Kalani’s mother, and queen of their tribe, had forbidden the lantern naga from investigating the sounds from the main cavern. When they had heard the clatter echoing off the walls, the old crone had ordered everyone to hide in their underwater lair.

Kalani would not let that sort of cowardice go on much longer. Soon she would kill and eat her mother. Then she would be the queen. She would lead her people to the surface.

The lone naga slithered along the stone. Her black violet scales melded into the background. She kept to the darkness, which wasn’t hard, this was her lair. Kalani glided along the smooth rock with practiced ease.

It did not take long for her to arrive at the primary point of disturbance. Careful not to trigger the mushrooms, she coiled into a large patch and hid, waiting.

Creating quite the ruckus, the duergar troop marched past her in haste. They were odd looking dwarves. They looked exceptionally dangerous.

Perhaps mother had been right. She would wait and observe. Only when it was safe would she emerge.

She had begun to nod off, the cold stone and inaction making her drowsy, when the noisy dwarves returned. From how they were moving and the tone of their incomprehensible gibbering they seemed pleased with themselves.

Then the dwarves froze and looked up to the large hole in the ceiling. They started shooting at something hanging on one of the ropes the group must have used to descend. She hadn’t seen those.

A way out! There had never been a way to the surface before. She needed to remain calm. Steadying her breathing was hard.

Heart racing, she startled when she heard the growl. She had never heard anything so vicious. Sounds of fighting came from the other side of the cavern.

Then she saw him.

Bursting through a mushroom only feet away from her was a magnificent specimen. Blood dripped from his claws as he stalked towards the dwarves. The vampires clothes were in tatters. She could see slashes across his body regenerating. Kalani had never seen a vampire before, but she knew one when she did.

She was riveted. The speed and strength of the monster made her shiver with delight. He literally tore through his prey. Carnage rained around her.

Kalani would claim this male. He would be a great addition to her tribe. Once he finished with his playthings, of course.

Her attention was so focused on the vampire and his savage assault, that she missed the others. A normal dwarf appeared behind the vampire at the end of the battle. He executed the feeding beast as he lay helpless.

Kalani didn’t have any time to react. She doubted that she would have intervened anyways. A male, even one as delicious as that golden haired vampire, wasn’t worth it. It was a shame though.

Biding her time, she kept a silent watch. Nothing of note happened while the dwarf and elf looted the corpses. She continued to wait as the two to ascended up to the surface. When the ropes followed up after them she was safe again, but trapped.

Frustrated, Kalani slithered back towards the lake. Her machinations would soon come to fruition.