Alythia

We delved deeper into the labyrinthine ruins. We weren’t sure if we were heading the right way, we just kept going forward. The traps along our way became a dull routine, none matching the complexity of the initial teleportation one, thankfully, and we were able to disarm or sidestep them with ease.

After who knows how long of endless twists and turns, we stumbled into a large, ornate room. Everyone looked visibly relieved at finally having a change from the monotonous narrow trapped filled corridors. Casting a few wisps of light to light up the room, we saw that it was breathtakingly beautiful. The walls adorned with intricate carvings depicting ancient battles and ancient texts, floors covered in luxurious mosaics that have yet to fade. An assortment of extravagant treasures — tapestry and fabrics, antique vases, chests filled with gold coins, jewel-studded ornaments, polished marble sculptures depicting mighty soldiers and various other ornate items that practically screamed to others ‘Im rich!’. 

The sight was like a dream. A long silence echoed in the chamber as we all stood frozen, our minds grappling with the sudden opulence. Subconsciously, I found my fingers tightening around my purse. ‘If I just grab some, I'll be rich! It doesn't even have to be much, just a few gold coins is enough.’

Clearly, I wasn't alone in that thought as Finn and one of the archaeologists, eyes lit with greed, proceeded to beeline towards the treasures, especially the gold at the center of the room. Their footfalls echoed loudly throughout the chamber. 

"No, wait!" I reflexively shouted before pausing, realizing my dangerous train of thought. I was greedy for the treasures, I didn’t like how they got ahead of me. I wanted to join them, but the small remaining bit of reason within me held me back. 

As they neared the center of the room and began digging through the chests of gold, I noticed the existence of mana seeping through the intricate statues lining the walls. They were impressively detailed, looking every bit like seasoned warriors ready for battle, and a shiver ran down my spine.

Suddenly, it happened. 

In the midst of the two’s excitement and the internal conflicts dazing the rest of us, the statues came to life. The intricately carved seams along its body glowing ominously as its soulless eyes turned to focus the center of the room. 

“FINN!” I screamed.

We were quick to notice and draw our weapons, but Finn and the archaeologists were too preoccupied to realize the gravity of the situation. 

“Golems!” The archaeologist with us cried out. “So they do exist!” 

This short window was all that was needed for the animated statues to tightly encircle the two in the center, cutting off their escape. The rest of us on the other hand, found ourselves on the outside of the quickly forming stone circle, trying to break through to save the two. 

Rurik, wielding two large axes, charged the stone statues head on. His axes collided with the back of a golem, creating a resounding CLANG that echoed in the vast chamber, leaving two sizable indents on the statue. Though it didn't go down, it was successful in diverting a couple golem/statues’ attention towards us instead. 

Rurik, unfazed by their resistance, continued his assault, continuously slashing with his two axes and attacking with raw power. I on the other hand picked up more of a supporting role. 

I tried attacking with some magic, but those proved to have little effect, at most just causing a couple scratches. The bricks used to construct this ruin were also peculiar in that my magic wouldn't work on them, I couldn't manipulate them. Gusts of wind, summoned by my command, buffeted the statues. Combined with occasional blasts from chunks of ice and freezing allowed me to slow their movements. My spells lacked the potency to cause significant damage, but they could disrupt and delay, which was all we needed for now.

Elara, adeptly exploiting the golems' slowed movements, danced elegantly around them. Her weapons, two beautifully decorated razor-sharp short swords, sliced through the joints of the statues with surgical precision, breaking off chunks of stone. She moved with an elegance that was mesmerizing, even in the heart of chaos..

Despite our efforts, the stone golems were a formidable force. The room filled with the grating noise of metal clashing against stone and the thud of stone bodies hitting the floor. All the while, we could hear Finn's desperate battle cries from the center of the stone circle, a stark reminder of the urgency. If even we had problems getting through, there's no doubt he was struggling at the center of it all, defending against attackers from all directions.

“Quickly save m-fffff” the archaeologist in the center screamed before suddenly being cut off followed by a loud SPLAT sound. 

That sickening sound caused me to flinch as a chill ran down my spine. What was that? 

It didn't sound good. Looking over at Elara, I saw her face mirrored my alarm. I could hear Rurik cursing under his breath as he hastened his slashes.

“F***!” Finn raged “WHERE ARE YOU GUYS?!”

"Cover me, I'll go help Finn" Elara commanded, taking down her current opponent with swift, lethal strikes. I quickly nodded and conjured an ice block, hurling it towards an advancing golem. It collided with a crunch, sending the golem staggering backward. Elara leaped, using the stunned golem as a stepping stone, vaulting over the thinning ring of statues

“You got me right?” Rurik asks. Understanding that he's talking about me, I reply with an affirmative 

“Yes.”

With Elara gone, this front now has a gaping hole that can't be filled by Rurik alone. Though there aren't many enemies left compared to the start, it’s still enough to overwhelm a single person. 

Clutching my wand, I'm nervous. I don't have Rurik’s firepower nor Elara’s ability to take these statues down. At most, I can stall for time and cover for Rurik until he destroys them. But thankfully, that was enough. Hopefully Elara could stabilize the situation over at Finn’s side, and soon, we should be able to clear a path to retreat. 

When the statue was about to take a swing. I launch another ice chunk to interrupt it. Blunt blocks of ice seem to work much better than sharp icicles, causing a larger impact and immobilizing the statue for longer. Turning the launcher ice block into water, I wrap it around a few more statues, before once again freezing them. It wouldn't stop them for long, as they would quickly break free and shatter the ice, but all I needed to do was continue this game of stun freeze, and repeat until Rurik did his thing. Occasionally, in a pinch, I would dump some mana into the pebbles I collected along the way and fling them. Though they immediately shattered on impact, the sudden force was enough to create an opening for Rurik to utilize.

Finally, we managed to break through their lines, reaching Finn and Elara. They were retreating from the center, carrying a bloody, limp body—the archaeologist. 

When they got closer, I got a clearer look. The entire right side of his chest was brutally crushed, blood seeping out mixed with bone shards. But despite that, he was miraculously still alive, evident by his weak breaths and gasps for air.

The surviving archaeologist screamed in despair, clinging onto me, pleading. "Save him please! Heal him!!" His words hung heavily in the air. 

The increasing sound of my heartbeat drowned out the noises of battle behind me. Time seemed to stop as I stared at the dying man. A wave of helpless despair washed over me. Shaking my head, all I could leak out was a “no… I can't.” I was not a healer, I didn't know any healing magic. And so, I could only watch as his breaths grew shallower and eventually stopped, his vacant eyes staring at nothing.