The labyrinth was a twisted maze of stone walls and pillars, each path more confounding than the last. The walls, made of cold gray stone, rose high and imposing, their surfaces rough and uneven, as if carved haphazardly by something ancient and forgotten. Jagged cracks ran through the stone, where moss and small vines had taken root, creeping slowly over the surface in a desperate search for sunlight that never reached this place.
Every few feet, the labyrinth would split into different paths, the options multiplying with every turn. Some corridors were narrow and winding, with the walls closing in so tightly that only one person could squeeze through at a time. Others opened up into wider passages, their ceilings arched and vaulted, supported by rows of crumbling pillars that reached up like skeletal fingers.
The air was thick with the weight of silence, broken only by the distant echo of water dripping somewhere unseen. This was the second of five levels of the labyrinth. Arianna, Tipha, and Clive breezed through the first level, which was more or less a straight path.
"This…doesn't seem the same as last time." Arianna whispered.
Hearing that, a chill ran up Clive's spine. "What…what do you mean?"
Tipha held a torch with one hand and placed the other on the cool stone wall. "Elrich, a mage who created this Labyrinth around five centuries ago, cast a spell that made the correct path shift every few months."
"Do we have to try every way then?" Clive stammered, "Is this why it took you so long last time?"
Julianna wrapped her arms around Clive from behind and pulled him close to her body, sensing his stress. "No, that was because the item we were trying to transport was a bit...large. You're a small one, so I think we should be fine."
"Besides," added Tipha, "You can tell if you're getting close to the next level from the texture on the wa—" Suddenly, she stopped. Clive looked ahead, and felt an eerie presence. Tipha pulled out her grimoire, which floated above her with its pages moving on its own. Julianna prepared her staff and held it in front of her.
"Miss Tipha?" Clive asked, but was ignored.
Suddenly, a flash of light emanated from Julianna's staff. "[HOLY LIGHT]!" she chanted. The entire corridor lit up, and an army of goblins could be seen. Their tiny weapons were barred, and they numbered around thirty. "Little Clive…" Arianna said with a stern tone, "Stay behind us."
Tipha was the first to act. She raised her hands to the sky, her lips moving in a quick incantation. A crown of fire suddenly ignited around her head, accompanied with fiery wings growing from behind her and casting her in an ethereal glow. "[IGNIS CORONA]" she chanted. Flames roared around her, and without hesitation, she unleashed a barrage of fireballs. Each one streaked through the air like a blazing comet, striking the goblins with pinpoint precision. Explosions of fire erupted across the battlefield, sending goblins flying as Tipha stood tall, her eyes alight with fierce determination.
A goblin archer, hidden among the pack, loosed an arrow aimed at her back, but Arianna was ready. "[LUX BAREERA]" she yelled. With a graceful sweep of her staff, she conjured a shimmering light barrier, the arrow bouncing harmlessly off the glowing shield. More arrows rained down, but Arianna's magic held strong, blocking every projectile that dared to approach."Not today," Arianna muttered under her breath, her eyes narrowing.
"AIEEEEE!" The goblins yelled, falling into disorganization from the confusion.
Clive watched the elves, his hand gripping his little knife. He was in awe of their power, their precision, and how cool Tipha looked. The goblin's number's slowly dwindled, until they were all burning in a fiery inferno. His admiration, however, was interrupted by the appearance of a stray goblin that had evaded the girls' spells. It seemed to have entered through a secret entrance on the wall.
"AIGHH! DIAA!" It yelled in it's language, rushing towards Clive with it's sword raised high.
Clive's heart pounded in his chest. He barely had time to react as the goblin lunged at him. He threw up his arm instinctively, slashing with his small blade, but it wasn't enough. The goblin's knife caught him across the arm, sending a searing pain through his body. Clive yelped and staggered back, blood trickling down his arm. "ACK—"
Just as the goblin prepared to strike again, a fireball struck it square in the chest, sending it crashing to the ground in flames. Tipha turned toward Clive, her fiery crown still glowing above her head, her eyes locking with his. "SEVENTH PRINCE!" she yelled, rushing towards him.
Clive fell to the ground in pain, with Arianna kneeling beside him. She took his arm and saw the cut, which seemed rather deep. "You're hurt!"
"H-help…." Clive muttered. He hasn't been injured like this at all in his life. "Help…me"
"Relax…Miss Arianna is here." Arianna cooed. She let Clive rest up against her breasts, and started chanting. Around her body, translucent white armor started to appear around her forearms. On her head, a helmet in a similar vein came to view, sprouting out a transparent cape behind her back. "[LUX SANAR]" She whispered. Suddenly, the light from her armor traveled up her hands and onto Clive's wound, slowly mending the gash, and sizzling any excess blood. "There…" Arianna said. "All better?"
"I'm…not in pain?" Clive muttered. He was more confused than thankful. That magic...it was something he had never seen before.
Tipha then placed her hand on Clive's shoulder, with a worried look on her face, "Please forgive me, it was an oversight to ignore any potential trap doors."
"I-It's okay Miss Tipha."
Without a word, she wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace, pulling him close to her chest. The suddenness of it caught Clive off guard, and before he knew it, his face was pressed against the softness of Tipha's breasts. "I'm just glad you're okay…"
Clive's cheeks flushed instantly, his heart pounding all over again, though for a different reason this time. He caught the familiar floral scent that lingered on her, soft and delicate, like flowers blooming in the early morning. But there was something else—something more comforting, almost motherly, in the way she held him. He felt flustered, unsure how to respond, but he didn't pull away. Instead, he found himself relaxing into her hug, despite the awkwardness he felt. This was off from the Tipha he was used to.
"Ahem~" Arianna pouted. "Where is my thanks, Little Clive?"
"T-thanks for healing me, Miss Arianna."
"Hmmph!" Arianna giggled. "That's better. Now then you two, I can see the entrance to the next level up ahead." She said, pointing at a intricate stone door with blue patterns. It seems to have appeared once the goblins were defeated.
Tipha, letting go of Clive and going back to her "normal" self, stood up and led the party again, much to Clive's confusion. "Well then, let us continue."