The climb was safer than the dark cave ahead, Mesu noted. Her hands were sore and scraped from having to scale the landscape. Breathe came in quick bursts as her body adjusted to the altitude. The group knew that there had to be an easier way to access the inside of the mountain. Some quick scouting during the rest of the day found them with no answers. It was determined they would head up in the morning. That came earlier than Mesu was ready for.
They rested just inside the opening. No one wanted to talk as they were still blind to exactly what they were getting into. The thought of the portal being finished was enough to keep them at bay until they were ready. There was no need for Enya to describe what could sneak through, as Mesu had already seen it. The worlds merging was scary, and she wasn’t sure exactly what it would look like.
Zoe was signaling to Tai. Mesu was able to pick up some of the words as she spent more time with them. She focused in but was disappointed she only saw enough to know that they would wait a bit longer. Breathing was coming easier to her now as her lungs adjusted to how to take in the air. The musty smell of the cave was now something she could sense. She peered in and was thankful that some light shone into it.
The cave was just a cave, Mesu confirmed. Nothing about this one seemed out of the ordinary. The wind howled through the entrance. Everyone was making the least amount of noise they possibly could. Even so, there was something that was clattering a bit. Mesu looked over at everyone. She was trying to spot a cup or something metal giving off little pitter-patter noises. There was nothing loose on anyone’s packs.
Mesu looked down the cave again and took a sidestep. The noise was bouncing off the walls, but hard to pinpoint the origin. She squinted and caught a shimmer of light deep in the opening. Mesu got closer to Anna and tapped her on the shoulder. The blond hair almost whipped her in the face as Anna spun. Mesu calmed her with an arm on her shoulder and pointed down the opening. Anna looked and shrugged. Mesu felt frustrated that she hadn’t invested her time in developing a silent language with her partner. She mimed shooting an arrow into the cave and got Anna to nod.
It was a small victory and Anna took her bow off her shoulder and nocked an arrow. Mesu pointed towards the spot where she saw the light. There was a moment where she thought this might be jumping to a conclusion that wasn’t in the realm of possibility. She thought about how this could be a waste and draw unwanted attention. It was too late to stop Anna as she released the arrow.
There was a squish followed by a thud. The chattering that rose from inside got everyone’s attention. Mesu’s eyes went wide as she could hear and now saw a swarm of goblins headed her way. A couple more arrows flew from Anna’s bow. Zoe was now joining the ranks and shooting into the mixed crowd of half-lit, half-dark beasts. Russ and Tai took up the front as Mesu unsheathed her blade and did the same. The goblins were upon them as Mesu got next to Russ. Her new speed made short work of the first few she encountered. She stumbled a few times adjusting to the new speed.
A couple more in the next wave reached Mesu. Her slices dropped them as well. Another one approached, and she was taken off her feet by her momentum. She scrambled up as Anna covered her with more arrows over her head. Russ broke into a run forward and took more out as he did. There were more voices, but they were going away from the group. The rest of them followed. Mesu was one who had picked up a torch from the fire and trailed after to provide light.
Footsteps and chattering led the way through the tunnels to the destination. It felt different for the goblins to be tricky. Mesu tripped mid-thought and started sliding down. The steepness of the tunnel got to her, and she let go of the torch. Her free hand desperately grabbed at the dirt and rock to try to slow herself down. Her progress halted as she butted into a pile of limbs. The chamber they landed in was more lit, and Russ had already started forward. Mesu helped Anna up and continued forward.
A couple more hallways and a giant open area was in front of them. A stone archway was in the middle of the room with a bluish film over it. There was no time to admire it as goblins charged forward. It was another small group, and Mesu was thankful that they had more room than the cave opening. She let herself loose a little more and used her movements to dodge and weave through the group and her own. Each scream from a goblin came with a delay as she slashed and stabbed at them.
The bodies of the fallen foes were spread out among the chamber.
“I guess we try to destroy it now?” It had seemed too easy to Mesu as she agreed. She allowed herself to take in the structure. The room was about 30 feet tall, Mesu figured. The archway took up most of that height. It was wide as well. She thought it to be about 15 feet wide.
“If this really is as fragile as Enya stated, maybe we don’t have to do that much to it?” Anna walked over the structure and pulled out a knife. She picked a stone that was about the size of the one that was taken. The blade struck against it, and Anna tried to pry it off. She grunted as she tried. The stone was stuck.
“Let’s stand back and have Russ try this.” Zoe guided everyone back, and Mesu chose a tunnel to watch from. He gathered up his warhammer and struck at the side. Nothing had chipped away. He put the hammer down and inspected the spot. It looked like his finger ran over a smooth surface from where Mesu was. Russ picked the hammer back up and started to charge it with energy.
The strike rocked the mountain, and Mesu couldn’t see what was going on as a brilliant flash blinded her. She moved more into the tunnel as she heard rocks fall from the walls and ceiling. The roof of her tunnel dropped debris as dust filled the main room. Mesu kept her eyes closed as the dust pelted her eyelids. Silence followed, and Mesu’s heart sank. When she dared to open her eyes again, she could see again and confirmed that the portal still stood and was open.
“So, now what?” Anna moved closer to examine the spot that was hit. Zoe tapped her on the shoulder and gave the sign for silence.
Mesu was confused, but she started to listen. All around them, the chamber was filling with chattering. There were other sounds that Mesu didn’t recognize. It was a roaring that seemed to come from everywhere. She looked at each of the tunnels and wasn’t sure which had such threatening voices. The number of tunnels was fully taken in by Mesu, and she realized that there would be no way to guess.
“It’s time to go.” Tai had already jumped into the portal, and Russ and Zoe were on either side. Anna looked at Mesu, and they both wore a look of panic. Zoe had to bring them up to speed. “We’re going in. There is no telling which of these tunnels we can escape through. This is the only exit for us for now. Come on.” Anna didn’t hesitate and jumped in.
Mesu looked around the tunnels again, and she could hear the approach from everywhere. Russ retreated while Zoe waited for Mesu. It didn’t look inviting. The warnings that Enya had given them about what could be coming through the portal to their own world scared her enough to not want to see what was there firsthand. Mesu unsheathed her short sword and looked back at the portal. Whatever was on the other side would have to be ready for her. She ran through it faster than she wanted. The world gave way around her. It was the weirdest sensation that she had ever felt. It was almost as if pieces of her were torn apart but lightly. The distortion started to take form, and the entry to a new world was complete.