Colton grabbed at anything he could on the wall, desperately trying to get away from the people below.
"Get them! Cut them up!" The same man from earlier yelled out while still pointing at the team from his position.
His hands soon grabbed at the edge of one the balcony, pulling himself up with his teammates next to him, reaching the top as well.
But as they got up, they came face to face with a group of hooded worshippers. The same ones Colton had seen earlier.
"What's the plan now Myo?" Marcus asked, genuinely confused and unsure while holding his weapon.
As they continued looking at each other awkwardly, one of the worshippers pulled out a longsword. As he did, Myo rushed up and kicked the man off the balcony, without warning or delay.
"There ain't much time, we gotta move." As he finished, one of the worshippers tried to swing at him, but was quickly shot by Quill. As they looked around, they saw a possible way out. In front of them, connected to the balcony, was a dimly lit pathway with no end in sight.
With no other option, Myo and the team began to run.
They had no time to fight, using what energy they had left into trying to escape the worshipers. Filled with fear and adrenaline.
Behind them, the sound of dozens or even a hundred shouts and loud footsteps could be heard. With worshipers starting to climb up to the balcony to continue the chase.
Colton and the rest still did not know what to do, leaving all their hopes to Myo.
"What next huh!?" Marcus asked further. It took Myo a few more seconds to respond.
The corridor seemed to go on forever, Colton felt as if his legs were running on their own as the chase continued on.
The path began to change, turning left to right or moving upwards or downwards like a freakish one way maze.
The stomps and echoes of their yells got louder and louder while they continued descending down, partially seeing their shadows from behind.
While their run went on, Colton realized that they were now running upwards.
'What even is this place!?' He thought to himself. He couldn't talk, or turn around. All he could do was follow his teammates.
Once the ground felt flat again, they took a sharp turn to the right. The pathway started to take multiple directions, no longer going straight.
"Judging from the looks of this place all i can assume is either a mine or some old passageways these creeps had!" Myo explained.
"You are telling this to us now!?"
Soon, they stopped. Fear rose up high in Colton's back upon seeing what was in front of them. Boulders and rocks, covering the path, trapping them.
Some of the members, overcome with fear at their situation, began to hack and hit the rocks, hopelessly trying to go through but only caused more rubble to fall from above.
Colton was a part of them, trying to break the rocks to form a path through, but only caused the path and area around them to shake.
The sounds of the footsteps and enraged voices only became louder by the second.
But out of the confusion and fear, Calliope stepped forward, summoning her shield and getting into a defensive stance.
"There will be no use now, it is either we stay and weep for our assured death. Or face the enemy head on and fight our way through to survival." She spoke, her voice seemed devoid of fear.
Moved by the words, a few calmed down and turned their direction to the footsteps. Colton soon joined, preparing his hammer for a fight.
"To hell with this, better to die a brave mercenary than some terrified bug." Marcus wiped his face, his demeanor quickly changing from terror to anger.
"Well, if this is what an adventure is, I guess it's far better than dying in some office." Celestine spoke, joining with them. Preparing her own stance for the fight.
The team formed a line of weapons with the twins standing behind them, although exhausted they raised their staffs, prepared to heal any damage the group would take.
As they waited, the footsteps slowed down. From the dim torch lights, they could see the first few worshippers approaching them from the darkness.
Spears, short swords, daggers, broadswords, pikes, and any sharp weapon Colton had seen in his time in the military were held by the many worshipers
The group looked at them, suppressing their fears. Colton slowly calmed himself while staring them down.
Oliver stood behind, overcome with fear and breathing faster than normal, clenching his eyes and teeth while still holding onto the staff. Clarissa though kept looking forward, holding no emotion in her face. Either she was terrified or accepted the situation, Colton did not know.
From the horde of worshippers, one of them stepped forward from the rest.
"It seems the faithful chosen are a part of your band of disgust and disorder along with a few untainted disciples. That shall be rectified at once." After speaking, the man pointed forward, and in an instant, roars of rage erupted as the worshippers rushed past him towards the group.
As the enemies approached fast, they braced for impact, gripping their weapons tightly.
The worshippers poured in with their weapons raised and ready to strike.
Before they even got close, they swung and struck the worshipers just in front of them. Using their longer weapons as an advantage, taking out multiple at once.
The worshippers fell, quickly vanishing and leaving only their weapons on the ground.
The battle slowly descended into a close quarters fight as the worshippers only continued to rush forward and attack the team. Showing little regard for their own safety.
The line quickly started to break, some moved forward while others moved back, until they started fighting on their own against the worshipers around them. No longer fighting as a group.
Colton continued swinging his hammer with great force, taking down rows of soldiers.
With her weapon, Quill stood with the twins and took out any worshiper in her sights. Focused on protecting the twins and Calliope.
The methods Colton learned soon returned as he began fighting faster and faster against the dozens of worshipers still going in.
With each swing, Colton endured an injury from the worshipers. From his body, to his emotions, to his mind, he felt them slowly start breaking. But he continued to fight on.
But the injuries he had taken were slowly getting healed, Oliver behind him was pushing all his energy into healing Colton's wounds.
Marcus fought violently against the worshippers, slashing and striking down at any around him with little regard while taking in more blows from them. Filled with anger and a desire to survive.
Celestine and Calliope fought alongside one another. Their movements and attacks were swift, taking out any worshiper around them with ease, taking only a few hits.
Myo fought like a savage beast, going forward and taking down as many as possible with little technique, simply using his speed and strength in beating the worshipers that fought him. Fighting farther from the group.
The battle raged on, the ground they stood on was starting to pile up with weapons of different attack types.
With each strike, Colton felt his hammer slam into the ground or walls. Shaking the area they fought in.
No matter how many they took down, the horde seemed to be endless, and the team started moving back, taking too many injuries for the twins to handle. They moved closer to the boulders behind them.
Colton became more desperate, swinging faster with less technique and simply trying to push them back from their position.
Suddenly, in the middle of the struggle to survive, the pathway they stood in began to rumble. Small bits of rock from above rained down and the weapons on the ground started to vibrate.
"Pathway breach!" One of the worshipers yelled out. The horde of hooded fighters that were just fighting with them started retreating, abandoning the path.
Everyone was too injured to run, barely able to even limp forward without pain. Their bodies and minds were heavily damaged, all they could do was stand around and accept their fate.
While they looked at each other, the ground beneath them shattered. Sending them down below.
The pathway from above quickly became buried in rubble. Darkness took over their eyes as the fall continued.
Colton felt his body slam down hard on a surface. He tried to open his eyes, but was greeted by a blurred white surrounding. He could only hear ringing and muffled thuds from behind him as the rest hit the ground.
'Where…Is…This…' Even in his mind, Colton struggled to even make a thought. At this point, he accepted what would be his fate, shutting his eyes.
Minutes passed, and he finally opened his eyes again. Soon seeing a more clear environment.
They were in a large vault-like room, filled with decorated shiny weapons, artifacts, books, money, and statues of different sizes. The walls were pearl white
"Start healing them first." Calliope's voice echoed into Colton's ears, he turned around.
Behind him were his teammates, with a mound of rock next to them, and a hole in the ceiling.
Calliope walked around, heavily wounded with Oliver and Clarissa next to her.
Colton soon felt his wounds slowly go away with Oliver standing next to him with a green glowing staff. He could see Oliver becoming more tired as the seconds passed by. But he could feel his body and mind heal.
"Colton, aid the twins and the rest." Calliope spoke, heavily wounded with a raspier voice than usual. Even though he was confused, Colton quickly joined in, trying to move his fellow teammates away from the rubble.