His heart was beating quickly, his vision was partially red and his fingers felt the rough stony floor.
His body was in pain, there were some broken bones amidst the blood but he was far from being dead, although some parts of him wished that was the case.
In his left hand he still had his trusty axe while the other one was just almost at arm's reach. He crawled, keeping an eye to his surroundings; Noel was on the corner of his vision, his back against the wall but the Captain could see that he was still breathing despite the damage.
A shiver went down his spine as he grabbed the second axe and got to his knees. His head was buzzing as he tried to wipe some of the blood in his vision; each breath was painful and his body was not going to last for long, but right now he wanted to endure, he needed to win this fight, not only to survive but to finish something that started months ago. His drive for avenging those he has lost led him and Noel to this impossible situation.
No.
There used to be three. But one was gone.
He looked at the ceiling, the lights in the cave looked beautiful, even in a crisis like this. He couldn't hear anything but his own heartbeats and his breathing. His eyes lowered and focused on what was ahead of him.
A giant bear. Its dark fur mixed in with the blood, the empty eye socket trained on the adventurer. There was no doubt that it was bigger than Ragnar, it could overpower him and with its bloodied claws and fangs could decimate the Captain in seconds, the only reason he was still alive was a either a miracle or luck.
Trying to catch his breath once more, Ragnar recalled all the events that led to this day, what could be his last day on this mortal realm.
…
Earlier that day
"Ragnar."
The Captain turned his head at the source of the voice and saw a worried Goddess looking back at him.
"Is everything alright? "
"What? Yeah, I'm just thinking."
The renovations of Fimbulvetr were still ongoing and the Skadi Familia couldn't stay at the mead hall so they had to change locations at the small forge area that they had. They set up a table and had their meals there, fortunately at night with the builders gone they could return to their private quarters.
It was not the most pleasant arrangement that they had at the moment but it had to suffice for now, if anything Ragnar and Noel would go to the Dungeon so most of the day they would spend it there while Skadi would just oversee the renovations.
Even if Heimdall's offer for the three of them was still standing, Skadi politely rejected it.
"Is the renovation affecting you? "
"I can't deny that it feels weird having breakfast here but it's just a matter of time, yes? " Ragnar looked at Noel who had a loaf of bread in his mouth but nodded in response. "How long did they say? "
"If all goes well they will be done next week, two at most." Their breakfast options were still very simple. "Just so I know… you plan to go down there again? " The Goddess asked and both adventurers looked at each other, almost worried.
"Y-yeah… try to pass some time at the Dungeon, get stronger… the usual, is there something wrong? "
"No, but maybe you could be interested. Heimdall came the other day and told me that his children are planning to go all together to the Dungeon, something about the sixth and eighth floor and he told me that you are free to join them if you want."
"Captain…" Noel looked again at the blond who stopped for a moment to think.
Skadi was going to speak again when the silent boy opened his mouth to speak. "Thanks Skadi, but we already have plans and we don't want to bother Mister Thom or anyone in his Familia."
While the offer was tempting, if the two of them joined the group then their exploration would only be limited to those two floors, on top of that if he were to tell them something along the lines of wanting to see something on the tenth floor then it would definitely draw some suspicion and considering how the dwarf acted in regards of the two rookies then he would not only prohibit going further but also would tell Skadi about it.
It was an opportunity but a very risky one.
"If I see them I'll thank for the offer but we'll decline it." Ragnar finished his breakfast and thanked the Goddess for it.
"Noel, what about you?" She asked but the young one did not have an immediate answer, he saw Ragnar grab his armor and weapons from inside of the forge's back room.
"Um… I…" He hesitated and finished his bread before standing up and bowing at the woman in front of her. "Thank you Goddess, but I can't leave my captain behind. A great hero can't leave his friends behind.
This elicited a small chuckle from inside of the back room as the captain came out with his armor and weapons already at each side. "The earlier we go the more monsters we can find. Come on, Noel."
"Yes." He went inside and grabbed his gear.
"Ragnar, " The blond turned at the voice of Skadi. "Will you be alright? "
The boy wanted to reassure her but it was hard not to do it. He couldn't lie to her and so far he has been meticulous on how he worded everything. Whether Skadi knew or not about the monster they were looking for was still uncertain for him but if she knew then she would've stopped them, right?
That was the question that still lingered for him, maybe she didn't care what happened to them? Impossible, that was not how she behaved, she cared for the two of them but at the same time…
"I'll try to be…"
They looked at each other, her red-brown irises looked back at the clear ones from Ragnar, peeking into his soul.
An unnerving feeling on the back of his head, a shiver running down his spine as a cold sensation bathed his body as if the aura of the Goddess was engulfing him.
Until he didn't feel anything anymore, she closed her eyes and nodded. "Very well, I hope to see you for dinner."
"Yeah… we will." Ragnar nodded and saw Noel coming out with his light armor and the knife to the side. "We'll be back soon, Skadi."
"See you later, Goddess! "
The two boys waved at her as they crossed the entrance to Fimbulvetr and were no longer in view. The smile of the Goddess disappeared and looked at the two plates they left, one of them was empty while the other still had some of the breakfast left.
Skadi could not stop to be worried whenever they went to the Dungeon, even if they return unscathed she still dreads that bad news might come. However, this day felt different, it was a sense of foreboding that she could not get rid of.
Maybe it was a bad idea for them to go to the Dungeon that day, she wanted to stop them but what kind of impression would she give? She wished nothing but the best for her children and to pursue their goals but at the same time what is the point of that if they don't return alive at all?
Skadi immediately stood up from the chair and ran towards the entrance, hoping she could catch them before they left.
"Ragnar! Noel! " She screamed atop of her lungs as she crossed the open doors of the bit plot.
Fortunately for her, both adventurers haven't moved that far and turned with confusion on their faces.
"Goddess? Something wrong? "
`Please, don't go!´ Is what she wanted to say, to warn them of that bad feeling she had but it was once again like a knot in her throat. She couldn't muster the words and by the time she felt better…
"I almost forgot... if it isn't too much asking, can you buy groceries on your way back? " She gave them a gentle smile.
"Uhm… s-sure, Goddess… we'll try to be earlier then" the children nodded and waved at her again as they turned around and went once again on their way until they disappeared from her sight.
She was cursing herself under her breath for not having the courage of telling them to stop and even wondering if doing it would've been a bad idea. Regardless to her, what's done is done. As she noticed where she was, Skadi quickly went back inside to the safety of Fimbulvetr.
Now on the main street, Ragnar and Noel remained quiet, the former focused on the tower while the latter was having his sights on the different shops. There was silence between the two, an uneasy feeling that has been creeping up to them for the whole week.
"Captain, do you think the Goddess knows? " The white haired didn't beat around the bush and went straight for the point, a question that has been burning in both boys' minds.
"She suspects something."
"Is that certain? "
"Just a hunch, for a moment I thought she would stop us right at the end." Noel agreed with a cheerful sound. "Let's hope we can find the creature, kill it and come back to Skadi with a smile."
"I hope so too, Captain…"
There wasn't much talk afterwards until they arrived at Babel and saw in the distance a frustrated girl wielding a spear and with her arms crossed, one of her shoes was angrily tapping, not because of impatience but because she saw them coming and they were not moving that quickly.
"You are late." Brynhildr frowned, her anger dedicated mostly to Ragnar.
"Good morning…"
"I've been waiting here for ten minutes. The way you worded things made it sound like it is important for you and thus you would be here on time if not earlier."
"We apologize, Miss Brynhildr. We had to make sure our Goddess wouldn't worry about it." Noel slightly bowed his head and the girl was looking at him with a strange look in her face.
"Tsch." A click of her tongue as she leaned on the exterior wall of the tower itself. "Fine, just don't be late next time, alright? If there even is a next time."
"There won't because we will kill it today." A crude response but Ragnar was prepared to go in. He tried to walk past the warrior from Odin Familia but she used her spear to block his and Noel's path. "What now? "
"It is clear that you need me for this, and I know that I can't dissuade you from doing this stupid hunt. Still, I can just walk away from this and leave you to your own devices."
"Unless…? "
"Unless you tell me why are you behind this monster? You approached me about it and been thinking about it ever since, so spill it out."
Just what kind of woman was she? From being a friendly person back in the Dungeon when they were escaping to someone that definitely has a problem with Ragnar. He couldn't find a good read on her and it made him doubt that recruiting her for this hunt was a good idea.
Then again, the other options were not that optimal for the boys.
Ragnar sighed, knowing that she had the upper hand in this situation. "Mind if I tell you on the way to the Dungeon? " He tried to move forward but she didn't budge. "Why are you like this? "
"Because we are not friends, we are two people who ended up in an unfortunate situation and had to work together to survive. I warned you about the dangers of the Dungeon, this city and even advised you to go back home. If you plan to end your life down there with a monster that can-"
"I don't have a home to return to…" The blond interrupted, clenching his fists at his next words. "That thing destroyed my home and many more villages in the north. It is perhaps the last living monster that raided the north and I intend to kill it, not only to stop any future attacks but to also avenge everyone that I knew, the people from my village, my father… I know vengeance against a thing like that is just a simple reason but what else do I have? "
He returned the frown to Bryn. "Is that explanation enough to you? "
But the girl did not reply, instead she raised her spear and turned around to corner in the direction of the Dungeon. "Let's go, I'll take you two down there." In an almost muted voice, Brynhildr acted as their guide.
With her on the front, Ragnar was following from behind and Noel in the back. He never heard the story of the monster in detail from the captain, it was always just a matter of being a threat to some villages and how it killed people but he never knew it was that important to him.
There were many stories that he read, heroic deeds from the most unexpected individuals who turned into heroes and even those with a tragic origin who became legends. Maybe this was one of those tales? One that could be recorded for future generations? It was an interesting prospect but he had to keep his head focused, not only for himself but for Ragnar who had a grudge to settle.
"Captain…? " The leader turned his head, looking at the young one from the corner of his vision, waiting for the question. "Um… nothing, sorry." He shook his head, it was better to keep some thoughts to himself right now.
The march down the Dungeon was tense, it was easy for the first floors but there was no doubt that the tension brought by the Captain was felt by the other two adventurers; there weren't many exchanges between the three of them other than some warnings and orders when fighting the different creatures.
The deeper they went the less effective both Ragnar and Noel proved to be, while they could get some kills, it was up to Brynhildr's experience to do most of the job while the others finished the remains or landed the last hits.
Every now and then they took some moments to rest but they were all minding their own businesses, even Bryn was curious at times about her two companions but neither would start a conversation, even more so for the shortest member of the group who was quite talkative the last time they were together.
The air in the Dungeon felt denser with each floor, the sounds of fighting from other adventurers still echoed through the walls. They were expecting to hear anything from other adventurers but the deeper they went the less people they found, even if Brynhildr told them they were on one of the `main paths´.
Fighting new creatures could've been exciting but the idea of trying not to die to them was still their top priority. Ragnar and Noel struggled with some of them such as the War Shadows or the Purple Moth while the girl just dodged every attack that she could and struck true at many of the weak points.
"Captain, are you sure she is a level one? She looks miles ahead of us…"
"Huh?!" Bryn immediately turned her head as she stabbed the last shadow they were fighting and the crystal dropped from the `body´ "I am a level one like you, been like this for three years now, I am leagues above when it comes to training and experience."
"Why do you sound so concerned about it? " The Captain raised a brow as he leaned to grab some of the stones dropped by the fallen enemies. "I thought getting to level two was easy, provided you kept training."
"It's not always the case. Our God can be a bit… difficult at times."
"How so, Miss Brynhildr?"
There was a small wave of disappointment coming from her, as if it should be common knowledge for the two of them. "It takes plenty of work to rank up and even if you do meet the… let's say requirements, it is up to the deity to give you the level up."
The girl explained, twirling the spear between her fingers as she approached them. "Odin can be strict in that regard, we need to earn that boost, to train our mind and body and be disciplined enough to be worthy of it."
"That sounds… harsh."
"Not every Familia is the same, you have ones that are very laid back like yours while others can be super competitive, strict or behave like an army. There are deities living all over the Lower World, not just Orario."
"Huh…" Even if having a God such as Odin being strict could actually be helpful to his personal goals, he couldn't deny that being part of his current Familia was not a bad thing. "Thanks for the recruitment speech." He threw one of the crystals at Bryn and she caught it mid-air "But I'm afraid my duties remain with Skadi and Noel." The young boy smiled at that comment.
"Alright, you wouldn't even last in our Familia, only the strongest can survive." She scoffed at his comment and turned around. "Let's go, we're almost on the tenth floor. Just stay close and be aware, it will be different from now on."
"How so? "
"Just wait and see…"
Their path towards the tenth floor was quick from that point and almost uneventful. Following Brynhildr's instructions they were able to dodge a few groups of enemies and go down a tunnel that led them to their target area.
Unlike the previous floors, this one was massive. A giant cave with a ceiling that was way taller than what they were used to, it was a form of underground forest and the mist made it difficult to see clearly.
The trio was overlooking this area from a ridge, way above some of the trees and from their position they could see some figures moving around, monsters no doubt.
Ragnar and Noel could feel a chill down their spine, a warning that they shouldn't be there or rather that it was beyond their capabilities. They were brave to reach that point but fighting there?
"So… you said the bear was here? " The Captain asked, overlooking at the misty forest beneath them.
"Yeah, it was impossible to miss, even from this location" Bryn looked around for anything that resembled the bear but there was nothing that would indicate its presence. "No… we saw it here, unless…"
"Maybe someone killed it? "
"A monster that does not belong to these floors is bound to be the talk if it was killed. No, this is something else."
"Is it possible that it moved to another floor? " The two turned at Noel who was sitting behind. "Remember that one orc we fought the last time? It wasn't supposed to be where we found it so what are the chances this is the same scenario? "
"Mh…" Brynhildr struck a thinking pose, standing back from the edge. "I can't say you are wrong, but if that's the case and it kept going down then we will have to stop this search."
"What?! You can't be serious, we came all this way just to chicken out now?!"
"Hey, I am not being a coward! I can manage going a few more floors down but you two? " She pointed at them with the spear. "You can barely manage down here and I can't fight if I have to worry about you two. You want to chase that thing? Be my guest, but you will need more help than just me."
Ragnar and Brynhildr began arguing at each other, one of them saying that they can keep going while the other was against the idea of having to do everything for them.
Noel on the other hand tried to de-escalate the situation, something that looked impossible for him since none of them were willing to listen to his words.
Fortunately for him, or rather unfortunately for the trio, their bickering ceased the moment a colossal growl was heard that shut Ragnar and Brynhildr up.
Noel felt terror at whatever caused it while Ragnar stood up, recognizing instantly what caused it.
"That sound… that bastard is above us." The Captain was almost ready to move when Bryn grabbed his arm and used him to get back up, however she did not release him.
"I'll warn you this again: Are you sure you want to do this? That thing almost killed one of my friends, do you really think the three of us can beat it? "
"With proper strategy we can." She let go off him and helped Noel back up as well. "Okay I don't have a strategy but if we get the drop on the bear we'll have the advantage. I trust you that you will have our backs."
Bryn did not say anything but he could see the worry in her eyes, instead she decided to lead the way once again. "Let's go."
The tense air returned, and even more so when the creature they were targeting was nearby. Ragnar could already feel this monster's time was nigh, the reason he journeyed to Orario, why he wanted to become stronger, why he stayed in the city all this time. The preparation for this very moment.
From the tenth floor they moved to the eight, the monsters haven't reappeared but their hearts were beating quicker than before. They knew the bear was close, but they still couldn't find it.
Bryn led them through a small corridor that connected to a different cave system and yet surprisingly there were no monsters too, or rather…
"Look, " Noel pointed at the floor.
There were many crystals laying around, plenty of them too and in a decent state. The white haired kneeled and grabbed one of them for a detailed inspection.
"Strange."
"What is it? "
"There's no doubt, these are Magic Stones so it means that there were monsters here at some point. But if there were adventurers nearby then why would they not pick them up? "
"Because it wasn't the adventurers that killed the monsters." Brynhildr was slightly ahead of them and was looking at something from around the corner.
Ragnar and Noel got to her and saw what she meant by that.
A massive hole in the wall creating a tunnel into a different part of the Dungeon. It was definitely not man-made and on the path they could see more of the glowing crystals. The ceiling on top of that tunnel was on its last legs, any impact big enough could make it collapse.
"The thing is nearby, there is no doubt."
Everything went deaf for Ragnar, the moment he turned around he saw a massive shadow charging at them, more specifically at Brynhildr.
Time moved slow for him and seeing the same creature that destroyed his village months ago made him skip a beat.
A mixture of emotions began to run along his body, from fear to fury. A sense of powerlessness that reminded him of his home where he couldn't do anything.
Bryn already had her spear aimed at the bear but her hands were shaking and her legs were not moving.
She was ready to stand her ground but suddenly her vision moved when she felt another force, this time it was pushing her out of the way and into the cave that the bear created before they arrived.
Ragnar was the one who performed the deed and made her land safely inside of the cave while the monster crashed against the wall next to it.
The sound of rocks collapsing was loud, same as the fearsome roar from the bear. The entrance of the tunnel that it created was now covered in rocks and to make matters worse, the small entrance they used to get into this cave system also collapsed Ragnar and Noel with no known way out.
"Bryn! " The blond who was pushed away from the impact created by the creature shouted. "Bryn, are you alright?!" He coughed, trying to clear the dust cloud that was still rising.
There was silence, his heart skipped a beat at the realization. Even though his intention was to save her from that attack, he most likely caused her death. "No…"
"Rag-" He hear the girl's voice from the other side, also coughing. "You idiot you almost killed me! " She coughed again. "Thanks…" The voice sounded sincere and it was a relief for the Captain.
"Listen… you… find a way out of this floor! " He got up and took some distance away from the recovering bear. "Find a way to reach us. I can hold on for some time, but you need to get here! "
"How-…? " Brynhildr was ready to leave but said some last words before escaping. "Just hold on, don't you dare die now! "
With the girl gone, Ragnar pulled both axes from the belt. There was a grin plastered on his face to hide the nervousness that was coursing through him, his legs were shaking and a feeling of dread could be felt.
His mind was telling him that he was ready but his body? It was a complete different feeling.
He wanted this, he needed this. Every fiber of his being needed to see this bear dead, to make sure that this very being was gone from this world. The lives of so many were lost by this creature and it could've even killed the person he cared about the most.
Ragnar wanted to attack but his legs wouldn't let him; he was stuck in place, cursing under his breath.
"Hya!" A victorious shout came from the other side of the cave, it was the same white haired that has been with him all this time, he jumped from behind the bear and stabbed it on the back.
Stab
Stab
STAB
Noel's attacks were able to get the monster's attention, forcing it to move away from the wall it crashed.
"Captain! Attack now! "
Ragnar took a step forward but was halted when the bear shook and as a result the young boy that was attacking from the top lost his footing and fell to the side. He tried to get back up but the monster was quicker in that regard and with one of its legs hit Noel on the side.
He tried to protect from the impact but it was all for nothing, he couldn't feel the pain at first but he could hear something shattering, the next thing he knew he was flying across the cave, crashing against one of the walls.
"NOEL! "
In a spur of rage, the adventurer rushed forward and lunged with both axes, landing two clean hits on the side made. "Take this, and this and-" Hit after hit but the creature was far from defeated. The bear in response pushed him away with one of its legs.
He was forced a few steps back before looking up and seeing the giant bear on its back legs, shadowing over him. Ragnar raised his arms, protecting himself with the axes but the claws moved quickly. He tried defend but there was a splatter of blood covering his vision.
His blood.
A scream of pain echoed in the cave as the bear hit the Captain again, only this time sending him flying against another wall and falling immediately to the ground and his vision went dark for a few moments.
And that was the situation. Two adventurers were injured, one more than the other. With both axes in hand he took a step forward; perhaps it was a battle of the last fighter standing, perhaps it was surviving until Brynhildr arrived. Or maybe it was a battle that was lost before it even started.
"You…" Ragnar growled. "You… you remember me, don't you? Months ago you destroyed my village, killed so many people and even my father…"
The blond raised the heirloom he carried for so long, aiming at the monster that was opposite of him.
"Today will be your last day and I will make sure of it." The bear roared back at the adventurer's claim, preparing for this duel.
"Alright… BRING IT ON! "
And so, what I've been building up for so long is finally coming to fruition. The big battle of this arc is coming and I wanted to make it big. However, I also decided to split this big confrontation in two parts so the combat and its results will be for the next time.
Thanks to everyone who's been following and reading the story so far, hope you enjoy this new chapters as much as I enjoyed writing it.
There is not much to be said except that I will go back to the drawing board because if a chapter needs to be planned properly to make it work, fight scenes need to be doubly planned.
Have a great weekend, a great week and as always:
See you in the next chapter!
