The Path of the Adventurer

Chapter 12

The stomping and the roars gradually became louder and clearer as time passed. Erion curled into a ball, shivers raced down his spine. He looked at Huffey and Tikana, they too looked uneasy. Tikana sheathed her two daggers and drew her bow. Similarly, Erion looked at Magon, and his face was more serious than ever. Norder had the exact same look as Magon. That fear that I once carried... Erion thought as he trembled. It's come back to me, but everyone else seems to be somewhat afraid as well.

"It's okay, Erion." Magon assured.

"You sure?"

"It is only natural for you to feel this way during times like this."

Erion gulped. "...Are you afraid too? You sure seem afraid." As he said this, the menacing roar sounded again.

"Of course, Erion." Magon replied. "If we make one sound, a torrent of hellfire will be our very last sight."

"I guess my resolve to stay brave never lasted that long, huh? When we first entered this dungeon, I felt fear. And even now, I still feel it."

"Your resolve is not broken, nor has it ever been." Magon slumped against the wall. "You see, having bravery doesn't necessarily mean being in a fire-breathing dragon's presence without quivering. In these situations, it simply means having the fortitude to undergo daunting obstacles and overcoming them, such as the obstacle we're faced with now. In a sense, it is very possible for someone with fear burdening their hearts to overcome challenges if they put effort into it." Magon smiled at Erion. "Does that make sense?"

Erion was already left in thought. "Yeah..." He whispered.

"That's the spirit." Huffey replied. Suddenly, the stomping suddenly ceased. Magon shushed his allies.

After a short-lived period of silence, another threat was heard. "ARGGH! I knew that at some point there'd be bugs sneaking into our base!" A rough, burly voice exclaimed in the distance. "But this... This is more than I'd bargained for!"

"That sounds like Thazardan..." Whispered Magon. "Why is he here?"

"Him again?!" Erion asked.

"Great, now we have not only one, but two extremely dangerous foes." Norder whispered.

"SPEAK UP!" An aggressive, booming, fiery voice exclaimed.

"A thousand apologies, Deadeye!" Thazardan replied, shouting at the top of his lungs. "Look here! All of my troops have been burnt to a crisp!"

"And what unintelligent soul had the audacity to do so?" Deadeye growled.

"I haven't a clue." Thazardan replied. "Hey! Wait just a minute!" The orc's tone became much fiercer. "It was you! It must have been, surely no spellcaster could've done this much damage! This is treason!"

Deadeye chuckled deeply. "This was my doing, you say?!" The dragon roared. "Have you cancelled our plan?"

"I guess I'll have to, seeing how you murdered all my men!"

Deadeye let out another deep chuckle. "You're acting quite peculiar, Thazardan. I had agreed with you to allow our master to return to me my lost power when the stakes were high. And now you choose to sever our bond?"

"But you're the one who betrayed us in the first place! Give me one good reason for your treacherous actions!"

Deadeye laughed demonically. "Thazardan, Thazardan, this was not my doing at all. It was most definitely a spellcaster."

"...What?"

"Thazardan, you know that spellcasters have immense power. Your master is a spellcaster, and he is immensely powerful. Mages can bend the very fabric of the cosmos to their desire; some can have the power to grant wishes worth all the gold in the world. Clerics are similar, I've heard stories of some clerics creating mighty earthquakes with their magic."