They entered the great hall, its crumbled grandeur bathed in tranquil light from cracked holes in the ceiling. Dust heavens—small grey birds—perched on abandoned stone ledges, their chirps echoing faintly. The floor, littered with rubble and broken weaponry, crunched underfoot as they took in the vast space, footsteps reverberating in the eerie silence. Drab brown and grey stone, dulled as if rusted, loomed around them. To the left, jagged rocks blocked stairs to a balcony overlooking the hall, a room with large windows behind it. To the right, pillars led to a ruined barracks, once a training ground, strewn with wooden swords and shattered equipment. Corridors to the left and front tunneled deeper into the stronghold, past ripped Aetherion banners and hollow skulls.
"It's even larger inside," Tengune said, awed, his voice echoing as he brushed dust from a fallen banner.
"So much lost to time," Hayzel murmured, shivering as a breeze slithered through the cracks. "Stay sharp—it's eerily quiet."
"I'd thought we'd face resistance at the entrance," Tengune growled. "Maybe their vanguard fell in the courtyard."
"Unlikely," Omaar said, grinning. "They've got something waiting deeper in."
"Then stay vigilant," Hayzel warned, scanning the shadowed corridors for traps. "There could be ambushes."
"While we're here, let's explore," Omaar suggested, pulling a thick sack from his pouch. "There's loot to be had—I can smell it."
"You're a vile snake," Hayzel sighed, but nodded. "Fine."
The three sifted through the relics of a lost war hall, scavenging amidst debris. The barracks yielded only wooden gear, but Omaar pocketed a handful of tarnished medals. They climbed over the rubble-blocked stairs, reaching a dusty office where worn, illegible documents littered the floor. An Aetherion military cap rested on the desk, untouched for ages. Omaar picked it up, inspecting it closely, while Hayzel and Tengune rummaged through drawers, piling their finds.
Tengune lifted a worn book, its pages faded but readable, though some words differed from the Malevian elven he knew. "What's that?" Hayzel asked, closing an empty drawer.
"A journal, maybe a general's diary," Tengune said, tracing its cracked cover. "It must've belonged to whoever ran this place."
"Keep it," Hayzel advised. "Its contents may hold value."
Tengune tucked it into his pouch, gazing around the office. He pictured the elf who once called this home, shuffling papers, commanding troops, panic seizing him as ruin loomed. Hayzel watched his somber expression, then glanced at Omaar, who flipped over the desk's chair, revealing a small locked box. He set it on the desk with a thud, fiddling with the lock, his face alight with anticipation.
"Why do you stick with that elf?" Hayzel asked, folding her arms as Tengune leaned against the window, staring at his reflection in the cracked glass. "You're capable, good-hearted. He'll only drag you down."
"Sometimes I wonder myself," Tengune sighed. "He's a puzzle, that's for sure."
"He used me as a shield, Tengune," Hayzel pressed. "He sees every life as a tool—don't think you're different."
"Omaar's not a good person," Tengune admitted. "He doesn't pretend to be. He follows his own whims, and… part of me admires that freedom."
"Admiration?" Hayzel asked, raising a brow as Omaar cursed at the stubborn lock.
"When you look at me, what do you see?" Tengune asked, meeting her gaze.
Hayzel studied his golden fur, three wolf-like heads, sharp teeth, and fur-covered humanoid frame. "A beastman," she said.
"Be honest," Tengune urged, his voice gentle. "I won't take it personally."
"A monster," Hayzel muttered, lowering her head.
"That's what most see," Tengune said, nodding. "Alone, I'd face torches and pitchforks. But with others, people hesitate. Omaar… he's never judged me for my looks. He's stuck by me, even now."
Hayzel fell silent. A clink sounded as Omaar opened the box, but his face soured. "Tch, just junk," he sneered, tossing aside a stuffed toy and a strange medal, different from the others. He picked up an odd contraption—a compact, hand-sized device of dark metal, with a short, thick barrel, curved handle, lever, and switch, its mechanical design sleek and solid.
"I can't believe it," Hayzel gasped, eyes widening. "That's a Valkyrie."
"A what?" Tengune asked, puzzled. "Like a smaller version of the statue's weapon outside?"
"A powerful Aetherion firearm," Hayzel explained. "Like a musket, but it shoots multiple bullets before reloading, using that trigger."
Omaar gripped it, coiling his hand correctly. "Like this?" he confirmed, holding it firm.
"Yes, exactly," Hayzel said, smiling, but her face paled as Omaar turned, aiming at her. "I need a target to test its aim," he said, grinning, and fired. Hayzel ducked, the Valkyrie's bang echoing, scattering dust heavens. The green bullet lodged between floor bricks, uncracked by the impact.
"Are you mad?" Hayzel roared, storming toward Omaar. "You self-absorbed blackguard! Do you ever think of consequences?"
"What consequences?" Omaar sneered. "I aimed nowhere fatal—besides, you owe me coin."
Hayzel glared at Tengune, but he shook his head, frowning. "We're done here," she growled. "Let's finish this quest so I can be rid of you, elf." She stormed out, descending the stairs.
"I'm surprising it works," Omaar said, pocketing the Valkyrie and glancing at Tengune, who stared back, disapproving. Omaar shrugged, slinging his sack of loot over his shoulder and following Hayzel. Tengune peered into the box, pocketing the medal and toy, then noticed the green bullet. He reached for it, but a sharp pain shot through his hand, forcing him to pull back. Wary, he left it and joined the others downstairs.
The trio regrouped and ventured down a candle-lit corridor, its golden glow softening the cracked yet sturdy walls. Omaar glanced up, noting faint fractures in the ceiling, his eyes narrowing briefly. The path, cleared of the great hall's dense debris, stretched onward.
"This corridor's less cluttered," Hayzel observed, scanning ahead. "They've kept it usable."
"We must be nearing their den's heart," Tengune said, the flaming torches casting long shadows over the corridor. "Stay alert."
"If you pull another stunt, elf," Hayzel warned, glaring at Omaar, "my musket'll hollow your skull."
"I'll do what suits me, dwarf," Omaar said, grinning. "Most never see the dagger coming."
"Enough," Tengune sighed, weary of their bickering. "We've got enough enemies."
Hayzel halted, kneeling to inspect a fine string stretched across the floor. "Traps," she said. "Be careful."
"Just a string," Omaar scoffed, stepping over it. His foot landed on a rigged brick, which sank under his weight. He froze, meeting Tengune and Hayzel's stares as explosions roared above. The ceiling began collapsing, debris barreling toward them from the corridor's start. They sprinted forward, outpacing the crumbling stone. Omaar lagged, his loot sack throwing him off balance.
"Drop the sack, Omaar!" Tengune barked, speeding up as the debris closed in.
"Are you mad?" Omaar hissed. "I'm not leaving empty-handed."
"Let him die with his gold," Hayzel sneered, pulling ahead.
They reached a cross-section, the crumbling finally stopping once they reached the corridor's end. Three paths lay before them, branching left, right, and center, a daunting maze. A stampede of footsteps echoed, and gnolls poured from both sides, swarming like feral hounds. The trio ran again, gnolls ahead swinging wildly to block them. Hayzel leaped onto the wall, ricocheting past two gnolls, firing her musket twice, each shot striking a head. Tengune and Omaar caught up, dodging blows. Tengune paused, weaving runes, and unleashed a fiery blast, scorching a dozen gnolls. The rest clambered over their dead, undeterred, and Tengune rejoined Hayzel.
"Where's Omaar?" Hayzel panted, wiping sweat from her brow.
"Damn rat," Tengune cursed, glancing back. "Forget him—run!"
"You can't face them alone, Tengune," Hayzel pleaded. "You'll die."
"But you'll live," Tengune said, smiling softly. He shoved her down the left path, raising a wall of flame to block the gnolls, then bolted down the center, their snarls trailing him. Hayzel scrambled up, cursing, and veered off to find him.
Meanwhile, Omaar inspected the corridor, stone dust falling from above. The cracked ceiling's trail led to a room. Inside, a nursery held gnoll children huddled in fear, their eyes locked on him. A gnoll lunged from behind the door, but Omaar dodged, striking its temple with his dagger. As it collapsed, another adult gnoll blocked his path, brandishing an axe.
"Stay back!" she roared, her voice trembling but axe raised. Omaar heard the gnoll stampede nearing, glanced at the ceiling, and smirked. He hushed the gnoll and children with a finger to his lips, then exited, breaking the door's handle with his dagger's butt, locking them inside. He ran into Hayzel, who aimed her musket at his head.
"Give me one reason not to call this an accident," Hayzel growled.
"You need me," Omaar said, unfazed. "Tengune's at his limit, running to save you surely—it's his kind of fool move. Help me pull this off."
"You fled to save yourself," Hayzel snarled. "You'd let your friend die."
"I did no such thing," Omaar said, pointing up. "This room held gnolls I trapped inside. Would have been a shame if they blocked our path and those cracks above us, the ceiling's weak. If Tengune blasts upward, we can bury the gnolls."
Hayzel hesitated, then lowered her musket. "Why help him?"
"Someone's gotta keep me alive," Omaar grinned, sprinting off. Hayzel followed, lost in thought.
Tengune panted, clutching an arrow wound in his side, unnoticed until now. He yanked it out, planting his feet as gnolls closed in. He wove a long line of runes, a blazing flame swelling in his hand. As death loomed, he felt her arms around him, a fleeting warmth from long ago. They're safe now, he thought. I'll die here, and maybe my life will mean something. Time slowed, axes and swords glinting from every angle. "Aim up, Tengune!" Omaar's voice cut through. On instinct, Tengune fired at the ceiling, collapsing it onto the gnolls in a cascade of jagged rubble. He stumbled back, dodging rocks. "Finish it!" Omaar shouted. Rage flared in Tengune's eyes. These vermin won't hurt anyone else. He roared, sending a wave of flame to coat the rubble, roasting the buried gnolls. One, burnt and bruised, carrying a peculiar weapon limped away down the corridor.
Omaar strolled up, nudging Tengune. "And you say I never have a plan."
"Warn me next time," Tengune scoffed, glaring.
"That ruins the fun," Omaar grinned. "The beast's escaping—come on."
Hayzel caught up, staring at them, bemused. "You two are something else," she muttered, then pointed. "That gnoll's heading for the room you trapped, Omaar."
"it's no concern now," Omaar said, smiling.
The gnoll burst into the nursery, screaming. The trio rushed in, finding the room collapsed, the gnoll and children crushed under rubble. The gnoll turned, tears streaming, eyes bloodshot. "Why?" he rasped. "Tell me why!" He lunged at Tengune, but Omaar moved first. Tengune, dazed by the carnage, grabbed Omaar's poncho. "Wait!" he shouted. The gnoll swung, Omaar ducked, freeing himself, and drove his dagger into the gnoll while its own dagger lodged in the wall. Hayzel fired her musket, striking the gnoll's head, ending him.
Omaar spun on Tengune, agitated. "Trying to kill me now?"
"We made a mistake," Tengune muttered, staring at the gnoll's body. "He was grieving—a father who lost his child."
"You're soft for monsters now?" Omaar sneered. "They won't spare you."
"They feel, they have will and life," Tengune said, voice breaking. "Is it right to slaughter them like this?"
"You burned a dozen yourself," Omaar scoffed. "Now you're their savior?"
"We killed their children," Tengune argued. "Is this justice?"
"Would you wait for them to grow and fight back?" Omaar yawned. "Is that honorable enough for you?"
"Why is slaughter always the answer?" Tengune murmured. "We could help them."
"Get yourself killed with those delusions," Omaar laughed. "Just don't drag me down with you."
"I hate to agree with him, Tengune," Hayzel said, grimacing. "Tribes like these—peace attempts have failed. This is survival, not principle. As an adventurer, you must know the difference."
Tengune sighed, gazing at the gnoll's body, his face heavy with doubt. "We're close to the end," Hayzel said, catching her breath. "Let's prepare for the keep's leader."
Omaar retrieved the gnoll's dagger from the wall, inspecting its venomvine hilt of staring tree bark and white-patterned metal blade. "Where'd a gnoll get this?" he mused, grinning. "Doubt he crafted it."
"It's a venomvine dagger," Hayzel growled, her face bitter. "Poisonous, finely made. Keep it—you'll need it."
Omaar pocketed it, catching Hayzel's glare. "What?"
"Tengune thinks you care about him," Hayzel sneered. "But one day, he'll see the greedy mutt you are and leave you for those who deserve him." She stormed off to join Tengune at a massive door leading to the keep's end.
Omaar lingered, squirming at the sight of the gnoll bodies, his face twisting with frustration. "They'll never understand," he muttered, flipping a coin between his fingers. "Those simpletons will never understand." Omaar detoured to retrieve his loot sack from a storage room, slinging it over his shoulder before joining Tengune and Hayzel at the massive door. The caws of distant crows in his mind.
"Still clinging to that worthless haul?" Hayzel snickered, her eyes narrowing. "It's pathetic, lugging it around like a lifeline."
"Ironic, coming from a dwarf who begs for aid then gripes when it's not free," Omaar shot back, smirking.
"You're not taking that inside, are you?" Tengune asked, raising a brow.
"Of course not," Omaar said, setting the sack behind the door. "It'll wait here."
"Let's prepare," Hayzel said, her tone sharp. "Alpha gnolls don't fall easily." Tengune and Omaar drank their potions, tossing the empty flasks to the ground. Hayzel set her backpack beside Omaar's sack, taking only essentials. But as the quiet settled in that hum filled the void through the collapse ceiling, now clear to all.
"What is that?" Tengune questions.
"I don't like this," Hayzel worries. "Something is wrong."
"I'd rather get this done and get out," Omaar sweated. "Enough wasting time,"
Together, they pushed open the giant door and stepped inside. The chamber was vast, its decayed grandeur dominated by a ringed round table at the center, lit by torches littered with ripped papers and gleaming weapons—unrusted, ready for battle. Scattered chairs, once plush, lay toppled, while sturdy pillars stood at each corner. A lone chandelier dangled from the ceiling, swaying faintly. Desks and cabinets lined the walls, stuffed with faded documents, relics of a lost command. At the table's heart sat a gnoll, far larger than his kin, his arm resting on an axe embedded in the stone floor. Tattered fur rags hung from his broad frame, his head bowed in quiet sorrow.
The trio approached cautiously. Hayzel and Omaar drew their weapons, but Tengune kept his hands still, his gaze steady. The gnoll lifted his head, his somber eyes locking on Tengune.
"A beastman," he said, his voice calm yet heavy. "A rare sight in these parts, though you're a strange beast yourself."
"You could say that," Tengune replied, offering a faint smile. "But I doubt you're here for small talk."
"No," the gnoll grunted, rising from the table, his axe scraping free. "Most of my kin are dead. The rest fled. I'll ensure they're not hunted down like vermin."
"Your sacrifice is futile," Omaar taunted, twirling his dagger. "The inquisition will find them—cattle for the slaughter."
"Maybe," the gnoll sighed, his shoulders slumping. "But if they live, they'll remember me as their shield."
"Leave with your life," Tengune urged, stepping forward. "You're no use to them dead in this cold ruin."
"So you can stab me as I turn?" the gnoll chuckled darkly. "I'll take my chances here."
"Why hold this keep at all?" Hayzel asked, her musket steady. "You must've known it would end like this."
"Why butcher my kin?" the gnoll retorted, his eyes flashing. "Is this meant to be some kind of Justice?"
"The hive paid well to clear this keep for a military outpost," Hayzel said, her voice firm. "Your raids on merchants and caravans disrupted trade and sealed your fate."
"We did what we had to," the gnoll admitted, his tone bitter. "Our numbers grew too large for the forest's meager yield. Their deaths were swift, their bodies honored with burial."
"Murdering politely is still murder," Omaar laughed, his blade glinting. "You chose violence, and so did we."
"Take what you lack from others," the gnoll muttered, gripping his axe. "That's the way of the world, isn't it?"
"Natural selection," Omaar agreed, smirking. "I'd have done the same, but I'm on the winning side."
"This doesn't have to end in blood," Tengune growled, his voice tight. "There's still a choice."
"You're kind, Atari," the gnoll said, a sad smile crossing his face. "But hope isn't a solution."
The gnoll's deafening roar echoed through the chamber. Omaar and Hayzel braced for battle, but Tengune froze, his hand trembling as he reached for his staff and tomb. He thought of the grieving as he tried to find the words but his voice fell hollow. He exhaled shakily, drawing his weapons, resolving hardening despite the weight in his chest. This fight was inevitable.
The alpha gnoll charged, axe raised, his roar shaking the chamber. Omaar broke left, flanking swiftly, while Tengune stepped in front of Hayzel, staff braced. Hayzel leaped back, firing her musket, freezing bullets streaking toward the gnoll. He powered through, slamming his axe at Tengune, who blocked with his staff, twisting to smack the gnoll's head with a sharp crack. Omaar darted behind, stabbing the gnoll's back with his dagger, but the gnoll seized Omaar's collar, swinging him like a flail into Tengune. They crashed into a cabinet, splintering wood.
The gnoll pursued, but Hayzel's musket barked twice, bullets grazing his fur. He snatched a shield from the floor, deflecting her fire, and charged, axe swinging. Hayzel dodged, her shield clanging against his blows, until he cornered her against a pillar. A fireball roared past, slamming the gnoll's back, knocking him forward. Tengune, runes glowing, launched another, striking the pillar above. Debris rained down, kicking up dust, but the gnoll rose, howling, undeterred.
Omaar exploited the dust cloud, weaving in to stab and dodge, disarming the gnoll of axe and shield. A lucky punch to Omaar's abdomen sent him skidding out, gasping. The gnoll grabbed a massive club, rushing forward. Omaar raised his dagger to block, but the club's impact shattered it, hurling him across the floor. Tengune unleashed a torrent of flame, scorching the gnoll, but blood poured from Tengune's nose and eyes. He collapsed to one knee, panting, the fire fading.
The gnoll, singed but relentless, ignored Hayzel's shouts and pelted musket shots, charging Tengune. He swung his club, smashing Tengune's side, sending him crashing into the round table. Omaar leaped from above, driving his venomvine dagger into the gnoll's shoulder. The gnoll flung him off, coughing blood—poisoned—but lunged, trading frantic blows with Omaar. He darts behind a pillar, the gnoll swinging round to find nothing, only to be stabbed in the back again. He switches tactics as Omaar pulls away, grabbing a spear and attacking with faster strikes.
Hayzel rushed to Tengune, pulling a potion from her belt. "You're overloading," she panted, feeding it to him. "No more magic, or you'll fry your brain. This is my last potion. We need a plan."
Tengune wiped blood from his nose, rising shakily. "How do I fight him then?"
"You're a beastman," Hayzel urged. "You're strong enough to take him physically."
"Even so, we need strategy," Tengune said. "I know you hate Omaar, but work with him."
Hayzel scoffed. "Fine. I've got an idea."
Omaar, pressed against a cabinet, flung papers into the air, obscuring the gnoll's view. He vanished, reappearing behind, but the gnoll blocked the stab with his arm, both breaking apart, sweating. Tengune charged, staff cracking the gnoll's face, then pressed the attack relentlessly. Omaar joined, their strikes syncing in a deadly rhythm. The gnoll adapted, wielding a sword in each hand, parrying their assault. Candles flickered out, the room darkening.
The gnoll dodged Tengune's lunge, grabbing him from behind, using him as a shield against Omaar. "Think that'll stop me?" Omaar grinned, lunging. The gnoll dodged surprised, as Tengune, struggling, kicked up a blade, seizing it. With a pained roar, he stabbed through his own abdomen, piercing the gnoll behind. The gnoll released him, taking a knee, but rose, grabbing a halberd. The room plunged into darkness.
Steel clashed in shadow, grunts echoing. Tengune, wounded, staggered up, the darkness cold like that cage. Calming his mind, he wove runes, a flame igniting in his hand, banishing shadows. "One more," he rasped, blood dripping from his eyes and nose. He launched a fireball; the gnoll blocked with a shield, redirecting it toward Omaar, who dove aside. The blast struck a pillar, collapsing part of the ceiling. Sunset light flooded in with the hum, now deafeningly loud, revealing a distant glint in the sky. Omaar squinted, unable to identify it, and refocused on the gnoll, blade raised.
Tengune roared, charging, his staff slamming into the gnoll. The gnoll countered, ramming his shield into Tengune and burying the halberd in his shoulder. They traded brutal blows, blood pooling. Omaar approached Hayzel, who aimed her musket at him. "Relax," he said, raising his hands. "That wall-bounce in the corridor—how many times can you do it? If you're as good as you claim, trust me, this'll work."
Hayzel lowered her weapon, wary. "It's a basic dwarven technique. Plenty. Why?"
Omaar tossed her the venomvine dagger. "Take this." Before she could protest, he grabbed her, launching her toward the gnoll. Hayzel, screaming, composed herself mid-flight, swiping at the gnoll's head. He dodged, and she slammed feet-first into a cabinet, springing back. The gnoll swatted her down; she blocked with her shield, retreating. Tengune seized the opening, landing a staff strike.
Omaar flipped a section of the ringed table into the air. Hayzel planted her feet on it, vaulting off to slash the gnoll, landing on another flipped table. Omaar kept flipping tables, confusing the gnoll's aim as Hayzel darted with blinding speed. She grabbed her whip, lashing it around the gnoll's shield arm, swinging until he was entangled. Straining, she hurled the dagger skyward. Omaar caught it, diving down, plunging it deep into the gnoll's back, ripping it downward.
Tengune wove one last rune, flame engulfing his fist. He punched the gnoll's chest, unleashing a point-blank blast. The gnoll roared, breaking free of the whip, still standing. The trio stared, stunned, as he limped forward, poison sapping his strength, yet fighting on.
Hayzel's eyes caught a glint—now a blazing streak barreling toward them, the hum growing louder as it approached. "Get down!" she shouted. Tengune, drained, swayed, near collapse. Hayzel lashed her whip around him, pulling, but lacked strength. Omaar grabbed the whip beside her, their combined effort yanking Tengune behind the last pillar. A meteor-like boulder crashed into the chamber, the blast visible for miles.
Dust settled. The trio stood frozen, the humming's echo fading, their breaths heavy in the dust-choked air. Tengune stumbled to his feet with Hayzel's help, exhausted. She scanned for Omaar, spotting him rifling through her backpack. "Put it down, you rat!" she cursed. Omaar grinned, complying. Tengune chuckled weakly as they approached the blast site. A massive boulder, pulsing with mana, sat at the center, revealing a dark tunnel beneath the keep.
"What is this?" Tengune panted, barely standing.
"No meteor," Hayzel said, shouldering her backpack. "Unlike any I've seen."
"One thing after another," Omaar sighed, eyeing the tunnel. "Let's see if it's valuable."
"You'll never change," Hayzel sneered.
They rounded the boulder, finding the gnoll's upper half at the tunnel's entrance, his face frozen in sorrow. Tengune stared, muttering softly, words lost to Omaar. Hayzel marveled at the boulder, noticing its crumbled insides. Inside was a girl.
Quest Complete.