After a couple of hours, I lose all sense of time; has it been a day? Weeks? It may have only been a few minutes, for all I know. Every muscle in my body is screaming at me to fall back on the soft ground and close my eyes. I probably would if it wasn't for the kids. I don't think I could live with myself if something happened to them because I was too weak. I take another step forward. The earth sings its siren song, drawing me down to the dirt. I take another step. My legs don't feel like my own. It's as if two pistons are attached to my body. No matter what I want, they keep moving. No matter what I think, they keep pumping. I arrive at the side of the heaving beast before me. I don't even know what it's called. It has the build of a large feline, but eight spindly legs stick out from its sides. I dig my spear into its neck until it stops moving. It's dead. An overwhelming sense of apathy and exhaustion has left me numb to the incessant violence. I scan the area to check for more threats. Nothing. In the middle of the clearing are Shinobu and the fairies. As the weakest member of our party, she's collapsed several times now. I eventually told her to take a break every few minutes so she wouldn't become a liability. Beside her sits Foof. He's calmly meditating to regain as much mana as he can. One's MP regeneration increases inside dungeons, but even that isn't enough to keep up with demand. The endless waves of creatures are only slowed by the barrage of magic from the fairies. The other three are much less majestic; Hai, Rom, and Lala are all facing up on the floor, gasping for air.
[WEEEEEEHEHehehe!]
The unforgettable whinny makes my blood freeze. An Equuivore steps out of the jungle to greet us. Sakura, Josh, and I are the only ones capable of standing. I'm so tired I can't even muster the strength to formulate a plan. Swinging my spear is the only thought running through my mind. Sakura steps forward, teeth bared. Her bottomless well of rage has been one of the few factors standing between us and utter annihilation. Her wide-open eyes are shining like the pit of a blazing inferno, and her jaw is clenched so hard that some of her teeth have cracked. She's still fighting, but her willpower can only take her so far. Most of her body is covered in bruises from her muscles tearing. The few places that aren't have turned a ghostly pale color due to the hemorrhaging. Josh is even worse off. His left arm was completely pulverized by a charging Acriporcos, so he's left wielding his sword with only one hand. Blood is dripping from boots where it has collected from numerous lacerations. I take a stance as best I can. Several bones in my left foot have fractured from being stomped on, and most of the ribs on the right side of my body are broken. Each breath is agonizing. Having already used the last of our healing potions, we have to fight in our current condition. The Equuivore scraps the ground with one hoof, preparing to charge.
'FWAAAP!'
The top of the monster's skull bursts open, sending brain matter everywhere.
"I'm bored. We're leaving." Inari floats down like a guardian angel.
'Thump.'
Sakura falls face-first onto the ground. She doesn't even have the strength to slow her descent with her arms.
"Mom?" I sputter.
"Yes, yes, very funny." Inari waves her hand, and a rush of energy fills my limbs. My shattered bones uncomfortably shift back into place, and the agony fades shortly thereafter. My bones are healed, but stabbing pain still shoots through my muscles when I move. Our battered party members slowly stand up, befuddled by the sudden paradigm shift. Despite being healed, Sakura remains face down in the dirt. I can't imagine the price she'll have to pay for destroying her body the way she did, but it's probably best for her to sleep through it.
Inari flies toward the exit, forcing us to hobble after her. Josh heaves Sakura over his shoulder and follows from the rear. Most of the fairies are too injured to fly and lie flatly wherever they can. Foof retakes his position on Josh's head while Hai is slumped across my shoulder. Rom and Lala have managed to find refuge in one of the empty pockets of Shinobu's belt. Instead of finding their own, they've both fit snugly into one, and it isn't long before the soft sound of sleep rises from their makeshift nest. I nudge Shinobu, and we open the flap of the pocket to look inside. It seems Lala decided to use Rom as a mattress and is curled up on top of him. Rom, on the other hand, is smooshed around the lining of the pocket with his face mashed up against the side. Despite the odd position, both fairies are fast asleep. Seeing them curled up like that is so adorable that it actually hurts. My stomach twists as I contain my urge to pick up the sentient dolls and hug them to death.
"They're so cute." Shinobu giggles. The tower of apathy I'd constructed to survive the battle crumbles like sand. All the emotions I've been holding back come pouring out down my face. Snot runs down my chin. The absurdity of the situation and the fact that we survived the crucible all hit me at once. I fall to the ground, half laughing, half crying, but fully alive. I can feel the cool tears covering my cheeks. All the pain is flushed with an overwhelming sense of relief. I look up at the kids who are still conscious and see similar expressions on their faces; they just managed to hold it together better than me. I may be the 'adult' of the group, but just for this moment, I allow myself to be the kid. Once I've emptied the emotion tank, I take a few breaths to steady myself. I wipe my face with my sleeve, but the combination of dirt and tears just turns to salty mud. Inari is waiting impatiently ahead.
"Are you done yet?"
"Yes, thanks for waiting."
"You're being overly pleasant."
"Blame the catharsis," I say with a smirk. She rolls her eyes and continues toward the exit. The journey is a blur. The sound of monsters being hacked to pieces by the angel of death reverberates as a dull static in my head. Besides some death rattles and the occasional cathartic sobbing, our journey is silent. No one can muster the energy to speak. The darkness of the tunnel is soon replaced with the dim earth of the forest. That lasts for a while until the sky opens up through the plain leading back to town. Standing at the gate is a set of blank faces covered in the duke's armor. I'm too tired to even look at them.
"They're with me." A persnickety boy with long black hair informs the guards.
"Morning, Tyrion," I croak.
"It's evening."
"Huh, how 'bout that." I hovel past him, aiming towards our house.
"The fuck do you mean 'how 'bout that?' Where the hell have you been?" I turn around and point to the Argon Forest.
"In there."
"No shit, I'm not blind!"
"If you knew, then why'd you ask?" I brush him off and continue my trek. The only thing on my mind is the thought of my grimy face touching my pillow.
"Look, I want to go with you." Tyrion finally drops the bomb. "I want to join you next time you enter the forest."
I glance at Shinobu, who shrugs.
"Okay, we're pretty beat up, so it probably won't be for a few days. I'd recommend spending the next few days jogging."
"I don't need to. My endurance stat is already above that of the average adventurer." Tyrion puffs out his chest as he brags.
"Whatever."
"How will I know when you next plan to enter the forest?"
"Figure it out." I swat at the annoying buzzing in my ear and finish the journey home. We all flop down on our respective beds, except for Sakura, who is placed gently upon hers, and we all immediately pass out. The sweet grasp of sleep crushes me in its grip. All the anguish of the day fades into the darkness.