The Dreadful Hunt

by J. E. Thompson

  “A sentry,” Vexx huffed, raising his wolf-head staff. “But he didn’t sound an alarm, did he?”

  “We got him in time,” Shy said. “But we should go off the path now.”

  “Right,” Vexx said with a quick nod. He hurried into the jungle, careful where he stepped as he worked his way past enormous flowers with peculiar scents. Vexx winced as a spiny bush caught him in the leg, raking his calf with its sharp needles. “I hate jungles,” he muttered.

  Together, the dungeoneers pushed forward until they reached the very edge of the jungle and peered out across the murky pond at the ruined Imperial guardhouse.

  “Oh, look, more red herbs,” Kaylin observed.

  Vexx snorted. “Enough with the herbs. Look over there.” He pointed forward with his wolf-head staff at a Lizardman sunning himself along the top of the slanted tower, which had settled at a seemingly precarious angle in the mud and water. “One guard up top. A patrol of six way over there,” he added, swiveling his staff around to gesture at a loping band of Lizardmen. “We shouldn’t need to worry about it if we’re quick. Do you see an entrance?”

  “The tower is too far down for that,” Shyola insisted. “But look over there… the structure actually continues into the ground.”

  Now that they were up close, they could see that the tower here was the most prominent feature of the old Imperial ruins. The fort itself was still standing, although the previously high walls were overgrown with moss and vines, and the entire structure blended in with the jungle.

  “How do we get inside?” Vexx wondered aloud.

  “If we can’t find an entrance, then the best approach is to make our own,” Shyola insisted. “I can gouge a hole in there with my whip without any problem. It won’t exactly be silent though.”

  “I can take out the guard,” Vexx said, gripping his wolf-head staff. “That should be easy. Then we work our way inside and find whatever treasure is hidden in the old fort. Good?”

  “Good,” Shyola said, already hurrying out of the edge of the jungle. She went invisible as Vexx worked his way forward. He aimed his staff, keeping it steady.

  Work this time, dammit!

  Vexx fired off an expertly aimed fireball, confident that he would fell his target; the Lizardman sunning himself atop the fallen tower. Yet even though the fireball soared out at the right angle, it took a sudden turn, slamming into the wall of the ruined fort and shattering the old rock wall.

  “Are you kidding me?”

  Vexx fired another fireball, following it up with another as the Lizardman sat up, clearly confused. The two fireballs streamed forward, then danced away in opposite directions, one suddenly slamming downward to burst at the edge of the pond. Shyola suddenly reappeared, staggering back from the impact of the fireball right beside her, batting at the flames as she charged into the pond.

  “Master, what in the hells!?” she shouted, quickly extinguishing the flames as she submerged herself in the murky pool. The Lizardman peered over in surprise as he noticed her.

  “I don’t…I don’t know!” Vexx shouted back, emerging out of the undergrowth as he rushed toward the tower in the center of the muddy pool. He gnashed his teeth, wondering what had gone wrong as the Lizardman chirruped in astonishment at Vexx and Kaylin’s appearance at the edge of the jungle.

  The Lizardman let out a high, keening wail. Then, a flash of light caught Vexx’s attention as a knife spun end over end, sinking into the flesh of the Lizard man’s left thigh. The sentry’s wail ended abruptly as he staggered to the side, losing his footing on the slick surface of the fort. The Lizardman scrabbled at the tower with his claws, trying to stay on his precarious perch, but then he dropped like a stone to splash into the center of the murky pool.

  An orange-red whip slammed into the fallen body of the Lizardman, sending out a sizzling burst of steam that concealed Shyola for a moment as the other dungeoneers approached. The frowning succubus pointed over to where Vexx’s first fireball had smashed a hole into the side of the tower.

  “There’s our entrance, I guess,” she muttered, tossing the knife back to Kaylin, who howled as she tried to snatch it out of the air.

  “Ow!” she cried, the knife sinking into the pond as she grasped her bleeding hand.

  “You couldn’t catch that?” Shy asked, genuinely astonished.

  “I’m better at throwing than catching,” Kaylin moaned, tears welling up in her eyes. Shy glanced from Kaylin to Vexx.

  “Are both of you cursed or something?”

  Before either of them could reply, they heard the sound of a war horn in the distance.

  The Jungle Fort

  The dungeoneers pushed into the inside of the ruined fort in a hurry, running through the corridor. The ancient stones had enough cracks in them that light streamed through, illuminating the interior. The stones they ran across were spotted with moss and lichen, along with the occasional bush or small tree that managed to grow between the cracks. Two Lizardfolk looked over in surprise as they charged forward. Vexx narrowly dodged their combined spit, but some splashed and singed the hem of his robe. Kaylin cried out as acid drenched one side of her robe, burning away at it.

  Then Shyola barreled through both of them, slashing away, and her whip decapitated both of the Lizardfolk with a single swing. The whip disappeared just as quickly as it appeared, and the succubus whirled around to pin them both with a glare.

  “Am I the only one fit to fight here? What’s going on, Master?”

  “I don’t know,” Vexx protested. “I think there’s something wrong with my staff.”

  “Ugh…we don’t have time for this,” Shyola groaned.

  “Let’s take a sneakier approach,” Vexx suggested. “They know we’re in here, but that’s all.” Tearing fabric sounded behind them as Kaylin ripped off the smoldering part of her borrowed robe. She shrugged off the rest.

  “We really need to find some armor,” she grumbled. “I’ll take anything at this point.”

  “Hmm…well, I at least know how these forts are arranged,” Shyola said, swiveling around to study the interior of the ruins. “Since I was one of the Empire’s most proficient torturers, as you know. Let’s see, veteran’s barracks, cafeteria…there!” She pointed at a ruin within the old fort’s walls as they emerged from the corridor, the light beating down on them once again. “That was the legion’s armory, but I wouldn’t expect much.”

  “Let’s go!” Kaylin shouted, rushing forward.

  “I thought you wanted to be stealthy,” Shy grumbled as she and Vexx followed. The Lizardfolk, at least, didn’t seem to be living here. As they hurried across the open expanse of ancient stones and vegetation, it soon became clear that the ruins had been neglected for ages and left to rot away. That suited Vexx just fine.

  Kaylin paused at a half-rotted door, tugging hard at the ancient wood. Shyola rammed forward, charging into it with her shoulder and slamming the door open.

  “You’re quite the brawler, aren’t you?” Kaylin asked.

  “If necessary,” the succubus muttered.

  The old legion’s armory wasn’t exactly a storehouse of treasures. However, it did have a single chest. As Kaylin tried to fiddle with it, Vexx rummaged around, finally grasping a rusted iron key that was nestled among moth-eaten and yellowed papers in an ancient script he couldn’t decipher.

  “Let me try this,” he said, and Kaylin backed up to give him room as he crouched beside it and slid the key in. He jiggled it around, turning until it clicked, and then pulled the chest open. A gleaming cuirass greeted him; the bronze sheen showed that it was enhanced with some type of magical energy. Vexx sensed its power even as he handed the armor over to Kaylin…who grimaced as she took in the matching greaves and pauldrons.

  “Are you kidding me? This doesn’t fit at all.”

  Shyola chuckled, clearly amused at the elf’s plight. “You said you’d take anything.”

  “Yeah, but…”

  Another war horn sounded in the distance.
Kaylin stared at the armor for a long moment and then began putting it on.

  “This is ridiculous, I really am cursed.”

  Shy chortled. “That you are.”

  “Gods, is there at least a belt in there??” Kaylin muttered, strapping on her leg armor.

  “So modest, you are,” Shy cooed. “But really, Master, we should be going. I don’t think the Lizardfolk will let us explore the whole fort at such a leisurely rate.”

  “I think you’re right,” Vexx said, brushing the dust off his robes as he stood up. “I also think this damn thing is cursed,” he added, rapping his wolf-head staff twice on the ground. “In fact, I th—ouch!”

  The staff had slammed down onto his right foot. Vexx glared at it, holding the staff cautiously.

  Shy slapped a hand over her forehead and groaned.

  “Oh, Master…I should have known. Sorry,” she admitted. “I could have checked if I’d thought to do it.” A crimson glow filled the area as her eyes burned red. She stared at the staff. “Yes, it’s cursed. That’s all I can tell about it, though.”

  “What can you tell me about my armor?” a voice echoed dully, accompanied by a loud clank of metal as Kaylin straightened, her helmet already on the verge of sliding off.

  Vexx couldn’t help but laugh.

  “I can tell it’s not your size,” Shy replied. “But it isn’t cursed.” She shrugged. “Look, I don’t muck about with enchantments.”

  “Let’s get going,” Vexx said, leading the way out into the center of the fort. A flash of motion caught his eye, and to his surprise, Vexx saw a man staggering toward them. He stumbled through the muck, and when he fell, Vexx could see the arrow sticking out of his back. Vexx now realized the patrol of advancing Lizardfolk had caught another dungeoneer. “Kill them!” he called out, firing off an Ethereal Screech without thinking.

  The netherworldly skulls seemed to intentionally avoid the approaching Lizardfolk, but the detonations rocked the ground and knocked a few of them off their feet. But somehow, three skulls changed trajectory and slammed into the wounded man in a massive explosion. Vexx cursed, immediately stemming his flow of mana. He tried to run toward the man, but somehow, the staff tangled in his robes and he stumbled to the ground.

  By the time he rose, Shyola and Kaylin had both charged forward. The elf’s armor pieces clanked against each other as she jabbed a comparatively tiny knife forward before following it up with a punch from her left gauntlet. Shyola slashed through the rest, pouncing on a final Lizardman and devouring his soul in a blast of crimson energy. Vexx grabbed his staff, looking away as Shyola drained the Lizardman’s soul, and he hurried toward the fallen dungeoneer.

  The man looked up at him, bloodsoaked and confused. “You…missed…” he croaked disbelievingly, patting at his shredded chest. His hand came away thick and sticky with blood. “You…killed me…”

  “Hey, you were wounded before,” Vexx pointed out.

  “Not that…bad…”

  “Look, I’m sorry I hit you, friend,” Vexx said with a forced smile. “Accidents happen, right? No hard feelings, huh?”

  “Oh…hard feelings,” the man muttered, his eyes glazing over before fluttering shut. “Hard feelings…for…sure.”

  “Damn,” Vexx muttered as the other dungeoneers approached. “I wonder where he came from?”

  “Raise him up and ask him yourself,” Shy suggested as she approached. “But not with that thing,” she added, pointing to the staff and keeping her distance. “That thing is terrible.”

  “We can fix it,” Vexx grumbled, tossing it away. Somehow, a blast of ice fired from it, and a large icicle flew out to decimate the fort wall nearby. He ignored it, placing his right hand above the fallen dungeoneer, sending out a wave of necromantic energy. The dead man’s eyes opened, but this time, his eyes glowed green.

  “Hi,” Vexx said. “We got off on the wrong foot.”

  “You,” the dead man muttered thickly. “Fu—”

  “I have a couple questions,” Vexx broke in. “Where did you guys come from?”

  The undead dungeoneer stayed on the ground, staring up at Vexx. After a moment, the answers were forced out of him. “Docked in the north,” he said, sounding almost human-like. Vexx had found that the longer he waited with corpses, the harder it was to get anything useful out of them. “Waded ashore. Interrupted a Lizardfolk cult ceremony. Lost a few comrades. Then…pushed forward, got ambushed, lost everyone.”

  Vexx frowned. “Everyone’s dead?”

  The undead dungeoneer merely glared up at him. Vexx figured that was answer enough. “Where were you headed? Did you hear about a dragon egg in here?”

  “No. I think…dragon egg…is made up. But we got a quest from…a noble lord. Osric Luthen. Said…he said there were stories of great treasure buried in the dungeon here. Promised to split the profits.”

  “Well, now!” Vexx grinned over at the others. “On your feet…what’s your name?”

  “Marint,” the undead dungeoneer croaked as he came to his feet, twisting awkwardly to reach for the arrows in his back.

  “Never mind those,” Vexx replied.

  Marint bent down to retrieve his fallen sword as Vexx picked up his wolf-head staff.

  “Left a…buckler behind…”

  “Might have helped with those arrows, huh?”

  The undead dungeoneer turned in place, staring at Vexx. “I…will…haunt…you.”

  Vexx sighed. “That’s something to look forward to,” he muttered, waving Kaylin and Shyola forward. “But not right now. You know the way into the dungeon?”

  “Trap door in Legion XXIV garrison quarters,” he intoned, raising a hand as he lurched toward ruins that resembled a collection of fallen rocks rather than a building.

  Shyola whistled appreciatively as the dungeoneers moved forward, wary of any approaching Lizardfolk. The rest of the fort still seemed as silent as ever. The undead dungeoneer led them forward into the ruined garrison quarters, pushing aside ancient wood that was so damp with rot that it practically disintegrated. Marint stepped over a pile of rocks and through the faded remnants of what must have been a bunk bed before stamping firmly on another square of rotted timbers. It gave way immediately.

  Vexx readied his staff, prepared to blast it open, then thought better of it, frowning at his wolf-head staff. “Um, Shy…”

  “I got it!” Kaylin said, leaping up in the air and falling on the trap door. It gave at once, smashed to pieces as Kaylin fell down below, clattering to the ground in her oversized armor. She rolled aside and revealed a hidden dungeon beneath the fort. Marint hopped in next, followed by Vexx and Shyola. They gazed into the interior, the smell of damp, rotted wood thick in the air.

  Marint trudged forward.

  “Lord Luthen said it was this way,” the undead dungeoneer said in a toneless, unenthusiastic voice. The dungeoneers followed as they trudged over the muddy floor, skirting around stinking pools of water.

  “Oh,” Marint said, turning to look at the dungeoneers as he made his way through. “He did say there were booby—”

  There was a muffled click, and a pike jabbed out from the side of one wall to impale itself in Marint’s skull, driving it back against the wall even as it tore the skull loose from Marint’s former body. It collapsed in a heap with the faintest trickle of blood. After a moment, Vexx peaked over at the ruined skull, where the green glow was already fading.

  “I will…haunt…you…”

  The Hidden Dungeon

  “I’ll go first.”

  Kaylin’s voice filled the sudden silence that had settled in the hidden dungeon. Before Vexx could protest, Kaylin was already halfway down the corridor.

  “A good plan,” Shy said approvingly.

  “Wait,” Vexx cut in, hurrying after Kaylin as she trudged forward. “Are you sure about this? Be careful!”

  “Don’t worry, I’ve gotten really good at spotting traps. Look, down here,” her voice echoed from within her massive armor as
she ducked. Another spear soared past her head, just missing her as she fiddled with something. “See, here’s a trap…oh, no, that’s a dead rat.” She stood up, glancing to the side to see the spear still quivering in place against the wall. “Oh…nope, I guess that was the trap.”

  “Well done, elf,” Shy cackled.

  Vexx bit back a retort. Truth be told, Kaylin was the most well-armored of them all, and she also had better vision and a recently learned knack for spotting traps. So he said nothing as Kaylin trudged ahead, clanking with every step.

  “See, pressure plate. As long as I don’t step—”

  A wave of arrows fired from the side, most glancing off the heavy plate armor, though a few managed to get stuck. Kaylin rocked in place like a ship caught by a sudden swell.

  “Oh, there was a second pressure plate,” she mused, stepping forward without thinking. From the other side came another volley of arrows that glanced off her armor and spun away. Kaylin waved her oversized gauntlets in the air, trying to keep her balance as she staggered to the side, stepping on yet another stone that gave way with a soft click. A third burst of arrows sailed past, even as Kaylin collapsed to the ground with a solid thud, triggering two more pressure plates. Arrows shot into each other from both sides of the corridor, a few hitting each other in midair and spinning around before bouncing off Kaylin’s armor.

  She groaned as Shy kicked her armored boot. “You alright in there, elf? I guess triggering every trap works…”

  Kaylin grunted as she painstakingly rolled herself onto her belly before raising herself onto her knees. “Some things are poking me in the side.”