Chapter 24 - Twenty-Three

I went down for, what, thirty minutes, one hour, two hours…? It was difficult to tell down in a totally dark tunnel that kept going and going nonstop without anything changing.

When I reached the end my legs hurt but still I felt relieved, almost kissing the floor; but I wasn't that dramatic yet. I had caught the elves smell long ago, not been too hard in a close in place like this, even more a group of them.

Apparently they were down there for three days already, as it was normal to stay for two to three days in for the young ones, but someone who was responsible to meet them at the entrance notice the cave in and reported immediately.

The hope was that they just happen to notice the cave in yesterday, and would be close to the entrance and unharmed.

But a monster dungeon wouldn't let it go so simply.

For what I could gather it was really like the dungeon itself was a monster, with conscious and hungry for energy; which only the dead could give. He could lock people in, change the level of a floor, and so on.

I walked through a little cave entrance, with uneven stones, and it suddenly opened outwards to an enormous place, with a surprisingly high ceiling and stone bridges. The mushrooms were bigger here, illuminating even more in a blueish light, along with some plants falling from the ceiling like hair, shining too.

I look down beside the bridges only to see a never-ending pit. Wonder where it leads, and how big this dungeon is. It there any limits at all? Hm…

But it is funny, strange even, been alone here, everything was… to quiet. I've been always worried about protecting my brother that I never had time to realize how much his support meant to me.

It was a little scary, I admit, been in a strange and dangerous place alone, totally alone for the first time since I was born.

A noise caught my attention, making me perch my ears up.

"For Nature! Why they don't stop coming? Fall back kids! Stay behind me!"

With the Shadow Veil covering my footsteps I run to were the sound came from, quickly arriving at a group of elves surrounded by big bats and rats. But the problem wasn't there; but in the quantity of them, enough that the walls seemed to move, all covered up by little pairs of green mushy eyes.

Well shit.

I looked to the group once more and counted them; there were supposed to be 12 kids and 2 a.d.u.l.ts, but there were only 10 kids. The elves looked tired, even more the a.d.u.l.t ones, as one of them kept a wind shield around the kids and the other tried to open a path for them to pass.

For how long have they been keeping this up?

I jump in front of them, taking off my Shadow Veil and scaring everybody around; specially the mouse I crushed under my paws; and let a stream of fire cover all the rats and bats around, lighting the cave like little torches.

The creatures were beyond scared by the bright and hot light, and soon enough were fleeing away while I chase them back.

Once I got rid of them I had the full attention of the elves, with their weapons still up. I sigh.

"Hello there, my name is Pallaran Thilgon Minaothon, and I came to rescue you." I said in Elven Language, and told them my full name since it seems to be a big deal around here.

"Minaothon? The Minaothon?" I raise my eyebrow at that, annoyed, as he coughs and lowers his weapon. With his attention, I quickly explain the situation, distributing the supplies around.

Apparently it would be easy since he already knows here the meeting point is. I was about to escort him, however, when one of the elven girls, a shy and petite one, comes closer to me and says:

"There is one of us missing." She says, almost whispering. Missing? In not dead state?

"Where?"

"He felt through a hole on the floor, we couldn't get him out…" She looks over my shoulder and stops talking, but when I turn around none of the other elves were looking this way. I narrow my eyes at that.

"Go." I say to the girl as she quickly joins back with the group. "I will have another round around this floor, see if I didn't missed anything." Or anyone, since they didn't mention the loss of two members.

I trotted out before they could protest. Humf, what type of elf would they be if they can even find their way around hey? I'm not a babysitter.

Once out of there I tracked down their last steps, finding soon enough a body half eaten by rats. I would have pitied him if it wasn't so disgusting to see the little creatures and worms all around it, eww.

And soon I found the hole.

It looked like a well, made of stone and going deep, very deep, been the home of some flying buzzing monsters. I take another snif, still strongly feeling the smell.

"Hello? Is there anyone down there?"

I hear some shuffling, rustling, but no answer. Shit, how could they let the kid down there? I jump on the wall and pass to its shadow; one of the perks of all this darkness; and go down avoiding the gigantic wasps.

I touch the ground silently, eyeing a puddle of clothes on the corner. "Hey." I said, going closer as the puddle moves, startling me.

"My name is…" I start, but once I get close I see his is not responding, unconscious. Shit. Running up to him I try to turn him, only to almost get stabbed by his quick hands.

And there stood a little devilish angel; He was sweating, sick, but the light coming from the mushrooms above was enough to illuminate his face. He still had a childish face; probably 12 or 13 years old; with dry pink lips, long eyelashes curving up and framing his sharp glimmering golden eyes, his face was as if made of marble, white with an aloof expression, the pain apparent only a little in a slight curve of his eyebrows.

His hair was long and sunshine blond, tamed in a high ponytail, and his ears were shorter than the other elves, been slightly pointy at the end. He brought me back to the present when he tries to move the sword up, but I raise my paw saying:

"Wait, I came to help, my name is Palarran Thilgon Mìnaothon, I brought supplies and…" I explain the situation again, but after that he doesn't even react, fixing his burning gaze at me.

"You are the Hell Hound."

Well, yeah, I'm a Hell Hound, so what?

"Are you hurt?"

He stares at me a little more until he lowers his sword, still lying down on the floor, and look at his leg. I take of some herbs, as he starts fixing his legs, which now I can see were dripping blood, full of scratches from the stone wall.

It must have hurt, and yet, he didn't said anything, nor did his expression change, as if he wasn't affected by this mundane things.

I look up, thinking of how I'm going to get him out of there, as I ask: "What is your name?"

He was bandaging his leg, not even looking up at me, but when I thought he wouldn't answer he says.

"Calien or Leonel."

"How so?"

"Elf and human names."

I look back at his ears as he gives me a side gaze, finishing with his leg.

"Hungry?" I ask, already passing him some food. He only takes the bread and nibbles at it, straighten his back and looking as elegant as he can with a wounded leg and muddy from the dirt around the floor.

" So…kid." I earn a twitch from his eyebrow, which very quickly fades to his aloof expression, making me want to test his limits. "We ar-"

As I was about to provoke him further the walls start to shake and dust falls all around us, making me want to sneeze, but at I look up I'm only quick enough to see the hole; the hole we came in, our exit; close in like a gigantic mouth.

…

What.

The.

Hell!

I was petrified for a few moments, unable to do or say anything. There was a stone wall now were the hole was, and out of stubbornness I start to throw Fire Balls at it, even though I knew to be useless.

"Shit, SHIT! God damnit!"

When I tired myself I tried to calm down and think, taking deep breaths. Ok. We are closed inside the dungeons, in one of the many floors around, without knowing where we are, how to get out, and for how long we will stay here.

That's all? Oh no, there is the food, supplies, enemies, mapping… sigh. Rubbing my paw against my forehead I just react once Leonel standup, not showing any discomfort on standing, which to me was obviously fake.

What made him hold his reactions so much as to almost nullify them?

"Come, I'll help you." I said, staying beside him for support.

"No need."

Sigh "Listen up kid, is seems that we are in deep shit right now, I don't know how long we will be locked in here, and we don't know the dangers of this place, so I don't need a stupid stubborn kid who doesn't know his limits and is bound to force yourselves in a situation where you wouldn't be able to react because you are too tired for it right now. Plus, I'm quicker, and you need to heal as fast as you can." So swallow your pride now and just do as I said will ya?

He stares at me for a while and, without saying anything, hops on my back as I feel his muscles get tense when his legs touch my sides. I stand straight, waiting for him to adjust his weight on my back, feeling his warm body close to mine as his tiny hands hold firmly onto the fur around my neck.

"Ok kid, let's stick together and not lose hope, kay? We need a safe place for you to recover, information, awareness of any enemies, and…"

I went talking, felling the need to fill the empty silence with something, my eyes covering the stone walls all around. This place was very similar to the one above, the entrance-way, but instead of

opening on the sideways it had holes upwards; which mostly just went a little up before closing in, having many crystal like things shining and illuminating the place.

Leonel lay down quietly on my back, embracing me more strongly. I try to ignore, since talking about it would probably wound his pride, but he sticking like this to me reminded me of a little baby panda hugging his mother.

That brought a smirk to my face.

Really, the dumbness of my brother must be contagious, for me to be smiling in a situation like this.

He will get worried, when I don't show up with the others. But he will have faith in me, I believe that he will believe in me.

So giving up or hesitating is not an option.

"Don't worry kid, I may not be able to promise you that we will get out of this alive, but I'll promise that I'll give my damn best for it to happen."

He tenses again, but with a firm grip he says: "Uhm."

~~~~

Author: Wayyy! Congrats! You appeared!!

ML:… as a kid.

乁( ⁰͡ Ĺ̯ ⁰͡ ) ㄏ