I stood back up, nursing my midsection where I'd been struck. I suspected I'd have a nice bruise forming on my stomach, but otherwise I wasn't harmed. Nathan had really been the only one to have been seriously injured, so the break was for him more than us girls. I approached one of the corpses, kneeling down to check out the crackling flames that were emitting from the wounds. They were still that odd green color, but I could see that they were slowly burning out.
Rather than their insides cooking, it was like whatever was inside their body - their organs, or whatever - was flammable when it touched the air. That meant I really couldn't get a good look at it. I wasn't super sure how insects worked other than with some sort of exoskeleton, and with the flames, I wasn't going to be able to learn, either.
"Find anything?" I heard, and looked back to see Nathan peering at me.
"Not really. Just the burning. Maybe magic?" I questioned, unsure.
"I did," Rachel called out from the other side of the room. Both of us looked in her direction as she pointed at the things on the ground near her. She'd taken one of the torches from the wall and was using it to inspect the area, and had found three small boxes. Treasure chests?
"C'mon, we win a fight, there's three boxes of loot for us? That's like, ridiculously game-y," I complained. "I mean, not like I'm complaining about getting stuff," I lied slightly after.
"How do we want to split these?" Nathan asked.
"I mean, I think it's pretty easy," I responded. "We each pick one and that's ours. We can try to trade after, but what we get is what we get."
Rachel nodded as she pulled the boxes over to where Nathan was sitting. They were simple things, the size of a single drawer of a chest of drawers. Six simple sides made up a very straightforward appearance, with just the top giving a small lip to grasp. "Who is first?" She queried.
"Me!" Nathan said with exuberance. We looked at him. "I called it."
I smiled and huffed. "Fair enough. I'll go last."
The young man opened his box up, and pulled out the object within. It was a piece of chest armor, with some firm leather straps and leather make. It looked freshly oiled and glinted in the light of the torch. It slightly thrummed with a weak magical force, as well. "Not bad!" he exclaimed. He flipped it over, checking it out. "Look comfortable."
"I wonder what it does," I said, then started as both of them turned to stare at me. "What?"
"What do you mean, what it does?" Rachel asked, sitting down next to her box. "It's armor."
"You..." I trailed off. "You can't sense that? It's magical." They both shook their heads. I supposed I was the only one with a spell. Did my increase to my magic abilities make the difference? "Huh. Well, yeah, that thing's magical. So's your axe, and Rachel's shield."
"How can you tell?" Nathan queried.
"Well, it's like... another sense. To be truthful, I haven't played around with it. Haven't thought to, I guess." I bit her top lip. "I can't get the best feel from a distance, like..." I cleared my sword from its sheathe. "This thing feels... god, how to describe it." I closed my eyes and tried to connect the sense to my other ones, essentially forcing a kind of synesthesia. "It feels abrasive? Wait." I stared at the blade, now looking at it properly. "I think I just figured out what this does," I said a bit lamely. I'd skewered several creatures now and not once had I needed to get the blood off of it. Was it... bloodphobic? Hemophobic? "It keeps itself clean."
"How do you mean, abrasive?" the young man asked.
"Like... rough, or unpleasant. It's not exact."
"What about this? Can you take a look?" Rachel requested, pointing to her shield. I felt for it, but it was too far away.
"I can't tell from here, I think I need to be close enough to hold it." I walked over to her, crouched, and reached my hands out towards it. She flinched away momentarily, and I backed off quickly. Rachel took a breath, and held out her arm, allowing me to reach out and touch the shield.
I could feel a similar sort of sensation coming from it, but it wasn't completely identical. "It's like it's a magnet of the same pole? It kinda feels like a pushing sensation, but not actually pushing me away. Maybe something protective?"
Rachel cocked her head to the side, and pulled the shield back to look at it. "That would be a pleasant addition, should I figure out how to use it," she mused. "But good to have the knowledge. Can you take a look at the item I receive?"
"Sure," I said. It cost me nothing and I was, admittedly, pretty curious after all. At the approval given, Rachel opened her box without any time wasted. Inside was a pair of black leather gloves, made of a different leather than the armor Nathan had received. Where that piece of armor looked bright and protective, these seemed very muted and simple. Rachel picked up the pair and held one up to me to feel. I took it, and observed it as Rachel donned its twin.
It gave off a clammy vibe, sticky in a way without feeling adhesive. I relayed the information to Rachel, who took back the glove. "Interesting," the woman said as she received it. "Perhaps they help with my grip? It feels easier to hold my sword," she said as she pulled at the blade, "but one wonders if that is not just wearing good-quality gloves. Hmph," Rachel finished, flexing her hands within.
I looked over at Nathan, who had paused in his donning of his new armor and held it out for me to touch. I stepped over to the injured man and felt at the item. "Kind of gross, actually," I said, scrunching up my nose. "It has a feel of, like, touching something slimy." At my description, he looked at it with a pained expression, and hesitated.
"Kind of makes me hesitant to put it on, now."
Shaking my head, I stood back. "Nah, it's more unreal. The material itself is fine, it's just the, um, enchantment, I guess. It's probably useful."
Nathan shrugged and resumed putting it on.
"Last but not least," I muttered as I opened my own treasure. I had a video game theme playing in my head as I did, but refrained from making the sound out loud. Plus, it was by no means as exciting, given that this was just a box.
Within lay a pair of boots. They appeared to be made of cloth, though a quick feel revealed that the sole and toe were made of a harder material that wasn't quite metal, but very sturdy. Even if they weren't magical, they'd be an improvement over what I had. Their enchantment felt to be dense, like it was heavier than it seemed, though the weight wasn't actually there. Shrugging, I pulled off my current footwear and placed the new boots on my feet. Surprisingly, they fit well, like they were perfectly my size. I looked at the other two, noting that they seemed to fit similarly. Was it an indication of that these items were for each of us in particular? Or part of their magical nature?
More speculation that didn't matter for now. What did matter, though, was how great these boots felt upon walking in them. No matter what the enchantment actually was, they were immediately so much better than my previous footwear. The difference was night and day. "Very nice," I muttered, taking a few steps in it. Though the material on the bottom was hard, there was no telltale "clack-clack" of metal on the rocky ground, I noted internally with a smile. "I'm happy with mine," I said, more loudly. I looked at the others, who agreed with nods of their own. Nathan did grab at his axe though and pointed at me with askance. I supposed that I hadn't felt that one, so I inspected it as well.
The axe was actually eerily like my boots. "Dense," I noted. "Like there's more there than there should be." Nathan seemed pleased with the description, and put the weapon back on the ground.
Quiet returned to our group as the excitement ended. The bugs had quit their crackling and a moment of actual rest was upon us. Each of us in our own heads, the three of us rested thoughtfully.
"I'm ready to go, I think," Nathan announced. He was standing, and flexing his leg as much as he could. His walk had a slight limp to it, but far less than what one might expect.
"That is healing very quickly," Rachel noted as she peered down at his wound. "Odd."
"I noticed my wounds are quick to heal as well," I added. "I've been smacked hard twice today, and not even a bruise. I can't even feel anything off with my leg, and it got hit pretty hard this morning."
"Avare weirdness? Or magic?" Nathan wondered. "S'pose it doesn't matter all that much. As long as we can use it."
I nodded. "If you're good with it, then we're good. I think we fought properly back there. Split up, take advantage of our strengths, and help out where we can. If Rachel fights safe and Nathan and I go for the finish, we can help each other, and then her if she's still going." Both of them nodded, accepting my judgement on the matter. It didn't help me feel any less awkward about it, careful as I was to not let that show. I was no fighting expert, and all it really was was an acknowledgement of our individual abilities.
Our group continued on through the exit to the chamber, opposite where we'd come in. Rachel roamed ahead of the group, but Nathan and I stayed closer to each other. Conversation didn't start back up again, at least right away. The disquieting dark and post-fight blues were keeping the mood low, even though we'd gotten some great loot beforehand.
I had played a bit with my boots while waiting for Nathan to heal. The boots were solid enough that I could kick at the walls of the place without injuring my foot. Rachel had offered to block a couple hits with her shield, and had nodded appreciably when I had struck her and resulted in a slight knockback. Though blocking it resulted in no injury, we imagined that a creature like one of the mantises or beavers would be affected by the blow.
As we pathed forward, though I never stopped checking the path and surroundings, I worked on keeping my legs especially limber. With my sword in one hand and magic from another, adding in a series of kicks and better movement could be huge for my fighting style. It probably wasn't as good as any actual martial art, but I had to go with what I could.
Eventually, the walls of the cave started to show differences. The torches disappeared, replaced by source-less floating lights that couldn't be touched (of course I had tried. They were weird!) They actually lit things better, so none of us really complained. The rock around us had changed as well. Rather than just the grayish stone, it started to be broken up by streaks of dull brown with green spots. Rachel had initially been worried about mold, but Nathan surprised us both by walking up and sniffing it, followed by a lick of the wall.
"What the fuck?" I exclaimed. "That could be like, toxic or something."
Nathan made a face to convey disgust, but also recognition. "I think it's copper?" He said, picking up the tone to indicate he wasn't sure.
"So it's a copper mine," I responded, still grossed out. "But weird. Why am I trying to apply logic to this?" I shook my head. "Whatever. If it's copper, it shouldn't be a problem." We proceeded, but before long, a persistent sound began to echo towards us. We matched eyes, but still kept forward, just far more cautious and with weapons at the ready.
The source of the sound made itself clear not long later. As we entered a wider chamber again, the walls and ceiling sparked with electricity that coursed along glowing veins of copper. It lent a truly otherworldly feel to the cave that finally made me feel like I was in another world. Nature had been beautiful, and the places and creatures were strange, but this... this was fantasy.
The same source-less lights kept the chamber lit as the crackles made it hard to keep their ears open. Unfortunately, the view was so impressive that all three of us missed several creatures entering through one of the two other exits from the room. Rachel let out a cry of alarm as one of them barreled into her, and we were left with no time for discussion as the three of us split once again.
The numbers were even worse this time. Seven mantises faced off with us, and I pulled the short straw as three of them followed me as I ran to the side. "Just my luck," I huffed, getting into position and shedding my bags. Two of them were the same size as the previous fight, but one, a lighter green-colored one, was about half again as large, and the mandibles looked far more developed. Not wanting to waste any time, I attempted to goad one of the smaller ones into attack by firing a Mana Bolt at one of its forelimbs. Thankfully, it worked, and the thing charged at me.
Now recognizing the angle of attack, I was able to step to the side for a dodge rather than having to waste a full Dash. With a quick swipe, I put a glancing blow on the other scythe. I grit my teeth. Just because I could understand the fight better, didn't mean I had the reflexes and skill to retaliate properly. There was no opportunity to reposition as the larger mantis lunged at me. Rather than its scythes, the mandibles opened up and my eyes widened as it attempted to fully encompass me. I Dashed backwards in panic, almost tripping over the one I'd dodged before. A quick-thinking reaction had me striking it with my foot, which served to both regain my balance and slightly damage the creature. It gave a slight 'crunch' and showed an indent in its exoskeleton where I'd struck.
Were the boots also amplifying my kicks? I knew I hadn't had the leverage to put significant power behind the movement. I whirled around and while it was off balance from the strike, I reached out to pump a Mana Bolt into its head. The head snapped away from the strike, and I bit into its neck with my sword, quickly beheading the foe. I snarled in happiness, but was knew it wasn't over.
I had to put some distance away from it while it flailed, and I was being charged by my third foe as well. A Dash to the left put me out of range of the wild strikes of the headless bug, but the larger one was either smarter or better at fighting. Was there a difference? It had repositioned to flank me, and struck my head with the outside of its mandibles. A throbbing pain spiked in my head, but the bug kept up the attack and forced me to move through the pain. I struck at one of its lower limbs but bounced off of its thick exoskeleton. Realizing cutting through wasn't an option, I brought my off hand up at its midsection.
"Mana Bolt!" I cried, shoving my arm forward. Did it add to the momentum of the Bolt? Unknown, of course, but the point-blank shot clearly was enough to shove it backward. The splitting ache in my skull afforded me no comfort, so I forced myself to find the third mantis. It was on the periphery of the fight, seemingly unwilling to engage while its larger cousin roughhoused me. I could use that to my advantage. While it carefully repositioned, I used a Dash to get closer to it and away from the bigger enemy.
I could feel my muscles start to burn with exertion, and knew I was reaching the limits of my stamina. I had to end this. I fired two mana bolts in quick succession, knocking it completely back, before shoving my blade straight through the thorax. It flinched back badly, enough for me to withdraw my blade, and I used my full force to slam my foot at the injured spot. Strange ichor dropped from the large wound and caught fire as it escaped its innards, and rather than the wild movements of a beheaded beast, it crumpled to the ground and started twitching violently. It wasn't going anywhere.
With two combatants dispatched, I turned to find the larger one approaching me again, mandibles askew. My reserves were feeling spent. I knew I had one more Mana Bolt, and maybe one or two of my Endurance-based skills. I had to increase that as soon as possible. There wasn't much opportunity for movement. It almost seemed like time slowed as I considered my options.
Dodge? Reposition? Those would do no damage and further tire me out. Block? No chance. No, my only choice was to respond with violence of my own. I took a step forward towards the mantis and brought my sword straight forward at its head. I'd use its momentum against it. I grinned madly as my blade pierced its head, splitting the chitin in two.
My grin disappeared as pain shot into both of my shoulders, the creature's mandibles tearing at me despite the blow. I screamed in rage and pain, head spinning, and sawed away at its face. I couldn't swing my left arm up properly, but after the sword stopped being useful, I let go of the weapon and shoved my right hand straight up against it. "Mana Bolt!" I cried, and the energy surged from my hand straight into the creature in front of me. The emptiness it left behind would have left me feeling nauseous if the pain wasn't all-encompassing in my mind. The force of the strike slammed it back and I was tossed a good meter away as it let me go. I landed with a thud and sat up to look at it, angrily ignoring the fiery agony shooting through my arms.
The large insect was on its back, twitching and attempting to rise once again, but failing. Whether it was because of the weight of the sword, the combined assault from my Mana Bolt, or the Labyrinth taking pity on my efforts (hah!), the thing seemed to be defeated. I fell back on the ground, on my back, bleeding from my shoulders. I knew I should try to bind the wounds, but the splitting pain in my head indicated some sort of concussion. On top of the sudden injuries, I couldn't hold on, and soon my consciousness fell to oblivion, a small notification catching the last bits of my fleeting attention.