Free Web NovelChapter 200: Dagger
"Good work," Victor said as he cleaned his sword after killing the last goblin. "Let’s see what these chests have to offer."
With the same precision she had shown in battle, Aluella walked over to the next chest. She knelt down and ran her fingers over the worn surface, feeling the textures and examining the locks. As she did so, Victor made his way to the other chest, his footsteps echoing in the vast room.
The room itself was impressive. Torches cast dancing shadows on the stone walls, creating an atmosphere that was both intimidating and mysterious. The walls were carved with reliefs that seemed to tell stories of the ancient civilization that inhabited these places that became home to monsters. However, the erosion of time made it almost impossible to study these types of hieroglyphs.
Victor placed his hand on the lid of the chest and lifted it. The lid creaked, protesting the movement, and opened slowly.
"As I thought, empty." Aluella said.
Only dust and cobwebs filled the space where treasures and relics might have been kept long ago.
"Empty here too," Victor announced, a note of disappointment in his voice.
Aluella had opened the lid of her trunk and a similar expression of frustration crossed her face. "But I expected no less," she said, standing up and wiping her hands on her tunic. "At least we found the way down to the next floor."
Victor nodded and took a torch from the wall. The flickering light illuminated the room even more, revealing details of the staircase ahead that had previously been in shadow.
"Come on," he said, gesturing with the torch. "We need to see what’s down there."
Aluella followed close behind, her steps quiet but determined. As they descended, the atmosphere began to change. The walls, which were cavernous and uneven on the second floor, began to change. The rough stones gave way to carefully placed bricks, indicating that the civilization that had built these tunnels placed more importance on depth.
"As expected, the second floor is different," Aluella commented, her eyes analyzing every detail around her. "It seems more... structured."
Victor agreed, his gaze attentive as the torchlight revealed more of the corridor ahead. "Many probably got here before us, but these ruins are like a labyrinth, we might end up finding a room that no one has found yet."
In reality, they were here more for the adventure and the satisfaction of doing something that felt nostalgic than for the treasures. So in the end it didn’t matter if they didn’t find anything. That had been very common in the old days.
The two walked on in silence, their senses alert for any sign of danger. The corridor stretched ahead of them, sinking into a darkness that the torch could barely dispel. With each step, the feeling that they were approaching something ancient and powerful grew.
Finally, they came to a fork in the road. Two tunnels stretched off in opposite directions, each equally dark and mysterious. Victor stopped and raised his torch to illuminate both passages.
"Which way shall we go?" he asked, looking at Aluella.
She closed her eyes for a moment and concentrated. Her intuition, a gift from the goddess Artemis, had always been a valuable tool in their adventures.
"The tunnel on the left looks more promising," she said, finally opening her eyes. "There’s something there..."
Victor didn’t question her judgment. They had known each other long enough to trust each other’s abilities. With a nod, he led the way down the left tunnel, the torch casting long shadows on the brick walls.
As they advanced, the air seemed to thicken, charged with an almost palpable energy. The tunnel widened to reveal a new room ahead. This room was even more impressive than the previous one. The walls were decorated with colorful, if weathered, mosaics. Carved columns supported the vaulted ceiling, giving the place a sense of forgotten grandeur.
In the center of the room was a stone pedestal upon which rested, surprisingly, an ancient relic. It was a dagger, its handle decorated with precious stones, and the blade gleaming eerily in the torchlight. Ancient runes were carved into the ground around the hilt, forming a protective circle.
Aluella approached cautiously, her eyes analyzing every detail. "This dagger... looks quite expensive," she murmured, her fingers hovering over the jewels without touching them.
Victor felt a slight uneasiness as he looked at the dagger. Something didn’t seem right. His adventures had taught him to be cautious, especially when something seemed too easy. He narrowed his eyes and studied the runes on the floor. While Aluella concentrated on the relic, he noticed a slight irregularity in the shadows cast by the torch.
"Aluella, look out!" he shouted suddenly, acting instinctively. He pulled Aluella into a tight embrace, feeling the warmth of her body against his.
At that moment, he activated the cave. A current of air swirled around them, creating a protective wind field.
Almost immediately, a shower of spears shot out from the walls, trying to hit anyone near the pedestal. The spears hit the wind field, were deflected or slowed down, and fell harmlessly to the ground around them.
Aluella’s eyes widened in surprise and gratitude, but quickly filled with determination.
"Goblins," she muttered, recognizing the ambush tactic.
Victor nodded, holding the wind field as the kobolds emerged from the shadows, their small, lithe forms running around the edges of the room. They were treacherous creatures, known for their ingenious ambushes. Their eyes gleamed with malice as they brandished small spears and daggers.
"Stay close to me," Victor whispered, adjusting the torch in one hand while the other drew his sword. "Let’s fight."
Aluella nodded, her expression becoming serious. She stepped back slightly, readied her bow, and took an arrow from her quiver. "I’ll take care of those at a distance," she said with focused eyes.
The goblins advanced, the first to attack being deflected by the wind field. Victor knew, however, that the cave couldn’t protect them indefinitely. He had to find a way to neutralize the threat.
With a swift motion, he released the wind field momentarily, using the energy released to send a blast of air toward the goblins. The force of the gust pushed them back, creating a brief window of opportunity.
"Now!" he shouted, lunging forward, sword in hand. He sliced through the first kobold that approached, the blade flashing with precision. Beside him, Aluella fired arrows with impressive speed, each shot finding its target with deadly accuracy.
The kobolds were numerous, but Victor and Aluella fought in perfect synchronicity, each move complementing the other.
Victor blocked and attacked with his sword, while Aluella kept the enemies at bay with her arrows.
After a few minutes of fighting, the last goblin fell to the ground with an arrow lodged in its chest.
Victor breathed heavily, his eyes scanning the room to make sure there were no more threats. When he was sure they were safe, he turned to Aluella, a smile of relief on his face.
"Are you all right?" he asked, his voice soft but filled with concern.
Aluella nodded, lowering her bow and breathing a sigh of relief. "Thank you," she replied, her eyes shining with gratitude. "That was close."
Victor looked again at the dagger on the pedestal, his suspicions confirmed. "That was a trap," he said, walking carefully over to the pedestal. "They must have left the dagger here on purpose to attract the greedy. These goblins are getting smarter, or is it just me?"
Aluella approached, her eyes scanning the runes on the ground. "These runes are ancient," she commented, tracing the symbols with her fingers. "I don’t think they could have even touched them, otherwise they would be using the metal dagger instead of these wooden spears."
Victor agreed, his mind racing. "Whatever the reason, this place is full of dangers, and that was only the first trap. I’m older than I thought."
Aluella, still holding the bow, took a step closer, her curious eyes watching Victor.
"You talk like you’re about to retire," she joked, but there was a note of concern in her voice.
"Actually, I had already retired."
"But I see that age has not diminished your abilities. On the contrary, you seem more... refined."
Victor laughed softly, the tension of the moment relieved for a brief moment. "Refined? That’s a delicate way of saying I’m old," he replied with a weary smile. "But thanks for the compliment, Aluella."
"Well, I’d say it’s better than I expected," she said, her tone slightly teasing. "When I heard about you, I imagined finding someone with battle scars all over their face, but here you are, with just a white beard, which I must admit is rather charming." freewebnøvel.com
Victor raised an eyebrow, surprised at the sincerity of her comment. "Charming, huh?" He touched her waist with a hand.
"Exactly," Aluella said, laughing softly. "I guess getting older has done you good~~"
