The three of them stopped at the mouth of the dark cave, breathing heavily. They had seen someone enter before them — a tall figure clad in worn plate armor, without a crest, without a symbol, without identification. Only the metallic sound of footsteps disappearing into the cave's darkness.
No one said anything, but they all understood. If that knight found something first, it would be his. There was no honor here, only the fool's rule: first to arrive, first to kill — and to die, if need be.
The swordsman was the first to move, forcing a step forward, as if haste could make him brave. The archer followed close behind, eyes constantly sweeping the shadows. Lindsey hesitated, but forced herself to follow, feeling fear cling to the back of her neck.
The cave entrance was wide, tall, but held no majesty. The stone looked sweaty, with viscous droplets running down the walls. A sour smell of mud mixed with rusted iron — and something else. Something organic.
Lindsey shivered and murmured,"Something's wrong here..."
"What? Did the cave give you a dirty look?" the swordsman joked with a half-smile. His hand was already resting on the hilt of his sword — not out of readiness, but from nervousness disguised as confidence.
"Silence," the archer hissed through her teeth, eyes fixed ahead into the darkness. There was something in the tension of her shoulders that even made the swordsman shut up.
Then, they all heard it.
A muffled, distant sound — like a stone being dragged... or thrown. The walls trembled slightly, and the small rocks at their feet quivered from the impact.
"Charming place..." the swordsman muttered, now with a crooked smile and sharper eyes. He pulled the sword from his back and shifted it to his hip. The steel scraped against the leather.
Lindsey hugged her own arms."I-I don't know if... if this is a good idea..." she murmured, trying to sound braver than she felt, but even she didn't believe her tone.
The archer shot a quick glance at the mage — not with contempt, but calculation. She was measuring whether the girl would be dead weight. She didn't reply. Not yet.
"My gods, so much hesitation..."The swordsman muttered, his voice lower now, almost mechanical."If this kind of mission were safe, it wouldn't pay more than two coins."
Then came another sound.
Different.
A low, muffled breath, as if the cave itself exhaled. Followed by a wet snap — something broke... or was crushed.
The archer froze. Her eyes darted briefly to the exit, then back to the tunnel, a thin line of sweat running down her temple.
"That wasn't stone."
She wondered if it was even worth trying to finish this mission.
Lindsey turned pale. Her throat locked up."Is... is someone in there?" she asked, as if needing someone to say no.
The swordsman replied without turning his head:"It's a cave. There's always something in a cave."
Silence.
Then, a low, monstrous, guttural growl — muffled, as if coming from the bowels of the earth. It was followed by metal scraping against stone... and then a grotesque noise, like flesh twisting inside armor.
"Well..." the swordsman forced a smile no one believed. "Now it really feels like an adventure."