CHAPTER 62: LILITHS DEN (4)

As I looked upon the 2 distinct archways of pink and black stood on opposite sides of the canyon I looked around at my lovers and new companion. As we all looked around at each other I felt a pressure from within and before I could process it my bound Druid Ivy materialized before us and looked straight at the pink archway in front of us. "This one resonates with me, can you feel it too master?" And now that she mentioned it I had to admit that I did feel a certain ’pull’ towards that archway in particular.

"I can feel that too." Kana said in a low voice. "It’s faint, it feels like a broken string that wants to pull me towards it but it holds no purchase to get a grip." She sounds deeply troubled by this fact, as if admitting that her connection to that place was tenuous at best was a mark of her incompetence. Seeing her look so troubled by this pulled at my heart and I quickly made my way over to her and pulled her down into a hug pressing her head into my bosom. Might not be super comfortable for her but it seemed the gesture did the trick and she soon relaxed ever so slightly.

"Well then I think that unless anyone else has a reason to choose the black archway?" I paused for a moment to look at Zara and Amanda, only continuing when they shook their heads. "Then we should take the pink way, it seems to hold some connection to some of us so let’s see if we can get any rewards from it then!" With that I gave Kana a final squeeze and separated standing and looking over my companions for a moment before turning towards the aforementioned archway. Taking a deep breath I moved forwards towards the pink.

When I passed through the archway it felt like stepping through an ethereal cobweb, lines of power tickled against my skin causing goosebumps to forms and a shiver to race from the base of my spine to the top of my head. The feeling was both deeply uncomfortable and yet also strangely reassuring. As if it was checking me for something and it approved of what it found.

Once through I turned to observe how this might effect everyon else. Ivy seemed to have a very similar reaction to me but Zara and Amanda had no noticeable reaction. Kana however, she had the strangest one of us all. When she walked through she first froze in place for a long moment before it looked like every iota of tension left her body all at once, she even let out a soft moan in the moment. She did swiftly turn into a tomato as her face heated up in embarrassment but she still appeared more at peace and relaxed than I have seen her in quite some time.

"Everyone alright? That was a strange feeling for me when I walked through there." I asked the group. Amanda and Zara looked confused at my question but both Ivy and Kana nodded their agreement at it.

"I feel like that broken string just repaired itself, not fully but i think that I should be able to find a way to fully heal it if we continue." Her tone held both trepidation but primarily it held hope and excitement for what was to come. Ivy simply shared a similar experience to what I felt.

After confirming that everyone is alright and flashing a smile towards Kana I turned back around and began to lead on, gesturing Kana to come up front with me and getting Ivy to guard the rear with Zara. I figured if this place seems to be resonating with me Kana and Ivy we should lead and protect in this particular spot.

The tunnel we found ourselves within was quite spacious with enough space to walk 3 abreast and enough height for Ivy to walk unhindered. The pink rock that dominated this side of the valley glowed softly providing plenty of light albeit in a pink tint. We continued on for some time being careful to check for any traps or other dangers as we progressed. The tunnel itself was clearly man made with its precise and non changing dimensions.

After around 30 minutes a couple of things had been noticed, first we appeared to have been travelling downwards in a gebtal spiral. It was hard to notice as the curvature and slope was so gentle but Zara managed to noticed it and brought it to our attention. Our second discovery was found when we reached the end of the tunnel, a second pink archway was to be found here and passing through it we felt no phenomenon again but we did find ourselves in what I can only describe as an arena.

A large circular space extended out before us with a high wall encompassing it and what looked like it could be spectator seating ringing the area within. No one was seated that but it still gave quite the impression. Their was no one else within this arena and as we walked out into the center we soon figured out why.

A voice like the gentle caress of silk yet brimming with untold power suddenly spoke out. "Welcome contenders, you must prevail in 2 tests before your reward will be granted. First a trial of arms and second a trial of will. For the first you must survive 3 waves of attacks. Prepair yourselves for the first wave will appear within the minute." We had all tensed upon first hearing the voice speak to us but since all it did was explain the challenges to us we began to relax ever so slightly.

Still since it seemed we would soon be in a combat situation we refused to become too relaxed and took combat positions facing the only other entrance into the area. Zara took the lead whilst Kana and Amanda took her left and right side respectively, Kana naturally landing further back to better utilise her bow. Behind them myself, Ivy and Dawn spread out, Dawn even deciding to leave the confort of my neck to flap her wings and begin to circle us from above. I was initially worried she might try to fight up front but thankfully she simply circled me from above and kept plenty of distance from the potential foes.

Seemingly as soon as our formation settled the opposite gate slowly rose from the ground with the rattle of hidden chains. When it fully retracted we tensed in preparation for what our first foe would be. We were not ready for what emerged from the gate though.

Instead of a reading beast or a devilish monster ready to tend our flesh what instead emerged from the gate was a small group of beasts, well a small group of horned rabbits to be specific. "Umm is it just me or does that seem slightly anticlimactic?" I asked to no one in particular.

However it would appear that I was wrong when I noticed the grim faced look on Amanda and Zara’s face, Kana seemed to be just as confused as I was though. I had to do a mental reset as I realised that something strange was going on and I should be careful. Still though as the 10 horned rabbits approached I decided to make the first move. Concentrating I poured my mana into the ground and willed 10 vines to spawn and whip out at the approaching foes.

10 resounding cracks and accompanying thuds rang out signaling the adbrupt and surprising end to the first combat encounter as 10 horned rabbit corpses dropped to the ground in an undignified heap. "W-what?" Zara’s confused voice rang out. "Why are their rabbits there? I thought they were wolves?"

I was slightly confused at that, until something clicked, I looked at Amanda and she too was staring at the rabbit corpses with confusion. I then quickly check with Dawn and she too was slightly confused. It then made sense to me and I elaborated to my party. "I think they were under an illusion and only the people who ’resonate’ with this trial get to see the real creature underneairth the illusion, that’s why me, Kana and Ivy weren’t worried but you three were!" Everyone looks at me with a glint of understanding as the nature of this trial began to clear up for us all, this was not just a combat trial, it is a trial where unless you are ’accepted’ by the trial itself you will be attacked by illusions.

The trial will require cooperation between members of the party that are able to see through the illusion and those that are unable to see through it. Just as we all began to realise that the sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the passageway from the entrance the now deceased rabbits entered from. My breath hitched when I first laid my eyes on the beast that walked out.

With heavy and slow steps walked out a monster straight from nightmares, it had 9 thick limbs of pitch black flesh that undulated and shifted, the body of the creature itself was nothing but a gaping maw of hundreds of razor sharp teeth, no eyes could be seen but the sheer malevolence of the creature radiated from it in a truly unsettling manner. I felt genuine revolution upon seeing the beast and it only grew as I watched its flailing limbs carry it across the ground towards us at a slow but inevitable pace.

"What are we fighting because I see a multiheaded frog the size of a dog," Amanda said with a hint of worry as she had seen my and Kanas reactions to what had walked out.

I tried to gather my thoughts as to how best to answer that question but thankfully before I could Ivy spoke up. "We are facing a Devil of Hunger." Now I didn’t quite know what that meant but the way that both Amanda and Zara’s entire demeanour shifted to one of horror and weariness I could only imagine that this would be a rough fight indeed.