The sound of hisses and yapping filled the sky, vultures land nearby the building waiting for their dead prey as nature intended them to do. Juan bit his lips, running in absolute terror. He reached the middle of the establishment for everyone to hear him. Phlegm spouts out of his mouth as he lets out an ear-piercing screech.
"Norberto is gone!"
Isiah, from downstairs, galloped his way back to the second floor. He pulled out his wheellock pistol just in case there were any possible threats nearby. Santos flicked the burning stick of tobacco out of her mouth, with speed and precision she picked up her stuff and suited up in the least amount of time possible. Bagani, on the other hand, was alarmed and opened his eyes from his slumber. He knew his body was almost prepared for another deed. As his feet touched the ground, he only felt a small tingle of pain throughout his legs.
"What an idiot," Santos grumbled, she slid down the stairs, holding her trusted dagger with her along the way.
Isiah and Santos met up in the hallway with Juan.
"What happened?!" Isiah looked at Juan with narrow eyes, his hands slightly shake as he tries to keep himself from completely freaking out.
Juan hunched down in fear. He cried as his mental state fell apart. He looked at the two with his now crimson red eyes. "Help me..."
"Get him to the infirmary!" Santos shouted. Alegre slammed the door open and hurried towards the injured guy. He took him to a bed and began to do his professional procedures unto him. Meanwhile, the two argued over the next step of the plan.
"Norberto is gone, Juan is injured. We need to use the other guy, half of our team is gone we need to take action." Isiah stated.
Santos with a twisted mouth narrowed her eyes in disbelief. "Are you kidding me?!" She shouted. "We don't have time to waste and you're laying the life of Norberto to the hands of a stranger who in the first place wants to leave this facility even if it means hurting us."
"I thought you and your family didn't like Norberto." Isiah dissed.
Santos bit her lips. Enraged, she dropped her trusty dagger and slapped Isiah full force. The sound of the slap echoed throughout the entire building. "Don't you ever put my family in one of your stupid arguments. I knew you were a prick but I never knew you would aim this low Isiah. You're disgraceful."
A young man with patches of blue on his skin slowly steps downstairs. "I'll join," Bagani announced. He put on his leather straps and the belt that sheathes his two swords. "What's the plan?"
Santos glared at the Asulhero with a disappointed look. "I thought you didn't want to come. Weren't that selfish heart of ready to kill us if we didn't let you leave?"
"First of all, I was going to hurt you, not kill. I have boundaries when it comes to my time and choices as well." Bagani assured the two as he stretches his body to get ready for their venture.
"I'm coming as well." Juan stepped down the stairs.
"Hey! Easy there, you're still injured. Go back." Isiah worried for his comrade ordered him to stay.
Juan shook his head. "I'm not injured. My vision might be blood red and cursed but other than that my whole body is fine. Plus you'll need my expertise in deduction if you want to take down that thing."
"Thing?" Santos asked. "Is it like a Disyerto Hali or an Aswang?"
"No..." Juan's body shook. "Don't even compare it to anything."
After a short argument, the group finally decided that all four of them should go. They went into the middle of the chilling desert. The base was out of their sight and only haybales were the non-human things to move. A small compartment was the destination reached. Isiah opened the door only to see that it contained stairs to enter the underground. With a prepared torch in his bag, Juan light it up with fire for them to see inside the pitch-black tomb. Walls covered with webs, a floor that could crumble and fall at any moment, and three paths.
"We should split up," Santos suggested. "The more paths we explore the more chances we will find the right one."
Isiah tilted his head. "If we split up then we will be picked out by the enemy easier. I say we stick together."
"How about in groups of two?" Juan suggested.
"And who's going with whom?" Santos queried.
"I'm going with Isiah. You and erm... What's your name?" Juan suddenly remembered that the Asulhero never actually introduced himself.
"Bagani." The Asulhero stated.
"Woah! Warrior huh." Isiah praised.
"A dagger user along with a dual sword wielder is going to be an interesting combo," Juan added. "We're taking the third path. You two decide which one to pick."
As the two strayed away, Juan took out another torch and gave it to the two. Bagani looked at Santos. "I think we should go-" He tried to suggest a path but was quickly cut off mid-sentence.
"We're taking the first one. Got a problem with that?!" Santos glared at the Asulhero with disgust. She then started walking with her minimal patience.
"Sheesh, what a hot head..." Bagani muttered.
"You said something punk?!" Santos threatened Bagani.
"Oooh no, nothing at all. I'm so scared." Bagani sarcastically replied.
The two walked the dark hall. Santos leaded in front holding the burning torch while Bagani was behind watching for further threats. A sound of clanking metal ticked. Santos grabbed the Asulhero by the shoulder and threw him forward. A barrage of arrows fired from each direction of where Bagani was from. As he fell to the ground the clouds of sand puffed through his eyes and blinded him for a short while. Bagani rubbed his eyes to see again. A sense of panic surge through him as he remembered that Santos was still in the firing spot.
"Hey!" He screamed with his eyes red and dripping with tears. "What?..."
To his surprise, Santos was in front of him, blowing the dust from her shoulder. Once again she looked at the Asulhero with absolute disgust. "If you can't even sense basic traps like that then maybe you shouldn't have come." She uttered. "It's funny how you threaten to hurt us with you being like that."
Meanwhile, the leader and the brains of the squad wandered the right-wing of the tomb.
"What do you think of Bagani?" Juan asked his Isiah.
"I already told you didn't I? He's extremely dangerous when at his full potential. He's just... Special." Isiah expressed his thoughts.
"Anything else you notice?" Juan once again questioned.
"What do you mean?"
The dungeon suddenly shook as an enemy appears in front of the two. Isiah calmly pulled out his Wheelock pistol and prepared. He sighed. "Let's call this one down and many more to go in advance."
Bagani strolled further into the cellars of the dark tomb with Santos. The air became moist as they entered a new hall. The ceiling was now filled with dripping liquid that oozed such a foul odor. Cauldrons of bats flew from place to place, avoiding the torch Santos was carrying as much as possible.
"How can there be gold in a place like this?" Santos whimpered.
Bagani raised an eyebrow as he overheard what she was saying. "You risked your lives to save me and put your other members' life in danger just to get some gold?! You look at me like I'm a pig but just look at yourselves!"
Santos's eyes widened. She gritted her teeth and was prepared to fight the Asulhero one on one. The sound of cracking wood echoed in the wind. The soil from the walls began to decompose, even more, revealing tens of coffins around them. The wood popped open as strings of bandages exited the wooden containers.
"Well, crap."