"It seems we can't reunite with our lovely ladies without overcoming a few obstacles first," Grayson remarked, surveying the encircling serpent-men with a shrug to Morven.
"I don't mind getting my hands dirty. After all, we've already slain our fair share of serpents!" Morven tightened his grip on the hilt of his scimitar, his eyes vigilantly fixed on the serpent captain.
"I personally endorse the approach!" Barely had Grayson's words left his mouth when his sword was already in motion, the silver blade streaking towards the serpent captain like a sudden flash of lightning.
The captain let out a roar, thrusting forward with all four knives towards Grayson. The surrounding serpent-men swarmed in, and Morven's scimitar glinted brightly as he dove into the fray.
His scimitar whirled around him like a shield of rain repelling blades, striking down any serpent-man who dared approach. With a thunderous cry, his scimitar cleaved through the head of one, casting a spray of blood upon him.
Unexpectedly, a chill wind of a blade's hiss came from behind Morven. He whirled around, his scimitar meeting a serpent-man's long knife, the force of the blow sending the knife ricocheting into another serpent-man's chest.
"Sorry, brother, I'm not in the business of betraying allies!" A few steps away, Grayson, who had just parried the serpent captain's weapon, beckoned with a wave, and in the next breath, the captain was upon him, brandishing his knife in a ferocious arc towards Grayson.
With an impeccable backflip, Grayson dodged the triple knife assault, landing deftly to sever one of the captain's arms with his returning stroke. The captain howled, dropping one knife and clutching his bleeding stump as he staggered backward.
"Do you know what I make a living from?" Grayson advanced on the captain, kicking a dropped long knife towards another serpent-man as he passed. The knife sailed true, impaling the unsuspecting warrior.
"One could say, I thrive on exterminating man-eating monsters like yourselves," Grayson said nonchalantly, approaching the captain with a devil-may-care grin. "The other, well, let's say I'm rather persuasive with words."
Enraged, the serpent captain looked up into Grayson's taunting gaze, releasing his wounded arm to rush forward with a bellow. Grayson sidestepped the slashing knife and with a powerful elbow, sent the captain crashing back into the cavern.
"Grayson!" Morven bellowed, cutting down the serpent-men around him and turning his gaze towards the cavern entrance.
Darkness swallowed the cave's mouth, roars and snarls intermingling within. "Has he gotten himself into trouble?" Morven pondered, without the luxury of time to check on Grayson, as he turned to fend off the attack of several more serpent soldiers.
When Morven next looked, a figure emerged from the cavern, the sunlight illuminating Grayson's blood-streaked face and the cold killing intent in his eyes that sent a shiver down Morven's spine.
"Grayson?" Morven called out, as Grayson looked at him and tossed his silver sword in his direction.
Morven dodged, and the sword skewered a lurking serpent-man, who fell with a look of disbelief fixed upon Grayson.
"I warned Katheren that one must remain vigilant after battle. I thought only rookies needed such reminders, not seasoned rangers like you!"
Grayson's cold expression thawed into a sardonic smile as he stepped over to Morven, patted his shoulder, and pulled the silver sword from the serpent-man's chest.
"Let's go, our rescue mission isn't over yet," Grayson said, flicking the blood from his blade and striding further into the cavern, with Morven following, his mind racing, yet hand steady on his scimitar.
Passing the serpent captain's mangled body, illuminated by the dim light of the cave entrance, Morven noted the captain was almost unrecognizable, as if minced by a relentless blade. He glanced back uneasily at Grayson, who appeared untouched by the carnage, and continued forward.
Navigating the labyrinthine caverns, Morven felt directionless until Grayson assured him with a smile, "Just follow the scent of serpents."
"Scent?" Morven sniffed the air, catching nothing but the damp mustiness of the cave, yet Grayson moved with unwavering certainty.
Not much further, they encountered several serpent-women.
"Told you so," Grayson grinned at Morven and charged, the serpent-women launching venomous talons in response.
Grayson cast off his deep blue cloak towards them. The garment intercepted some talons, while others pierced it, hurtling towards him. With swift strokes, Grayson deflected the poisoned projectiles back, felling the serpent-women.
"Don't hesitate with beauties; they're often vipers in disguise!"
Grayson dashed at the remaining serpent-women, decapitating one and pinning another to the wall with a swift kick followed by a thrust of his blade.
As he readied to dispatch the fourth, Morven's scimitar flashed by, impaling her.
"You're right, brother. A demon hunter must be as unyielding as stone," Grayson said while he finished off the last serpent-woman, then tossed Morven's scimitar back to him and stepped forward without a glance back.
They reached the throne room, where the serpent queen and her attendants stood, the queen's eyes narrowing with recognition.
"If I'm not mistaken, you're the chieftain of this serpent tribe!" Grayson stated coolly, facing the queen with a smile, Morven by his side.
"And you must be the one who killed my daughter!" The queen stood, her eyes dark with hatred.
"The demon hunter Grayson pays his respects to the serpent-kin!" Grayson saluted mockingly, and the queen's expression darkened further.
"Do you think you're the 'Lone Wolf'?" Her voice held a mix of shock and revulsion.
Grayson chuckled, "Word of my infamy has reached even serpent ears. Now tell me, where have you hidden the maidens?"
"First, you will pay for my daughter's life!" The queen spat the words with venom.
"Your daughter?" A flash of recollection crossed Grayson's face, followed by a mocking smile. "Ah, the beauty I dispatched by the springside? You demand recompense?"
Touching his sword's blade, Grayson pointed it at the queen, a provocative smile curling his lips. "Then you'll have to negotiate with my sword. If it agrees, I might just acquiesce to your request."
"You court death!" The queen rose from her throne, seething. "Kill them!" she commanded, and the room filled with the hiss of serpents ready to strike.