Chapter 15: Bonding over Puzzles and Battles
Athena's POV:
I woke up to the sound of dripping water echoing through the tunnel. I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes and taking in my surroundings. We were still in the tunnel, the same one we had been in before we went to sleep. I looked over at Raven who was already awake and sharpening her knives. Draco and Oliver were still asleep, their soft snores filling the air.
"Good morning," Raven said, glancing up at me. "Sleep well?"
I nodded, stretching my arms above my head. "Yeah, I feel rested."
"We should get going," Raven said, putting away her knives. "We have a long way to go and we don't want to waste any more time than we have to."
Draco and Oliver stirred, waking up from their slumber. We all packed up our things and continued on our journey through the tunnel.
As we walked, we came across a new puzzle. This one was even more difficult than the last. The walls were covered in intricate designs and symbols that seemed to shift and change as we approached them.
"What do you think this means?" I asked Raven, pointing to one of the symbols.
"I have no idea," she replied, studying the wall. "But we can't stay here all day. We have to figure this out and keep moving."
Draco and Oliver started to work on the puzzle, their fingers tracing the symbols on the wall as they tried to make sense of them. Raven and I watched, offering suggestions when we could.
After what felt like hours of trying to solve the puzzle, we finally heard a clicking sound and a section of the wall slid open, revealing a passageway. We cheered in excitement and made our way through the newly opened door.
As we continued down the passageway, we suddenly heard a growling noise. We turned a corner and found ourselves face to face with a large, fierce-looking monster. Its razor-sharp teeth glinted in the dim light, and its eyes glowed with a menacing red hue.
Raven stepped forward, unsheathing her knives. "I'll take care of this," she said confidently.
Draco and Oliver drew their swords, ready to help if needed. I stayed back, watching as Raven charged forward to face the monster.
To my surprise, Raven defeated the monster easily, her knives slicing through its thick hide with ease.
As we walked through the tunnel, Raven and I were at the back of the group, while Draco and Oliver were leading the way. Raven seemed to be lost in thought, and I wondered what was on her mind.
"Are you okay?" I asked, breaking the silence.
"Hmm? Oh, yeah, I'm fine," Raven replied, shaking her head as if to clear her thoughts.
"You seem distracted," I pointed out.
Raven sighed. "It's just that I can't help but think about how dangerous this journey is going to be. We're up against the goddess of wisdom ."
"I know what you mean," I said, nodding my head in agreement. "But we have to believe in ourselves and each other. We can do this."
Raven smiled at me. "You're right. It's good to have someone like you on this journey. You're smart and resourceful, and I have a feeling that you're going to be a big help to us."
I felt a warmth spread through me at her words. "Thank you. And I think you're pretty amazing too. I mean, you took down that monster like it was nothing."
Raven shrugged, but there was a hint of a smile on her face. "It's just something I'm good at."
"You're more than just good," I insisted. "You're strong and skilled. I could learn a lot from you."
Raven looked at me for a moment before speaking. "I could teach you some things, if you'd like. We could train together."
I felt a surge of excitement at the thought. "I would love that," I said eagerly.
And so, as we continued through the tunnel, Raven and I talked about different fighting techniques and strategies. It felt like we were forming a bond, and I couldn't help but feel grateful for the opportunity to get to know her better.
Draco and Oliver were a little ahead of us, and I could hear them talking about something in hushed tones. I wondered what they were discussing, but I didn't want to eavesdrop.
As we walked, I couldn't help but notice that Draco seemed to be acting strangely. He kept glancing back at us, and he looked tense. I wondered what could be bothering him.
After a few minutes, I decided to tap him on the shoulder. "Is everything okay, Draco?" I asked, trying to hide the concern in my voice.
He turned around, a forced smile on his face. "Yeah, everything's fine. Why do you ask?"
I could tell he was lying, but I didn't press the issue. Instead, I turned to Oliver, who was walking beside him. "What about you, Oliver? Do you think something's wrong?"
Oliver hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Well, I don't want to speak out of turn, but Draco did mention something about not wanting to be here."
I raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What do you mean, 'not wanting to be here'?"
"I don't know," Oliver said, shrugging. "He didn't elaborate. But he seemed to be in a hurry to get this over with."
I frowned, feeling a sense of unease settle in my stomach. It seemed strange that Draco would be so eager to leave Celestia when we had come all this way to find the Aurorium Blade.
As we continued walking, I found myself gravitating towards Raven. There was something about her that made me feel safe and protected, and I couldn't help but feel drawn to her.
I could tell that Draco didn't like how Raven and I were forming a bond, and he kept shooting us disapproving looks. But I didn't care. I had found a friend in Raven, and I wasn't going to let anyone take that away from me.
Finally, after what felt like hours of walking, we came to a large, open area. In the middle of the space stood a towering statue of a winged creature, with its wings spread wide.
Suddenly, a loud roar echoed through the chamber, and I spun around to see a massive monster charging towards us. Its scales glinted in the dim light, and its eyes glowed with an otherworldly intensity.
Without hesitating, Raven charged towards the beast, her sword at the ready. I watched in awe as she effortlessly dodged the monster's attacks, her movements fluid and graceful.
Draco and Oliver both drew their weapons, but I could tell they were hesitant. I couldn't blame them - the monster was intimidating, to say the least.
But Raven was fearless, and she continued to fight with all her might. After what felt like an eternity, she finally plunged her sword into the monster's heart, and it let out a final, deafening roar before collapsing to the ground.I stood there, panting, as Raven walked over to us, her sword still dripping with the monster's blood. As we continued on our journey, I couldn't help but feel grateful to have Raven by my side.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone