After a few rough nights of traveling north with a small army of 100 orc soldiers, Violet soon realized the harshness of the world around her. Constant weather conditions made traveling much harder than she anticipated. With a particularly nasty storm on the way, Violet made the decision to head to some more familiar territory. Her scouts had identified some caverns in the mountains nearby where they could wait out the storm. Violet was determined to make this venture a massive success. She wanted to prove to Jack that she was worthy of more Crusades in the future with larger numbers at her command. She lagged behind to make sure all of her men were able to make it up the jagged twist and turns. The path that snaked up the mountain was extremely narrow with steep drops. It wasn't long before the storm front reached them, shrouding them and the path in eerie darkness.
"Hurry! As quick as you can, men!" Violet yelled at the top of her lungs. Her usual loud and booming voice seemed to be drowning in sound of the heavy rainfall.
As the orc warriors ushered into the entrances, they were met with quite the spectacle inside. The inside of the cave was filled with thick luminescent plant life from floor to ceiling and, she assumed, wall to wall. Shiny pillars glisten from the glow near the entrance. Once everyone had made it inside the cave, Violet took a head count as her men took in the strange sight.
"Attention! You men know your groups, get into formation. We're going to scout this cave but be on guard! Do not travel too far, we don't know what secrets this cave still holds."
As her men began arranged themselves, Violet stood at the edge of the cavern near the glistening pillars. The pillars seemed to mark a sort of threshold for the cave. The noise of the men clashing into place in all their armor in such a tight place seemed hardly abnormal with the raging thunder and lightening outside the cave's mouth. Violet's forehead wrinkled, something about the neon rainforest hiding deep inside this dark cave just wasn't sitting right. The storm raged and she griped her weapon tighter.
"Be careful men this place makes me uneasy!" She yelled.
Violet took a quick scan of the room, her men had already began to explore the cave but she noticed less and less of them walking around. Their disappearance caused her to panic and she dashed into the shadows of the vegetation to find them. Running further into the cave, she noticed she was now under massive mushrooms. The mushrooms began to shake around causing their spores to rain on them and other orcs in the area. One by one, she watched as they began to drop to their knees and pass out.
"Men! Don't breathe in the spores!" Violet called out in a trembling scream.
But by this time it was too late, most had already inhaled far too many spores to remain conscious. Violet quickly ripped a piece of fabric from the skirt she wore under her armor and tied it like a handkerchief around her nose and mouth. With surprising speed and agility, Violet began grabbing as many orc warriors as she could and raced them to the cave entrance. Careful to keep a head count, she kept track of the number of orcs in each pile before racing back into the spore ridden area where she saw the orcs had gone. She had left a group of four orcs awake at the entrance and another four that were unconscious. She went back to the entrance herself and told the orcs at the entrance to stay on guard; she was going to travel deeper and find her army until everyone was counted for. The orcs said they'd be there to help as soon as the others woke up.
Violet then dashed straight through the mushrooms running as fast as she could. Before she had a chance to react, she ran into an abrupt cliff. Unable to stop, she fell down the steep drop and landed in a deep marshland. Though covered in mud, she felt there was a glimmer of hope. She saw the flickering of light towards the back of the cave.
She stealthily marched toward the light she saw. After a little bit of navigating through the dark marshland, Violet began to notice footprints that looked like webbed lizard feet.
"Trogs!" she gasped, clutching her hands over her mouth.
(Trogs are amphibious lizard-like creatures that hangout in wet-damp areas.)
"Knowing Trogs, they probably thrive in an area like this." She thought to herself. When she reached the edge of the marshland, she peaked over a wall of shrubs and saw something she didn't expect at all: a massive city of Trogs. Trogs were usually found to be relatively solitary, found as only a few in an area, but there were hundreds here.
As she was beginning to think up a plan, they suddenly dropped in on her armed with tridents.
"When did you guys get here?" Violet shockingly asked.
"We were watching you the entire time, my dear." one of the Trogs hissed back.
They shackled her up and began walking her through the village. "I can break right through these barbaric shackles when the time's right." Violet thought. They brought her to a giant room with all the other orc warriors. The rooms were also covered in strange mushrooms glowing in the dark damp depths.
"Greetings, unwelcomed guest." A massive Trog appeared in front of them.
"This is our depths, why are you here?" The massive Trog said.
"We were seeking shelter from the storm for the night, are you the leader of the Trogs here?" Violet asked.
"You'll find out." the Trog said, walking away laughing.
Violet looked around and noticed most of her warriors were awake. She waited a little longer and then burst out of the shackles that were binding her hands together. Once free, she hurried to free her men. After everyone was unbound, she rammed the gate locking them in and they marched out. When they escaped the building jailing them, they were greeted by the largest Trog gathering anyone had ever seen.
"We were waiting for you!" The massive Trog said.
"Good." Violet sneered.
She began running straight at the giant Trog, sending the smaller ones flying as she darted through the mass of them before them. The orcs charged right after Violet outnumber three to one in an unsuitable environment. The cavern rang with the clanging of metal and shouting. In the ensuing fight, Violet lost sight of the massive Trog. In the chaos, as she threw several of the lizards to the side, she began to get very dizzy. Violet noticed more of them holding those mushrooms that were in the room.
"Hahaha!! It's beginning to take effect" the big Trog said flying toward them punching Violet to the floor. Violet didn't take much damage but wasn't able to fight back.
The mushrooms weren't very strong but continued exposure will leave you rendered useless. As the orcs were far better at combat but outnumbered, they were slowly being forced back without Violet helping. The massive Trog continued kicking Violet while she was down; the other trogs not in combat were holding the mushrooms at Violet. After a bit of this, the Trog king decided it was time to end it. He grabbed his trident,
"Sorry dear, there was never a chance for you to leave here."
Then he thrust his trident downward with all his might. I'm the same instance he spoke, the orcs from the entrance flew in, slashing through the trogs holding the mushrooms. In only took a moment for Violet to gain her equilibrium back. Her hand shot up and halted the trident hurling toward her neck.
"I'm sorry, but every last one of us is getting out of here!" Violet said. Though a creature of magic, Violet was primarily a fighter, but she used the one spell she mastered to pull a massive ax from the void. "I shall show you the true strength of a Minotaur lady!" She yelled as she launched herself straight toward him. She swung the ax with her full strength behind her blow, he tried to parry with his trident but the ax went through it like butter slashing his side in the process. The other orcs rallied after witnessing that the tides were turning. Before Violet could deliver the final blow, the Trog began to beg for his life:
"Please spare me and my people!" He said as he dropped to his knees clutching his wound.
"Why should I even consider that?" Violet asked staing down at him.
"We never wanted violence we were forced to!" The Trog said.
"Forced by who?" Slamming the ax down Violet said.
"The humans have a port city north a day's travel from here, they take our people for slaves and work them to death just to steal more of us." He said.
"Tell your men to stand down and give me a moment." Violet said.
"You heard her boys!" The Trog said.
The noise of side combat ceased. The air became still and all that could be heard was the labored breathing from the orcs and trogs.
"Gar, can you hear me?" She tried reaching out using some of the dark gemstone.
"Yes, yes, yes, what is it?" Gar replied.
"A group of Trogs are in danger. Do you have any of the collars until Sir Jack returns?" Violet asked.
"Of course, you imbecile, we have plenty. There are even some inside your spatial void." Gar replied.
Opening her eyes as she stood back up, another portal opened up beside her. She reached in and pulled out a collar.
"Put this on and we'll save you from disgusting humans and take you in as kin." Violet said.
"What is that?" The Trog king asked.
"It's a collar that'll make sure you don't betray us. If you do, it'll cost your life." She said sternly.
"You expect me to trade being slaves of humans for slavery to a bunch of monsters?" He shouted back.
"Prove you are worth keeping around and it won't be as a slave. Take your chances and live, or decline my nice offer and die here." Violet replied calmly.
"Arghhh! I suppose you're right…" he said, reaching for the collar.
He put it on. He quickly realized he was regaining his strength, becoming more powerful than before just by wearing it. He looked down and watched in amazement as his wounds began to heal up at as extraordinary rate.
"Just who made this?" He asked in wonder.
"You'll meet our lord soon enough. Now where are these nasty human problems we have?" Violet asked.
"Another day's travel north from here. There's a small port town on a big river." The Trog king said.
"Well, let's come up with a plan and get your men that are still alive back." Violet said.
The trog king stood to his feet and nodded.