The sound had come first. Skittering. It was like fire crackling from wood that was too dry. The four's eyes were locked on the tunnel ahead.
Ryn whispered, "I can feel the earth moving, it's a lot of them."
Her voice was anxious, steadying as she pulled back on her bow, getting an arrow ready.
The glow came next, faint at first. Pulses of light from within the spiders was threading through all sides of the tunnel like a river of light in the pitch black.
Shapes began to take form within, legs, fangs, eyes; translucent crystal bodies moving together. There were twenty, maybe more, horse-sized spiders clinging to every surface. They were covering the floor, walls, and ceiling, coming like a wave.
Argent tightened his grip on his weapons, "I think we have alerted a bunch of them. There is no backing down now."
Ferric re-wrapped the chains around his wounded arm. Ward planted one foot back, raising both shields. Lightning crackled faintly along the rims.
Ryn drew in breath as she pulled back her bowstring as much as she could.
Argent glanced at her and smiled. "Let's make this count, and have some fun doing it."
The instant spiders got within range of her shots, Ryn started firing arrow after arrow. All tipped with earth mallets. She was aiming at the spiders on the roof of the tunnel.
The earthen arrows tore through the dark, trailing the faint blue glow of her spirit energy. Each arrow hit its target dead on. The tunnel was filled with shimmering explosions as each spider cracked under the impacts, lost their grip, and crashed to the ground, crumbling from the impact.
Ward ran in front of the group and slammed both of his shields together, bracing himself for the wave that was coming. "I will try to hold them here!"
Argent and Ferric stood back a bit on either side of him. Each was ready to go as soon as the spiders arrived. Ryn continued to fire arrows, every single one hitting, sending cracks through the creature's crystalline bodies, weakening them.
The creatures reached Ward, two of them hit hard, the impact sending waves throughout the cave. He slid back a few feet, pushing back against them, letting out a roar. As he did, lightning arced through both of them and then jumped to all the spiders around them. Each one let out a hiss as it flowed rapidly throughout their bodies, stunned for just a moment.
Argent moved first, using what he learned before, he began blinking from shadow to shadow, aiming for the spider's legs, trying to slow them down. His dagger slashed with searing light, the axe hacked with swallowing darkness. Moving from spider to spider with uncanny precision, their legs falling to the ground at a rapid pace.
Ryn was somehow following his movements. Every time he appeared, an arrow hit the spider he was aiming for, temporarily staggering it, just enough to buy him time to attack and get out. She wasn't going for kills, but to lay the perfect path for Argent, and it was working.
Ferric had run in on the other side, quickly swarmed by three spiders. He was striking the creatures with shattering blows, while dodging their razor-sharp mandibles and legs that were trying to bite and pierce him.
None of the three spiders attacks landed directly, but some of them grazed. Light gashes started to dig into his chest, sides, and legs. He was holding his own, but with each wound, he slowed down a little. He started having to rely more on trying to block with the chains on his forearms and less on dodging.
Ward was still in front, trying to hold as many spiders back as he could. Smashing his shields into them, cracking off small pieces with each thud. His lightning kept arcing, growing with each hit. Stunning them for longer and longer periods of time.
He gave one spider an opening, spreading his shields out wide, leaving a straight path for it to attack. The spider took the bait and went in to try and gnaw at Ward. The instant its head passed the plane of the two shields, he slammed them together hard, fast, and sharp, the edges coated in lightning.
The spider's head broke off under the pressure of the shields coming from both sides. And rolled to the ground. There was no time for celebration as another spider leapt on top of Ward; he caught the impact with both shields raised above him.
"Not this time," Ward said as he fell to one knee, lightning starting to arc from his feet.
With a burst of speed, lightning sparking across his legs and arms, he gritted his teeth and pushed the spider against a nearby cave wall.
"You are heavier than you look!"
The spider clicked twice as it felt the pressure of being pushed back into the wall. A noise that almost sounded like it was offended.
Argent was still moving in and out of the spiders, appearing in their shadows. He disappeared. Ryn's arrow flew, and hit a spider, sending chunks of it rolling on the ground. As Argent blinked back in behind it, his feet landed on the chunks. Unable to find footing, he slipped and fell to the ground.
The spider turned fast, slashing at Argent's right arm, deep. It was enough to force him to drop his axe. He started sliding his body back across the cavern floor as the spider advanced on him. Only to find the cave wall hard behind his back, with nowhere else for him to move.
The spider's fangs came down hard, but Argent was ready for this. He drove his dagger straight up and through the spider's head. Taking all his remaining strength to move his right arm, he reached out, forming a shadow tether between his hand and his axe. The tether snapped, pulling it back to him. The second the axe reached his hand, he hacked down with a shadow-infused attack, finishing off the spider.
Ferric had managed to bash apart two spiders; their bodies lay in pieces around him. However, he was now fighting four of them at once, surrounded on all sides. He was trying his best to just survive.
The cavern was filled with movement.
Screches, battlecries, impacts, element.
Argent, Ryn, Ferric, Ward, four against a horde. They fought until their muscles burned, breaking more and more as the fight went on, giving it all they had.
Still, the spiders came.
Argent went to shout something, but it was drowned out by the sounds of battle. Ryn's hands started to blister. Ferric swung wildly, striking anything he could. Ward was trying his best to do damage, while still being pushed back, step after step, spider after spider.
Then it all came to an end, the sound swallowing each of them; the skittering, crashing, the breaking of crystal and bone alike.
Then silence.
***
Argent woke with a gasp of breath. Cold air filled his lungs and settled. He sat up fast, heart pounding, eyes adjusting to the bright light of the temple.
Around him, Ryn, Ferric, and Ward all jolted upright at the same moment. No one spoke at first; each was trying to get their bearings after revival.
They all then turned to each other, and within a moment, each of them started laughing, even Ryn. There was no anger, no fear, no regret, just laughter.
"I think we may have made a bit too much noise and woke up a few spiders," Argent said as he jumped off the slab of marble.
"Just a few?" Ward continued laughing.
"I think they were attracted by all the vibrations in the cavern. By the end, I could feel them all moving." Ryn remarked.
Ferric started to stand up as well, "Well, that's good to know for next time."
Argent started to move towards the statue of the Unnamed One. "Let's see just how much stronger we got this time."
His hand reached the cold white marble.
[Power: Calculating]
[Previous Score: 33]
[Natural Gains: 24]
[New Total: 57]
[Merits: Calculating]
[Spent: 440]
[No Gain]
[Summary]
[Name: Argent]
[Death Count: 2]
[Element Power: 21]
[Physical Power: 57]
[Merits: 121]
[Traits:]
[Mark of the Giant's]
[Qualification of the Giants]
Again, his muscles twitched and strained under the growth bestowed.
"Looks like fighting until you simply can't fight anymore has its perks. My power went up a lot this time."
Each of the remaining three took their turns touching the statue.
"Same here, but it looks like element goes up slowly, at least so far. Is it the same for you all?" Ward asked.
The others all nodded as Argent went to speak.
"So, guys, I can still see the sun outside; it is still early."
Ryn could tell what he was after. "I do feel really refreshed after reviving here, like maybe I could go again."
"Plus, we have to pick up all the juicy ore we smashed on that last run, can't just leave merits on the ground, ya know." Responded Ferric.
They all just smiled, and in unison, each of them asked, "Again?"