The orc stared at Zrimm as he panted and sweated, with Zrimm staring right back. Zrimm wondered why the orc had come to his and the undead’s defense, are orcs so bloodthirsty that they picked random fights?

“Why did you help us?” Zrimm questioned him.

“Strange way of saying thank you.” He said sarcastically as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

“We could have been prisoners. Maybe the hobgoblin was just doing his job as warden.” Zrimm said.

“Nah, prisoners in this dungeon have a specific look. The look of being starved and half dead,” He glanced at the corpse of the hobgoblin, “And I’ve wanted to kill this idiot ever since he “lost” some prisoners. How did the both of you get down here anyway?” The orc said.

“We were trying to escape from the chaos upstairs.” Zrimm did not mention the part that the undead was a prisoner. “My friend here told me before his mouth got shot off that he knew of a secret passageway.”

“And you believed him?” The orc said in a skeptical tone.

“I didn’t exactly have a better plan, and it’s working so far.”

“So you call being attacked and nearly killed by a hobgoblin a working plan?”

Zrimm shrugged his shoulders, “I'm still alive ain’t I. I didn’t catch your name by the way.”

“Nasrul.”

“My name is Zrimm, of the thousand claws clan. This here is uhh… Drann.”

“Before you continue, let me ask you one question. Are you trying to desert the dark army?” Nasrul said.

“The OverLord is dead, and so are his three warlords probably. The alliance has all but won the war against us.”

“Not quite. Brodnuk is dead and Attris has gone missing along with his army, however, Kargek still lives, he and his army are holding up in Blackhill.”

“There is no way I'm heading towards Blackhill to fight in some orc’s last stand. I've got a family to get to.”

“You said you were from the Thousand claws clan right?”

“Yes,” Most goblins belonged to one of five clans, they warred and traded with each other throughout their violent history, however OverLord Lazis had brought an uneasy peace to the goblin clans by uniting them against a common enemy, the alliance.

“I have heard of reports that after Lazis’ death that most goblins fled their homeland and headed towards Blackhill for protection, including the Thousand claws clan.”

Zrimm gathered his thoughts for a moment, had his family fled to Blackhill, the city of the damned?

“How do I know you are not lying?”

“Ask anyone who recently visited the goblin homelands. Asrik, Tinles, Derka, every clan capital deserted after goblin scouts reported that the alliance was marching toward their towns and villages. They knew that they alone stood no chance against an entire army.”

“I guess I know where I'm going next then. But I am done serving the dark army, I will return home once I find my family at Blackhill.” Zrimm reaffirmed.

“And do you think the dark army will let you desert? What about the alliance? Do you think they will pardon your crimes against them?” Nasrul questioned.

“I will deal with it when I get there. Thank you for the help, but we are leaving” Zrimm said.

“Wait. We are also heading towards Blackhill.”

“We?” Zrimm asked.

“Velatha, stop hiding in the shadows and introduce yourself already!” Nasrul yelled out. How many people are hiding in the darkness, Zrimm sarcastically thought as a figure sauntered from the darkness, a woman. She was wearing a sleeveless brown tunic, with brown trousers that had a sheath attached to it that held a dagger. A light green cloak with a hood covered her head and body, with a bow and an arrow holster attached to it. But what was most striking to Zrimm were her eyes, green cat-like eyes revealed that which revealed she was an elf. He found her eyes otherworldly and alien but also beautiful in a strange sort of way.

“My name is Velatha, but my friends call me Vel. What is your name, green one?” The elf said.

“Zrimm, the undead one is Drann.” Zrimm said before he gave her a look of suspicion, “I did not know that elves served the dark army.”

“She is a mercenary,” Nasrul said.

“Now, Nasrul, didn’t anyone ever tell you that it’s rude to answer for someone else?” The elf teased the orc.

“How long have you been hiding in the darkness?” Zrimm said.

“I've been here since the hobgoblin fight”

“And you didn’t help us?” Zrimm said in an exasperated tone.

“Do you know how hard it is to get the stink of hobgoblin blood off your body?” She replied. Zrimm did notice a faint smell right after the fight which at first he assumed to be the stink of the dungeon. Velatha looked at Nasrul who was currently covered with hobgoblin blood, “You are going to need a long bath, my friend,” Nasrul simply grunted in response.

“So what’s the plan anyway?” Velatha said.

“Didn’t you hear us go over it while you were creeping in the darkness?”

“Too busy checking my arrow fletchings,” Vel replied nonchalantly. Zrimm then seriously wondered if she would be a liability, he, however, kept that thought to himself in fear of angering Nasrul if he brought it up.

“My undead friend here apparently knows of a secret passageway out of here. He got his mouth blown off by an explosion but he can still show us the way.”

“Great then, lead the way.” The group followed Drann’s lead as he led them deeper into the dungeon. As they ventured, Zrimm glanced at the prisoners that occupied the numerous cells of the dungeon.

“Help! Let me out!” One grey-bearded human prisoner yelled out.

“I've been here for two years! Do you know what that hobgoblin does to us?” Another prisoner yelled out.

“Don’t you think we should release them? They might starve to death if we leave them here.” Zrimm said. While he himself was no saint, even he thought it needlessly cruel to leave them there to a slow death.

“No need, the alliance will rescue them once they find the dungeon. And they also might attack us if we release them.” Nasrul responded.

“Traitor! The queen will have your head on a pike!” An elven prisoner yelled out, a threat which Velatha flinched at.

“Don’t let them get to you,” Nasrul said.

Eventually, Drann stopped in front of a stone wall and pointed at it.

“It’s behind this wall then?” Nasrul said.

Drann nodded a yes. Nasrul then looked around before he found exactly what he was looking for, a sledgehammer. “Looks like it’s time for some demolition,” he said before he pounded the stone wall with the sledgehammer. The stone wall crumbled after a dozen hits, which revealed an entrance to a cave.

“Lazis sure loved his secret passageways,” Zrimm said. Nasrul gave him a look before he tossed the sledgehammer aside and grabbed a torch that hung on the wall. He entered the cave first, lighting the way with his torch as the rest of the crew followed right behind him into the unknown.