Chapter Text
Marlon was packing up his things before heading to the mines. He previously thought that he was content with becoming the head of Adventure’s guild, but he wasn’t so sure anymore. First few months were really comforting – no danger, monsters, broken ladders. Marlon didn’t have to worry if anyone will find him after passing out. But yet, something wasn’t right. He was getting bored, feeling as if wasted time weighted on his shoulders. That was when Marlon decided to come back to the mines.
“I’ll get going,” he said to Gil out of habit. The old prick was nearly deaf. It seemed that he was taking another nap, it became a norm at this point. Marlon felt alone, even with his presence. Talking wasn’t necessary, since nobody was listening.
Marlon closed the door and left a note saying: “Adventure’s guild closed until the adventure’s over.” He didn’t know how long that would take. It wasn’t important. Marlon could possibly worry whether he would come back alive, but these thoughs stopped crossing his mind a long time ago.
Before heading to the mines, he walked towards the quarry. The view was immaculate and wind was howling. Marlon felt once again the sensation on his shoulders caused by a heavy backpack. He raised his arms, feeling the breeze on the skin.
“How long do you think it will take?” Marlon asked the wind. It replied with a long, sad howl. He couldn’t resist and laughed freely. Marlon missed that – talking nonsense to the wind and feeling like nothing was stopping him. Every decision was up to him.
He touched the ground. The dirt was dry, it needed a lot of water. When was the last time it rained? Marlon couldn’t tell. He looked at the sky and thought to himself that it could rain in a few days. Just a feeling in the old bones. Marlon stood up with a grunt and looked towards the mines’ entrance. It was time.
Floor after floor, Marlon was clearing the mines. Finding ladders was becoming harder, but it made his adrenaline rush. That’s what made him feel alive!
A fast swing to the right defended him from a bat. It made an awful sound before dying. Suddenly another one rushed in his direction. Marlon lifted a dagger and blocked his attack. Bat flew away, circling him. Once he came back, Marlon killed him. Now huffing from fatigue, he looked around. It seemed it was safe to mine. He took a few minutes to cool down and continued the walk around the floor. Lucky him! Finding an amethyst and a jade on his way. Marlon mined them and thought if it would be better to sell or give them away as gifts. Gil probably wouldn’t care, it’s not like he could see them clearly. Instead, Marlon imagined Gil’s reaction to a new pillow – he would be thrilled. Gil mentioned his back pain getting worse. Well, it was decided, Marlon will sell the stones and buy a nice pillow for Gil. A sudden wave of sadness hit him - it surprised him to feel this way. Marlon missed that old prick, Gil.
His steps were fast, but steady. Sneaking through the long corridors, Marlon found another ladder. He started walking down, when suddenly everything started to spin. After opening his eyes, he saw himself lying on the floor. A slime was sliding towards him. Marlon looked around and found his dagger. He jumped towards it and grabbed it, just before a slime launched at him. Marlon struck a blow, tearing through the jelly body. A sudden fatigue hit him. Why did everything spin so suddenly? Marlon looked up and saw that the ladder was broken. It made sense now – he slipped and fell down. Marlon sighed, making a note in his mind to repair the ladders. He continued to mine a few rocks, but the fatigue got only worse. Soon, Marlon had to sit down. He placed down a backpack and searched for a cheese that he packed before leaving. It always seemed to give him a lot of energy. He started to search more aggresively, as his frustration grew. Did he drop it during one of his fights? He was sure he packed it. So where was it?
Suddenly, Marlon saw a purple fog appear. Now he also felt fear. The bats were near, he heard their wings fluttering. For the first time in a few years, he thought if he will make it. Marlon gave up on finding the food. He quickly grabbed his backpack and sprinted towards the ladder leading to the upper floors. But before he reached it, a storm of bats appeared before him. Shaking from exhaustion, Marlon lifted his dagger, not sure if he will have enough energy to swing. Bats surrounded him, making turns attacking. Even after blocking few of them, the rest attacked his back. Marlon fell down, not being able to move. He felt as warm blood reached his bare skin.
It wasn’t supposed to end that way…
His mind went blank.