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"Word of the Yggdrasil Labyrinth has traveled far. In a foreign land near the edge of the continent, there is a warrior caste known as the Ronin. Like many others they have been enticed by the prospects of adventure and excitement. The other adventurers were quick to realize the value of these honorable warriors and their marvelous abilities. Their skills with the exotic katana sword is unrivaled and their ancient knowledge in the martial arts provides them with versatile skills that range from evoking elemental magic to lightning-quick sword strikes. Mizonu was not the first Ronin to come to Etria, but his enthusiasm matches that of any other."
--Eulixes
As soon as the first large hare jumped forward to strike at us, Layn muttered the words of a spell. All of the hares suddenly became slow and clumsy; Layn had cursed them and drained their speed and agility. Ashki and I quickly took advantage of the slowed monsters and acted. In a single slash, I cut down two of the hares that had sprung towards us. Ashki pushed back more of them with a blast of fire, causing the smell of burnt fur to fill the air.I was about to strike at another one of the creatures when, without warning, it fell to the ground. Layn had evoked another curse that put some of the monsters in a magic induced sleep. I quickly stabbed the sedated hare with my katana before focusing my attention on those still awake and capable of attacking us.
My sword combined with Ashki's fire spells began to push the monsters back. When some of them had turned to flee, a deafening, animalistic sound roared throughout the forest. The hares suddenly stopped and remained perfectly still, their ears perked up in the air. Layn, Ashki, and I also froze. For a moment there was only silence as the three of us and the hares tried to determine where the sound came from and what it was.
The sound of a loud thud broke the silence. The hares quickly retreated, jumping into the brush and running out of sight. The thud started to repeat itself, beginning slowly before picking up in pace. I suddenly realized what that noise was. They were footsteps. And the beast making them would have to be huge.
"That's it, let's get out of here! Now!" Ashki commanded just loud enough to be heard over the booming footsteps.
"But what about the treasure?" Layn replied earnestly.
"Forget the treasure!" Ashki yelled back. "Worry about our lives instead you foolish girl!"
Layn looked at me and I nodded. Ashki was right, she had been from the beginning. That treasure could have been the answer to all of our financial woes, whatever it may have been, but our lives are simply more important.
The three of us broke into a sprint, backtracking through the Labyrinth and towards the passage that lead us to this place. The sound of thunderous footsteps was rapidly repeating itself now and I could feel the ground shaking underneath my foot. It was catching up.
The roar sounded again and this time it was accompanied by the sound of wood cracking as the monster burst through a wall of trees, showering the area and our backs with splinters and branches. We all turned together to face the monster. We all had realized that we could not outrun it.
Unobstructed by a trees or bush, we could clearly see the creature. It looked like an antelope but it was nearly twice my height and its massive antlers seemed as sharp as my katana. Its body was rippling with muscles and its hooves looked as if they could shatter a boulder. This monster was clearly unlike and unmatched by any other we have yet encountered in the Labyrinth. Treerats, clawbugs, even the recently encountered hares that ran away in fear were mere ants compared to this raging antelope.
The gigantic beast flared its nostrils, roared again, then began charging towards us. Layn extend a hand towards the beast and yelled some arcane words, the air surrounding the monster shimmered, but whatever curse she cast had no affect. Ashki also launched her own spell, extending both hands and muttering a magical chant silently to herself. The giant antelope was engulfed in flames, but it charged through the explosion of heat and fire as if it were nothing more than light rain.
We were doomed. But being a Ronin is about honor in battle. As the beast barreled towards us, I took a step forward, braced myself, and steadied my sword. I will not die from a blow to the back. As I cleared my mind, my only regret is the knowledge that there will be no escape for my friends.
The charging beast was seconds away from striking. I raised my sword and prepared to die fighting.
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End chapter
