The deeper I went I explored on the second floor, the heavier the air grew. My senses prickled as if to warn me, the faint steps of footsteps were rapidly approaching. I began to move cautiously as they approached, with a steady confidence that was a contrast to the skittish creatures that lurked here.

Readying myself, I pressed against the stone wall, letting my form blend into the shadows. Whatever was here wasn’t like the other monsters I had encountered so far - its presence was different. My hand hovered over the handle of my club, ready to strike if I had to. Though I was also curious, the footsteps almost sounded…human? How long has it been since I saw another person?

The footsteps grew louder, and soon the creature stepped into view.

But it wasn’t a creature at all. It was a young woman, maybe a few years older than I had been. Her figure was draped in a long, dark cloak that rippled freely with the breeze. She moved with an unearthly grace, her steps filled with purpose. Her skin was pale, almost translucent compared to the dark leather armour she was wearing. Her eyes were piercing, icy blue and emitting an eerie glow that stood out in the dim light.

“A goblin?” she muttered to herself, eyes narrowing as she looked directly at me.

I felt my stomach drop, I had grown quite confident in hiding in the shadows. I was convinced she wouldn’t be able to see me, but she was looking directly at me.

“Strange. I didn’t expect anything other than mindless beasts down here.”

It took me a moment to put two and two together still in disbelief, she was talking about me. But she was mistaking my current host as a simple goblin, I bit back my smirk, deciding to play along.

“What you do here?” I asked, my voice rough and my broken words fitting my goblin guise. But I wasn’t sure if she would be able to understand my goblin tongue.

She tilted her head, studying me warily. “A goblin… speaking? How unusual.”

Her tone was laced with a sharp edge, a hint of mockery. A darkness lingered around her, something I couldn’t quite place, but my instincts were keenly aware of it. Whatever she was, she wasn’t human. Not entirely, at least.

“You no belong here,” I replied, keeping my stance relaxed but ready.

She let out a soft chuckle, as if amused by my audacity. “You are a brave one. I’ll give you that. My name is Laira, what do they call you, little goblin?”

“Valian,” I replied as if instinctively, I knew the second my name left my mouth it was out of place for a goblin.

She raised an eyebrow. “Valian?” She paused to watch me more intently.

“Well, Valian the goblin, it seems we’re both strangers here. What are you doing outside of the first floor?”

Her demeanour shifted, a ferocity flaring in her eyes. She seemed almost disappointed, as if she had expected me to attack her - or perhaps hoping that I would. The tension between us continued to build, coiling like a serpent readying to strike.

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“Funny, but what human doing in this dungeon? Alone.” I replied, stepping away from the wall.

The moment the words left my tongue, I caught a flash of something in her expression - a flicker of something predatory, quickly masked by a faint smirk. “Who said I was human?”

The tension was so thick now that the air crackled, an unspoken challenge between us. She lunged without warning, her speed was greater than anything I had encountered. Even with my senses heightened I was only just able to see her in time, barely dodging her strike. I drew my club up preparing to parry her next attack. She moved with a lethal grace, her strikes were precise and relentless, as if she was testing my reflexes. Each time I parried her attacks, I could feel the impact reverberating through my bones.

Despite her slender frame, she was strong, unnaturally so. I caught a glimpse of her expression - half amuse and half intrigued, as if she was playing a game.

“You’re definitely not like other goblins, are you?” she asked, feigning a casual tone as she kept her blade honed on me.

The thrill of adrenaline coursed through me. “Heh. What are you after?”

I could feel her language, its tone and inflections growing on me. Giving me access to new words and improving my goblin host’s ability to speak.

She didn’t answer immediately, but her eyes held a dangerous glint. “Let’s just say I have my own reasons for being here.”

We clashed again, I couldn’t help but notice the way her eyes glowed faintly. Her translucent skin and that familiar darkness in her, she was some kind of vampire. But she was hiding it well, though not well enough to delude me. It explained her strength, her speed, and an unusual common ground we shared.

But I wasn’t about to call her out. Not yet because she was holding back, testing me.

“You’re strong,” she said, acknowledging that a mere goblin was standing against her. “Stronger than any goblin I’ve seen.”

“So are you,” I replied, the words continued coming to me easier as I gained a better grasp of the language.

After a few more exchanges, we both stopped to catch our breath.

She chuckled again softly. “It seems we have something in common. Perhaps you’re right goblin, perhaps neither of us belong here.”

We both stood in silence for a moment, assessing each other. There was a strange symmetry to us.

“Why are you here?” I asked finally, partially to break the silence but also curious to see if she would reveal what she was up to.

Laira’s gaze grew distant, she began playing with the edge of her cloak absentmindedly. “I’m looking for someone. Someone dear to me.” her voice softened, melancholic and out of place in this brutal prison. “The leader of my clan, she came here seeking answers.”

Some kind of vampire clan, I guessed, thought I kept silent. It felt personal, her mother or her maker?

“So she is here? On second floor?” I asked, puzzled. Why would someone of that status not be lower in the dungeon?

Laira scoffed. “Hardly. But a lead suggested she came here to retrieve something, hidden away by our ancestors.” Her voice grew cold, her gaze hardening. “I don’t expect a goblin to understand.”

I was intrigued by her story, but took care not to let it show. She was hiding a lot, but the little she had revealed was enough to paint a picture.

“What about you?” she asked, breaking my trail of thought. “You’re no ordinary goblin. What are you doing here?”

Her question caught me off guard. I didn’t answer right away, wary of giving away too much.

“I’ve been cast out, “ I said finally, adapting the truth to fit my guise. “My family, complicated…”

She continued to watch me with an intense gaze, as if she was trying to pry the truth out. “Complicated. Yes, I suppose families can be.” Her tone was noticeably bitter.

An odd silence settled between us, the tension dissipating. The unspoken similarities of our circumstances seemingly concreting a reluctant bond.

“You’re not wrong,” I muttered under my breath, thinking of my own family and the betrayal that had changed everything. I’d been cast out, imprisoned by my own father. The irony wasn’t lost on me.

Laira’s expression softened, her stance relaxing. “Perhaps we’re not so different after all, wandering in search of something that will probably kill us before we ever each it.”

We shared a wry smile, a foreign moment of understanding. Absurd given the hostility we had begun with, products of this dungeon and the nature it instils on its inhabitants.There was an odd comfort to our situation - a kinship that neither of us would admit.

She cleared her throat. “So, what do you say goblin? Temporary allies?”

I hesitated again, every instinct was screaming at me against trusting someone in this place. The trust was that I knew nothing about Laira, she could merely be keeping me around as a portable source of food. But she was powerful, and her knowledge of the dungeon could prove to be invaluable.

“Fine,” I agreed. “But if you try anything, I won’t hold back.”

Her smile sharpened, a look of mischief in her eyes. “Same goes for you, little goblin.”

With that we decided to move forward together. I kept my senses sharp, half-expecting her to turn on me when my back was turned. But for now we were allies, a dangerous game that neither of us could resist. We decided to explore together, hoping to find the answers we were looking for together.