Move in.

You have a versatile role in the party, with a move-set based around dexterity and a small collection of spells. This is the perfect situation for you to make your move. Your mage has thrown out her area of effect spell, the tank is striking at the boss, and of course there's a healer helping anyone whose injured. In some ways, this is the most capable you've seen your party, so you treasure this moment, because you know how things go. It probably won't last.

"Hold on," says Amara as she hurries up to place her hands on your back. "Take this. Bless!"

Suddenly you feel amazing, like you're stronger, and you can take more punishment than before. It's an exhilarating feeling of invincibility you try not to let go to your head, but you grin as you bolt forwards, slashing a few of the injured golems to finish them off as you rack up that combo. You finally reach the couple remaining that are only partially injured.

Before you can attack them as well, the largest slams its fists to the ground yet again, narrowly missing Niki. It impacts the same spot as before, sending a cloud of dust and dirt into the air. For a brief moment, you can't see anything at all!

An impact hits your knee. The golems don't rely on sight. Though as a second one comes, you quickly strafe to the side, causing it to barely miss its mark. You can feel it--Kitty Sense. It's difficult to learn, but you were able to feel its attack incoming. Thankfully the air is starting to clear already, and you pivot around to quickly jab at the nearest one, crumbling it to bits. Then you find the one that managed to injure you. This one's head boulder comes clean off, and then with a couple slices, the hold of its chest breaks, causing the magic to dissipate. You're thankful you have a magic sword. You imagine it wouldn't be easy to carve through solid rock with a regular old blade.

"... M-Minor Heal," you hear whispered sensually near your ear. You didn't think she'd hurry over so quickly, but it feels good for the pain to wash away.

"You're the best, Amara," you respond with a smile.

Her cheeks are radiant with a burning glow. "Thank you," she responds softly as she bows her head.

Still empowered by the Bless spell, you turn with your hand firmly grasping your sword, which glows a little brighter now. It's all of you verses the golem's leader, so the tides have quickly turned. You hurry on over to help Niki, though bludgeoning attacks are certainly more effective against this particular type of beast. You still swiftly move between its legs and slash across the place where Niki first landed her blow. It completely separates the golem's foot, causing it to slouch to the side and nearly tumble over completely.

"Magic Bolt!" Eva sends out a blast to its head, causing it to bonk against the wall behind it, right over the doorway.

"And take one from me too!" Niki grabs her mace's handle with both hands, leaps into the air, and slams it directly into the chest of the creature. The point of impact ripples out like a spiderweb, and while the boulder itself doesn't burst into pieces, you notice the magical glow between each of its appendages flickers. Then, along with the faint light in front of its head, they all disappear. Each rock falls to the ground and either rolls away or cracks into pieces.

The golem is no more. There's only a pile of debris nearly blocking the door.

You exhale deeply. "Is that it? Is everyone okay?" Looking around, everyone seems fine. "Good."

"That was a tough foe. It must be guarding something pretty special," Eva says.

Niki nods. "Maybe there's a huge treasure--"

Her words are cut short by the sound of rumbling. It isn't the boulders this time around, though it's similar. You turn to the noise, and it's coming from the way you entered. Dirt and rocks come pouring down the shaft like a waterfall. You try to hurry over to see what's happening, but the shockwave of debris forces you to cover your eyes and take a defensive stance. It sound like an earthquake, and it feels like one too. Rocks fly through the air, though thankfully, as the Bless spell slowly fades, you barely feel any that bounce off your head. They'd have to hit as hard as those little golem critters to hurt you right now. That isn't the problem, unfortunately. When the air clears up enough to see what happened, your heart sinks.

Not only is the ladder completely gone, by the entire entryway is nothing but a huge pile of rubble. The entrance has collapsed. It would take forever to move all of this out of the way, and that's assuming it's even possible. That was an incredibly deep tunnel you climbed down. If the destruction reaches the surface, there could be tonnes of compact dirt and rock now blocking the only way you've seen to get in or out.

"No!" Eva hustles over to the collapse. "How did that happen? It didn't fall apart until after the fight."

"And the rest of the place looks really sturdy," you add.

"Do not panic. Surely there must be more than one way out of an underground structure of this quality," Amara says. "We must only look."

"She's right!" Niki says, pushing a big rock out of the way of the door.

You scratch your head. "Niki and I were in a situation pretty much worse than this before, back when Lynx trapped us in an underground cave system. At least this was, or is, someone's lair. Also, did you all forget I have the ability of Bunny Hop? It's still a little weird to use, so it's a little sketchy, but I can probably just warp us back out again."

"Oh yeah!" Eva smiles wide. "And that's why bunnyfolk are the best."

"... That seems anti-climatic, but you're right," Niki mumbles.

"Shall I?" you ask.

"Fine, fine."

You wrap your arms around your party and slowly bend your legs down. "We can always find a way back down. For now, we should get out while we can. For all we know, that was an actual earthquake, and Gobiidae is in trouble, right?" You take a deep breath and try your best to imagine the nearby village. All you need to do is jump through space and teleport everybody from one place to another. Easy enough.

"And then we'll come back after telling the villagers," Eva says.

"That is most wise," Amara adds.

One... Two... Three! You jolt up into the air! But all that happens is you awkwardly tug on your party member's bodies. After swallowing nervously, you try again. And then again. It isn't at all like before. You don't feel like you lost the ability. It's just that you can't feel any connection to anywhere else.

Eva turns to you with concern. "Is this performance anxiety?"

You squint back. "Don't say that."

Amara gazes around. "Perhaps something is blocking your teleportation, Kyle. I have felt something strange ever since we arrived. It's faint, but..." She steps forward and places her hand gently against the wall.

Eva joins in, touching it as well. "Yeah. Almost like a flow of magic around us."

"So we do have to explore the dungeon?" asks Niki.

You groan. It isn't like I hate dungeons, but that's really embarrassing. I think they're right though. It doesn't feel like it's my fault. "You look happy about that."

She snickers and gives a cocksure grin.