face from the green slime that consumed his whole head.
Jule's eyes widened. She unsheathed her sword and prepared to stab the slime through.
"Stop!" Hoss rushed toward her. "You'll hit him!"
Michael saw the utter panic in their eyes. He saw Ari's desperate hands trying to pull away the slime from his head. But the slime's exterior was slippery and couldn't be torn away by fingers. That was when it started to burn. The slime was starting to digest the human inside its body.
Ari's mouth was closed, his eyes bulging from his skill with his skin starting to burn from the slime. They yelled, pointed around, and stabbed the slime from the side away from his face.
"Move!" Stefan pushed them aside. He coated his blade in mana and stabbed the slime. But the slime was determined. Its wound would just close together like glue as if nothing happened.
Jule screamed. Ellis and Mave watched from the side. Dean and Hoss kept yelling, trying to figure out a way to remove the slime without burning their hands.
"Fire!" Jule desperately cried out loud. "We need fire!"
But Ari also screamed, begging for air, drowning and choking himself in the slime's saliva. His agony was silent, being enveloped in slime, watching the people around him do nothing as he was burning away. The skin on his face started to peel, his hair started to disintegrate, and his eyes began to close.
Hoss cursed and tried to drag the slime off of his dying friend's head even if it burned. But once a slime was latched onto a prey, it wouldn't let go until its meal was finished to the bone.
Stefan coated his azure blade in mana again. He was preparing to unleash a swordcast. They had no other options.