The forest fell silent, save for the occasional rustle of leaves. Emperal crouched low, his crimson and silver eyes fixed on the guards as Grimblaze crept into position. The pygmy Hippol's stubby legs moved with exaggerated caution, his nose twitching furiously.
Grimblaze muttered to himself, "Risk my glorious hide, he says... snacks better be worth this..." Then, in a flash of inspiration—or madness—he dove into the bushes, emerging moments later with a stick precariously balanced on his snout.
With a dramatic snort, he flung the stick straight into one guard's face.
"WHAT THE—?!" the man yelled, clutching his nose as the stick clattered to the ground.
"Who's there?!" barked another guard, weapons raised.
Grimblaze didn't respond with silence or subtlety. Instead, he blew a loud raspberry, wiggling his stubby tail as he darted out into the open.
"That's it—a fat yellow rat?" one guard sneered.
Grimblaze bristled. "Rat?! This is a majestic Hippol, you ignorant buffoon!" he shouted, hurling a nearby rock that struck the guard's shin with uncanny precision.
"Catch it!" yelled the leader, the group charging after the feisty Hippol.
In the chaos, Emperal smirked, slipping into the shadows undetected. "Perfect," he murmured, as the guards unwittingly followed Grimblaze's absurd trail deeper into the forest.
As the guards' angry shouts faded into the distance, Grimblaze's voice rang out triumphantly. "You'll never catch me, you lumbering fools! This daddy is too fast for—AH, A BEE!" His yelp echoed comically, as bee entered his nose, followed by frantic stomping sounds as he fled deeper into the forest.
Emperal, watching from the shadows, stifled a chuckle. "That little rascal might be insufferable, but he's effective."
With the path now clear, he moved swiftly toward the carts, his movements precise and silent. The unconscious elves in the last cart lay slumped together like discarded dolls. Their shallow breaths and pale complexions stirred a pang of unease in him—not out of concern, but because of the mystery they represented.
"Best place to blend in…" he muttered, then activated Solustasis, covering his body in a faint, shimmering aura that blurred his presence. He had thought of this ability the night he defeated the budding-stage beast, He covered his body just in case.
Pulling himself into the cart, the bodies shifted slightly as he settled among them, his slender elven form camouflaged by their stillness and the concealing effects of Solustasis. Moments later, the crunch of boots against dirt signaled the guards' return.
"Lost it," one growled, panting.
"It's just a dumb animal," another spat. "Let's get moving before the boss finds out we're behind schedule."
From his hiding spot, Emperal's lips curved into a faint smirk. Perfect. Now he just needed to wait and see where this trail of secrets would lead.
…
As the caravan approached the mouth of the cave, an eerie stillness settled over the group. The faint sound of wind rustling through the trees vanished, replaced by a suffocating silence. Suddenly, a wave of something unseen rippled through the air, washing over them like a cold, intangible tide.
Emperal stiffened, his senses sharpening. The wave wasn't physical—it felt like an inspection, probing and analyzing everything in its path. He felt the energy press against the unconscious elves, linger over the guards, and even brush against the cart.
But when it reached him, hidden among the bodies, it paused for only the briefest moment before passing on, as if he didn't exist at all.
"Some sort of boundary check?" Emperal mused inwardly, his mind racing. Whatever it was, his Solustasis seemed to have cloaked him completely from detection. He allowed himself a sliver of satisfaction but remained vigilant.
The guards didn't react, moving forward with practiced ease, their boots echoing against the stone as they entered the dark cave. The air grew heavier, filled with an earthy dampness and faint traces of an unfamiliar metallic scent.
Emperal remained still, watching and waiting. As the guards busied themselves with securing the carts deeper inside, he slipped out silently, his movements fluid and calculated.
The cave's walls glistened faintly with veins of a glowing mineral, casting an eerie light that barely illuminated the space. Further inside, the sounds of murmured voices and faint chanting hinted at something more sinister.
But Emperal wasn't interested in the main chamber just yet. Instead, he moved in the opposite direction, deeper into the shadows. To explore the cracks and corners of this place, he thought. If the guards were bringing something in, there had to be more to this cave than what was immediately visible.
…
At the far end of the cave, the guards unceremoniously dumped the unconscious bodies into a confined space and departed, their footsteps fading into the hollow silence. As soon as they left, an unnatural force took hold of the bodies. They were dragged with eerie precision toward the center of the cavern, their lifeless forms sliding across the cold stone floor like marionettes on invisible strings. The sight was grotesque—spine-chilling in its quiet efficiency.
The heart of the cavern opened into a massive underground chasm, an unfathomable void plunging an estimated 500 kilometers deep. The walls of this abyss were veined with sickly bioluminescent roots, their faint glow illuminating a nightmarish scene below. The ground was a field of decay, littered with countless corpses in various states of decomposition. The air hung heavy with the stench of death, so thick it clawed at the throat and churned the stomach.
At the very center of the pit lay an enormous egg, Snow white as if untouched by the filth below and was pulsating with a sinister vitality. Its surface was encased in fleshy, vein-like structures, which pulsed rhythmically, as though the egg itself was alive and feeding. Each pulse seemed to draw energy from the roots that extended outwards like a grotesque network, anchoring the abomination to the cavern's floor.
Above it all, perched on an elevated platform carved into the rockface, stood the blindfolded woman. Her silver hair glowed faintly under the dim, sickly light of the cavern, her expression devoid of emotion as she surveyed the ghastly spectacle beneath her.
Without hesitation, she began to chant in a low, guttural voice. "Atavasibha Atrabh Neraya…" The forbidden words echoed across the chamber, their unearthly cadence grating against the ears like shards of glass. The language was unnatural—otherworldly, carrying a weight that made the air itself tremble.
The egg responded immediately. Its dull glow brightened, illuminating the surrounding corpses in flickering, nauseating flashes. The veins surrounding it began to ripple, pumping an unknown substance through their pathways, as if the egg were being fed by the life force lingering in the abyss.
From his hidden vantage point, Emperal watched the scene unfold, his sharp eyes narrowing as he took in every detail. His usual composure was marred by a grave expression. "That egg," he muttered to himself, his voice barely audible even to his own ears. "That's anything but good."
The ominous spectacle pulled at his instincts, a primal warning screaming for him to leave. Yet he couldn't tear his gaze away from the woman or the grotesque ritual she performed.
She stood above it all, commanding the dark energy with an almost casual indifference, her every movement precise, calculated. Her presence radiated an unapproachable aura, but it wasn't just her power that caught Emperal's attention. He found his thoughts drifting, unbidden.
"And that woman…" he muttered, a faint chuckle escaping him despite the oppressive tension. "Why is she so hot?" Especially her thighs… The thought was absurd, but it sliced through the grim atmosphere like a blade, a bitter reprieve from the scene unfolding before him.
Still, his mind didn't linger on his joke for long. His crimson eyes flicked back to the egg, studying its intricate structure, the unnatural veins wrapping it in a deadly cocoon. A strange sense of familiarity crept over him, gnawing at the edges of his mind.
"That egg… Why does it feel familiar?" he wondered aloud, his voice a low whisper as his gaze shifted between the egg and the woman. He shook his head, forcing the thought away. Whatever connection he might have had with this monstrosity was a question for later. Now, survival was paramount.
Taking a deep breath, Emperal began to inch backward, his movements slow and deliberate. He had seen enough. The ritual was far beyond anything he wanted to be entangled in. But just as he turned to leave, a sudden shift in the cavern stopped him in his tracks.
The air itself seemed to change, growing heavier, more oppressive. A sound—low and guttural, like the rumble of distant thunder—emanated from the depths of the egg. Emperal froze, his instincts screaming danger as he turned back toward the abyss.
The woman's eyes began to glow, a sinister light piercing through the darkness. Blood seeped from beneath her blindfold, staining the fabric in deep crimson. But before anything further could unfold, a ring etched with intricate patterns flared to life before her, radiating an ominous energy. Chains erupted from the ring, lashing out to bind the pulsating veins of the egg.
After a few tense moments, the violent tremors ceased, leaving the cavern in an eerie stillness.