AN: This story arose when I was creating backstory for a character in a DnD 3.5 campaign. This represents my first long work of fiction in an awfully long time. The story is finished, so expect regular updates. Hope you enjoy, please leave a comment if you do!

Chapter 1

Shanlai groaned and raised her head from the hard stone. Her whole body was sore. Tentatively, she wiggled her fingers and toes, moved her limbs, and prodded her torso. Not even a broken rib. She was incredibly lucky. But the others--

"Who's not dead?"

Shanlai gave a short sigh of relief at Sonya's voice. "I'm not." She had meant to sound upbeat. It came out as a groan.

"Still here, ma'am." That was Joren. He clearly felt the effects of the fall, but he sounded alright.

"Alive and not well!" Yolanda sounded chipper, but Shanlai could hear the sharp intake of breath at the end of her sound off. Still, maybe they would all get out of this alive after all.

Shanlai shakily began to stand. Joren steadied her. Joren was appallingly tall for a kenku, Shanlai coming up only to his shoulder, but she appreciated the help. The four of them checked each other for injuries.

Shanlai was a kitsune, a foxfolk. Her fur was black as midnight, save for her muzzle leading down to her chest, which was white, though both colours sported red from the cuts she sustained in the fall. Her deep brown eyes had an easier time than the humans seeing from the dim light that filtered down from far above. Standing only 5'4" and rather slim, she had to tilt her head to look most of her companions in the eye. Her clothes had cuts and tears, but her backpack and gear seemed intact. She inspected her rapier. Still in one piece, thank the gods.

Joren was a kenku with black feathers and a demeanor as serious as Shanlai's was playful. He was strong where Shanlai was fast, but the pair had become close friends in their time training together. He was inspecting his longsword and shield with the same care Shanlai had spent on her rapier. Warm black eyes turned to regard her as he finished. She smiled back.

Yolanda was stretching. The human was only an inch taller than Shanlai, but that extra inch seemed to hold a terrifying amount of energy. Shanlai was reasonably certain if Yolanda ever stopped moving, she would die. Shanlai shared Yolanda's love of doing, but Shanlai could pause on occasion. Yolanda's bushy brown hair practically quivered, and bright blue eyes shone in the dark. It was easy to dismiss her with her childlike energy, but Shanlai knew her twin swords were something to watch out for.

Sonya, the leader of the group, had raven hair turning grey and a face lined with years, but her skill with a glaive was unmatched as far as Shanlai was concerned. The woman stood at the same height as Joren, and she bore her armour easily. She had just finished checking over her pack when Shanlai met her gaze.

"Alright," Sonya said, looking up at the overhang five feet above them. "I don't think we're getting out of here that way."

Shanlai silently agreed. When the ground had collapsed under their feet, the rocky slope had been shallow enough to slow their fall, but there was no way they could climb something so tall and steep without tools. Shanlai shuddered at the thought and sent a prayer of thanks to whoever was listening that they had no broken bones.

"I'd heard there were vast cave systems underground here. I've never been in them, but people explore now and then. That means there should be a way out back to surface. We have supplies. We just need to find a way out.

"Shanlai. It's going to be dark down here, and I don't know what to expect. Could be any sort of creature down here. You're on torch duty; you're the only one with a free hand if something comes up."

Shanlai nodded and took a torch from Sonya's hand, then got out her flint to light it.

"Let's keep our weapons handy. Don't know what we'll find. Yolanda, you're on mapping duty. Let's do our best to keep our bearings. We'll leave marks at crossings so we know where we've been. Just keep calm and we'll make it out of here."

***

It had been a simple thing. Sonya was taking a few of them to Fort Steadfast to train with larger groups and see what defending a fort or castle was like. It was a four day trek on foot, one that Sonya had made many times before. The plan was to take the journey easy before grinding them into the dust training at the fort.

Not that they were ever entirely off the hook, Shanlai thought wryly as she ducked Sonya's sweeping blade. They had paired off to spar, and Shanlai wished once again in vain that either Joren or Yolanda had been her partner. Intellectually, Shanlai knew she'd have to learn to deal with polearms and that there was no better teacher for it than Sonya. In the moment, however, she was sure Sonya was a sadist.

Shanlai tried to dance inside the glaive's reach and met its haft with her stomach. Somehow, she rolled away from the blade as Sonya increased the distance between them again.

"Good!" Sonya praised her dodge. "But your approach is still predictable."

"I thought you expected me to learn from the last two times, so surely the third time would work," Shanlai said breathlessly as she deflected the glaive an extra inch with her rapier.

"Less wit, more attack. Joren, throw your weight into the shield when you parry like that. It'll throw your opponent off balance and give you an opening."

"Yes, ma'am." Joren didn't even sound winded, damn him. Shanlai glanced over. He effortlessly turned to keep up with Yolanda's dance. Shanlai reflexively leaned back, and sure enough, there was the glaive to punish her for taking her eyes off her foe. Shanlai leapt into the opening, twisted around the twirling haft, and scored a hit before dancing back.

Sonya's eyes were warm as Shanlai made eye contact. "Guess I'm getting too predictable. Well done. Be careful committing that fully in the future. If I caught it, it'd be easy to exploit."

Shanlai nodded and attacked again.

***