Chapter 284: 284: Reinforcements

The forest grew increasingly hotter the closer they grew to their destination.

Heavy mist hung high in the air, drifting across the rocky ceiling of the Labyrinth like clouds, obscuring what little light leaked in.

However, the pervading mist stuck closely to the domed ceiling, starving the forest below of all moisture.

As a result there was nothing to diffuse the heat.

Luthera had been forced out of her cave shelter, in order to think straight in the intense heat. But with her surroundings in a perpetual state of twilight, there was no reprieve from the sensation of being watched.

The forest below still thrived, but there was no wind stirring their leafy canopies, the air rather stale.

No rain fell to refill the cracked riverbeds. Instead, all Luthera could see were ravines filled with dry bones – the true victims of the ever-present thirst.

Having to move through dense forest nonstop for days made Luthera's outlook on her current situation rather bleak.

That, and the growing sense of unease among her team members were all culminating towards a deep sense of discomfort.

Whenever she swallowed there was the feeling of sand in her throat, her thirst alongside the sensation of sweaty clothes clinging to her body, making her feel very unlike herself.

If her master saw her right now, would he recognise her as the current heir of House Elceran?

Nevertheless, she didn't dwell on her current dishevelled appearance, wiping the sweat from her sticky forehead to recover her sense of calm. With one last look at the forest, she entered the cave once more – there were other pressing issues at hand.

Aetoris was dying.

The torch lit cave was filled with irritated people, who were all reluctant to share the space together, not to talk of sharing their limited food supply. They armed themselves with weapons, suspicious of one another even as they stood around their fallen team member who was writhing in agony.

A deathly pale Aetoris lay on top of a stone slab , suffering the residual effects of a severe wound. A vicious monster's claws had shredded his midsection and it was only due to her intervention that he was able to make it this far. If not for her resetting his mangled bones, he would have been left for dead.

However, although Luthera had healed him, it was clear his injuries were not so simple.

After a few days of continuous travel, his condition grew progressively worse, until they were forced to stop here. Now, she watched the handsome elf muttering nonsense in his sleep, his clothes soaked with sweat, as he burned with fever. 

Even though his injuries had closed, there was also blood whenever he coughed, hinting at other problems.

He would need intensive care as soon as they got out of the Labyrinth, if he was ever going to fight again, but as it stood, Luthera was not confident he would make it out alive.

Quite frankly, they were in desperate need of a miracle.

Luthera sensed some movement behind her and turned to see Fennelis standing on the threshold of the cave, long bow in hand.

He had returned from scouting, the evergreen hair sticking close to his cheeks, barely masking stark, nearly gaunt features, and dark purple under eyes from a lack of sleep.

It was clear his days had not been kind as of late and Luthera imagined she looked the same. As he approached her, he began to speak in a low voice.

"We can't stay here any longer or we will miss the gateway." Fennelis whispered. "The mortals are getting more restless by the day – we should leave now, or there will be more troubles." 

Luthera briefly glanced at her party that was down to seven members with Aetoris out of commission, she was sure that he meant well, but she knew what her failure meant in the eyes of her master – the least she could do now was reduce the repercussions by ensuring every elf returned alive.

"We can't leave him behind either." Luthera replied, reaching for the unconscious Aetoris to feel his forehead that was pallid with sweat. "We've come so far already. To leave him now would be killing him, and we all know I'm worth more to everyone alive."

Her return would be shameful, but she could weather the storm with the backing of her house. 

However Fennelis kept insisting, bringing her attention to an even greater issue.

"Without your master's map we have no way of tracking the exit. We can't miss this gateway, or we could be stuck here for years waiting for the next one to reappear in the same spot. We're already a few days late, what if we've already missed it…"

"Shh, don't speak." Luthera interrupted, as the large frame of the barbarian blocked the cave entryway. 

Returning from yet another hunt, he dragged in an emaciated carcass, passing by the thief whose dagger had been at his throat not too long ago. Then, he began gutting the creature's corpse, and the cave soon filled with wet sloshing noises.

Luthera tried to ignore the sound, but it was difficult in the tight space and it was only when he was done that she and Fennelis could resume their talk.

"We all knew what was at stake by coming here." Luthera said with a grimace.

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Deep down she knew he was right, but she remained hopeful. The reinforcements her master promised could cross the gateway at any time now.

Once they did, they would wait for her to meet up with them and when they left the Labyrinth, everything would be right again. If only Aetoris did not collapse, they could have reached them by now. 

Luthera glanced at the pallid half-elf, knowing she had to make a difficult choice, and then she addressed the entire cave.

"We leave him here for now. Seal off the cave with everything you find. We can't have monsters picking at him while he's still alive. Once we meet my master, we will return for him."

The haggard group reluctantly complied, but their movements were sluggish, their brooding eyes full of discontent.

Eventually the cave opening was sealed behind rocks and shrubbery, and the unconscious Aetoris was hidden under branches and dead leaves as the group resumed their journey.

It was the best they could do and Luthera hoped it was enough. They were soon trekking across the sweltering forest, towards the last known point of the Labyrinth's gateway, with Fennelis moving ahead of everyone. 

He was the only one who knew the way back, from the markings he left throughout to track their progress and they marched on for many miles, following his directions, every step a struggle in the sweltering heat.

They left the forest, crossing windswept rocky terrain devoid of plant life until Luthera saw familiar mountainous terrain. She knew they were close as she recalled passing through here when they first arrived. 

The gateway was just beyond the treacherous terrain, and Luthera once again had hope.

She didn't know who her master would send, but she expected more mercenaries like her current party at the least, perhaps a selection of half-elf legionaries, or the elven main army if she was lucky.

As they began their intense climb, they glimpsed a rock formation beyond the mountain.

Hidden at the top was a singular slab of stone that used to be part of the mountain but was worn down several millennia ago to form the shape of an arch. 

At any other time, it would have been an ordinary rock, but the gateway to the Labyrinth was a tricky beast that had chosen to inhabit it. 

The origin of these gates were not fully understood, but they could spawn at any location in the Upper Stratum and vanish after some time. 

They needed no power to open, the only actual requirement being a surface encompassing all sides, formed out of a single solid object or two objects intersecting. 

The previous gateway had spawned in the middle of dense jungle at the meeting point of two trees, which posed a great problem as it led to many monsters spilling out to the surface and certain measures had to be taken to prevent the gateway spawning in that location again.

A hidden rock formation like this one was perfect, the arch inhabited a remote location, with very few monsters in the vicinity. And the gateway looked so ordinary, one could easily pass by without noticing anything amiss. 

However, since Luthera had already come through it once, she knew exactly what to look for - and they were in luck as the gateway was still open.

As they sped towards the structure that was wide enough for several riders to come through, Luthera instantly noticed the shimmer in the middle, where the distortion in space had taken root. 

It was only visible when seen from a certain angle – certainly not something a monster would notice. But as they reached the enormous arch, Luthera realised something was amiss. 

The soldiers she was expecting were not there.

She kept peering at the gateway to see if more elves would arrive, but there was no one else there, and Luthera immediately fell into a panic.

Did her reinforcements not come? 

The mortals of her party also saw the empty gateway and were decidedly irate, the burnt thief immediately grabbing her by the arm.

"I thought you said there would be an army?" Undrenn hissed. "Did you lie to us?"

"I said they are coming!" Luthera shouted. "So they will be here."

Fennelis already had his bow aimed at his head, but in the chaotic climate with the other mortals equally in a bad mood, they were outnumbered two to five.

"We are just early." Luthera continued, but there was a slight waver in her voice. 

"How do we know you are telling the truth?" Rodin asked. Now haggard with exhaustion, his Palagian armour had none of its former lustre. Having lost another one of his infantry soldiers, he was rightfully upset. 

"They will be here." Luthera insisted. "My master is a man of his word!"

But before they descended into arguments, the gateway hummed, the shimmer blinking out of existence before their eyes.

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