Chapter 26: 26 – Trap

“Want some?” X looked at Slllamaga with a piece of meat he held towards her. The disgust on her face answered him.

"More for me then.”

"We don't eat human food.”

“Grow up, food is food. Unless you eat literal crap.”

“Of course not, but anything humans have touched I will not eat it, and many of us wouldn’t, only those desperate enough...” 

“Mhmm. But I’ve heard you do eat human meat, down here you know.” X said, signaling to his crotch.

Slllamaga's anger boiled over. "Fuck you!" she yelled, marching towards the elf with fists clenched.

"Stop it Sllamaga."

"Ferraine... I... it's not what everyone thinks!"

“So how is it?” The redheaded elf chimed in. “What other meaning from ‘a human cock in your mouth’ can we derive?”

“You little piece of-” Slllamaga was about to hit the elf when a bloodied orc cut in. "Shut it Slllamaga."

"Heiran, are you alright?" Ferraine asked, concern in her voice. 

"Not my blood. How are your wounds Ferraine?" 

"It stings like hell, but I'll live."

In his gluttony X failed to notice that Ferraine had removed her hood. Upon a closer examination, he saw a slender, stern creature with dark gray skin, several horns protruding from her head, and one that stood out, starting from her right temple, spiraling up and over her shoulder, ending sharply. Her fiery red eyes matched her long, purple, almost red, hair, pulled back into a ponytail. All things considered, she was a pretty decent creature.

Not long after, Orjas arrived with Yeres leaning on his shoulder. 

"You better not forget about us! Squeal!"

"Still alive, Yeres," Ferraine replied.

Slllamaga felt ashamed. Even though the captain's sword had missed her vitals and her two hearts and other race specific enhancements meant she'd easily survive, she lowered her gaze.

“Oink, Heiran I know, it was my fault, I’ve should’ve squeaited and-” Yeres tried to apologize, but Heiran silenced her with a gesture. "You want to die? Next time, do it on your own. I don't need amateurs endangering our missions." The orc scolded her.

“Fucking Yeeeres, going alone like a madpork, theee fuck is wrong with you!”

X quietly observed both shadows. They had removed their hoods, revealing monstrous appearances similar to what he had seen in Saint Jaulea with the katnip. Orjas had dark hair curling over exposed body parts and disappearing around his face, revealing a protruding mouth and disturbingly separated eyes. Yeres followed similar standards, but with much less fur and porkish freaky features.

Yeres sat down beside Orjas. “Squeeally? Me? fucking Orjas, oink, you let us get detected you little squeat!” she accused him.

 "She's right, Orjas. Things would've gone smoother if you hadn't let us get detected," Ferraine added.

“Maaaybe, we’ll never know. What’s important nooow is the loot! Yes, the loot! Isn’t it boooss?”

The assassins’ attention turned to the dungeon gates, two massive sculpted rock slabs serving as doors. Heiran gazed at them intently. "But before going in, call Seijen down here. We need to get all the documents from this camp. You know the drill, get to it," he ordered.

His shadows scoured the tents for important documents and any shiny thing they could get their hands on. Seijen arrived with his carriage, and everyone began loading the loot. The midday sun beat down on them. X and Slllamaga sat around the bonfire when another figure entered scene.

[Back to basics, huh. Did you enjoy that?]

More than that...

[What is it this time?]

I think I know why I'm here, wherever here is.

[This shall be interesting. Why?]

X laughed. With a full stomach, a blue sky above him, and a light iron scent in the air, he needed nothing else.

[I thought so.]

After another hour of searching the outpost, the shadows gathered around the bonfire to eat their own food. 

“Is our job done?” X inquired. “We were bait back there, right?” 

“Yes, Heiran, listen to him! We were good, I even helped you back there, please let me go I’m-”

“That? We just wanted you to have fun. No. The real use for you is down there.” He gestured towards the dungeon’s entrance.

A short rest later and after chatting about the lack of spoils of war everyone readied themselves.

Ferraine called out, "Everyone gather 'round!" The creatures obeyed and Heiran addressed them, “From this point on, we race against time. We go in, locate the throne room, plunder it and get out. No detours or foolishness."

“How long till the rest of the company returns?” Ferraine asked.

"Tomorrow at the earliest, but that's not my concern. Places like this are always watched by several actors, and with everyone here death... well, the fastest we act the better,” the orc answered, a hint of worry in his voice.

Orjas dismissed the worry with a grin, “You aaaalways worry too much, we’ll be fiiine and more importantly, riiich!”

"So be it. Get the baits, we go in."

The imposing stone gates stood open, wide enough for them to enter. They found no need for torches or magic to light their way. Inside, they encountered signs of human activity, tools, rope, carts, shovels, and other items as well as lit torches. The light failed to reach the ceiling, and the grand hallways were adorned with sculptures and foreign writing on the walls. Orjas led the slaves by their chains, while X marveled at the magnificent construction. Did humans build it? Or the beasts did?

The vast hallways provided an eerie walk, the group felt minuscule deep within the mountain. Endless rooms, columns, statues, and diverting paths littered their way. They followed the well-lit main path until the light sources and human presence abruptly ended. Shadows lit their own torches, illuminating the unknown ahead.

“Oink! Now what?” Yeres snorted.

“The throoone room shouldn’t be far, I saaaw a map back on the outpost.” Orjas reassured his nervous companion.

"If it was on the map, then why there's no longer a lighted path?" Ferraine raised a skeptical eyebrow. 

"Caution. They didn’t want anyone going further ahead.” Heiran interjected.

"That means the Herald is near."

"Be ready," Heiran warned. "Double check your equipment. We're up against a tier A, water element, behemoth."

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"Good intel from the boss. We've got the explofire portents and dusted catalyst. The Herald will be easily dealt with.” 

“And baaaits, don’t forget our most important tooools.” Orjas teased the two captive creatures.

"Heiran, we can help. Just let us go!"

"And you wiiill, Slllamaga."

"Shut it, feralis!"

“Oh, fiiish has teeth, but not much eeelse here.” Orjas looked at her back. “Ooor here.”

"To hell with you! Unchain me and I'll teach you!"

"Keep walking," Heiran commanded, and the team moved forward. 

The pressure escalated as they made their way deeper into the dungeon. If anyone got lost, they would wander the deserted halls forever, until hunger or whatever dwelt down there took them. The baits were relegated to the rear, their way forward dimly lit. Slllamaga had to proceed hands-first, trying to avoid tripping over the various obstacles littering the ground.

"Stop!" Ferraine’s sudden yell echoed far and wide in the vast dungeon halls. She had been leading the group through these dark corridors, her race’s specific traits made her ideal for it.

“What is it Ferraine?”

"Orjas, are you sure this is the right way? My darksight can only take us so far."

“I dooon’t know... the map ended somewhere baaack...”

“What?” Ferraine turned to their leader. "Heiran, we have to be careful. This area seems unexplored and the traps haven't been disarmed."

“Caaan’t be much longer, the throne room shooouldn’t be much farther away. This was a rather smaaall dungeon, a resting place beeefore Dragaranhel.” 

"This doesn't feel right... I don't like this."

"Squeeal! Abort?"

“Whaaat!? Maybe you love scraps but sooome of us have ambitions, go abooort yourself!”

"Sqeuck you too, oink, Orjas."

“We’re already heeer, ready and prepared. It can’t be looong now. It can’t be that hard to find.... thiiis dungeon is small. Come on Yeres, even yooou Ferraine, this is easy shit. This dungeon has beeeen cleared, by the looks of it, and most of the path back outside is liiighted, I got the map on my head, we haaave never been in such an easier dungeon before.”

"We'll stay down here one more hour, and if we still haven't found anything, we'll get out. And we’ll be extremely careful in this uncleared part and- Are you baits listening to what I’m saying?” Heiran raised his tone one frequency above his usual calm one.

Orjas pulled Slllamaga's chain.

“Are yooou paying attention, mooollusk?” 

"Of course I am, you little shit!"

X had been silent throughout the journey inside the mountain, his gaze fixed on the glowing pipeline-like engravings along the walls, composed of scintillating foreign words. His attention landed on a big, round glowing object. Was it magik? Was it something else? 

"Everyone, quiet!" Ferraine raised her voice.

"What is it?"

"I thought I heard..."

Once again, a small ringing noise.

"Wait, do you hear that?"

"No..."

“You elf back there, what are you doing?”

X wanted to crack it, a globe of pure light. His nails scratched its surface,

“Whaaat are you looking aaat?”

"I don't know... something... Can't you see it? It's like a pedestal with a glowing egg on top..." He thought everyone could see it, but soon realized otherwise.

"Whatever it is, leave it alone."

"But it's too bright..."

His hand enveloped the glowing egg, it called to him.

"Crazies everywhere," said Slllamaga.

“Squeearting with you.”

"A bright object in a dungeon... only the elf bait can see it. Could it be the Elves' Last Rites?"

"Something only his elf sight can see..."

"Elves’ Last Rites... death’s warning!"

“Oink! Trap!?”

“Worst!”

X took hold of the object, he felt warmth and a tingling in his hands.

“Bait! Leave it alone!”

“Shit!”

“Stop him!”

But it was too late, the connection had been established and their world began to swirl around them.

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