Michael had some time to think as they were preparing and his thoughts jumped to the life he used to have before coming… here. His real life, that is what he would have thought before, but he wasn’t so sure what was real and wasn’t, not right now. He studied history, he gamed, he passed through life not aimlessly, but definitely not having a grand plan. If he was honest with himself… he didn’t know what he wanted to do or be after he was done growing up and yeah, he most definitely hadn’t ‘grown up’ by the time he left Earth behind. He had no idea why he didn’t think more of home. Maybe it was just the shock of it or maybe he didn’t want the feeling of escapism to suddenly end. Back home, he wouldn’t have stopped freaking out even now, days later, but here…

Here he had purpose.

Get strong. Learn magic. Level. He still didn’t see the entire path ahead of him, but he knew at least that he needed to be more in order to tread it. And there was no chance of being anything more, if they didn’t get out of there.

The others were preparing. Alex had come up with a game plan and the other followed suit. Laen, with Mihli’s help, had managed to inscribe a few of his Spells on spare scrolls. Those would be going out to guard their flanks the second they passed through the barrier. Quora would act as a battering ram, her mobile shield having also been reinforced by the fox girl. Mihli herself, after doing all that, had now started to draw glyphs on all of them. They felt, at least to Michael, like his entire body was being vibrated. Contact armor, she had said. The only thing she could do that would be strong enough. She was currently in the process of inscribing Micah, the last among them, who was furiously reading through his book.

Which was… an honest effort, though Michael thought he had no chance of actually learning the Spell.

Without a sound, Mihli stopped drawing and everyone tensed. Alex tried to smile and spoke.

“Alright, everyone. No need to get stressed. We know what we have to do. We get out and handle the urn. If it works, we run for the exit. If we don’t, we run back here.”

“Damn good speech, Alex.” Laen said.

“Really?”

“No.”

The joke was weak, yet it still startled a laugh out of them. They must have truly needed it.

“In position. Ready… Go!”

They charged forwards. Alex and Erea were firing out all of their best Spells, sometimes even shouting a Skill, as Quora’s shield plowed through the remaining minotaurs. Laen’s scrolls worked, as each time they landed on their sides, entire areas of the floors lighted up with magical traps, freezing, blasting, burning and cutting golems. Michael himself was firing out, hitting any of the stragglers and especially targeting any of the weaker golems ahead of them. Micah was both acting as bodyguard for Mihli as well as supporting her, since she looked ready to faint at any moment.

It was going well. They were advancing and their momentum meant that they didn’t get bogged down in opponents. Which is why that was the perfect moment for something bad to happen. Namely, their path being blocked by a wall of minotaurs that their Spells didn’t manage to down.

“|Stone Orb|!” Erea shouted.

Her Spell manifested a ball of rock which blasted one of the new golem’s head in. It went down on one knee and didn’t manage to get back up, yet it didn’t ‘die’. It just kept trying and failing to stand up.

“They’re made of brass or some other metal.” Alex said. “Quora, confirm?”

“I’m a dwarf not a metal expert! But yes.”

Laen’s traps formed a ring of destruction around them, one that the constructs were reluctant to enter. They had time, if only seconds.

“We were so close.” The centaur complained. “They just had to appear.”

“I think it’s because we are close.” Michael exclaimed. “Everyone, look! Those brass bulls, they’ve formed a ring around the urn. But there’re no more of them around.”

It was true. All around them were minotaurs, either whole or in pieces, but they were formed out of anything from sand to stone. Never metal. The only ‘brass bulls’ were positioned in a ring around the urn’s marble pedestal.

“Michael’s right…” Alex said. “He’s right. Those things are protecting it. Which means we’re on the right path. Quora, can you get a shield over it? Cut the fire off at the source?”

“I can, but I’d have to cancel this Spell.” She said, gesturing at the barrier.

“Do it. Erea and I will blast any incoming golems that try to take advantage.”

The dwarf nodded and spoke.

“|Manaborne Barrier|”

A second after she cast her Spell, a horizontal pane of magic appeared, right above the urn. Almost like placing a plate over a pot. The column of fire instantly winked out, casting the room in a semi-darkness. The room itself was still eerily illuminated uniformly, as if the single source of light wasn’t Quora’s barrier, now lit up by the fire it was blocking, but the light level was low.

Two things happened in quick succession after that. One was that Quora screamed, falling to her knees as blood started rushing out of her nose. The second was that her barrier broke apart, the column of fire growing out again.

“Quora!” Alex shouted.

“It was incredible! It was like trying to stop a rockslide with your hands. I’m… I’m drained. I’m out, Alex. Sorry.”

“It worked.” Erea said, before Alex could respond. “I was looking at the golem’s remains, while the fire was blocked. They weren’t reforming.”

“And the way out was there again too. Damn it.” Micah muttered.

“What do you mean?” Michael said, head snapping his way.

“Uh… I was looking for the way out, while the fire was blocked. And I saw it, the stairs were there again. Only now they’re gone. Again.”

They looked at each other. Laen’s traps were almost depleted and the centaur looked half gone himself. Mihli was out. Quora was out. Yet now they had a chance. If they could block the fire, they could make it out of here, artifacts in tow. Or, if blocking was out of the question…

“We destroy it.” Michael said. “It’s the only way.”

“I agree.” Erea said, surprising Michael, yet not looking any way near him.

“Well, if you two agree on that, who am I to say no?” Alex grinned, before growing more serious.

“Quora, Mihli, you two stay back. Me and Erea are going for the urn. Laen, you, Micah and Michael will stay here too and act as back up.”

The centar and the lycan nodded. Michael did not.

“I’m coming. My Spells are weak, but I can take care of the lesser golems.”

Alex looked conflicted, while Erea simply sniffed.

“Look, we’re out of time!” Michael insisted. “Let’s just go.”

Looking around one more time, he nodded. Spells ready, they dashed forward, breaking apart the lesser minotaurs that had been locked in place by the trap Spells and gunning for the brass ones. Who might have been simple constructs, but also looked to be slightly more intelligent then their brethren, seeing as how when they advanced towards them, they advanced right back.

There were nine of these brass bulls standing in front of them and they opened fire at the first opportunity.

“|Haste|! |Earth Armor|, |Stone Gauntlets|!”

“|Slippery Surface|. |Force Bindings|. Erea, you’re burning up too much mana!”

Michael remained a couple of steps back from the two, taking care of the lesser golems, as they tacked the brass one. Yet even he thought the elf was going forward too boldly. She used the same combination of Spell she used to fight him, only now her fists and part of her forearms were also covered in closely knit rocks.

It made her a terror. She dashed around the golems, landing punches almost like a boxer, with precision and force. It took a number of hits before the brass dented enough that the golems were left flailing on the floor, time she took a blow or two back, though her armor protected her. But… he had fought her before. You couldn’t keep fighting like this for long periods of time. You didn’t have the mana.

“Erea, you just need to lock them, not beat them down! Erea!” Alex shouted.

He was fighting economically, his Spells aimed at bringing the minotaurs down and keeping them there. Very rarely did he use a direct attack Spell and that was mostly for toppling his foes. Yet because the elf was striding forwards, he had to cover her, so he pushed forwards as well.

It was a disaster in the making and Michael saw the exact moment their plan snapped.

Erea was pummeling on one of the golems when her gauntlet fractured. And broke apart, falling to pieces. She hesitated, drawing back, when a brass fist collided with her face sending her sprawling. She might have been armored, but that fist punched through the earth.

Michael saw her land, nose broken and bloody. The other minotaurs were on top of her in seconds.

“Erea!” Alex shouted. “|Mass Spell: Paralysis|!”

His knees buckled after that and he half-way fell down. The Spell… sort of worked. Michael wasn’t sure, but it didn’t sound like that sort of Spell worked too well on creatures without nerve endings. The golems did freeze, but only for a second, before they resumed moving, albeit slowly.

Erea herself had taken a few hits and was crawling back, nursing her ribs. Unfortunately, though slow, the minotaurs were many. Two got hold of her, pinning on the floor by her arms and turning her around so she could face the third minotaur. Who had gotten a hold of a stone golem’s horn and was slowly raising it overhead.

Michael’s eyes snapped to Alex and saw him swaying, trying desperately to keep his head raised. He was still funneling his mana into the Spell.

When he blacks out, the Spell ends too.

Erea cried out, a shout of both anger and fear, flailing on the floor, but going nowhere.

“|Earth Dart|! |Water Dart|! |Fire Dart|! |Light Arrow|!”

Her voice grew weaker with each Spell until the last one failed to even manifest. The others did strike at the two golems holding her down and did do some amount of damage, but not nearly enough for them to let her go. Only the golems struck by the |Earth Dart| looked worse for wear, yet… not enough. It wasn’t enough.

The stone horn was now raised almost completely and Erea let out another scream, this one of pure fear.

He didn’t know when he started moving. Probably when he saw Alex finally loose tension in his body and begin to collapse. He ran forwards. He shouldn’t be doing this. He should be running back to the others. Carrying them to the artifacts room. Hoping the academy would send someone in time. Anything, but running forwards. Yet that was what he did.

He ran past Alex, ran to the elf’s side, as the minotaur shook himself free of the Spell’s last remnants and struck down with its weapon. He slid on his knees, right under the hit and shouted his Spell, given to him through the efforts of another elf, used now to save the life of an elf who hated him.

“|Barrier|!”

He felt the shock of the hit in his bones, even though the only impact was on his shield. The barrier itself, flickered and cracked, but lasted long enough for the stone horn to crack and break apart.

The golem looked shocked, as if it could not comprehend what just happened. The insolent fly that appeared from nowhere and robbed him of his kill. Michael himself gave a quick look to Erea, but the elf didn’t look like she could help. She had tears in her violet eyes, but she caught his glance and shook her head.

No help coming from this side.

“Run.” The elf muttered slowly.

He looked at her and noticed her looking pointedly at the minotaur, as it was looking between them and the now unconscious Alex.

“It’s… you’re an idiot for saving me and thank you, but run! Just… run.”

The golem, apparently having decided not to switch targets, returned his gaze to them and lowered his head. Michael instinctively knew what this meant. He had seen videos of bullfighting. The minotaur might not have found a new weapon, but he had one of his own. Two of them.

Its hooves scratched at the ground as it flexed, preparing to gore Erea and Michael both.

Thoughts of Earth flew through his mind again, his life there, his home.

No! he thought, snapping back. This is my home now. This is my life.

They came all this way with a plan in mind. That plan was still in action.

He raised his hand, supporting himself with the other. He felt like blacking out, his reserves almost spent. But he still had enough for one more Spell. The minotaur dashed forwards right as he screamed.

“|Flame Dart|!”

The last thing he saw was his Spell flying towards the urn, before he got pummeled into unconsciousness.