Encountering the first group of Maedra was only a taste of what was to come, and it came hard. The tunnel beyond the initial group of Maedra not only just reeked of the creatures- but it was full of them. As the tunnel winded and bent, dipped, and slanted downwards, the number of foes increased steadily. Broken up into hordes of twenty, thirty, and sometimes even as many as forty at a time, the Maedra lurked beyond every turn. Even with Helena’s support, the team was running out of steam. Advancing was a grind, both in terms of fighting and just progressing to the next one. What didn’t help was that due to the short distances, the noise of fighting would always attract the next group leaving Jake and Darius with little to no time to recover.

Helena’s mana fueling her recovery magic would only last so long but the two up front remained focused. Jake and Darius kept their eyes on their targets, keeping their heads down and blades up. Their blades ran through the saggy flesh of the Maedra and the pair relied on instinct and practice to carry them from one kill to the next. Except, even that felt like it wouldn’t be enough. How much longer would they push? Through how many more Maedra did they have to fight? Jake for one knew they wouldn’t last much longer, and if he was thinking so then Darius must have too. Helena’s magic was being fired off with less frequency. The recovery spells were scarce compared to before. Jake could see Darius slipping every now and then.

“Darius.” After another brawl, and with no sound of another horde coming to meet them from the way ahead, Jake took a moment to call out to the Elf. Darius was breathing hard, his shoulders drooping with exhaustion. His body was slick with sweat, his hair damp and stringy, and his muscles pumped with blood. The Elf’s blades were coated with fat and shimmered, a thin coating of Maedra body fluid covering the weapons. Jake’s were the same and they were becoming quite more difficult to cut with.

“We can’t keep fighting,” Jake said. The Elf threw him a harsh look but Jake wasn’t deterred. They were on their last string here. Jake would likely not last another three or four fights. Helena was scrapping for mana and Darius was barely standing on his own two feet.

“Where are we going? Why are there so many Maedra here?” Jake added when Darius didn’t answer him the first time. Darius had failed to share the point of their excursion so deep into the tunnel and Jake wasn’t dumb enough to keep believing that it was all for “training’. Jake had practiced enough for one day, but Darius had not stopped their advance as if he were leading them somewhere. Jake wasn’t a fan of being kept out of the loop. Not this far into Maedra territory.

“Stay focused on fighting,” Darius spat as he stepped away and towards his pack. Jake grit his teeth and narrowed his eyes. The games had gone on long enough.

“Tell me where we’re going or I’m leaving,” the boy retorted. Darius stopped midway down to his pack and his extended fingers just barely brushed one of the pack’s straps. The Elf stared down at his bag, frozen for a moment. Behind the two of them, Helena and Lydia looked on. Both silent.

“And go where?” Darius straightened, turning to face Jake with an angry pair of gold eyes. Fatigue not only tugged on the Elf’s eyes. It was written all over his face.

“Back the way we came,” Jake shrugged. The boy wiped his blades off on his clothes and then slid them into their sheathes. There would be no time to sharpen them up. A quick wipe would do for now.

“Yea? And then what? You don’t know the way back to the village. You’ll get lost,” Darius scoffed as he snatched up his pack. He looked to Helena to trigger her Weight Reduction rune, but the woman shook her head- she didn’t have enough mana to spare.

“We’re done, Darius. We can’t keep going like this,” Jake said after letting that realization sink in. Without Helena’s magic and with Jake’s sealed, they were incapable of advancing the same way that they were. Without her recovery magic, each fight would just sap away at their energy. The heavy packs would weigh on their bodies and Jake would be practically incapable of fighting without Helena helping him just before a fight. Going forward any more was suicide.

“We have to,” Darius said aloud. As if accepting that he’d have to deal with the weight and being fine with that, Darius turned away from Helena and began to step into the tunnel. “We have no choice, not when we’re this close.” The Elf’s voice dropped in volume and he grunted roughly as he walked towards the darkness. Indeed, there were no lights ahead. No more spheres illuminating the path, warning them of potential threats looming in the dark. Helena could only keep up two spheres; one near Jake and Darius to illuminate their fighting space, and one over her own shoulder to prevent her from being ambushed.

“What are we so close to, Darius?” Jake didn’t take another step, nor did he make a move to grab his pack. Not even Lydia or Helena followed behind. The trio all stared at Darius’s back as the Elf walked to the edge of the light, stopping just before he stepped beyond the sphere.

“You don’t need to know, kid. All you need to know is to practice and keep practicing,” Darius repeated. “Now let’s go-” Just as Darius stepped into the darkness, Helena spoke up.

“I’m tired… Delmuth,” Helena said. Her voice carried through the tunnel, stopping Darius again. The Elf looked down to his right before looking over his shoulder towards the woman.

“Helena, we hav-” He began to speak, but she shook her head.

“I have no mana left, Delmuth. Do you understand?” She said. She looked up to her staff, the orb in its center slowly losing light as her mana truly began to dwindle. “I have enough for one small spell, then I will have none left.”

Darius bit the inside of his cheek, his golden eyes slowly moving between Jake and Helena as he processed the dire straights they were in. They could go this far, but no further. This was their limit. This was all they could do. This was the most that they would achieve. Darius stepped away from the edge of the light and walked back into the center of it, beside where Jake was standing. The Elf let out a weary sigh as he nodded.

“Fine,” Darius lowered his blades, his fingers loosening around their hilts. The more Jake eyed the Elf, the more depleted the warrior looked. “We’ll rest. Can you make a hole in the wall?” he asked.

“It will be all I can do, Delmuth.” Helena turned around and led the group away from the recent battlefield. They walked almost a hundred meters before she approached the wall and placed her staff against it. She shut her eyes, collected the last of her mana, and then etched a large rune into the rock. It flashed brightly before the wall began to crack and fall away, the rock peeling back and shifting as a small space was formed for them. Lydia walked in first, the small Halfling quickly finding a piece of wall to call her home for the moment before plopping down against it.

Helena stepped aside, her eyes drifting to her staff as she watched the light within it fade entirely. As that light dimmed, so did the floating orbs as they blinked out. She didn’t frown, but Jake could see quite a bit of tension in her expression. With no more mana, and no ability to cast spells, she was effectively dead weight now. If they were attacked, she was now a liability. Jake wondered if that was what she was thinking or if there was more to that staff than Jake knew.

Darius stepped into the space next, followed by Jake and then Helena. With no mana left, she wasn’t able to create a fire rune to warm them nor could she seal the wall again. They were cold, exposed, and exhausted. Along with the fighting, Jake was also feeling the wear of having to carry his heavy pack before it and back to their hole in the wall. His body was crying out for rest, begging for sleep and sustenance. However, he felt something itch at his neck. Something told him to keep his eyes open and his ears clear.

“Rest, you two. I will take first watch.” Helena placed down her pack beneath her and sat down atop it, her body dropping with more weight than usual as she made herself comfortable. Her eyes peered over towards Darius and Jake and the two stared back at her. Jake’s unease remained, but when Darius said nothing, he elected to lower his guard just a bit and peel open the top of his pack.

As if both knowing exactly what to do, both Darius and Jake pulled out their blade maintenance kits and went to work on their weapons. Helena frowned, but watched quietly long enough for her head to bob. Jake stopped and stared at the woman, watching as she shook off the fog and adjusted herself a bit. Though, her victory over sleep was short lived. He watched her head begin to tilt once more. Her shoulders drooped, her neck craned, and her fingers loosened around her staff as the diligent mage fell victim to the Sleep Bug.

“Leave her,” Darius muttered from Jake’s right, not looking up from his weapons as their first shift passed out right in front of them. “She needs it most.”

“I know,” Jake answered in a mumble, knowing full well what the burning of mana did do a person. Even though casting wasn’t as physically demanding as actual fighting, it wore down on the mind and the brain. The biggest surprise was the lack of an explosion. Even as Helena’s mana reserves ran dry, she maintained full control over it. Until the very last spell, she never lost grip of what her power allowed her to do. Jake was curious as to why that was the case as it might lead to an answer of why his own mana was so unstable at times.

Helena blinked herself awake a short while later, the woman stiffening up as she realized what she had done. However, Darius wasn’t bothered. Nor was Jake. The two of them had finished their work and both had pulled out a set of rations to eat. Darius ate his quickly, while Jake took his time.

“...I’m sorry, you two,” Helena said softly. Jake shook his head, his eyes staring at the sandwich he could hardly see.

“Get some sleep, Helena,” Darius said. The Elf cleaned up his area and then began to fish through his pack for his sleeping mat. He tugged it free, laid it out, and then made himself comfortable on top of it. “Jake, you take first watch.”

“Planned on it,” Jake muttered. He looked up to Helena, who was looking at him with a frown. “It’s fine. I’m not that tired.”

“You’re a terrible liar,” Helena sighed. Though with no time to argue and not wanting to waste precious time, she elected to comply. The woman sat her pack up, plucked open the straps, and then pulled out her own sleeping mat. She gave Lydia a gentle nudge to awaken the Halfling. When Lydia’s eyes barely split open, Helena softly whispered to her and coaxed her to get her own sleeping area set up. With a bit of fumbling and a little assistance, Lydia found herself tucked into the far side of the open space and asleep on top of her mat, rather than the cold floor.

“Wake me if you need any help, Jake,” Helena said as she lay down. Jake gave her a nod and a soft hum to acknowledge her but then he went quiet. The boy chewed his food in silence, listening to the three different but calm breathing rhythms of his compatriots.

In that silence, Jake found a bit of peace. He slowed his chewing and stared slowly at each of the three people who were willing to trust him. They were entirely defenseless at that moment. The Maedra could appear in a blink, be on top of them, and eat them before they even awoke. But, they had enough faith in Jake that they were capable of sleeping soundly as he watched over them. It was a humbling sight, one that Jake certainly would not betray. Even as sleep tugged on his own eyes and he felt the weight of his weary muscles pull on him, Jake kept chewing and maintained his awareness.

He sat there in his silence, in the dark veil of the tunnel, chewing away at his food until there was none left within the cloth. Then, he just sat there. Like a statue, Jake stared at his hands and at the floor, remaining stoic as the others slept. Time ticked by, enough that Jake lost track of it. He eventually forced himself to stand and he began to perform a few meager stretches and relaxing motions to ease the tension in his muscles. Then, he pulled his blades loose and stepped out of the small cave. He didn’t go far. Only a step or two out of the cramped space so that he could move through his progressions with his swords.

After fighting the Maedra over and over, and strictly utilizing the Sword Singer style as he had been instructed to, Jake’s motions had become far more fluid. He now understood the rhythm of each strike and parry within the Style. He had memorized the mechanics of his stance and he had been able to recognize when best to move from one position to the next. He could thank the Maedra for that. Their lack of predictability had left him stumbling at first. Now he could recognize how the Sword Singer style leaned heavily on the fighter’s ability to counter and react.

He understood now when Darius had told him that the style was not a strict one, and that to only focus on killing the enemy. Much like the Fang Style was when it came to cultivation and magic, the Sword Single style was not so rigid that the fighter was confined to moving only from step A into step B. Jake could utilize the movements as needed, as they all could flow smoothly into one another so long as he didn’t force the motions. He needed to learn and recognize the ‘mixing points’ of the Style. He needed to pick up on the patterns, develop his knowledge of them, and then he needed to implement them all smoothly without jagged motions. There had to be no hiccups, no stutters, and no second guesses. Any mistake or doubt would result in a missed or wasted strike, too light of a cut, or too weak of an impact.

Fighting the Maedra had helped Jake refine those basic movements and Jake was developing a keen eye for how to utilize the Style properly. His brain was beginning to pick up on the proper times to parry compared to when he should block. He was beginning to see more openings his foes were leaving for him. He was beginning to recognize bait-attack tactics and his counter abilities had increased quite a bit. His reaction timing was far better than it was when he had first started and his confidence in his strength was also growing. Jake was becoming comfortable, and it showed as his competency was increasing rapidly.

Was he perfect? No, not even close. Though his attacks were becoming sharper and his movements more fluid, Jake lacked the strength to perform most of his attacks. His body was still growing and his physical abilities were latent. He would need to continue to build himself up and would need to implement a more physical routine if he wanted to increase his overall strength. Much like with training his magic regularly to build his mana reserves, he would need to train his body. Which was likely why Darius had him deal with the burden of his pack. Even after a day, Jake was feeling the difference between when he first picked up the bag and now, especially after Helena’s regular recovery spells. The wearing of muscles paired with the speedy recovery, and then the further wearing was helping him grow at an accelerated pace.

But, time was still a factor. Time would always be a factor. He was young and compared to others his age he was behind. Darius was doing all he could to help bridge that gap but it would be on Jake to put in the effort. Like now when he was tired, weary, and exhausted, Jake would need to spend time practicing his swings and his progressions. Any minute he could get, Jake would have to take advantage of it. Darius had barred him from going to the Library and the seal on his hip was holding his mana hostage. That meant Jake had only one option and that was to train in the Overworld.

He took in a few deep breaths, steadied his heart rate, and then he envisioned a Maedra in front of him. Slowly, he began to work through what he knew. The mock battles raging around him as he remembered his prior fights. He recalled his mistakes and fixed them over and over until his attacks felt more clean. He took a few minutes to sit down and think of how better to utilize his skill set. He even dared to try and mimic Darius but the Elf was too fast and flexible for Jake to copy entirely. Thus, Jake thought of ways to better adopt what his teacher had shown him. Changing the motions and tweaking them to better fit his personal ticks and capabilities.

As he was kneeling and thinking, Jake heard rustling behind him. His eyes had adjusted to the darkness of the tunnel quite a bit but it wasn’t good enough to put him at ease. And as he trained, Jake found himself wandering out into the tunnel somewhat. Thus, when he turned to face the sound, he did so with his daggers at the ready- just in case. The individual coming into view, thankfully, was only Helena. The woman peered towards him, her eyes faintly glowing behind the blindfold. Jake lowered his hands and then sheathed his blades.

“You’re diligent,” Helena’s voice seeped out from the darkness as she approached him. The boy grimaced and sighed.

“I don’t have time to be lazy,” Jake muttered. Helena hummed at him, leaning forward a bit to lower herself down to his height. Or, at least close to it. She was quite tall.

“And why is that? Usually humans your age are still playing, studying, or just barely starting their own lives,” Helena said. She tilted her head a little to look at the side of his body, the side where his two marks were. They were hidden beneath his clothes but Jake felt as if she was eyeing them directly. “You are quite the anomaly. The magic within you is powerful. I thought you were a monster when I first looked at you. But when Delmuth told me to seal it away, I was confused. Why waste such strength?”

“I can’t rely on magic all the time, so I have to learn the sword,” Jake said. It was becoming easier and easier to understand that fact the more he learned the blade. Jake’s magic was not full-proof at all, not even close. If he relied purely on his spells, he would end up like Helena and would need protection. But if he was in the front line, fighting with his hands, Jake could do both- protect himself and cast. The vanguard was far more important of a role than Jake had originally thought.

“You speak as though your magic is incapable but I sense otherwise,” Helena hummed. She extended a finger and placed it on Jake’s hip, gently pressing down on the seal she had placed on him. “Containing all of that power in you cost me quite a bit. Magic like that is indubitably strong. Why would you turn away from it?” She asked, her finger pressing down slightly harder on his hip.

“I don’t,” Jake said flatly. He reached over and lightly brushed her hand aside. “My magic is something I love. Learning it is so much fun and utilizing it in battle is… intense. But, after facing the Maedra, seeing how vicious these beasts are and how relentless they can be. Magic isn’t enough to kill them.” Jake raised his left hand and stared at his palm, his body remembering the heat of all the fire balls, spears, and wind spells he had cast thus far.

“Pounding the Maedra into submission isn’t enough. They don’t stagger or stumble in the face of overwhelming strength. They throw themselves at it without a care in the world or a single thought of their own lives. They do it because it’s all they know. It’s their nature. Devour. Eat. Kill.” Jake spoke as he recalled his times fighting the horde. He had seen a few men die before him because of the Maedra, but since his Magic and Sword fighting skills had increased- that number was in the single digits. He took pride in that.

“Magic can kill them, that’s a fact. But magic won’t stop the horde from barreling forward. Magic won’t stop the Maedra from killing my friends. If I want to stop the Maedra, I need to stop them by standing in their way.” Jake squeezed his hand into a fist and then tapped it against the hilt of his dwarven dagger, the one Hulgrok had put so much effort and time into creating for him. A blade that was serving him well.

“Helena,” Jake looked up to the woman. “Did you know that some Maedra are magic resistant?” he asked. She blinked a few times and straightened her back.

“I did not,” she said.

“I’ve faced one. One that took on the magic of a Guardian and withstood it without a scratch. I’ve seen a swordsman slice one of my own spells in half with just his sword. And I have seen Maedra survive attacks that have failed to strike their cores.” Jake’s hand opened and he wrapped it around the hilt of his dagger. He didn’t pull it free but he certainly squeezed it tight.

“Magic is powerful but it can be beaten. It can be dispelled, repelled, blocked, and overpowered. Magic is not foolproof. The sword, on the other hand, is absolute. Cut off a head, stab their heart. There’s no fixing that.” Jake let out a little chuckle before his lips curled into a slight smile.

“Learning both means that no matter what, I’ll have an option to take that will lead to the death of my enemy,” he said with a mixture of bold courage and pride. Though, such words did not sway Helena. She looked down at him with a pensive expression, unsure of how best to address his words.

“Humans are all the same, I see,” she finally said. Jake’s smile vanished and the tension in his hand evaporated. She turned away from him and took a few steps towards the cave before Jake called out for her to stop.

“What does that mean?” He asked. Jake had little to no knowledge of his race’s tendancines and of the history of his kind. From the little bits he could pick up here and there, he was beginning to worry that Humanity was just some feral race of killers.

“Your kind has always been violent. Since the beginning, they have chosen battle over peace. And the way you smile when the idea of killing crosses your tongue…” her voice faded as she spoke. Helena reached out and placed a hand on the stone wall, her fingers brushing over the rock as she looked inside towards the other two sleeping. “...it reminds me of memories I wish to forget.”

Without another word, Helena returned to the small sleeping area. Jake lost sight of her in the dark and a heavy feeling of loneliness clenched down on his chest. The boy’s hands dangled at his side as he stared towards where Helena had been standing. He had no idea how to respond to such words, and it pained him to be grouped into such a vague and generic label. Was that truly all humans were? A band of violent killers? He didn’t agree and he couldn’t understand it. His village was a peaceful place, accepting of all people who chose to visit. The only violence that happened was when the Sand Beasts attacked. Otherwise, everyone was so kind to one another.

Jake might have his tendencies. He might enjoy fighting and he might enjoy watching the Maedra die at his hands, but that didn’t make him a violent person. Did it? Was it wrong to enjoy killing one’s enemy? To kill a foe that wished ill upon you? In battle, Jake had no time to think of right or wrong. He had no time to think of how to subdue or deter the Maedra. All he could think of was how to stay alive, how to keep his allies alive, and how to kill the Maedra as swiftly and efficiently as possible. That didn’t make him bad, that didn’t make him a violent person, did it?

“I’m just trying my best…” Jake muttered to himself, his shoulders and head drooping for a few moments as he stared down at the floor.

There was no proper answer to any of his questions within the Ravine. Since coming here, he was used to not knowing much. The Ravine was just a pit of death and waiting for death. There was no light down here. There was no glory or peace. As long as the Maedra lurked in the shadows the Ravine would never be a joyful place. Accepting that and accepting that all Jake could do was kill as many Maedra as possible, he relied on violence. If he chose anything else, to be kind or to show mercy towards the Maedra, they would certainly eat him alive. He wasn’t a bad person. He just didn’t have a choice.

With his motivation in shambles, Jake returned to the sleeping area and found his pack. As he did so, he sat down on it and placed his forearms down on his knees. The boy slumped forward as he stared at the ground just beyond his shoes.

“Rest, Jake. I will take over.” Helena called out to him. Jake looked up to see her sitting quietly across from him. With his eyes hung low, he hadn’t even seen her sitting there.

“Okay,” he answered. The boy nodded his head a few times before finally getting up and setting up his sleeping space. He pulled free his mat, adjusted his pack so he could utilize it as a pillow, and then lay down to let himself rest. He faced the rock wall, his back to Helena and the others. He tried to think of how best to deal with the situation he was in and how best to proceed. Yet, now that he was laying down and had calmed his breathing- his eyes closed before he could think of much.