Dungeons of the Crooked Mountains

by Alexey Osadchuk

- Animal regeneration: 14/14

  - Hunter: 22.8/35

  - Fisher: 12.8 / 35

  - Resistance to Hexapod poison: 7 / 35

  - Thorntail’s jump (1).

  I glanced into my backpack with a sigh.

  - Experience essence (103460).

  - Stone tablet of Mind (24).

  - Clay tablet “Herbalism” (110).

  - Clay tablet of Mind (110).

  - Gold tablet of Intellect (2).

  - Monster Hunter Token (535).

  - Hunter’s Fury (17).

  - Blot (13).

  - Small potion of satiety (17).

  - Ferocious Harn summoning amulet.

  I wasn’t using the traps, scrolls or potions from Stonetown anymore. There was no need. The harn was able to take down enemies without artifacts just fine. I’ll save them for later. Who knows where we’ll end up next?

  The harn gave a signal, tearing me from my thoughts. He heard something. But not here, not in this cave. A bit further away. Back where the tunnel ends.

  “Scavenger. Hunter. Female. Same kind as you.”

  At first I couldn’t believe my eyes. “Scavenger” is what Gorgie called coldunes. That means some coldune was hunting a human! A woman!

  At the moment, I only know one woman who is likely be anywhere around here. Miri! If it really is her, then why isn’t she with Dag and Chad? But Gorgie was pretty clear that the woman is alone...

  A few seconds later, I distinctly heard the sounds of weary footsteps and a heavy breathing coming from the tunnel. The woman was running this way, right into the cave where we were planning to spend the night. And she was bringing that creature with her.

  There’s one thing I can’t understand. If it is Miri, then why is she running away from a mere coldune? That doesn’t sound like her. A cowardly scavenger like that would be easy pickings for her. And the fact that she’s alone doesn’t mean anything. Back when I was still with her, at times I caught myself thinking that Dag and Chad were weighing her down.

  My guesses turned out right. The small thin woman that jumped out of the dark yawning tunnel mouth didn’t even come close to the fearsome scout lady.

  A mane of tangled dirty hair, a pale exhausted face, and raspy breath tearing its way out of a wide open mouth. Clothes extremely worn, a lean knapsack hanging off her back. Despite the obvious fear and bewilderment, her hands are grasping a short little spear tightly.

  She runs with a slight limp, constantly turning and looking back.

  “Female. Lots of noise,” the harn tells me, upset.

  “Well, what did you expect? She’s afraid. There’s a monster coming after her,” I whispered.

  When the harn heard the word “monster,” he just gave a scornful cackle.

  I shook my head. If I had big fangs and claws like him, I’d probably be laughing too.

  Knowing the coldune’s cowardly habits, we were in no hurry to intervene. Let the woman who, by the way, hadn’t noticed us yet, run a bit past us. That way she could lure the cautious creature out of the tunnel.

  Ah, of course... I jinxed it...

  The lady ran into the middle of the cave, stopped with her spear held in front of her and started looking all around. Just then, she saw Gorgie up on a narrow ledge six feet off the ground and getting ready to pounce.

  So sharp-sighted...

  Her thin arms fitfully squeezing the spear and shivering hard, her mouth flew open in a muted scream. When she saw her new enemy, she put her back up against the opposite wall. The hair falling over her face made it impossible to see her eyes, but it was clear nevertheless that she was horrified. But not enough to drop her weapon or scream in fear, thus inviting more hungry guests to the cave...

  I have to admit - she’s doing very well!

  Meanwhile the coldune, not suspecting a thing, finally emerged from the tunnel. When it saw its prey frozen against the wall, it took a few cautious jumps to close the gap.

  The woman, not knowing where to point her spear, was turning it from side to side.

  Another jump and the scavenger was in Ram range. I used the spell immediately, tossing the frog-like creature over toward some sharp stones. A second later, Gorgie was at its throat.

  - You have killed Cave Coldune (7).

  - Congratulations! You receive:

  - Experience essence (1400).

  - Silver tablet (2).

  The woman, seeing the predator slaughtered so quickly, pressed her back even harder against the wall, preparing to make her life come at the highest possible price. Her chest heaving faster and faster, her legs slightly bent at the knees, the tip of her spear was pointed at the harn, who was approaching slowly.

  “Don’t be afraid! He won’t touch you!” I said as friendly as possible and not all that loud, coming out from my cover.

  The lady shuddered in surprise and the shaking tip of her spear was instantly pointed in my direction.

  “Don’t be afraid!” I repeated. “Neither me or my friend here are gonna hurt you!”

  To confirm, the harn stopped and started licking his scaled side. That put the strange lady into an even bigger tailspin.

  “May I walk up closer?” I asked. “So we can talk without making too much noise.”

  Breathing faster and faster, she just nodded in a daze. But she was still holding her spear in front of her, turning it from me back to the harn, who had lost all interest in her.

  Based on the very rough tip, this weapon couldn’t even get through the cat’s scaly hide, but I won’t say that out loud. If it makes her calmer, let her hold it.

  Slowly, not making any sudden movements, I walked forward. When I got up close enough, I was finally able to make out that she was level five. With such a mop of red hair in her face, there was no seeing her eyes. Her sunken cheeks were caked with dirt. Her pale dry lips were quavering. Her thin arms were covered in abrasions.

  Her and I are approximately the same height. And she’s just as thin and frail. But she looks seventeen years old. On her thin waist, I notice a rope cut at the base of a familiar knot. Now this is interesting...

  “I couldn’t cut the rope myself,” I said, nodding at the girl’s waist. “I had to undo my belt.”

  She looked down, not understanding, then glanced back at me. She peered into the darkness... Then shuddered and opened her mouth in a daze...

  “Eric?” Much to my surprise, her voice was dimly familiar. “Eric Bergman? Is that you?!”

  “Yes,” I nod in surprise. “Do I know you?”

  Instead of answering, she threw down her spear and was at my side in a few steps, then gave me a firm hug and burst into a fit of bitter tears.

  “Those scoundrels, animals...” she sobbed. “They used me as live bait... Left me there to die... The bastards...”

  Still not understanding what was happening, I stood there like a statue, afraid to move.

  “Oh gods, Eric,” she suddenly exclaimed, backing away. “So they did the same with you! They spun me a whole yarn about you being careless and said you got eaten by cave beasts!”

  I just nodded and shrugged my shoulders.

  Clearly finally having noticed my crazy facial expression, she backed away and put her disheveled hair behind her ears. Then baffled, she asked:

  “What, don’t you recognize me?”

  I shook my head in silence even though her voice was dimly familiar. Wait... Not just the voice now... I finally saw her eyes... Swollen with tears, they were still very familiar... Like two dark emeralds!

  “J-Jay?” I asked perplexedly. “Jay, is that you?”

  “Well finally,” she smiled, then something strange happened. Her eyes rolled back and she slowly started sitting on the ground.

  The harn was on the scene in an instant. Placing his back below her, he helped me hold up the now unconscious Jay. Otherwise, with my Strength, I’d never have managed.

  “Poor little thing, she’s been through a lot,” I whispered, looking the girl over for wounds.
“And those bastards probably cleaned her out just like me. She must be hungry...”

  Thinking briefly, I took out a satiety potion and dripped some of the magical elixir into Jay’s slightly open mouth. A minute later, the blush returned to her cheeks. The dry cracks disappeared from her lips. Her breathing evened out. I smiled and activated Lair, let the poor thing get some rest.

  * * *

  Jay woke up seven hours later. Seeing the harn, she gave a muted gasp but, clearly having remembered the night before, she calmed down a moment later.

  “How are you feeling?” I distracted her from staring at Gorgie’s fearsome fangs.

  She turned and, seeing me, breathed a sigh of relief.

  “I thought I dreamed you...”

  “To be honest,” I scratched the back of my head. “I can’t believe we ran into each other down here either... After all, didn’t you get carted off to serve in the master’s residence? How’d you end up in the caverns?”

  Jay gave a heavy sigh and clenched her lips angrily.

  “It was all Ing!” she spat out.

  “Ing?” I asked. “Bardan’s chief steward?”

  “Yes,” she nodded. “That lascivious old brute! He thinks he can do whatever he likes, the creep! I may be a peon, but I’m no slave! He doesn’t have the right to treat me that way!”

  I couldn’t quite tell what she was talking about, but I was listening very carefully. After so many days of loneliness, talking with a living person was a breath of fresh air.

  “Then one day he made a pass at me yet again...” she said, turning all red and faltering for a moment. Then she continued:

  “Basically, I slashed his vile face and said I’d tell everything to Mrs. Emily, Mr. Bardan’s wife.”

  “And did he back off?”

  “For a while...” Jay answered sadly. “But just when I thought it was all over, he struck back. He set it up so Mrs. Emily’s earrings were found in my belongings... I was accused of theft... They found witnesses quick... Hrika, the jerk... And Valgard too...”

  When Jay mentioned the larger scoundrel, she just wilted. Even I could clearly tell she had fallen for the handsome redhead. That made his betrayal all the harder on her...

  “And you were sent to Skorx...”

  “Yes,” she nodded. “Only now did I understand how Ing got revenge on me.”

  We spent a bit of time in silence, each thinking of our own thing. Then I asked:

  “How long since the scouts left you?”

  “It was yesterday,” she answered, clenching her fists. “They sent me into a burrow then cleared out my bag and put a big stone over the cave entrance and left me to perish. They even tied the rope on a rock for some reason...”

  “Was it a huge cave? Lots of burrows in the wall?”

  “Yes,” she nodded. “One wall was caved in. That really surprised the scouts.”

  I chuckled. Those bastards sure are true to themselves.

  “What are you smiling about?”

  “Your good luck,” I continued smiling.

  She flickered her eyes.

  “So you think I’m lucky?”

  “If you knew what they left you to get eaten by, I think you’d agree with me.”

  Jay’s face changed. I meanwhile continued:

  “The monster is called gulper female. Level thirty, for the record. And the cave you were brought to is no more and no less than her lair.”

  “And they know when the monster is not in her lair?” she asked, pale.

  “Yes,” I nodded. “They also knew the monster would be alerted as soon as they entered the cave.”

  “So that’s why they blocked off the cave entrance! To stop the monster!”

  “Oh no!” I chuckled. “Did you see that huge cave-in?”

  “Yeah...”

  “That was all the handiwork of the gulper female... Well... ahem... not exactly handiwork. She didn’t have hands... But she did have huge teeth, killer magic and a long slimy tongue. She also had a sharp sense of smell and could use the echo of her roar to discover the location of living creatures. Believe me, despite all her agility, even Miri couldn’t run away from that creature. And the little rock at the entrance is nothing to her.”

  “They cover the door so the bait won’t run away!” Jay said in a shivering voice, comprehension dawning. Wrinkling her forehead, she glanced at me:

  “Then where is the creature? Seeing how they ran away, she should be showing up at any minute, right?”

  “Well, so they thought,” I nodded and smiled. “But she didn’t. And well, that isn’t the whole story... The gulper female was in the cave the whole time.”

  Jay’s eyes now looked like saucers...

  “Or rather, her dead body,” I continued. “Right under that giant cave-in. Now do you understand why I said you got lucky?”

  She stared at the wall with an unseeing gaze. Her lips were slightly pursed. The pallor returned to her cheeks. Looks like she’s starting to see what a scrape she landed in...

  “Wait...” she suddenly began. “How do you know all that? About the creature, the cave-in, her abilities and level?”

  “It’s all simple,” I said with a shrug as I got off the ground. “When the scouts fled, I was left one-on-one with the enraged beast. I dove into a burrow. She followed me. She started smashing the rock wall. And then the stones collapsed on top of her.”

  “Okay,” Jay nodded. “But what about her habits and abilities?”

  “I heard about them from my father and his friends,” I lied without a blink, adding as I took a step toward the cave exit:

  “He was a miner.”

  She wanted to ask something else, but when she saw me quickly leaving she shot to her feet and asked in fear:

  “Eric, where are you going?!”

  “What do you mean?” I feigned surprise. “The surface. Where else? Well, good luck to you. Bye!”

  Then I walked forward at a slow pace.

  “What about me?! You’re just gonna leave me all alone down here?!”

  I turned around and slightly tilted my head toward my right shoulder. Jay was standing and embracing her own shoulders. Tears started welling up in her eyes.

  “Do you really want to come with me?” I asked, trying to make my voice seem dispassionate.

  “Of course!” she exclaimed. “Please take me with you!”

  “Are you sure?” I asked firmly.

  “Yes!” she took a step forward, her chin raised.

  “Then I have two conditions. First... The surface is still a ways away. In order to survive, you have to do everything I say. Do you agree?”

  “Yes!”

  “And second... You’re going to see a lot of weird stuff on the way...”

  “Wait, Eric...” she squinted suspiciously. “So you were never going to abandon me, were you? Right? That whole spectacle was all so I’d give an oath not to tell anyone your secrets?”

  “Basically yes...” I said, embarrassed. “But oaths are serious business. I cannot force you...”

  I didn’t have time to finish. She interrupted me:

  “I’ll do whatever it takes! And I’ll swear an oath! Just so I can see the sun again...”

  An hour later, the specifics of the oath agreed upon, the Great System confirmed Jay’s words, and we started toward the cave exit. By the way, she had never noticed the hunters’ mark — the symbol was covered reliably by black mold. And all the better... One less dangerous secret.

  “I think we’re going the wrong way,” she started looking around excitedly as we walked through a small cave with three exits. “I definitely remember the scouts taking us that direction.”

  She pointed toward the far tunnel.

  “I know,” I answered calmly. “Gorgie is leading us to a different way out.”

  “Are you trying to say we aren’t going to Skorx’s camp?” Jay asked in surprise.

  “I know I’m not. There’s nothing for me to do there.”

  “And
what about your oath to Bardan? Or don’t you owe him money?”

  “I do owe Bardan,” I nodded. “Not Skorx.”

  “But you were transferred to Skorx by Bardan’s people. You are obliged to do as he says.”