Fel Dungeon. Day 09.

  A tide of goblins spilled into the streets, tripping and stumbling over each other as they rushed towards the party. All of them looked as bad or worse than the ones they'd killed earlier. Jagged black crystals poked out of pale grey skin and all of them, every last one that Sinnamon could see, was at least level 120.

  “To the rooftops!” Halzy bellowed. “Get Aliyah and the kids to the rooftops!”

  Aliyah was already throwing up walls of earth and stone, but it did little to keep back the sweeping mass of gnashing jaws and grasping claws that surged upon them.

  Where, Sinnamon wondered, where had all these goblins come from?

  Singapura and Halzy, both Sentinels, had run to opposite sides of their camp, each with shields raised and barriers of mana extending to create a wall to slow the stampeding horde.

  “I've got the kids, but Sinn, they could use a boost!” Weaver shouted. He had their packs thrown over his shoulders, poised and ready to jump himself.

  “I'm on it!” Sinnamon cast Twin Fate and duplicated Talaria's Blessing on Alyx and Lynn, both spells that would boost their movement speed and jump distance.

  Even with enhanced jumps, Weaver still had to reach out and grab each kid, helping them up and onto the two story building.

  The cool down on Sinnamon's spells were short, but still too long to aid Aliyah in getting to safety. Though it soon became obvious that Sinnamon needn't have worried about the Elementalist.

  Walls of earth rose from the streets not being blocked by Halzy and Singapura. Logan and Gavriel slew the few that had gotten through as Aliyah began raising more barriers ahead of the two Sentinels.

  Aliyah was a maestro of destructive power as she bent the very earth, wind, lightning, and fire to her will. Columns of stone rose from the ground to act as perfectly timed steps that took her above the fray. Lightning crackled and thunder boomed from her fingertips, chaining to the goblins ravaging Halzy and Singapura’s barriers, stunning them in their tracks. Walls of fire, pushed by hurricane-like gales of wind, savaged the goblins' health bars as it knocked them back like little more than embers fleeing a campfire.

  Even with the newly erected stopgaps, more goblins spilled in. Some had found their way into the buildings, knocking out doors and window shutters to get at their party.

  AnnaLee was desperately trying to keep mana barriers up and heal the warriors on the ground as Halzy and Singapura were forced to fall back as their defense crumbled into an all out melee.

  There were tears in the level forty-eight Druid's eyes as her healing just wasn't enough against the attacks of the goblin horde nearly triple her own level.

  Hogweed went down, his health bar showing zero on Sinnamon’s HUD a moment before his location changed to Caer Siddi and he was kicked from their group chat and party by the dungeon. The greatest power all Guardians had, the ability to cheat death and rejoin the fray, was failing them now. With no way back into the instanced dungeon, the Rogue was out of the fight for good.

  And from her vantage point beside AnnaLee, Sinnamon could see that horrible drawback to their power was cursing them even further. Halzy and Singapura weren’t going to get out alive, either, no matter how much healing magic Sinnamon and AnnaLee put out. The two Sentinels were being beaten and battered by the mob around them.

  As the pair of tanks, too immobile to get up to the safety of the rooftops, went through their defensive and disruption skills, it was clear they understood that, too.

  “Get to Fel proper! Have Aliyah seal the way behind you!” Halzy shouted, grunting and crying out as his armor and limbs were yanked at as his invulnerability spell wore off. Seconds later, the dungeon kicked him and Singapura from their party as well.

  A hatch behind Sinnamon and AnnaLee burst open and grasping claws reached out.

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  Can these monsters just sense us from anywhere? Is the dungeon somehow telling them where we are? Sinnamon wondered. It had been several minutes since she and AnnaLee had finally stopped healing Halzy and Singapura. Surely the monsters couldn't have known they were up here.

  “We should get going,” Sinnamon said dumbly, as if that weren't the most obvious thing in the world.

  Weaver, Alyx, and Lynn were already sprinting for the exit. Sinnamon and AnnaLee ran after them, leaping across the gaps in the buildings. Aliyah joined them, sending up stone pathways against the larger spans.

  “I'm gonna kite the gobs away from you!” JonJon said as a bright orange flare rose into the sky on the far side of the underground city and boomed off the ceiling.

  Sinnamon could have hugged JonJon as suddenly the goblins, moving as one, turned in the direction of his distraction.

  The thought was cut short as rubble knocked free from the cave ceiling fell around them like hailstones. Weaver put his body over the twins as AnnaLee erected a mana barrier above them.

  Sinnamon thought quickly and followed Weaver’s example, taking Aliyah to the ground and using her own body as a shield.

  When the raining rocks around them finally ceased, Sinnamon took a breath and was immediately met with intense pain. Why didn't I just cast a barrier like Anna?

  Without the protection of a mana barrier, a stalactite had pierced her through the stomach, splattering Aliyah with Sinnamon’s blood. The Elementalist and mother looked up at Sinnamon with horror.

  Though the pain was excruciating, Sinnamon knew she wasn't in any trouble of dying. She looked down and saw the tip of the stone protruding from her was mere inches from Aliyah’s own stomach.

  “You're fine, it's not your blood!” Sinnamon consoled, thinking the shock of how close she'd come to death had gotten to Aliyah.

  “No, I know. I'm not worried about me. Oh, hells! I should have told you last night!” Aliyah shook her head. “You… You’re going to have a baby.”

  “What?” Sinnamon was sent reeling. Me? Pregnant? How? When?

  Aliyah lowered Sinnamon to the edge of the rooftop and helped her pull the stalactite from her stomach. She immediately began administering her own healing magic on Sinnamon even as the wound where her liver should have been began to knit itself closed.

  “How did you find out?” Sinnamon asked quietly, still too stunned to think straight.

  “When you came through the waystone. I used a diagnostic spell on you and your friends while you were still unconscious. It is very thorough. It's still far too early to be sure, but—”

  “Promise me you won't tell anyone!” Sinnamon cried, looking down at her stomach. Her hand touched right where the stalactite had pierced her. Her still wet blood covered her hand though there was no trace she'd been injured on herself or her clothes. “Promise me. Not even Weaver!”

  Aliyah took Sinnamon in a hug. “I promise. But I also want you to know that I am here for you. You have my word.”

  A shout from Sparrow over the mental group chat pulled Sinnamon away from Aliyah’s embrace. “Let's go! The way's clear!”

  Sinnamon looked at Weaver who held Lynn and Alyx in each arm, determination in his eyes. He held Sinnamon’s gaze as if silently asking if they were okay. After a nod, Weaver burst across the rooftops with a Berserker’s inhuman speed.

  Sinnamon cast Talaria's Blessing on herself and Aliyah and the two took off after Weaver.

  Gavriel reappeared, waving to get their attention. He pushed a satchel into Sinnamon’s hands. “Take this, you will need it to speak with the Architect.”

  “You're not coming with us?” Sinnamon asked.

  “Yentel is gone. I sensed the moment right as it happened.” The old mage shook his head, wiping tears and sweat from his eyes. “I will ensure they don’t follow you by giving them something to chase for as long as I can.”

  “But we still need you!” Sinnamon pleaded. “There's so much we still don't know about any of this. Please come with us!”

  “You have Logan. He can guide you. And you have my book. It will tell you all about the history of those of us who watched over Fel and the Remnants, waiting for your arrival.” Gavriel pulled Sinnamon in for a hug and whispered, “You and Weaver take care of your bakery and lab. The keys are in the bag.”

  He pulled away, gave Sinnamon and Aliyah a sad smile, and leapt over the edge to chase after the horde.

  Sinnamon spared the man whose bakery she and Weaver had unknowingly spent years visiting when this world had just been a game to them. And the couple who'd shown them warmth over these ten long days. Stuffing Gavriel’s satchel into her own bag, Sinnamon turned and made for the exit.

  Logan was ahead of Weaver, slicing and hacking at the straggling goblins that lagged behind the larger force still chasing after JonJon and now Gavriel.

  The remaining party members; Weaver, Sinnamon Roll, AnnaLee, Sparrow, Alyx, Lynn, Logan, and Aliyah dove into the tunnel that led up to the surface. The way behind them collapsed as Aliyah, bringing up the rear, brought the tunnel down as they ran forward as fast as they could.