My Raphtalia, My Queen (Raphtalia x male reader)

Chapter 45: The Caverns

You stood to attention at the foot of a dark cavern. The glimmering light of the dwarven city behind him barely made a dent into it. Beside him lay dwarves of all ages, carrying rifles, flamethrowers, or even just a shield and axe. But there was also another: a blonde elf. She appeared youthful and gorgeous, an odd sight to see in a mob of suicide grunts. She wore some rather odd garments, and in her hands, she held what looked like a double-sided sword. A dwarf whom you had seen before attempted to plead with her. She merely huffed and gripped her twin swords tighter. Her eyes looked...well, focused. The commander stood forward at the rabble and called everyone to attention. This was it, their ascendance into Caverns of the DragonBone Mountain.

"Ayaka, please!" begged Grimgor as they trekked through the dark tunnels. 

"Stop it Grimgor. I told you, I'm helping out on this mission, so save your breath" the young elf said. She raised a small silk mask over her face, its colour the same as the green trees of her homeland. Grimgor pulled at his hair and beard in frustration and slumped into the back of the group. These caves were monumental and were weaved into a confusing, geometric mess. Their lamps, even at their brightest, could not light up the elevated ceilings above them. That darkness is where he trained his rifle at. They had already lost a few good men already from the beasts that lurked in these foul caves. A bump came from his side. 

"Ah, sorry!" came a young man's voice. Grimgor looked up to see a human. A very familiar human. "You..." 

You turned to face a dwarf staring wide-eyed at you. His face looked shocked, dazed, and even a bit angry. "Is...is everything alright, sir?" you asked.

"You're the man who ran into the city, aren't you? With that girl in your arms?"

"H-How do you know that?" you said nervously. 

"I saw you...running across the battlefield. I made sure you made it to our side" said the dwarf.

"You did?" you grew a small, grateful smile and bowed your head a bit. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it" grumbled the dwarf. 

Suddenly, the group stopped. The tunnel had opened up into a large, web-covered room. Rifles were trained at the ceiling. Flamethrowers were pointed at the dark holes that peppered the walls. Axes, swords and shields were raised, ready to beat back whatever monstrosities that were nearby. You pulled out your sword from its scabbard, resting it in your left hand. Fire blazed from the fingertips of your right. Scuttering and sputtering echoed throughout shadowy corners. Dark silhouettes could be seen dancing from the corners of one's eyes. Shots rang out, lighting up the ceilings above. A few screams and cries shook outwards, and man-sized spiders fell to the floor with a crunching splat, their green blood staining armour generations old. Then, the ground started to shake. They had awakened something...

"Everyone, hold positions!" cried out the commander as the ground exploded beneath their feet. Spiders swarmed their position, blaring fangs that dripped with black venom. Shots and cries rang out. Flamethrowers blanketed the beasts with napalm, and dwarves were skewered onto the legs of arachnids. You sliced and spat fireballs from your palms, but they just kept on coming. The commander cried out as he was yanked from his feet. Above them, the mother of all spiders wove her webs. Dozens, if not hundreds of smaller, baby spiders swarmed the commander. He shrieked in pain and kicked and writhed as the spiders burrowed into his flesh, tearing him apart. You shout out a spew of flame towards him as an act of mercy, setting him alight like a fleshy candle. The elf shot past the spiders and climbed the walls of the cavern. She launched herself towards the mother spider and sliced its head off. It fell back to the ground with a meaty thud. The spiders screeched and scurried back into their holes.