(A/N): This right here was actually part of the last chapter but I felt it appropriate to do a new chapter cause well you know, I hate passing 10,000 words and all.

Anyway, still looking for some lovely ladies for the roster. Male cast is all selected and is currently being reviewed for any and all errors. Cyberweasel89 and I will be in touch with all who we select to join the roster.

Till then, let's carry on.

Chapter 3: Two Survivors

"WRATH OF METAL! STRIKE WITHOUT MERCY! MAGNET PUSH!" roared Akio.

A large number of daggers floated from Akio's satchel and into the air before raining down on one of the minotaurs, causing it to roar in pain.

"NOW YOU TWO!" he shouted.

Hanna stopped moving and closed her eyes, evidently trying to focus her energy. Vanna loaded four arrows into her bow. She let them loose and successfully struck the minotaur with all four. She repeated her previous chant and fired another Icebolt at the minotaur, this time connecting with it's chest, causing yet another roar of pain.

"NOW HANNA!" shouted Akio.

She closed her eyes and repeated her chant. A potent electric current began to crackle loudly from her daggers and she quickly closed the distance between herself and the minotaur, landing a devastating slash across its torso.

"Watch out sis!" I shouted.

Hanna looked up and just barely managed to roll out of the way of an oncoming club swing.

"GO MIRA!" shouted Akio.

Mira nodded firmly as she charged towards the minotaur, her giant scythe in hand.

"Corrupt, decay and realize your inevitable doom!"

She held out a single hand.

"SHADOWBOLT!" she shouted.

A ball of shadow energy flew from her hand and struck the minotaur in the chest, stunning it. Her scythe soon began to glow with shadow energy and she leaped into the air with a loud battle cry. She landed a devastating slash across the chest of the minotaur. It roared in pain and swung it's massive hand...which unfortunately connected with Mira. She flew through the air, heading straight towards a tree.

"Mira!" shouted Akio.

I saw her brace for the impact...but as if from nowhere, a body got behind her and cushioned the hit for her. Much to my surprise, a man had somehow appeared from out of nowhere and caught her. Akio sighed in relief as the familiar bark of Fang filled the air.

"Nana! Finish that thing off!" said Vanna.
"Got this covered!" she shouted back.

She brandished her whip.

"FLAME ON!"

Nana's armor and whip suddenly began to glow red.

"FLAMES OF DESTRUCTION! REDUCE MY ENEMIES TO ASH! CIRCLE OF FLAME!"

The minotaur was immediately surrounded with a blazing inferno. Nana then ran forward and unleashed a relentless flurry of strikes, each one leaving a fresh cut on the hide of the trapped minotaur. After several seconds of attacks, she finished with a final stroke.

"INCINERATE MY ENEMY! CIRCLE OF FLAME!"

The ring of fire that surrounded the minotaur then closed in, setting it ablaze. It roared in agony and thrashed about violently as Nana wound her whip up and hung it on her belt. Seconds later, the minotaur collapsed and disintegrated into a magic crystal and much to my surprise, a horn.

Remembering that Mira was just launched through the air, I rushed to her side to see that she was perfectly alright, though the man that cushioned her impact wasn't exactly in the best shape.

"...Who are you?" she said.
"The name's Zekko, Zekko Asano,"

Mira got up and looked at him.

"How the hell did you get there so quickly?" she asked.
"Neat little skill I like to call Leap Of Faith," he replied with a smile.

He rose to his feet.

"How did you get all the way down here on your own?" I asked.

He shook his head.

"I didn't come here alone...my comrades were all killed by Lygerfangs and Minotaurs," he replied.

My eyes narrowed.

"I saw you all in trouble so I saw no reason to not help out...so here I am," he said.
"We'll get introductions done later but for now, we need to get to the exit to Rivira," said Mira.

Zekko nodded.

"I know where the exit is so follow me," he said.

One Hour Later- The 17th Floor, Inside A Cave

"How does your arm feel?" I asked.

Takashi shook his head.

"That blow to my arm must've been more severe than I thought...I really should've carried more potions," he said.

I sighed softly, bringing my legs to my chest and shivering from the cold air. He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath.

"How did you get here?" he asked.

My eyes narrowed.

"I was here with an escort because I was trying to get to Rivira myself...but all of them got killed," I replied.

He gasped audibly.

"What happened?" he asked.
"The minotaurs and Lygerfangs overwhelmed them...I just barely managed to escape because they told me to run and leave them behind," I explained.

I looked to see that Takashi had a sad look in his eyes.

"May they rest in peace," he whispered.

I had no idea why I was suddenly examining him from head to toe...but I wasn't in the least displeased with what I saw.

He was a very handsome elf with medium length black hair just just about covered most of his eyes. I really liked his golden eyes; it was something I had seen about twice in my life. He looked very fit with a defined body though he wasn't at all muscular. He was dressed in black ranger's armor along with a cloak on his back...which unfortunately got torn in the battle with the minotaurs earlier. Even though I just met him...I felt safe with him. I felt as if I could trust him because he selflessly risked his life to save me from those things.

"Is there anything I can do?" I asked.

I approached him as he closed his eyes.

"I doubt you have much experience with the herbs that grow in this section of the dungeon...but do you know what Duskblossom looks like?" he asked.

I nodded and he smiled.

"If I remember what I mapped out correctly, there should be some growing just outside the cave to the east...if you can gather some of that, I might be able to brew something that will solve this problem at least until we get to Rivira," he said.

I swallowed hard.

"My alchemist's kit is in my bag...pass it to me so I can begin preparing the other herbs," he said.
"How are you going to do that with one arm?" I asked.

He shook his head.

"I have to...I'm the only one who knows how to make it," he replied.

I rose to my feet.

"How much Duskblossom do we need?" I asked.
"At least six full flowers...if you can find eight, I can probably brew a stronger version which will last longer,"

I nodded.

"I'll be right back...rest until I return," I said.

His eyes widened for a moment, completely confused with my logic but I smiled at him.

"You saved my life, at least let me do this for you...I'm sure it's not that difficult," I said.

He closed his eyes and smiled.

"I'm not going anywhere,"

One Hour Later- The 18th Floor

"So...that's what happened then?" asked Akio.

Zekko nodded.

"I don't think anyone else survived besides that elf...I got separated from her so I ended up where you all were," he explained.
"Speaking of missing elves...where's Takashi?" asked Nana.

Akio shrugged.

"It's unlike him to be late...and Fang came without him so I guess he decided to stay back for something," he suggested.
"We aren't very far from the town and most of the monsters gather towards the middle of the 17th floor...if that guy is as smart as you say he is, he'd have found shelter to lick his wounds so he can get back on track," said Zekko.

Hanna's eyes narrowed.

"I'm worried about Takashi," said Amie.
"Likewise," added Mira.

Akio shook his head.

"We're in no condition to have a search party go out for him...we need to get to Rivira and get treated before we're in any position to help him," said Vanna.

He turned to her and nodded.

"Agreed...he's a resourceful guy and there's no way that he'd let himself get caught by those things so let's get going," said Akio.

The party reluctantly began to follow Zekko's lead.

"I really hope he's alright..." said Hanna.

Akio placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Have some faith in him...he is the best of us after all," he said.

His words seemed to have a slightly uplifting effect on her mood as she walked nearer to him. He looked back towards the entrance to the 18th floor.

"You'd better get out of there soon Takashi...that floor's infamous for being merciless to the unprepared,"

Later That Evening- The Cave

"How're you feeling?"

Takashi shook his head.

"My body hasn't recovered from using Swift for such a long distance...it put a huge strain on my legs and my arms...I don't think I'll be able to move effectively until that potion takes full effect," he said.

I swallowed hard, scared at the fact that he likely wouldn't be able to move for a while.

"Are you hungry?" I asked.

He smiled and pointed to his bag.

"I packed for such an occasion...look in there for a bag of seeds," he said.

I obeyed him and removed the bag.

"Bury them in the dirt and put some water on top," he said.

I did as he asked and buried the four different kinds of seeds. I used my waterskin to apply some water to of each of them. He nodded and closed his eyes as he began to chant softly.

"Grant life...to give the latter to all, Greensprout,"

Much to my surprise, he caused the plants to grow out almost instantly with very good results; a moderately sized bush sprouted from each hole in the ground with a lot of berries on them.

"We can eat those...the berries are excellent," he explained.

I nodded slowly as I handed him a small satchel.

"I brought extra Duskblossom just in case," I said.

He nodded slowly as he pointed to his bag. I opened it.

"Look for a small brown satchel...it contains four bottles, remove the one with the reddish hue," he instructed.

I did as he asked.

"Pour that into the mortar and pestle...then grind the Duskblossom with it," he continued.

I placed the flowers into the mortar as I ground it as best I could.

"The mixture will begin to turn gold when you've properly combined it...once it's done that, pour everything you've ground into one of the empty bottles in the bag and then combine it with water from the stream," he said.

I followed his instructions and much to my surprise, the bottle began to glow slightly. He smiled.

"You found some very healthy blossoms...all it needs now is crushed Elderberries...which we just grew," he said.

His voice began to grow weaker; he was exhausted. I quickly took some berries into my hand and ground them with the mortar and pestle. I then poured it into the bottle, causing it to turn into a more radiant gold.

"Good...now shake it vigorously," he groaned.

I shook the bottle as much as I could until the gold became more uniformed. He smiled.

"That's it...good work Ayame," he groaned.

He leaned off of the wall but collapsed to the floor. I put the bottle down and helped him up.

"This...this is unusual...I never get this tired from using that skill..."

I lay him on my lap and held the bottle up. He opened his mouth slightly and I poured it in. He finished it within seconds and mere moments after he did, he looked a lot more lively than before.

"It should start working in a few minutes...but this potion makes the imbiber very sleepy...it's the reason it's known as the "Healing Trance" potion," he said.

He looked up at me.

"Why did you come here?" he asked.

I looked away.

"Like I said...I was with a party but all of them got killed," I replied.
"Where are you from?"

I looked down at him.

"The mountains to the north," I replied.
"As am I...I was born in Sharkath Village," he explained.

I smiled slightly; I was familiar with the village's location and also for their reputation of producing gifted hunters.

"What about you?" he asked.
"...I don't like talking about my family," I replied.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Bad blood?'
"...You could say that,"

He nodded slowly.

"My apologies for pressing," he said.

I shook my head.

"It's alright...it's just something I'm not used to talking about," I explained.

He closed his eyes.

"We'll probably have to leave in the morning...we should be safe in here because most of the monsters can't fit through the cave entrance," he said.

I nodded and whistled softly. I smiled as my friend flew through the cave entrance.

"An Orarian Ghostfeather Hawk...he's an incredibly rare breed," he said.
"His name is Meiryo...he's been my friend since I was a child," I explained.

The Orarian Ghostfeather hawk was a large bird of prey that was known for how intelligent it could be. To an outsider, it was a sight to behold but to me, this bird has taken care of me and saved my life many times during the years we've spent together.

"I'm glad you're alright,"
"The same goes for you my little feather,"

He gently ran his head against my cheek.

"I can hear his brainwaves...you have the ability to speak to him?" asked Takashi.

I gasped.

"How-"
"I developed the ability to understand the brainwaves of animals and translate them into my own dialect," he explained.

"Could this be...the one the gods call the Wolf Tamer?"
"Is it really him? He's the famous hunter?"
"It would appear so...pleasure to meet you,"
"Likewise...this potion is going to take effect very soon...might I ask you to keep watch for us?"

Much to my surprise, Meiryo nodded.

"You saved my mistress's life...I cannot thank you enough for that,"
"Think nothing of it,"

Takashi pointed to the back of the cave.

"There are two bedrolls in that large crevice...I suggest we both get some sleep," he said.

I reached them and spread them out. Takashi leaned off of the wall and collapsed onto one of the rolls.

"We'll leave in about three hours...just need this potion to take effect so I can have full use of my body,"

He turned his back to me.

"You look exhausted as well...get some sleep because we're going to need all the energy we can get if we intend to get out of here," he said.
"You have a plan?" I asked.

He nodded.

"I mapped out most of the area the last time I was here so I think we can get to the exit if we move quickly enough...but nothing ever goes according to plan so we'd might as well be prepared,"

It didn't take long for him to fall asleep.

"I'll watch over the two of you while you sleep...you look tired,"
"I'm just not used to this kindness...I've barely met him yet he risked his life for me,"
"Some people are heroes at heart and the only reason they need to save someone is just to see them in distress,"
"I guess it's really been too long since we've actually had friends..."
"You didn't tell him about your past did you?"

I shook my head.

"I doubt he would really be compelled to help me if he found out who my father is..."
"You should never assume those things...now that the entire party has been killed, you're alone again,"

I sighed deeply.

"I knew I shouldn't have grown attached to them...it's bad enough that I don't at all like my familia but now...I lost my only friends,"
"You may have just made one right here,"

I looked back at Takashi, who was sound asleep.

"Maybe you're right...wake me up in two hours,"
"Sweet dreams mistress,"

Later That Night- Rivira, The Inn

"I didn't know it was so pricey to stay here..." sighed Mira.
"I'd expect no less from a city that's been destroyed numerous times by monsters," replied Akio.

I heard Amie sigh deeply.

"Guess it was a good thing Takashi told me to carry all of the funds that we set aside for a trip like this," she said.
"How the hell you carry such a huge bag...I'll never know," said Mira.

I snickered.

"Artel Assist helps so much," replied Amie.
"Excuse me?"

We all turned to see a woman at the door.

"You said there was another person coming tonight?" she asked.
"Yes, Takashi Mashiro is supposed to be on his way here," replied Akio.

She suddenly lit up and squealed.

"Takkun is coming back?! I haven't seen him in months!" she cheered.
"You...know him?!" asked Hanna.

The woman snickered.

"He's an old friend of mine," she replied.

I examined the woman...and sometimes I really wondered if there was such a thing as a non-voluptuous woman in this place.

She was a female Cat Person, no older than low to mid twenties. She had chocolate hair long enough to reach about her mid back, pinned in a ponytail. Her eyes were blue-gray color with the usual cat-like pupils, though for some reason she wears round, frameless spectacles over them. Her skin was quite pale and she had brown-furred cat ears atop her head with a matching tail. She wore a long, flowing, and seemingly impossibly low-cut dress, and for some reason, was not wearing any shoes, most likely due to her high arches which would make them very uncomfortable. What really stuck out however...was her body type.

She was extremely curvy with absolutely massive breasts, hovering around an F cup which was quite the opposite from what I usually saw in female Cat People. In addition to a large rear, wide hips, and huge breasts, she also had rather plump thighs. With her apparent dislike of clothing, her breasts also lack much support, leading to a lot of bouncing at even the slightest movement. I could only imagine the difficulty of breathing if she were ever to catch someone in a hug with their face in her chest.

"What's your name?" I asked.
"Matilda Flynn, but you can call me Mattie," she replied.

I was almost positive that I caught Akio looking at her chest but he looked out the window before I could get a read on his stare.

"Where is Takkun anyway?" she asked.
"He's on the 17th floor...for some reason he didn't arrive at the exit on time but he said for us to get to the city...especially since we have these two with us," replied Vanna.

She pointed at Hanna and Amie, causing Matilda to smile.

"That sounds like Takkun alright; always looking out for others," she said with a smile.
"Is that how you met him?" asked Akio.

She nodded.

"He helped get me my job here at the inn because he's friends with the owner," she explained.
"Is he friends with everyone..." sighed Vanna.

Matilda chuckled loudly.

"When you're a hunter and hides are in high demand, you tend to meet a lot of people I guess," she said with a shrug.
"I see..." I said.

She looked at me and for some reason, squealed.

"Your ears are so cute!" she said.

I rolled my eyes as she started to play with them.

"Hands off," I snapped.
"Someone's having a bad day today..." she sighed.

I shook my head.

"Just worried about Takashi," I replied.
"Should we go and look for him tomorrow if he doesn't come?" asked Hanna.

I nodded.

"Sounds like a good idea...but I'm going to have to get some work done on my whip considering how hard it was to penetrate that minotaur's skin, even with my fire magic," I said.

Akio nodded in agreement.

"Fang can probably find his scent," he said.
"Let's worry about it tomorrow...right now, we need to focus on recovering from those battles because we had quite a few close calls," said Vanna.
"Agreed," said Hanna.

Matilda turned back to the door.

"Let me know if there's anything you guys need," she said.

She closed the door behind her.

"It's settled then, we'll head out first thing in the morning to find him...I just hope he's still alive," I said.
"He'll be fine Nana...he's a big boy," said Mira.

Meanwhile

"I still can't believe...that all of them are gone..."

I punched the table.

"I was useless...I couldn't save all of them...it's all my fault..."

"Mr. Asano?"

I turned around to see an elf at the door, who was looking at me in concern.

"Is everything alright? I heard a loud thud," she said.

I closed my eyes and sighed.

"Everything's fine Venia...thanks for asking," I replied.

She entered the room and shut the door behind her.

"You're...still feeling guilty about what happened earlier today?" she asked.

I sighed deeply.

"I'm not taking the loss very well at all...they were my comrades after all," he said.

She approached me and put a hand on my shoulder.

"You did your best...you can't blame yourself for their deaths," she said.

I lowered my head to the table.

"I failed them...I failed my familia and most importantly...I failed to live up to the role I wanted to fill for them all," I said.

Venia hugged me close.

"You're a good man Zekko...I know your heart means well but you have to understand that you can't save everyone every time," she said.

I slowly allowed myself to accept her affection, burying my head in her chest and allowed the tears to fall. She hushed me as best she could, stroking the back of my head and resting her chin on top of my head.

"All I can do now is move on...but the pain still remains..."