As dawn broke in the East, the Slayers party was packing up their gear. The group was eager to restart the hunt. The party leader was giving out instructions to the remaining members, while they finish stowing away their stuff. The only exception to the group was the dark-haired tracker. She had slipped away to try and catch the rat's tail.
The tracker girl started her search at the last place they know the two escapees were, the depression in the ground. From there, she expanded her scope and looked for clues to the path they took. Twenty minutes later, she was pushing a large bush aside and discovering a small hole.
The hole about 5' in diameter and very well concealed. She was amazed the rats found the hole. It was not easy to find; in fact, she would never have found it had she not been tracking the Fox Clan duo. The tracker girl concluded that the girls entered the hole. And luckily for them, there is no indication of them leaving. Final verdict, they are cornered rats!!
Just as the other members finished preparing to depart, the tracker girl returned to the leader to report. She was all smiles delivering the news to the leader of the adventure group.
"Boss, I found the trail, and they hid inside a small cave entrance not too far from here. I found clear indications of the entering but not exiting. The opening was very well concealed from the outside. They may have hidden inside, hoping we would pass by. Unfortunately for them, I follow their tracks to the entrance. They are as good as cornered rats. I'll lead the way to the entrance when you are ready to depart, boss."(Tracker girl)
The leader smirked at the thought of dragging those troublesome Fox Clan girls out of the hole they think can save them. She looks around at the other members of her party and sees them read to go. Shouldering her pack, she looks a the tracker girl and nods before speaking.
"Excellent!! Lead the way. I want to get out of the jungle and enjoy some good food, a hot bath, and a soft bed. I don't know about the rest of you ladies, but I'm looking forward to this score. With the hard work we put in, I'm looking forward to seeing the large bags of gold, what about you all??!!"(boss adventure)
"Hell yeah, boss!!"(one of the party girls)
"Let's do this!! Soon we collect them, the soon we get paid!!"(another girl)
The whole group, following the plan, the leader prompts the tracker girl to show the way. Moving quickly, the party reached its destination within 20 minutes. Tracker girl pushed the brush aside to reveal the hole. Everyone in the party almost pitied the girls hiding place. The cave would under normal circumstances been impossible to locate. It just means that their effort to achieve freedom was wasted. Not that it matters to them, this is business to them after all.
The tracker girl took a point position and entered the cave. They all had their weapons are drawn, and all trace of their frivolousness from before vanished. The two Fox Clan girls may be harmless for all they know, but carelessness is a sin in their work; A sin that will lead you to your doom.
Some of the party members lit torches, while the member that resembles a mage had her crystal on her staff light up with a spell. They advanced slowly and methodically, not wanting to walk into any traps or ambushes the girls perhaps set up. A few minutes later, they found the spot the marks passed out at. The tracker examined the area for some time before commenting.
"They slept here on the ground. At some point, they got up, or at least the elder one did because she carried the other from here. There is only one set of tracks leading deeper into the tunnel. I guess they realize the same thing we have, this tunnel is not natural. We are seeing that they venture deeper to enlist the aid of the inhabitants.
Boss, it is your call on us continuing the chase from here. I want to advise you that with no information about the number or types of Demi-humans that may be present in the tunnels, it could pose a significant hazard to our small group. I recommend we post sentries at the opening, send members back for reinforcements. With more numbers, the safety of the exportation would improve drastically. What's your call, boss?"(tracker and logical double threat girl)
The leader leaned against the wall in thought. With her helmet on, her thoughts were impossible to gauge. She deliberated the points for a few minutes before speaking her thoughts.
"Emma, like always, you cut to the bone of an issue. Following your advice would indeed be the best way to handle this situation, I would even say it's textbook. You would get full marks at the academy for that answer without a doubt.
Yet, that decision misses some finer points that can't be ignored. One point is we don't know if this is the only entrance. They could take the time we give them waiting for reinforcements to escape with ease by then. At the time we discover them escaped, we wouldn't be able to pick up the trail.
Another point that we can't neglect is the more people involved, the more cuts of the pie. You can call me greedy, but I would rather have a one-fifth share instead of one-twentieth, for example. The point I'm making is the job adventure is always high-risk high returns. We came this far, chasing a fat purse of gold. I am unwilling to go back when we are so close to payday!!"(LIKE A BOSS)
Emma shrugs her shoulders before responding to the boss's remarks.
"Tatiana, you are the boss. I can give all the good advice in the world, but responsibility rest with you. If you decide that pushing through hell is the way our party will go, then through the hell we will drudge.
On more occasions, then I can count, you have proven your leadership skills and direction to be right. I give my advice not to sway your decision but that your decisions contain all relevant information to make good sound decisions. You want to pursue them then pursue we shall."(Emma)
The others nodded their heads in agreement with Emma's opinion. The leader Tatiana was thankful for them agreeing readily. She was concerned they wouldn't agree with her want to continue the chase. It is not a joke to say the Fox Clan girls are one of the highest sought after Demi-humans out there.
They are not only gorgeous with amazing bodies, but when they develop enough, they can switch between humans and animals form. Their Fox form is the capital nobles' most requested form of pet. So, the dominant female nobles of the capital love both ways of this particular Demi-human.
Because of their popularity, when they get auctioned off in the capital, it always ends with staggering amounts of money. Not to mention, there are TWO of them!! The money they could get for them is enough to retire from adventuring if it is broken up in ONLY five ways!! So yes, her judgment is swayed by greed, but what can she do? It's just too much temptation to bear.
"Okay, then let's get our war faces on!! We know this is seriously dangerous from here on, so extra caution from each other. We have no idea what is in store for us, so slow and steady. Emma, unfortunately, I'm going to have to ask you to take the point. You are the only person with thief skills. There may be traps ahead, I hope not, but we have to assume the worst. The rest of us will follow standard marching order, any questions?"(Tatiana)
The mage voices her concern about the situation. She is a sleepy-looking elder sister type. She has strawberry red hair and a voluptuous body full of men's dreams. While leaning on her staff, she speaks her question.
"What are we to do if we run into the cave dwellers? We don't know what is in the cave, and fighting in close quarters will put me at a disadvantage. I don't have many spells I can use that will not endanger other party members. Everyone needs to be aware of this or danger, and confusion may occur from expecting something from me I can give."(Oneesan mage)
"That's a good point I hadn't thought of. Let's go with you to the center like normal and use your spells when you can. Communicate with the front liners like me before using them to avoid collateral damage. Fair enough?"(Tatiana)
"Understand!!"(Oneesan mage)
"It's game time people. Let's move out!!"(Tatiana)
The party of five greedy adventures proceeds through the dark and damp tunnels. They are lead by Emma as she follows the tracks of the Fox Clan girls. An hour of walking later, they come to the fork in the tunnel where it branches three ways. The famous four tunnels intersection, Emma examines the area before pointing to one tunnel.
"They went into that tunnel for sure. The tracks lead into that tunnel without them backtracking."(Emma)
"Alright, then let's carry on. Maintain your vigilance, everyone. "(Tatiana)
Emma leads them following the tracks in the tunnel for some more time until something unexpected happened.
"Um, Boss, that's the end of the tracks. They end right there."(Emma confused)
"Do you think it's a trap? Or a trick?"(Tatiana)
Emma pondered they questions a bit before answering.
"I'd say more likely a trap. It is hard to back step into your previous footfalls and do it in the dark. Not possible. Then, that leaves a pitfall trap, maybe?"(Emma)
Emma opened her backpack and retrieved a weighted sack. She tossed the bag, just passed the last footsteps onto the ground. When it landed, a metallic click was heard, and the floor opened up like bomb bay doors again. The sudden opening scared the front liners because the edge of the pit was big enough almost to capture them 10 feet away.
Emma tried to peer into the abyss of the pitfall trap, but couldn't see what was below. The total distance of the pit was about 20 feet. Logically, it would be too far to jump, but not for the physically enhanced women of this world.
"Boss, jump it or go down? They took the fall from the trap. It would be a more direct route to jump down the pit. Yet, I'm not so keen to jump to my death, though."(Emma the lionheart)
"I say we jump it an continue the tunnel. We can backtrack if we find nothing else on this floor. Do you mind, Emma?"(Tatiana)
"No, I got this. I'll jump with a rope around me, so worst case, you have to pull me up."(Emma)
Tatiana nodded to the quick thinking and held one end of the rope. Emma tied the other end around her, while the other members watched with expectations. Emma is the best jump and climb of the party without a doubt. She marked off the distance to run before the jump. Emma unloaded all her extra gear to lighten her load before jumping too. With everything prepared, Emma sprinted to the edge of the pit before catapulted herself across the void. Just like always with Emma, it was an almost textbook long jump. Until...
"Uhaaa!!!"(Emma mortified)
Emma, just inches from the other side, with plenty of room to spare, struck a wall. The wall was cleverly enchanted to look just like tunnels from a distance, or up close even.
It's like animals running into glass doors, not see the glass as an obstacle. Whatever it looks like, the rogue smashed headfirst into the wall hard enough to knock her unconscious. The poor rogue then plummeted into the pit. Thankfully, Tatiana held the rope taught to stop her from falling into the hole.
The rogue unknowingly experienced three woes in this trap. The first was hitting the hidden wall. The second, the rope, acted as a fulcrum swinging her limp body to crash into the other wall with great force. The last...
"Girls help me lift her!!"(Tatiana the frantic)
The other members grabbed the rope and began lifting the unconscious rogue from the pit. It wasn't even a minute after the initial tragedy when the last tragedy struck.
The girls started hearing a scraping sound, and all looked towards the noise. To their collective horror, they helplessly watch as the fake tunnel wall fell forward towards the party. All the members but Tatiana jumped back to avoid the falling wall.
The move was pointless, considering it didn't go past the hole of the pit. It fell perfectly into the place, completely plugged the hole. If they didn't see it happen, they would not know the floor was changed. Simply unbelievable, perfect execution, flawless design...
Tatiana holding the cut rope in her trembling hands and exclaimed at the top of her lungs.
"We didn't stumble into a cave... this is a goddess damned dungeon!!!"(Tatiana the regretful)