Chapter 123 A Calm Place

As they approached the old, crumbled-down castle fort, the group could feel the chill in the air growing stronger. The once grand stone walls are now broken and decayed, covered in moss and vines that seem to writhe and twist in the darkness. The windows are shattered, and the broken glass glitters menacingly on the ground.

Larry brought the group to a sudden halt, a sharp gesture compelling them to come to a standstill. He proceeded to brief his team on the strategy with an air of urgency.

 "Listen up, everyone," his tone was grave, and his words measured. "We must split up and scour the area for any trace of the bandits. However, it's crucial that we don't stray too far from each other. These caste ruins span an extensive area, and searching it fully could take a considerable amount of time if we were to do so in the full group. Arin and Drogath, you'll take the left flank of the castle. Helen and David, the right. And I'll be scouring the middle section myself."

He paused briefly to emphasize a crucial point. "Although it appears that the bandits have abandoned the ruins, there's still a possibility of danger lurking in the shadows. Be wary of wild animals, monsters, or goblins that may be lurking about."

Larry stood tall, his steely demeanor betraying no trace of fear or doubt. His teammates nodded in agreement, but Suzuka was clearly unhappy with the plan.

"Wait, hold on a second," she said. "Anything but going with David, please Larry. Don't make me babysit him. He'll find a way to get me in trouble. You take him, and I'll be just fine alone."

Larry was in a hurry and didn't want to argue. "I'm sorry, but we can't afford to stretch ourselves thin. You'll have to find a way to bear with him. It may look like a calm place but remember we're here at night, and the bandits are gone without a trace. That suggests that someone or something may have chased them out. I need everyone's full attention on this, and we need to be extra careful."

"Fine, I'll go with David," Suzuka agreed with a pained expression. Without a word, Larry gestured for the group to divide and they set off to explore.

 Arin and Drogath took a deep breath and stepped cautiously into the darkness. The air was stale and musty, with a lingering scent of decay and rust as they split up to explore the castle.

The first thing they noticed was the eerie silence that enveloped the place. Not a single sound could be heard, except for the soft whispers of their own footsteps on the creaky floorboards. The only source of light was the dim glow of their torches, which they held tightly as they made their way deeper into the hideout. The rooms they walked into looked abandoned a long time ago, not even a trace of someone being there. 

Larry walked into the main hall of a broken-down castle ruin and headed straight for the main rooms. After a while, he began to notice some fighting traces and blood here and there, splashed on walls and ground. The walls had claw marks scratched on them as if something had been desperately trying to escape from within.

As he explored further, he started to notice more signs of a struggle - broken furniture, scorch marks on the walls, and even more bloodstains. It was clear that a violent confrontation had taken place in this very spot, and the bandits who once called this hideout their home had put up a fierce fight.

Despite the eerie atmosphere and the ominous signs, he continued searching, determined to find out what had happened here. As he cautiously ventured deeper into the room, a growing sense of dread settled over him. Every step revealed more signs of the chaos that had erupted in this place. Blood, thick and dark, stained every surface. In front of him, a makeshift broken-down barricade soaked in rotten blood, the smell was worse than a cave full of zimmers.  

As he moved deeper, past the broken barricade into the hideout, he finally stumbled upon something that made his blood run cold. In the room behind the barricade, he found a pile of bandit bodies, all of them with claw marks etched deeply. It was clear that something had attacked them with a ferocity that was not of this world.

Standing there, he realized, they were not alone in this hideout. Something was watching them from the shadows, something that had been living here. 

Suddenly, a low growl echoed through the dark and twisted corridors, sending a wave of terror through his body. He gripped his weapon tightly, preparing for the worst. He took cover and cautiously peered around the corner of a doorway, trying to catch a glimpse of the monstrous creature that could be lurking in the shadows, waiting to pounce at any moment.

Meanwhile, Suzuka confidently strode through the desolate ruins, her footsteps echoed through the empty and lifeless corridors. She didn't even flinch at the sight of the scattered debris and rubble that littered the ground, as if some catastrophic event had taken place.

David struggled to keep up with her, his every step hampered by the hidden dangers lurking in the darkness. He could barely make out the hazardous obstacles in his path, tripping and stumbling at every turn. 

As they rounded a corner, a sudden noise made David jump. Suddenly, a deformed hand reaches out from the shadows, grabbing David by the shoulder and pulling him into the darkness of the night.

David stumbled and fell, his eyes adjusting to the dim light cast by the moonlight. And that's when he saw it. The Beast. It was like nothing he had ever seen before. Twisted and deformed, with razor-sharp teeth and claws that gleam in the dark. The Beast is massive, with horns and spikes jutting out of its disgusting fleshy body. 

Scared and desperate he struggled, his heart racing. Consumed by fear he was about to scream for help but Suzuka was already there, unfazed. Her red eyes glowed intensely, leaving a streak of red light in the air as she moved with swift and graceful movements. Before the monster could pull David outside the room Suzuka cut off its arm with a quick and precise strike.

She had run into these monsters in the past, she knew what they are capable of. She knows that these monsters hunt the weak and toy with their victims until they are exhausted mentally and physically.

As he looked at her red eyes following the escaping monster, David realized... Suzuka wasn't just unafraid of the darkness, she was one with it. A sense of dread overtook him, as he realized that he is not in control here, that the darkness had swallowed him whole, and Suzuka was the only one leading the way. In that split second David knew that his chance of survival was the lowest of them all, he knew that Suzuka was not happy with him and she will be more than happy to leave him to die. 

Meanwhile, Arin and Drogath continued to explore the rooms, they heard a faint rustling of something moving inside. Suddenly, a low growl echoes out from within the walls, making the blood run cold. Without saying a word, they listened to make out who might be making the noise.  

As they cautiously approached the entrance, a sense of foreboding overcame them. The door was shattered, with massive claw marks gouged into its wood as if something monstrous had forced its way inside. It hung off its hinges, creaking ominously in the howling wind.

Despite their growing fear, they pressed forward, drawn by the faint flicker of candlelight emanating from within. As they entered the darkened room, the broken furniture illuminated in the dim glow revealed the horrific scene before them. The walls were splattered with blood, and the air was thick with the stench of decay.

The air was thick with the stench of death, and they heard the sound of scratching and scraping coming from all around them. Arin quietly whispered, "Drogath, there's something outside. Let's take cover and see through the window."

Drogath slowly nodded and shifted his gaze from his cover. It took him only a few moments to discern the grotesque outlines of the looming monsters lurking in the vicinity. The sight of the vile creatures filled him with dread and made his heart race.

He hastily ducked back behind his cover, his eyes darting about frantically before he turned towards Arin, his voice barely above a whisper. "We are in deep trouble, my friend. This is no ordinary task. These creatures outside are not like any we've fought before. This must be The Beast's lair."

Arin kept his cool and remained calm. "Forget exploration, we need to go back and try to regroup with the rest of our party. Alone we stand no chance against these monsters."

Arin and Drogath slowly sneaked back to the front of the castle back from where they came and waited in hiding for others to show up. 

Larry found himself in a dire situation as he stood with his back pressed against the cold, unforgiving wall. In front of him, an ominous monster loomed, its massive figure blocking the only path he knew. With no other options left, he frantically searched for a way out and finally noticed a small hole in the wall. It was just large enough for a human to squeeze through.

Without a second thought, Larry dove into the opening, the rough edges of the wall scraping against his skin as he scrambled to escape the monster's sight. The narrow passage twisted and turned, leading him to a dark and foreboding corridor that circled around the prison cells, where he noticed a sturdy door locked tight as he passed by. The door was littered with claw marks and blood stains but sturdy enough to keep them away. 

As Larry stepped out of the dark corridor, he felt his heart racing with fear. He knew that the monstrous creature was lurking somewhere behind him, biding its time until it could pounce and tear him apart. His breaths came in short gasps as he strained his ears for any sounds of the creature's approach.

As he peered into the dimly lit hallway, a scene of horror unfolded before him. David lay on the ground, trembling with terror and muttering incomprehensible words. And then there was Suzuka, standing over him with a menacing glare in her eyes and a sword drawn, ready to strike. Her eyes glowed with an otherworldly red, a sight that filled Larry with a sense of impending doom.

The terror in David's eyes and the threatening presence of Suzuka made it clear that something sinister was at play. Larry felt a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead as he ran at them while saying, "What in the world are you two doing? Don't tell me you were about to kill him just now?"

Suzuka's head turned slowly towards Larry, her eyes gleaming with an intensity that sent shivers down his spine. In a voice so calm it was almost a whisper, she delivered her warning: "Keep it quiet. We have some monsters lurking around here." Larry's eyes widened as he tried to comprehend the danger they were in.

"One of them was about to snatch David," Suzuka continued. "But don't worry, he is fine. I cut the monster's arm off, and here we are." As she spoke, Larry caught a glimpse of the bloodstained sword in her hand. He gulped nervously, wondering just how far Suzuka was willing to go to protect them.

"Help him up," she commanded, gesturing towards David. "We need to meet up with Arin and Drogath. Let's get back to the front of the castle." As they began to move, Suzuka kept a watchful eye on their surroundings, her senses attuned to any sign of danger.

"I will guard you while you help David walk," she said, her voice low and menacing. "He's about to piss himself." Larry could feel the weight of her gaze on him, urging him to move faster, to get to safety before the monsters caught up to them.

"I have seen firsthand what these monsters are capable of, I need to focus. They strike fast and quiet when you least expect it. I will try my best to keep them away while we move."

 Suzuka's intimidating and bloodthirsty presence struck fear into the hearts of even the most savage monsters. They quaked with terror at the mere thought of crossing her path. It was enough to keep the creatures of the night cowering in the shadows.