Chapter Text
It was dark.
Laios can't remember the last time he found himself in a place so devoid of light. So much so that he couldn't even see the dirt beneath his feet. Or perhaps gravel in this case.
He woke up lying on the floor, limbs aching with a subtle headache. The last thing he remembers is going to sleep with his party after eating another hearty meal prepped and served by Senshi. And like always, it tasted beautiful. However... he couldn't exactly remember the monster they slayed to indulge in such a feast. Was it big? Was it full of meat? Laios wouldn't know. He couldn't even recall its basic features.
With a grunt, he slowly sat up, his senses immediately registering the change in both the atmosphere and the enviornment he last found himself in. Was he moved to another part of the dungeon? He reached over to wake Marcille who had fallen asleep beside him, something about it being too cold and her blanket thinning, but she wasn't there. In fact, he was alone.
"...Guys?" Laios flinched as the sound of his voice unexpectedly echoed loudly into the darkness. The room was empty. It was also much bigger than the one they fell asleep in, confirming he was, in fact, in a different place entirely.
Did they run away? Why didn't they wake him if they were in danger? Unless... they couldn't for some reason. What monster was capable of pulling this off?
Ok. Think.
Laios blindly started feeling around for his sword, which had thankfully remained close by. He slowly got to his feet trying not to make too much noise, because deep down, he knew something was off. That he wasn't exactly safe, and that he needed to find his friends as soon as possible. Which shouldn't be too hard considering how quiet everything was, he was bound to hear footsteps from something eventually.
Minding his steps he made his way toward the nearest wall, feeling its cold concrete as he guided himself along it in search of a door. Thankfully it didn't take him long to find it, and with a simple turn of the nob, it easily opened for him, though it did creak louder than he would've liked.
His senses were now kicked into overdrive: He smelled rot, pungent and overwhelming. He tasted the bile rising in his throat because of it. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand as the coolness hit him like a ton of bricks. He heard nothing.
Laios tightly gripped the hilt of his sword.
This was wrong. Everything was wrong.
"...marcille?" He whispered, swallowing the acidity in his throat. "...hey,"
...
... There was no response.
Laios gave a quiet sigh. Guess he had to keep moving like this. Unless...
He continued to feel along the walls, as quietly and as efficiently as he possibly could until... Oh! He felt what he could only hope to be an old torch - it felt like one anyway - before bending down again and feeling along the floor to hopefully find his next set of tools, which he thankfully managed to also obtain, finding two sizable rocks. Perfect! He slightly cringed hearing the echo of their knock as he made an effort to spark them together, having to stop once when he could have sworn he heard something coming near. This method went on longer than he would've liked to, but hey! He managed to pull it off! Progress!
A light sparked, and the torch came to life.
Laios picked it up with a hint of a smile, somewhat proud of his achievement (and luck), before the feeling was quickly replaced with a burden of absolute dread as he stared down the narrowness of a long hallway, just as dark and just as daunting as the room he came from.
What's happening? He couldn't help but think. This unusual enviornment, the silence. And, gods the smell... What happened to the dungeon?
Something in his chest threatens to burst. Ah. No, that was his heartbeat. It was erratic. It was instinctive. His body was telling him to move, but where? He needed to find the others, but how?
Ok. Think.
Think reeeaally hard.
What would Chilchuck do in this situation? ... Well, he would probably start walking, which was a good idea as any.
So that's exactly what he did. Laios treads through the dark hallway in silence, every so often feeling his sword shift in its hilt. It doesn't take him long before he spots another door up ahead. Maybe they're in there? It too opens just as easily as the first, revealing a much smaller confinement with nothing of interest inside. He sighed and closed the door before continuing his journey forward.
Minutes felt like hours, and Laios couldn't shake any of the unease that had attached itself to him since he woke up. He's never felt so jumpy on his own before. What was so different about this place than the places he'd been previously? On the bright side, a new environment meant new experiences, which also meant new monsters. Maybe he'll run into something he's never seen before. He could bring back a cut of something from it and give it to Senshi, who could probably use it to make them another meal. Preferably something hardy with meat. Maybe he'll even nab a fish scale or two if the monster was aquatic. Scales sometimes held a saltiness to them that he genuinely enjoyed in most of his dishes. Chilchuck didn't seem to care for them though, so maybe he won't take so much. He only had so many hands to gather things after all, and speaking of food...
...Something reeked.
Laios covered his nose as he finally found himself rounding a corner, only to be greeted with another door that was left open a jar for him to peek into. Hesitantly, he pushed it open only to be greeted by a deep set of stairs that led downward. A very deep set of stairs. The light in his torch didn't even touch the bottom to determine where it ended. However...
There was a face.
It wasn't human.
Laios blinked in surprise. A monster! Guess he was pretty lucky today! He internally praised himself for finding one so quickly despite not knowing where he was. Chilchuck would be proud!
He moves to step forward, but... his legs don't move. Even more odd was the fact that his sword started shaking violently at the very idea of him going down. The monster was staring back at him, waiting for something. Probably for him to attack first. Was it intelligent enough to know that Laios was its equal? Then again, why was he being hesitant? Why was he... afraid? No, not just afraid, but terrified. But why? He's done this so many times before, however... This monster was somehow different. He'd never encountered one like it before, and yet, deep down - very, very deep within the core of his very soul - he knew that this was something he was not meant to see.
Laios shouldn't be here.
He needed to run.
But he didn't. He couldn't. Not without trying. So he fought through this intense feeling and readied his weapon despite its reluctance, readying his stance.
The monster's unusual bulbous head creeps up further to greet him, its heavy feet taking on one step after another. As it draws itself closer, Laios' dim light reveals more of its being. It's grotesque, everything about it covered in clumps of uneven muscles, the skin holding it together grey and slick in what he could only hope to be sweat as the strength of the smell coming from it worsened. The being didn't make so much as a grunt, only the sound of its approaching footsteps growing closer as it ascended to its intended target. Purposeful and full of ill intent.
Laios was certain of two crucial facts: If he ran, it would chase him. And if he stayed it would try to kill him. Either way, the results remain the same, so... why not take the first step?
And just like that, he took a step back and quietly closed the door on the beast.
He heard it break into a sprint and moved out of the way for when it broke through the old wood keeping them apart. It's a lot taller than he expected. It was a lot uglier than he's used to seeing too However... it almost looked human. Almost. And the smell. Gods, Laios was starting to second-guess his idea for sampling it once he defeated it. Regardless, he could take him. He had to if he wanted to live after all.
So, with a torch in hand. Laios unsheathed his weapon and readied himself for battle.
...
...He was ready for battle...
.....
...He was...
The monster turned to face him. Cleaver in one hand. And...
It was huge.
Laios' eyes widen. Is that it's dick?!
...
...
...
He had dropped the torch at some point during their fight. Thankfully his luck was still going strong because the light remained strong enough to allow him time to use both hands to take on his enemy. The battle lasted much longer than he anticipated. It almost cost him his dominant arm. It almost cost him his life.
He was breathing heavily by the time his enemy went down, unmoving and having lost all of its limbs. Er, all... five of them.
Laios quickly picked up his torch again and moved. Down the steps, away from the smell. Away from that thing. It wasn't going to be food. Not today. He'll catch the next one thank you very much.
He winces at the gash in his arm. That cleaver cut through a good chunk of his armor like it was nothing. It almost took his entire limb. What was that thing even made out of?! He was going to have to find Marcille soon to patch this up. He was already starting to feel dizzy from blood loss, not to mention hungry, and gods was he hungry.
He could only hope his trickling blood trail didn't catch the attention of a similar enemy. Perhaps something smaller would be preferred. Maybe a bug like monster? They didn't taste as good, but Senshi always found a way to make it work. In fact, one of his favorite dishes at the moment was bug related! It was both crunchy and salty in stews, and there's one with a sack that made for great dipping sauce! What was the name of that thing again? Why was he having such a difficult time recalling monsters?
Ah. Probably because he was hungry. He really did need to find Senshi as soon as possible. Who knows what he'd do if he starved to death? Well, at this rate he might bleed to death if he didn't find Marcille as well. And Chilchuck would be a much better guide than this torch...
...I'm in trouble, aren't I? It was increasingly getting more difficult to ignore his unease.
He missed everyone. He needed to find them quickly. He needed--
His stomach growled loudly. It was painful.
He needed to eat.
Laios opened another door he found, and in it was a room with a few barrels, some boxes, and... a bed. It was old, and who knows how long it's been here, but... maybe a short rest would benefit him. He just needed to sit down for a little while - maybe use some of the fabrics of the sheets to wrap his arm for now, hoping that whatever dust and debris it had wouldn't infect him too much.
Better than nothing, He concluded, hooking his torch on a wall mount before doing exactly that and taking his time while doing so. When he finished he sprawled out on the tiny bed, staring up at the ceiling in wonder as he continued to contemplate his situation.
The silence was dreary, and eventually, it slowly started to get to him. He felt anxious, enough so that he refused to shut his eyes again. Not now anyway. His party could not have gotten far, could they? Are they hurt? If one of them ran into that thing he's certain there would have been signs of a fight - burns from Marciell, stab wounds from Chilchuck. But he saw no such thing. They weren't that weak. So... maybe he was overthinking things.
Laios doesn't realize the daze he's in, lost in the silence that only seemed to heighten his already clamorous thoughts. It was the only sound keeping him company. He never knew he could miss the sound of Marcille's whining, or Chilchuck's chastizing for when he ate something supposedly inedible. Was being alone always this boring? Laios turns on his side, watching the flames of his torch quietly dance about, its mild entertainment being the only presence keeping him company.
He doesn't know how long he stays like this, probably for a while, but it was just long enough for him to eventually nod off. Light snoring comes from his resting form as his chest evenly rises and falls. Despite everything, the Tallman somehow managed to find rest, which, unbeknownst to him, was quite the feat, less anyone were to try and disturb him.
His luck, however, could only go on for so long.
Sound asleep and unaware of the soft footsteps approaching the room, a lurking presence peered in on him through the crack of the old door.