Skin thicker than leather, and tough as stone.

Each leg the size of a small person, bulging with rippling muscle.

The hide of an entire creature, draped around their waist in place of normal clothing.

A torso no less intimidating, leading up to a gruesome, terrible face. Two huge teeth jutting upwards from its jaw, and lips held in a nasty snarl, made no less frightening by the furious sharpening of his eyes.

*GRAAAAAAAAAOOORRRR*

Each of his brothers lay in a pool of their own blood, the surprise attack had proven effective that far. However, the instinct of a creature in danger is nothing to scoff at. As soon as the magical chains erupted from the ground, the Ogre strained to fight against them. It saw the arrow coming for its throat, and at that moment dropped his chin and crushed the arrow with his teeth! The wind reinforcement burst from his mouth with a furious gust!

“I can’t hold him anymore, hurry and finish him off!”

Efrain’s desperate shout reminded everyone the trouble they were about to be in.

The magic chains binding the Ogre creaked furiously under the creature’s strength, before snapping and disintegrating into the mana from whence they came.

*GRAAAAAAAAAOOORRRR*

It managed to stand on its feet, towering above anyone else in the party at over 9 feet tall.

“I will hold its attention! Everyone, focus it down and attack!”

Gungnir didn’t lose a beat, raising his shield and charging the Ogre.

“Bulls Rush!”

His shield still solid grey and reinforced by stone, he boldly charged at the beast, as if possessed by a wild bull.

Fido and Diane nodded to each other, then split to flank the creature.

The Ogre trembled with rage, as it reached over and grabbed its large stone axe. A red aura began to emanate around the creature.

“Shit! It’s going berserk!”

“HRAHM! YOU! KILL! AVENGE! FAMILY!”

Gungnir’s eyes opened in shock for a moment… did that creature just… speak?

*CRACK*

The axe collided with his shield, shattering it and flinging Gungnir nearly all the way across the room.

“AWOOOOOO! LION STRIKE!”

With a leap, Fido’s claymore struck with a vicious fury towards the exposed throat of the rampaging creature. However, it was faster. Much faster. With a supernatural fury, it twisted its’ head to lock eyes on Fido, and punched him in the chest with the force of a cannon.

“Gheck!”

The Canian barely managed to cough out some blood, before he was sent flying back towards the cooking pot.

Diane quickly changed her trajectory. Instinctually, she dodged to the side just as the Ogre brought its’ axe crashing in to the floor! A moment later, and she would have been crushed!

She quickly rolled backwards, dodging another brutal blow.

“Fireball!”

No hesitation, she raised her hand towards the creature, and a blast of fire erupts from her hand! If it can see through our skills at a glance, give it something it would not expect!

The Ogre is struck by a fierce explosion in its chest, and takes a step back, before leaning forward through the flames.

*GRAAAAAAAAAOOORRRR*

It howls again in fury, however that moment was all her team needed to regain the initiative.

“Grease!” Efrain launched a quick cast spell to throw the Ogre further off balance, “Emily, Gungnir, now!”

Rather than charge another arrow, Emily quickly launched a series of regular arrows with one piercing the Ogre’s eye.

With his left arm dangling by his side, Gungnir drew his longsword and blitzed towards the blinded creature, dodging a wild swing before piercing its throat, unleashing a fountain of blood.

With an audible *thump* the creatures’ body crashed into the floor. Everyone was breathing heavily, despite the quickness of the encounter.

“Gah… *huff* That… was just one? *huff* I hate to think what would happen if we didn’t surprise the others… wooo”

Fido let out a small whimper, taking a full on punch to the gut from a raging Ogre would break nearly anybody.

Haraldr breaks his concealment, clearly shaken.

“Ahh man… I had a feeling I couldn’t help, but man… I didn’t think my dagger wouldn’t be able to pierce their skin…”

“Damn… Sayomi, if there are more… we might not be able to save… your brother…” [Gungnir]

“W-what? But we have already come this far! We can’t leave him now!” [Sayomi]

Sayomi’s face radiates fear, and for a moment Gungnir wants to try to go a little further, before Emily fiercely interjects.

“Go further? Are you insane? Do you want all of us to die? We got this hurt already! We have to turn back or we will lose more than just your brother, do you think he would want you to die for him?!”

“Eh? Y-y-y-you don’t think he would…”

Sayomi quickly shifted from fear to confusion, she hadn’t anticipated or practiced for this kind of question. This damnable woman is just making everything harder!

In the meantime, Thistleman hurriedly slips to his chest stashed in the corner of the room, and then takes a seat with an audible sigh. He can tell that there isn’t much time. He needs Diane to find the book, now.

“Hmm? Hey Thistle, what are you sitting on there? Is that a chest?”

“Eh, what? This? Oh, I thought it was a seat?”

“No, that’s definitely a chest! Cmon, let me open it!”

The other adventurers hear Diane’s excited chatter and quickly turn their attention to the chest as well.

As Diane opens it, Efrain’s eyes open wide.

“Careful with that! Can’t you feel the energy coming from that chest? What if it was trapped, you idiot!”

He quickly strides over to the chest, along with the rest of the group, except for Emily and Sayomi. Emily eyes Sayomi cautiously for a few more seconds, before turning to watch down the hall. The fight just now had gotten very noisy.

Inside the chest is a single tome, bound in beast leather and imprinted with a skull. Its clasp is sealed with bone, and a dark energy is almost pouring out from within the pages.

“This energy… this book clearly isn’t safe.”

Efrain boldly tries to slip his arm in to snatch the book, his eyes filled with greed, but Diane is quicker.

“Hey, this isn’t your chest! Finders Keepers! If this book is so dangerous, then why are you trying to grab it?!” [Diane]

“I am an experienced mage! Of course I would be safe to grab it!” [Efrain]

“Come now, girl, you heard him. You should trust him, Efrain has always been a good ally and friend!” [Gungnir]

“Why is it that I have to only trust him, why can’t I trust my own judgement?” [Diane]

“As party leader, it is my duty to ensure rewards are adequately distributed! Just give up the book!” [Gungnir]

“Hey guys, now shouldn’t be the time to be arguing! I can hear something coming down the hallway… a lot of something!”

*GRAAAAAAAAAOOORRRR* *GRAAAAAAAAAOOORRRR*

*GRAAAAAAAAAOOORRRR* *GRAAAAAAAAAOOORRRR*

The chorus of howls echoing throughout the cavern sent shivers down everyone’s spine. They had charged in to the belly of the beast without a full team and unprepared, and now they were going to suffer for it. All thought of the book dropped out of Gungnir and Efrain’s minds as they prepared themselves for what was to come.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Thistleman watched everything with an intensity that could not be conveyed through his eyes alone.

He was… upset, and furious. His plan to get a team in to the Ogre dungeon was not just successful… but too successful. These idiots had lost a hold of their senses, and put everything at risk. Now, that risk was bearing down on Diane…

What the hell can he do? There are so many eyes watching, it would be hard to pull anything off! Could he just unleash his demon form like before? No, with this many witnesses, it would bring far too much attention.

Damnit, and damn these greedy fools! Damnit Sayomi, you should have held back a little more and not gotten the adventurers so riled up!

Sayomi ran back behind Gungnir, as Emily fired an arrow down the hall, before she too turned to run. An Ogre burst through the opening in to the cavern, and swung faster than she could react.

With a sickening *thunk*, she was sent flying in to one of the cavern walls and dropped to the ground, unconscious. Haraldr disappeared back in to the shadows with his concealment, clearly shaking in fear. He would probably try to sneak out in the confusion. Another Ogre charged in to the room, and then another.

“Thistle, don’t worry about me! Grab Emily and get out of here!”

Diane screams in desperation, and through her, Thistleman can feel… she is afraid.

Gungnir and Fido lock eyes with each other, before turning to charge at the Ogre’s coming into the room. Diane launches another fireball, but they continue to charge right through it as if it is nothing more than a nuisance.

*crunch*

Another body blow, the sound of Fido’s ribs breaking could be clearly heard.

*THUD* Gungnir is knocked out cold next.

Efrain shrieks before fainting in fear… The only ones left now are Diane, Sayomi and Thistleman.

Thistleman looks at Sayomi and points to Emily’s limp body, and she nods before dashing as fast as the eye can see. Diane tries to maximize her speed, more, More, MORE!

She dodges a titanic fist coming in her direction, and leaps towards the wall before she flips around, her feet landing on the side and her legs fully squatting. She launched towards the charging Ogre’s, pouring all her mana into her rapier as stabs in to its eye!

The creature screams and thrashes in its death throes, as it falls over, a collapsing tower of muscle!

And, right over top of it, a stone sledge flies and strikes Diane in the side with a resounding *CRACK.* Terror and pain, the last expressions on her face before she is knocked out.

Fury. FURY! HELPLESS FURY! That is all Thistleman can feel right now.

As the Ogres charged towards Thistleman and Sayomi, then stumbled, then shrieked in surprise! Both of them had disappeared right before their eyes! Most shocked of all, was the Ogre that reached down to grab Diane’s body, which lay like a bloodied rag bounced off the floor. His hands… had grabbed nothing at all.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Outside the cave, Thistleman was furious!

As gingerly as he carried Diane, his face showed every ounce of anger that he felt! His eyes transformed, revealing his Demon nature. He could feel Haraldr hadn’t stopped for a moment, and had continued fleeing towards the city.

“GOD DAMN IT ALL! DAMN THESE FUCKING OGRES, DAMN THESE USELESS SILVERS! RAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

The earth shook a little at Thistleman’s scream, as Sayomi set Emily down on the ground.

With her head bowed and a quivering voice, Sayomi tried to calm her master’s rage.

“But… we were able to get her your book! Even if it didn’t all go according to plan, in the end, i-it still worked out, master! They are just some small injuries anyways!”

She had spit out her words as quickly as she could, but all it did was direct Thistleman’s ire towards her.

“Small injuries? SMALL INJURIES?! This… this is my mistake! And this is your mistake! SHE ALMOST DIED, MY PLAN ALMOST KILLED HER, AND YOU WANT TO JUST WAVE THIS OFF? THIS IS ABSOLUTELY UNFORGIVABLE!”

“I- I am sorry master, but next time… I promise it will go better!”

“I do not need you for a ‘next time.’” While Thistleman’s voice had dropped into a cold, in truth, this was the only mission he had planned for her. However, for Sayomi, it struck her as something much more, and much… worse. To her, it meant he saw that she failed him.

“No! Master! I promise that I can still be useful to you!”

“I have no interest in what you think. Go bother Orion, he is over at Brownrock Mountain. You can find your own way, there is nothing more I need from you. I must not allow myself to fail again, not like this.”

Thistleman walked over to Emily’s location, and carefully set Diane down before draping her over his shoulders. Then, he reached back down and carefully lifted Diane in his arms again, before walking back towards the city.

Sayomi stayed, motionless, until after Thistleman had left. Her master… was furious with her.

“Its not my fault… ITS NOT MY FAULT!”

She turned her scathing gaze back towards the cave, tears of rage dripping down her face.

“Why… why couldn’t you all have just dies like the obedient pawns you were meant to be?! Heh… hahahahaha! Well, I can still make a small detour before going to find Orion… If I have to suffer this humiliation… all of you… all of you will pay for this!”

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Gungnir woke with a groan.

His whole body… was pain. It seems the Ogres had drug him, Efrain and Fido in to their main hall.

The others were unconscious… but… he couldn’t see anybody else.

The largest Ogre saw him wake, and looked somewhere else in the room before speaking in a deep, slow voice.

“Mama, one little hooman has waked.”

A solitary female Ogre lurches forward, Gungnir closes his eyes in anticipation. This… is the end. They probably already killed and ate the others!

Then… he hears a question that takes him completely by surprise.

“Hooman, why you attack us? We do no harm, we live far and in peace. Why you come and kill my children?”

The voice rattles with deep pain and suffering. Gungnir opens his eyes, and looks into her face, and in spite of its terrible visage, he could see it racked with tears and pain.

“… what? You… you kidnapped a man, and brought him here to eat?”

“What you say? I tell you, we do no harm, take no people, eat no people! Why, why you attack us and hurt family?!”

A sinking feeling starts to overwhelm Gungnir… a terrible realization setting in. If they didn’t kidnap anyone, then why… why did they come here?!

A horrible scream, far more terrible than anything he has heard before, echoes down the hall.

The female Ogre stands, all of the ogres in the room’s face turn pale. They grab their clubs, axes and hammers and wait, watching the entrance to the hall.

After a short silence that felt like forever, the Mother Ogre yells out

“WHY? WHY YOU HUNT US?! WHAT WE DO?!”

A chorus of malicious laughs echoes down the hall, followed by a creeping cold wind. The torches blow out one by one, as the Ogre’s shrill voice is drowned out by the malicious laughter. In the flickering light of the last torch, the figure of a woman steps out of the shadows.

“SAYO… mi?”

Gungnir wanted to shout at her to run… but then, he saw it, the skin of an ogre being dragged in one hand, the tail and wings made of darkness behind her, blood covering her entire body and a malicious smile across her face and a maddening laugh escaping her lips.

The Ogres screamed and bellowed as they charged her, as the last torch flickered out. In the darkness, all Gungnir could hear were the shrieks of the Ogres. He tried to crawl away… far away from the noise! From the terror, as fast as he could! Flesh was rending, the blood spraying out of god knows where and landing on his face and body. A nightmare! It had to be a nightmare! It was all a vicious nightmare!

“Hehehehe, are you scared?”

Gungnir felt something soft press in to his back, but the voice… the whisper sent a cold shiver down his spine.

“Now it’s your turn… where to start… I have already peeled so many skins… maybe… lets open you up, and see how many organs I can remove, one at a time, before you die? Ehehehehehe!”

The pain… a searing pain pierced his side as something entered his body… a hand, grasping, and catching hold of his kidney.

After a few more minutes, the wails within the cave finally silenced, and all that could be heard was laughter.