Rhemic Empire (2)

Throughout the ascent to the city, Elrina remained silent. Her face turned pale, and she only regained some composure when she involuntarily bit her lower lip until it bled. Had it not been for the surge of adrenaline that warmed her heart, fear would have overwhelmed her long ago. The ambush by monstrous lizards and the frantic escape towards the coveted doors, under a hail of arrows, some of which pierced her skin, causing a burning pain throughout her body, were only a small part of what she had to endure in the dark city catacombs. The most important thing was that all of this paled in comparison to the death of two allies, whom they had left to be torn apart by the enemy. Just recently, she had naively believed that she could foresee everything, that money could solve any problem and avoid unforeseen situations. This was a sad and terrible life lesson that she had to learn so quickly. It seemed that this was the true nature of the ungrateful mercenary's work.
Before exiting the dungeons, Elrina paused for a moment to catch her breath. Turning her head back and looking into the impenetrable darkness of the endless staircase, illuminated only by the dim light of the wall torches, she angrily punched the stone wall. But in this case, physical pain could not overshadow the emotional pain.