In front of me, is the following: a talking chicken wearing a knight helmet who just defeated an animated statue monster 20 times his own size with a greatsword that is 3 times his size, a dwarven rogue with a serious face and long flowy river-like beard who idolizes my friend Robin Hood, and a gangly half-orc wizard who’s hand is covered in blood. Well, the wizard is behind me since he’s usually frightful of most things, and only did the blood ritual on the stone altar because of sheer boredom of nothing happening.

“Are you cursed now?” I look behind me to cheekily taunt Greecle. Disgust and cowardice washes over his face and he pleads for me to stop.

After looking around more, it would seem that the only way to proceed forward the subterranean temple was to draw blood on the altar. All that arguing about what to do was futile.

The environment rumbles and the gates lower, motioning us to continue on our adventure. Nobody dares to say a word as Chase takes the lead. The irony isn’t lost on me, we’re following a 40cm chicken because he’s the strongest of us all and the hardiest. That fact will never not tickle me.

Excitement and anxiety stirs in my stomach, this is my first real adventure after all!! All the mystery and treasure awaits with every splashy, watery step I take. I’m doing it, mom!

---

Maybe that bad feeling buried in the last section of my spine shouldn’t have been ignored. I mean, it’s called a bad feeling for a reason, right?

I didn't speak up but deep down, I super hated that we glanced over the ominous prophetic plaque of words before we descended into this damp and rocky abyss. I have no idea why everyone ganged up on Rina about money and didn’t get enough information before jumping head first into the well entrance. It’s as if we raced down for the treasure without putting on our shoes first. (Well, this is kinda true for Greecle… Why doesn’t he have shoes? I can’t imagine sleeping somewhere so cold without covering up my feetsies.)

Everyone else is sound asleep on the first night of our real adventure. But I… ... ! I, Nova, am really sad !!!! Mixed feelings keep piling up inside of me. But putting down skeleton creatures with my bare hands shouldn’t upset me this much right? I’ve seen lots of things in my home forest after all.

I look around and admire the temple, crystals of red and blue softly glint in the dark, faintly illuminating the vast tunnels and spaces around us. The water reflects the hues and bounce the glow around as far as it can reach before stretching itself thin into the darkness. I hold up one of the skelly heads that wasn’t crushed with both my hands and wished for it to talk. “Why wasn’t I charming enough to convey my feelings of wanting to be friends? I could’ve saved all your skelly friends too y’know?” I frown.

Thinking about their cute heads and little swords that they swung against my neck, I wrote in my journal with mom in mind, and a poem before sleepytime.

I hope we get along tomorrow.

Whispers of my regret can’t reach you anymore

Please pass on safely without much sore

Floating in the abyss, the ripples, the splashes

Find salvation or peace after scintillating ashes

---

I have to crane my head up to look at Greecle every time he relays knowledge to us. Despite being a huge troublemaker, he's still a wizard who knows a lot more things about our world than I do. He studied the round plinth and ran around the hall to detect traces of magic to identify and to uncover. He’s super useful but it all goes unnoticed because our team members spend most of our interactions scolding him for his misdeeds. He tells us that the moss covered carvings on the stone plinth that may have lasted centuries make up some sort of calendar.

---

I pout as my sweet sentences get twisted up and interpreted in an offensive manner. There goes my chance to be friends with this fire creature. All I said was that they’re hot as hell, but maybe they’re from the realm of Tartarus and not Asphodel; I shouldn’t be too judgemental.

I try to think of more ways to befriend the creature but I’m instantly distracted as I spot an unconscious body under some singed rags.

Oh no, I have to help.

That was my main objective, my only thought. We didn’t initially agree to a rescue mission but what cycles my thoughts is one word: Survival. The rest seem preoccupied with battle, so it has to be me.

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me to the body. It’s sweltering in here, I’m glad I’m wearing shoes. My feet would’ve scorched if I touched this tiled floor, my fire resistance would not have negated the pain. My eyes dart around to examine the person, hoping for signs of life. Chocolate scales faintly rise and fall, carrying a golden undertone, revealing their mighty ancestry and potential.

Ah, great! They’re breathing!

I took out the only healing potion I have to help the dragonborn. I guess we have to defeat this creature if it won’t listen to reason and have already injured this being. I whine mentally.

But a huge smile spreads across my face as the person in front of me springs back up, brimming with life, as if their life force is reignited and flickers equally as bright as the melty lava creature behind us. Their fists clench and their eyes are filled with panic.

A new friend!

---

This is one of those times where my darkvision would burn things into my sclera and instill fear in my soles, bringing forth the imagery of the roiling mass that is a ceiling sea of bats.

I don’t know what to do. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do.

I can NOT harm these animals, even if we wanted to we are easily outnumbered. But the more time we spend in this room, we will eventually be drowned in this vast sea. The bats won’t listen to us, they’ll continue to chip away at our constitution with relentless determination.

Damn it! Why is this lock so sturdy! My legs are chilled with fear, I hesitate and shiver as I mess up my aim.

The bats, they swoop down and claw us into shreds. Our skin but mere cloth for them to cut up into ribbons and string. All we can do is try to break open this chest and make a run for it. There’s no way we can face this many. We’ll get swallowed up and ground into bones if we don't hurry!

Hurry!

The acid misses.

Hurry!

The arrow misses.

Hurry!

The fists and greatsword connects.

Run!

---

In the magical darkness enshrouding us, a blue flame floats toward me, revealing itself while crackling the air softly with electricity. It reminds me of a quiet forest night watched over by the full moon. Spirits and spectres would come out and wander; some want satisfaction, some want salvation, some yearn for affection from forgotten loved ones or fallen comrades. In those quiet nights, every living being proclaims their existence, they take up space in our shared world with heartbeats or willpower. It's wonderful to be able to leave traces in the soil or the sky. Being alive is truly miraculous!

In this magical darkness, I don't see anything but a living creature that still blazes with life. It might have a past filled with joy, sorrow, frustration; it might still want to take steps out of this black void and write history. I wonder who imprisoned the servants that dwell in these desolate halls, which heartless soul would rob them of their freedom and force them to pointless bloodshed? Who is it that beckoned sturdy adventurers to plunge themselves down here and destined them to reemerge as carcasses to be cut down again? Whatever malevolent being that built this temple, whatever goal they serve, I want to get out of here without bowing down to their insolence on life.

I think about my mom who befriends the earth. Surrounded by warmth and love, she's nothing but being of kindness and nurture. Sometimes I believe she’s secretly an otherworldly guardian that looks after those around her. She wouldn’t let earnest creatures be trampled ruthlessly, she appreciates every little living being and would do anything for the needy. Ah, I miss spending time with her.

I pull out Harper and start playing a soft melody to declare my feelings.

Please let us continue with a bright future. Hear my plea and take in my wish for camaraderie.

Sharp notes from Her Sh’i’s bagpipes intertwine with my light tones. The willowy blues grow fainter and calmer.

I stumble on my words but I try my best to convey to the being that we mean no harm. I smile and sigh out of relief as the appeased creature gently places a token on my hand.

---

Somehow we have managed to take down the god and return it into pieces of bone and dirt. We ended the cycle. Rinah will remain in the temple with the community of reanimated skeletons and figure out a way to turn them back into living humans.

It should have been a triumphant win and we emerge with golden sun rays congratulating us when we climb our way back out to the surface. But it wasn’t. It was windy and gray. Various feelings mix in my belly leaving me feeling uneasy, the feelings I’ve not been able to shake away and will stay with me for a while.

I can’t help but feel swindled by fate, cruel and cunning. If I had known it was the humans who dared to anger Xibalba in the first place, I would’ve tried to appease them. Instead I felt the need to break a curse to save the ‘humans’. How foolish of me.

What’s done is done. I have unwillingly helped to slay a god that once lived to grant blessings for the people. In the same breath, I also freed some trapped souls and no more will unnecessary blood be shed.

I look to my shoulder where Shadow leisurely sits and I smile softly at him when he gazes back up to meet my eyes . At least I have you now, so it’s not a bad ending to this adventure.

Shadow gently boops my cheek, causing some numbness for a second.