The Caverns
"Aida are you ok?." Asks Joshua
"That Leon he put us away from each other knowing full well that Eric and I are inseparable!."
"Aida, calm down everything's going to be ok there's no need for you to be angry."
"I'm just worried what if something goes wrong ..."
"What are you talking about Aida?." Asks Jishua confused
"Alice and Eric were grouped together , I meant them. What if ... Alice.." Aida mumbles inaudibly
"Are you worried for Alice , that's nice of you Aida haha."
"No and as usual you're clueless of the matters of the heart.. have you ever been in love?."
"Love Huh, I been adored by many yet I've never yearned nor adored anyone to the extent of love. So no I've never loved."
"You see when I met Eric, I was truly alone isolated from my noble peers. Being a Duke's only daughter I've only ever been approached for favours. Nobles used their children to establish connections with my father, commoners lying to my face holding their ire all for a good word from my father and teachers praising my mediocrity in academia to save their face though I got good thanks to the effort I've pulled and then there was Eric , he was cut off from civilization didn't know how to address nobility as a commoner I doubt he knew what being a commoner was. He brought much needed light in my world and I love him dearly."
"I see to love someone huh."
"Mhmm, to love someone is the greatest yet the most frightening feeling one could have."
"What do you mean?"
"I saw things in the days after the engagement party raid, Eric had changed and I don't know how.."
"Huh?."
Aida takes a deep breath before continuing her story.
"It's like I don't know what become of him, when he came back him and master Theodore training got fiercer by the day and by the time they're done Theodore carries Eric back to the shed both bloodied beyond my comprehension.
One day worry curiosity got the better of me and it was for a moment they clashed disappearing for seconds before reappearing I saw Eric on the ground his eyes lit with a primal fire his expression almost beastly and I found Theodore in no better shape albeit left standing bruised and cut everywhere."
Joshua ponders on the sudden revelation drawing to his own conclusion it is Eric that crushed an entire organisation singlehandedly , his training would have obviously reflected on his strength.
He takes another moment before looking up ahead into the depths of the dungeon. The matter of the trial taking precedence.
"I see
...
We have a dungeon to clear let's talk about this later." Said Joshua
An intricate dungeon made up of conjoined tunnels , Aida and Joshua find themselves in the illuminated dungeon surrounded by limelight emission
The two treck the luminescent path in search of a way to the boss.
"Aida, did you hear that?."
"I did enemies ahead!."
Joshua grabs onto his sword his stance readied
Aida activates a magic sequence as circles surround her
Three hobgoblins come dropping from above the Caverns ceiling clubs looking to purchase their heads
Aida discharges fire spells from her magic circles hitting and incinerating enemies as they come
-Fireball-
"Aida I'll head in."
Joshua leaps Slashing through a dozen of enemies leaving bodies in his wake
The two coordinate attacks
-Phoenix Flare-
Aida summons a phoenix shaped fire projectiles directing it at the enemies engulfing them in flames meanwhile Joshua infused his sword with holy energy a light based enchantment
-enchantment : Lux Gladius-
Moving fast that Aida's eye couldn't follow he cuts through the monsters with ease ,littering the ground with decomposed corpses.
More and more hobogoblins continue seeping in from connected tunnels
"They keep coming from somewhere but where!." Says Joshua
"I'll use wind sensory magic to discern their spawn locations."
-Wind Magic - Sensoria-
Aida uses the wind current to her advantage and with sensoria she pinpoints the spawn locations.
There's a teleportation circle placed deep within two tunnels North and South of their positions.
"Now how do we destroy them?." Joshua thinks he can't fight off the hobogoblins and destroy the tunnels at the same time hence..
"We'll split ways here, i won't let you outshine me Prince Joshua and as a daughter of Lumere i'll pull my own weight." Said Aida flipping her hair haughtily
Weighing in the options or lack there of , Joshua wanted to protest, however Aida's sound strategy had him reluctantly acknowledge their disadvantage.
To which Joshua nods and replies
"Good luck Aida."
Aida runs up north to find a tunnel leading up to the core guided by two massive Golems , guardians left by the ancient dwarven race.
The Golems singular eye gems gleam at the sudden intrusion start functioning at the same time.
The golems eye gems glow a heatfull red before firing multiple beams at Aida's position.
Wind Barrior!
The Winds blow fiercely creating a barrier pushing back against the relentless beams
Aida grits her teeth bearing the force injecting mana to maintain her defense.
Thoughts going back to Eric, had he been here she thought. He'd make quick work of the stone puppets, she grew irritated before long she's a daughter of Duke Lumere.
Her life hasn't been the same since she met that commoner boy, she'd never wish to part ways with him not for a single moment yet that damned Leon... she snaps out of her inner mumbling focusing on what's ahead.
"Just because Eric is not here , just because he's not here. It doesn't mean I can't do anything on my own!."
Wind currents from the barrier resonate with her rage push back against the beams deflecting and redirecting them.
-Arcane Flare-
She summons raging flames firing it at the golems burning one like coal as it crumbles, the second golem moves to smash against the floor.
However Aida easily maneuvered with her feet.
"I may not be as fast as him but do not underestimate me!."
Aida summons dozens of magic circles around the golem looking determined to crush it where it stood.
"Wind Bullets!."
Wind bullets shoot rapidly out of the circles blowing holes into the golem from each and every point.
"HAAAA!."
Aida forced an increase in bullet frequency breaking apart the remaining golem into pieces, she srares at the golem as it crumbles and steps towards the teleportation circle deactivating it's crystal core through her mana.
-meanwhile-
Joshua smiles to himself as he strolls through the Southern tunnel , he's already slain the hobogoblins around making his journey seamlessly.
-I want to be just like Theodore when I grow up, travelling the across countries and going on adventures!-
-that's impossible your highness , you will be king someday-
A king ... just why him?, he thought.
Before meeting Eric, all about his childhood dream. Theodore of all being his master and him inheriting Chromata made him slightly envious.
"This is it the Southern teleportation circle and there's an enemy rather two." Says Joshua
Two Golems activate moving mechanically their aim to neutralise the intruder.
They fire off a beam to which
-Lux Gladius-
Joshua enchanted his sword unleashing it on the beams cutting them in the process.
He uses a water spell
-Aqua Tower-
To form a bridge of water and another spell
-Aquarius Shroud-
To enchant his boots with water element.
He leaps from one water tower to another as he cuts the beams
Approaching one of the golem stabbing it into it's eyes.
The golems hand reaches out to grab Joshua to which he leaps away again this time avoiding the hail of beams from the other golem as well.
"I have to get to the other."
He redirects the water tower again around both the golems using them to propel towards the one firing beams.
He leaps forward quick cutting a beam mid air and another consecutive number of beams before Slashing the golems gem.
Joshua breaks up again as the creatures begin smashing at the floor.
He uses his quick agility to his advantage cutting off the extended limbs of the stone creatures.
He dodges and cuts them to pieces with his light infused blade.
With both golems sliced to the point of defeat, Joshua sheathed his sword with a sigh he looked at both golems and the teleportation device wondering.
"Would Eric have done this quicker? , haha ofcourse he would." He says in derision "after all he's the first among us in dungeon exploration."
Joshua steps towards the teleportation circle circle deactivating it with his own mana.
"This puts an end to the Hobogoblins spawns." Says Joshua wiping sweat off his forehead
"I'll reconvene with Joshua , he might need some help." Says Aida haughtily
They both let down their guard when suddenly they both glow a blue and getting whisked away by the glow.
To be continued.