Veronica found it hilarious to watch.

  They finally reached a point where they had to dismount. The tunnel was just far too narrow now to proceed on their horses.

  “Are we all in the Admirer or Loyal camp?” Chloe asked the group, conscious that, should anything spook the horses and they hadn’t yet befriended them properly, they’d have no way to summon them again.

  She was met with a chorus of nods and utterances of “yes” before she patted Bolt’s neck and promised she’d be back for him when she could. His relationship with Chloe had grown massively just from watching her heal the others’ horses.

  And now it was just the adventurers, the cave, and whatever lay ahead. Chloe made a stamina check of the group and double-checked provisions. When she was satisfied that they were all ready to go ahead, she took the lead, her Dark Vision guiding her onward.

  And her heart beat faster.

  She heard the familiar tinkling of bells and saw the gold/green glow of the armor way above her.

  After exiting the main tunnels—a considerable time after the dispute with Asyra at the fork—Valoric_Warrior_219 craned her neck and looked at the ceiling several hundred feet above her.

  This piece of armor was going to be tricky, that was for sure. The cave tunneled upwards, no wider than the length of an semi-truck. In the center of the room, a single column of rock tapered to the ceiling.

  Valoric_Warrior_219 circled the column, inspecting every inch of its base. Whereas before she had been able to send her men ahead to clear the path of enemies or use her trusted steed to clamber and climb to the top, this obstacle looked like it would be far more difficult to scale.

  The edge of the column crumbled beneath her grasp as she tried to get a handhold.

  “Interesting…” she muttered.

  Still, perhaps it was worth a shot.

  Valoric_Warrior_219 closed her eyes, navigated her menu, and summoned her trusted rockhopper—a type of bird she had encountered on one of her first forays into the mountains. The creature had been as difficult to tame as it had been worth the effort.

  A moment later, the rockhopper appeared behind her, coming from the gloom of the cave’s entrance.

  With nothing more than a nod of her head and a suggestive thought, Valoric_Warrior_219 sent the rockhopper on a mission to the top.

  At first, the bird did well. Its feet scrambled along the column, taking huge bounds upwards. Its claws powered into the rock with ease.

  Until it reached the halfway point.

  By then, the pillar began to wobble and crumble. It swayed precariously beneath the piece of floating gold she could see. At first, she thought that maybe this had been the best course of action, until she realized the armor wasn’t moving. The pillar was the only way to reach the top of the cave.

  “Stop!” she cried, panic in her voice the others hadn’t heard before. If the column were to crumble, who knew how she was ever going to get to the top?

  The rockhopper obeyed instantly, like all of her servants, and nudged itself away from the column. It plummeted a hundred feet toward the ground, catching the air beneath its mighty wings as it fanned them out seconds before landing.

  Valoric_Warrior_219’s battalion watched with bated breath as the column swayed, slowly grinding to a halt a few moments later.

  They breathed a sigh of relief, not sure what would happen if their mistress were to fail in her mission.

  “Looks like it’s going to be a solo mission,” she grumbled, taking off any unnecessary clothing or weaponry that would add extra weight, which left her in nothing but her rough-spun undergarments and her cuisse, helmet, and gauntlets.

  Asyra’s face cracked into a smile. Rodrik glared at him, making the gesture vanish as instantly as it had come.

  At first, she moved quickly, her impatience her vice as she sped upwards. Soon she could feel the column beginning to sway again. She waited it out, hands digging into the soft stone, body clinging as closely as possible to ensure her center of gravity was as on point as it could be.

  When the column stopped once more, she clawed her way upwards, inch by irritating inch.

  What a stupid place to stick some fucking armor, she thought, eyes narrowed, sweat now beginning to form on her brow. The armor seemed a lifetime away, and her progress was slow.

  You think it was meant to be easy to obtain? a voice in her head said—the one she’d come to know as her very own spirit guide. Fukmos, the God of Mischief. Obstacles were set up to test the hero, my lady. Only a well-rounded hero could complete the tasks the gods set. Would you rather not be tested and deemed weak than accomplish what was thought to not be possible?

  I’d rather hurry the fuck up and get what I want, Valoric_Warrior_219 replied. Your encouragement and riddles don’t mean anything to me, imp.

  Now, now, Fukmos crooned, a dark laugh gurgling in his throat. It’ll all be worth it when the enemy sees you in all your glory. Only then can you remove her as a threat and take what belongs to you, don’t you see?

  Valoric_Warrior_219 smiled, a glob of drool falling from the corner of her mouth.

  Oh, yes, she thought. Victory will be mine.

  And the taste of her blood will be sweet.

  The first sign of the dangers ahead of them in the tunnel actually came from way behind them.

  They turned when they heard rapid footsteps, each member of the KieraSlayers on their guard, weapons drawn as the sounds echoed through the tunnel.

  “What the hell is that?” Huk grumbled. “Sounds like an entire stampede.”

  “You don’t think we’ve been surrounded?” Leonie asked. “Tricked into a false sense of security by thinking the enemy is ahead, when really it’s behind?”

  “Impossible,” Ben muttered, unconvinced of his own words.

  “Maybe it’s the white wolf,” Gideon suggested. “And it’s brought a new pack?”

  They waited as the footsteps grow louder and louder. They seemed impossibly fast, like a jackhammer pounding the asphalt to pieces.

  And then they glimpsed it—a speeding comet sprinting toward them. Without thinking, they made a lane through which the creature could pass, the whatever-it-was darting straight between them and into the tunnel ahead. Chloe only saw it for long enough to identify it as some kind of bird before it was gone.

  “What was that?” Veronica asked. “Anyone?”

  “Never seen anything like it,” Ben replied. “Didn’t even get a chance to use Creature Identification. Did you, Chloe?”

  Chloe shook her head. “No. Whatever it was, it’s to do with whatever lies ahead.” She kept her sword drawn. “Keep your defenses up, folks, I’m fairly certain it’s almost showtime.”

  Chapter Sixty-Six

  Chloe could definitely feel it now. The power. The aura of the missing piece of armor.

  Still, she couldn’t shake that other feeling.

  The one that said she had trod this path before. The one that warned her that up ahead, something had been put into place to test her.

  I’ve never felt like this before, Chloe told KieraFreya as they rounded another bend in the tunnels. More goblins littered the floor, and a couple of strange wolf-like creatures her Creature Identification recognized as wargs.

  Something isn’t right, KieraFreya agreed. I can feel myself, or the missing part of me hidden in that armor. But I also feel as though I’m walking through a hall of mirrors. I can see and feel the reflections of myself. The closer we get, the stronger it seems to be.

  You’ve still got my back, right? Chloe asked. No matter what happens, we’re in this together?

  I signed your friggin’ contract, didn’t I? KieraFreya sighed. Doesn’t that stand for anything?

  I never can tell with you.

  “Hold on,” Ben whispered, appearing beside Chloe. “Can you hear that?”

  She strained her ears and found that she could—the soft sound of people talking up ahead, and stones and pebbles clattering to the ground.

  Tag furrowed his brow, readied his shield and hammer, and muttered, “Oh, don’t worry, Chloe. I’ve got this handled. I’m coming for you, beastie…”

  Ben and Chloe held Tag back with an arm each. She placed a finger over her mouth, trying to gauge just how many enemies there might be.

  She went ahead, using her Sneak ability and going torturously slow. The last thing she wanted to do was anger the monsters while they were within a tiny cave. A notification popped up.

  Skill increased: Sneak (Lv 5)

  The darkness has become your friend. Your feet lighter than feathers on air. GREAT! As always, be sure to use your powers for good.

  Who knows what horrors a silent battle mage can create when sneaking?

  Bonuses: +5 dexterity

  (NOTE: Increases in skill override any previous bonuses gained from the skill).

  Perfect timing, Chloe thought.

  To her immense surprise, the monsters ahead were not monsters at all. She peeked around a final corner and saw the outlines of several beings ahead.

  A handful of rangers and mages lined the entry to a wider space within the cave. Past these, she could make out the towering shape of a brutish figure. The strange thing about all of them was that they all looked skyward, craning their necks to the ceiling even as they spoke.

  From what Chloe could tell, a shaft of light shone from the top, illuminating the cave enough that she could make out some of their features.

  Chloe wanted to call out to them, to ask them what they were doing there. If they weren’t monsters, surely they would be able to parley?

  But then that knot in her stomach tightened, instinct telling her she should be cautious, and she snuck back to the others.

  “What is it? What did you see?” Ben asked.

  The others leaned in more closely, a few of them so disadvantaged in the dark that they hadn’t even seen Chloe return.

  “Men and elves. Quite a few of them,” Chloe replied. “They’re blocking the cave entrance.”

  “Well that’s easy, then,” Therese said. “We ask them to move, then destroy anyone who disobeys.”

  “That’s always a dwarf’s solution, isn’t it?” Veronica said. “Don’t like our request? Destroy.”

  “It’s worked out well so far.”

  Chloe scratched her head, considering how best to play this.

  “I think Therese is right,” she said at last. “We have no option but to go forward. If they’re in this cave, it means one thing, and one thing only: they’re here for the armor. That makes them our enemies.”

  Ben nodded and readied his bow. “Right.”

  “We can try to talk to them, but if things go sour, we will place our party’s lives above all else. Agreed?”

  A round of nodding heads.

  “All right then.”

  Chloe steeled herself, trying to shake the butterflies in her stomach, before sneaking back down the tunnel.

  The others hung just behind, their footsteps enough to catch the attention of the rangers. A ranger at the back turned suddenly, elbowing his friend as the message rippled through the group.

  A surly ranger with a lean frame came to the front of the group, his eyes clearly powerful enough to see her in the dark.

  “State your name and business,” he croaked.

  Behind the rangers, Chloe saw the brute’s ears twitch. He rotated and squinted into the darkness. She heard the sounds of swords being drawn.

  “Hardly a friendly greeting,” Chloe said, already focusing her attention on her Etheric Manipulation skill in case she needed to use it.

  “I have no time for niceties,” the man said. “I’ll ask once more, then I’ll order my men to fire.”

  Chloe sighed. “My name is Chloe of the KieraSlayers. I am here to finish my quest and claim what is rightfully mine.”

  The man cocked his head inquisitively, a wry smile on his face. “And that would be?”

  “The armor of KieraFreya.”

  The man’s smile slipped from his face. He whistled and the archers straightened. Behind them, Chloe could see the telltale glow of magic in the mages’ hands.

  “You better turn back, girl,” the man warned, a note of concern in his voice. “You’re not welcome here.”

  Chloe nodded, toying with a pebble by her feet. “Well, you say that, but I was here long before all of you. This is our quest, and we will not stop until we complete it.”

  “Oh, yeah? You and whose army?”

  Chloe smirked. “This army.”

  On cue, Ben leapt forward, firing an arrow directly into a ranger’s eye.

  The group shuffled in surprise, quickly releasing their arrows toward Chloe and Ben, waiting for the sound of pain and metal striking flesh.

  But it didn’t come.

  Chloe’s hands were aglow with etheric power, and the arrows hovered in midair. She cast her hands to the side and threw the arrows limply against the wall as the rest of her party ran forward to join her. They gathered behind her, weapons drawn, awaiting the next move.

  “Impressive trick, mage,” the ranger said. “Let’s see how your magic fares against ours.”

  While the shaken rangers drew their next arrows, three mages stepped forward, their eyes dark, their hoods shadowing their faces. Their hands glowed with etheric potential as they summoned a range of elemental magic, which they instantly fired at the KieraSlayers.

  Caught in the tunnel with little room to move, Talbot, Jessie, and Huk ducked behind Tag’s and Therese’s shields. A column of fire found its way over their heads and connected with Blueballs, causing him to roar in pain. Another bolt of lightning found Leonie’s chest and sent her backward.

  Chloe and Gideon manipulated their hands and cast their own spells, Gideon summoning an orb of light that grew to the size of a beach ball before flying toward the enemies blocking the door.

  Once Gideon’s spell had faded, and the light had shrunk, Chloe practiced the Shadow Tweak spell she had learned in Killink View, ready to test its potential.

  The shadows bent to her will, creeping away from the walls toward her hands. Casting shapes in the air, she began to weave a net of darkness that stretched from wall to wall. The finished article looked like a shoddy attempt at a spider’s web.

  The mage’s projectiles slammed into the web, threatening to break the strands, but it held strong for a short while. The cover gave the KieraSlayers enough time to gain some ground before Chloe ripped the net away and they attacked again.

  “Move back,” the lead ranger called to his archers as Chloe once again forced their arrows out of their bows and threw them away.

  That’s a hell of a handy spell, KieraFreya complimented her.

  Chloe grinned, momentarily forgetting the horrible feeling in her stomach.

  The rangers filed back into the open cavern. Chloe and the KieraSlayers tried to follow but were held back by the three mages. Just beyond them, Chloe could see the brutish figure watching with great curiosity as they fought. Apparently, the person wasn’t willing to step to his comrade’s side, just waiting patiently in the open.

  The mages cast again. Blueballs yowled, fire once again striking his fur. Chloe shouted for Veronica to heal the toffet and keep him under control, but it was a wasted effort. The minute his flames were extinguished, he began to charge the mages.

  Their eyes widened, but working together, they created a volley of spells that slowed his progress. One Chloe recognized as the time slowing spell Gideon had used on several occasions. The second shot another blast of fire, while the third appeared to examine the rocky ceiling.

  Chloe ran forward to meet them, standing beside Blueballs. They were now only a few meters from the open cave, and she wanted more than anything to fight in a more open space.

  The brute stared into her eyes, his head cocking to the side. He had a sword at his side, but his hands were laced behind his back. For the first time, she noticed a line of warriors beside him, all with their weapons drawn.

  This was turning out to be a lot more than she had bargained for.

  “Charge!” Chloe shouted to the KieraSlayers, knowing her party was up for the challenge. If they could gain ground, they’d have more space to work as a team rather than in the constrained manner they were currently battling in.

  The KieraSlayers roared, Tag cast his Call of the Valiant, and they felt their spirits soar.

  As Chloe smirked and went to run across the threshold, she heard three words uttered from the brute’s mouth that made her breath catch.

  “Bring. It. Down.”

  Obediently nodding and stepping back, the mages focused their power on the ceiling of the tunnel. Blasts of power hit the rock. Ben turned sharply, running backward and shoving the others with him as rubble and dust fell into the tunnel’s entrance.

  Tag and Talbot yelled in fear. Huk groaned as debris rained toward them. Blueballs, caught in slow motion, stood in danger of being crushed, even with Leonie and Veronica pushing and pulling his weight. The toffet was caught in stasis like a mammoth frozen in ice.

  “Chloe! Move!” Ben shouted, seeing Chloe standing perfectly still. The warriors began to disappear from sight as rocks built up around them. Ben shoved the others back, turning and darting for Chloe. Wondering what the hell she was doing.

  A final boulder crashed in front of Ben, blocking Chloe from view. He heard more rocks fall, then silence. Blueballs and Chloe had been crushed beneath the massive load.

  The KieraSlayers, some lying on the floor, some mid-run, stopped and stared at the wall of rock in front of them.

  “Wha…” was all Tag could manage.

  Ben breathed heavily, chest rising and falling. Ice shot around his body.

  “No…”

  The rocks began to shake, and Ben took a surprised step back. They shifted and shuffled, as though something was digging through from the other side.

  “Mother—” beep!

  “FUCKERS!”

  Ben laughed when he heard both Chloe’s and KieraFreya’s voices. Who else could it be than the only person they had met who could bypass Obsidian’s censorship filters?