Down Into The Depths (IC)

Alysa's gazes followed Persus as he noted her beening in charge in a way that she knew way to well. She had gotten that look many times in her travels and yet here she still stood, a woman with her sword in hand fighting what life brings compared to those men that lay upon the ground as food for the vultures. She never could understand the male ego nor did she wish too.

She pulled her eyes from him with a burning that she wish not to identify for it only made her more temperamental towards him. What she did know was that he was a coward wearing a uniform of an officer. Anyone who would let children and elders defend the lives of a city while his best troops protects the kings treasury is no man she wished to associate with, best to leave him to Ravin she decided as her thoughts came to a close about the captain.

She turned back just in time to see Mara pull Ravin to the side. Her eyes capture the stare of Mara looking at her. Alysa's eyes narrowed at the sight of her whispering in the ear of the man that she has begun to trust and admire to an extent. If this was before her travels she would be jealously fighting over Ravin but she has learned that men put on a show for the comfort seeking females, which are easily duped into the mans bed, and after that conquest is when the true man appears, however, the longer you stand and give no quarter they slip and let that false image fall. Did she feel that he has put a false image up? No but she wasn't going to jump without finding out all she can first.

She pulled herself from watching them for a few times Ravin caught her stare and she wanted not to give him any false notions that she cared for him more than just a comrade in arms. She walked away with the though weighting heavy upon her mind. How did she feel for him, and will she lower her wall and show him what she is fearing that she is doing? Falling for him. Damnit she whispered as she hastened her step out of the building and into the orange glow of the litted up battlements.

Her eyes caught movement off into the shadows some thirty paces away. She stood still searching the darkness. Her hand gliding over the cold pommel of her sword. She did not call out nor did she stare directly in the location that she seen the moving shadow. She wanted to wait and allow this figure to make its move. From her right she witnessed the approach of the Captain, anger filled his face while he stared her down. This wasn't going to be a very good encounter..

Persus

Persus was not happy, Ravin was young and it was obvious to Persus why he had put Alysa in charge. He couldn’t deny that she was beautiful to look at and she had handled the battle alright, but she was still a woman and once things got tougher she would budge under the pressure. He knew the catacombs better than anyone; he was the captain of the guard and it was his duty to keep the king safe. If the goblins hadn’t attacked he would’ve been fine with sending Alysa away with the rest of the gang. Everything had changed with the attack and putting a woman in charge would jeopardize the whole mission. Just because she whored herself out to Ravin didn’t make her a good commander or scout. It just made her a whore and he couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when Ravin started to get bored of her. He had seen it happen with the king so many times and it would please him to see her get tossed away unless she managed to get them all killed before it happened.

He still knew his duty and did his best to prepare the men while he was away. They were either too young or too old, but they were the only men he had been allowed to bring down to the catacombs. The King wanted his best men by his side at all time and Persus didn’t think this attack would change anything. He didn’t do anything when the barbarians raided the north, since he was too afraid to send his army away. If only he had been more like his father the old king. Still there was at least one good man left in the camp. He trusted Henri, they had seen battles together and he knew how to keep his head cool. Persus also decided to send a message to the king explaining their situation and asking for more men. When he spotted Alysa he knew he had to say something. If only he could make her understand that she wasn’t fit to lead.

“You should let me lead, I know the catacombs and I won’t panic if the battle get heated. Spreading your legs for a nobleman doesn’t make you a leader and this mission is important. Just follow my commands and I will let you act like the leader in front of Ravin, okay sweetheart?” Persus said and moved his hand to pat Alysa's arm.

The Challenge

Alysa's training to find this shadow wasn't effective enough to spot the skilled lurker which worried her for it wasn't goblin or any other foul beast but one with great skill of hiding, Magic! Her mind closed the issue of comparing her skill to that of the luker. He was using magic, she searched harder looking deeper into the shadow, her mind wishing she was part elf. Damit! Her mind barked at her failure for not finding the shadowed one.

The words hit her like a heavy mace! Anger flared in her eyes as she gritted her teeth, but the more he ran his mouth the more she fell into the flames. She shot a glare at Ravin but decided that it was time to show everyone that she wasn't a push over and she was not going to take any mouth from a man.

She dropped down and spun using a leg hook to bring the captain down to his back and as she was completing her spin she pulled her sword and dagger. Upon coming to face him she rose and dropped her sword to his throat and the dagger coming to a stop at his groin. She pushed the dagger enough to penetrate the heavy leather greave, her sword cutting him like a shaving cut as it rested on his neck. Fire raged throughout her body as she fought with herself of killing this man or not. Her body posed in a position in which just a small yank on her sword would end this man's life.

"I am a knight of the first order! I have seen more death and cause more death than you can even imagine! You have just challenged my command! Do you yield or do I kill you right now! " Her eyes flaring with raged, "If you was so damn good than why do you not see the luker in shadows just north of us? Your only good at running your mouth due to your station in the courts of calling out names to your worthless king!" she spat at him before rising up and yelling, "Alarm! We have an intruder at the north! Using Magic!" She yelled as she rushed over the captain and headed to the shadows, "Left flank ..Right flank.. Close gaps on me! Pole arm scouting!" she began striking methodically into the shadows!

”There is something wrong Ravin,” Mara said and looked somewhere in the distance.

Ravin didn’t see anything, but he knew Mara well enough to trust her. She didn’t specify what she meant, but she had a look on her face that told him not to disturb her. He saw the captain coming back, but he realized too late where he was heading. Ravin thought that Persus had accepted Alysa as their leader during this mission, but judging by the look on the man face he’d clearly been wrong. He didn’t hear what the captain said, but he was sure it wasn’t anything good. Persus was a moron and Ravin was furious at him, but before he could do anything Alysa had already brought him to the ground with a knife against his neck. He could see the rage in her eyes and for a second he thought she was about to kill him.

The terrified look on Persus was a punishment worse than any punch Ravin could’ve thrown. He had been brought down by a woman and it only added to the humilation Persus felt. Alysa didn’t make any more friends with her treatment of Persus, but at least no one else would dare to question her authority again. Persus had been a potential ally and the look he gave Alysa was full of hate. He had just been emasculated in front of all his men and it looked like he wanted to kill her.

Ravin saw Mara point at something at the same time Alysa shouted about an intruder. It was someone who was using magic and unless either Mara or Alysa had said anything he would’ve missed it. The men quickly covered her flank while he and Mara made a flanking maneuver. He felt a shill as he got closer to the area there they had seen the shadow, while Alysa and the men quickly approached it from another direction. There was no way for the shadow to escape and Ravin started swinging his sword hoping to hit something.

“It’s gone,” Mara suddenly said and it quickly became obvious that nothing was there anymore.

He could see the looks on the soldiers and hear their talk, questioning Alysa and wondering if something had really been there. Ravin had seen something and Mara had sensed it too.

“That woman is mad, she almost killed me and now she’s seeing things that aren’t there. She is a lunatic and a danger to all of us. She’s a whore, she brings destruction and evil wherever she goes like all knights of the first order. She will betray anyone who trusts her and I want her gone.” Persus screamed at them and Ravin could feel the insecurity spread among the men.

They had never seen their commander this mad and none of them had seen the shadow. It quickly became obvious that they were going to side with their commander. Persus gained more confidence as more and more men stood by his side. They were choosing the one they knew. Maybe they would’ve chosen differently if they had managed to capture the shadow, but now they hadn’t.

“You got fifteen minutes to leave for the catacombs. You either comeback when you’ve finished the mission or you don’t come back at all. I would have you killed on the spot Alysa if it wasn’t for Ravin and the others. He will leave you as soon as he realizes what a bitch you are! I hope you die in the depths. I hope the goblins rapes you before they kill you bitch. That will teach you!” Persus continued screaming well protected behind his men.

As furious as Ravin was at Persus for what he was saying his thoughts immediately went to Alysa. He wanted to beat the crap out of Persus and he could only imagine how mad she must be. He had started moving towards her the moment he heard Persus screaming at her. Ravin first priority had to be to protect her and when he reached her the fire in her eyes was bigger than he had ever seen before. He couldn’t blame her but he couldn’t let her throw away her life either. He didn’t know what to do or say, so he did the first thing that entered his mind and threw his arms around her and hugged her as tightly as he could.

“He’s not worth it Alysa. The best revenge would be coming back alive. I won’t leave you, I won’t betray you. I want you to live Alysa,” Ravin said feeling the warmth from her body as he held onto to her tightly inhaling her smell.

He felt the pace of his hearth speed up and he started getting conscious just how closely he was hugging her and how it must look to the others.

How? This question ripped its way through Alysa's mind while she walked the area looking down at the cold, earthen ground. She knew of some magic but nothing that would explain this to her. Frustration settled upon her brow while she moved down a few feet still looking for signs but nothing came to her the area was clean. A brow arched upwards when the words of the captain caught up with her. Her mood toward him was already set to kill this man but her attempt to spare his life just faltered with his continuing motion of pressing her into a corner where she wish not to stand. She whirled around to face the man and was surprised how he sorta buried himself behind his followers. Her lips formed a smile.

She eyed each man standing there, challenging them and one by one they looked away from her, strong united weak on their own , this being true anywhere these days as life gets harder to survive. Then her eyes fell on a few elders that didn't break, they held their ground and stared back at her. There these are the men she wanted, these men would be the vets of wars that have already came and gone. They were also the ones that would support her next move. Her brow arched above her eye as she squared off with them and once again, and the result was the same, the two elder men didn't break.

She moved closer to the captain, noting the two elder men reaching for their sword pommel's, she rose her hand to them and gave a notion for them to relax and when they pushed their swords back into their sheaths, she knew they were now hers. She smiled as they moved toward her but that smile fell when Ravens arms clasped around her and held her close to him. She instantly looked over at him and even though she didn't mind the enclasping she needed the show of strength to save this moment. Angrily, "Take your hands off of me! Who the hell do you think you are!" she pushed the dagger tip to his gut, a sneer on her face. "Release me at this very moment!" she turned away from him as his hands fell from her.

"Captain, you have called me a whore, a grubbing slut, which is fine for you have the right to do so as every man here has. You have also challenged my command which also you and any man has the right to do this, however you do not have the right to threaten my life!" she eyed him before looking at the two elder men whom took their position beside her. Returning her look to the captain, then over to Ravin with apologetic look, she held his gazed for a few moments then allowed them to drift way back to the Captain. "You have acknowledged here in front of every man that I am a Knight, you also acknowledged Ravin as a Knight as well everyone here knows that you are one as well, even tho washed up you still have the title and rights thereof. So in response to your challenge," she looks at Ravin once more with that same I'm sorry look before she continues.

"I here by ask to have this challenge of command settled by the trials of the knight's gauntlet! "She knew the look Ravin would be giving her so she didn't look at him once she announced the trial. "So Captain. I call upon you! What do you say? Do you grant my wish of killing you now or do you become my man-bitch? Captain in front of all knights standing here do you except the battle to the death challenge or do you yield?" She stood staring at him waiting for his decision to fight her or become her personal slave.

Ravin realized his mistake when he heard her voice and felt the dagger against his gut and quickly released his arms. It was about honor and he had made her look weak by approaching her this way and instead of protecting her he had forced her to escalate things. He heard her challenge the captain to a duel and once again he cursed her for acting like a fool, but at the same time he admired her for standing up for her honor.

She looked like a true leader, strong and confident and with a natural authority that made people listen to what she said. Once the words were spoken there was no backing out and all Ravin could do was to support her. She did what she had to do and it was also his fault for not realizing the captains true feelings. He saw the apologetic look Alysa gave him, but he didn’t blame her this time. This wasn’t an enemy that could destroy her like the king could.

This battle was about honor and a knight without honor would be nothing more than a glorified soldier. Ravin was proud of Alysa for standing up for herself even though he preferred a more diplomatic solution, but the captains words had made it impossible. He smiled when he heard the word “man-bitch.” She didn’t take shit from anyone, not the king and certainly not from the captain and it felt refreshing to Ravin. There were too many at the courts who never spoke their mind, people who only cared about power and gold and nothing about honor. She was a breath of fresh air and despite all her flaws she had the potential of a great knight in her.

He could feel the solider tense up and when he looked at Persus he saw a scared man. Alysa had easily dispatched shortly before his outburst and he must know his chances to survive a duel would be very slim unless she decided to spare him. There was something desperate about him as he looked around for support from his soldiers who seemed unsure about what they should do.

“She’s a woman, not a knight. She doesn’t have any respect for anything so why should I respect her,” Persus said and spitted on the ground acting like a coward. He knew just as well as Ravin that in the eyes of the law she was knight.

“I vouch for her knighthood captain,” Ravin said.

It was all that he needed to say. They all knew he was a knight and a nobleman. Persus would have to be a fool to deny that. He saw the look on Persus face, accusing him of all this. He still didn’t realize that Ravin had wanted Alysa to lead the expedition because of her skill. Ravin tried to think of a way for Persus to back down and still keep his honor intact, but it had gone too far. Everyone in the camp was looking at Persus and Alysa. Ravin could see that Persus had similar thoughts searching for a way out.

“I yield,” Persus finally said chocking Ravin and the soldiers. He was giving up all his authority and honor and Ravin couldn’t understand why.

“Please accept my apology, I had no right to call you those words. I shall give you my sword to with as you please,” Persus said as he approached Alysa holding out his sword.

Persus was mad at Alysa for the way she had treated him. She had shown no respect for his honor and she would have to pay for her life. As soon as she got the sword from his hands he would stab her with his knife. She may be a knight but as a knight of the first order it would be what she deserved. Persus felt betrayed by Ravin too, another man who was a slave under his urges. It was the only explanation why he would choose her over him. “Let’s see how he reacts after I kill his little whore,” Persus thought as he got ready to hand over the sword to Alysa.

A brow rose and narrowed above the deep blue eye that eyed the captain. Her mind focused upon him and his lack of fighting back, his witty remarks and strong stature all of a sudden changed into one one cowardice. She was confused and set back for a moment while her mind tried to figure out what the hell just happened. She lowered her eyes from the Captain's gaze to the dark , cracked ground for a few moments searching for answers that just didn't come. It was unbecoming of this man to give in when she gave him the right to kill her without fear of reprisal, but then again, she knew he was getting too comfortable in his role in the kings court which may account for this, but the respect he would lose from all would hinder that position if not end it. No, there is something else doing on..

She raised her eyes up to met those of the captains, searching his green eyes for anything that would indicate his true intentions, but all she got was his defeated ego. He truly yielded his way of life for what? His life, which he lost the moment he yielded so why not fight and die with honor? She shot a glance at Ravin with this uncertain look upon her face and in her eyes. Her mind shifted to him. She wondered how he felt about breaking this high level knight the way she did. He was honorable and would have found a way for him and th Captain to command together and work as one. He was a much more of a knight than she could ever be, for she was the battlefield knight, one whom has never had the way of life in times of peace to learn that edict.

She wanted to walk up to him and sling her arms around him like he did her and just walk away from all of this. She was tired, tired of always being angry, being the untrusting bitch that always turned to the sword to talk for her. It has taken so much away from her, she had lost so much. Her mind swirled, thoughts of how she needed to change came crashing through that battle hardened soul of hers, the fight within was on! She reached out with her eyes, the pain that gripped her earlier returned with reinforcements and she buckled under the pressure as her hand released the sword she was gripping so tightly fell to the ground. Her eyes still locked upon Ravin showed her pain to him once more, the guilt of breaking this man out of anger instead of working with him
for a greater good.

She switched her gaze from Ravin to the two men at her side and wondered how they felt about her. She didn't hold back the pain in her eyes from them either, the pain that she just realized that the world was bigger than just her and that many lives depended on them and if that meant that she had to submit to the quims of the captain to save these lives so be it. She turned back to the Captain, "Captain, keep your command, I.."

The dagger pierced her armor as the Captains skill with close combat came to bear on her, while he passed the layers of protection an sneer coiled upon his face as he pommeled the dagger's point deep into her. The pain was intense and awakening to her as she allowed this new way of to begin and like always the betrayal comes and takes all away from her. She gulped as the blood filled her mouth from the wound in her stomach, but then she spit it outward as the second stabb came harder and deeper into her. Her gaze fell on mist of gray while her body convulsed to the third stab that sent her into the darkness...

Everything went in slow motion, Ravin saw Alysa drop her guard and for once letting everyone see her weak side and she had never looked stronger. She seemed more at peace and the fire in her eyes for once seemed to be under control. The pain was still there and maybe it would never go away, but this was a first step to change her ways. Ravin could see her reaching out to him and he started walking towards her, not able to hide the smile on his face. He wanted to show her that trusting people could be a good thing. He wanted to lift her up and spin her around and tell her how wonderful everything would be and just look into her eyes and…

Then everything happened so fast and it he hadn’t seen it coming and neither had she. Ravin saw the shocked look on her face as she fell to the ground holding her stomach. Ravin paid no attention to the captain as he rushed to Alysa’s side.

“She needs help,” Ravin screamed, he only knew the most basic about healing.

All he knew was that he had to stop the bleeding and even if he did it might still not be enough. He pushed his hand against the wound while shouting at Alysa to wake up. Soon Mara was by his side too and she took over. She wasn’t a healer, but she knew how to treat a wound and he tried his best to help her out. He ran and got her towels, water and blankets to keep her warm and then he helped carry her back into the small shack laying her down onto the bed. Mara forced him to wait outside while she used the little magic she knew to help Alysa to heal. He would only disturb the spirits she said.

“Fuck, why hadn’t it seen it coming?” Ravin thought. He had thought the captain was a good man and he didn’t see it coming and now Alysa could die. He was scared and it was all that occupied his mind and it wasn’t until he saw Persus approach he got reminded just who it was that had attacked her. He had been too busy being worried about her safety to care about the man who stabbed her. It had been a cowardly move, not worthy of a knight but he knew what a fearsome warrior Alysa could be so he understood why. He had done it to save his life, but she had spared him.

“I heard her too late Ravin. I never, I just…“ Persus said and Ravin could hear the regret in man’s voice, but it didn’t stop the anger from boiling up.

He didn’t want to talk to the man or see him right now, not until he knew what would happen to Alysa. He didn’t like what kind of emotions the man was stirring within him, a mixture of pity, anger but even worse he wanted to kill the man and if Alysa didn’t make it he would. Ravin grabbed Persus and pushed him against the wall.

“If she dies, you die!” Ravin shouted while staring at him before letting him go.

A part of him wanted to forgive the man, but if Alysa didn’t make it there would be no way he could let the man live. He didn’t like what he was feeling when he looked at the man, he felt pity for him but he also wanted to him and make him feel the same pain Alysa was feeling. Ravin watched Persus walk away with his head down, but somehow it only made angrier. Maybe he was doing what Alysa was doing, burying his pain in anger. He wasn’t used to feel hate and it scared him, he knew vengeance almost always led to more violence and hearth break. Luckily Mara came out of the shack and his mind shifted to Alysa again. What did he really feel for her? He had seen death before, he had killed before but he had never been this scared of it before.

“Is she alright?” Ravin asked not bothering to hide how worried he was.

“She lost a lot of blood, but the spirits have spared this one. She’s going to make it…” Mara started saying and Ravin could feel how the negative emotions being washed away and replaced by relief and happiness.

Even before she could finish her sentence he was on his way inside, but Mara stopped him by putting her arm on his shoulder.

“Her body needs to sleep and be careful Ravin and don’t forget that you’re already engaged. Don’t deny you like her Ravin, I’ve seen it in your eyes. Just be careful. You can only stay there for a short while and don’t wake her up,” Mara said and he just nodded not sure how he wanted to respond to her.

He needed to see for himself that she was okay and he felt nervous as he entered the small building. He could smell sweat and blood, but as he approached the bed Alysa looked surprisingly peaceful like nothing bad had happened to her at all. He reached down with his hand to brush away a stray of hair from her face. She didn’t look she was hurt at all, but the bloody towels by the end of the bed spoke another tale. He sat besides the bed watching her sleep until he heard Mara knock on the door.

“Sleep well Alysa,” he whispered as he reached out to stroke her face gently and give her a kiss on the forehead as he got ready to leave. She was going to make it, he just knew it.

At the door stood the two men that was standing at Alysa's side when the captain attacked, they were also the ones that pulled him off of her and was about to kill him when the waving hand spared the captains life. Now they were here checking on the condition of their commander, and taking their post at her door. They nodded to Ravin as he walked out reluctantly from the small building. His eyes locked on Mara, his face holding the same question that he had before...will she live..

The atmosphere was one of muddled whispers and disbelief of what their Captain had done. Even tho the command was given back to the captain, many lost their respect for him in his actions of moments passed. Yet, they still didn't have the trust to follow a woman into battle. Instead, their eyes fell upon Ravin, a well known Knight of the realm but to their dismay, he didn't seem like he wanted to lead them but was wanting to follow the woman. This action confused them even more, but it wasn't lie they had a choice in the matter.

Meanwhile, inside the warm, orange lighted room Alysa slept, her body healed but weak in strength. Her mind dreaming of times much better, if there was such a thing. She moaned lightly when her body shifted slightly to find a more comforting position. Quickly the pain faded allowing her to back into a deeper sleep. Here, in her mind's shadow she weighed her role into what was too come, what they really faced in the depths below, but before her mind could answer the darkness claimed her once more.

Outside the men started to form around the two whom seemed to take care along with Alysa. Their eyes locking Onto those that belonged to Ravin. They waited for him to explain what the next move was going to be and whom was taking command. They wanted to know how deep they were going to go,...

As Ravin stepped outside he could see the men starting to gather around them, with the captain by himself a bit away from the rest. They wanted him to tell them what to do. This wasn’t what he had signed up for. He didn’t want to be responsible for their lives, he hadn’t been able to protect Alysa how would he be able to protect them all? Something was down there and it was after them.

Ravin first though had been using subterfuge, but without Alysa the only one they could rely on to sneak past them was Mara and he didn’t want to risk her life too. Leaving them behind was probably the best choice; he didn’t think they would stop after what happened to Alysa. Still the way they looked at him for guidance meant that they were just as lost as he felt without Alysa. They relied on him whether he wanted it or not. No one was guarding the posts they were all gathered around him and he was afraid what would happen to them if he left them in this state. They were clearly lost and tired of not knowing what they were up against.

Leaving them behind would be just as dangerous as leading them down into the depths. Ravin wanted to leave, but he couldn’t leave them like this. He couldn’t stay with them either, they were not his men and he was not their captain. The only solution he could come up with was to lead them down into the depths and fight whatever was down there. The king wouldn’t be pleased, but the alternative would be worse. They needed someone to lead them and the king needed someone to do his dirty works. Ravin hated being responsible for other peoples life, which was why he had avoided the life in the military forces. He didn’t want to lead people to their death, but here he was about to rally the men against a force of unknown strength. If he led them all to their deaths it would be his fault, but he didn’t see what else he could do without abandoning them completely.

“Aren’t you tired? Tired of not knowing what you’re up against? Tired of just waiting for them to make their move? I’ve only been here a short while and I’m already tired. This is the hearth of our kingdom. This is our territory! No stinking goblin should even be allowed to touch the ground. Aren’t you tired of waiting?” Ravin raised his voice louder the more he spoke and by the end of his speech he could hear the soldiers shout.

“We shouldn’t wait any longer. We dealt them a blow this morning and we should strike while they’re weak. Let’s bring the fight to them and see how they like it. Something is down there and if we don’t stop it, who will? I say we bring the fight to them and stop them once and for all. For Yervin!” Ravin shouted and the thrill of seeing the soldiers respond to his words was better than he had ever imagined.

There was still lot of things that needed to be prepared before they could leave. Some men would have to be left behind to protect the camp and they still needed a plan. The captain was the biggest problem, Ravin didn’t want to take him with him, but he didn’t want to leave him behind with Alysa either. In the end he decided to put him in charge of guarding the rear. He had ordered some of the men to scout ahead, while the rest of the men prepared to leave. Mara would stay behind and watch over Alysa.

When the scouts returned they had nothing to report. There weren’t any goblins on this level, but it didn’t mean that there wouldn’t be any on the next one. He talked to the men one more time, going through what he expected of them and that they needed to keep their heads cool. Keeping a good discipline could save their lives and they needed to realize that. A well disciplined force not only took fewer casualties it could also beat a force mush larger in size. He wished he had more time to teach them what the needed to know, hopefully the battered veterans would know what to do and keep their younger colleges in check. He looked over his shoulder one last time to look at the shack with Alysa before he gave the order to set off. He wished he could’ve talked to her one last time before leaving to tell her how much he cared about her. That she wasn’t alone…

Harsh words rang out from the swirling black mists, words that challenged her worthiness to be in this life, to hold a title that was veered for those that held strength and honor. Did she have the strength to rise and retain this title, did she even cared that many lives depended on her? The hard voice sliced through the blackness and gripped her by the throat and threatening to end the facade as a lie, but her heart cried out in anguish. Anger flashed across the bleak mist fracturing it with small cracks till small beacons of light could be seen. She fought harder against the grip that was around her throat, fighting to shatter the control of the coming death.

She recalled the knights of old, their fight for those that would cause harm to those that could not defend themselves. To fight till the last battle with death was lost. Her battle was just beginning and the feeling of not seeing Ravin once more pushed her harder to fight for something that would make this world one of enjoyment. Her mind fell to the faces of the children she seen when she entered the city, their faces filled with happiness as they played tag. This was what she was fighting for, she was fighting for their right to survive so they could play one more day.

Enough! Her mind screamed with anger and zeal that burned her lungs forcing her to take a deep breath and slowly open her eyes. Her blue eyes met with those of Mara looking down at her. The look on her face held many faces but the feelings in her eyes caused Alysa to nod slowly to her. She understood the pain that she was feeling at this moment. A pain that Alysa has given her but yet here she sat at here side. She weakly reached out and grasped the woman's hand. "Thank You!"

Her deep blue orbs scanned over the area that she could see while she was laying down looking for the face of Ravin. Her heart dipped when she did not see him in the room. She fought the small pain that was forming deep in her chest. How could she even consider him as having feelings for her? He was nice to her and yes he held lust in his eyes when he looked upon her but that was far from the emotional bonding that he held for Mara.

Alysa's gaze looked deep into the brown eyes of Mara and for the first time seen that this woman was filled with mixed emotions. She seen hatred, love and resentment. She understood these emotions very well, and wish that she wasn't the cause of some of them, but she knew that she was. "If there is something that I can do to repay my debt to you? Please ask it of me now." she weakly whispered to the staring brown eyes. She wondered why this woman was here instead of with Ravin. "Where is Ravin? And why are you not with him?"

Ravin and the soldiers had reached the second level without seeing any signs of an enemy, but they had been attacked and they had seen that shadow, so something had to be down here. He tried to keep the soldiers on their toes and prepared, but he could see how some of the soldiers started to let their guard down despite his efforts. They didn’t know what was facing them and being caught off guard could mean death, the older soldiers understood this and tried to keep the younger ones in check.

Ravin wondered how Alysa was and he felt bad for leaving her side, but this would give her and Mara the best chance to survive. Hopefully he had enough soldiers to deal with whatever it was that awaited them and put a stop to it.

“I’ve found an abandoned camp ahead of us Sir,” Oscar one of the scouts reported to Ravin.

Finally they found something and the morale among the soldiers immediately got better. Ravin asked Oscar to lead the way, while his thoughts tried to reach out to Alysa and how she was feeling. Still this was for the best, this was she would be safe from whatever horrors they would face.

-----

Meanwhile….

Mara looked into Alysa’s eyes, not sure what to think of her. There were so many conflicting emotions, should she tell her about Ravin’s engagement or not. She could handle Ravin without being hurt, but Alysa already had some trust issues and this could make her leave. As much she hated it, Ravin had somehow broken through Alysa’s armor and she needed someone she could lean on. But if they ended up being lovers then it could only lead to heartbreak.

“You can repay it by resting and letting your body recuperate its strength, before getting up. I got some soup for you…and about Ravin, the soldiers were getting restless and looked for someone to lead them after what the captain did. He did what he always do in these situations, he did what he thought was the right thing. They are heading down into the depths of the catacombs and he left me here to take care of you. To protect you,” Mara said.

Concern flashed through the dark blue irises that beamed back into the orbs of Mara. Her mind swirled with uncertainty of how she was suppose to feel or how much of her she should revel to this woman. She knew or witnessed the love that was between Mara and Ravin so she not dare open herself up. While she stared into the eyes of this woman she began to see her for the first time, her beauty, her knowledge that was hiding behind a mask of combat experience and cold metal. She searched the brown orbs closer in wanting to know more about this woman, but what she seen wasn't what she expected. She seen the heated feelings that flows between two women whom has feelings for one man, but yet there was another feeling flowing through her which forced a raised brow to occur on her face.

Alysa turned away from the searching brown orbs in fear that they would see more than what she was willing to give. Her body ached not only from the system shock of being magically healed but the ache of a woman's natural desires. When she was a slave this desire was killed from her being forced into such events but now walking as a free woman the desires are hers and they can be acted on by her choosing.

Alysa's mind raced about Ravin and what he was doing but also to the fact that Mara stayed here with her even with the feelings she had for him. Was it a staying of her own choice or was it a suggestion from Ravin? It didn't matter for she seen the way Mara was and the woman did what she wanted to do so it was obvious she wanted to stay here. The reason could be many but the fact would come soon enough as Alysa's hand reached out and took Mara's into hers. Her thumb rubbing gently upon the woman's soft skin. Her gaze now fixed upon the woman's orbs.. "Thank You." Alysa whispered...

She lowered her gaze from her self implied stare to the corner that housed her equipment. Her mind now shifting quickly from feelings of desire to those of a warrior whom was betrayed and nearly killed. The anger uncorking itself and poured out into her mind taking control once more. She slowly pushed herself up to a sitting position. Her eyes not traveling to Mara fearing the desire would take her anger, instead her trembled words flowed over her lips, "Where is the Captain?" the given authority filling her tone of voice. "I want that bastard in front of me now!" she allowed her anger to flow freely. Still she avoided the gaze of Mara.

She tried to bury the feelings for Ravin by covering it with a new desire and refreshed anger. She didn't wish to hurt this woman but then this would hurt Ravin for she has seen the look he had given her, it was the same way he looked at Mara. She allowed her eyes to gaze back into the eyes of Mara."How long ago did they leave?" she feared the worse but didn't mention it for she believed that Ravin has moved to soon, for that is what the unknown enemy wanted. The goblin attack was just to stir the emotions of the warriors into action based on the thrive of protecting all the town's loved ones. That was what the shadow was keeping an eye out for thrive, but instead, it seen a division of control, along with that thrive which created a weakness that they will exploit. She had to get to them immediately but first she had to rid the weakness of a divided control...

The camp was abandoned when they arrived and there was no heat left from the fire. It didn’t feel right, something felt wrong. Like someone had used magic, but he didn’t see any traces of it. They were at a crossroad now, if they continued forward they would have to set camp somewhere in the catacombs, if they turned back it would all have been in vain. Neither choice was an appealing one and Ravin wished he had someone to talk it over with. He couldn’t talk to the captain, not after what he did. He took the easy way out and told the soldiers to rest and get something to eat before they continued.

He made sure there was soldiers to guard them, before he dig into to the dry bread he had brought with him. It wasn’t good, but it was something. Was there even something down there? Maybe the attack had been it. Ravin wanted to turn back, to see Mara and Alysa again, not being stuck in the catacombs looking for something that might not be there. They had searched the levels thoroughly and this camp had been the first trace of life, but why would the king send them on a pointless mission? Maybe it was all politics. He felt like an old man already, leading and having all this responsibility was completely different from the life he was used to. This was the life he’d been running away from and now he was stuck here leading a group of soldiers on what now seemed like a pointless mission.

Ravin walked around the camp talking with the soldiers in an effort to keep the moral up, hiding his on doubts about the mission. He still hadn’t decided whether they should continue forward or not and the time to get moving was quickly coming and he needed to make a decision soon. Just as Ravin got up to order the soldiers to turn back he heard the alarm sounding. He screamed at the soldiers to while he ran to meet the new threat. Finally they were going to find out what they had been chasing and he started to feel more alive again. The camp was quite small and it didn’t take him very long to draw his sword and reach the outskirts of the camp where the alarm had come from.

He could spot the giant as soon as he rounded the corner; it was at least 10 feet tall, but he didn’t seem aggressive and Ravin couldn’t spot any goblins with him. A giant was a formidable foe and could easily kill several of them by himself unless they coordinated their attacks. What worried Ravin was that there shouldn’t be any giants here in the catacombs far from the wilderness they usually lived in. As he got closer and saw the eyes it scared him how intelligent the giant seemed, like it was complete control.

“Did the King send you? Is he ready to pay his debts?” the giant said with his deep and powerful voice as he turned to Ravin looking him straight in the eyes, sounding more intelligent than any giant should.

A normal giant wouldn’t act like this; it shouldn’t be able to figure out who was the leader and even saying a complete sentence would be difficult. What kind of giant was this and what was it doing here? The thoughts scared and Ravin and facing this giant must’ve been the mission the king was talking about and what debt was the giant talking about. “What had the king done?” Ravin asked himself. If the people knew there was a giant under the castle demanding a debt to be payed it would raise a lot of questions the king wouldn’t want to answer. Questions Ravin wanted to know the answer to. The first one was why did it think the king had sent them. The giant didn’t seem hostile, but Ravin wasn’t about to take any chances.

“The king knows I’m here,” Ravin said not willing to take any chances just yet, he didn’t know what debt the giant was talking about.

“Do you have the stone? Give me the stone, human and the debt will be considered paid,” the giant spoke again and there was no doubt about his intelligence anymore, but what stone was he talking about.

“What stone?” Ravin asked, before he could think it through. Damn, now the giant would know he didn’t have the stone.

“You don’t have the stone human? Haha, the king sent you without the stone. Does he really think killing me will make a difference? He really is a fool, he signed the contract with his own blood and he will pay the price one way or the other,” the giant said.

Ravin didn’t know what to think, the king had made a deal with something dark. Just what had he got out of it? Money, fame, power? All those things came with being a king, but he had lived over his means for a long time. Ravin had always assumed he had borrowed the money, but what if he hadn’t? What if he had agreed on some dark pact, so he could live the life he wanted? But what stone was the giant talking about? It couldn’t be a normal stone; it would have to be a magical one. But what did it do? Why did the giant or more likely the giant’s master want with it? Someone who was already powerful enough to control a giant a giant? No matter what the stone did, Ravin knew that it wouldn’t be a good idea to let them get control of it and since the king hadn’t handed it over either he must’ve agreed with him. The king had some honor left and it made Ravin feel relieved, still if what the giant said was true then killing him wouldn’t change a thing. The greater evil would still be alive.

“The king would never make a deal with you. He may be a fool at times, but he would never flirt with the dark forces. The royal family has always fought against you. Withdraw your lies or I will kill you,” Persus screamed at the giant, still standing up for the king’s honor.

“Your king is a fool, if he doesn’t hand over the stone his fate will be much worse than he can possible imagine. The only way to stop it, is to hand over the stone,” the giant said in a mocking tone and Ravin could see how provoked the soldiers were getting.

Suddenly he heard the captain shout, “Attack!” and charging against the giant followed first by some soldiers and then more and more of them. The attack wasn’t coordinated in any way and Ravin cursed at the captain for acting so rashly, this wasn’t the way you were supposed to fight against a giant. You needed to whittle it down with arrows or attack from all angles at the same time and let it come to you and not the other way around. The giant was wielding a huge war hammer, too big for any humans to swing. As soon as the captain got within reach he started to swing his axe. The captain managed to dodge the first swing, but when giant kicked him there was nothing he could do. The rest of the soldiers came after and Ravin started running after them. Then he saw how goblins started coming up from the depths, coming to aid the giant and Ravin knew the chances of surviving was getting very slim. They needed to kill the giant if they were to have any chance of surviving.

Alysa rose from the bed, ignoring the wave of Mara's hand. "We have to go find them. They are walking into a trap!" her words hard and firm. Mara knowing that she wanted to be with Ravin as well nodded her agreement. She quickly helped Alysa up and than moved to get their things ready while Alysa got herself battle ready.

Within moments the two of them, along with the two personal guards of Alysa made their way down the path that the rest of the men took. Alysa's mind worrying with each step she took, she cursed herself for allowing this to happen and would be even harsher upon herself if something happened to Ravin. She looked over at Mara and seen the same feeling that she was having upon her face. This isn't going to end well she whispered to herself. She for the first time just realized that a triangle of emotions was being created.

The pace was quickened when the faint sounds of combat reached their ears, each one removing their bows for they would be surprising the enemy and range weaponry would be ideal till the need for hand to hand came upon them. Arrows began to fly when the small group saw the battlefield. Alysa yelling to aim for the Giant!

The first attack had gone horrible wrong, they hadn’t attacked in a organized fashion and now they were paying the price. They had withstood the attack from the goblin, but the giant had caused havoc. The captain was barely alive, taking a huge blow to his head and several soldiers had been killed and seriously injured. The giant had taken more than a few scratches to his arms and legs, but he at least started to get more tired. His reflexes weren’t quite as quick as they had in the beginning of the fight, but many of the soldiers were also exhausted. Not many of them were used to extended lengths of fighting like Ravin was or too old to have the stamina to last it.

“Is this the best the king can offer, old men and kids? You will all die today,” the giant taunted them in an effort to bring down the moral and it was working.

Ravin had barely been able to stop them from routing after the initial attack. They still had the numbers on their side, but after watching the captain go down so easily everyone tried to stay away from the giant, giving him free rein. A coordinated attack on him from several angels would probably have a good chance of succeeding, but the moral to participate was lacking. They needed something to turn the tide, something to boost the moral enough to bolster another attack on the giant. Going in alone against him like the captain had, would be suicide even for someone like Ravin. Maybe if it had been a normal giant, but Ravin had never fought a giant before. All he knew about fighting a gian was from what his old teachers had told him and the rest of the men were too demoralized to attack him.

That’s when he heard Alysa’s voice and saw the arrows destined for the giant. This is was just what they needed. He could feel the tide turning and he felt new courage enter his heart. She was alive and well enough to fight. He had seen four arrows, but hopefully it didn’t mean they were just four. Mara was definitely one of them too and they had given Ravin his one chance to bring the men together a coordinated attack against the giant. It had to be now, before the men fear would get the better of the men again. The giant had put up his arm to protect his face against the arrows and if they could distract him enough it could create an opening.

“Surround the giant now, attack him from the back and keep your distance if you’re in front him,” Ravin yelled as he moved to the most dangerous spot, the one right in front of the giant.

He let out a sigh of relief when he saw the men following him and surrounds the giant. There was still some hesitation and it wasn’t perfect, but at least it gave them a chance. Ravin knew that if he got hit, the men would lose what courage they had left and the battle would be lost. Ravin easily avoided the first swing from the giant, while he yelled at the soldier on the other side of the giant to attack. The backswing came much faster than Ravin had expected and almost hit him. Ravin was ready to strike, as soon as the giant would focus on someone else. He just hoped that they could keep the number of deaths to a minimum.

The goblins were still a threat, but as long as they kept the giant busy the rest of the men would be able to deal with them. One man managed to reach in a make a cut in the leg of the giant, while he was busy attacking Ravin.

“You chickens, I will slay you all,” the giant shouted as turned around to face the man who wounded him giving Ravin the chance he had been waiting for.

He launched himself forward striking with all his might towards the ankle of the giant in an effort to cripple him. If the cut went deep enough it would seriously hamper his movement and hopefully it would make them able to kite him to death. Using bows to attack him from the front while using swords to attack him from his back. If he could just make the cut deep enough it would make next attack so much easier. As sword connected to the flesh of the giant’s ankle Ravin knew that he had succeeded with his task, now he just had to get out of reach before the giant could counterattack or else he was in serious jeopardy of getting injured.

The arrows were on target, drawing the attention of the giant for a few moments was all Ravin needed to rally and use his charm to muster the men, however, his next move was a knight's move that was too noble. Her heart raced when he came toe to toe with the giant, a move that it wanted to happen! It wanted the rally master to be close to him so he could collapse the line upon the rallier for the goblins was the strength of this tactic, for the giant's arrogance made it feel as he could take anything that faced him, so he put himself as the bait drawing the stronger fighters to him, then making a cry for the hobgoblin captain and his elite goblins to enter the fray by surrounding the strongest fighters and closing them into the rage of the giant!

She watched as Ravin maneuvered with skill and a smile came to her face as he was handling the situation with the giant, however, his skill would bring the trap soon unless she could meet the strong arm closing upon them. She instantly found the slope that more than likely hid the strong arm troops. But it was on the backside of the giant, a very wise placement for them. She quickly looked at Mara and her two knights, "Aim over that slope! There is the threat now!" she yelled as she drew her weapon and raced down the embankment, she began screaming to the outskited men to draw to her as she headed to the slope.

The men looked upon her with hesitation as they were in a state of exhaustion and confusion, but some mustered themselves up and charged with her toward the slope. All she had to do was to delay the elite long enough for Ravin to see what was going on. Her eyes darted over to him as he skillfully rolled out of the falling giants sweeping swing. "Get out of the trap Ravin. Please see it!" she cried out to unhearing ears. "He will see it! You have to delay the strong arm!" she yelled at herself!The small group cut threw the lesser goblins with new founded vigor as Alysa lead the way determined to get to the slope before the trap was launched. Her wide swing gave room for her men to follow like an arrow cutting through heavy winds. Her willing to throw herself in front of the danger inspired many to join the thrust forward.

What came out wasn't what Alysa expected as several large orcs crowned over the top along with the captain hobgoblin, an arrow lodged in its thick shoulder seemed to have no effect upon him as he glared at Alysa with hunger in its eyes. It raised its battle axe and screamed for the orcs to attack while it took a battle stance waiting for the foolish female. It's massive fingers welching the rope-wrapped handle in anticipation.

Alysa swallowed the thirst that was building up inside of her mouth while continuing to knock away the smaller goblins that was instructed to stop the forward moving group. Her gaze locked upon the hobgoblin knowing full well he was sizing her up as well. She didn't want to lock herself into battle with him at first for there was the other orcs that was a threat to her following men. So she side-stepped to the right flank twisting the line to form between them. She hoped that Ravin would be able to see what she was doing and would flank the left and meet her in the middle to engage the hobgoblin. If only Mara was in range, this would be much easier but her arrows was still taking the lesser goblins numbers down.

The orcs were much more tougher than she expected as she witnessed her men falling under the heavy swings of Orken maces. Even with her training, she had to work for the ones that fell to her skill. Winded, she managed to block several strong blows that should have unbalanced her, but with her urgent wanting to get to the hobgoblin she managed to compensate for the blows, then returning with her own wide arcing blows aimed neck high; she realized on her way to them that their armored coif was chainmail instead of branded steel making that their weak spot.

Her gaze shot up from the last fallen Orc that stood between her and the hobgoblin, his armored still unscratched from battle. "It is time for you to earn the right to wear that armor of human skill." Alysa blurted out while admiring the craftsmenship of the human blacksmith. She motioned her men to fall back for this was her fight. Two stepped up to her side just seconds after she motioned for them to fall back then the remaining seven followed suit and stood around her. A smile crossed her ace as she looked over wanting to see where Ravin was, wanting to make sure all was well with him. She knew Ravin would want this Captain alive so she offered him a chance to surrender, but was only meet with a sneer... "So be it!...Men, allow me to earn my keep with you. Allow me to have this one myself. If I fall, it has been an honor!" she leaped at the awaiting Hobgoblin Captain...

The sound of the popping metal filled the air as Alysa's shield was the first victim of this engagement. She instantly jumped up in time to block the heavy downward swing of the aggressive opponent. The vibration of the blow was massive and instantly told Alysa that this was going to be a tough battle. She twisted her blade and spun to the right giving her some space to reset her battle stance. Her eyes glued to the chest of this beast, watching to see which way he was going to come with his next attack.

The Captain came from the right side, a heavy high swing! Instantly Alysa dropped down to a half kneel and waited for the swing to pass her before she came up with a quick stab upward. Cursing as the blade point bounced off the steel coif around his neck. She instantly stepped back and took another defensive stance. Weight! She needed a blunt weapon to damage this captain, but the only weapon she had was her trusted sword. So it was a more detailed strike battle than just swinging and hoping for penetration.

She stepped to the right giving herself time to study the armor, looking at the clasped area, and to her dismay they were well protected! This was custom made for him! Her mind screamed! What the hell was a Human blacksmith doing with fitting a Hobgoblin with high quality armor! She stepped back feeling the breeze of the heavy war axe passing her face. Instantly she rounded with her sword meeting his chest plate and bouncing off like before, grunting with frustration.

Laughter erupted from her opponent as he squared off with her. "Impressive is it not?" his voice heavy with sarcasm. Alysa looked at him with a slightly tilted head. "Only makes it more fun in killing you!" she hissed back not wanting to lose the mental balance she has."But I must ask! I do not have that great armor! So why am I still standing without a scratch! So much for your combat skill!" she voiced out while turning to her left, she calculating her next swing which would be across the bridge of his nose.

The swing was blocked by the strong made war axe shaft. "Tisk, Tisk.." came the blurted remark of the Captain. "Maybe your skill is not what you think either!" the captain turning as well calculating his next attack.. "Come it is time to end this! For I'm going to enjoy raping your dead body!" he slurped at her with a heavy laugh..

Alysa's brow arched above her gazing eye while her lips formed a smirk at the Captains statement, but just before she could speak a voice rang out, "Commander, right behind you two steps back. Reach behind you." the eldest knight of her personal guard spoke. Doing as she was told, her fingers gripped the cold pommel of a horsemen's mace. It's weight was well over the weight of her sword but she grasped the pommel with both hands and grinned at the Captain... "Ready to dance some more?" she took a well balanced stance and waited.

The arrows that flew past her ear whistled as it cut through the air and collided with its target. The hobgoblin grunted with the impact just moments before it fell to its knees. Two arrows jutted outward from its left eye while the third one sunk deep into the right. Alysa spun around " who the fuck!" she didn't have to finish the statement for she knew who fired the bow as she watched Mara lower her bow. "This is going to be a problem." Alysa tried to shallow the fiery ball of anger that was building deep in the pit of her stomach.

She stared for only a moment before turning away from the woman. Her gaze felling over the bodies that littered the ground, this was a waste of manpower for they haven't even got to the level they were suppose to reach and they have already lost over half their number. Her mind instantly went to the king with a tainted anger. "Just goblins huh!" *her gaze fell upon the elder Knight, " Sir Eric thank you for the mace."

Her attention now focused upon Ravin, she hoped that he was okay ,but knew that he would not be alone. It didn't matter to her if she was with him for then it would allow her to speak with both of them at the sometime. After several moments her sight fell upon them standing near the captured giant. Walking up to them, "It is a good sight to see you well Ravin." she glared at Mara them back to him,"So how did you happen to stumble across this situation?" her tone showing a little annoyance in it....

The sweat was running down Ravin’s face, but the giant hadn’t been able to hit him. One hit would have been enough to knock him unconscious, just like the two soldiers who failed to avoid the hits. The captain was dead and they had lost a lot of men and if it hadn’t been for Alysa and Mara showing up they would’ve lost a lot more if they had managed to survive at all. Alysa could’ve stayed in the sick bed and no one would’ve blamed her, but she came after them…after him. It warmed his heart, but at the same time she shouldn’t have. She must still be weak from the hit and going back into battle so quickly there would always be a risk of the wound opening up again. Still he was glad that they had come. He was glad to still be alive and he was furious at the king for wanting to throw away their lives so easily. Ravin still didn’t know what the mission was, but he maybe if they killed the giant and brought the head back it would be enough for the king.

Venturing further down without any idea what they were fighting wasn’t something Ravin was prepared to do. Hopefully the giant would speak, if not they could always return with his head cut off. Hopefully it would be enough to make the king happy, if not it should at least be enough to keep him of their backs. For now the giant was unconscious and they had him tied up and were just waiting for him to wake up.

“Are you ok?” Mara voice surprised him, he must’ve been more exhausted than he thought to let her sneak up on him, but on the other hand she had always been very light footed.

Ravin didn’t say anything, he didn’t need she understood anyway. She was family and some things he didn’t need to explain to her. He gathered his thoughts, trying to remember what he knew about magic. The giant had been magically enhanced it was the only possibility, but could magic really do that? The times of magic were long gone and so was the magic of those times. There were still those who possessed magic skills, but no one who could subject a kingdom or an army with magic alone.

“It wasn’t a normal giant Mara. It was as smart as any human and I think someone had tinkered with its mind,” Ravin said, knowing that Mara knew more about these things than he did.

“It is not possible, not even the most powerful wizard can make someone smarter. They can change them and make them slaves, but it is not possible to give the mind qualities it does not already possess. Only one of the gods or one of the ancient if they were still alive would be able to do that. You must’ve mistaken Ravin, it is simply not possible,” Mara said and Ravin started to question himself.

Maybe it had been the heat of the moment, maybe the books had been wrong and giants were intelligence was more in line with those of humans than he had thought. Still his old sword master had taught him to fight against giants and he had told him to use their lack of intelligence to lure them in to situations they couldn’t handle. Ravin hadn’t even tried to trick the giant, maybe it would’ve worked. Maybe if he had tried to lure the giant into a simple trap more of the men would’ve been alive. Still Ravin couldn’t forget the spark of intelligence he had seen in the giant’s eyes.

“I hope you’re right,” Ravin said before he could feel his hearth skip beat as he saw Alysa making her way over.

Her face was still a little heated from the battle and he could see that she that she belonged on the battle field whether he liked it or not. She greeted them and gave Mara a glare. He could hear a bit of annoyance in her voice, but he didn’t understand why. At this moment he didn’t care he was just happy to see her well and he couldn’t hide his smile. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and lift her up and spin her around. Now that the adrenaline from the fight had left his body it finally sunk in that she really was alright. Even a stab in gut couldn’t keep her down.

"So how did you happen to stumble across this situation?" Alysa asked as she caught up to them, looking over the unconscious giant.

“Hell if I know,” Ravin started saying before he heard a loud growl coming from the giant. For now he ignored the growl as headed over to Alysa and caught her by surprise by hugging her, not able to hold his emotions back.

“I’m so glad you’re alive,” Ravin whispered into her ear before he let her go.

“Now let’s find out what the giant have to say,” Ravin said before he started telling Mara and Alysa what they had missed.

“Human, let go. Let Drago go!” the giant screamed out his pain and Ravin could no longer see the intelligence in the giants eyes, had he been mistaken.

“What stone were you talking about Drago?” Ravin asked.

“Stone? Stone, there and stone there. Let Drago go,” the giant clearly didn’t understand what Ravin was talking about, but he had before. Had he been possessed? Ravin was confused and he didn’t like it when he didn’t understand what was going on.

“Do you know where you are Drago?” Ravin asked and the giant started to look around clearly confused.

“In mountain?” Drago asked.

“Fuck,” Ravin said, if only they had caught someone who knew something more. The orcs and goblins were either dead or routed. The only one who would know anything would be the king. The same king who made a deal with the ones they had just fought against.

“We can’t go further down unless we know what we’re fighting, but we can’t turn back unless we have something to show the king. We can’t let the giant live and his head could be enough and maybe the king could fill in the blanks,” Ravin said, but he wasn’t sure.

He wasn’t sure if the king would be willing to let anyone know what kind of deal he had made or with whom he had made a pact with. They were stuck between a rock and a hard place, but at least if they turned back they would know what they were up against. If they continued down, anything could happen and even if they found out they still had to face the king at some point.

“Do you think the giant’s head would be enough to please the king?” Ravin asked Mara and Alysa, wanting to hear what they thought. He needed their support and comfort, as this decision was too important to be made by just one man.

“I do not know. How kings think and act is not something I know of,” Mara answered clearly trusting him to make the right decision.

“What do you think Alysa? Better the enemy we know or…”