Page 8

Rhia barreled into the fray, her massive fists connecting with a kobold’s skull. There was a sickening crunch, and the creature crumpled to the ground. But even as it fell, three more swarmed her, nipping and clawing at her legs.

“Oliver, do something!” Mira cried, her voice shrill with panic.

I raised my staff, trying to focus on Kuro as he stumbled under the kobolds’ assault. The healing incantation felt clumsy on my tongue, but I forced the words out. However, even as I felt the magic leave my body, taking my energy with it, I knew it wasn’t enough to heal him fully.

A few feet away, Kai shouted, firing an arrow that whistled through the underbrush and embedded itself in a kobold’s shoulder. It cried out in pain, but it wasn’t enough to stop the tiny creature. Clearly, they were a bit tougher than they looked.

Mira’s voice rose in a shaky chant beside me, and a small ball of fire materialized at the tip of her wand.

With a flick of her wrist, she sent it hurtling towards the group of monsters.

It exploded with a whoosh, singeing fur and scales.

The kobolds yelped in pain and surprise.

But so did Rhia and Kuro. Both of them leaped back, patting their clothing and armor that was now covered in black soot.

“Watch where the hell you’re aiming those things!” Kuro shouted, blocking an attack from one of the kobolds just in time.

The battle raged on, chaotic and brutal.

Kuro and Rhia fought valiantly, but they were clearly outmatched by the sheer number of kobolds despite their diminutive size.

The tiny creatures were fast and even though there were only three left, they became nearly impossible to land a strike on.

I kept trying to cast my meager healing spells, but they barely seemed to make a difference as the monsters pummeled my teammates.

Mira’s fireballs were wild and unpredictable, as likely to hit our own team as the enemy.

Kai’s arrows flew truer than most, but they simply didn’t do enough damage to slow the creatures down. The kobolds never seemed to stop dancing around, dodging everything we could throw at them. And yet, their clubs found their targets nearly every time. We were losing ground fast .

“We need to retreat!” Kai shouted, loosing another arrow. “There’s too many of them!”

But turning tail and running was easier said than done.

Everyone was already exhausted after only a minute or two of fighting.

Mira and I were drained of energy and magic, making us practically useless for escaping.

However, the threat of imminent death seemed to spur something in me, a well of energy reserved for survival that I didn’t know I had.

Grabbing Mira by the hand, I pulled her away from the battle, retreating into the woods.

Boots pounded behind us and I could hear the shouts of our comrades close behind. Of course, not far behind them were the kobolds. But our legs were longer, and we could run faster. All we had to do was put some distance between us and we might just make it.

The forest blurred around us as we ran, branches whipping at our faces and roots threatening to trip us at every step.

I could hear Mira’s ragged breathing beside me, and the sounds of our companions crashing through the underbrush behind us.

The high-pitched yips and snarls of the pursuing kobolds seemed to echo from every direction.

“Keep going!” Kai shouted from somewhere behind us. “Don’t stop!”

I tightened my grip on Mira’s hand, pulling her along as she stumbled. My lungs burned, and my legs felt like lead, but the fear of being caught by those vicious little monsters kept me moving.

Suddenly, Rhia’s deep voice boomed out. “There! A cave!”

Through the trees, I caught a glimpse of a dark opening in a rocky hillside. It wasn’t much, but it might offer some protection.

“Quick, everyone inside!” Kai shouted as we approached the cave entrance.

We stumbled into the dark opening, gasping for air. Rhia and Kuro took up positions at the entrance, weapons at the ready. Kai nocked his last arrow, peering into the forest.

For several tense moments, we waited, hearts pounding. The sounds of pursuit grew closer, then suddenly... silence.

“Where did they go?” Mira whispered, her voice trembling.

I squinted into the dim light filtering through the cave mouth. The forest seemed eerily still.

“Maybe they gave up?” I suggested hopefully.

Kuro snorted. “Not likely. Those little bastards are probably regrouping.”

“We should move deeper into the cave,” Kai said, lowering his bow. “It might narrow further in, giving us a better defensive position.”

Rhia nodded in agreement. “Good idea. I’ll take point. ”

We moved cautiously deeper into the cave, the darkness enveloping us. The air grew cooler and damper as we ventured further in. Our footsteps echoed off the stone walls, making me wince at every sound.

“Does anyone have a light?” Kai whispered.

Mira raised her wand, her hand shaking slightly. “I-I can try a light spell.”

She muttered a few words, and a soft glow emanated from the tip of her wand, casting long shadows on the cave walls. The light revealed a narrow passageway ahead, barely wide enough for us to walk single file.

“Perfect,” Kai said. “Rhia, you lead. Kuro, take the rear. Everyone else, stay in the middle.”

We shuffled into formation, moving slowly down the narrow passageway. The damp stone walls pressed in around us, making me feel claustrophobic. Every few steps, I glanced back nervously, half-expecting to see glowing kobold eyes in the darkness behind us.

After what felt like an eternity of cautious shuffling, the passage suddenly opened up into a larger cavern. Mira’s magical light didn’t reach the far corners, leaving ominous shadows dancing at the edges of our vision.

“Wait,” Kai whispered, holding up a hand. “Do you hear that?”

We all fell silent, straining our ears. At first, I heard nothing but the soft drip of water somewhere in the darkness. Then, faintly, I caught the sound of scrabbling claws on stone.

“They’re coming,” Rhia growled, raising her fists.

“Quick! Find something to block up the tunnel!”

Mira held her wand high as the four of us grabbed every loose rock we could find.

Thankfully the tunnel was extremely narrow and in a matter of moments we’d filled it nearly halfway with stones.

Rhia, hefting a rather large one, slammed it against the wall above the tunnel entrance, cracking several stalactites.

They set off a small chain reaction, causing the wall to crumble.

As the dust cleared and Mira’s light finally penetrated the darkness, we saw that the tunnel was sealed.

We listened intently for the kobolds and for a moment we heard them get closer.

But, after a few intense moments of shifting rocks and cries of frustration, their clawed footsteps faded away once more.

With a sigh of relief, I placed my back against the cavern wall and sank down, pulling my knees close to my chest.

For the moment, we were safe.