Rolan's body froze. He didn't think the kid in front of him was a villager from Thornwood. The anger in his eyes swelled and before he could do anything, Tessa reached over and grabbed Rolan's arm.
"He's not to blame." Tessa said with a sharpness in her voice. She watched Rolan's anger burn in his eyes. "Rolan." Rolan pulled his arm away and walked off. She let out a sigh and turned to Arin, who was completely lost at what just happened. "Forgive him, Thornwood's a sensitive subject for him."
Arin followed Rolan until he was out of sight. He turned back to Tessa and nodded. "Did he visit and not like the people? They can be a lot ,so I get that."
"It isn't my place to say, but he has some… Rough history with Thornwood." Tessa replied. "What're you going to do? Will you try to get out of this place soon?"
"If the goblins are gone. Until then, I don't have much to do." Arin replied.
"Well, what don't you help me with something? There's some herbs deep in this mine. If we're lucky I might be able to find some with your help." Tessa suggested. Arin nodded, grabbed his spear before standing.
"Ah, dammit." Rolan quickly entered the space.
Tessa looked up at Rolan, noticing the frustration melting into seriousness. "What's wrong?"
"We need to go. More goblins are coming." Rolan grabbed things on the table and quickly threw them in his pack on his back. "Head deeper into the mines. We'll lose them there and try to get out through one of the backway paths."
"Is everything going to be alright?" Arin asked.
"Kid, you wanted to learn how to fight with your Beast, right?" Rolan asked. Arin nodded. "Well, you're going to get plenty of opportunities to do that. Keep up."
Tessa led the way with Arin and Nocturnis behind her and Rolan behind them. The group moved further into the mines, eventually reaching a point with a large space in the middle with strange markings.
"Get on the mark." Rolan pointed. Tessa stood on it and beckoned Arin and Nocturnis over.
"What's that?" Arin asked, moving over. Rolan stepped over, pulling Arin quickly into the mark's area.
"Teleport." Tessa spoke. The four flashed, disappearing and reappearing somewhere different.
"Quickly." Rolan motioned. He left Arin's side and headed down the path in front of them.
"W-what was that?" Arin asked. Tessa smiled and motioned for him to follow. He walked with Tessa, looking at her for an answer while Nocturnis followed behind.
"It's a magical glyph that was left by the miners. It was partially destroyed but when Rolan and I found it, I managed to fix it." Tessa replied. "It's not that impressive, but it helps traversing places like this."
"Not that impressive?!?" Arin gasped. His entire world had been broken at that moment. Magic was intriguing and he wished he could conjure magic like his other friends could. "When some of the other kids could conjure stone, flame, gust or aqua, I was stuck with nothing. What I'd give for that."
"Hurry up! You don't want to die to a bunch of goblins, do you?" Rolan shouted.
"So much for being quiet." Tessa rolled her eyes.
They picked up speed and joined Rolan who was waiting for them. Rolan led them deeper into the mines with more paths appearing. Rolan continued to walk down paths like he new which way to go.
"Master," Nocturnis alerted Arin. Arin instinctively turned to look behind him. "I hear them. They're coming quickly."
"How did they appear that fast?" Arin asked.
"What?" Tessa asked.
"They're on our tail." Arin turned and moved faster.
"What? You can hear that well? I can't hear nothing." Tessa replied. "Rolan, let's pick up the speed!"
"You don't have to tell me twice!" Rolan shouted.
The four began to run faster. Rolan's decisions were more sporadic, almost random. They eventually moved down a path that led them to a large carved space with mining tools and items left behind.
"It's a dead end!" Tessa shouted. "Do we go back?" The four turned their backs to the large crystals sticking out of the wall. Nocturnis growled and Arin tightened his grip on his spear.
"Too late!" Arin shouted.
The goblins exploded out of the path, shouting and screaming.
"Why are their so many of them?" Tessa asked.
"This is too strange of an coincidence!" Rolan shouted, pulling his bow out and stringing it with an arrow. "Tessa, we'll need to destroy them quickly!"
"If I use a fire spell down here, it'll suck all the oxygen!" Tessa shouted, lifting her hands.
Nocturnis growled, lowering itself. He jumped off to the left, vanishing in an instant.
"W-what just happened?" Tessa asked.
"Not enough time!" Rolan released an arrow, not watching it hit its mark before pulling out another arrow to ready. The goblins roared as they rushed at them.
"Earthen Spikes!" Tessa's aura turned bright green, releasing earth spikes from her hands. Arin watched as goblins began to whittle down quickly with the simple spell.
Arin spotted Nocturnis lurking in the shadows. He stepped over to the right, near some shadows and sucked in a breath.
'I hope this works.' Arin thought. The shadows wrapped around him, dressing him in darkness. He vanished, watching Tessa and Rolan fight. Rolan shouted for Tessa, who replied with a stronger earth spell, ripping the stone upwards and crashing into the goblins.
Nocturnis roared, paws glowing purple as his claws extended and slashed through the first goblin. The goblin shrieked as another swipe flew at it, tearing to bits. Nocturnis rushed forward, jumping and crashing into another goblin and tearing its neck apart.
"Well, would you look at that," Rolan scoffed. "The Beast is deadly."
"Where's Arin?" Tessa asked, releasing an earth blast at another set of goblins.
Arin quietly inched closer to the darker side of the room. He watched Rolan, Tessa and Nocturnis easily clear the never-ending goblins.
'What happens if I infuse Phantom Strike with one of the Spear techniques I know?' Arin wondered. He sprinted out of his hiding spot, watching the shadows slowly start to peel away from him.
"Shadow Infusion Technique: A Hundred Blows!" Arin jabbed the spear forwards, watching the black-purple energy wrap around his spear and sink into the first goblin. He pulled, quickly repeating the jab technique and accurately piercing it into the goblin's head or chests.
One thing about Arin was, despite his lack of "actual training" (of course, this was his Father's words), he had the scariest accuracy out of all of the Hunters of Thornwood in many years. On top of that, he was gifted in the Art of the Spear thus the situation made him look like an absolute maniac to Rolan and Tessa.
"What is this kid?!?" Rolan asked. "Is he really from the same village?!?"
Arin's spear flew straight through the next goblin. The shadowy energy began to falter. Three goblins rushed at Arin, raising their crude weapons and swinging for him. A sharp rock flew straight through their heads, dropping them dead.
"Th-thanks!" Arin shouted, clearly tired.
"He's sharp, but doesn't seem to have the stamina." Tessa observed. "Do you think it's because of his new connection with Noct?"
"It could be the case, but we gotta do something or else these goblins overtake us." Rolan slipped his bow onto his back and pulled the sword on his side out of its sheathe. "Locate the Goblin Transporter."
"Got it." Tessa nodded. She closed her eyes and put her hands together. She began to mumble as she floated into the air, crossing her legs.
"Arin, you and your Beast will help me keep the goblins from getting to Tessa. She's going to find the Transporter!" Rolan shouted. He rushed forward, slashing through a goblin's body like butter.
"A what?" Arin asked, piercing a goblin in the chest. The goblin screeched in pain as he pulled away and pierced it in the head.
"A Transporter! It's a special-type of goblin that can conjure portals for others to go through."Rol an explained, easily slashing through two goblins. He pulled his sword back, pointing his elbow out to the side as he turned. Three more goblins rushed at him. He dashed forward, pointing his sword straight forward and appearing at the end. Blood rained down as he swung his sword.
Five goblins jumped Nocturnis, collapsing him. They swung their weapons onto Nocturnis, shadows seemingly taking the blows. Nocturnis slashed at the goblins, rupturing their legs. The goblins howled in pain, collapsing.
Arin jumped backwards, catching his breath. 'I shouldn't have ignored all of the training about stamina… Now I'm seeing his reasoning as truth.'
"Gra bah!" The goblins shouted. A sizzling sound flew into the room, falling at the end of the goblins and rolling towards Rolan. Rolan cursed, jumping out of the way as the bomb went off.
Tessa flinched. The magic around flickering as she quickly pulled herself together. She put her hands together and slowly pulled away. Her vision flew forwards, weaving past the battle as old and new allies fought. She noticed Arin's tiredness, Rolan's ever-present anger as he sliced through the goblins and Nocturnis weaving in and out of the shadows and attacking goblins with no sign of growing tired.
She flew into the tunnel and there she saw it - the Transporter standing behind a large see-through blue portal. It muttered as it waved its wooden staff in the air.
"I found it!" Tessa shouted. "Fifty feet into the tunnel!"