Eriladar, with Taegen on his back, led the others out of the cavern and listened as Nox recounted what happened to the masked men as they walked.
Nox had led the men through the entrance and before he could act further, a shattering sound could be heard coming from inside the cave.
The masked men didn't even have time to react when their bodies disintegrated, and all that was left was some dust that blended in with the dirt on the ground.
Ashlyn looked down at the ground and frowned in disgust at the fact that they could step on dirt that once made up a human being. And they preceded to step more carefully as they followed the others out of the opening, and into the cooling air outside.
After being in a cramped space for a significant amount of time, being outside was refreshing, and they all consecutively stretched their limbs and rejoiced at the fact they had all made it out alive.
"What should we do next?" Taegen was awake now and standing on his own two feet, and was looking up at his master, waiting for him to give out any further instructions.
"We have to go see the grandmother and grandson and tell them the bad news," answered Eriladar solemnly. Then he sighed and added, "this part is never easy, but it has to be done."
Eriladar had been in this business for a long time - since he was discarded as an NPC all those years ago - and some tasks were simple. Yet others were dangerous, hard to complete, or ended with results that were less than favourable.
Tasks such as the one they had just undertaken were rare and would almost always end in tragedy. Telling the families of the deceased about their loved one's departure from the world was never easy, and it was like a blow to the heart each time. He could never get used to doing it, but it was something that had to be done.
In that moment it dawned on the group how close they had been to being like the dried corpses that were previously scattered on the ground, and they fell silent. Their steps as they made their way to the village were heavy and none of them could find anything to talk about that wouldn't touch on the danger they were in.
As they walked, Nox couldn't help but think of the lives that had been lost in the cavern. It wasn't like the players who could respawn after losing in the dungeon: these were living people who couldn't go back to the save point once they died.
He felt how far he was from Archeline and how different things were outside of the game. Death was permanent in this world. And it would be the same if he were to ever go back to the real world.
The gloomy atmosphere hovering over the group remained as they made it back to the village and went to the door of the grandmother and grandson. The village had an added air of melancholy and seemed more dilapidated after the recent events that happened in the cave.
Eriladar took in a deep breath and braced himself for the tough conversation that was soon to begin, and rapped lightly on the door with his knuckles. The door swung open to reveal the worried-looking grandmother, and behind her was the grandson who had already guessed what they were going to say.
The grandson's face flushed in anger as the grandmother stood aside to let them in. He swallowed his anger as the group made their way into the sitting room, and his fists clenched as he took the seat beside his grandmother.
When they were all settled the grandmother's usually stern appearance had softened somewhat, and an expectant light shone in her eyes. Hope was an amazing thing, but it could also make someone so anxious they couldn't focus on anything else. All she wanted was to know that her daughter was ok, nothing else mattered other than that.
Eriladar noticed the expectant look and the weight on his shoulders felt heavier, and his back hunched where he sat from the burden. He shook it off quickly and sat up straighter, as he wrung his hands in his lap and he opened his mouth to say, "I'm sorry..."
"You're sorry?" The grandmother choked as she started to sob and her words became broken as she asked, "so there's no hope? My daughter... She's gone?"
The grandson fell from his seat, shock written all over his face. His mouth kept opening and closing as if he couldn't find the right words to express the emotions that were wrecking havoc in his body. He ran from the room, resentment boiling within him.
Deep down, he knew that his grandmother wasn't at fault for what had happened to his parents, but he still blamed her for driving his parents away and into the paths of those masked men. If they hadn't left the house that day, they would still be alive.
Ashlyn made to go after him but sat back down after receiving a look from Eriladar. There wasn't anything they could do, as this was a family matter. And they had already played their part in informing the grandmother and grandson, meaning they were done here. Nothing they did after that would help, or heal the wounds of the people who learned of the deaths of their family.
Eriladar apologised again and gestured to the others to stand before leaving the house. The grandmother was left behind, her entire being bathed in shadows.
"Is this really alright?" As Eriladar's assistant, Taegen had been through this a lot, but it had never been like this. He felt that there was something more they could do to help, but he couldn't go against his master in whatever decisions he made.
Eriladar didn't reply and his face hardened as he left the village, and boarded the car to return to Skyreach.