A steep staircase, crafted from the jagged rocks of the cave’s natural terrain, lay before us. There had to be at least three-hundred steps, which wound down and around a terrifyingly steep slope. The steps seemed to oscillate, reflecting off the flickering torch flames that protruded from cracks in the stone, but it was just an optical illusion. It felt like we were marching down the back of a slithering, stone snake.

The stairs led all the way down into the depths of an expansive cavern, most of which was completely shrouded in shadow. I could see the occupants of the previous wagon only now entering the ground floor as we began our descent.

I got a notification and pulled it up on my interface.

Notification

You’ve entered the Hog-Goblin NightClub, Rockwallow Hollow location.

What, are you crazy? Do you have a death wish? Are you suicidal? Because, honestly, you have to be crazy to just go waltzing into one of these places.

While most of Rockwallow Hollow is zoned as a semi-safe, no one is safe down here. Not even a little bit. Try picking a fight with someone bigger than you and see what happens. I dare you.

Jeez, you’re so dumb.

When I heard the boom, boom, boom of a bass drum I thought the music in my head had changed to something more exciting and lively. I soon realized it actually was coming from an honest to god DJ in the center of the cavern.

The hog disk jockey stood on a wooden platform dropping some sick and heavy beats. Where the turntable should have been, however, a swirling ring of liquid lights splashed around in the air. This sound was being generated by magical means—something to do with the vibration of the colorful, illuminated liquid—and that was both awesome and terrifying. It made me wonder what other magical applications these hogs could conjure.

Hundreds of hogs—some completely naked—jumped around a blazing bonfire near the DJ. I couldn’t tell if they were fighting or dancing. Knowing the hogs, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were doing both at once.

Another group of hogs sat in and around a series of steaming pools, sipping on drinks. Small hooded creatures—most of them gnomes by the size of them—were walking around in chains serving them drinks. The sight made me clench my fists.

The rest of the hogs were the ones escorting new prisoners. A line had formed, headed for the entrance of a manufactured tunnel. We followed the group in front of us, keeping to ourselves.

I could see a table at the mouth of the tunnel. A fat, slouching … something sat in a chair behind the table, and behind him were stacks of treasure chests. This was the first person I’d seen, besides the prisoners, who wasn’t a hog.

“Gorgons,” whispered Yuri. “Never met a good one yet.”

The gorgon’s skin was milky white and he was dressed in a simple black robe. Two big, half-domed eyes sat in the middle of its snake-like face, unblinking. They reflected the torch light better than the numerous pools of steaming water did around the cave.

Each group, in turn, lined their prisoners up in front of this gorgon thing. The gorgon scanned the row of trembling figures, considering. Then the fat lard pulled a sack of what could only be coins from a chest and handed it to the hogs.

After that, the hogs joined the party and the prisoners were escorted down the tunnel by a pair of much skinnier gorgons. Neither were very tall or intimidating, but they did carry some scary looking, dual sided axe-spears. And those were definity intimidating. By the way they sparked against the rocks, I guessed they were magically infused as well.

Finally, it was our turn. When the fat creature saw us the muscles around his eyes grew.

“Humanssss,” said the gorgon, in a slithery male voice. He reached a hand out and waved it around as if trying to sense something in the air. The flesh of his arm wobbled as he made a few jerky motions.

“Ah, I can feel the magic oozing off you two. Yes, yes,” said the gorgon. “Thisssss is by far the bessst catch of the night. The church will be very exccccited about thesssse two. Double the pay for you, good ssssir.”

Yuri and I glanced at each other. The gorgon pulled a huge burlap sack out and offered it to the MOD, who just stood there. Yuri quickly relayed specific instructions to her man toy via their mental link, and the MOD walked forward. He took the sack and headed back towards the cave entrance.

The team of spunky gorgons led us down the tunnel. The deeper we went, the darker it got. By the time we came to a barred off alcove, it was all but pitch black. The only light came from a torch held by a gorgon.

A gorgon unlocked a big metal door. It strained as it swung outward. They shoved Yuri and I in and slammed it shut, locking it with a key. We waited until they’d gone back to the main cavern to say anything.

“Gilda,” I said, turning to the crowd. There were so many of them, all huddled in groups, weeping and moaning. “Gilda. Are you here? Is anyone here named Gilda? I’m looking for Gilda the gnome. Do you know Gilda? Do you know Gilda? No? Gilda who’s mother is named Gruda. Gruda the forest gnome sent me. Anyone? Anyone? Gilda? Shit.”

“I don’t think she’s in here,” said Yuri.

“I was afraid of this,” I said. “Which means one of two things. One, she’s out there serving drinks or entertaining or god knows what, or two, they moved her to a different location. The pamphlet said they do that.”

“You knew there was a chance she wouldn’t be here and you didn’t tell me? I thought you said you knew exactly—”

I shushed her as the flickering light of the torches reappeared. I could hear the footsteps of a dozen or more people, splashing in the shallow pools along the way.

“This is why I have trust issues,” whispered Yuri in my ear.

***

“Hey, you, ass-wipe,” I said to the gorgon after he finished shoving the final catch of the night into the cell. He slammed the door shut then pointed his razor sharp spear tip at me.

“No talking, worm,” he hissed.

“I was wondering if we could borrow your robes,” I said. “They look like shadows, and that would come in handy.”

The gorgon took two steps towards me and slid his blade up against the bars. Sparks flew in every direction, illuminating the entire alcove as if it was the Fourth of July. A few people screamed. I took a step back and shielded my eyes.

“Ooo, big scary firecracker spears. So scary,” I said. “You carry those around to compensate for your tiny, little snake dicks?”

“What did you ssssay, you writhing little rat?” said the gorgon. He unlocked the door and burst inside. His companion, who held the torch, followed in silence.

“What are you doing, Jack?” whispered Yuri.

“I got this, don't worry,” I whispered back. “But be ready.”

“This isn’t part of the plan!”

I took my spaceball out and tossed it at the approaching gorgon. Surprisingly, he caught it. But it didn’t stay in his hand for long. In fact, it melted right through the palm and landed on his foot. Just as the gorgon let out a scream, the space ball flew back to me. I put it away and pulled a crunch grenade from my inventory.

“I know,” I told Yuri. “Just go with it.”

I ran forward, and shoved the little marble into the screaming mouth of the gorgon.

“This is for Gilda,” I said, and slammed the creature’s face into a bar. A blue sphere of light, a foot in diameter, burst out, encompassing me, the bars, and the hissing creature's head. The light didn’t affect me, thankfully, but it did shrink the gorgon’s upper body to the size of a mustard seed, lodged inside the crunch grenade.

“How do you like those fireworks?” I said, and turned to face the other gorgon.

The second gorgon stood aghast, his mouth wide open. His face soon turned from shocked to horrified though as Yuri wrapped a blade around his neck and forced him to his knees with a kick to the lower back.

“Wait,” I said.

Yuri blinked at me. “What?”

“Tell me where they take them,” I said. “This Church. Where do they take the prisoners?”

“I don’t know,” hissed the gorgon. Yuri pressed the blade tighter into his throat. “I don’t … gah, they come once a week in their flying chariot thing. That’sss all I know.”

I took out my spaceball and ever so slightly touched it against the snake creature’s cheek.

He let out a scream, then said. “I don’t know what the place is called. It’s namelesss for a reason. But it’s the other big mountain, the one guarded by the flying dragon. That’sss all I … gah, that’sss all I—”

Yuri slid the blade across his throat. Black, inky blood squirted up into my face. I backed away, wiping my face, as the gorgon fell forward with a heavy thud. Yuri picked up the torch and I sighed. For a moment, all we did was watch the creature in the black robe squirm.

When he fell still, Yuri spoke up. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Jack.”

The prisoners in the room began to whisper excitedly.

“Change of plans,” I said, my heart pounding from the adrenalilne and terror that only comes from taking a life. “We may not find Gilda tonight, but that doesn’t mean we have to leave empty handed.” I picked up my crunch grenade and blew my thumb candle to life. “Tonight,” I said, “We’re rescuing everyone in this cave.”