29.4ᴘᴀᴛʀᴇᴏɴ.ᴄᴏᴍ/sᴛʀᴀᴛᴏᴛʜʀᴀx

"Oh my, I did wonder what had happened to her. She was a terrible apartment mate you know, dreadful screeching and she kept disembowelling her sexual partners and throwing their bits over our separating wall," said the Lamia. "Terribly uptight, some people need to learn to live a little and stop chasing shadows." She shook her head. "I could have predicted an end like this, I said as much at the time."

"She was a monster, there's a reason levelers aren't huge fans of Harpies."

"Yes, yes, I know but prejudices against tribal monsters are a real thing. Most levelers don't even consider them truly sapient. I plan on speaking in favour of some kind of outreach when I get back, I see such potential, really this ancestral memory of theirs is far underestimated, it changes everything. This isn't hundreds of years ago, things are different. I can smell change on the air!"

"Uh, I'm not so sure that will go over so well…" muttered the Elf-sheep.

"Just watch darling, I have rather a lot of influence amongst Lamia."

Soon they reached the entrance and the stone disc.

Many of the bodies had been moved already but Rain still had to move one or two aside. He reached down and gripped the stone chock holding the disc in place and with a grunt pulled it free. He then set his back and heaved. With a grinding rumble the disc rolled to the side revealing the entrance cavern with the path winding through its middle.

"Oh gods, freedom!" said the Elf-sheep.

Rain growled and stepped close to her causing her to wilt and her legs to spasm in fear. He grabbed the chain manacling her wrists together and pulled her close.

"You're going back to Lynthia, meaning you'll speak to levelers. If you don't want to make it onto my list then do not speak of me."

"O-of c-course not! I take client confidentiality very seriously! My lips are sealed and welded shut one hundred percent!"

Rain gave her a searching look but he couldn't tell if she was being genuine or not. He grabbed the metal bracelets on each wrist then began to pull them apart. The short metal chain holding the bracelets together squealed as it deformed before abruptly the rings came apart with a screech leaving her arms free to move as she pleased.

She took a moment to stretch her limbs and crack her knuckles until she noticed Rain's gaze and blushed. She rushed to put on the jacket she had recovered from the breeding pens and cover up her chest.

"Ahem. Well, I shall be departing now. It was a terror meeting you, I mean uh, a pleasure. I thank you for your business and -"

Rain snarled and the Elf-sheep yelped and flinched away.

"-I -I guess we'll be going now! Goodbye!"

She hurriedly pulled on the chains of the two Humans and the Lamia and they shuffled after her through the entrance and wasted no time rushing and slithering down the path.

Opal appeared at Rain's side.

"Hey, are you really just going to let food go like that! Nasty levelers even?"

"..."

"You're just watching a load of fat juicy steaks go wandering off, you can't be serious!"

"Sustainable fishing."

"...What?"

Rain ignored the Goblin and slunk from the entrance and into the nearest tree line. He made his way after the group of four hidden from sight, not difficult as they weren't particularly fast.

They eventually made their way to the exit from the cavern where the path ended. Rain watched from the shadows.

"Gods that was close, I really thought I was dinner for a moment there. Fucking scary wolf thing, that monster is going to be a threat to the local town I just know it, hell I wouldn't be surprised if they are already aware of a monster like that."

"Oh he didn't seem so bad, we're alive aren't we?" mused the Lamia.

The Elf-sheep turned on her. "It wouldn't have been necessary had you not gone gallivanting off into the dungeon and gotten yourself kidnapped your Ladyship. You do know I came here for you yes? Your husband paid me to come and rescue you."

"Oh? Well all's well that ends well I suppose. Back to regular life as it were."

The Elf-sheep worriedly eyed her clearly pregnant belly.

"Er, sure..."

She turned to the two Humans.

"I will take you as far as safety but no more, is that okay?"

One of them nodded furiously but the other simply looked scared.

"Oh poor things, I suppose they must have had a rougher time of it, Gobbos do need a strong hand at their worst, easier for some than others."

"R-right. Well, for now let's make our way back. I need you to trust me on this part and not let go."

She managed to get the trio in a line behind her and got them to link hands. She grabbed the hand of the Lamia at the front.

"Don't be shocked, this is perfectly safe, though I'm not sure how long I can sustain it with so many, I'll need to take breaks. On three. one, two, three."

The group abruptly blinked out of existence.

Rain stared at the spot where they had been. Teleportation…? An extremely rare power, and unheard of to be viable with multiple people, it didn't really fit with how the Elf-sheep had gotten captured however. As he watched he noticed a shift of dust and dirt near the exit. He narrowed his eyes. Invisibility. And not just invisibility for oneself, but others too, not only that but possibly near full invisibility if it covered the voice and removed most tracks as he suspected, he certainly couldn't hear them speaking any longer.

He suddenly felt a lot more regretful letting her go.