After about 20 minutes we had released the remaining miners, after all was said and done a total of five could taste freedom again. The burly orc was checking the other miners getting a feel of there mental state as well as physical state. They were frightened as anyone would seeing there compatriots skewered to death by a group of insane cultists, be refused rescue by the company they worked for, to finally being rescued just to have your rescuer be attacked by your friends who had just been skewered earlier.

  Taking the lull in the near-death experiences he brought up his hand and stared at the fractal pattern again and sent a spark of will into the symbol and the world fell away.

  He had finally gained his second level, after much training to get his first level the hours of study and rituals and finally the class stone now he's on his way. First though survive the night he gazed at the second screen the most important the rewards.

  The choices were all good each in there own way, but he needed fire power for the upcoming trouble ahead so he chose Summon Monster I and Chains of Purgatory. The summon monster was self-explanatory as it called in an extra body to fight and take hits for me and the miners, the Chains of Purgatory was another attack that would take a piece off the board for a time. Summon Monster I allows summoning of only a tier I the choices listed are Minor Gargoyle, Lesser Cave Spider and Lantern Bearer, the choice would be Permanant so he needed to choose wisely. A Gargoyle is like a snake as it grows it sheds and grows bigger, the juvenille gargoyle is merely two feet tall, has claws and vestigial wings pure physical attack if they had more blood elementals that would be not a good. Lesser cave spider is also bad it has a poison attack but its physical making it a bad match to Blood Elementals, so that leaves the Lantern Bearer it is a floating figure wearing a tailcoat, dress shirt, top hat and a mask covering its face and nothing below for it had no legs or waist. It also also as its name suggests holds a lantern that shoot fire from it, this is the one I need for I have no ranged options right now and its ranged attacks are fire so it will be a boon when dealing with the blood elementals I selected it. He looked over his final setup before leaving.

  Blinking away the screen I saw the Foreman walk toward me “Thanks for getting us out of there and not to look a gift horse in the mouth but who are you and why are you here?” “Timorial Dark Iron of Clan Dark Iron and I was hired by Captain Brooks to find you guys and his wife.” the foreman and the assembled miners seemed to breath a sigh of relief at this yet a also a look of foreboding knowledge. “His wife isnt here she's further ahead” “what?!” “They needed a sacrifice they said one to power some ‘grand fulfillment’ they chose her and three others that were close, you killed the three and miss brooks was dragged with them when they left.” “Shit.” “can you all get to the hole in the tunnel to the sewer?” “Don't worry the transit don't have the resources to get another team down here fast just save Miss Brooks, she looked out for us when no one else would.” “can you wait at entrance two there is a sanctuary circle close to it if I don't return in thirty minutes then I'm dead and you should move on” they grimly nodded.

  I nodded back and quickly turned and ran up the stairs heading deeper into the inky blackness. I moved quickly but quietly so as not alert the transit or the cultists, yet this was not necessary as the sounds of serious fighting was heard. Coming to a large intricate doorway with eldritch script along its borders he saw a battlefield, he finally saw the cultists for the first time. They wore long flowing robes black with red eldritch symbols embroidered on it they had hoods and masks that completely covered the face, but what terrified him more was there servants seven blood elementals bolstering the six cultists; while on the other side a dozen of the transit soldiers fought the elementals with abandon. One would liken it to a battle of good vs evil but he new the company were corrupt and would not hesitate to kill them all to cover the total clusterfuck they found themselves in. He scanned the room the room was circular with seats in a semi-circle by the door and a raised dais in the center three feet off the ground floating above it was a gem with multiple facets slowly spinning and beneath it was a human woman tied beneath it.

  This will be easier than I anticipated, I'll save the Captains wife while the two forces are fighting then leave the transit soldiers to solve the mess. I pulled the axes from my belt, dual wielding the axes he braced himself and watched for a gap to appear. The cultists hovered near the dais standing imperiously while the class wielding transit soldiers were fighting the Blood Elementals, then THERE a gap between the soldiers and the elementals he had his chance and he took it. Charging thru he passed the battle dodged stray attacks and arrived at the foot of the dais one of the of the cultists in front of me saw me and began to point his open palm but it was already to late for them a thrown axe split his face open.

  I made a throwing gesture summoning Bob at another, movement behind me saw me instinctively dodge a dagger behind me reciprocating with my axe saw him dodge as well taking the chance while he was distancing himself I casted summon monsters I calling forth the Lantern Bearer in front of me a floating figure appeared wearing a dress shirt, coattails, top hat gloves, featureless mask and carrying an wrought iron lantern. Surprised the cultist paused this was his undoing as the lantern opened and a bolt of flame shot out and hit him fully in the face, while it did not kill him instantly it did set his face on fire so that took him out of the fight. Bob sent him a warning and he ducked just in time for a bolt of darkness to sail past his head, leaving the Lantern Bearer to handle that side he went and put his attention to the one who shot at him. He had stepped past his friend who was right now swinging his dagger at Bob while covering his right eye with his hand the blood testifying to the fact that he had lost it, one hand had a dagger the other palm out was aimed at me I threw myself to the side having the bolt miss again the cultist cursed and readied an attack again.

  A flick of the hand and intent saw Chains of Purgatory catch him twisting his body into a horribly uncomfortable position as his screams attested to but most importantly with his hands not pointed in my direction anymore. With the rest comfortably occupied I went and set about my task freeing my clients wife, I walked over she was trussed up like a turkey with hands and feet tied and gagged using my axe I began sawing at the ropes on her feet luckily the axe was sharp and the rope quickly severed. With her feet free I immediately grabbed her arm “We need to run!” raising my voice over the din seeing a short nod in understanding from her I pulled her along thru the battle. When suddenly a pain blossomed from my right arm nearly dropping my axe turning I saw a blue haired human glare at me his finger pointing where a needle of ice had pierced the unprotected sleeves. He began to take a step toward us but a blood elemental swiped at him and he had to turn his attention back to it. Growling choice words in my native language we rushed out and down the hallway, Bob shot out of the room following us soon after.

  We made quite the hasty retreat we didn't stop till we got to the prison room and she pulled at my arm pointing her head at the room. I shook my head “I already got them they already went ahead.” seeing her sag in relief I hasted her to continue running, I didn't know when reinforcements would arrive, and I didn't want to find out. We reached the sewer tunnel and hopped thru the hole heading down to entrance two, where to my relief they were indeed waiting “We thought we lost you ma’am!” after quickly taking the time to get the rest of her bindings off they immediately began rejoicing clapping each other on the back and pulling a foot long needle out of my arm luckily it did not hit anything important and I had a health potion or I would be dead. After orienting ourselves we headed down entrance two the size of our party deterring anything from trying this time around. Finally coming to the ladder leading up to the surface I took lead in case something was skulking around after reaching the top I pushed the cover aside and looked around thankfully we were alone.

  Rising up out of the hole I waved them up showing its safe standing guard one by one the survivors came up with the foreman last. We then headed to the sanctuary circle besides some shadows moving in the dark we were not accosted again. I think our size of are group deterring them, when the circle appeared around the bend everyone released a sigh of relief curious looks at the corpse but no questions were asked we hunkered down in the circle safe from predators and unlikely to be found by the transit soldiers. Exhaustion finally hit when the adrenalin finally guttered out and bone weary day ultimately caught up with me I don't even know when my eyes closed.