“Well hurry up. Is there anything?” Silvia said impatiently behind him. But Will ignored her jeering, and Herald telling her to shut up so Will could concentrate. She’d already had her chance to look when she checked for mundane traps but Will was now checking for magical ones.

“There’s something. I just…” Will didn’t know what it was. It looked like a puzzle or a trap but Will had no clue. At least there weren’t any concentrations of magic under his feet and no activation runes he could see.

There were five heavy trunks sitting in a half circle in a small cavern at the back of the labyrinth. He walked around and glanced at each of them again with [Analyze] and then [Map Sight] before moving on. One had no magical glow, only slightly, two were a shifting haze of magic, and the last was bright in his vision. It was either a deadly trap or the most heavily charged thing he’d seen, maybe both. Though it might have been the trunk itself. It was covered in a complex bit of enchanting with some of the pathways looking like runes, the others nonsense. Will wasn’t sure what to make of it.

Storage Trunk

Details: A moderately sized trunk meant for storing items.

Composition: 90% wood, 10% steel

Durability: Unknown

Damage output: Unknown

Estimated value: Unknown

Storage Trunk

Details: A moderately sized trunk meant for storing items.

Composition: 90% wood, 10% steel

Durability: Unknown

Damage output: Unknown

Estimated value: Unknown

Storage Trunk

Details: A moderately sized trunk meant for storing items.

Composition: 90% @#$!, 5% #$&^, 4% #@@&, 1% other

Durability: Unknown

Damage output: Unknown

Estimated value: Unknown

Enchanted Storage Trunk

Details: A small enchanted trunk meant for storing items.

Composition: 90% wood, 10% Silver

Durability: Unknown

Damage output: Unknown

Estimated value: Unknown

Utility skill leveled: Identify level 6

Storage Trunk

Details: A moderately sized trunk meant for storing items.

Composition: 90% #$&^ 5% @#$! 4% #@!&^ 1% other

Durability: 180/180

Damage output: Unknown

Estimated value: Unknown

Will went back to check the others again but other than the Enchanted one having a durability twice his own health, he didn’t see anything else that stood out. Other than the corrupted values on the ones with the shifting haze. He wasn’t sure but it could be possible that the magic was what was preventing his Skill from working properly. It looked… different under [Analyze].

“There’s no trap I can see but-” Silvia jogged into the room and he quickly held up his hands to stop her from getting to the chest, “But that doesn’t mean there isn’t one.”

“What do you mean by that?” Herald asked.

Will explained and Silvia’s eyes grew two sizes.

“A puzzle room…” she said like it was the greatest thing in the world, “Alright, which one is which?”

Will pointed to each in turn and Silvia moved to study them. Herald looked around and focused on one of the two hazy ones.

“Bet you five dollars that’s a mimic,” Silvia said while looking at the one without a magic glow. She still didn’t touch it and studied every aspect of the chest, hinges, unlocked clasp, wood, metal framework. All of it.

“Not taking that bet. [Detect Life]… they’re mimics. Alvin if you wouldn’t mind,” Herald said calmly and stood back for Alvin to draw his revolver and quickly fire two rounds into one of them. Then the lid of the second one shot open before he could fire again and Will saw jagged teeth from the top and bottom with a group of tentacles shooting out towards Alvin. The man jumped back and a torrenting beam of red light shot out of Herald’s staff. A searing heat could be felt and the smell of cooked tentacles and burning wood filled the cavern, “Alvin. Finish it off. It’s not dead… He needs the experience. We’ve all gotten plenty out of this.”

Will nodded at the explanation. His fellow human was the weakest link in the group and had killed far fewer snakes than anyone else. Herald walked over to the first mimic while Alvin executed the second and he stabbed the point of his war hammer into the side of the lid. More red blood and snot colored pus dribbled out of it but the halfling didn’t’ care and just used it to lift the lid.

“Wasting your time,” Silvia sang, “It’ hasn’t been here long enough to eat anyone.”

“You’re checking for bodies?” Will asked slightly horrified at the idea of getting eaten by a box.

“No, but they can only digest food. Or what they consider food. I’m checking for the inedible things that have ended up in here,” Herald said and smiled. He reached in and pushed aside some tentacles and pulled out a small handful of off white marbles, “Mimic Pearls.”

Will looked to Silvia to see her shrug but she was too preoccupied with the non magical trunk. She was on her hands and knees in front of it with one of her knives wedged into the gap, barely opening it. No doubt checking for tripwires inside.

“Why are you so interested in that one there, Silvia?” Alvin asked while cringing, the second mimic was a bit gooier after being partially melted. But he still came up with a couple more pearls.

“Shut up, please. I’m concentrating…. It’s because he’s the one that knows magic. If this one’s trapped, it’s something I can find…” Silvia still explained perhaps for a teaching moment, perhaps to point out the obvious and make Alvin feel dumb… It reminded Will of what he should be doing

He went back to the heavily enchanted box and lit it up with [Map Sight] again. Looking at the pathways for the complex blueprint with its center runework in the very center of the top. But it also had two more on either end… Will hadn’t seen that before. Even with the saddlebag, it had been one complex enchantment intertwined with itself not three distinct ones.

He began tracing the top enchantment with his eyes, quickly blinking away the pop up letting him know his [Map Sight] had leveled up. He didn’t need to read it, it had said increased levels would help him see the enchantment better. And it did, marginally.

“Not trapped!” Silvia broke his concentration and he looked to see her flip open the lid of the one she was working on in triumph. She looked inside and deflated, “Alvin, Will this is yours if they fit.”

She held up a nice pair of leather square toed boots. Far too big to fit any halfling.

“He can have them,” Will said and went back to tracing out the enchantment. He had another pair at home even if it wasn’t that nice of a pair.

Will shifted around following the pathways that moved to the side of the small trunk then shifted to look at the back and the other side. He threw up his hands in frustration.

“What’s wrong?” Alvin asked. He was the only one not doing anything. Silvia was busy inspecting the seam of the other unopened, non monster trunk while Herald cast a translucent barrier in front of her face for protection.

“It just doesn’t make sense…” Will said and leaned back on his haunches, “See right here. This is sapphire and quartz I think. And it’s elemental. So water and earth or lightning and earth. But I think the sapphire has water because it-”

“It’s a mud trap?” Alvin interrupted, “Is it gonna shoot out mud or turn the dirt below us to mud?”

“Good question, but neither. It’s unpowered and there’s no activation rune, no output runes, no input rune to bring in enough mana. The only thing it has is a single ‘mana draw’ rune and a ‘release valve’” Will made up the terms on the spot, he’d forgotten what the book called them but one drew in ambient mana for the long term enchantments like durability. The other let mana leak out if its level grew higher than the enchanter wanted, “And that’s not all of it. See this one here, that’s the rate of flow going this way. It’s a fire one but that wouldn’t work with elemental water by itself without being combined with the water rate of flow anyway. Worse, this one here is the same thing and they both feed into each other the wrong way. If mana was forced into it, this pathway here would build up mana to break apart.”

“Ah…” Alvin scratched at his chin.

“It’d be like shooting two bullets down the same barrel in opposite directions. The barrel would be shredded,” Will tried an analogy and the man seemed to understand, “On the side, this one is just a hardness and strength runes that encompass the corners of the box… That one's alright I think, it’s just making the box stronger. But on the other side… that’s just an air rune but there’s no effect. Nothing’s attached to it. It’s like someone started an enchantment, did the first step, then stopped.”

“Well, what bout them lines coming from under the trunk,” Alvin pointed and Will looked.

Will had completely missed that, he’d been tracing the lines out from the core of the blueprint and ignoring each and every line that wasn’t connected, thinking it was part of the other two. Will went to move the trunk but a knife stabbed into the dirt by his leg. He instinctively went for his weapon but stopped himself. He looked over at Silvia.

“I’ll look at it after we’re done with this one. It might have a pressure plate under it too. Just waiting for someone to move it,” she said.

“Too?” Will asked.

“Oh, yeah. This one has one, I can almost guarantee it. It has a weighted lid. If you act rashly and pick it up, pressure is released, and the trap goes off. Or if you flip it open, the trunk tips, releasing pressure, and again the trap goes off” she said smartly with a greedy grin, “But that’s a good thing. It means there is something in there that you’d want to use both hands to grab. Give us a hand?”

“What do you need?” Will asked and walked over with Alvin. Abandoning his own trunk for the moment.

“Just hold the trunk in place but don’t push down too much, it might have a second trigger if it gets more pressure. Just keep it where it is,” Silvia instructed and Will took up position. Once the three others were in place, Silvia lifted the lid slightly. Will immediately jammed his fingers into the trapped trunks lid and hoped there wasn’t anything nasty inside.

He saw the lid rise and Herald reach over to help support its weight from the back. Silvia let out a giggle and he looked down at the box. The back of the box had what looked like a large slab of lead placed in it but only loosely fastened to the box. It was why the weights didn’t show up in [Identify]. Inside the box was an assortment of items. A lot of it shiny.

“Those silver bars?” Alvin asked.

“Yup! Hold it right there,” Silvia said happily then turned and ran out of the small cavern. Will looked at Alvin and Herald but only the halfling seemed to understand.

“If it loses pressure, it goes off. She's getting rocks to keep the weight on the trigger while she removes the loot,” Herald explained with a tinge of excitement in his voice, even though he couldn’t see the contents that well, while keeping the lid from tipping back, “How many silver bars?”

Will looked down at their loot. He could see two silver bars, a couple handfuls of silver coins in a pouch, a couple enchanted bits of jewelry that shone under [Analyze], an assortment of books, some clothing, a toothbrush, bar of soap, a slightly crumpled hat… it looked like someones luggage.

“Two,” Alvin told him.

“Full bars?” He asked but Will wasn’t sure what that was considered a full bar. He looked at Alvin and the man shrugged. Prompting Will to glare at him and shoot a pointed glance at the man's hands.

“No idea,” Will said as Silvia sprinted back in.

“We better get this done fast. We’re gonna have company soon,” She said and dumped rocks out of her bag of holding. Without warning, she started shifting items in the trunk to determine their weight and grabbing a rock that she thought fit. Quickly emptying the chest of all its contents. She even took the toothbrush and soap. Will only half watched though, his eyes were on the door.

“Okaay, come on. Let’s look at that other chest,” she said quickly than seemed to remember the important news, “That other group is making their way this way. What’s left of them. If they help they’re entitled to something.”

Will shot air out of his nose but held the trunk until the lid was safely closed.

“Dead adventurers, treated with the utmost respect. Living ones? ‘Fuck them that’s my treasure’,” he joked quietly.

“Hey, they wouldn’t have made it past the first room if it wasn’t for us. Probably only got past the trap in the entrance because they saw our footprints,” Silvia said and started inspecting the enchanted chest to see if she could figure out of it was safe to move.

“Why the rush? If they show, we can give them that poor girl’s things, already got here first. They ain't entitled to nothin’,” Alvin said and Silvia’s head perked up but she shook her head.

“Not here. The labyrinth treasure,” she said.

“This isn’t it?” Will asked and looked at the trunks. All cleared out or killed except one.

“Dens only have ONE type of monster and that is not a snake,” Silvia said and took a moment to point to a dead mimic, “This is a puzzle room CONNECTED TO the labyrinth, not the treasure room OF the labyrinth.”

“Then why worry? If they’re here they ain’t close to the treasure room. We don’t know where it is,” Alvin stated and Silvia shot him a glare that all but told him vocally to shut up. It looked more intense than normal.

“Silvia?” Herald asked in a sharp tone.

“Fine, it's on Will's map. It showed three chambers in this area. The big one in the middle and two more. The other one’s not far from here,” She shot out, “Now let me work.”

Silvia then jammed her knife under the smallest trunk and tipped it up from the front. Will recoiled slightly but wasn’t the only one but if something was supposed to happen, nothing did.

“No pressure plate,” Silvia announced and tipped the trunk over onto its back while keeping a hand on the lid to keep it closed. Will stepped up and sighed. He didn’t even need to say it. The pathways were nothing. The ended shortly after going under the trunk, “You might want to back up.”

Will looked at her and quickly did. Not sure what she was going to do but found out a few seconds later. Silvia let go of the lid and dove away from it. She covered her head while she landed but nothing exploded. But a very bright glow emitted from the now partially open trunk. All four of them didn’t move for a second until Herald walked over and tipped up the trunk to peer inside. He reached in and the light disappeared.

“What is it?” Alvin asked.

“Just a really nice headlamp,” Herald lifted it up out of the trunk to display it. It was decorated in silver with a leather band attached and two mana crystals on either side of the quartz producing the light. Will looked at it then at the box. That didn’t make any sense. He activated [Analyze] and the trunk was still glowing brightly. He walked up and looked inside. Across the bottom was another blueprint core but a quick glance showed that it wasn’t just a dud like the ones on the outside. Will wasn’t sure what it did at first glance but he was certain that it was what had condensed so much magic into one area. Will looked over at his saddlebag sitting on the floor.

“If you’re wondering if it’ll fit. It will,” Herald said after following his gaze. Will didn’t hesitate to put the trunk into the saddlebag. It was a tight squeeze but he managed to push it through the top sideways.

“Dang it,” Silvia swore beside him. Will wasn’t sure what the problem was but froze immediately and kept his hands away from the walls. His sudden stop caught her attention, “No, not that. Look… You can come out. Last time checked snakes don’t have legs like these, or at all if you didn’t know.”

Will saw it then, a head poked out around the corner ahead then quickly lean back.

“You ain’t gonna shoot are ya,” the man said, “We’re adventurers.”

“We’re with the Union too. We’re not going to shoot,” Silvia asked and then looked up at Will, “You’re not going to shoot right? If they’ve got bounties… Do you have bounties on you?”

“No, no bounties, miss,” the man answered. There was a moment of silence then a man stepped out from around the corner with his hands visible. Behind him was another man and an older woman who looked really pale, “Don’t suppose you’ve got yourself an antidote we can buy off ya. Fred was carryin’ ours. That big scaly bastard ate him.”

Silvia groaned and dug into her pouch, quickly producing a glass bottle. Will stared at it for a second then at Silvia’s face. She didn’t turn her head to meet his gaze. In fact, it looked like she was actually trying to avoid looking at Will, “You offered.”

He did.

“Thank ya kindly. Here, Mary,” The man took the bottle and quickly went to help the older woman. Taking over holding her up. The other man stepped forward, hands visible. Each one was decorated with spiked brass knuckles.

“We came in after ya not knowin’ what this place was. Saw all the dead snakes and thought ya must have gotten chased off into the tunnels or left ‘em behind. Started collectin’ them when the big one came out. Blocked off the way out and sent us runnin'. It gobbled up Fred first, then smashed Johnnie against the wall… Poor little shit was just tryin’ to get its attention cause it was goin’ after Red. Guessin’ it got her too,” the other man said.

Will looked at the others and Silvia’s shoulders dropped from a more standoffish stance, “Harriet Ingleson of the Hulnit Riders?”

“Yeah, how- Poor Red,” he accepted the dog tag and shook his head, “How’d it happen? Snake didn’t eat her if you got this… thanks.”

He accepted her bag full of her possessions as well.

“Trap,” Silvia said simply, “She’s sleeping with her boots on.”

A moment of silence followed. Not just awkward silence but every adventurer bowed their head slightly. Will joined them as soon as he noticed, out of respect for the Woman.

“Don’t suppose you lot know a way outta here? That thing keeps on goin’ through the cavern back there, not sure if we can run for it,” Mary said. Like Alvin, she looked better though still really rough, she must have been suffering longer.

“No, but we’ve got a plan. Gonna get the treasure- Uff,” Silvia cut Alvin off with a punch to the hip. Will wasn’t sure if she was aiming there or if his last second shift to avoid it made her miss her true target.

“Lost half our group, ain’t gonna take no treasure if you gotta way out,” Mary said, “Got ourselves a [Sharpshooter], [Pugulist], and a [Gunslinger]. He’s higher level than yours but he ain’t got that ‘prodigious’ bit in front of it. Not sure what that means or if that’s good.”

“He’s the only one today that’s made the queen bleed so far,” Silvia informed them.

“Well, let's get you that treasure and get out of here. By the way, I’m Herald. This is Jack. And of course, that there’s Mary.”

“We’re calling you Harry… His name is Herald,” Silvia stated, bobbing her head in her fellow halfling’s direction. The two Herald’s shared a look but Harry shrugged, accepting the name.

“Usually go by that anyway miss. Was just bein’ polite,” Harry said.

“Well, suppose we should all get ta movin',” Alvin chimed in but for once his suggestion didn’t end in him being told to stop talking. Everyone was in agreement.

“It’s that way,” Silvia said and squeezed passed the newcomers to lead the way with Will quickly following suit to use his Skills alongside hers.

“How do you know that?” Mary asked but fell in line regardless. Whether Silvia knew or was just being confident, it wasn’t like they had anywhere else to be.

“A woman has her ways,” Silvia answered then looked up at Will with a wink. He sighed.

“I’ve got a map,” Will said and after a moment added, “It’s the only one I know of but I’ll see if I can get copies made and sell them to the general store or something.”

Silvia looked annoyed at first until he mentioned selling them. She reached into her pocket and handed him a dollar. Fair enough, first copy goes to them. Will felt a tap on his shoulder and looked back, Harry was holding out another dollar… first two copies sold.

The seven of them continued through the tunnels and Will got the impression they were definitely going the right way due to both video game experience and Coalition Marine experience. Whether a boss room or a control room, those strategic areas were always the most guarded. As evidenced by the increase in traps and the return of the occasional snake out on patrol. Or just slithering around like the bastards do.

He also found his second magical trap. He’d been walking normally but flicked on [Analyze] and saw beams of magic right in front of them. He snatched Silvia by the hair and yanked her backwards.

“What the… Oww!” She said and rubbed her head. He was sorry for that but wasn’t at the same time. She glared up at him but after looking into his eyes looked ahead of them, “How bad?”

“Bad… I’m not sure what it is. Beams of concentrated mana going from one side to the other, from floor to ceiling,” Will informed them.

“Is it a mythic one again?” Herald asked and Will nodded.

He got as close to the streams of magic as he dared and stood as still as possible when he switched to his other Skill. With [Map Sight] he could map out the pathways from the emitter although he couldn’t tell exactly how they were pushing out pure mana instead of an element. He cycled through his Skills to look the other way and saw they pushed into holes in the wall. Whatever was on the other end was hidden but he’d guess it’d work the same way as an active infrared sensor. Break the beam and the trigger goes off. But at the same time, he didn’t see any other magic other than a bit accumulating at either end of the beams. It wasn’t like the first trap with ten obvious devices hidden away…

“More charged things in the walls?” Silvia asked and Will briefly described what he was seeing. He saw a look of recognition on her face and to his horror Silvia stepped in, breaking the beams. The other adventurers followed suit.

“First dungeon,” Jack grinned.

“Actually, yeah,” Will said and looked at them on the other side of the beams.

“It just calls the queen back to the nest,” Silvia said, “We’ve got to hurry.”

Will crossed the threshold, realizing it really was like an active infrared alarm system… He couldn’t see the receptor though, so it wasn’t something he could really replicate. He turned and saw the entire group jogging away, moving a lot faster than they had previously. He took off to catch up, not sure why they were running. Well other than to beat the giant snake to the nest, get the treasure, and move on to the escape phase of the plan.

“Here’s the plan. Shoot for the eyes and we run away. We’ll make our way to the entrance and We’ll make a break for it and lure it over that trap if we have to,” Silvia said from the front but skidded to a halt a moment later when she almost ran out into a cavern. Will caught up and looked in too. The area illuminated by the headlamp and herald’s staff.

The place was filled with snakes like expected but there was a mound of what looked like silver balls sitting to the side along with a large chest at the back. Sitting over it was a crossbow on a rack with a sabre.

“New plan… Will give me your wand,” Herald asked and Will set down his saddlebag and quickly handed it over before drawing his carbine, “Hold your fire! Save it for the boss.”

“Don’t hit those eggs,” Silvia warned.

“I won’t… Silvia goes for the chest with Will and… Who’s the [Pugalist]? Doesn’t matter. Jack and Harry go for the eggs once they can, we’ll split them with you. The rest of us will clear the snakes and keep them off you. Go quickly because the boss is on her way,” Herald said and Silvia didn’t hesitate to jump the five feet into the literal snake pit. She landed in a roll and came up swinging. Will looked down and decided on a different, more controlled drop but quickly joined her. As soon as he was out of the way a spray of water came from overhead and guns started firing. The water was just the slight mist that left the powerful stream and he glanced to see it making quick work of the little snakes once more.

He felt a pull on his sleeve and turned to run. He knew what it was for. The two of them ran with Silvia being lower to the ground and better suited to deal with the multitude of snakes, cleared the way. Will drew his double action but anything bigger in front of him dropped dead from a round to the head from either Mary or Alvin behind them. Making him have to resist the urge to shoot.

It was strange in a way. The more advanced firearms were garbage against the slithering mass around them. The vast majority of the damage was being done by either magic or blades.

“Check for magic,” Silvia quickly instructed when they made their way to the back and spun after killing the few snakes there to cover his back. Will cycled his skills again. It was all enchanted.

He started with the sword. He had no idea how to check it was cursed but figured the easiest way was to make sure the effect wouldn’t shoot back at the wielder. Anything else he’d just have to hope but the runes on the sword was at least familiar in a way.

“Earth and wind runes… no, hardness enchantment on the edge and a wind enchantment off the tip with a hardness and strength attribute… Nothing on the handle- Crossbow, durability, and the strings magic but it’s not enchanted…” Will said.

“Probably just a magic material,” Silvia said. Right.

Will dropped down to the chest and unlike before it was a proper treasure chest. No enchantments but it was like the trapped trunk in the puzzle room. The fainter glow coming from magical artifacts inside. He also looked around the ground and didn’t see any runes or concentrated magic underneath them.

“Trunks clear on my end,” Will informed her.

“Well then get ready to switch,” Silvia said and Will took half a step towards her before reaching back and grabbing the sword.

“Alright switch,” Will said and Silvia darted behind him, leaving the approaching snakes all to him. It wasn’t just a straight shot either, they were coming from all available directions. Thankfully not many compared to the others. He spotted a snake to the side and activated [Quick Step]. It was only the second time doing that and the first time in combat. It was a little disorienting, covering about as far as he could in a running jump with one fast movement but it got him where he needed to be. He swung the sword in an arc and sliced into the snake's neck then lunged forward with a quick sweep of the wrist to kill another one. He was kind of proud of himself. He had never even held a sword before and he thought he was doing pretty good.

“More on my right,” Silvia called out and Will spun, firing off his skill again to close the distance and finishing it with a few more steps, “Careful with that. Those type of skills drain Stamina and Mana.”

Will acknowledged the warning and went without it for the next one. It was a python sized one that had gotten passed the shooters up top but after quick glance, he understood why. The other group going after the eggs was a lot more exposed. In front of him the giant snake reared up and lunged, Will used [Quick Step] that time and rather than running back in he raised his carbine. It’d never left his hand. He squeezed the trigger and the snake dropped but he couldn’t admire his handy work. A smaller one lunged at his leg and he jumped back and sliced. A second python sized one was making its way from the other side so he shot it. Two more little ones coming from the center. He pointed the sword at it and activated the enchantment.

“Oh…”

Will had expected a wind blade shooting out but all it did was create a blade of wind extending from the actual blade. No matter, they had closed the distance for him and he lunged at them with the extra foot the enchantment provided and cut into them. Then quickly shut it off, the sword didn’t have a visible mana crystal, so he figured it was draining his own.

He reactivated it a second later when another python sized one lunged at Silvia. The blade cut deep into its mouth and the attack fell short. Will whipped it around and chopped into the back of its head, finishing the cut and fully severing the top of its skull. It was satisfying...

“Got it!” Silvia said and lifted the lid.

“Boss!” Herald yelled at almost the same moment. Will turned to see a massive head entering the relatively small space with a long body behind. He looked at Silvia and she was already jamming the chest's contents into her bag. The other group was sprinting through the remains of the snakes, their path back covered by the makeshift hydro-cut turret.

“We’ve gotta fucking go!” Will said and slung his carbine. As soon as Silvia stood and dumped the sabre's sheath into her bag and grabbed the crossbow, Will scooped her up in his arm and started running. She struggled but Will had longer legs and overall was faster so he didn’t put her down. Instead, he held her in one arm while using the saber in an attempt to clear their way. More often than not having to result in juking to the side or jumping over a snake. He saw ahead Alvin helping the others up while Mary fired on its eye. It jerked wildly as she pulled the trigger and the round glanced harmlessly off its scales.

“Watch your eyes!” Herald yelled out and Will closed them just before a flash of light pierced through his eyelids. He opened them again a moment later to see the big snake recoil and look around stupidly. They made it to the ledge and Will quickly pushed Silvia up but jumped back, slicing into his arm with the sabre when the queen lunged, slamming into the wall of the cave. A second later rounds started bouncing off its scales again and it turned to cover its eyes and laid eyes on him.

“Shit!” Will drew his 50 cal. [Quick Aim], [Penetrating Shot], [Tracking Shot], [Posse: Mark Target]… he didn’t know what half his skills did and swore he’d look into them if he survived but he fired them all off and pulled the trigger.

*Bang*

The snake once again jerked its massive head but at the last moment so did Will’s hand as [Tracking Shot] took over to correct his aim for the moving target. The round struck true and the snake recoiled letting out a terrifying rasp as blood gushed from its eye socket. The queen Silver Crest turned its head further to look at him but immediately brought it away and blindly lunged at him. Will rolled away and jumped up, only then noticing the other snakes closing in on him. He grabbed the sabre and desperately swung at the nearest one before looking up at the ledge. He couldn’t get there! Silvia threw something through the air to him and he caught it. It was the headlamp. She pointed towards the entrance the queen had used and yelled but Will hadn’t heard her, he was already turning to run.

“Go! I’ll meet you… Somewhere! Get out!” Will yelled, resuming his desperate sprint through the snakes. Really hoping he didn’t get bit considering he had left his remaining antidote and tonics in his bag. He also really hoped they would grab it but at the same time, he was sure they would. He heard gunfire continue behind him as he left the cavern but without turning knew the snake wasn’t going after the others. The big bastard was going after him!

How’d he know? Well, he could guess it had to do with marking the target. It was giving him a vague sense of its direction like a wide ray extending in the snake's direction. If it had been 100 kilometers away, it might have been a question to where exactly but at not even 100 meters? He knew the damn thing was behind him and closing. He looked for a side tunnel desperately but didn’t see one. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the queen coming for him. There was no way to outrun it.

So Will did the only thing he could do. He came to a stop after a bend in the wide tunnel and took aim. [Penetrating Shot], [Tracking Shot]… A scaled head with a yellow eye came around the corner and Will could have sworn it looked shocked as he pulled the trigger a blink after [Quick Aim]… Once again it tried to catch the round on its scales but again his wrist twitched just right to adjust his aim and the heavy caliber round tore through its vulnerable eye. It rasped loudly and banged its head back and forth against the side of the tunnel in pain. It calmed down after a moment and flicked its long tongue out, bearing scars but fully healed and Will hoped that it was from eating the man with the tonics and not the dungeon healing it already. It tasted the air and Jerked its head to the side but it didn’t look right at him! It worked!

“It’s blind! It’s blind!” Will called out and it jerked its head again, “Oops, guess you can still fucking hear me.”

Will spun and ran with the snake making its move too late. His route took him along the side of the tunnel, forcing the snake to take the center or drag itself against the side. When it got too close it did just that, forcing it to slow.

The desperate run couldn’t last forever and Will’s eyes lit up when he spotted a side passage ahead. He slid feet first into it and quickly scrambled inside. Finally taking a moment to put the headlamp on properly, it’d been in his hand up till that point. He looked back to see the length of the queen slowing in the tunnel outside. Will reached for the wall but stopped himself at the last moment before getting up, careful not to touch anything. He looked at the snake for a second and turned to look further down the tunnel.

“Fucking seriously?” Will stomped on the ground at the sight of the end of the seven foot deep dead end passage. In turn, the snake started moving again and Will risked leaning out of his alcove to look and groaned when he saw the snake was turning around. And then quickly stepped out into the main passage when he realized his alcove was wide enough for its head with nowhere to go. He looked at the snake as it flicked its tongue repeatedly and decided on scent and sound… Taste? And sound? He didn’t know, maybe all three. In any case, he could only do something about one of them and tried to step as lightly as possible while standing right next to the snake's body. He stayed like that, only moving when it moved, hoping that its own scent and sound would drown out his own enough where even if it knew he was right there, it still had no idea exactly where to strike.

Slowly he made his way towards the entrance while the snake grew more and more frustrated. It’d stick out its tongue, taste the air where he just was and start flicking it around to find out which direction he was traveling. Only to have him double back or at one point duck, the snake's tongue flittering directly above his head. If it hadn’t had to rise up slightly to taste the air over its own back it would have found him.

Suddenly the snake rose its head and looked down the tunnel behind them. Will turned too and saw to his annoyance about a dozen more of the queen's bastards slithering towards them. He looked up at the queen, “Fuck you!”

And then used [Quick Step] to move him just out of the strike, although he felt the wind from it and dust flew up in his face but the only thing the big bastard got was rocks. He flipped the bird and ran.