I cast enhancement spells on my party.
Good, I was able to use magic properly here.
Alva moved right, Uri left, and I stayed behind Talos—a formation we'd grown used to.
The Orc King ripped a massive chunk from the cave wall and hurled it at us.
Talos stood his ground, shield raised. I pressed close against his back as the rock split in two on impact. The shock rattled through both of us.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah," I said, catching my breath and finding my balance.
We crept forward together as Uri and Alva continued toward him, Alva firing along the way, most arrows doing little, looking for openings as the rock onslaught continued.
Their swiftness let them avoid the attacks with ease.
As we got closer, the Orc King slammed his foot into the ground with violent force, staggering us. He hurled a massive rock at Alva, who dodged just in time—Uri immediately pounced in this window, slashing at the giant's leg.
The orc swiped at him in response, but missed, and the rest of us continued advancing. Alva kept up his barrage of arrows without pause.
Then the orc began throwing more rocks—faster and wilder. We ducked, blocked, and weaved our way closer.
With the sheer velocity and size of these rocks, I knew that any misstep or mistake could mean our deaths.
I finally got close enough to try hexes. I cast both the Hex of Slowness and Hex of Vulnerability.
Almost instantly, I noticed a difference. The time between his attacks started to stretch.
It wasn't an instant effect—the slowness acted gradually—but honestly, that worked better than I expected. I'd assumed his sheer size would make them ineffective.
Then, he shifted tactics.
When Talos and I closed the distance, the orc saw us, reared back, and launched a kick.
Talos braced himself, raising his shield just in time to block it, though we still stumbled backward from the impact.
"You okay?" I asked, healing him.
"Mhm," he replied.
Alva loosed an arrow, striking the base of the orc's foot.
The beast grunted in pain.
"His soles!" we all shouted at once.
Of course. With all that stomping, I should've known it would be a tender spot.
Hearing us, he stopped lifting his feet. Uri took the opportunity to cut at his shins and back, while Alva kept the pressure up on his side. Talos stayed ready, searching for the right moment to strike.
I watched as Uri darted up behind him for another blow.
But the orc did something none of us expected.
Instead of another strike, he fell on his back.
Exactly where Uri had just been.
The impact shook the entire cavern. We all lost our footing as debris tumbled from above. Rocks crashed down around us and dust was kicked up everywhere.
"No!" we all screamed.
The Orc King let out a booming laugh, still sprawled on the ground.
"One down, three to go!" he roared.
He stood to his feet, still laughing.
We all looked behind him and waited for the dust to settle.
"Guys…" There was a soft voice behind us.
We turned, but there was nothing there.
"I did it." Uri's body slowly appeared from thin air.
An afterimage? Or invisibility? Whatever it was—it was astonishing.
"The technique! You did it!" I said.
Uri nodded with a grin. The others were just as impressed.
"WHHHAAAATTTTT?!" the Orc King yelled, his voice a mix of confusion and rage.
The pit shook, reverberating beneath our feet as we fought to stay balanced.
"Watch this," Uri said. He sprinted toward the Orc King.
The orc stomped, but Uri vanished—only to reappear an instant later and strike.
He swiped at him, but Uri disappeared again—just before impact.
The pattern kept repeating: stomp, vanish, reappear, attack. Swipe, vanish, reappear, attack.
The Orc King staggered in circles, unable to land a single hit, growing dizzy and disoriented with every failed attempt.
Uri finally reappeared beside us, steadily breathing.
He had finally mastered what he'd been working on all this time.
The reveal was worth the wait.
"So small! Too small! Too fast! So weak—ahhh!" the Orc King roared, tearing off his pelt in fury as the snow began to fall harder.
"Let's finish this!" Talos shouted.
Together, we charged at the Orc King.
Without warning, the Orc King hurled himself forward, body-slamming into the ground.
The impact sent a shockwave through the pit, knocking us off our feet.
"Ha ha!" he roared, rising—only to throw himself backward, slamming the ground again.
Another quake—another stagger followed. He was laughing the entire time.
We couldn't withstand many more of these. We watched from the ground, crawling toward him.
He was using his own body as a weapon, keeping us from moving—let alone attacking.
The entire environment felt under his control, with rocks crashing down all around us.
His strategy was powerful, but self-destructive.
This wasn't just hurting us—it was hurting him.
I noticed something else.
When he slammed his back on the ground, his soles were exposed.
He kept at it until the snow began to fall heavier, the storm thickening until we could barely see.
The sudden downpour dazed him, just for a moment.
This might be the only opening we ever get.
We had to make it count.
"I'm getting in close to land some hits," Talos said, forcing himself to his feet.
"Me too!" Uri shouted.
"Gimme a dagger!" I called before they could get too far.
Uri tossed one to me. I cast a spell of stickiness on it.
"Hit his back with this one as much as you can."
"Butterknife!" he replied with a nod, then took off.
"I'll stay with you, Alva," I said, remembering I still had my barrier ready—just in case.
"I'll hit his soles," Alva said. "Let's get a little closer."
We were all on the same page—no need for more words. Everyone knew exactly what had to be done.
I couldn't see much; Talos and Uri vanished into the falling snow, their grunts mixing with the Orc King's as the fight continued. Alva fired beside me, his aim relentless. Thankfully, the Orc's massive frame was impossible to miss, so I could track his movements.
Then, suddenly, the Orc jumped into the air.
I didn't even think that was possible.
He fully stretched out mid-air, about to slam the ground.
The impact knocked Alva and me off our feet. Massive rocks tumbled down around us—more than before, and much bigger.
What was he doing?
He was changing his strategy again—risking everything. This was his last straw. I could tell he cared about nothing now except killing us.
"Everyone okay?" Talos called out.
"Yes!" we all responded.
I wasn't sure if we could take many more of those.
Then he jumped again—this time going for a back slam.
It felt like everything slowed.
Now's my chance.
"Watch out!" I yelled, sprinting forward.
I threw my hands out and poured every ounce of sticky glue I could muster onto the ground beneath where he'd land.
"Vel!" they shouted.
The Orc King came crashing down. The impact blasted me backward, slamming me to the ground. I covered my head as debris rained down, healing myself through the pain.
They all ran to me.
"AHH! I CANNOT MOVE!" the orc whined—louder than anything before.
I looked up.
He was stuck, thrashing and wiggling, trying to tear himself free.
His soles were exposed.
Through the flurry, Alva fired again and again—each arrow hitting true, every impact confirmed by the orc's cries echoing through the snow.
After a few seconds, the orc finally broke free.
Oh great.
But as he stood, he grabbed at his feet in pain—unable to stay upright.
He stumbled, fell, tried again, and fell once more.
"My feet!" he cried.
We watched as he crashed into the wall, then collapsed face-first back into the glue.
Oh, great.
This was the end.
In one last desperate act, knowing it was over, he slammed his fists into the ground again and again, trying to take us with him.
Without hesitation, we charged in, striking with everything we had left.
I even got a kick in.
Then he went still. Motionless.
We had defeated the Orc King.
But the damage was already done.
Uri quickly ran to pick up the crown that had just fallen off his head and onto the ground. As the walls collapsed around us, we ran toward where the entrance had been—but it was gone.
Then, out of nowhere, a falling rock struck Talos, knocking him to the ground.
"Talos!" Uri shouted, shaking him.
I threw up a red barrier around us, healing him as stones rained down, hammering the barrier from all sides.
I should've been faster with the barrier. Why did I wait so long?
"What do we do?" Alva yelled, looking for an escape.
"I don't know," I said, helpless.
The ground above us was collapsing, snow and debris tumbling down from the rim of the pit.
The sky shone down on us, the escape completely out of reach.
The rocks slowly started creating a circular enclosure around us.
My barrier was being pushed to its brink.
Talos… please get up.
I kept healing, pouring everything I had left into him.
The world was caving in.
If this was it… then it was worth it.
My barrier finally shattered.
I hit the ground, covering my head as the noise roared around me.
I'm sorry… everyone.
…
…
…
"ARGH!" I heard.
Talos was lifting a gigantic slab of rock above us.
But then I noticed something.
His strength enhancement had already worn off.
He was lifting it with his natural strength, pushing past his limit… or creating a new one.
"Get… out!" he strained.
There was a small gap in the dome of rocks enclosing us.
"But—" Alva started.
"Go!" Talos shouted, tears streaming down his face.
He was sacrificing himself for us. The whole journey, he'd been the one leading us—putting his life and body on the line for our safety.
The ideal warrior.
"No!" Uri roared, rushing to help him hold it up—uselessly, but trying anyway.
"We're not leaving you!" I shouted, scrambling for a plan as I joined in.
Alva glanced toward the gap, light flickering through it.
"If we go, we go together," he said through tears, taking position beside us.
No! This was not how things would end.
At the end of the day, we did what we came here to do.
The Orc King was defeated.
And the Talos Party…
…will live!
I took a deep breath.
"Everyone, hold your breath!" I shouted.
Water surged from my hands faster than I thought possible, flooding our enclosure until it rose above our heads. Stones floated and sank around us slowly.
We swam through the opening, dragging an unconscious Talos as we made our way up toward the surface.
Standing there in silence were the knights and the orcs.
When they saw us, they erupted in cheers.
We collapsed to the ground, completely spent.
When we finally came to, we realized they'd carried us to the base of the mountain where their camp was set up.
We lay inside a tent, dressed only in our undergarments as the healers checked our wounds.
The knights told us they'd arrived right after seeing the castle collapse. The kings were already on their way, having been told that we and the Orc King had both fallen with the mountain.
"We'll give you some room to rest before anything else," one of the healers said before leaving the tent.
Uri still held the crown.
It all felt like a blur. Nothing felt real right now.
Did we really do it?
Talos sat up. "Everyone did their part—every single one of you. But Vel… without you, we never would've made it this far."
"You're the best healer we could ask for," Uri added.
"Yeah," Alva said. "You know, I just realized something, Vel. This whole time, you've been the one holding our party together."
Well, it looks like I definitely have to change the title now.
"Thanks, guys. You all mean the world to me. I'm so glad we became a party. I can't imagine doing anything else."
We all embraced.
"When the kings get here, I'll tell them everything," Talos said. "You deserve to be recognized as the one who saved this country. We'll get you a statue built in Apple City—or maybe Crowntown."
"You deserve it," Uri said, handing me the crown.
I took it in my hands.
"Yeah—and it should be way taller than mine," Alva added.
I looked at them, then down at the crown.
All this time, I'd complained about being unseen—about wanting recognition.
But now, finally getting it, I contemplated.
Is this really what I wanted?
I liked supporting and healing my party. That was my purpose. I didn't need recognition.
There's something about service itself that I just enjoy. When I feel useful, I'm at my best—and the joy on their faces makes it all worth it.
This whole time, I thought I needed recognition to feel fulfilled, not realizing I'd been fulfilled all along.
I loved supporting. I loved healing.
That's what made me so good at it.
"No thanks," I said softly, handing the crown back to Uri.
They looked at me—confused for a second—then understood completely.
Several minutes later, the kings arrived. After expressing their gratitude, they told us they wanted to discuss the next steps for the orc leadership and the future of Runeveil.
We were invited to a dinner to talk, but we politely declined.
Our job was finished.
News spread quickly—not just through Runeveil, but across the world. Leaders came from other nations to learn what had happened and to meet us in person.
Multiple teams were sent out to collect the Wilderness creatures, using the orcs' stone dust to return them to their homes.
It would take time for things to return to normal. There was still a long road ahead—but what's a destination without the journey, right?
All in all, I believed the world was a better place because of what we did.
***
And that is the story of the Talos Party.
I enjoyed this journey. It was long, chaotic, and difficult—but fun all the same.
Talos, Alva, and Uri were the best—caring, funny, confident, and, yes, a handful at times, but I wouldn't trade them for the world.
I'm grateful for them.
And I'm grateful to you, too, for listening to me ramble and seeing the world through my eyes.
In other words…
Thank you for noticing me.