"Haha!" Kael exclaimed excitedly. "I told you it was a dungeon!" Athena let out a chuckle and shook her head in amusement. "Yeah, and we believed you," she said with a smile. The half-orc mage was known for his unpredictability, but his talent for sensing mana fluctuations was undeniable.
"Should we challenge the dungeon or report to the Guild Master?" Athena inquired, turning to Tharin for his opinion. "We should challenge it. The Guild Master prefers thorough reports," Tharin replied, peeking out from behind a tree. The party collectively grimaced at the thought of facing their Guild Master's displeasure.
"A good point, Tharin. Looks like we're heading in. Is everyone ready?" Athena asked, receiving nods of affirmation from Aeliana, Draven, Tharin, and Kael. "Then let's go. Draven, you lead; Kael and Aeli, back him up; Tharin, scout ahead; and I'll follow Draven," Athena commanded confidently.
As they prepared to enter the dungeon, Aeliana ran her fingers over her arrows, Kael gripped his mace tightly, Draven raised his shield, and Tharin expertly twirled a dagger in his hand. “Gaia, give us strength,” Draven whispered, a soft glow briefly illuminating their determined faces before fading.
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I had recently finished touching up the entrance, widening it and making it look like a ruin, as well as placing ruined buildings around the Verdant Throne for my creatures to take advantage of. As I completed these tasks, I suddenly felt it - people had stepped into my dungeon. I immediately commanded, "Prepare." My creations organized themselves, with the smarter ones taking their positions.
A dwarf led the group, relatively short with an ornate beard and wearing plate armor and a shield bearing the symbol of Gaia - a tree. Following the dwarf was a catkin, most likely a pantherkin, wielding a large sword in her paw-like hands. I almost missed the next one; a human rogue, cloaked in black. Seeing him filled me with barely controlled anger, and I instructed my creatures, "He must die."
The group continued, and I noticed a mage, possibly part orc due to his slight tusks and green-tinted skin, covered in dark purple and white robes. He held a mace as he walked. Next in line was a moon elf, with slightly gray skin, white hair, dark purple markings on her face, and two short horns poking out of her hair. She carried an ornate bow with a quiver attached to her belt.
As they walked through the tunnel, small mice and snakes hid in the shadows. The tunnel ended at the first floor: The Verdant Throne. The cavern was their first sight, filled with trees and large mushrooms. Glowing crystalline formations dotted the ground, lighting up the undergrowth. The vibrant greens and blues of the first area gradually faded into red as the blood lions' territory began. Waterfalls dropped into the river, which led to the lake in the middle of the floor. At the end of the cavern, my dawn lions lay under the aurora tree, with Bellator hidden out of sight. The projected aurora wove through stalactites, casting shadows and light across the floor.
The sight left the intruders in awe, and I was pleased with their reaction. However, my anger towards the human rogue remained. Kill the human. The others may live, but he must die. All humans will die. He will be no exception.