Ren had agreed quite heartily to the endeavour at first.
It had been quite an exciting idea when Valentina had suggested it.
On the other hand...
"V-Val...?" he yelled over the howling of the wind. "You're up really, really high... It's a bit hard to breathe..."
Val looks at his face, albeit with difficulty, and saw discomfort. She flew closer to the treeline after that.
"Sorry I forgot that not everyone has avian internal organs."
"I-it's fine!" he reassured her. "I'm just not used to this. Apart from... you know... giant turkey vultures. Oh, right! I heard from someone there are caves around the area here with alignments."
"Oh? We should go to one!" Valentina exclaimed.
"I was thinking the same thing, but... Do you think they're safe?" he wondered, before cutting off his train of thought with an excitable observation. "Look, look! There's one!"
"I'm sure we can handle whatever they throw at us." She says, gliding down to the cave.
Ren waited until she had landed before attempting to dismount.
"Well..." he muttered. "It doesn't look too dangerous... It should be fine if it's this near the academy, right?"
He squinted as he looked into the interior.
"It's a little dark, though."
He racked his brains for a moment, before clapping his hands together enthusiastically.
"Aha!" he smiled, inspired. "Please hold still for just a moment, Val..."
He cupped his hands, forming a mote of bright light in them, and throwing it at Valentina.
The orb quickly shifting its direction rather subtly, flying over her shoulder and spiralling around her head before coming to a halt above her.
"There we are!" he declared proudly.
"Ooooh! That's lovely." Val smile warmly at the ball of light.
"It should follow you wherever you go, if I've made it properly," he explained, clearly very pleased with himself. "You... might be able to direct it? Maybe? It's not easy to make light do what you want..."
"Fire is a kind of light isn't it?"
"Well... Sort of... I've found it works more like air than light does, though, so it's a lot easier. Light is safer for things like this, though."
"Yes, that makes sense." She said, extingushing the small fire ball she had grown in her hand, "How do you control light?"
Ren turned and headed into the mouth of the cave, looking over his shoulder and gesturing for her to follow. "Well, light is a bit more like a mix of sand and water. ...Maybe more like a cross between sand and water, with a bit of air in there too. It likes to spread out in every direction it can, so it takes a lot of focus to keep it in one place. That's why my beams are still bright," he explained. "If I was good enough at keeping my focus, you wouldn't be able to see them at all. I don't think it's possible to have that amount of control with just Exinessence, though..."
"Hm, maybe you should meditate." She half laughs.
"I tried that, but it's so boring," he complained. "There's nothing to do... You just sit there with your eyes closed for as long as you can!"
The small giggles were now full on laughter, "Ren, dear little Ren, I think it's focusing your thoughts, not just sitting with your eyes closed. Then again," Val goes on, "I'm not very good at that myself."
Ren dwelled on this for a moment, seeming utterly perplexed.
"But what do you focus on?" he wondered. The first thing that came to mind, naturally, was food, but he quickly discarded that idea as having little spiritual value.
She turned and looked intensely into his eyes, waiting a beat before saying "I have no idea."
"Mouuuu... Spiritual stuff is hard," he grumbled. "It's supposed to be really important, but I've gotten by without it. Sort of."
There was a small mumble from his general direction, something about giant turkey vultures.
Val was now burning with curiosity but didn't get to press the subject because there was some strange sounds up ahead. They had walked pretty far into the cave during their discussion, and it was now time to be on alert.
"Shhh... Something is over there."
Ren stopped in his path, deadly silent.
"You're right," he nodded. His first reaction was to check for any cracks in the walls. The last thing they needed was to blow themselves up with fire magic.
"Don't attack it for now... Do you have any way of fighting without your fireballs or your enraged form?" he inquired.
Val nodded, and pulled her throwing knives out of her jacket. "I also have a dagger just in case." She had forgotten the rifle Kheire gave her though. This adventure was kinda spontaneous.
Ren nodded slowly. That was their best bet for now. His own magic used heat to deal damage, so that was a no-go when there was a good chance of being surrounded by gas vents.
"Stay where you are a moment," he whispered. He wasn't sure what kind of creatures they would find here, but he did have a method for drawing out mystery beasts.
"Before I do this... May I have your hand for a moment?" he requested, extending his own while not taking his eyes off the dark ahead.
She nods and takes his hand in hers.
Ren fed a flow of power into her body, carrying his feelings and faith to her.
"Okay, that should make you a lot stronger," he informed her. "How are you feeling?"
She shakes her head for a moment, "Very... refreshed?"
He smiled. "That's a good sign."
Kneeling for a moment, he picked a pebble up from the ground and prepared to throw it.
"Okay... Ready?"
"Ready."
"Three... Two..."
He tossed the rock at the wall of the cavern so it bounced of with a clatter and fell into the darkness of the cave, shortly followed by throwing an orb of light onto the ceiling above where it had fallen, illuminating their surroundings.
Three pairs of eyes turned to the pair simultaneously, giving them a sharp, deathly stare.
Ren's eyes widened. He was expecting perhaps a single salamander or something like that.
This was not what he had bargained for.
With an unholy screech, the triad of demon-sprites floated into the air, a flame in each hand.
"W-well, at least we have some good news...!" the boy stuttered.
"Uh- and what is that, exactly?" Valentina says, readying herself for a fight.
"We can definitely use fire in here without exploding."
"Oh good."
The three began attacking a moment later, and Val's wings sprout and cover the both of them, protecting them but damaging the wings. They turn into ash and fall on the ground.
"Uh so it might be a little while before I can generate those again." There was not much flying to be done in a cave, though, so she wasn't too worried.
"It's okay," he assured her. "Don't push yourself too hard, Val."
He stepped forward himself, absorbing the next wave of fireballs in a wall of white flame.
The shield was almost entirely unscratched from the onslaught, and then was thrown forward towards their assailants.
Once it finally parted, they had vanished.
Ren looked around warily. He wasn't completely sure if they were dead or not, but he didn't want to take any chances.
"Hm, do you think there's more?" Val asks, flexing her upper back where it hurt.
"Definitely. Imps usually have nests, I think. They like wide, open spaces, though... We should be safe for the moment," he explained, manuevering behind Valentina's back and placing his hands on her wound. "How does this feel?"
She laughs, "Kinda tingly. Almost tickle-y."
He blinked in surprise. "Really? It looked like it hurt a lot when it happened..."
"Ah don't worry, wounds from my wings heal quickly. It only hurt for a little bit."
"That's good," he sighed, relieved. "Try not to put yourself in danger. I was worried there."
"Don't worry about me. I'm tough." She grinned, putting her arms in a flexing position.
"Even if you say that..." he mumbled. "Come on. I heard imps like to hoard. I've never seen a nest full of live ones though, so I don't know what we'll find... It might be something cool."
"Hm, I do enjoy cool things." Val pondered, kicking a rock, "It could be fairly dangerous though. Still, when has that ever stopped us."
Ren gave a sunny smile at the statement. "It can't be super dangerous. It wouldn't be that close to the Academy if it was," he pointed out. "...Hey, Val? I-it wouldn't be that close to the Academy if it was, right?"
"...Of course not!" She said, although she wasn't sure herself.
Somehow, their joint uncertainty didn't help the atmosphere in the least.
Fortunately, Ren's excitement quickly overwrote his apprehensiveness, and he was soon walking down the caverns with a spring in his step.
"This is pretty small as caves go..." he observed brightly as he eyed a particularly large stalagmite.
Valentina laughed nervously, "Uh, you're right. I kinda wish it was just a little bit bigger though."
"Really?" he said. "I quite like tight spaces. They're cozy."
"I greatly prefer fighting from above."
"Well, that's true," he admitted. "Hallways are good for me. I only need to worry about two directions."
"When I'm flying its harder for them to hit me, but easier for me to hit them. It just feels more comfortable." She is trying to not sound like a giant wimp.
"It must be great just being able to fly whenever you want," said Ren wistfully. "I wish I could do it."
"Well, lucky for you, you have an awesome friend that CAN fly so just ask and I'll fly you anywhere you want." She pauses and laughs a little to herself, "I won't fly where you can't breathe though."
Ren's eyes practically sparkled at the thought. "Really? You mean it? Really really?"
"Really really."
"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Ren had to restrain himself from jumping up and down with delight. Last time he did that in a cave, he had caused a rock slide. It was not fun. "Thank you!"
"You're welcome!!" She walks a little further, "Now where are these cool things?"
Considering the options for a moment, he came to a conclusion. "They must be deeper in the cave. I didn't see any other routes the imps could have fled too, so we only have one way."
Which obviously means it's almost definitely a trap, he noted mentally.
"Welp I guess we're going that way."
"Yeah," he nodded. "Get ready. Imps are really crafty."
"Alright." She walks further in, walking as quietly as possible, which is not hard when you're half a super light bird monster.
Ren took a couple of paces more before stopping, pointing to the mouth of the tunnel. A faint scarlet glow bled through from the mouth, illuminating their surroundings just a little.
"How fast are you?" he asked, almost silent.
"Fairly quick, why?"
"We need to be ready to dodge the moment we see anything move. Or better yet," he corrected himself, "the moment we step in there. A repeat of our last run-in with these things would be pretty bad."
Val nods, putting her knives more comfortably in her hands where she could attack quickly and move.
Ren took a deep breath.
Prepared, he took a single step.
That step quickly became a leap and he jumped right into the cavern, and spun, preparing to dodge.
Nothing came.
"...That's weird," he muttered.
All of a sudden a flurry of imps appeared and surrounded him.
"Uh-oh."
Quickly, he sent a shower of white beams of light in all directions.
Where they did not strike imps, they struck the cavern walls, searing them until they were glass, burning everything around him with heat that the white flames he had used before could not hope to match in a century.
Of course, there was no way that firing at random would simply annihilate all of his opponents at once.
The majority of them, however, were quickly sent fleeing from the lights as they realised how outclassed they were, and fear and panic began to set in before they doubtlessly reconvened.
"V-Val! Um...! P-please help!"
Val's eyes squinted and she transformed, ran, and jumped to fly to his aid, but her wings weren't fully healed yet, and she fell on her face. The pain was ignored, though, and she reached up and casted a fireball at an imp that had recovered enough to try to get close to Ren.
The boy blinked in surprise as the demon sprawled across the ground besides him.
"...Good spot," he smiled gratefully. "I think we've mostly driven them out now."
He looked around the cavern, examining the more intact bodies ponderously.
"I wonder..." he said quietly, pulling a perplexed face.
By this time, Val had transformed back to normal and was rubbing her face. Luckily, feathers had helped stop any scraping, but there was a nice bruise on her cheek and her nose was swollen.
"What are you wondering?"
"O-oh, nothing," he stammered. "I just thought maybe Kheire could show me a few things with these... Um..."
He wandered up to one of the bodies, placing his hand over it and closing his eyes, breathing deeply.
"Let's take them back to him, then." Her voice was a little funny because of her swollen nose.
"We don't need to weigh ourselves down," he assured her, brandishing a small orange core.
His pleased expression flashed with a hint of concern for a moment, and he slowly approached her, his fingers beginning to faintly glow. "Hey, Val?"
"Hm?"
He smiled brightly, reaching out and tapping her nose. "Boop."
With a slight whisper, the light seeped from his fingers and into her wound, healing the bruise over the course of a few seconds.
"Oh, wow! Thanks!" She said, hugging him, "That was very nice of you."
His beaming face was coloured with the subtle glow of a blush. "W-well, you were hurt, so it's only natural, right?"
"Ah, I suppose. Doesn't change the fact that I appreciate it."
Ren meekly shifted in place for a few moments, before clearing his throat.
"A-a-anyway, um, if it's alright, can I just have a moment to collect all these cores? Y-you might be able to find some things they've hoarded in the nests too."
"Alright. Take your time -----." She walked away to try to find some cool stuff as Ren got to work extracting the cores of the more intact imps.
Val returned with potions in her arms, smiling, "Look, Ren, potions."
Ren had to actively restrain himself from asking to try them. These were potions. They were not sauces. They were not spices. They could have very well have been lethal with the tiniest dose. They were not for food.
"Wow, there's loads! Do you need a hand carrying them?" he asked, offering his satchel to her.
"Yes, thank you that'd be nice." She put them all on the cave floor though, "First I'm going to try to figure out what they are."
She pointed to each one of them, "That one is a health potion, that one is another health potion, that one is a strength potion, that one is a potion that lets you climb walls, that one is a gas potion." Val picked up the last one, "Not sure about this one, though."
Ren watched with wonder as she went through each one. With her speed and skill in identifying them, he was reminded more than a little of Kheire's teaching.
"You're really smart," he commented. "I'm surprised at how familiar you are with all of these."
Val blushed, and stammered "It's not really anything special. Uhm, would you like to choose which ones you carry? I can only, hands-free, carry two."
He pondered for a moment or two before answering. "Well, there's no point keeping the mystery bottle on-hand. We can ask Kheire to look at it later. You're a good climber, so you should probably keep the sticky potion, and a health potion. Just to be safe," he concluded.
"Good thinking!" She took the two and tucked them into her belt, and helped Ren put the rest in his satchel.
When they were done, he fastened it carefully and nodded, having placed the cores in there a few moments prior.
"Alright. Are we ready to move on?" he asked.
"I believe so." Val said, standing up and brushing herself off.
"Okay, let's go!" he declared, marching enthusiastically towards another tunnel.
Val followed, laughing to herself at the enthusiasm. Does this child know no fear?
"Hey, Val," he said. "Have you ever been through a cave like this before?"
"Hm, no, not really. I've always kind of avoided them." She said.
He shrugged. "I can see why, I guess. I was just wondering because you seemed a bit on edge."
"I guess I am a little on edge. You seem almost relaxed though. Have you ever been through one?"
"Not one quite like this," he admitted. "I did go through a djinn's lair before though. That was scary. Never ever ever go looking for djinns."
Val mock-saluted, "Aye, captain!"
Ren stifled a giggle at the gesture, before sighing. "Oh. I wonder how the Deff 'Eads are doing? They'd probably like this place."
"Who are they?"
"They're a jungle tribe of trolls I met on my way to the desert where I met Kheire. I stayed with them for a few weeks. They like fighting. Like, a lot. So they'd probably love it here."
"They weren't aggressive towards you?"
"They were really, really aggressive. You wouldn't believe how huge and angry they are. You know, they even use teeth for money. They knock each other's teeth out by punching them and then spending them on things. It's really weird," he said.
"How did you manage to recieve their hospitality?" Valentina D'maris was completely baffled by her friend.
He grinned. "You'll like it. Repeat after me," he said, taking a deep breath. "Ahem... Waaarrgh!"
He let out an ear-splitting yell that echoed through the entire cave, almost inhuman in volume.
Valentina was wide-eyed and in shock. What.
"You try it!" he told her.
"War?" She said, confused.
"No, no. 'Waaarrgh'. You have to mean it."
"Waaargh."
"Yell it!"
"Waaaaarrrrgh!"
"That's it! If you ever run into trolls with guns in the jungle, just yell that as loud as you can and they'll be like family," he explained. "Waaarrgh is the most important thing to them, so it doesn't matter if you're a troll or not. If you have waaarrgh, you're one of them."
"How... lovely? I guess it is kind of sweet in a strange way." Although, Val was wondering how trolls got guns.
"It's nicer than it sounds," he assured her. "They're the ones who taught me to fight. At least, at first. I learned more as I went along, but they taught me the important stuff. Like the more dakka, the better."
"Allllrrriiighty then. I guess that must've been nice."
"It was," he smiled. "We should all go see them one day."
He tensed a little, apparently hesitant to take his next step all of a sudden.
"We're almost there," he whispered.
Valentina frowned, "Hey, we'll be fine. We're tough."
He nodded. "Yeah, you're right. I might need to use that though."
"What do you mean, Ren?"
"You know. That thing I can do where I boost myself. I don't know what it's called," he admitted.
"Ah." Val mumbled, getting very quiet. The atmosphere was uneasy. While the previous parts of the cave had been a little stressful, something was... eerie in this section.
Ren took a deep breath.
The firing hammers fell one by one.
His body was surrounded in a blue-white glow as he channelled his Exin through himself.
"Okay, I'm ready."
Val could feel that her wings weren't healed yet and sighed. "I guess I'm as ready as I can be."
"Alright. Let's go." Ren stepped into the second cavern, at first expecting either a lot of imps, or something far more numerous.
Instead, their opponents numbered only one.
"Holy shit we're going to die."
The manticore stepped out of the shadows to roar, the volume of it shaking the cavern walls as its wings extended and tail shot forth in a piercing attack.
The tail hits Val, and she's thrown backwards. She could feel the bruised, maybe broken, ribs. She hoped it was just bruised.
Ren darted around to the side, firing off five blasts of light at the hulking beast as he did.
Val used the sticky potion, and crawled into a dark corner where she hoped the monster couldn't see her. She blew the feathers off of her forehead where they had popped out instinctively.
The hulking beast shook off the bright lasers, leaving a few small burns. It turned in Ren's direction and roared, its tail launching five full powered blast darts, as it knew that two on one weren't favorable odds.
Panicking, Ren took one of the marbles Kheire had given him in each hand, throwing them to the ground.
In the same instant, two shields were erected and annihilated simultaneously by the flames.
That was two.
He didn't have anything left for the rest.
He was sprawled across the cavern floor, bloodied and bruised, his clothing alight and his skin covered in burns.
"Dammit..." he rasped.
He was amazed that he had even survived that.
Playing dead, he subtly rooted through his satchel for the health potion he was carrying.
It seemed kind of unfair to steal Val's but she would probably get hurt too if he didn't.
He uncorked the bottle and drank from it, trying to make as little movement as possible to deter the manticore from deciding that he should probably be checked on.
Valentina couldn't hold back anymore, and she transformed. Her wings were still broken. However, she could also use some awesome fireballs now, so obviously she did. Not just any fireballs either, some giant ones like the ones she had used against Vivi what felt like so long ago.
The manticore was enraged that its own element was used against it, taking the hit and doing its best to shake it off as it takes to the skies, its tail launching another set of full powered darts at Val this time.
And that was it for Valentina. Her body disapeared in a flash of light.
While the manticore was distracted with Val, Ren laid out five marbles on the ground in front of him, lightly standing on them to invoke them at a moment's notice.
As he did so, he charged a frankly unreasonable amount of power, firing five much more powerful beams at the beast.
The manticore is knocked out of the sky from behind, rolling to try and recover. It turns to face Ren and throws forward a third set of blast darts, its hulking body huffing and puffing from exhaustion and injury.
Ren was already prepared for that trick. Pushing down on the marbles beneath his feet, he invoked them.
One!
The barrage struck what would have been a vital area, intercepted by a shield that was vaporised instantly.
Two!
The second was blocked just in time, and the third was close behind it.
Ren wasn't letting that happen.
Three!
There was no way he was losing after Val had put in that much effort.
Four!
He could still do this.
Fi--!
Too slow.
The blast knocked him flying, burning away skin until a layer of white flame took its place.
He clawed at the ground as he tumbled across it, getting his bearings just fast enough to...!
Six.
He released five more blasts at the monster.
He had to hit.
Otherwise, he was dead.
It was a few hours later in the infirmary that Val got her first visitor.
Ren pulled back the curtain, flushing mostly from guilt.
Awkwardly, he held out the core he had extracted from the manticore's body, presenting it to her.
"I-I brought you this..." he mumbled. "...T-to say th-thank you... and... I'm sorry!"
