"It's been only a few days, and the blight has scattered again." Chifya frowns. "Moreover… Is it spreading faster in a month? No, in a few weeks, it will soon reach the village." Chifya mutters.
"Sister?" Sheila leans closer.
"From here, we'll take a few more miles before reaching the ruined fortress. Though I did find a safer route."
"Got it, we'll take the safer path." Sheila nods, but not before Chifya take a sample of the blight.
After much time, the party soon reached the ruins of the past—
"The illusions, it repairs itself," Chifya said, standing at a safer distance. "And the blight… it appears to be more hazardous than before; don't tell me it's a living one."
"Illusion?" Natalak tilts his head, gazing at the half-elf. "All I see is just piles of bubbling soup from a witch's cauldron. And trees and rocks—"
"Sheila, do you have any items or spells that can dispel illusions?" Chifya asks urgently, ignoring Natalak. "The Eye of Adra, the orc priest, gave me; it needs another day or tomorrow before it can be used," she adds, revealing the amulet.
"Oh, I do have one of those." Sheila quickly unpacks her bag, pulling out the same amulet from a steel ornament box. "But should we first deal with the blight?"
"Stay here; I'll go purify the blight. Don't worry, I'll return after pouring the vial. It may take another hour or more for the vial to cleanse the blight." Chifya suggests, before turning herself into a white wolf, leaving Natalak wondering—
"What kind of feeling when you turn into an animal?" Natalak ponders as he watches Sheila and the others set up camp. "F— I hate my brain." He adds, scratching his head as if trying to erase the things he'd thought.
Nothing to do and no help to give, Natalak joins the group. Telling stories and sharing his past encounters. Unexpectedly, the group was struck when Natalak implored a certain person.
"Lavrish?" Sheila's eyes widened as her head leaned closer to Natalak. "The archsage of sorcerers, Madam Lavrish?"
"Yes-yes-yes, that's her… and why do you sound very surprised?" Natalak said,
"That's because Sheila greatly admired Lady Lav—" Before Riya could continue, Sheila immediately grab her mouth.
"Okay, that's enough. Sister Chifya is taking a little too long, and I think we should go and check—" Right then and there, Chifya, in her human form, slowly emerged into view.
"Did I interrupt something?" Chifya said after reaching the camp.
"Nothing, we were just about to check on you," Sheila replied, slowly gathering her equipment.
Chifya nods. "Take your time. The purification is still in progress; it might be finished by the time we arrive." And upon their arrival, the once-bubbling and putrid blight disappears, leaving dried-up soil.
Using Sheila's amulet, the illusion disperses.
"I think this should be the one." Chifya unveils the hidden entrance. "We must be careful; I sense a great magical energy." She adds, her hand gliding through the walls, but before they could enter the dungeon—
"Wait, let me put the teleportation mark on this one right here," Sheila said, placing a scroll at the entrance, which quickly dissolves, merging with the stone masonry, and upon entering—
"Riya, can you sense any traps or magic snares?" Sheila implores.
"I'm still in the process of learning it, but I can only detect the ones that are not well hidden," Riya replied, but with a hint of uncertainty.
"I think it's best we should map this dungeon," Reith suggest. "I feel this place might be too vast for us to venture in one night."
"Good idea," Sei respond, pulling out a simple empty parchment.
"Map? Wait a minute." Natalak pause for a second. "I do have the Map of Adra." Natalak interrupts, which leaves the others stopping their track. "What?" He continues the moment they give him a narrow look. "Look, if you give me my bag, I assure you all that I have that map."
To which he said, the group then changed their gaze towards Chifya.
"Fine." She sigh, slightly rolling her eyes. "But I'm not giving you the bag."
"Then how am I going to get the map?"
Chifya step closer and turns her side towards him, keeping the bag firmly strapped around her waist.
"Reach it and take it." Chifya follows, opening the satchel.
Natalak stared at her, then the bag. "You're serious?"
"The map, Natalak, nothing else."
"Fine, fine…"
With Chifya watching Natalak's every movement, Natalak carefully slipped his hand into the bag and rummaged through its contents. Somehow, with every passing second, he felt quite embarrassed as the others watched the two.
"Can you hurry it up? You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" Chifya muttered, somewhat blushing as Natalak fumbled through his artefact.
"Doing this on purpose." Natalak snort. "I'm as mortified as you are." He muttered before finally pulling the map.
"Okay, now any advice on how to operate this?" Natalak turned towards Sheila's group.
"Let me try." Riya slightly raised her hand before stepping closer. And once Natalak freely gave the map, "Judging from this quality, I dare say it can hold about a dozen people… Guys, I might need to collect some of your blood."
Grazing their fingers and pouring a single drop of their blood into a certain hole of the map. Once Riya was the last to give her essence, and with a right tinkering of the map's mechanics, the map expanded, creating a 3D landscape of the dungeon. And the more they ventured deep into the chamber, the map simultaneously mapped the places they'd seen. Moreover, the map shows their miniature image, mirroring their movements and actions.
"What a fucking technology these guys have." Natalak couldn't help but stare at the map.
"There, it's finished," Riya said, extending the map towards Natalak.
"I think the experts should be the ones to hold it," Natalak answered.
Riya smile. "I think you should. I cannot carry a map while I'm searching for traps." She said before strolling closer to Chifya's side.
The group carries on without another complaint from Earth's traveller. In their formation, and with the help of light made from a magical orb, Chifya and Riya stay at the front, searching for every lingering trap, magic or mechanic. While Sei and Reith stay to guard the rear, weapons drawn and shields strapped to their backs. As for Sheila and Natalak, they remain in the centre, casting her protection magic as she maintains the dangling orb of light. And on her side was Natalak, whose only contribution was to hold the map, nothing more, nothing less.
The deeper they venture, the more unsettling the dungeon appeared. It was as if the silent walls were alive in some unseen way. Even then, the party remained silent, communicating solely through signs and expressions.
Every meter, Chifya and Riya would stop their track. Placing their hands on the stone floor, sensing any lingering magic, even if it is just a faint trace, the two would halt the others. From Riya's pouch— scooping a tablespoon of golden dust and scatters it— revealing hidden symbols etched on every side of the dungeon.
"These symbols, I don't think I can handle it. My skills are—" Riya whispered.
Before Riya could continue, Chifya unveiled her ebony blades. Slowly, without hesitation, the half-elf nails the blade, distorting both the symbols and the atmosphere. Astonishingly, her actions made no sound, and it didn't take minutes before the blade swallows all the symbols.
"We should move carefully from now on." Chifya sighed in relief.
"What are those symbols?" Natalak implores Sheila.
"Most likely trap barriers," Sheila responds. "And a powerful one at that." She frowns, perceiving that whoever placed the trap isn't someone to trifle with.
Cautious, silent and every inch they move, they are already battling for their lives. Yet, despite such a dreadful adventure, the group manage to map the whole dungeon; every corner, every room was searched. Surprisingly, they didn't find any remains, not even a single sign of someone living in the dungeon. And intriguingly, they could tell this was just the first level of the dungeon.
"We should take a rest near the entrance," Chifya suggested.
"Agreed." Sheila nods after checking her watch, and night was already coming. "We'll continue with the search tomorrow morning."
The following day…
"This might be it." Riya took a deep breath, facing the wall.
Sei stepped forward and used the hilt of his sword to bash through the masonry.
"Strange, there's no hidden illusion." Sei stepped back as the bricks began to fall, revealing nothing but dirt and cold stones.
"Let me give this a try." Chifya takes her turn, pulling the Eye of Adra. And by some means, when the eye opens, the walls made of dirt and stone bricks are slowly eaten by embers, revealing a path.
Down to the second level before the group could explore the next layer again. They set up a small camp, assessing their gear and provisions. And while Sheila and her companions were busy organising, Chifya knelt fifteen meters away from the group, studying the ground and the walls— scouting in the far darkness.
"Strange? We'd scattered the dust through these surroundings, yet still, I sensed a lingering essence of magic in this area." Ponders Chifya, eyes glaring through the darkness. "Should I?" She muttered, slowly entering her full eleven lineage, but something came—
"Hey, boss…" Natalak came up beside Chifya, whispering, disrupting her transformation. "Well, ah, the more we continue this quest thing, the more unsettling this place becomes. So, if ever… can I have my bag back? I need my weapons, not this ordinary one."
Chifya paused, and after a minute of long silence.
"Rummage through your weapons," Chifya said, opening the satchel's mouth.
Through his actions, an unexpected outburst came when Natalak pulled the Book of Amara. For some reason, the book's indifferent essence clashed with the lingering magic that filled the chamber.
"What the?!—"
Before the group could react, the unseen magic in the room teleported the whole party, even their items. And within seconds, a surge of magic waves rippled throughout the dungeon, even reaching outside and erasing Sheila's teleportation mark.
Somewhere deep inside the forest…
"W-where are we?" Natalak implored, patting down every inch of his body. Chifya, however, gazed through the sky, contemplating what magic was placed on that dungeon.
"Tsk… How stupid of me." Chifya clenched her fist, but when she turned around, Sheila and her companions were nowhere to be found. "The map, Natalak! Open the map!" She said, hurriedly walking towards Natalak.
The map quickly opened, and when Chifya expanded the view, her worry dwindled upon seeing Sheila and her friends teleported one mile away to the village. As for them, they were more than thirty miles away from their companion's location.
"Good, now is the ideal moment to confront what's lurking in that dungeon."
"We?" Natalak gave Chifya a stupefied look. "Should we regroup first before returning to the dungeon?"
"Natalak, if I gave you your bag, would you be willing to join me?"
Natalak rolled his eyes. "I've been hearing that same word—"
Without any warning, Chifya pushes his artefact to his chest. "You have your map; you're free to go as you like." A cold, harsh tone, she said.
Stunned and unable to comprehend the sudden change from the half-elf. Natalak assess his surroundings, the darkness from afar that looks more like an abyss. The unknown creatures that lurk through these woods, and the only person who knows how to survive these dreadful places was—
"Wait for me, boss!" Natalak calls, rushing to Chifya's side. "So what now, boss?"
"The trap that teleported us is still there. And the Eye of Adra needs another day to recharge its ability," Chifya respond showing Natalak the amulet before putting it back in her satchel. "Still, there are many ways to deal with such an unseen trap. And stop calling me boss."
"Yes, boss," Natalak replied just before Chifya's fist slammed into his head.
Elsewhere…
"What should we do now?" Reith asks Sheila.
Sheila on the other end didn't respond; the sudden turn of events made her lose her composure. The words that Reith uttered didn't even enter her ears. Until Riya grabs both of her arms.
"Sheila," Riya said. "We need you, Sheila. So please hold it together."
It took some time, but after more than a minute, Sheila gradually relaxed her muscles and exhaled slowly. Pulling two scrolls, Sheila then proceeded to locate their position clairvoyantly, just like she did when they first met Natalak.
"Let's—let's go to the settlement first," Sheila suggests with a melancholic expression.
"I think so too," Sei replies. "You still have your teleportation mark back at the entrance of the dungeon."
In return, Sheila gave her companions a warm smile, hiding her troubled look, perhaps just enough to lighten the group's mood. But upon reaching the village, the party huddles in an inn, and their expressions, however, weren't delightful to look at.
"That trap that teleported us, it must be the reason why your marking was erased," Reith said, trying to ease the gloomy atmosphere.
Awaiting and seemingly receiving no response, what followed was a long silent. Sheila, whose hands were clasped together as if praying, suddenly rose from her seat.
"Guys, let's not sit around doing nothing… We'll need to find Chifya!" Sheila voiced.
"But how are we going to find them when we don't have the right equipment?" Sei responded.
"I know just the man." Sheila smile.
Inside the church of Adra. And as the orc priest slowly began to kneel to meditate, the door swung open.
"We need your help," Sheila said.
"What is it now?" The orc respond, unfazed by their disturbance.
"We need to locate one of our friends, and I know you're the only person here who can do that."
Opening his eyes, the orc stood, and when he turns around—
"Ah… I see, so that knife-ear was the one missing. No worries, I just need some of her items or a—"
"Here, I think this should suffice." Sheila shows him three strands of Chifya's hair. "And if ever, can I join your seer?"
"Hmm… yes, you may." The orc gently takes the strands of hair as he offers his right hand towards Sheila.
No symbol to be seen, no incantations to be heard— only the thing that they could see was the strands of hair slowly burned by embers. And when the strands of hair evaporated, both of their consciousnesses were whisked away and quickly reached where Chifya and Natalak were. Somehow—
"HELP!! BOSS CHIFYA!" Natalak yelled, sprinting toward Chifya while seven werewolf-like beings gave chase. "I shouldn't take my piss in a remote area."
Focusing on her alchemy skills, the half-elf quickly rose and, without hesitation, charged at the enemies, passing Natalak as she drew her twin blades. As Natalak turned around, she saw that one of the creatures had already been decapitated. Two others lunged with claws, mouths full of serrated teeth, but Chifya's blades swiftly ended their lives. In Natalak's eyes, Chifya's fighting style stands in stark contrast to Ashalain's. While the paladin's movements are like flowing water—disciplined, resilient and precise—Chifya's style resembles a whip: rapid, agile, evasive, yet equally deadly in different ways.
In the aftermath of the battle, Chifya looks through the sky—
"Was I being watched? Don't tell me—" Chifya glance back at her alchemy. "I need to hurry up before Sheila and the others catch up."
Returning to the church of Adra—
"Looks like your friend noticed us." The orc said. "A map, if you would." He added, to which Sei quickly unveiled the map. "Your friend is here." The orc points to Chifya's exact position.
"And this is where we found the entrance to the dungeon." Sheila points to the dungeon's location before giving another silent look.
"Hmm…" The orc measures the mage. "Wait here."
Startled, the party could only exchange glances and chose to wait for the priest's return. Surprisingly, the orc reappears wearing chainmail armour and wielding a two-handed warhammer.
"It's been a long time wearing this armour." The orc flexes his arms.
"You're coming with us?" Sheila said.
"But of course, I wouldn't let that knife-ears friend of yours misplace my amulet."