Chapter 4
The team stood in front of a cave as though they were admiring it before entering.
"This is it everyone. A quest we've been preparing for over the months." Silver said with a grin.
"I would have never joined this stupid team if I knew it would hire low life's." Lucien muttered looking to the side crossing his arms.
"Don't be like that Lucie." Silver said.
"No..." Julie cut in. "You don't be like that... When did we ever come to am agreement that we'd take low life's." She shouted.
"Fighting about it right now won't help... We here now ain't we.?" Arcanis replied with a mocking smile.
Lucien turned his deadly graze toward arcanis. From just the glance Arcanis's spine shivered. He then ran cowering behind Rowan.
"Would you get off my back." Rowan said pushing arcanis by his face. "Look as much as you guys don't want me here, I also feel the same. So if the is still time I can pull back." He said.
"No!!!" Silver shouted. "No one is leaving... See we went out of the capital till here with no one rasing their voice I suggest we do the same till we complete the mission." He said scanning every noble. "Now Rowan... We will need your expertise in every battle and Arcanis... You knowledge will be useful as well."
"Tsk... The let's get this over with." Lucien said already walking in the cave. The rest followed.
Inside the cave everything lightning the cave were blue crystals holding Atherion. The journed inside till they now encounted monsters.
The nobles moved with high speed defeating the beasts. From there began their encounter with monsters. They fought till the finally reached the second to final floor.
"Fun fact. Do you Rowan by any chance heard for stories of demons being sealed in the dungeon." Silver said as they walked. Apparently this dungeon is full of unknown beasts one has yet to see and some are from the demon realm."
Rowan narrowed his eyes. "And what's that has to do with anything." He muttered looking slightly behind him. Being Lucien and Julie.
Silver then stopped. He then pointed down in one Large circular hole formed in the middle of the path they were taking on the right. "Do you know no one has ever reached down there..." He said then pointed upfront. "That also includes right behind that door."
The door he pointed was large and curved in stone designed with patterns. "I believe that's the door you and your team now chose to raid.?" He said.
"Correct... But before that we need you expertise in potions... We over did it a bit out there." Silver replied with a laugh.
"If reaching floor one hundred in just a day is called over doing then I don't know what I've been doing my whole life." He replied small sweat forming by his forehead. "Is there a place in this area I can prepare my stuff.?? See we almost out of potions and my Atherion is running low as well... With enough time I could make more potions."
"Excellent idea Rowan... Lucien, where was the place we once to a stop at." Silver asked.
"What!?? Now you want this weakling in our resting place." He shouted.
"Only so he can help us Lucien... Grow up." He said his voice now filled with a little anger.
Lucien kept quiet for a while looking down with his hands clenched.
"Stop being a crybaby and show us.!" He shouted.
"Walk straight and turn left." He mummed.
Without a reply silver began walking and the rest followed. After few walks they had finally arrived. The area seemed clean, no monsters, no remains of beasts, just a vast empty stone room.
"Well will this place work ?" Silver asked.
Rowan scanned the area for a while. "The space is good enough." He then lifted his hand toward arcanis. "The bag... I need my tools in there."
Arcanis handed the bag without a question and so the process began. For hours Rowan stayed there working on his potions while the some nobles took naps and the others cleaned their weapons.
"Hey Rowan!!!" Arcanis shouted rasing a container that held the grey potion. "What's this.?"
"That's a project I've been working on... It should be a two in one potion." He replied without looking away from his current work.
"What's that supposed to mean.?" Silver asked taking the container from Arcanis's hand.
"It means... That over there should restore Atherion and health at the same time... That is if it works as intended." He replied while on his work.
"Then let me try it out." He said already chucking it all in.
"Wait it's never tasted!!!" Rowan shouted lifting his hand to stop him but it was already late.
Silver stared at his bruised hands and they were all healed up. "Wow... It's works... I can feel my Atherion restoring.!!" He said aura begining to form around his body.
"No way..." Rowan muttered rising up. "How are you feeling right now.?" He asked stepping closer to silver.
"For real I'm all healed up.! You have more with you!?" He asked scanning his own body.
"I should have few in the bag. Arcanis check them." He commanded his still in awe of seeing his project working as intended.
"Here there are...!!" Arcanis shouted taking three more containers out.
"Give it here." Lucien took the container arrogantly and drank up. "Tastes funny from the rest..." He said soon after his body scratches from the encounters with the beasts Healed. The rest of the two drank up and Heald as well.
"Unbelievable." Julie muttered through her breath. "I feel reborn again."
"You're right... How the hell did you come up with this kind of invention.?" Seraphin asked.
"I don't know... Just a funny idea I guess." Rowan replied heading back to his post of making potions as though he was never excited for the success of his project.
"Say... Do you have more of those?" Silver asked.
"No... Those where the last bunch..." He replied lifting up a bottle of a green liquid and blue one. "Healing potions and Atherion potions are complete."
"Could you by chance make them here..." He asked.
"I'm afraid not." He replied packing his stuff back in the bag. "A lot of ingredients are missing plus it'd take a day for it to finally be ready." He said handing over the potions to silver.
"Well then..." Silver muttered looking down, a grin now appearing up his face. "We have no use for you."
"What.??"
Just then, Rowans eyes shot up in horror. He slowly moved his head down only to see a dagger in his stomach. "Wh...what's going on??" He muttered taking steps back holding where he'd been stabbed.
"See Rowan... You've been great help bringing us to ur death and helping us to return with those potions." Silver replied hand each member potions except for arcanis.
"He..hey... What about mine.?" Arcanis asked shaking.
"Arcanis... You .. you betrayed me." He said falling down his knees.
"Poor little thing..."Lucien said in a mocking way walking up Arcanis.
"I'm sorry man I had no choice." Arcanis replied shaking, face all sweaty.
"You definitely had a choice buddy and you chose to betray him." Lucien said in a devilsh manner as he massaged Arcanis shoulders. "Now look at his... Look at the horror in you friends eyes!!!" He shouted then laughed.
"Sylas.... Well done on the job..." Lucien said turning away. "Now then, as promised 50gold coins." He threw them on the ground in front of him. "Not that they will do you any good once you dead."
"Sir Lucien please... We had a deal." Arcanis muttered legs shaking beyond repair.
"Arhhh yes..." He said approaching him. "Here you go... One hundred gold coins, enough to last you a year or more." He hand a sack to arcanis as well.
Rowan only stood there staring at them in disbelief, blood flowing from his stomach and mouth. "So all of this was a trap... I can't believe I fell for it that easy." He thought.
"I really wish we could torture him more." Seraphin said leaning in on Rowan. "You really thought we'd let a low life walk around with the princess being all lovie dovey."
"Hey let's get going ohh and Arcanis... Leave the bag... That's the least we could do for him." Silver said already getting out. The rest followed. Arcanis remained there for a moment then walked away.
Rowan collapsed to the ground, eyes looking lifeless.
To be continued...