We stared at the small, brown pellets in Glubber's hands, a mix of disbelief and confusion coloring our expressions. Yorno transformed into a rat?

Without warning, a sudden scuffling noise echoed through the dungeon. We turned to see a tiny brown rat squeezing through the bars of the cell, its beady eyes locking onto us. The rat squeaked and scampered over to the loose brick, nudging it with its snout before turning back to us. It was unmistakably Yorno, transformed into a rodent by his mysterious powers.

Grimsby's jaw dropped in shock, while I couldn't help but let out a surprised chuckle. Yorno had truly lived up to his title as a beast tamer with this unexpected display of his abilities.

"Well, that's... unexpected," I muttered, a mix of amazement and relief washing over me. "Yorno, can you help us escape like this?"

The rat chittered and scurried back through the bars and out of the cell.

Hours passed before the excitement of possible escape subsided again

“I knew it was to good to be true, he is not coming back” Grimsby said bitterly

“Yorno wouldn’t leave us” I replied unsure if what I was saying was true.

“There is that naivete that got us into this mess in the first place” Grimsby replied going back on the offensive.

I chose to ignore him instead of focusing on how to escape. Nothing was springing to mind immediately.

I pace the cell, racking my brain for any possible way out of this predicament. Grimsby sits sullenly in the corner, having given up on conversation after my last retort. I can't blame him - we're both on edge after being betrayed, imprisoned and now abandoned.

As I completed another circuit of the small space, the metallic ring of the cell door squeaking open stopped me in my tracks.

I turned slowly to look at the door, scared of what I might see, could Thorne have arrived so soon?

Instead I was met by the sight of Glubber standing in front of the now-open door smiling and holding something in his hand, a sharpened piece of the brick that we had shimmied off of the wall before, that he had used to lockpick the door.

“Glubber you genius! Grimsby quick let’s get out of here before someone notices.”

Grimsby leaps to his feet, surprise etched on his face. "Glubber? How did you manage that?"

The goblin grins, holding up the shard of brick proudly. "Glubber good at going unseen. Picked lock while big folk argued."

I shake my head in amazement. Looks like we underestimated our small green friend.

"Well done, Glubber! Now let's make haste before the guards return."

We slip out of the cell swiftly, Glubber leading the way down the dim stone corridor. I strain my ears for any sound of approaching enemies, but hear nothing save our own soft footfalls.

At the end of the hall lies a wooden door reinforced with rusting iron bands. Grimsby tests the handle gingerly.

"Locked. Any more tricks up your sleeve, Glubber?"

Glubber shakes his head, his pointy ears drooping slightly. "No more tricks. Door is locked tight."

I sigh, running a hand through my hair in frustration. Of course it wouldn't be that easy.

"Then we'll have to find another way," I say firmly. "There must be more than one exit from these dungeons. Let's try some of the other halls first before attempting to pick this lock."

Grimsby and Glubber nod in agreement. We backtrack cautiously, peering down each branching corridor as we go. Most lead to more rows of empty, barred cells. My hopes sink with each dead end we hit.

Finally, at the end of a particularly gloomy passage, a staircase lies, the only problem was the voices I could hear coming from the top.

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I pause, signaling for Grimsby and Glubber to stop as well. The voices from above echo down the stone staircase, too muffled to make out words but clearly belonging to at least two people. Guards most likely. We press ourselves against the wall, holding our breath.

The footsteps grow louder as the guards descend down the steps. I exchange a tense glance with Grimsby, silently signaling for him and Glubber to get ready incase we are discovered. We press even harder against the wall as the steps get closer, barely daring to breathe as the footsteps grow ever louder.

The first guard comes into view, a bored-looking man in a rusty iron breastplate, a sword sheathed at his waist. He's followed closely by a taller guard, this one looking more alert, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his own blade.

They reach the bottom of the stairs, and the bored guard glances halfheartedly down the corridor where we're concealed.

"Let's check the east wing first," he mutters to his companion.

Oh god please do not let that be the wing we are in.

The taller guard nods and they turn right, heading down a different corridor away from us. I let out a silent breath of relief. That was close. Too close.

We wait, pressed against the cold dungeon wall, until the guards' footsteps fade into the distance. When I'm certain they're gone, I gesture for Grimsby and Glubber to follow me up the stone steps. We move as swiftly and quietly as we can, though our footfalls still seem to echo uncomfortably loud in the confines of the stairwell.

At the top lies a heavy oaken door, a barred window set at eye level. I peer through cautiously. Beyond appears to be some kind of guard room, currently unoccupied. There's another door on the far side, hopefully leading further up and out of this pit.

"It's clear for now," I whispered to the others. "Let's make a break for the door on the other side." Gently, I pushed the oak door open just an inch, making sure it didn't creak. To our luck, its hinges held up silent vigil. We crept inside the abandoned guard room, weapons and armor racks lining the walls. A table sat in the center of the room, strewn with cards and mugs of half-finished ale. The guards must have left in a hurry. Glubber rifled through a few pouches, searching for anything of value while Grimsby and I kept watch at each entrance.

"Hurry it up," I hissed under my breath. Glubber shot me an uncharacteristic glare but didn't break his pace. He finally emerged holding a key.

I hum thoughtfully as I examine the key in Glubber's hand. It looks old and heavy, made of tarnished iron.

"Nice find, Glubber," I say. "This might just come in handy. Now let's get out of here before those guards come back."

We hurry across the room to the far door. I pause with my hand on the latch, listening intently for any sounds of approaching footsteps. Hearing nothing, I slowly ease the door open. Beyond lies a curving stone staircase, winding upward into shadowy gloom.

"This way," I whisper, waving Grimsby and Glubber through. I follow close behind, wincing at every scuff of our boots on the steps.

The staircase seems to go on forever, each turn looking much the same as the last. But finally, we emerge into an upper hall, lit by flickering torches in iron sconces along the walls. There are no guards in sight, but I can hear the sounds of a melee occurring

past the pair of oversized, solid wooden doors in front of us. That must explain the absence of most of the guards who hurried out of the guard’s room.

“This seems to be the only way out of here, but we can’t go out there without our weapons we will be slaughtered.” I hissed at Grimsby still whispering even though nobody could possibly hear us over the yells and blades crashing in the next room.

“The key Glubber found, if there are no more doors it means that it must unlock wherever are belongings must be in that room.” Grimsby replied matter of factly.

“umm, Grims, and what if they were just tucked away somewhere we didn’t see, like behind that door that was locked?”

“Well, what if we send the goblin in to check? He seems quite keen at sneaking around, with a distraction a battle I am sure he could get in and out before anyone notices.”

I consider Grimsby's suggestion, looking down at Glubber. The goblin stares back up at me with wide, yellow eyes. He's small and quick on his feet. If anyone can sneak in and out of that room unnoticed, it's him. But the risk is high.

"I don't know," I say hesitantly. "It seems too dangerous to send him in alone."

"Do you have a better idea?" Grimsby asks pointedly.

I rack my brain but come up blank. We need our weapons and supplies if we're going to have any chance of escaping this place alive. And that locked door is our best bet right now.

I kneel down to Glubber's level, putting a hand on his bony shoulder. "Glubber, do you think you can sneak into that room while everyone is distracted by the fight? Try to find our belongings—my sword, Grimsby's dagger, our packs. Will you do this?"

Glubber gives me a sharp-toothed grin. "Glubber sneak good," he says in his croaking voice.

"All right. But be careful," I tell him. Glubber nods, his expression turning serious.

I creep up to the double doors, cracking one open just enough to peer through. It's chaos inside. Westner’s guards battle against a small force of warriors brandishing Thorne’s insignia emblazoned onto their armor, and from the small amount of the scene, I can see it looks like the guards are losing.

I turn to Grimsby “Thorne’s men are here and it seems they have had a disagreement with the owner of the estate.”

“Finally a betrayal against somebody that isn’t us.” Grimsby said with no humor in his voice which even in the dire situation made me smile.

I look back through the crack and watch anxiously as the little goblin weaves skillfully between the clashing combatants, ducking behind pillars and slipping into side rooms when the way is clear. So far so good. But my heart leaps into my throat when a stray arrow suddenly embeds itself in the stone inches from Glubber's face. He doesn't flinch, just keeps moving steadily forward. I have to admire his courage.

After what feels like an eternity, I finally spot Glubber emerging from a shadowy alcove along the back wall. His arms are laden with packs and weapons. He's done it! I want to cry out in triumph, but stop myself just in time. We're not out of danger yet.

Glubber makes it back to the door and I haul him through, relieved beyond words. He dumps the recovered items at our feet - my silver longsword Dealbreaker, Grimsby’s dagger and our packs containing potions, rations, and other supplies. I strap on my sword belt and heft Dealbreaker, feeling its comfortable weight in my grip.

"Well done, Glubber," I say, ruffling the goblin's matted hair. He grins up at me, clearly pleased by the praise.

Grimsby peers cautiously through the cracked door. "The battle still rages," he murmurs. "But Thorne's men seem to be gaining the upper hand. We should move quickly before they secure the room."

I nod, adrenaline coursing through me. "You're right. Let's do this."

We slip through the door, hugging the walls and darting between pillars and tapestries. The room is in complete disarray, with wounded and dead strewn across the stone floor. Westner's remaining guards fight fiercely, but while they were once at a number advantage in the room it seems they are now outnumbered three to one.

“We are almost there.” I manage to get out to the others between breathes as we sprint through the remainder of the room towards the large main doors that separate the grand hall, its high ceilings, marble floor and the fresh free air of the outside world.

As we near the main doors leading out, a hulking figure suddenly steps into our path. The figure is massive, its bulk taking up the entire doorway. Its skin is cracked and dry, like the desert floor, with patches of scaly, mottled flesh peeking through. Veins pump visibly under its taut surface, and its muscles bulge with every move. A rank and putrid odor wafts from the creature, a mix of wet fur, rotten meat, and the stench of death. The stink seems to cling to it like a second skin.

“Wha- what is this creature” Grimsby manages to mutter out, fear stricken by the creature’s horrific visage.

I stifle a gasp as I recognize the cruel face of Thorne on the creature, identifiable by a jagged scar carved from eyebrow to chin. His dark eyes widen in surprise then narrow in hatred as he sees me.

"You," he growls. “You are going to wish you stayed dead.”