Chapter 69: Can’t Stay Here

Chapter 69: Can’t Stay Here

Hiral blinked water out of his eyes as he exited the dungeon portal, then looked up at the rain streaming down on top of him.

Rain? Am I outside?

No, that wasn’t it. A huge chunk of the dungeon ceiling above him was simply missing, the pouring rain streaming through the gap and leaving water up to his ankles at his feet. A small step put him on top of the water—thanks to Walk on Water—and he looked around the room.

Carnage and devastation were the first words that came to mind. The entire herd of Great Tusks lay butchered in the water, most of the pieces filling the corner where they’d huddled before, but plenty more strewn about the floor like they’d been pulled apart. Huge blocks of the dungeon’s roof lay collapsed on the other side of the room, and the original ramp down had been more than quadrupled in size, as if something massive had torn its way in.

“What... happened?” Nivian asked, holding his shield above his head to block some of the rain.

A flash of lightning and a boom of thunder overhead punctuated the question.

“Nothing good,” his twin said quietly, just barely audible over the constant thrumming of rain.

“Seeyela and the others?” Seena asked.

“I don’t see them,” Hiral said, then turned to the dungeon pedestal. The smashed dungeon pedestal. “Damn.”

He walked over to it and crouched to find the interface crystal. Maybe it’d still work if he could just... There! He pushed aside small pieces of rubble, then waved his hand over the crystal.

Nothing.

“Is that the crystal?” Seena asked.

“Yes, but it doesn’t look like it works anymore,” Hiral said. “No way to check the clear times.”

“Or go back in,” Yanily said.

“Now is not the time to think about experience,” Nivian said, a slight reprimand in his voice.

“I wasn’t,” Yanily said. “At least, not entirely. Really. Look. We went in to escape something, right? Well, we don’t have that option anymore.”

“We need to get to the next dungeon,” Vix said. The initial posting of this chapter occurred via Ñøv€l-B!n.

“One more and we can enter the Asylum,” Wule agreed, then quickly turned to Seena. “Not that I’m suggesting we leave before Seeyela and the others get out.”

“I know you aren’t,” Seena said.

“We finished a couple of minutes earlier than the four hours,” Hiral said. “I’m sure they’ll be out any minute now. We should see if our supplies survived while we wait, so we’re ready to go as soon as they join us.”

“We’ll take care of it,” Nivian said to Seena. “Vix and Yanily, check on our tents and sleeping bags. Wule and I will see about food and other supplies. Hiral, I know we just got more crystal from this run, but I’ll leave it to you to find what we got from the first one, and get it ready to go.”

“Sure thing,” Hiral said, then he and the others moved off to work on their tasks. A pulse of solar energy brought Left and Right out to join him, and he headed for the back wall.

“I don’t know if I agree with you,” Left said quietly to Hiral.

“Which part?” Hiral asked.

“About thinking the pedestal was destroyed on purpose,” Left said. “The entire room has been trashed, and the Great Tusks slaughtered. It could’ve just been collateral damage.”

“It’s possible,” Hiral said. “But if it wasn’t, that means we’re dealing with something smart or knowledgeable enough to know about how we escaped.”

“We don’t know if whatever did this even knew we were down here,” Right said.

“We do,” Hiral countered, finding one of the odd bags that held way more than it looked like it should. There was some damage along the side, and one of the straps was broken, but the crystals inside seemed fine. “The Great Tusks have been living down here for how many years? Hundreds? More?

Was something out there waiting for him? For anything trying to leave the dungeon? Well, he wouldn’t find out just crouching there, so he took another step forward. A second step, and the pack in his hand caught on something behind him. He half-turned in reflex to look, and at the same time, something darted past the entrance to the tunnel.

Hiral froze, his weapon aimed at the mouth of the ramp, waiting. One second, two, three... ten. He waited for something to come charging in at him.

“Everything okay?” Left asked quietly from just behind him.

“I think I saw something run past the entrance,” Hiral said. “Might’ve been my imagination.”

“Better to assume it wasn’t,” Left said. “Is there room ahead for more than one of us?”

“Yeah,” Hiral said. “I’m going.”

“And we’re right behind you,” Left said. “Because you’re not expendable either.”

“Fair,” Hiral said. “The pack is caught. Think you could...?”

“Done,” Left said, and the pack’s weight settled in Hiral’s hand again.

“Thanks.” He moved as quickly as he could out of the tight space, his weapon trained on the tunnel entrance the entire time. As soon as he was out, he moved to the side, Left and Right following in quick succession.

“I told the others you might’ve seen something,” Right said. “They’re coming, but there isn’t room for all of us here. If it’s going to be a fight, we need more space.”

“We’re going out,” Hiral said. “Left... uh... you’ve got the left side.”

“Don’t even bother telling me,” Right deadpanned.

“Go,” Hiral said, quick-stepping to the tunnel exit and out into the rain, his doubles fanning out to both sides beside him.

“Clear,” Left said.

“Same here,” Right added.

Hiral’s eyes scanned the darkness ahead as lightning flashed. He quickly turned around to check and make sure nothing was waiting for them above the tunnel entrance. Clear.

“I guess it was my imagination,” Hiral said.

“No, there are tracks here,” Left said. “Another one of those Tri-Horns, I think.”

“Could Tri-Horns be the Enemy?” Hiral asked.

“More likely the prey,” Left said. “And if it was running...”

“We should be thinking about doing the same thing. That path there,” he said, pointing off to one side. “That’s the one to Splitfang Keep, yeah? Which means that one”—he pointed in the other direction, the opposite way the Tri-Horn had gone—"should lead to the Troblin Throne.”

“Directly toward whatever the Tri-Horn was running from,” Left pointed out.

“Any better suggestions?” Hiral asked him.

“No,” Left admitted.

“Right, tell the others it’s as clear as it’s going to get. It’s time to leave.” Hiral looked down the path of glowing vines. Whether the Enemy was that way or not, they had to go in that direction.

Hiral glanced behind him at the ruins of the dungeon entrance.

Hopefully, the Asylum is a bit sturdier...