Rumbling in the distance, like a wave of thunder, the sound of boot steps rang through the caves. Stopping dead in their tracks, the party waited and listened, crouched low, breathing steady. Thud. Thud. Thud. The boot steps came closer, accompanied by the clinking of armor and the grunts and roars of angry beastmen.

“Let's turn back and go the other way,” Simon whispered, moving back.

Acini whipped her head around and pressed her fingers to her lips, making a shushing motion and signaling behind Simon. “Shh... listen.”

Unlike the rest of the rumbling in the cave, a slower, more rhythmic sound was coming from behind them. Loud footsteps, accompanied by the grinding of metal on stone, echoed through the tunnels. The five party members were standing in a long, narrow tunnel, roughly 60 to 70 feet long and 10 to 15 feet wide. They were near the center of the tunnel, standing next to a natural alcove filled with looted supplies. The thunderous sounds in front of them grew louder, as did the rhythmic pounding from behind.

Time to act was running out.

The path forward would take them to a fork, offering a choice: left or right. The left turn would hopefully lead them out the way they came in, maybe even out of the cave. The right, however, was uncharted territory—no one knew where it led. The path behind them looped back toward the left.

Acini and Tallis, the most perceptive of the group, were having trouble determining the exact direction of the horde. The cave's acoustics amplified and bounced sound off the walls. But as the noises drew closer, more details became clear. The way forward was no doubt teeming with hobgoblins. From behind, the loud thumping and dragging indicated a large singular creature—possibly a bugbear, judging by the metallic scraping and heavy breathing.

“We have a choice to make,” Tallis muttered, eyes focused ahead.

“Agreed,” Acini responded, still watching behind them.

“What? What is it? What's the plan?” Cella asked impatiently.

Kenson, recognizing the tension, spoke calmly to Cella. “We have a choice to make. We either take a dangerous gamble going forward, or face an equally dangerous challenge behind us.”

Simon, seeing the reactions of the group, spoke up. “I have something that might get us through this.” He quickly rushed to the alcove, rummaging through the scattered items.

Tallis raised an eyebrow. “What's this about, then?”

After a brief moment, Simon stood up, holding something in his hand. “I’ll explain later, but this is just what we need.”

Tallis, squinting at Simon’s hand, let out a small “hm,” seemingly understanding the plan.

“They’ll be here any moment, but their bloodlust will hinder them,” Simon explained, revealing a small silver pellet no larger than a grape.

Cella squinted at it, unimpressed. “You think smoke is going to stop them, you idiot?”

“No, but it’ll hinder their approach for a moment,” Simon replied.

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“And a moment is all we need,” Kenson chimed in.

“Exactly,” Tallis added.

“Do it already!” Cella yelled, growing impatient.

Simon glanced at the group. “Facing one singular foe might be our best choice of action,” Kenson suggested. The others nodded in agreement.

Without hesitation, Simon ran toward the forward path, holding the pellet. The rest of the group turned to face the rear as Cella struck a torch, lighting the dark space.

A loud PUFF echoed from Simon’s direction as he released the smoke pellet. It shattered on the rocky floor with a small spark, triggering a chemical reaction. Almost immediately, a massive plume of smoke filled the tunnel, nearly choking Simon as he rushed back to the group.

As Simon returned, he saw the others standing near the opposite side, staring at a looming silhouette that towered in the faint torchlight. Standing nearly ten feet tall, a hulking figure with the body of an ogre and the face of a twisted goblin-bear hybrid stepped into view. Its entire body was covered in thick fur, its gnarled face bared fang-like teeth, and large tusks jutted from its lower jaw. Sparks flew from behind it as the creature dragged a massive morning star along the ground.

As Simon reached the group, memories of his guardsmen flashed through his mind—his men riding on horseback, trying to escape the horde of hobgoblins in the forest, only to be ambushed by a bugbear’s mighty swing.

Riding on horseback through the dense brush, leaves cutting and branches whipping past as they flew through the foliage. Hot on their tail was a party of hobgoblins, all shouting and snarling as they clawed their way through the forest. From nowhere and everywhere, a rumbling roar was heard from all around the men. Without further warning, the loud snapping of branches echoed as a huge tree fell in front of their path. Simon led the guardsmen sharply to the right, just missing the crashing timber. As the guards turned to follow, a hulking bugbear burst from the bushes, roaring loudly. With one mighty swing of its club, the bugbear sent two guardsmen and their horses flying into the forest.

Simon's mind snapped back to the present. “I fucking knew it was a bugbear,” he muttered.

The bugbear let out a roar, spittle flying from its mouth as it raised its weapon.

A faint whistling sound was followed by the clattering of wood on stone. Blood seeped from the bugbear's head as it grasped its cheek in confusion. Acini stood with a smirk on her face, bow raised, having fired an arrow through the creature’s cheek.

Kenson wasted no time. Chanting in an arcane language, a purple mist swirled around him, engulfing his form. Within seconds, the mist dissipated, leaving Kensons robe clad in crystalline armor and wielding a glowing purple sword.

Cella didn’t need a cue. She charged the bugbear, leaping into the air and delivering a solid blow to its jaw. The force of her hit made the creature stumble back.

Tallis had already positioned himself behind the beast, hidden in the shadows. Seizing the moment, he threw a bola at its feet, tangling its legs. Unbalanced, the bugbear fell to one knee, roaring in pain.

Simon, shaking off his shock, rushed in, slashing at the bugbear’s leg. The creature roared in pain and swung its massive club. Simon tried to dodge, but the morning star was too fast. The blow struck him, sending him spinning to the ground.

“Shut the fuck up already!” Cella shouted. With a final mighty blow, she brought her fists down on the bugbear’s head, smashing it into the ground.

Tallis strolled over the creature’s body, drew his blade, and plunged it into the bugbear’s neck, ending its life.

Breathing heavily, Cella turned away as Tallis cleaned his blade.

“How’s Simon?” Acini asked, kneeling next to Kenson.

“He’s alive. His armor took most of the blow, but he hit his head pretty hard,” Kenson responded.

Cella scoffed. “Well, no use leaving him here to die now. Wouldn’t feel right.”

Tallis chuckled. “Who knew you had a soft side, Cella?”

“Not now, Tallis,” Acini snapped. “We need to move.”

The smoke from Simon’s pellet was already starting to clear, and the horde was closing in.

With a grunt, Cella hoisted Simon over her shoulder. “Lead the way before I get tired,” she said to Kenson.

“Agreed,” he replied calmly, leading the group into the dark tunnels once more.