บท 27: Dungeon Exploration (V)

Their travel around the forest was uneventful. No monsters or animals were seen or heard as they made their way to the gates. They exited out from the forest, arriving upon the foot of the mountain.

Snow expecting a more grandiose environment with magic sigils or maybe even some kind of ancient buildings that mixed with the gates itself. Instead, just like any large doors, it was embedded against a mountain wall.

She stopped in front of the giant door with the number five over its frame. Her neck felt strained; she felt dwarfed in comparison to the door before them. The monster relief towered over her as if she could feel as if it was alive and moving. She didn't expect it to be this big out in the open for everyone to see from a distance away.

Diligently, she searched for any other clues that could give her some sign on an answer, but nothing. The others came over, taking a good look at the door.

Dairen spoke. "I thought it would be smaller."

"Same," Mike answered.

Suddenly, the door glimmered with magic. Everyone stood back, worried.

"What's happening?"

"I don't know."

With a shudder, the door groaned. The numbers above it blinked a few times, changing to a seven. Eventually, it quieted down, making everyone confused.

"What was that?"

"Look." Leo pointed up at the door, "the numbers changed to a seven."

"I wonder why?" Snow couldn't help but wonder if there was something special behind the gate that equates to the number of people that needed to enter. Her thoughts went wild, assuming the worst.

"Either way, the doors are not going to open," Cleo spoke, shrugging her shoulder. "We got a week before we try the other door might as well make ourselves comfortable."

The others nodded as they set up camp.

Snow gaze slowly went over towards the hidden door. She felt strangely uncomfortable as the back of her hand started to itch. Scratching it to relieve, she shivered. Something was wrong with the door, she just didn't know what, but her instincts were on fire telling her to be very careful.

All she could do was watch and wait. She counted down the days until the day she had to enter through the door.

The first few days, the boredom at the camp allowed her to learn a bit more about her group. Cleo and Leo were both students under Mr. Everrett, who was studying his magic and martial arts. Mike, on the other hand, had a few special classes and backings that allowed him to learn things that others wouldn't usually learn.

While Dairen, he didn't share much, keeping silent about his personal affairs, but the simple talks kept the conversation entertaining.

Five days passed with ease. Snow roamed the area, searching with one of the members as they spread out into pairs to scout. Much to their surprise, there weren't many monsters roaming near the gates; it was almost as if the area was completely devoid of others but the plants itself.

The most that Snow had found were small horned rabbits that were barely a challenge. Many ran away from them from fear, allowing them to relax. Every time Snow arrived back to the camp, her eyes would automatically lock onto the smaller gate.

Her nerves whispered to her that she needed to run. How the others couldn't sense the door made her wonder if she had gone insane over the five days of being on worry. Which she had to stifle down in showing to the others.

On the sixth day, a rotten smell permuted out from the more massive gate while they were sitting down in front of the dying fire in the morning. They ate a simple breakfast, cleaning up, the tattoo on Snow's automatically glowed, turning into a mask to cover her nose.

"What the hell is that?" Mike cursed, he looked around, trying to find the source of the smell itself, but the door wouldn't budge open.

"Death." Mr. Everrett, who is unusually quiet most of the time, spoke. "Something must have died behind this door." He raised his hand and rested upon it.

"Couldn't whatever was in there choose a different spot to kill whatever it was" Cleo grumbled, annoyed that the gate gave off such an awful stench.

Snow frowned at the predicament before them. The thought of sleeping through the night next to the gate made her stomach turn. Even with her pulling out a spray to lessen the air around her was only temporary. It made her wish she could change her nose for a new one just to block it out.

"We should move." Leo coughed; his eyes were watering. "I think I'm allergic to whatever it is."

"I agree," said Mike. "If we stay here any longer, we might die from the smell alone."

"Quit exaggerating; it's not as bad. It's just a rotten smell that should go away in a couple of hours."

"I wish it was true." Mike took the spray out of Snow's hand and sprayed it in front of his face, breathing in and coughed. "I can barely breathe."

"But then what about the gate, we are still waiting for others." Dairen asked, "If we aren't here, we will miss the chance."

"At the rate, the powerful odor will keep people away." Mike coughed hard, spitting out mucus from his lips. "I wouldn't even want to come this way if I wanted to-"

A rustle was heard from the side, the others tensed, wondering if it was a monster.

Squeak loud yell was heard as a baby boar rushed out from the bushes. It ran past them in a hurry with an arrow stuck to his butt.

"Did I just see that?" Dairen asked, confused.

"The boar or the arrow in its butt?" asked Snow. She wondered the same thing.

"Yea."

Bursting out was a young girl with pink hair, "catch that pig!" It was a recognizable figure that Snow knew. It was a Rabbit as she hungrily chased with wild eyes at the food before her.

Snow moved out of the way to not get run over.

Just on cue, Tamaki stepped out from the forest with a large bow slung on his shoulder. His dark green camouflage jacket and black jeans with black boots were a bit muddied. A streak of mud was dashed against his baby faced nose, giving him a messy look. "Hello, Ms. Snow." He called out with a broad smile on his face.

"How did you guys even get here?" Snow asked excitedly. To see more familiar faces made her relieved, especially of the two A-class Hunters. Their safety was assured.

"We don't know, honestly," Tamaki stated. We found ourselves in the middle of the forest, six days ago, when we came back from our hunt with the werewolves." He shrugged. "Do you guys have anything to eat? We are a bit hungry."

Snow nodded.

Tommy burst out from the shrubs, kicking and cursing about the plants until he saw the others. He wore a thick black armored vest wrapped with bear fur. With a jolly grin, he replied. "It's good to see you again, Ms. Receptionist."

"It's Snow." Snow quickly replied.

"I know."

Snow rolled her eyes; she could see he was enjoying it.

"Ms. Snow, did you end up just like us? Stranded in the middle of nowhere?" Tamaki asked.

"Yes, and I was lucky enough to stumble upon them, though how did you guys meet Rabbit?"

Suddenly, with a loud yell of excitement, Rabbit voice echoed in a shriek like manner. "I got it!" She ran out, holding the dead baby boar in her hand. A satisfied grin ran across her lips as she presented her prize in gusto.

"We found her chasing a baby boar and followed."

Dumbstruck, Snow stared at Rabbit and then down at the baby boar in hand, wondering how she was able to stay alive for this long. Was it purely luck? She didn't know.

"Is that your food?" Snow slowly asked, looking at her drooling lips.

"Yea." She shook her head furiously. "I'm going to cook it and eat it all." She slurred out all with hypnotism.

"I wouldn't eat that if I were you." Tommy chuckled, grinning at the Rabbit's strangeness. "The piglets are poisonous; only the adult can be eaten."

"What? Nooooooooooooooooo." Rabbit let out a scream that seemed to shatter her soul. Her shoulder slumped, her eyes drooped into tears, and she threw the baby boar onto the ground angrily.

"Woah, Woah, kid." Tommy grabbed her twig-like wrist, pulling her up as she dangled in the air. "That baby boar is still priceless. Its skin is considered a luxury item, and its baby fat is perfect to use for lamp oil that can never be burnt out in any weather." He dropped her back on the floor.

Getting onto his knees, he skinned the piglet effortlessly. Snow turned away as she was still uncomfortable with the sight of death, from all the commotion she had momentarily forgotten about the smell until now.

"By the way," Tamaki asked; his nose crinkled. "Do you know where this awful smell is coming from?"

Dairen pointed behind him at the gate "behind us."

"The gate?"

Just as he spoke, the gate once again glowed. This time the number changed from seven to nine. Suddenly, the gate grumbled, slowly opening up with a heavy moan.

Alarmed, the others jumped back, wondering what was going on. With a loud clunk, the double doors opened up fully as darkness welcomed them. A gust of wind blew out, bringing with a foul smell of death. Snow took a step back, holding her breath.

Blue ghostly fire lights turned on in the middle of the room. It was small and gentle, almost welcoming. Nothing popped out from the room as they stood in place.

Tommy was the first one to move forward with his club-like a sword in hand. He stepped carefully through the door, watching for any movements. The others followed behind him.

Gently Pulsating, the blue fire roared with life, lighting up the surrounding room. Thirty small puffs of fire spread out across the room.

Snow was astounded at what she saw. Over her head, grandiose relief drawings were engraved on the very wall, showing her a story she could barely understand.

"What is this place?" Dairen asked, gaping at the dome-shaped room that had no other exit but the way they had come from.

"I don't know." Snow scanned the room to find any clue, but the ancient languages were all squigglies of lines.

"The picture looks like some sacrificial offering," Tommy growled.

Snow was relieved that she wasn't the only one who thought the same after looking at the pictorial reliefs that reminded her of fighting followed by throwing a person like being into the fire itself. What happened next, she wasn't sure because the relief had a large piece missing.

"A human offering?" Rabbit spoke, tilting her head. Everyone froze, realizing what she had said.

"Let's not." Dairen was tense at the thought of offering one of them into the fire itself.

"We could try offering the piglet?" Snow interjected, "it's something."

"Yea, let's try that."

The other agreed, knowing full well that they didn't want to become a sacrificial lamb for the fire itself. Tommy went back out to bring the leftover carcass of the piglet. He threw it into the fire, causing it to light up green. A puff of nasty smoke that smells of decay burst outwards like a spore. Everyone coughed, shielding themselves from the horrible smell."

"That didn't work," Tommy called out, annoyed as he coughed into his right arm that covered his nose. "Any other ideas?"

The other shook their head, unable to answer.

"Why don't we pick someone to test the fire?" Rabbit peeped. She took a good look at every one of them, which most turned their gaze away when she had suggested.

"That's inhumane." Dairen shook his head, disagreeing with the suggestion.

"But, we are just sticking a hand in or something. Let's say it only burns just the hand and nothing else."

"That is a possibility," Cleo was considering Rabbit's thought. Even Tommy and a few others thought over such a possibility to "test" out the fire.

"But the relief shows a picture of a sacrifice," Tommy countered, "would sacrificing a hand be considered falling into such realm? What if it's not. What else do we do?"

The others couldn't answer.

"Anybody willing to be the guinea pig?" Tommy chuckled, "It would help all our cause."

Tamaki kicked Tommy in the shins, glaring at him.

"What?" Tommy rubbed his shin. "I was throwing out suggestions."

"Nobody is stupid enough to try something like that." Tamaki growled, "Why don't you sacrifice yourself if you are going to suggest such thought."

"No way. I got to live, you know. Those ladies are waiting for me back at home." Tommy feigned innocence.

Tamaki rolled his eyes, shaking his head at his partner. He then turned to the others. "I'm sorry about what this fool had said. He sometimes doesn't know when to shut up."

"No, he has a point." Dairen spoke out, "if, let's say if what the mural says is true, we must throw someone in."

The others let out their disagreement at such a thought.

"I'm not saying we have too," Dairen spoke lazily as if it was not a big deal.

Tamaki was staring at Dairen's with a lot more interest than he had shown in the past few minutes when Dairen spoke out. "You have a different way?"

"We could try the other door."

The other door. How Snow dearly wishes that it wasn't the case.

"I'm not so sure…" Snow voice sounded a bit small—all the pent up stress leaked through her voice.

"Why not? Do you want to throw someone in the pit of fire?" Tommy asked, crossing his arms. "Because I am damn sure I won't be sacrificing myself."

Snow bit her lower lips; she didn't say anymore.

"Let's just go check out the other gate. We might find some other clue that we don't know if that could help solve this issue."

Everyone, except Snow, agreed. They walked out of the large room. Snow stopped to take a look behind her shoulder at the blue fire, wondering if what she had decided with taking their sides not worse than death.

They arrived in front of the second door. Tommy once again took the lead, pushing forward as he briskly opened the door without care.

"See, nothing to i-"

Tommy was thrown backward with a fearful grunt. A large boulder was thrown against his body as he flew and landed on the ground with a crunch. Alarmed, everyone scattered.

"What the hell was that?" Snow asked, baffled, unsure what had happened in that split moment.