A day before the alarms going off in the dungeon, a girl is running through the jungle.
"Haa...haa..."(girl)
"S-s-sis... I can't... run..."(another girl)
The old girl tightened her grip on her sister's hand and kept running. They have been running for so long she didn't even know anymore. Her body hurt everywhere, and her lungs burned like she was breathing fire. She can understand how bad the conditions her younger sister must be. Unfortunately, they didn't have the luxury to stop and rest. At least not in the open, they have pursuers after all.
"Haa... hang... in there... a bit...haa.... longer... we are... almost... to the... mountain..."(elder sister)
The young sister's skin was pale and drenched in perspiration. She was wheezing every time she breathed, sound like she would pass out at any moment. Nevertheless, she continued to drag her along. They were very close to the foot of the mountain, and she prayed they would be able to find a cave to hide them. Operating solely on fear and her mind pushing the limits of her body to flee the terror her family and friends experienced. To escape that dread, she will run until her legs fall off. After all, she was way passed the vomit stage of overexertion.
She could hear yelling behind her vaguely, but they put enough distance between them to not understanding the content. They continued their marathon through the dense jungle. She forces the thick foliage aside to help her sister. The limbs and thorns from the trees and shrubs leave wounds on their small bodies. The elder sister with a height of 5' 5" and thin from malnutrition was taking a beating to protect her sibling.
"Iyaaa!!!"(little sister)
Nearly at the foot of the mountain, the little girl tripped on the root of one of the trees. She took a nasty fall, diving headfirst into the ground. Her sister stopped and turned to look back at her. She lies on the ground face-first, not moving. Her sister decided that instant, rush to her side, and pick her up.
Throwing her on her back, she carries her forward even though her body would collapse at any moment. She drudged on the remaining distance toward the Lonely Mountain, her mind escaping the pain and tiredness one step at a time. The sound of the pursuers tracking their every move continues to close in.
"Haa... haa..."(big sis)
She focused only on her labored breathing and quickened heartbeats to force each footfall. Then, she gazes at the majestic sight of the mountain. In it, she rests her hope and comfort for peace, believing only here can she evade her enemies.
Continuing forward, as darkness fell on the land, she found a small opening in the mountain. Its opening was covered by shrubs and not easy to spot at a glance. She only found it by accident, stumbling into when her legs gave out.
She dragged the two them into the dark cave. It never occurred to her whether the cave was safe or not. So tired and panic to hide washes any caution she may have had. Whatever she thought or didn't, she was indeed a lottery win with her level of luck, because this cave was not just any cave. It was an entrance to something much more...
With the last of her strength, she dragged their bodies deep into the cave before passing out from exhaustion. In the recesses of a dark, dank cave, two scared and exhausted girls shiver together while the memories of that day play nightmares in their dreams. While in the dark of the cave, night covered the kingdom of Eliana, yet the girls were too tired and mentally drained even to care.
In the dark jungle, a party of adventure gathering around a small, depressed portion of ground. The group of five women had ugly expressions as one of the five squats next to this particular spot. She was concentrating for a few minutes before standing up and speaking to the others.
"The rodents went this way, this spot was most likely made by the younger of the two, and the older one dragged her some before carrying her. I can't imagine them getting too far from here, but it is difficult to track them in the dark. I say we wait here for first light and continue the search. What do you say, boss?"(tracker girl)
The tracker girl was about 5' 6" with a petite body and average breast and butt. Her body favored athletic, thin, reliable, and fast. She even keeps her black hair cut short for convenience and efficiency. Her dark eyes look at the leader of the adventure group for guidance.
She was thick and curvy in all the areas. Her armor contoured her feminine physique perfectly. Like most armor made in this world, they catered to women. So, the armor is built to follow the ware's body line, especially the breast. Her large breasts and equally large hips and butt are completely showcased even in her full plate armor. With her helmet removed, she showed her beautiful face with blue hair that was cut at the shoulder level.
"Yeah, let's camp here. It will not be good if we lost them in the dark or get attacked by a monster without warning. It's safer to concede the night and pick up the trail tomorrow. With that being said, we will proceed with normal watches throughout the night. We will set out at dawn, understood?"(Boss)
"Understood!!"(the group of women)
They start a fire while setting up camp. Quick, eat some food, and they began resting in turns. This practice was commonplace for members of the Slayers guild.
They were taking a mission to venture into the forest to hunt monsters for profit. They also try to catch Demi-humans, for some of them fetch high prices in the slave auctions. In particular the young girls of some races. The nobles like to collect them for dark purposes. It is not uncommon for them to be tortured, raped, and killed to satisfy their perverse desires.
Just when they thought they hit the jackpot by discovering two young girls from the fox clan, they lost them in the jungle. Well, they have not entirely lost the trail as it's still fresh, and they couldn't get too far. So, there is always an excellent chance to capture them and make a mountain of gold. She smiled while thinking of her life afterward before sleep claimed her.
In the early morning hours, the elder sister woke up for her unpleasant sleep. Her sister was still out, and she decided to inspect the cave tunnel as she had regained some rational thought. As she looks at the walls, she had the feeling that the tunnel was not natural. That thought fills her with a complex mixture of emotions. It was clear that if the tunnel was man-made, then there might be inhabitants somewhere in the area. The hope of getting help to drive away the kill squad would make her extremely happy. Yet, if the inhabitants were not strong enough to repel the invaders, it could mean she brought them doom to their doorstep. It didn't take her long to decide the course of action, she will be very sorry if something happens to the tunnel dwellers, but she has to risk it. The only consultation she can give is she will perish with them. Of course, she was thinking about the worst-case scenario because she doesn't know that they wish to enslave them. Still, even if she did know, she would put forth twice the effort to escape because to be enslaved is a sentence worse than death.
She silently knelt and picked up her sibling without waking her. Marking the direction they came from and pushed further into the tunnel. Her body was aching all over from the marathon run she had not too many hours ago. In the pitch-black cave, she couldn't see anything. She placed her free hand on the wall and moved forward slowly to prevent stumbling. For over an hour she walked, then she came to a fork in the tunnel.
"???"(big sis)
"Aaaahhh... big sis??!!"(little sis)
Her sister groaned before opening her weary eyes. Noticing her head on her sister's back, she called out to her troubled. The last thing she remembers was the endless chase and a fall.
"Rey, it's okay. We are safe for the moment. I managed to find a cave to hide before dark. It is hard to say the time now, but we should have some time before they continue tracking us. These tunnels are man-made, I'm hoping to find the dwellers and get us some help. Hopefully..."(big sis)
"O-Oh... okay..."(Rey)
The little girl laid her head on the back of her sister. While the elder was troubled about which way to go, she inspects the three routs briefly. Considered for a few minutes, she decided to go right out randomness. The two went on for some distance before they came close to a corner. She had no idea if they went the right way or how deep into the mountain the inhabitants dug. After the heart-attack-inducing escaping from yesterday, walked calmly inside safe tunnels is a pleasant change.
They turned the corner, and what awaited them was another corridor. In the dark, they do not know the distance or time. So, she just kept walking at a steady pace. Minutes after they passed the corner, as the elder sister was walking, she heard a sound of a metallic click. In the quiet tunnel, the sound was heard distinctly. Her heart leaped into her mouth from the terrible thought of what the sound could be. And she was right...
"No!!!....Iyaaaa!!!!"(big sis)
"Aaahhhhh!!!!"(Rey)
They screamed as the floor opened up like aircraft bomb bay doors. The girls fell into the dark abyss of the floor before the closing of the floor trap silenced their screams.
In the damp tunnels, once again, silence reigned through the vast darkness...