Precedent picture: The Final Battle (https://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/the-final-battle/2869302/?p) _______________________________________ The girls were back in the corridor that lead them to the Lich, but now in the revers way and with a much slower pace. Marina's armor that felt so light the morning, was now really heavy. In a way she was glad that Delphine had to be helped to walk. In a normal rhythm, she knew she couldn't have followed her friends. Minalva was helping Delphine to walk. In fact, they were helping each other. Both being very weakened by there extensive used of their magical energies. But mage staffs were good to help for the walk and fortunately they had both their own. Minalva holding the one of the Lich. Minalva was also sniffing there way out, her senses being at a high pick due to their recent battles, to be sure they stayed on the right path. At a moment she stopped, inhaling the air with insistance. She smelled something peculiar. It was a smell she knew, but couldn't identified. Then it came back. Surprised and confused at first, she analysed quickly the thing. Then she smilled, frowned and smilled again. Her friends saw that she had detected something and asked her about. She thought for a second, then, taking her most mysterious smile, she responded. "It's nothing important." There was no point to insist, if she didn't wanted to tell them, Marina and Delphine knew that they'll learned nothing from her. At least for now. After a time that felt very long, they finally reach the room where Romatzo and the demon Ulharrl were fighting. It seemed so quiet. From where they were, they couldn't really see the interior of the room, it was hidden by the stone monticule where the demon's throne was. The three friends had to circle around it to have a clear view. It was not too far fetch to think that the demon was dead, otherwise it would had manifested already. But what about Romatzo? Was he alive, wounded and if he was, how much? Or did Romatzo and its foe killed each other in the battle. It took them some time to dare entering the room. They did it as quietly as possible and they were terrorisied of what they could find. The fight seemed to have been very violent. Flames was burning here and there and the heavy stone throne of the demon was laying on the floor. The throne was the last thing that hid, for them, the rest of the room and when they passed it their hearts stopped. It stopped, but it was due to the relief they felt. Romatzo was there, sitting on the demon's corpse. When he heard the girls, he instinctively moved to catch his axe, before recognising them. "You are alive!" he said with an indescribable joy. Minalva gave Delphine to Marina and ran into the arms of Romatzo, crying. They both held tight for a long moment. They were all so happy and relief to see that all of them were still alive. Romatzo had some cuts on his face and a black eye, but except that he seemed alright. "You seem to have done a great job, said Marina approaching and pointing at the demon's cutted head on the floor. Your armor don't even have a scratch, she added impress." She was right, except the stains of blood from the goblins and the demon, his armor looked as smooth and shiny than when they entered the cave. "Don't be fooled by the state of my armor, responded Romatzo visibly as tired as them. It was a real hell here. I think that if I am still alive it's only because of it. This armor is exceptionnal! A dwarf mage-smith marvel. I don't know how, but it even prevented my hair and beard to burn." he started to laugthed. But he stopped quickly, his face being distorted by pain. "Are you alright? asked Minalva worried, touching his face. - It's okay, he said trying to reassuring her. It's just that I must have some ribs broken. That and my right leg too. - You really seem to have had a hard battle, added Marina more seriously. - It has been one. - Would you be able to walk, asked Delphine? - I think that if you allow me to use this, he pointed the lich staff, it will be okay." Minalva gave it to him and helped him to get up. Once he found his balance with the staff, he asked. "And your battle, how was it. What did you encounter back there? - It was a lich, said Delphine. - A powerful lich. And it has been a hard battle too, added Marina. - But we kicked his ass and Delphine literally fried his head! added also Minalva, joyful, while wiping the tears on her face. - Oh! Well, I'm eager to hear the tell of your fight. But I think it'll has to wait until we are back at the guild." The girls nodded. Now they were reunited, there was no reason to stay longer. Minalva went back to support Delphine. They were ready to go, when Marina asked, concerned. "What are we going to do, if the goblins attacks again, in our way back? None of us is really capable to fight." The silence responded to her. But after a moment, Minalva said. "I'm pretty sure they will not attack us. - What makes you think that, asked Marina? - Just a hunch, she simply responded." Delphine look at her deeply. "You, you know something, she thought with some angryness, I know it's useless to ask her and I hope that not telling us, won't be damaging." They discussed for few minutes, but they had no real solution. So they decided to go anyway, hoping everything will be all right. They took the corridor in direction of the main hall. Once again, with their low pacing, it took them time to reach it. The tension rised again the more they approached. Even Minalva's optimism faint partly. After all, she was sure of nothing. They entered the main hall, where they fought all the goblins at their arrived, with apprehensions. There, they froze. A huge cave troll was there. But they quicky realised it was dead, cute in half horizontaly by the middle and was laying against a pillar. In fact even the pillar behind it had a large and profound cut in it. They were all baffled. None of them had fought or even saw the troll before. Perplexed but worried, they decided to continu their travel to the exit. The travering of the hall felt almost unreal. It was hard to say because of the number of them, but they had the impression that there was more goblins corpses than before. Unease by that, they accelerate as much as they could their pace to reach the exit. They finally arrived to the part of the cave where the stone walls became more natural and turned into a corridor instead of a large hall. After another long minutes of walking, they saw a light at the end of the tunnel. Then, they arrived outside, finally. The sun hurted their eyes first, but when they had been custom to it, they realised how good it felt to be out of the cavern. When they entered the cave, it was early in the morning, now it was almost the end of the afternoon. They came back to the point where they arrived and one of them activated the amulet allowing them to create a magical portal to come back to the Guild of Adventurers. Once it had been opened, they all felt another huge relief. It was finally over. Back at the Guild, Omdeo was still there waiting for their return. Grimlok the dwarf was also with him. A table and chairs had been installed outside for them. The table was full of scrolls and letters. Even if was worried for the four adventurers, as the Great Master of the Guild, Omdeo had always important affairs to deal with. Grimlock was helping him, while drinking a good fresh bear. When the portal opened, they both stood up and exchanged a look mixed of hope and worried. Seeing the four passing through the gateway, a huge relief appeared on their faces, but when they saw in which state they were, Omdeo and Grimlok ran to help them, followed by servants. Delphine looked at Omdeo while a servant took the place of Minalva to sustain her and said. "We did it!" She was smiling despite the deep cuts on her face. Omdeo looked at Delphine's wounds, then he did the same with the others. When Delphine started to opened the mouth to talk again, he said, taking her by surprise. "No! Not a word. I know you must have a lot of things to tell, but you'll tell me later. Now, I want you all to have your injuries heal and having some rest. I'll join you later. I still have important things to do and now that you have returned, I will be able to do them with a relief mind. Grimlok take care of them, will you." The Master of the Armory and Equipments nodded happily and invited them to follow him. "Come with me younglings. Don't worried, you'll be like new in no time. And if Omdeo won't listenned your adventures, I'll do! he said with his powerful but joyful voice. But they all felt disappointed to be dismissed so quickly by the mage, especially Delphine. The doors of The Fortress opened and, before than Delphine, Marina, Minalva and Romatzo dissapeared in it Omdeo added. "Heroes! they turned around to look at him. I'm very proud of you!" The most powerful being of the world just called them "Heroes" and said he was proud of them. They smilled and bowed as they could to thank him. It was wounded, covered of blood, for some of them and exhausted, but very proud that they entered in the Fortress. _______________________________________ Thank you for watching and reading! :) Not so much thing to say there, except it was fun to create as usual. ^^ The color of the blood on the face of Marina looks too flashy, I think. And technically, they should have goblins's blood on their armor too, but I have been lazy and didn't want to do it. =p