The fire bloomed down slowly amidst the forgeling body, leaving small hints of flames guttered out along the oil-soaked floor. Small trails of smoke clung low around the creature, pressing against its skin and slowly drifting into the air.

  No one moved at first, Riven stayed where he was, flat on his back, one arm lazily slacked across his chest. His breathing loud and uneven, the kind that felt like it hurt to even inhale.

  The knife laid a short distance away from him, half buried under in some scorched debris.

  Eryndor slid down the remains of the shelf he'd been using to lean against until he was sitting. His metal arm dimmed then its glow slowly drifted off. Eryndor didn't even bother to look at his arm. He just rested his head back against the metal frame of the shelf, closing his eyes for a moment longer than he probably should've.

  Shado was the first to force himself upright.

  He pushed himself off the crate he was crouched behind, staggering slightly as he stood. His rifle hung loose in his hands, the magazines nearly empty. He scanned the room out of habit, turning to face the tunnel where they once came from

  "Liora" He muttered, grunting as he began to slowly walk towards where she laid.

  The others followed shortly after.

  Riven rolled onto his side with a sharp exhale, pushing himself up and onto one knee before standing. Eryndor got up on his feet after struggling to move for a bit, his ribs protesting with each step he took.

  None of them spoke as they crossed the ruined storehouse, their boots crunching over some of the metal fragments and ash that laid all throughout the place.

  Liora was where Shado had left her.

  Slouched against the wall just outside the mouth of the tunnel, her legs stretched out in front of her, she held her left arm tilting her head back against the concrete wall of the tunnel. Her eyes seemed half-lidded and unfocused. Blood soaking through the fabric around her shoulder, dark and tacky now rather than fresh.

  However, she was still breathing.

  Shado dropped to his knees in front of her, immediately groaning as he did so. . "H-Hey, you still with me?" leaning close to Liora's face.

  Liora tilted her head down slowly, her eyes still narrowed as she did so. "Of course you idiot… I've survived worse…" she muttered.

  "Thank goodness..." He let out a sigh of relief. Then reached into one of his pouches for something. "Then just continue to breathe slowly for me. I'll try and cover your wound."

  Riven walked into the tunnel not long after, followed up by Eryndor. They both slouched against the wall opposite of Liora and Shado, grunting as they did so.

  Shado pulled out some old wrappings, what seemed to look like gauze but much more darkly coated that had a slight brown tint to them. "Move your hand real quick." He said, tearing off a decent amount from the roll, moving closer to her injury.

  Liora removed her hand, wincing in pain as Shado leaned in to apply the gauze trying to be as delicate as he could.

  "Must suck to be her," Eryndor coughed, narrowing his eyes. "You're one to talk, I'm sure you're about to suffer the drawbacks any second now." Riven muttered, glancing over to Eryndor.

  "Me? No way, I mean after all, you saw the way I was moving against that thing. Eryndor scoffed, feeling proud of himself.

  Riven poked Eryndor's rib-cage.

  "O-OW!" Eryndor yelled, falling on his side to the dry ashy ground. Clenching his stomach.

  "Th-that hurts man!"

  "Bout time it kicked in." Riven chuckled.

  "I'm glad you're getting off on my suffering."

  "Me?" Riven said, slightly still laughing to himself.

  "Don't try to be slick! I can still hear you laughing!"

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  "Would you guys quiet down!?" Shado said, his tone sounding annoyed.

  "We still don't know what could be lurking out there, and yet you two seem not to have a care in the world about our situation." Shado says, finishing to tie the gauze around Liora's wound.

  "Hey don't blame me, it's this guy's fault for being so arrogant." Riven remarked, getting up on his feet. "I just had to knock him down a pillar or two is all."

  "You're the worst." Eryndor said, Coughing.

  "But, you're right, we still don't know the situation from just beyond this point." Riven says, walking over to Liora and Shado. "And now we have a greater issue at hand."

  Shado nods "Liora is too injured for us to press on."

  "Right." Riven said in a low tone now, kneeling down to her. "Can you still walk Liora?"

  "I-I can manage…" Liora says, trying to get up on her feet as she winces in pain again. She leaned against the wall, slowly breathing as she looked out the tunnel.

  "Its clear that you need to rest, you can't even stand straight…" Shado said, looking over to Riven.

  "And this one over here is injured too." Riven turned around, staring at Eryndor now.

  Eryndor opened his mouth to argue but paused.

  His metal arm, which had been normal after the fight, began to glow, this time a soft green color which encompassed his shoulder all the way down to his fingertips.

  Shado blinked in confusion "uh..." Riven squinted his eyes. "Why is it green now?"

  Eryndor looked at the two of them in confusion. "W-what do you guys mean?"

  "You're joking right?" Riven said, pointing down to his arm.

  "You don't feel or see your arm turning green?" Eryndor then looked down. "..what? WHAT!?"

  The glow intensified for a brief second spreading up to where his collarbone is. The aching sensation in his ribs dulled. Then dulling again. The sharp, stabbing-like sensation he suffered when breathing softening into something more manageable

  Eryndor straightened his posture.

  While Riven's eyes narrowed.

  "You were just on the floor in pain not even 15 seconds ago… so how-

  Eryndor pressed a hand against his side, flinching. "N-nothing!" He cheered.

  He then rotated his shoulder, still nothing.

  Shado stared at him, not sure what to even say. "T-that's not normal..."

  Eryndor paused, "i—" then coughing suddenly. "That didn't hurt either!

  "..heh!?" Riven walked over. "Dont tell me."

  Eryndor took a deep breath, expanding his lungs as much as he could. Then breathing out. "Nothing!"

  "Something can't be right." Riven said, walking up to Eryndor, Winding up his arm.

  "Woah! Woah! Woa-! Argh…"

  Riven jabbed Eryndor right in the gut, making him fall to his knees.

  "Well, it seems like you're still mortal." "T-That's different! You just hit me! He coughed, gripping his stomach once again.

  Liora giggled, standing slouched against the wall.

  "Seems they're more to Eryndor than meets the eyes." Shado nodded slowly, his eyes still fixed on Eryndor's glowing arm.

  The light began to slowly fade away as Eryndor slowly gathered himself.

  "So what does this mean entirely? You can just heal yourself now?" Riven crossed his arm. "If I had to guess, I would assume so."

  Liora responded. "Considering that the arm is primarily made up of traits from forgelings, it wouldn't be a surprise if there are some things we still don't understand."

  "That just sounds like ever more reason to keep an eye on him, But I digress, it seems like he's capable of himself."

  Eryndor looked up at Riven, his eyes widening.

  "W-woah, did you just compliment me!? D-did you hit your head or something!?"

  He sighed, "I take it all back." Walking over to give Eryndor a hand. "But on a serious note, you did pretty good back there Eryndor."

  "I hate to ruin your sentimental moment, but we really should come up with a plan now…" Shado said, slinging liora hand over his shoulder.

  Eryndor gripped Riven hand firmly, getting back up on his feet once more. "Right." Riven said, moving towards the front of the group now.

  "Liora, this was station 28, warehouse 19, correct?" he asked

  "Y-yeah, just a bit down… from the main gate of this sector." She said slowly.

  "Good, that means we're not entirely hopeless."

  "Yeah sure, but need to remind you we're out of ammo here." Shado protested back, frowning upon the idea that Riven was implying.

  "We need that gate closed by any means possible Shado, surely someone as bright as you can understand that." He said, looking over to Eryndor now.

  "He can be our trump card to this thing"

  "But what about Liora? She's still too injured."

  The room went quiet for a moment.

  Liora raised her head.

  "I can walk," she said, still leaning against the wall.

  Shado frowned. "You sure? you don't look to well Liora..."

  "Its better than just sitting around hoping for things to get better." Liora responded back.

  Riven agreed, nodding. "She makes a good point, if you two were to stay here, then who knows what might happen."

  "Yeah, and I think its better for us to be able control what we can." Eryndor added, reasoning with Riven.

  Shado sighed, slinging his rifle around his shoulder. "fine... But what if we run into something or someone down here? Not to point out the obvious, but were all out of ammo and have someone whose fatally injured!

  "Relax... I'm sure a wound to the shoulder isn't life threatening... Besides, I'm sure nobody in their right mind would come down here, she'll be able to manage."

  "But as for the ammo situation, we'll just have to leave Eryndor to do our bidding now. Ain't that right?" Riven said, nudging Eryndor arm.

  "Me? i don't think I can do that...

  "oh come on." Riven groaned. You were just hyping yourself up!? And now your trying to deny the fact you can fight? we've seen what you're capable of Eryndor, You can definitely take the front."

  "When you put it like that.."

  "Have some more faith in yourself for crying out loud." Riven said, giving Eryndor a firm pat on the back before walking over to the exit of the tunnel.

  "lets get going, we're practically running on borrowed time now..."