It is time, to enter the dungeon! Our newly formed party has begun their dangerous trek through the ruins of Aegis, the once proud fortress that kept the city of Elysium safe from all dangers, and now was nothing but death and dark magic. What secrets or dangers will they find below in the dark depths?
The group stared down the dark stairs leading into the underground remnants of the fortress. Even to Shoto's half-elven eyes, the darkness was nigh impenetrable beyond a few feet down, but that was enough for them to see the stairs were broken, shattered, and that it was a sheer drop into…something. Something deadly, dangerous, something truly evil going by whatever dark force was creating all of these undead.
Izuku nodded, reaching into his bag and pulling out a golden colored rod, perhaps a little over a foot long. He smacked it against his knee, a loud 'crack' noise echoing from it. A moment later, it began to glow, golden light emanating from it. Izuku tossed it forward, allowing it to fall into the darkness, revealing a long, long drop from the stairs down to where the rod landed. Izuku took a knee at the edge of the stairwell, his eyes seeking before he nodded once more.
Ochako blinked as he reached into his bag and pulled out a length of rope, followed by a…piton? An actual, genuine piton used for mountain climbing. He set it against the stone, shuffling in place for a moment, before turning back to Ochako. "Ochako, mind hammering this in?"
Ochako paused for a moment, before the request added up in her mind. She set her warhammer down, reaching to her waist and pulling out her preferred blacksmithing hammer that she never left home without. Taking a knee next to Izuku, she gently shooed his hand away from the piton as she grasped it herself. Risking her own fingers was one thing, risking his was another. She was confident in her ability to avoid self injury though, and with a careful eye, she brought the hammer down once, twice, thrice, making sure to tap it in just right so it didn't crack the stone around it, but was lodged in firmly.
When she stepped back, Izuku reached in and tugged at it, green sparks appearing as he activated his enhancement magic. With a brilliant smile at her when it didn't move, he tied the rope off and sent it falling down into the pit where the glowing golden rod was still resting.
"Okay. I'll go first, then Shoto. This way we can react quickly if we get jumped. Tsuyu, you follow third. Tenya, you fourth. Ochako, since you can lower yourself quickly with your magic, you'll be our rearguard till we're all down just in case something goes bad. The second someone sees something off, let everyone know. Once we're all down, there is a chance something messes with the rope after we're gone. So know that we may have a hell of a time getting back out of here in an emergency…you guys sure you're still up for this?" Izuku glanced about to check everyone's resolve.
"I intend on solving the riddle of Aegis. I will not back down," Shoto assured, nodding to the green-haired man.
"I am of the noble line of Idas! I shall never back down from such a quest! We shall succeed at this mission, of this I have no doubt!" Tenya said, standing up straight and saluting…no one in particular.
Tsuyu rolled her eyes, just giving Izuku a fond half-smile and nod, as Ochako gripped her hammer tighter. The brunette brushed her hair back and gave Izuku her own nod of recognition. "Let's do this, Izuku."
Izuku returned the nod to his assembled party, smiling tightly as he gripped the rope tightly. Swinging his legs over the edge of the drop, he took one last bracing breath…and began to slowly climb down the rope, giving himself enough time to look about and check for any dangers. None of his senses could detect anything, but he couldn't help but crinkle his nose in disgust at the stench of rot and filth growing as he moved, the seeping darkness of the evil magic in the area making him shiver.
His feet touched down upon the stone, giving him his first glance at the area they would be stepping into. It appeared they were in some type of vestibule, with two archways leading out from it, one to the north and one to the east. There were signs there once being doors in those archways, but whatever had been that had long since been destroyed or had rotted away, nothing remaining but rusted hinges and broken bits upon the ground. Izuku reached down to grasp the alchemical light he'd brought along, holding it up to get a better view.
Idly he noted the sound of Shoto climbing onto the rope and making his way down, but he stayed focused on his surroundings. The vision granted by the alchemical light wasn't great, only really showing him what he'd already seen, save he could now see high enough to find the ceiling. He made sure to scan up as well, knowing how often foes could drop from above, but saw no hidden enemies waiting in the wings.
Shoto landed next to him, Tsuyu grasping the rope next and beginning to slide down. The mage held one hand up, a pale blue light appearing above it. A second, then a third, then a fourth all appeared, small floating orbs of light. With a soft gesture, the four floated out, one to each doorway, one up above to get a better view, and one sitting around Shoto's head. Izuku nodded at the mage next to him in thanks, softly stepping towards the north door and carefully peering around it as Tsuyu set down upon the stone.
Izuku's gaze fell upon a partly collapsed tunnel, the end seemingly crushed beneath the weight of the earth. He pursed his lips, ducking back out of that doorway and heading to the eastern one as Tenya finished his climb down. He tuned out the sounds of Tsuyu muttering under her breath, assuming she was casting some magic as he could feel the pulse of power coming from her. Around the eastern doorway, he could see a hallway that led much farther into the darkness before coming to an abrupt dead end, a dozen doors lining the hallway, six to each side.
Izuku hummed to himself, one hand on his chin as he thought. Ochako, having just gotten down, stepped over to him and leaned in close. "What's the next move, Izu?"
Izuku blinked. "Izu?"
Ochako's cheeks tinged pink, but she kept her smile on her face as she spoke. "Y-yeah, I just…since we're friends and all, I…I thought I could call you a nickname? If that's okay?"
"O-Oh, yeah, of course!" Izuku reassured her, his train of thought a bit derailed by the random non-sequitur. A second later, he felt a wave of familiar magic flow over him, seeing Ochako jolt at the same moment. He glanced back to see the soft pulse of green-blue magic flowing over the group, each of them glowing for a brief moment before it subsided…and Izuku could see.
"I thought it prudent to be ready for darkness," Tsuyu explained, the entire room now visible to the party's eyes with a high amount of detail, as if a gentle sunlight was present in the room with them.
Izuku's slight embarrassment faded as he grinned at Tsuyu. "I knew we could count on you! Thanks Tsu!" As Tsuyu's blank face split into a thankful smile, Izuku turned back to Ochako and nodded at her. "Well, I want to check something before we pick a path. I have a weird hunch something's off about the northern tunnel. You got my back, 'C-Chako?" Izuku stuttered as he tried his own shortened version of Ochako's name, but felt his chest warm at the pleased grin she gave him in return. The brunette hefted her hammer close, nodding at him with pink sparks fluttering about her fingertips. Tenya and Shoto both gave him reassuring nods as well, the druidess crouched down and running her fingers over the stone as if trying to decipher something from it. Izuku left her to it, confident she'd mention it if she saw something off, and headed back to the northern door.
Stepping cautiously into the hallway, he held up his hand to have Ochako remain in the doorway. He stared at the collapsed tunnel ahead of him…barely ten feet before him, and yet…something about it felt wrong. He casually reached down to his bag and pulled out a small sack from it, opening that to reveal a good hundred steel ball bearings of various weights and sizes. Pulling out one of the larger ones, he replaced the pouch and rolled the bearing in his hand for a moment, familiarizing himself with the feel and weight. After a second, he reared back and tossed the bearing to the tunnel…only for it to pass through the collapsed rock and stone, clattering to an unseen halt on the far side.
Izuku's self-satisfied smirk at seeing through the illusion vanished as he felt every nerve in his body tense, the familiar sensation of danger now flooding his veins. Green energy sparked off him, his sword appearing in his hand; the other four moving to readied stances as they noted his motions…Tenya taking a step to cover Shoto and Tsuyu, the casters both raising up their staves in preparation, as Ochako brought her hammer forward into a ready position. Izuku slowly, ever so slowly, inched his way towards the doorway, his eyes locked on the illusory tunnel collapse…only to have to duck as a shadowy figure flew through it, a gaping hole where its mouth should be open in a silent scream.
Dark claws raked across Izuku, the incorporeal claws slicing clean through his body and sapping him of strength, the green-haired adventurer gritting his teeth in pain as he leapt back to the doorway. He grabbed Ochako and pulled her back so they were now with the other three and had more room to maneuver. A second, third, fourth, seven of these shadow creatures poured out of the tunnel and began to fly towards the party rapidly.
Izuku willed the enchantment in the sword to activate, a white shimmering glow crackling across the blade. Tenya's spear shimmered into the same color, a blue-white glow appearing around his ankles as his own enhancement magic took hold. Ochako grit her teeth, the white glow on her hammer mixed now with her pink and a sudden roar of fire as the head of her hammer burst into flames, a feral grin on her face as she stared at the shadow creatures attempting to encircle the party.
Izuku couldn't help but smirk in return, the speed and efficiency of his partymates reminding him of the tales he'd read as a child that had inspired him to become an adventurer to begin with. This was exactly the sort of dynamic he'd wanted…and he'd have it no other way. With a battle cry, he leapt forward, green sparks surging as he thrust into one of the shadow creatures' center.
The shadow screeched, its voice grating on the ears, as the enchantment Shoto had woven into the blade took hold, its essence disrupting the dark magic that held the monster together. Izuku withdrew his blade and spun about, cutting through a tendril from a second shadow creature as it tried to strike at his back. It swung again, but Tenya's shield interposed itself between the two, his spear flickering rapidly as he thrust once, twice, thrice, the shadow's body ripping itself apart and dissipating into the aether.
Ochako slammed her hammer into one of the shadows, the flames around it roaring into life and erupting in an explosion of force, the shadow blown apart by the force of the swing and the magically enhanced explosion upon it. She smiled widely, sharing a glance with Izuku who couldn't help but grin back at her excitement, even as he leapt over one of the shadow creatures, slashing it clean down the center and splitting it in twain. His feet landed on the wall, knees bent, as he launched himself forward towards Tsuyu.
The druidess saw him coming and ducked, trusting his moves, as Izuku speared into a third creature. He skidded across the wall with it, unable to bring his blade to bear, but a quick shimmer from his left clued him into Shoto's next move. With a grunt of exertion, he leapt away just as a half-dozen spikes of ice rocketed from behind him, impaling the shadow to the wall, its echoing screeches cut off by the impact.
Tenya bolted in front of Shoto to block another shadow strike, his shield pressing back against the creature's claws as it shimmered with the magic Shoto had imbued within. A deluge of water swirled about the shadow, wrapping it up and squeezing it, crushing it beneath a magical force equivalent to the deepest depths of the sea. Tsuyu's eyes glowed with effort, as the shadow struggled, but it lost the battle and was crushed, silenced forevermore.
Ochako leapt in the air, her hammer held in both hands, bringing it smashing down on top of the last shadow with an crack of force, her hammer driving it into the stone floor and shattering it's essence, the final shadows cries vanishing, fading away as the sounds of battle followed. The group paused for a moment, taking stock, a few of them breathing slightly heavier but no more than expected.
Ochako walked over to Izuku and grabbed his shoulder, pulling him about so she could see his face. She carefully patted his shoulder and chest where the claws had struck him at the start, eyes seeking an injury. Izuku gulped at her presence, internally thrilled but feeling a little bit flustered. He gently lay his hand upon hers and stopped her pressure, making her look back up at him.
"I'm alright. Shadow's don't do physical wounds, they wound your strength directly. But I'll be okay after we rest a bit."
"We can't afford to wait for that, Izuku, if there are more we need you in the best shape. Here," Tsuyu remarked, pulling a potion out of her bag and pushing it into his hand.
"But-" he protested, eyes wide, but found himself cut off by the druidess' narrowed eyes. His shoulders slumped as he uncapped the bottle, draining the softly glowing black liquid and grimacing at the taste. He rolled his shoulder, shaking his hand out and hopping in place for a moment before nodding. "Thanks, Tsu!" he replied, handing her back the empty vial so she could reuse it later. She nodded, placing it in her bag, before turning to the rest of the group with a stern gaze.
"Don't hide injuries. I brought a lot of potions for a reason. And my magic can heal, even if I am not an expert."
"But what if you're the one hurt?" Ochako asked softly.
"My potions are labeled. Use one of them."
Izuku lifted one hand up. "I also bought a bunch of potions, but mostly just ones that healed physical wounds. Anything more specific, we'll need whatever Tsu brought."
"Excellent forethought from both of you. I too carry a few small potions with me!" Tenya said, nodding sharply at both shorter figures before him. With a proud glance, he pulled a massive jug out of his bag, Izuku blinking at what had to be a good half dozen potions worth of magic in a single container.
"I mostly carry elixirs to keep my magical power at its peak. I do not anticipate anyone getting near enough to strike at me," Shoto said softly.
Ochako blinked. "...am I the only one who didn't bring potions?"
Izuku chuckled nervously as he held a small pouch out to her. "I…figured you wouldn't, so I bought extra for you."
Ochako stared at his outstretched hand for a moment in consternation. She barely noticed when he shoved the bag in her hands, or how she automatically clenched her fingers around the pouch. He'd…gotten it for her? Just because he knew she wouldn't do it herself? Her face felt warm, which was very strange as the ruins were much cooler than the nearby forest. She didn't think she could really say much in response, so she just nodded her thanks and tried to give Izuku a smile to show how grateful she was. The green-haired man rubbed the back of his neck, smiling back at her with a sheepish grin.
"I-I hope that's not too presumptuous?" He asked.
She finally found her words, swallowing heavily. "N-no, of course not. I really appreciate it, thank you!"
"It's nothing special really, it's just some normal potions, Tsuyu has all the-"
"We have a mission to complete. Please, let us continue on," Tenya interrupted, pointing down the hall where the shadows had come from.
Izuku shook his head to clear it. "R-right! Well, there is an illusory wall down that hall, so I suspect that will be important to travel down. But let's check all these rooms first, to be certain nothing will attack us from behind." He walked over to the eastern archway, waving Tenya over to stand next to him. "Tenya, you stand ready at the door since you have the shield. I'll open for you. Tsuyu, stay right behind Tenya for support. Shoto, Ochako, keep an eye behind us to be sure nothing sneaks up on us."
The four nodded along with Izuku's instructions, Tenya taking position with shield raised and spear at the ready at the first doorway. Izuku held up three fingers, counting down silently within Tenya's vision, before snapping the door open as Tenya rushed in. The two front line fighters quickly swept the room, realizing it appeared to be nothing more than a small barracks, likely where the next shift of guards would be resting and preparing for their upcoming shift.
The investigation of the room was cursory but measured, the group well able to search for anything hidden. Once confirming the room was empty of anything useful, they moved to the next, finding it much the same. Checking each of the rooms confirmed the suspicion that Izuku voiced about the nature of the barracks, all dozen rooms identical and as empty as the first. With that, the group reconvened at the northern hall, knowing that was their next move.
Izuku rolled his neck as he pointed at the rubble ahead of them. "That walls an illusion of some kind. We've no idea what's on the other side, so we'll just have to go in blind I guess."
"One moment, please," Shoto said quietly. He waved his left hand quickly, the shimmering silver ring on his ring finger glimmering for a moment, before the illusion of rubble wavered and fell, vanishing to reveal a long hallway, going back a good few dozen meters before reaching a crossroads.
Izuku took a deep breath, sword at the ready. "Well…let's go on."
Izuku was concerned. Other than the earlier shadows, the only creatures they had encountered were moderately dangerous undead…Ghouls, more Shadows, a pair of Ghasts…but nothing else. The entire ruins should have been flooded by undead! Not necessarily stronger ones, but everyone knew that zombies and skeletons were abundant here, and yet…they'd seen none. Even the ghouls had been a small pack, barely five strong, and they'd only seen scattered shadows since. None of this made sense.
With enchanted chalk, he'd been marking the routes they'd taken, making sure they checked every nook and cranny of the ruins. Ochako was slowly starting to understand Izuku's methods, especially as Tsuyu and Tenya both had praise for his forethought. Shoto said little, but she'd noticed him nodding along in agreement as the group traveled. She'd been asking him questions as they went, curious about why he was doing what he did. He'd been happy to explain it, but he couldn't help but feel…off. Everything about this trip just struck him as wrong. He couldn't say why, exactly, just that it was worrying.
They had been traveling for a number of hours when Izuku finally called for a break. They'd found a small office along one of the tunnels, large enough to fit all five of them comfortably enough they could take a short break and eat a quick meal of dried rations and drain from their waterskins. Tsuyu also took this time to refill said waterskins, her water focus meaning that calling forth clean water was nearly as simple as breathing for her.
Izuku was rubbing his face, having decided to splash some water on it to help try to clear his mind, when he noticed Shoto approaching him. Tenya was standing guard at the door, leaning on the wall next to it, as Ochako and Tsuyu spoke softly in the corner, the druidess explaining some of her potions to Ochako as the blacksmith nodded along, listening intently.
"What's up?" Izuku asked the ice mage, the taller man taking a seat next to him against the wall.
"Do you find this as odd as I do?" Shoto asked without a preamble.
Izuku felt both a cold chill run down his spine at confirmation of his suspicions, and a small sense of relief that it wasn't just him who took issue with what was happening. He nodded. "Yeah…I expected a lot more undead. A lot."
"I did as well. It is as if most of them…simply ceased to exist. They did not escape the ruins, the wards would have noted it and alerted the guild. Yet we have seen little to no sign of them. If they were here, they should have left tracks in the dust and the dirt, but there is precious little evidence of anyone passing through these places save us."
"Yeah…It's very concerning. Something has changed here…and I don't know what," Izuku mused.
"I fear we also are running out of time," Shoto said quietly, attempting not to be overheard.
"Huh?" Izuku asked, his stress climbing back up at Shoto's commentary.
"You do not appear as susceptible to the corruption as the others or myself, but the dark magic is slowly seeping into us. I can feel it working against me, and while I am more sensitive to corrupted magic due to my lineage, the others will similarly be affected; though they may not notice it yet. We must complete our mission quickly, so as to not allow any deleterious effects to impact us."
Izuku worked his jaw. "Is there anything you can do to delay it? I don't know if we're any closer to finding what we need."
"I cannot, but perhaps Tsuyu has something. I shall speak to her. But I fear we must proceed quicker regardless."
Izuku sighed. "You're probably right. Alright. Sacrificing security for speed I guess…I'll take point then. Let's get packed up and get on the move."
Shoto nodded, standing up and striding over to speak to Tsuyu. Izuku quickly packed up his bags, his motions drawing the eyes of the others and making them follow suit. He was not happy to know this…and also wondering why he wasn't noticing any corruption either. He shook his head, setting that aside. That wasn't important right now…finishing their mission took precedence. Time to leave caution to the wind, he supposed.
Tsuyu was able to bring up a ward that held back the corruption, but she warned it was temporary and she could not maintain it forever. So Izuku did as asked, and began moving quicker…less focus on each corner, more focus on checking for any various traps. Shoto was burning his energy quicker, keeping a detection spell active to try and trace any form of magical impediment as Izuku looked for physical ones, but still finding nothing.
Not until they saw it…a glimmer of light ahead, down the large hallway they had been traveling. The first light they'd seen yet, slightly shining from beneath a large, iron-slatted wood door that was closed at the end of the hallway. Izuku shared a glance with the group, all of them wide-eyed at the signs of something active or visible. Izuku carefully walked closer, each step as light as he could, fearful he'd call attention to whatever awaited the other side.
Checking carefully for any form of trap, he noted nothing, and with a silent breath, he pressed his ear against the door, listening for any sign. Though he expected none, his expectations were dashed when he heard…humming?
"Hmm, hmm, hmm. Yes, perhaps…perhaps this? Nay, that would only cloud the mixture. Would it function if I added some of this? No no, I did that last time and it simply went poorly. Hmm. I must decipher this. I…oh. Visitors?" At that, Izuku had no chance to react, the door swinging open, its well-oiled hinges opening with nary a noise. The party rushed to Izuku's side, weapons at the ready, all of them pausing in the doorway at the sight before them.
A massive laboratory, hundreds if not thousands of vials and beakers scattered about. Shelves covered in books and notes floated, yes, floated in midair, gently drifting about the well-lit room, shimmering multicolored lights dancing about in the air. A kaleidoscope of color and chaos, liquids boiling and roiling, tubes with glinting tips and various accouterments in every conceivable corner…and in the center of it, seated at a desk, was a figure in rich red robes. Most of the body was covered up, hands covered in supple red gloves…but the most noticeable feature was the skull atop its neck, a bleached white skull with shimmering blue-white flames for eyes.
The jaw creaked in a motion, the teeth moving in what the group realized was a horrifying approximation of a smile, as the figure waved at them jovially. "Hello!"