Out of the Dungeon, Into the Fire

A burst of light engulfed Eris as she walked out of the exit portal.

For an instant, all was quiet.

Then—

WHOOSH!

The glare disappeared, and Eris found herself back on solid ground once more.

She blinked, eyes adjusting to the harsh brightness of the world. Her eyes, accustomed to dim light of candles and spooky dungeon lighting for days in the dungeon, rebelled at the stark change.

Now? The sun's warm touch on her skin caused her to forget how much she had missed it.

".Well, that was a nightmare," she snarled, extending her aching limbs.

"That's one way to say it," Leon concurred. "But hey, we made it."

Eris breathed deep, her lungs searing with fresh air. The aroma of damp ground and trees danced around her, obliterating the stench of death that clung to her in the dungeon.

And yet—apart from standing outside, something was amiss.

Her eyes pinched together as she looked about.

The last she'd traveled this route, she recalled a level, barren clearing just past the entrance of the dungeon.

Now?

Smoke.

Thin trails of black smoke curled up from the distance. And the air… carried a faint but distinct smell.

Burning wood.

"Uh… Eris?" Leon's voice turned wary. "I don't think we're gonna have a peaceful walk back to town."

Eris's grip tightened around his hilt. "Yeah… I'm getting that feeling too."

She began to walk, picking up speed along the dense woods that receded from the highway. If there was smoke, there was trouble—and trouble most often meant bad folks or monsters.

The last thing she had time for today was another battle.

But when she got nearer, something else appeared.

A body.

Face-down in the muddy road, not moving.

Eris stopped.

She sprinted forward, her heart racing. The figure was a man—middle-aged, wearing a tattered adventurer's coat. Charred armor, a wound across his chest.

"Eris, watch out," Leon cautioned.

She dropped down beside him, feeling two fingers on his neck. No pulse.

"Damn it," she grumbled. She wasn't a healer, but even a beginner could see—he'd been dead for hours.

Then she saw it.

A sigil smoldered on the ground beside him, exhausted mana burning it.

The instant she laid eyes on it, her stomach fell through the floor.

A Blood Hex.

It was an illegal form of magic practiced in most of the kingdoms—black magic summoned by cultists, assassins, and warlocks to curse someone.

"Eris…" Leon's tone was grave. "We have to go. Now."

Eris did not need to be invited twice. If Blood Hexes were being utilized out here, then the person responsible for doing this was around.

She got to her feet and continued walking, the smoky air drifting after her.

And what she saw made her stomach churn.

A village—or at least, what was left of it.

The houses burned-out shells, roofs caved in, and streets filled with corpses left where they'd fallen. The reek of blood and ash hung heavy in the air.

Eris gritted her teeth.

".What in the world happened here?"

"This wasn't a monster attack," Leon replied, nodding down. "These are not fang or claw marks. They were cut down carefully with swords."

He was right. The humans here had been slain—by humans.

Eris pushed ahead between the body of what appeared to be a market stall, looking for anything alive.

Then—

A noise.

A soft rustling from the alleyway down the street.

Eris instinctively pulled Leon, her body tensing. "Someone's here."

She moved forward slowly, gun at the ready.

When she turned the corner—

A girl jumped back and took a step away, eyes wide with fear.

She was young—no more than ten, with wild dark hair and a soot-streaked, tear-stained face. Her clothes were in tatters, her small hands gripping a rusty dagger.

She had been hiding.

Eris slowly lowered her sword. "Hey… I'm not going to hurt you."

The girl said nothing, simply stepping deeper into the shadows.

"She's frozen out of her mind," Leon whispered.

Eris sighed and retreated, kneeling so she was less intimidating.

"Look, kid… I just need to know what happened here."

The girl's lips quivered, speaking barely above a whisper.

".They came from the mountains."

Eris furrowed her brow. "Who?"

The girl swallowed hard.

"The red armor… burning swords."

Eris's stomach twisted.

"Red armor? That would be—"

Leon began.

Eris completed his sentence. "The Crimson Blades."

A well-known band of mercenaries-turned-bandits. Their reputation for ruthlessness, for fire magic, and for not taking prisoners.

"They're supposed to be raiding the eastern border, not this far in the interior," Leon growled.

"Guess they changed their minds," Eris grumbled.

She addressed the girl. "Was anyone else still alive?"

The girl hesitated, then nodded.

"Few. but they took them."

Eris's knuckles whitened. "Where?"

The girl gazed out towards the distant mountains, now barely visible beyond the mist.

Eris's eyes followed hers.

The Crimson Blades had taken hostages.

And she had a pretty good idea where they were going.

"Eris," Leon said slowly. "This is bigger than us."

Eris knew that. She knew chasing a band of merc-killers was suicide.

But—

She looked back at the girl.

Alone. Scared. Presumably the sole survivor of this whole village.

Eris took a deep breath.

".Looks like we're taking a side trip."

"You sure?" Leon asked.

Eris's silver eyes sparkled. "Damn right, I am."

If the Crimson Blades believed they could pull this off.

They were going to learn differently.

She stood up, adjusting her grip on Leon.

"Alright, kid," she said, glancing at the girl. "Stay here. I'll be back."

Then, without another word, she headed toward the mountains.