Eleanor watched as Rae tirelessly trained for their first dungeon raid. She knew Rae was pushing herself hard, searching for new ways to combat the unknown monsters they would soon face. But there were times when Eleanor wished Rae would take a break. For weeks, she had locked herself away, focusing on her experiments and training. It wasn't long ago that Rae had injured herself while experimenting with new magic.
Eleanor couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. Rae never trained with her. Though Eleanor knew she was much weaker than her, she still longed to be of some use. She'd been training every day, working hard to make herself stronger, just so she could contribute in any way.
Rae once asked if Eleanor could use fire magic. If only she could, she would at least be of some help. But as it stood, Eleanor couldn't use any magic. She wasn't even particularly skilled with a sword. Right now, to Rae, she was just dead weight. She tried to train on her own, but that could only take her so far.
The desire to use fire magic burned inside her. She wished she could be as useful as Rae, but for now, she was stuck feeling helpless.
Today was the day they would enter the dungeon.
After completing her morning routine, Rae and Eleanor had breakfast and then set out. The foreign princess, Cilia, had insisted on joining them, but Rae had refused. Cilia had looked upset afterward, though Rae had good reasons for not bringing her along.
The gate to the dungeon was imposing. It stood in an isolated area—so secluded that if you weren't specifically searching for it, you would never find it. The only way to locate it was with a map.
The gate itself was awe-inspiring. Strange letters were etched into its surface, and the metal it was made from didn't resemble anything Eleanor had ever seen before. She could tell immediately that brute force wouldn't be enough to open it.
Before they could enter, they had to inscribe their names onto a stone tablet on a pillar to the right of the gate.
Rae went first, and after she finished, Eleanor added her name. As soon as she did, the names on the tablet began to glow brightly, the light traveling from the tablet to the gate before vanishing. The massive door creaked open, revealing what lay inside.
The air within the dungeon was humid, and the darkness was suffocating. Without their night vision, they would have been unable to navigate without a light source.
The atmosphere felt eerie, as though they were being watched by some unseen creature, waiting for the right moment to strike.
As they pressed forward, the narrow passage grew warmer. The heat slowly started to melt the cold that had initially gripped them, offering a welcome relief.
"Keep your guard up, Eleanor. Something doesn't feel right," Rae said.
Eleanor felt a sudden weakness overcome her, and she faltered. What was happening?
"Do you feel that?" Rae asked.
"Ah..." Eleanor replied, still trying to understand what was going on.
"I think the air ahead is poisoned," Rae said. She quickly cast a wind spell, redirecting the air back toward its source. The warmth dissipated, and Eleanor's strength began to return. How did Rae know the air was poisoned? Eleanor knew she had to do better.
They continued deeper into the dungeon. Eventually, a faint light appeared in the distance.
"Stay alert. We don't know when the creatures will attack," Rae warned.
As they approached the light, they saw a large kiln in the center of a room, recently lit. It seemed to be the source of the poison in the air.
Across the room, two passageways loomed. Then Eleanor saw it—a kobold, lurking in the shadows. This was her chance to prove herself. She dashed toward the kobold's passageway, but before she could reach it, Rae swiftly pulled her back to safety, saving her from falling into a hidden pitfall trap.
"You need to be more careful, Eleanor. These creatures are clever," Rae scolded.
Eleanor's eyes widened as she saw the remains of those who had fallen prey to the trap. They had been reduced to bones, a grim reminder of the dangers lurking in the dungeon. Looking down, she realized they were floating—how had Rae done that? Was it a new kind of wind magic?
The kobold, seeing them escape the trap, collapsed the tunnel behind it, blocking their path.
"Smart," Rae muttered. "These creatures are truly intelligent. It looks like we can't use this passageway. We'll have to take the other one."
Eleanor was confused. Why not take the route with the kobold? It was clear the kobolds were there, but it wasn't like Rae couldn't clear the path with her magic.
"My lady, why not just use your earth magic to open the tunnel?" Eleanor asked, puzzled.
Rae sighed. "It's not that simple. I'm not sure about the cave's stability. If I use earth magic carelessly, I could bring down the entire tunnel on us."
"Oh... I understand now, my lady."
They proceeded through the alternate tunnel. The path sloped downward, becoming increasingly slippery as they advanced. Eleanor lost her footing, sliding down, but Rae quickly caught her, preventing what could have been a fatal fall. At the bottom of the makeshift slide, Eleanor noticed a tripwire, which seemed connected to a series of poisoned arrows. If Rae hadn't caught her in time, the arrows would have pierced her.
Eleanor felt like a burden. Why couldn't she do anything to help?
After avoiding the trap, they came across a poorly constructed rope bridge that stretched over a deep ravine. On the other side stood a kobold, seemingly waiting for them to cross.
The kobold clearly didn't know Rae could use flight magic. She lifted Eleanor, and they flew over the ravine with ease. The kobold, startled, tried to run, but Rae stopped it with a projectile made of earth.
They continued along the path, following where the kobold had fled. Soon, they entered an open space, only to find themselves surrounded by more kobolds, each armed with weapons. Some were positioned above them, others below.
"Eleanor! Stay close to me," Rae commanded.
Eleanor rushed to her side, where Rae quickly pulled out a strange device. As the kobolds began to fire arrows at them, the projectiles stopped midair, as if hitting an invisible barrier.
Rae began forming a magic circle, and lightning crackled to life around them, striking down the kobolds in range.
Eleanor stared in awe. What kind of magic was this? She had never seen anyone create lightning like that. It made her feel small in comparison. If Rae kept getting stronger, Eleanor would only ever be a burden.
They walked through the fallen kobolds, moving deeper into the dungeon. At the end of the path, they found a massive drake waiting for them, and beyond it, another locked gate, just like the one at the entrance.
Would they survive this fight?