"Oh crap-" Zola tried to step forward but was instantly stopped by Saul’s arm.
"Are you really trying to go check up on this guy?! It’s clearly suspicious" he stared at the fallen and unmoving figure, trying to catch sight of any suspicious movement or waiting for a noise to come from the figure.
However, they were as silent as one could possibly hope to be and garbed in an ample cloak, they looked nothing more than a dark bump on the ground, he couldn’t discern any sort of shapes.
The figure was soaking wet, a puddle of water forming where it had fallen, taking a few more steps forward to allow the diamond-shaped light to reveal the full extent of the dark shape.
"Ouch..." both of the brothers emitted the same noise as it came into view that the shrouded figure had an old, rusty blade stuck in its back.
Saul would have liked to point out a lack of blood, but the dark mantle could very well have been absorbing most of the bleeding.
"I certainly hope it isn’t actually some guy bleeding out to death whilst we are just watching" Zola voiced out his concern but Saul wasn’t buying into any of it.
"We checked every nook and cranny of this place, this guy is soaked, meaning that he came from the flooded area, the water was nearly freezing cold and he somehow didn’t make a single noise whilst making his way here with a sword stabbed straight through his back? I don’t believe a word of it, let’s just get out of here-" Saul was adamant on taking the least risk possible.
Zola on the other hand, felt like there was something to do.
"Right, by all means, it appears that this is actually the famed monster that throws rocks and random crap, so, let’s kill it" Zola thought back on some things he had heard about the monster.
What truly stood out was its shrewdness and lack of mindless aggressivity, a sign that it was a cut above the regular monster’s the two were used to kill, but that did not mean that it was out of their leagues, the simple facts that it kept its distances and employed such tactics should be proof enough that it wasn’t one possessing incredible physical might or magical powers, it did seem to have access to some terrible substances, but all signs of it had ended up disappearing.
The brothers simply exchanged a glance and Saul spoke.
"Nah, this is just too odd" Zola sighed and yielded, they began walking away.
They were nearing the exit, just a few more steps before they were basked in light.
Zola only had his longsword, Saul pushed his brother to safety and raised his shield, bracing himself for whatever was coming.
The footsteps neared close before stopping, using its momentum, the monster had jumped up and used its whole weight to dropkick Saul, his shield blocked the brunt of the unexpected attack, which he had no way of knowing was actually dropkick but his arm behind the shield still ached.
Groaning in pain, he was thrown in the light as well.
He expected an inhumane horror to come rushing out of the darkness, to pin him to the ground and drive something straight into his throat.
He only heard the sound of retreating footsteps and a loud, clacking noise, like a bear trap biting shut on nothing.
"Ah... What the hell was that?" he spoke aloud with a smile on his face, his heart had really begun racing back there.
But both of them were fine in the end, Saul felt like something was off with his shield-holding arm, Zola was starting to believe he had received one too many bricks to the head.
They would both undoubtedly still need some time to recuperate from all of this, but they were alive and well, it was all that mattered.
"Urgh... I am never going to another dungeon ever again" Zola spoke as they both stepped outside, breathing the fresh air of the night.
"You said it" the two stumbled away under the moonlight, unaware that they were being watched.
Loimos had concluded that the people coming to the dungeon weren’t adequate targets for the current him.
He was going to aim lower.