Violet and Nainai had followed the road deep into the thick forest, finally finding shelter from the summer heat.
"Why do these things always have to happen to me? As if I didn't already have enough on my mind with this mission and everything else…"
The forest air was cool and soothing; the two of them relaxed as the gentle scents rising from the depths of the woods wrapped around them.
"This map is drawn terribly, you can't make out anything!"
Violet stared at it, baffled. She had been studying it the whole time they were walking, and yet she had not recognized a single familiar landmark.
And we haven't even gone that far from the city… Did they give me the wrong map?
Many of the markings were written in strange characters, and the words they formed were difficult to decipher.
"Just look at this mess. Honestly, those people at the guild are completely unreliable."
Behind her, Nainai kept his steady pace, but had been distracted by a large, brightly colored bird perched on a branch, watching them with a curious and inquisitive gaze.
Suddenly, a noise to their right.
Violet snapped to attention, gripping her staff tightly.
The bushes had moved.
Silence.
Then again—this time more forcefully.
Violet leaned in, bringing her face closer to the foliage.
Among the leaves, she spotted something strange.
A small, round object—like a little ball of ochre-colored wool.
"What is that?"
Reaching out, Violet pinched the fluffy thing between her fingers.
"It's so soft…"
Amused, she squeezed it again, then tugged lightly to test it.
"See that, Nainai? It doesn't look like a flower at all…" She tried to involve her companion, delighted by the strange discovery.
"…I wonder what it is?!"
Nainai's eyes suddenly widened.
Then came a sound—a long, heavy snort—rising from the other side of the bushes.
A violent crack of breaking branches echoed, and from the thicket a massive shape rose, tall and hulking, half-hidden in shadow. Two glowing points—slits of light—opened and fixed themselves on Violet.
Then a deafening, terrifying roar.
"A—A… A monster?!?"
The beast towered three times higher than Violet. Its head was massive, its fangs razor-sharp. Long bone spikes jutted out from its back.
The monster stared at her—then unleashed a second, thunderous roar that hit her full force, drenching her in sticky, viscous drool.
"Aaaaaaahhhhhh!"
Violet bolted down the path, screaming and running as fast as her legs could carry her.
Behind her, Nainai was yanked into the air by the force of her sprint, flapping around like a little flag. His face hovered only a few centimeters from the creature's enormous jaws as it lunged after them with a demonic snarl.
Dodging between trees in a frantic zig-zag, Violet managed to gain distance from the beast.
Diving behind a large boulder, she dragged the dwarf with her and froze in place.
Damn it! Just what I needed!
Violet struggled to steady her breathing, feeling her heart hammer violently inside her chest.
"…D-did we lose it?"
Still panting, she strained her ears. The monster's growls were growing more distant.
Gods, that scared me to death…
They remained hidden for quite a while, listening to the beast wander off. Finally, Violet peeked over the boulder, scanning the area to make sure nothing was lurking.
I've barely started my journey and I've already been attacked, robbed, and almost eaten alive… I really need to be more careful!
"How are you? You okay?" she asked her companion, who looked every bit as frightened as she was.
"I think… we managed to shake it off…"
At least, I hope so… Oh, how I wish I could go home—back to Célene and the kids…
A tight knot formed deep in her stomach. Violet shook herself hard, forcing the thought away.
No. I'm already here. I can't just give up and run back. This is an adventurer's life… right?
"Come on, let's keep moving. I don't want that thing finding us."
She stood up, helped Nainai to his feet, and slowly resumed walking.
As they continued deeper into the forest, Violet remained tense and alert. Every small noise made her jump. After a long trek, they arrived at a fork in the path—two trails splitting in opposite directions.
"…And now?"
Violet pulled out the map again, trying to determine where they were and which path they were supposed to take.
"Well… North shouldn't be that hard to figure out…"
She lifted her eyes, studying the light filtering through the canopy overhead.
"If the sun's on our left, then we just have to go straight, right?"
Violet turned toward her companion as if expecting an answer.
Nainai, silent as ever, stared at the path with a confused expression.
"Well, whatever! Let's keep going."
The moment she stepped onto the chosen trail, she felt a sudden tug.
Nainai had started walking in the opposite direction—and he didn't seem willing to change his mind.
"No, Nainai! This way, not that way!"
She pulled the rope toward her, dragging the dwarf until he finally stumbled in her direction.
"What's gotten into you?! If you go that way you'll get yourself lost!"
But the dwarf kept staring at the abandoned path, as though drawn to it.
"Come on, Nainai, don't start. We have to go this way!"
After resisting for a moment, the dwarf surrendered at last, letting Violet pull him along, resigned.
"See? It's easy to find the right way. You just need a bit of brains!"
The path began descending gently, and Violet—encouraged by how smooth it looked—quickened her pace.
Suddenly, they halted.
Before them, rising out of the forest, stood a tall stone wall—cold, dark, and menacing.
"A cave??? In the middle of the forest???"
Violet checked the map.
Nothing.
Looking around, she spotted an entrance. She approached cautiously, peering inside, staring into the thick darkness.
"And now what?"
Ugh, I do not want to go in there…
What if we just went back?
The thought of what might be behind them sent a chill up her spine.
She paced back and forth several times, realizing the path they'd followed ended right at the cave entrance.
Then she noticed a sign: an old wooden plank nailed beside the entrance with a large, rusty spike.
She stepped closer and read the carved words, hoping to glean a hint.
"Cave."
…Are you kidding me???
A large bead of sweat rolled down her forehead.
"Well, I guess at this point there's not much choice…"
She approached her companion, who was staring at the cave entrance with clear worry.
"Don't worry, Nainai. Everything will be fine, you'll see!"
This time it has to go well!
Violet was trying far more to reassure herself than the old dwarf. She had no idea what awaited them inside.
So, gripping her staff and mustering her courage, she stepped into the cave.
The inside was dark and deep; she couldn't see her own hand in front of her face.
"It's really damp… maybe there's water further in…?"
Violet's voice bounced off the walls, echoing all around them.
I can't see a thing like this… Ah—wait!
With a tap of her staff on the ground, the tip lit up, casting a faint glow over the rough stone walls and the path ahead.
It was a dim light, but enough to illuminate the jagged surfaces of the cavern and reveal the narrow trail stretching forward.
"Well… looks fine so far…"
She paused, listening, making sure nothing dangerous lurked nearby.
The cave walls were tight, and meeting a monster in such a cramped passage would be a nightmare.
She moved slowly, trying not to miss a single detail as she followed the path deeper and deeper inside.
Around them echoed their own footsteps, and the distant drip… drip… drip… of water falling somewhere in the void.
Then—a strange noise.
A faint buzzing, low and soft, coming from somewhere ahead.
Impossible to pinpoint.
She looked around, trying to locate the source, bracing for the worst.
If it's bats, I swear I'm going to lose it!
As they advanced, the sound grew louder.
"What is that noise?"
Turning toward Nainai, she raised her staff, illuminating his face—half expecting it to be the sound of his heavy breathing.
"No… not you either…"
They kept walking.
The buzzing grew more insistent with every step they took deeper into the cave.
Suddenly Violet froze—a shiver crawled up her back.
The sound was now coming from the right, very close.
She spun around, expecting a monster to leap at her from the dark.
Nothing.
But the noise was unmistakable—coming from behind a large rock next to the wall.
Peeking carefully over the boulder, she extended her staff forward, lighting whatever was behind it.
There, nestled at the base of the stone, was a tiny creature.
A mole—lying on its back against the rock, fast asleep, paws resting on its belly, a huge bubble of snot swelling and shrinking from one nostril.
Violet's eyes sparkled.
"It's so cuuuuute!!!"
Her face lit up with pure wonder as she stared at the tiny creature snoozing peacefully, snoring softly and making little noises with its mouth.
"Hmm… this cave is a lot less scary than I expected…"
A sudden sound—deep, terrifying, like the roar of some huge beast—echoed through the cavern, amplified by the wind rushing up from the depths and slamming straight into her.
Violet jumped so violently she practically flew backward, landing right in the arms of the dwarf, who was just as startled and staring wide-eyed into the impenetrable darkness ahead.
"W-What in the world was that?!"
Realizing the embarrassing position she had ended up in, Violet immediately stepped away, clearing her throat and straightening her clothes.
The sound had come from somewhere deep inside the cave.
"Could it be… a monster?"
If that was its call, then it must be enormous!
The thought made her shiver.
With her ear strained and her body ready to spring, she listened… but no other sounds came from the dark.
"It must've been just the wind… there's no other explanation…"
Mustering her courage, Violet advanced, trembling as she clutched her staff.
They walked deeper until a strong gust of wind hit her, blowing from an opening ahead.
Peeking carefully past it, Violet found herself staring at a space of colossal proportions.
It was the heart of the cavern.
The ceiling was so high it vanished into darkness, and the path they'd been following now wound downward in a spiraling descent along the cavern wall.
"Incredible! Nainai, look!"
From the depths below came the thunderous roar of water—like a massive waterfall.
Violet leaned forward, trying to see what lay beneath, but the abyss was completely swallowed by darkness.
This place is huge…
The two began walking down the path, carefully watching their steps.
"Careful now—if we fall, we'll be flatter than a pancake."
Flapping wings echoed in the distance, followed by sharp, screeching cries.
Violet stiffened instantly—bats.
She shuddered and forced herself to keep walking, eyes darting nervously up at the cavern roof.
I hate bats… they're disgusting…
They followed the gently sloping trail for a long time, hugging the cavern wall.
Violet wondered who could have possibly carved out such an enormous chamber, then turned to the dwarf.
"Do you think dwarves made this path?"
Intrigued by her question, Nainai began studying the walls and ground with greater attention, searching for any trace of his people's craftsmanship.
The sound of rushing water grew louder and louder until, once they finally reached the bottom, they found themselves standing before a wide, roaring river.
It surged forward like a rapid, disappearing into the dark cracks of the cavern as it plunged beneath the stone wall and vanished completely.
The only way across was a small stone crossing—narrow, curved, and barely wide enough for a single person.
Violet approached it cautiously. It looked so thin she felt dizzy just imagining falling off it.
"Come closer, Nainai. Stay right behind me.
We need to move slowly and be very careful."
The dwarf stepped up to her, grabbing onto the back of her cloak, and together they began crossing, one careful step at a time.
"I don't get why anyone would build a bridge this tiny.
If they were going to build one anyway, they could've made it… I don't know… normal?"
The crossing was short, and once they reached the other side, Violet let out a deep sigh of relief.
"We made it…"
She turned to look at the river behind them.
"It wasn't that bad, right?"
Nainai released her cloak, giving a faint smile as he looked back at the narrow stone path they'd just traversed.
"You know… I think the worst is behind us.
We're already at the bottom, so the exit shouldn't be too far now…"
Looking around, Violet spotted yet another tunnel.
"Come on!"
They reached the opening and stepped inside.
The interior was different from the passages they had walked through so far. Crystals jutted out from the walls, absorbing the light from Violet's staff and bouncing it from one to another, multiplying the glow.
It was a strange, mesmerizing display of dancing reflections.
"It's beautiful…"
Violet and Nainai continued forward, dazzled by the shimmering colors.
"I've never seen anything like this…"
Suddenly Violet noticed a different kind of light ahead—a stronger, steadier glow coming from beyond the end of the path, where the tunnel opened into a larger chamber.
"…Could that be the exit?"
Once they reached the end, the corridor widened once more into a vast cavern.
Violet peeked around the corner.
And what she saw made her blood turn to ice.
At the center of the cavern, sitting on a massive log placed in front of a blazing fire…
…was a towering, menacing orc.