“I will need to, won’t I?” she replies, her voice betraying her doubt and concern. While I thought to add to her doubt with mine, I refrain, which requires substantial effort.

“What do you imagine the Ogre Lord will do when his farmers leave him?” I ask.

Her paw reaches for her chin, and she swings her head slightly from one side to the other.

“Yes, I trust he will chase them and be unpleasant about it,” I suggest.

“Why are you happy about our pending doom?” she asks.

“Well, I need him to follow me back to my Dungeon, my Master wants me to kill him there. I expect, if I can clear these caverns, he will be keen to follow me. He has lost his kobolds and a number of his ogres, which leaves him, his bodyguards and his orcs.”

I reach out and grab one of the last kobolds before he, I think it is a he, descends into the escape tunnel as I need some information.

“Front Gate, which direction?”

The fellow’s eyes are wide, and I pat him on his head trying to calm him. I am not sure my attempt reassures him.

“Front Gate, which direction?” asks Dawnanda, her rasping voice gentle with lowered eyes.

“Go through Sleeping Cave and then Orc Cave, the far passageway is Front Gate.” I release him.

I ask Dawnanda. “Well, are you with me or do you wish to try and fit down the tunnel?”

“With you oh brave warrior hero.” Her condescending tone of voice confirms her disbelief.

I smile wide and as we leave a chanting and humming commences. I pick up a couple of small bows and some quivers of arrows amongst the goods and chattels the kobolds left in their haste and sprint to the entrance of the Mushroom Cave. My sudden haste is due to an unanswered question. Is the chef search party, yet to leave, been and gone or about to leave. The chef search party, the only inhabitants in the Ogre Lord’s service who could find out if the kobolds escaped.

As I survey the Sleeping Cave, I notice multiple bedrolls. Appropriate small lumps mark where kobold bodies should be, and I appreciate their planning and preparation. Time for me to take advantage of it. I check on Dawnanda and then edge down the cavern wall, backtracking our initial passage. Listening intently, I am satisfied no one is moving in the passageway leading to the Captive Cave and cross it, moving along the long edge of the Sleeping Cave heading for the single passageway to the Front Gate.

I kneel and check on Dawnanda. She is tired although smiling. Her eyes are bright, and she is partially showing some of her teeth. I count that as smiling. I am in an excellent position as I am near the exit passageway and can scan the entire Sleeping Cave, which is central to every passageway. While I wait, I gather arrows from the nearby camps although the pickings are slim.

“Why aren’t we escaping?”

“I need them to follow me and to follow me they must see me escaping. Therefore, I wait for the Chef’s search party, to time our escape correctly.”

With her arms folded I can deduce she isn’t happy; she accepts though as she can’t leave without me.

A few hundred heartbeats later the Chef search party troops through the Sleeping Cave. It contains four ogres and two bodyguard ogres, interesting. So, the ogres must live in the other two passageways, perhaps one leads to the Ogre Lord. As they single file down the passageway leading to the Captive Cave, I tap Dawnanda on her arm and sprint up the passageway to the Orc Cave. The passageway sweeps around in a half-circle, then straightens. I slow as my sense of smell detects orc spore.

I cautiously peek out of the passageway into the Orc Cave, one end contains actual bunk beds, which surprises me. Another passageway opens in that direction, a new arid scent emanates from it and I resist the urge to discover its source. The far end, the end the Front Gate should be in, is too far to note in the weak light, although another passageway branches off in that direction also. When we are safe, it is a question I need to ask Dawn about, how everyone sees in caverns. We scurry from our passageway entrance to the next passageway entrance. I pause deliberating to search it and receive a poke in my butt, my companion’s subtle hint to resist the temptation and continue past it.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

We keep to one side of the cavern and quietly approach the far end. I halt upon observing our first orc guard. There must be more, of course, they are too far away, and the orcs haven’t shown themselves with the light of a cooking fire or such. The single guard’s attention is forward, remaining at his post in the heartbeats required by me to assess the situation. So, I propose it is time to disturb the peace. Before I disturb anything, I check behind me as I expect the hue and cry to go up when I do.

I ask Dawn. “Warn me if something hostile approaches us from behind.”

Then I knock an arrow and release it at the stationary orc. Upper shoulder hit, a groan and then he cries out, which is cut off when a second arrow pierces his chest. I am surprised his leather armour fails to stop it, although short-range for bow, coupled with maximin draw strength, since I carry a couple of spare bows if I snap one probably explains my success.

A flurry of activity triggers, including the sounding of a horn, which in hindsight you would assign to any guards on watch at your Front Gate to quickly call for reinforcements if attacked. I drop the bow and draw my scimitar and launch my assault. The five remaining orcs are dealt with quickly, my sword skill far superior to any other weapon skill I possess and while excellent at the cut and thrust, the skill includes manoeuvring, posturing and battle awareness. It isn’t a mystery to me anymore how Nehal easily defeated me with such a skill.

I encourage Dawnanda to clamber over the barricade and follow her. As we hurry, I inspect the few strike marks upon my body by the orcs and confirm them harmless when I expected at least some minor cuts. My skin resists weapon strikes again, at least any struck by orcs and possibly ogres I speculate as I quickly note my Monster Dominate percent is within one percent of my Sentient Dominate percent.

Not far past the barricade and down the exit passageway, it turns sharply and then turns back revealing the exit and freedom framed by a halo of light. I pause gazing at the beauty of the rays and receive another poke in my bottom.

“Stare at sunlight another time, we are in a hurry,” quips Dawnanda, as she scurries past me.

“This is the first I’ve seen since … being summoned here, wherever here is.” I finish weakly.

To her credit, the beast kin props and bends her head around her rotund body.

“I don’t wish to belittle your joy, except unlike you I’ve been waiting for death for too long and now yearn for safety.”

She then hurries to the entrance, blocking out a bodily portion of the bewitching radiance of sunshine. I follow chasing the sunlight.

--- Kug Ogre Lord POV

I decide no kill him. The chef is dead and others no change that. I let go of neck.

“Great Lord, mercy is great.” My subject begs at my feet, is good. Is good I am great.

“Is fur food and skin food still food? Free? Dead?”

“Lord,” he grovels, I like grovelling, is good to be Lord, “Both gone. Kobold slaves went.”

I so angry I stand and stomp and swing special club. All run from me to the edge of cavern. What do now? Chef would tell me, Chef can’t, he dead.

“We hunt fur food. We hunt skin food. We slaughter many Kobold slaves.” Don’t want to slaughter all, Chef told me they good for food making and serving.

My underlings cheer! Must be right to do this.

Visitor! Erm, the orc is leader one, I will listen before we hunt.

“Hail Great Lord! I report many orcs dead in the Orc Cave, two orcs track them …” He turn head side to side, argh he look for Chef. I miss talk plans with Chef also.

“Chef dead, we hunt fur one and skin one. Slaughter Kobolds.”

He wave weapon and nod.

“We all hunt, get all!”

--- Azizos POV

I absorb my rock eater, the Xorn, without rocks its existence costs mana and I covet every drop of it. All mana is mine. I recreate and strengthen my front door; I will determine who or what can enter my realm.

Pain … it pierces my mind, stabs at me. I cannot sense my existence; I cannot sense any of my servants as I float in an inky blackness of pain and non-existence. A glint of gold in the shape of a key enlarges within view, then another, several more until the images of multiple keys imprint on my psyche, I am reminded of my purpose. I scream and submit, I try to imagine who to or what, perhaps the ‘system’. The pain goes, my sense of self returns, and my servants are mine once again.

Nehal continues with his sword practise, he can learn the skill once again although his proficiency is infantile. His frustration resolved before my pain manifested. His continued practice after my pain suggests an unawareness of my condition as he didn’t show any concern and my favourite would certainly enquire. His existence depends upon my existence, still, his loyalty goes beyond our basic relationship I am certain.

I must enable egress if an invader utilises a key. I test my thought of ensuring I challenge any who would seek a key. My mind is unmolested by pain. I imagine each test being extremely difficult. My mind remains untouched. I imagine each test requires co-operation and multiple skills. Peace. I imagine each test being impossible … the pain grows and amplifies; I instantly dismiss what I imagine. I now understand the bounds I can plan within. The tests cannot be impossible, the sole restriction; I imagine various traps and challenges and the option of throwing monsters at them until they die.

I need to plan before I expend my mana.