"Puppy, I hope you're not being naughty! because I don’t want to cut you open. I happen to quite like you," the masked woman chided in a gentle tone, though her hand stealthily crept toward her waist. Talax couldn't see what was concealed beneath her cloak, but he was certain it wasn't a gift or a refreshing beverage.
"No, no!" he exclaimed a bit too enthusiastically, swatting the air as if dealing with an annoying insect. "I was simply checking my core. I wanted to check my tracking skill." The woman didn't withdraw her hand from her waist, appearing unconvinced by his excuse. However, he couldn't reveal the true nature of the mana she had sensed.
His void magic had been a constant burden. The single spell he knew required such an immense amount of mana that even attempting to cast it would leave him drained and delirious. He had also learned the hard way not to reveal its true nature, as people often spoke of the voidborn as if they were lurking monsters waiting in the shadows to devour the innocent. Bene was the perfect example of this.
He had been a kind and considerate man who had offered his help when others might have abandoned him to his fate, fearful and suspicious of the naked and emaciated man lying inside a temple. But once Bene had discovered his true nature, he had turned into a merciless man, thirsty for his blood.
Therefore, Talax was resolute in not revealing his true nature to the unfamiliar woman who held the power to end his life with a mere flick of her wrist. "I'm only at level 3 in my tracking skill. Do you think Light Steps will become available at level 5?" he inquired earnestly, attempting to divert her attention.
"I mean, I don't particularly need that ability right now, but it could prove useful in the future. I'd rather invest my tokens in archery or swordsmanship skills. It's always beneficial to hit harder," the woman finally seemed to snap out of her suspicious mood and responded with a mocking scoff.
"Spoken like a true man..." She lowered her voice, sounding as if she had just swallowed gravel. "Look at me, I'm a strong man! Marvel at how strong I am and let me take you to bed." Her voice returned to its normal tone, accompanied by a tone of disgust.
"Blah. You know, most of those guys are trying to compensate for something else. I hope you're not lacking in that department," she said mischievously letting her eyes dip lower, causing Talax's face to flush red.
Before he could think better of it, he blurted out, "Of course not! I don't need to compensate for anything!" As soon as the words left his mouth, he was mortified and instinctively covered his mouth with his hands, as if that would prevent him from uttering more nonsense.
The woman succumbed to a bout of uncontrollable laughter, doubling over and smacking her knees with her hands. "Oh, you truly are a puppy. You're absolutely adorable!" She wheezed between fits of laughter.
By that point, Talax had turned completely crimson, and he was certain he resembled more of a hellish being than a human. However, it seemed that the woman's suspicions had been dispelled by his awkward and embarrassing behavior. His objective had been achieved, even if it came at the cost of his humiliation.
After several long moments, the woman composed herself and signaled for him to follow her with a wave.
Talax dutifully trailed behind her, using his tracking skill to examine the ground. He noticed his own distinct footprints, faintly glowing with a blue hue, as well as other tracks. There were hoof prints crossing his previous path and considerably large tracks from some predator. Fortunately, he got the sense that those tracks were older, as they were barely visible, and the light illuminating them had almost completely faded.
For a brief moment, he felt threatened by the evident signs of a predator and contemplated activating his stealth. However, as he observed the woman confidently and nonchalantly sashaying forward, he began to feel somewhat reassured.
She cast a cautious glance around the dimly lit cavern and then whispered to Talax, "You know, I've heard stories about these creatures. They say they can smell fear from a mile away."
Talax gulped, trying to keep his composure. "Fear? Who's afraid? Not me."
She smirked in response, her voice barely above a whisper. "Oh, really? So, that trembling in your voice is just for dramatic effect, then?"
He shot her a sideways glance, a mix of annoyance and amusement dancing in his eyes. "You're not helping."
She chuckled softly, a glint of mischief returning to her gaze. "Come on, Puppy, where's that warrior spirit of yours? We're just taking a leisurely stroll through a beast-infested cave. What could possibly go wrong?"
Talax couldn't help but roll his eyes at her nonchalant tone, but deep down, her sassy banter provided a strange sense of comfort amidst the darkness and danger that surrounded them.
After several minutes of walking, during which they heard nothing but distant roars and howls, their ears finally caught the sound of human voices. The masked woman halted in her tracks, tilting her head to listen. After a brief moment, she nodded to herself and turned to Talax.
“You better take the lead. I may spook the orc and cause his bloodlust to surge. I would be sorry if I have to kill it. Well, not exactly sorry... Just inconvenienced.” Talax felt a surge of anger at her infuriating words, especially the way she referred to his friend as "it" rubbed him the wrong way.
Not wanting a repeat of the earlier incident with his void magic awakening, Talax took a deep breath and envisioned a tranquil pool, filled with hot steam and the soothing sound of water trickling. For a moment, the masked woman appeared in his fantasy, submerged in the water flailing and gasping for breath until her limbs finally stopped spasming uncontrollably.
With a pleasant smile, he responded, "Of course," and moved forward.
First, he heard their hushed voices, and then he spotted his friends. They were reclining on their bedrolls. Qalo was munching on something disgusting, while Franny sat cross-legged. In front of Franny, various outfits were laid out for his inspection, and he was engrossed in examining them, absentmindedly tapping his chin from time to time.
Talax found himself smiling until he heard the crunch of footsteps behind him. The sound alerted his friends, and they all turned in his direction. He was certain that the woman had intentionally made the noise since, until then, she had moved without a sound, even when they had to cross the overgrown briars that kept snagging at their clothes.
As soon as his companions saw him, Talax noticed relief washing over them, and then their eyes were drawn to the woman trailing behind him. Talax tensed, waiting Franny's reaction. All this time, he had harbored the fear that he might be played by the woman, and she might not truly be one of Lord De Luval's companions. She could be seeking to find his friends, kill them, and then loot their bodies.
Fortunately, that wasn't the case. Recognition sparkled in Franny's features, immediately followed by a grimace of distaste.
Talax heard him mutter, "Vesperine," and then witnessed his entire demeanor undergo a radical transformation, as unbridled joy overtook him. His entire body seemed to vibrate with excitement as he sprang to his feet, completely forgetting about his clothes.
"Vesperine!" he shouted so loudly that every creature in the vicinity must have surely heard him. He rushed over to the masked woman with an uncharacteristic exuberance and carelessness. Just before reaching the unfamiliar woman, Franny appeared to regain his composure and halted in his tracks, straightening his posture in an attempt to appear dignified.
Talax couldn't help but stifle a smile at Franny's flustered expression. Behind him, he spotted Qalo observing the reunion with cautious eyes, his hammer gripped tightly in his hand.
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His attention returned to the woman who stepped forward, stopping next to him and offering a slight nod to Franny.
"My lord, it's good to finally see you," she said, her tone carrying a hint of mockery, though Franny seemed oblivious to it. Like a drowning man grasping for a lifeline, Franny gazed at the woman with pleading eyes.
"Is my uncle okay? Is he with you? Where is he?" His eyes darted behind them as if expecting his uncle to materialize out of thin air. "I hope the gnolls didn't harm him! And Bryan? Where is he? Is he okay?" The barrage of questions seemed poised to continue, judging by Franny's open mouth, but the woman, Vesperine, had evidently heard enough and decided to cut him off.
Talax kept his eyes on Vesperine while Franny bombarded her with questions, and he thought he detected a slight movement when the name "Bryan" came up, as if she were fidgeting. It could have been his imagination, though, as the woman's face was hidden behind her mask, preventing him from seeing any facial expressions to confirm his suspicions.
"Slow down, Your Lordship. There's no need to be alarmed. Your uncle is perfectly fine and will be overjoyed to see you safe and well. Unfortunately, Bryan was lost to us during an ambush by gnolls. We lost many good people in that battle."
Talax heard Franny sharply inhale at her words. She leaned closer to Franny, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "Oh, don't worry, my Lord. We're sure Bryan is having a grand time sharing stories with the gnolls by now." Talax wasn't sure whether he shoould be amused or angry at the woman. However, he was momentarily distracted by a slight tingling at the back of his head, like he was feeling the first signs of a migraine, and he was about to experience a full-blown headache. The sensation dissipated almost instantly, leaving him puzzled.
He massaged his temples, attempting to alleviate the phantom pain that had already vanished as Franny stammered, "W-what? No, that can't be true!"
Vesperine finally allowed a hint of a smirk to creep through her mask. "Relax, my Lord, I'm just pulling your leg. Bryan's fate is still uncertain. You shouldn’t lose hope. Gnolls aren't known for their storytelling prowess, after all." Franny scowled at the woman’s brazen words and scolded her with a severe expression. It was evident that the man was shaken by Vesperine’s joke. Her words had only intensified his worry about his missing friend.
Vesperine continued to inform Franny about the events following his disappearance. The tingling kept resurfacing making it hard to concentrate on the conversation. Talax had closed his eyes in an effort to soothe his aching head when Qalo's voice abruptly brought him back to the present.
"Talax, are you okay?" Qalo's voice broke through the haze in Talax's mind. He blinked rapidly, feeling disoriented. The discomfort had subsided again, but he braced himself for the next wave. Pain wasn't quite the right word to describe it. It was more like an awakening deep within his brain, scrambling his thoughts and making it difficult to think clearly.
As Talax regained his focus and became aware of his surroundings, Qalo's form materialized in front of him. The half-orc regarded him with curiosity, while Ferdinand and Vesperine had moved a short distance away, engaged in hushed conversation.
Franny appeared agitated, speaking in harsh whispers and making various hand gestures, including one he had learned from Talax, which required only one finger. Vesperine, on the other hand, seemed relaxed. Leaning against a tree, she idly played with a lock of her black hair, taking in Franny's furious onslaught like a sieve absorbing water.
After a few moments, the woman seemed to have had enough. In a low, commanding tone, she said something to Franny that caused him to freeze. After a few more words, sounding more like orders than anything else, she turned to Talax and remarked, "Come on, puppy, it's time to go." Talax felt himself blush again at her words, and he heard Qalo mutter beside him, "Puppy?" This prompted Qalo to burst into giggles, his high-pitched laughter echoing the woman's own amusement.
Qalo’s giggles were abruptly cut short when the woman turned to the half-orc and, with exaggerated pronunciation, as if addressing an imbecile, she warned, "Orc, you can follow us too. But any funny business, and you'll meet your ancestors before you can say 'savage'." Her sudden shift in tone left all three companions momentarily speechless.
With Talax, she was as sweet as sugar, but her tone toward Qalo resembled someone addressing an unruly beast, like the man was incapable of rational thought or civilized behavior. It seemed as if she considered herself the owner of a troublesome animal. Franny appeared on the verge of speaking up to defend his friend, but the woman abruptly turned away and began walking.
The three companions exchanged glances for a moment. Franny was the first to break the awkward tension, attempting to lighten the mood. "Don't mind her. She's like that with everyone," he remarked. In a hushed tone, he added, "She's a dreadful person."
Through the thick undergrowth, her voice filtered in,“Are you coming?” Her voice made Franny jump and look behind him fearfully. Talax couldn't help but chuckle, earning a sharp glance from the noble. However, Qalo didn't share the amusement; he continued to gaze in the woman's direction with a troubled expression.
"We need to move quickly if we want to catch up to her. She won't wait, that's for sure." The three men scrambled to gather their few belongings scattered around the camp. Franny took a moment to fold his flashy clothes, while Qalo shoved his utensils and the carcasses of some small animals into his pack.
After a few minutes, and some aggressive remarks from Talax towards Franny’s fastidiousness they managed to be on Vesperine’s trail. They found her relatively easily, with her swaying her hips as if she were headed to the docks to pick up clients. Franny muttered something to himself, and Qalo decided to hang back, putting some distance between himself and the woman.
Talax couldn't help but agree that keeping some distance from the woman was the best course of action. It was evident that she had an innate dislike for orcs, and Qalo was no exception. He knew that changing her opinion was unlikely, but he worried that her harsh treatment might affect Qalo. Talax planned to have a private conversation with Ferdinand once they had the opportunity. Perhaps the noble could somehow influence Vesperine's behavior, however improbable that might be.
They walked for hours. Instead of heading toward the other end of the cavern, the woman led them to the right side. When Franny inquired about their destination, she explained that it was where their company was camped. Franny continued to pepper her with questions, asking about the other adventurers they had traveled with.
According to Vesperine, most of them had died. They had faced numerous gnoll attacks. Even though the adventurers were high-level, the gnolls had the advantage of numbers and the innate ability to fight as a pack, while the adventurers often acted as individuals rather than a cohesive group.
The nightly raids had taken a toll, reducing the group's numbers, and only seven had managed to enter the dungeon. Of the initially strong group of adventurers, three had died within the dungeon. The first to fall was the healer they had found in the first chamber, a significant blow to the team since they had to rely on potions for healing, and not everyone was a noble able to afford dozens of the concoctions.
Without the healer's spells and protection, the others succumbed one by one. From what Talax gathered from Vesperine's stories, their group had faced a much more challenging time within the dungeon. They had fought incessantly, encountering numerous monsters and beasts. In contrast, the trio had mostly dealt with whatever was left behind after their battles, making their journey somewhat easier.
Things became more challenging once their paths diverged, particularly when they entered the room with the portal that led to the River of Darkness. However, this twist of fate had ultimately yielded a rather beneficial outcome, as both Talax and Franny had managed to unlock new powers.
"Sweet cake, come here," the woman beckoned, wiggling her finger at him. Talax sighed in resignation and approached Vesperine.
When he reached her, she pointed at the ground and asked, "What do you see, sweety?" Talax's brows furrowed in confusion, but then realization dawned. He activated his tracking skill, and his vision swam with a sea of clawed imprints, shimmering like stars, indicating that whatever had occurred here hadn't been too long ago.
He spotted several sets of footprints, all converging on a spot a little further away. Talax followed the trail and noticed an area on the ground where plants had been trampled and uprooted. Specks of blood were splashed around, having turned a rusty color and congealed in places, suggesting that hours had passed since the incident took place.
He finally looked up and saw Vesperine nodding in approval. "Now go fetch, puppy," she commanded, a hint of amusement in her voice.
"Excuse me?" Talax couldn't help but ask. The woman sighed and begrudgingly began to explain, "Those are the tracks of a band of luminal salamanders. They are rare creatures, valued for their lambent hearts and oily skin. Alchemists find many uses for them, and they will fetch me quite a sum."
Talax raised an eyebrow in question,. "So, let me get this straight. I'll go, follow their trail, find their nest, then kill them, and what? You get to keep the loot?"
Vesperine clapped her hands in delight, her demeanor radiating an air of unapologetic sassiness. "Oh, darling, you catch on quick!" she exclaimed with a sly grin. "Yes, precisely."
Talax wasn't ready to give in just yet. "And why would I do that?" he demanded, casting a sideways glance at Franny, who was watching their exchange with wide, intrigued eyes.
The masked woman leaned in closer, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Well, besides the fact that I asked you so nicely?" She gave a mock innocent shrug before continuing, "Because, my dear, I possess a spell known as Adumbral Blains. It covers your entire body with blisters, and I do mean every part of your body, bathed in the delightful essence of shadow magic. The only way to rid yourself of those painful little sores is with a potion specially crafted for battling shadow magic."
Talax blinked, his imagination running wild with images of blisters covering his body. It was hard to focus when his mind kept repeating the word "everywhere." He gulped and finally relented, albeit meekly. "Sure, I'll go."
Vesperine clapped her hands again, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Good puppy!" she declared with a chuckle. Talax began to follow the trail, his head hanging in defeat, when her voice rang out once more.
"By the way," she yelled after him, "there are four adults and two juveniles in that salamander group. You can keep the small ones! Oh, and don't die!" Her laughter echoing his footsteps.