in this world of fairytale and adventures, where sword roars and blood is shed, where power reigns and weakness serves, in this land of legends an myths, where anything is attainable if you want it bad enough, there is also place for ignorant fools such as
"Ashen, please be more careful" spoke Aleia, she was an elf, or the mage of Ashen's current party, and his saviour, she has saved his life more times than his own heart have beaten as Ashen is not only an ignorant fool but a rather timid and weak individual.
His fighting is akin to a mindless barbarian where his magical proficiency is close to none, he could barely lift up his sword without trembling and his spells fizzled out more often than they ignited
"I am sorry" he said, his voice timid as Aleia sighed
"you are hopeless" she exasperated but there was a hint of her usual softness, as she can scold him but not hide how she cares for him, gesturing him to follow, she ran slowly to catch up with the others in the party who were a little far from them but still in sight, Ashen looked down an just sighed.
The air within the dungeon was thick with the scent of damp stone and decay, the flickering torches barely illuminating the narrow corridors that stretched ahead. Shadows danced along the walls, cast by the occasional ripple of water seeping through the cracked ceiling. The echoes of their footsteps filled the silence, broken only by the distant chittering of unseen creatures lurking in the dark.
Ashen trailed slightly behind the group, his grip on the hilt of his sword uncertain, fingers tightening every time a distant scuttle reached his ears. The others walked with practiced ease, their movements assured, but Ashen? He was a bundle of nerves wrapped in chainmail.
"They'll come soon," muttered Garron, the towering warrior leading the party. His greatsword rested casually on his shoulder, his eyes sharp beneath his heavy brow. "Goblin scouts always appear before a larger pack."
"They are nothing more than pests," scoffed Dain, the rogue of the party. He spun a dagger between his fingers, his smirk visible even in the dim light. "If Ashen can't handle them, he might as well go back to plowing fields."
"Enough," Aleia cut in, her emerald eyes flashing as she glanced back at Ashen. "Mocking him won't make him stronger, Dain."
Dain simply chuckled, but before he could offer another snide remark, the first goblin shrieked from the shadows ahead. A dozen yellow eyes gleamed in the darkness as the creatures emerged, their jagged blades glinting in the firelight.
"Here they come!" Garron bellowed, gripping his sword with both hands.
The party sprang into action. Garron swung his blade with brutal efficiency, cleaving through goblin flesh as Dain danced between their attacks, his daggers finding their marks with ruthless precision. Aleia stood poised behind them, her staff glowing with arcane energy, sending bursts of fire to incinerate any creature foolish enough to charge at her.
And then there was Ashen.
He raised his sword in defense as a goblin lunged at him, its crude weapon striking against his blade with unexpected force. He stumbled back, barely blocking another wild strike before another goblin rammed into him from the side. The impact knocked him off balance, and before he could react, a jagged blade sliced across his forearm.
Pain flared through him as he hit the ground, his sword slipping from his grasp. He gasped, clutching his bleeding arm as the goblin loomed over him, raising its blade for a killing blow.
"Enough of that," Aleia's voice rang clear as a bolt of arcane energy struck the creature, sending it screeching into the shadows. She knelt beside Ashen, her hands already glowing with healing magic. "You're bleeding again."
"I-I know," Ashen murmured, wincing as warmth spread through his wound, sealing the cut with practiced ease.
"You need to dodge, not just flail your sword around," she chided, though there was no malice in her tone. "You act like you want to be hit."
"I don't," he muttered. "I just... I'm not good at this."
Aleia sighed, her fingers brushing lightly against his now-healed skin before she stood. "Then learn. We won't always be there to pull you from the fire."
The battle was already over, the last goblin falling limp at Garron's feet. Dain wiped his blade on a fallen foe's ragged tunic before turning to Ashen, a smirk tugging at his lips.
"You're lucky Aleia has a soft spot for weaklings."
"She has a soft spot for people who don't run from a fight," Garron corrected, offering Ashen a hand. "You didn't. That's something."
Ashen hesitated before gripping it, letting Garron pull him to his feet. The warrior gave him a nod before turning back down the corridor. "Come on. We're close to the boss chamber."
The tension grew as they pressed forward, the air growing colder, heavier. The usual sounds of dungeon life—scurrying feet, distant growls—had vanished entirely. It was an eerie silence, one that even Dain seemed uneasy about.
When they finally reached the boss chamber, the massive stone doors stood ajar, the torches within flickering weakly. The room beyond was vast, a grand hall with shattered pillars and long-decayed banners hanging limp from the ceiling.
But the true horror lay at the center of the chamber.
The boss—the monster they had spent hours fighting toward—was already dead.
Its skeletal remains lay in a crumpled heap, bones picked clean as if something had devoured it entirely. The massive blade it once wielded was shattered, pieces scattered across the ground. Deep gashes marred the stone floor, evidence of a fierce battle, but there was no sign of what had killed it.
Aleia took a step forward, her voice barely above a whisper. "What... happened here?"
Dain knelt beside the bones, running a hand over the deep grooves carved into them. "These aren't normal wounds. Something tore through this thing like parchment."
Garron's grip tightened on his sword as he scanned the room. "Whatever did this... might still be here."
A cold shiver ran down Ashen's spine as he swallowed hard. His battles had been against goblins—pathetic, weak creatures. Whatever had slain the boss so effortlessly was on an entirely different level.
For the first time that night, Dain wasn't smirking. He rose slowly, his daggers at the ready. "I hate to admit it... but I don't think we're alone."
The torches flickered.
And from the darkness, something shifted.
Ashen didn't knew if it was just his imagination or if anyone else could see it but at the very end of the chamber, enveloped in darkness, two glowing eyes stared at them, like one do before devouring it's meal
and in this case, they were the meal
(hey guys, tell me your opinion and also some suggestions if you want, i will update it as soon as i can)