When chaos exploded around her during her watch, she and Steph were dragged into the ground before she could even react and in that moment she was sure she would die to the very element she’d been working so hard to tame.

She did the best she could to keep the dirt from sliding down her throat when she felt something latch onto her wrist and her mana pour into it in an unending torrent like a path had been created for it to move out into, and whatever created it quickly felt the backlash of the act as it exploded like so many staves she’d passed her mana through had before.

In the back of her mind where she wasn’t concerned about dirt filling her mouth and lungs, she noticed a thick wetness where it happened, and she didn’t think whatever felt the effects of her power was a simple tool, but she still didn’t know what was going on and why whatever it was that had her dragged her off into the earth.

Hours passed and whatever the creature was had placed a limb over her face to keep the dirt out, but it was still a struggle. The panic had subsided with time though and she was able to think clearer, at least enough to wonder why whatever this thing was had kept her alive, and how her companions were. Had they all been taken too? Had they escaped and were looking for her? Would she ever stop being pulled through the ground, mercilessly beaten by any roots and stones that were down there?

Most of those questions were answered when she was finally pulled to the surface to find Steph and Wedrow were there as well, though her blood went cold when she thought about what that might mean for Ben, and it only got worse as their captors were revealed to be the worst possible option that could exist in the wilds.

Demons, and dozens of them. It seemed they had been the real prey all along, as their targets had captured them for reasons she couldn’t begin to imagine. It simply didn’t happen. Demons killed people, they had no reason to take prisoners. Why would they? They were mindless killing machines. At least that was what she thought until one spoke.

“Three of them hmm? It’s not enough to strengthen these lot for what I need, but it’s a start, especially you,” Spoke one with a mostly hominid shape, with sharp claws that looked equipped for both digging and fighting, and the thick red scales and violet eyes that were characteristic of their race. It turned to look at Thera, specifically her wrist. “How so much can exist in a single body is something I can’t believe, but it looks like one mana viper won’t be enough.”

Without another word, the talking demon pointed to the surrounding ones, and two of them responded, bringing over some sort of snake-like creatures that as soon as they were released slithered over and latched themselves onto her. She couldn’t help it, as soon as she felt the jaws of the five monsters pierce her flesh she screamed.

The pain wasn’t immense, but the situation was terrifying. For all she knew she was being poisoned by the things with no hope of escape. She could potentially bring the cave down on them with her magic as a final act of resistance, but it would kill her and the other two as well. That is if they were even still alive.

She saw a mana viper wrapped around each of them, and if they were poisonous then they could already be dead. If that was the case and she felt herself fading then she’d have to at least try to take as many demons as she could with her, no matter the cost.

As hours passed the snakes that had wrapped around her were frequently changed out by the same demon that had captured her, and Thera could see it was coming under the effects of her charm. Thankfully it hadn’t become violent as a result, but it was curled up by her feet, and each time another came near her it screeched and scared it off.

She was sure if she should be thankful or not. It didn’t seem to be intelligent like the other one was, none of them did, so she couldn’t try to take advantage of it by directing it to attack the others for her, but she still didn’t have any options. She was trapped, and the other two weren’t waking up. The only positive was that the talking one hadn’t come back. That one creature horrified her more than any other by virtue of its existence. If a monster that was already known to be as dangerous as a demon had intelligence as well, how much worse could it become?

The only greater concern she had was whatever happened to Ben. If he wasn’t here then she didn’t think he’d had any way to escape, but if that was the case there was only one thing that could have happened. An option she couldn’t let herself accept no matter what.

He can’t be dead. There must have been some way for him to make it out of that. There has to be.

But how? A smaller part of her asked. He can’t fight with just a zeroth level skill, and he can’t have run from a group this big when his agility was so terrible. He couldn’t have escaped.

But the logic didn’t matter. Even if there was no other option, she refused to let herself believe her only friend had died. As her thoughts circled on the matter, an experience that she’d only felt once before occurred. A voice spoke within her head.

<Your friend is alive, it’s you who’s the greater concern.>

Is that… Anailia?

<Hello child, it seems you’ve already found more excitement since we’ve met,> Her god said with a small laugh. <I’m glad to see you’re still alive, though I wish the circumstances could be better.>

Anailia, I apologize if the situation has me less polite than I should be when having the chance to talk to you, but is there anything you can do? As relieved as she was to hear that Ben was alive, the fact that the other two remained unconscious for the entire time she’d been able to see them was a concern in itself, not to mention that no matter how she wracked her brain, she couldn’t figure out a way to escape.

Her god was silent for a moment before making a request. <For now, why don’t you tell me everything that’s happened and we’ll see what we can do.>

Thera told her everything she knew, from the talking demon to the strange snakes that it called mana vipers they kept latching onto her. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to make her god sound concerned.

<Many gods are already aware of the situation and forces will be sent to find you as soon as they can be gathered.>

And are my parents aware?

<I’ve informed your mother, she’s already preparing to mobilize her army to save you. Your father however went off to meet with various earth spirits to plan for the coming war. Since he doesn’t give faith to any god there is no one to find him,> She told her regretfully.

Thera grit her teeth. Her father would regularly go out into the world to talk with the spirits he ruled over, but it just had to happen at the worst possible time. When Anailia got in contact with her, he’d been her greatest hope for escape. He was usually only gone for two weeks at most, but who knew if she’d still be alive by the time she got back.

<All hope isn’t lost,> Anailia told her calmly. <It’s possible that your father will be reached, and even if he’s not, your friend hasn’t given up.>

Wait, you mean…

<It seems the child of Myriad is feeling resourceful, and he’s on his way.>