A frustrated hero

Interference

I didn't know how long I slept, only that my back and legs ached from all that effort. I always thought I was close and had a few steps to go, but I never made it to the exit.

My mental and physical health was getting more and more damaged. I could not walk anymore.

Time passed slowly, I rested very little, my feet hurt too much, I dragged my two companions with all my strength. I rested a lot, but my body could not support so much physical effort. I noticed that the strap was breaking, even the cloak had some holes in it.

-Hey... You better rest, you are only a human, I don't think you can bear our weight, I recognize that you have made a great effort, but it will cost you a lot to do that for a long time," said my partner, he was covering his face with some clothes.

I stopped for a moment and lay down to rest a little, my whole back hurt and I had to lay on my stomach to be able to be calmer.

Alfred was awake at the time and spoke.

-I'm sorry I got you into this. It was my mistake. I'm to blame, I thought that by going up to A rank I would be able to do extraordinary things, but I almost ended up with the whole group. Well it's over now, my companions with whom I started died.

I wanted to give some encouragement to the sad elf and I said a few words.

-Don't worry, we all decided to be adventurers and we know that when we start this life, death follows us. It is something we must get used to and try to avoid it happening on a constant basis.

Although I said a few words to him, I noticed that he was crying a little and staring at the ceiling. He didn't pay attention to anything I said. Maybe he was too disoriented.

I got up from the floor and tried to stretch a little. I felt that I couldn't move anymore and quickly fell back to the floor. I didn't try to stand up anymore, I just lay there waiting for myself to feel better. However, I stayed like that for much longer than I thought. Maybe three hours or more. My companions didn't say anything to me. They understood what was happening to me, they couldn't demand more of me and they fell asleep.

I was hungry at that point.

We had spent maybe two days in that dungeon, and we could only eat what we had in our pockets, but there was nothing left. My body became even weaker because of that. However while I was thinking. I heard footsteps coming from somewhere far away. I was a bit scared, I didn't know if they were adventurers or monsters. None of us were in any condition to fight. It was quite difficult.

We just waited for something to appear.

[...]

I was asleep when I started to hear several voices from somewhere. When I opened my eyes, I saw several elves in front of us. I got a little nervous, for a moment I thought they were monsters, they were too affected by what I had experienced.

One of them pointed his staff at me and began to speak to me.

-What happened to them? Did you do something to this elf?

I didn't understand why they were asking me that question, but I remembered that I had a very rare sword and maybe that was the reason why they were telling me that.

-I...I didn't do anything to him...a strange troll attacked us....

The elves didn't believe me, so the one who seemed to be their leader said a word in their language and three of them lifted us up and started to carry us away from that loaded place.

The face of that elf had many wrinkles, and his eyes looked white perhaps because of his age. I had never seen one of them like that. The last thing I saw was his face as we walked away from there.

I was a little embarrassed, I didn't like being carried and more like that, but they insisted on carrying us like that. I wished no one besides them could see me like that.

While we were leaving in a fast way. I saw several groups of adventurers in different tunnels. Apparently, as Alfred had said, the appearance of this dungeon had attracted thousands of people. I just hoped to get out of this city as fast as possible and get ready to train again. I didn't want to experience such a situation again, let alone lose all my companions again.

[...]

We left the dungeon about four minutes later. The elves were quite fast, maybe because of their magic. I began to see the sunlight with pleasure. That confinement was a bit heavy. I looked at Alfred and he looked pretty bad, he wouldn't even open his eyes. Even though someone of his race was healing him.

I got up from the floor and looked at my other companion, he had most of his face covered, he looked like an assassin. Because of his mysterious attire. Although at first I didn't pay much attention to it, I didn't pay much attention to him.

We were in a kind of camp where the elves were, most of the groups were separated, maybe they would stay here for several days, we were improvised, we did not have much organization. We only had to take out things of value and then we would divide everything up.

While I was looking around me. Alfred reacted, opened his eyes and grabbed his head.

-What happened," he asked.

-You fainted," I answered.

-Mmm, I see... so it's just the three of us?

-Yes, only three of us. Although we took out some valuable things, and a group of elves took care of getting us out of there," I answered.

He looked a little anxious when he heard that.

-I think there are more trolls in that place, there were many tunnels, but I'm not going back there," he said.

-We'll split up what we took out of there. So please make it quick. I want to get out of this place now," said my partner, covering his face.

He looked quite annoyed to be with us, maybe he was angry for having gone through all this. He handed us the diamonds that he took out slyly, only the elves that were near us could see them. I also took out the ones I had and we put them together. In total there were 48 diamonds. 

Alfred gave 12 diamonds to each of us and gave the remaining ones to the elves who helped us to get out of that place. They didn't say anything, they just kept them.

From what little I could observe the diamonds we had were of great value. I could buy dozens of houses with just one, but my goal was to improve, so I thought about buying weapons and armor, besides training for my next mission, but when I tried to get up one of the elves grabbed me by the arm. He looked intimidating. His gaze was very serious. Those green eyes were terrifying. He was not like the rest, he had a dark green cloak, a coat and a slightly lighter shirt. However, he did not seem calm to help us.

-You can't leave, you must wait, these are my leader's orders.

-Hey, it's okay," I replied.

Although I didn't like it, I listened to what I was told, but I didn't understand why I had to stay here. So I lay down on the floor where we were.

Both Alfred and my other partner listened to what I was told, and didn't try to leave. They only dedicated themselves to watching the other adventurers that little by little began to arrive at this place. At that time the sky was a little cloudy and it was a little sunny. Despite resting for several hours I still wanted to sleep, and I closed my eyes again waiting for the other elves to leave the place.

[...]

Night came quickly and I was tired of waiting. I wanted to leave when the watchers fell asleep, but Alfred looked at me as if warning me not to do so. I ended up listening to him and did not try to leave. However, at that moment an explosion was heard in the dungeon.

Many adventurers headed towards the dungeon, but the guild officials stopped everyone who tried to enter the dungeon.

I was a bit thoughtful. Something very serious had happened in that place for something like that to happen. 

More people in charge of the guild arrived and tried to look for alternatives to what was going on.

There were a lot of distressed adventurers there. They would most likely close the dungeon if no one came out of there. From one moment to the next a strange smell started to come from that place. It was something putrid. 

All the people slowly moved away from that area. Nobody knew what smelled that way.

Time began to pass and no one left the place. The smell became much stronger and it seemed that it was not going to go away.

The elves that were watching us began to show some concern for everything that was happening. I concluded that all the adventurers in the dungeon were dead and there was nothing to be done for them. 

[...]

The next day the dungeon internally started to fall apart and there was no movement of anyone in that place. The guild members had several people guarding the entrance to the place so that no one would pass through. However, out of nowhere appeared a group of men who stood out because of their armor and the weapons they were carrying. They looked like heroes at first sight. They went to the people guarding the dungeon.

I kept looking at what was going on, but Alfred started talking to me.

-They are recognized heroes... Even for them it would be difficult to enter that place. It is very dangerous.

-But with them there is a wizard, wouldn't it be better if he could rebuild the entrance with a spell?

-It could be done, but no one knows what caused the smell, so they just have to wait like everyone else.

While we were talking, all of a sudden the heroes that had arrived forced their way into the dungeon. The people in charge of the guild could do nothing.

It was embarrassing, no one could go over the heads of any guild. This could generate sanctions to those people if they managed to get out alive.

Some adventurers also wanted to follow them, but they did not let them pass, it was too much for them.

[...]

The hours passed and everyone gave up hope of seeing the people in the dungeon come out alive. So the guild drove away all the people who were around that place. The camps were totally abandoned and the place was fenced off for about 1 kilometer around. What happened was a lesson for me, I should not underestimate the dungeon and its dangers.

The four elves that guarded us were completely sad. They lost their leader and there was nothing to be done for them. Only one stopped to talk to us.

-You are free to leave the place.

-Wait...you don't have to leave, we can be a group, just like you we lost our comrades," said Alfred. 

It was a bad time to propose that. They were completely affected by what had happened. They did not answer anything. They just went to the rooms they had paid for the day before. We had to go to a lodge because they wouldn't let anyone near the dungeon.

The three of us stayed there, but none of us wanted to leave. We were all very curious, it was very strange for something like this to happen in a dungeon.

My companion, who was somewhat hooded, finally spoke to us and treated us like people.

-My name is Oscar, I used to be an assassin, but with these diamonds I don't need that anymore. I could live 2 years if I work.

-I see, I suspected it. Well I introduce myself, I am the brother of the head of the guild of the city where we come from. I don't even remember the name anymore, I've been to so many places that I don't care about anything.

Hearing him say that, I could finally understand why he had fought with him. Alfred didn't stop talking after introducing himself to us and said what had probably happened.

-I think someone used a spell that corrupted the dungeon for some reason. It's impossible to do anything to help them, but I will stay I want to know who did this. 

I wanted to stay too, this experience was quite interesting and I was still very curious.