A cave. Yet another cave. Always a cave, as many would say… It was always a cave.

  Dark and murky, tunnel rocks and stone etched with strange weeds and an assortment of cavern fungi. As with most caverns located at the center of circular forests within a central bulging hill, this cave was rather convenient in its internal structure; as if carved to be navigable, routes always leading down predictable ends even if labyrinthian. Natural caves, by contrast, were not necessarily meant to be houses for mobs and monsters—destinations for would-be adventurers.

  Although, what perhaps separated this particular cave from all those priorly ventured thereto was the…stench.

  Indeed, there was a…smell to it—an unpleasant kind, as if savages uncleaned had once inhabited it.

  Although, really, it was just the abundancy of the still decomposing dead—being devoured by cavern insectoid larvae, and, of course, flesh-eating fungi the mushrooms of which sprouted out from their rotted corpses, unleashing spores that were…safe albeit unpleasant to breathe.

  Yet bravely venturing ever-onwards through this cave; through the dead goblins, their cousin hobgoblins, and extended familial orc-kins; was one such adventurer.

  An adventurer with potent yellow-amber eyes, donning Far Eastern lamellar shoulder guards and ancillaries in addition to Far Western plated greaves and boots, and a similarly Far Western cuirass of refined steel with a layer mail beneath, all of which were worn atop a reddish exotic tunic from a lesser land in between here and the Far East—a land…middle…of the east. Adorning his dark crimson hair was an insular Far Eastern helmet, culture unknown to most; being wielded by his plated leather hands was a similarly exotic and insular Far Eastern polearm—with a curvy blade.

  Indeed, an adventurer truer to the word—this man had been places.

  Yet trailing behind him with displeasantry was an ice mage, simpler in her fashion. She donned that ever iconic and unmistakable pointy hat becoming of any mage—Collegium, Freelancer, or otherwise—, a simple mage’s robe, and a mage’s cape all colored in a similar light, almost glacial or icy, blue with secondary white; she wore a basic cuirass chest piece, nothing cultured or extraordinary, and a basic set of greaves and knee guards—light, mobile, and not clanky in movement. Her natural eye color was an almost frost-invoking kind of blue, and her hair was an interesting…‘silver-blue’ sort of color.

  And, naturally, in concord with the customs of the Central Continent—the conventions by which most, might such be aliases or motherly given, were named—her name was ‘Blue’, and the adventurer thus…‘Red’. Names indeed which made more sense in their true Centralish tongues than in blunt translation—being Dherr and Yulbe respectively.

  Nevertheless and regardless,

  “Trinity’s Salvation, ugh…” Blue pinched her nose, her other hand holding her humble staff semi-high, its tip radiating with a wispy shine. “Redddd…” With a nasally voice, she thus began to so whine.

  “Hmm?” Red meanwhile, leading way, grumbled—not even glancing behind at her… He was one already accustomed to such stenches of death.

  “Why…must we be here?” Blue so inquired. “As said countlessly already, we are supposed to be returning to the camp; yet, obviously, instead we are here… In this…dirty, yucky, and…deathly cave.”

  Red finally turned his head and gave her a glaring gaze…

  Her eyes were ignited in that lightly yellowish color of the school of light; hovering, following, tethered to her aura was a gentle puffball of wisp-dusty radiance—so-locally-called ‘mana’. This conjured photonic ball emitted visible light which revealed enough of the immediate space around, allowing them to thus bask upon the glory of the sights beheld…

  The horrifying aftermath of the Company’s style of so-called ‘anti-greenie’ warfare, and the slow, gradual, and potentially week-long decomposition process of dry and lifeless caverns such as here.

  Although, it also allowed him to see her clearly, including that…expression on her face.

  “Why are you asking this now?” he merely asked; “Could’ve asked this when I’d decided to change directions, when we were told about this cave, during the wagon ride here, but instead you…waited until we were inside the cave to ask?” He perhaps had a point.

  “…” Blue simply gave him a blank bland stare. “It’s the smell…” she thus spoke, frank; “This…affront despoiling my nose wasn’t part of our contract.”

  Red nearly gave a single chuckle although suppressed it; he returned his eyes to the way ahead. “Heh. Don’t remember signing a contract with you, mage. You just appeared one day and refused to leave—like that Demon-King spawned unicorn.”

  “More like, you were the one who randomly appeared to me.” Blue so countered; “Oh, the hapless adventurer stranded in Redberry. ‘Uh, hello, uhm, a rain is approaching and I need a ride to Grandberry.’ ‘Oh, we aren’t heading there.’ ‘Oh, but are you at least heading in that direction.’ ‘Oh, yes, maybe.’ ‘Well, that works enough.’ ‘Oh, but we don’t do transportation.’ ‘Oh, but I’ll pay you.’ ” She began to mock two different sorts of voices, one of which was more endearing than the other and it was not Red’s.

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah…” Red, in his ever Reddish fashion, brushed his non-dominant hand in a dismissive wave; “Listen, you have a unicorn chase you to the end of the thousand realms, you get desperate.”

  “Hmm?” Blue moved her lips and raised a brow. “I fail to see the correlation. You just did not want to get wet.” she so humbly stated. “You never did pay us also, I should mention.”

  “Yeah, and I never did reach Grandberry either.” Red gave her another gentle glare. “Also, does all the coin you’ve leached from me this past year and more not count?”

  Yet Blue’s eyes retreated down slightly as her speed slowed, her mind entering reflection… “Has it truly been only one year? Since that day…” She had to wonder, indeed, since it felt as though it had been several.

  “Eh… Basically two now—doesn’t make a difference.” Red so replied.

  “Huh.” Blue needed to reflect on that more. “I suppose a whole lifetime could befall a single year, let alone two. So much has happened…” Her ignited eyes relooked at he who led in front. “You know, I believe I’ve told you this, but my routine used to be so…boring, being a freezer. Go hither, go thither, freeze this, freeze that… Trinity’s forgiveness if any of those creeps discovered what I’d been for much of my life… ‘Heeheehoohoo, do you offer additional services mighthap?’ Bleh—I mean, unless they were attractive… Then, well…” Her eyes trailed off. “An offer is an offer.”

  “Yeah. You’ve said this before.” Red just replied; “Whenever we are in a place you don’t want to be in; that’s when you get babbly—usually when we’re in a cave like here.”

  “…” She nearly grumbled. “Speaking of caves, you know what this particular cave reminds me of, Reddy?”

  “Guh…” Oh, there she went. There was a…metaphorical…single large drop of sweat that so washed down his crimson hair. “Gods’ sacred toilet, Blue… You’re never gonna drop that one from hanging over me, huh?”

  “Nope.” With such a half-smile of a smirk, she thus shook her head. “After all, to me it is a fond memory… Very… The best we’ve ever done—and it was our first.”

  “Uhuh…” Red tended to not think about their first of all encounters, particularly because it was under…bizarre and somewhat stressed circumstances.

  A moment of lapsed judgement on his part—or, at least, so he had believed up until he had so experientially discovered the…other side of this character that so followed him since; the side which she hid amidst strangers yet barely self-contained amongst anyone with whom she was vaguely comfortable.

  “So aggressive, so overpowering… Ooph.” Blue was blushing, reminiscing… “You’re perhaps…too gentle and permissive with me now, I dare say.”

  “Yeah, yeah…” Red so waved; “We get it; you’re a crazy bitch.”

  “~Tehe… What shall I say?” Blue giggled lecherously. “If you behave permissively and docile, you will be freely used as such. But things are more fun when it’s a fight—a mutual struggle for power and conquest, muhaha!” As if accidently pulling her own throat, she momentarily coughed. “No, but…sometimes I prefer ~violence.” From him specifically, more usually than not—indeed, an important caveat.

  “Ugh…” Red barely glanced. “You’ve gotta stop reading those shit-books; Gods condemn the contemporary printing press, mass literacy, and those new shitty Far Western write-contraptions…” There was an era of time when books were held as mighty literature, written and read only by the most learned kinds. This contemporary era was…not that era, any more at least—rapidly receding year by year as new innovations outpaced comprehension. “I should just sell you to goblins already, since that’s what you clearly want.”

  “Hmm?” Blue pressed her lips to the side, slightly gripping her staff tighter. “You know, your ass becomes plumper each time you adorn your empty head with your hidden spark, Graillighter.”

  “Alright,” Red’s glance became a slight glare, “one: ew, lady; and two: you know I’d prefer if you didn’t call me that…”

  “Hmph.” Yet Blue simply withdrew her ignited eyes. “And I would prefer if you didn’t use the word ‘sell’ in reference to me, even in jest…” There was a slight tremble in her jaw. “You could have used ‘hand over’ or ‘give’ or even ‘abandon to’, but you instead had to wield ‘sell’…”

  Red’s eyes too withdrew, back to the way ahead. “Yeah, sorry…” He scratched the back of his neck, before he then gave a single chuckle. “Guess I gotta don that spark more and think the shit that comes out of my mouth through.”

  She giggled with a forgiving smile. “Anyway, speaking of such…literature… Do want to know what I’ve been enlightening myself with lately?”

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  “Gods’ sacred…”

  Truly, the subjects she decided to discourse about whenever they were alone and in the most unsuitable environments for such casual banter. However, there was a thing the two of them had said to each other once before… What happened within a cave, stayed within a cave; what had been said within a cave, remained within that cave.

  A cave, indeed, was a place where those things none would ever want the greater world to know could be said or done.

  And, truth be told, Red was likewise completely aware as to why she was even being so chatty. Such banter made for a good distraction, and she was no longer complaining about the smell. Thus, so as long as it felt safe, and so far it had, he tried his best to endure it and even play along whenever necessary.

  “Hm… I wonder, if I were to cut off an orc’s…fat tail, how long would it last before—”

  Even if it meant…tolerating the…things that her mouth would conjure when she was trying to distract herself and maintain sanity.

  -|-

  A dead end. Or rather, a blockage of rock and rubble. A cave in had befallen, obscuring the passage—they could even see the arms and limbs of those crushed beneath sticking out, most of which were bluish, greyish, or green.

  “See?” Blue just said; “Precisely as described… The Company already cleared here, soo… Thus, why are we…here? To ask again.”

  “Blue… You know why.” He had literally explained at least several times now, according to his memory at least.

  In reality, it was only one-and-a-half times, if one were to include the vague half-explanation he had provided.

  Blue simply gave a gentle yet frank sort of face, her mouth half turned. “Oh, I am aware of the ‘hunters sighted shady ones entering hither this cave well after its cleansing, I want to investigate by grounds of’…” There was a rhetorical pause. “Oh, wait. You didn’t tell me the grounds by which you have become interested or the something that has piqued you so.”

  Indeed. They had just wrapped up their Company-given expedition to the Vice Country of North Midberry and had been on their way back to the Company’s campaign camp. However, during what was supposed to be a day’s journey thither, they had encountered a group of hunters who frequented this particular forest—one that had been ‘purified’ during the Clearances. Identifying them as adventurers, the hunters had proceeded to inform them of an…occurrence.

  According to these hunters, during one of their recent hunts within this forest, they had noticed blackened cloaked-and-hooded figures with a blanket-covered wagon traversing through; they had judged from the silhouette impressions that some sorts of crates were being transported.

  Suspicious, having already been aware of the Company’s ‘war’ against the local goblins and that the Company had recently struck here, they had covertly trailed these cloaked suspects and their wagon up until both had disappeared into the depths of this very cavern’s mouth. The hunters, of course, had dared not enter this place—caves always being places of wicketry. But they had asked that these two passing by adventurers report this to the Guild or investigate themselves.

  Although Red, naturally, had felt a strange distrust for those self-identified hunters, he had nevertheless become piqued by their words, primarily because he also knew what those hunters supposedly did not: that the Company’s clearance of this particular cave—and he had a Company-provided map with the necessary marks—had ultimately failed.

  Not because they had taken mass casualties and were forced to withdraw. No… Rather, because the Fallen had, well…

  He was literally staring at it.

  They had caved the passage in, blocking the Company’s advance.

  Nevertheless, this cavern pass was in general wide and spacious—more than enough ample room for a whole wagon convey to meander through. Likewise, he had noticed throughout their stroll that many of the rotting bodies left by the Company’s slaughter had been pushed aside as if to make way. And there were still impressions—streaks—of wheels on the ground.

  Thus, he had already confirmed that there was—that there had to have been—some sort of wheeled…thing that had traversed through here. Something the wheels of which had, seemingly, so…stopped right at this debris blockage.

  “We’ve gone far enough.” Blue began to say; “We should simply move on and report this.”

  “Hm…” Unfortunately, Red was cogitating—and such only meant he had already decided to double down.

  Blue blinked her ignited eyes a few several times, just…staring at him. She sighed; “May I at least conserve my mana?” Their graciously provided source of light was not free, after all. However, with respect to most spells, this one was surprisingly not-so-taxing; perhaps because it was ultimately a dim even if revealing source of light.

  “Hmm… Hold on.” Yet Red’s eyes were already scanning around the periphery, attempting to deduce and ascertain. “I need to see.”

  “Mmmmmm……” Blue just waited, thus, humming a mumble as she observed his doings—or lack thereof. Indeed, compared to him, she was hardly the expert—of adventuring or caverns such as here. She could not possibly yet fathom what that man’s…head was conjuring within—deducing or speculating.

  She did hope she could be helpful someday, beyond simply providing spellcraft support or responsible fiscal advice…

  Truly, she was the only one out of the two actually getting anything out of this. She was, indeed, receiving her contractually obligated pay from the Bureau and she had even managed to secure a deal with the Company whilst Red…meandered about in his ways within that camp.

  Although, of course, securing pay was one matter—utilizing that pay was another, and by those grounds… Perhaps she was not as responsible as she would prefer to believe. Albeit in her defense, Freelancer spellcards were…awfully pricy—no thanks in part to their…methods of acquisition… The Collegium was afflicted with a mysterious ‘missing cards’ problem, suffice it to say.

  As for expenses beyond utilitarian grounds, however, she would also argue that she was trying to enjoy her life while she had it, in contrast with Red who always seemed to be… Not necessarily miserable as much as…stuck or…persistent—overly persistent.

  And she knew the reason. Although they had only known each other for…practically two years now, they knew each other quite well—very well, in fact.

  They were closer than he would ever care to admit.

  “Hey.” Red was eyeing her.

  Yet Blue jolted backwards slightly with odd surprise. “Huh?” She shook her head, blinking quite. “Brrt, woah… Apologies, uhm…”

  “You alright?” He seemed concerned—on the inside, not the out. “You seemed a little…”

  “A-a little…what?” Blue was a little awkward, attempting to hide that she momentarily needed to ascertain…where she even was.

  “Absent.” Red thus remarked. “Is your mana running that low?”

  “No, no… It’s hardly that.” It would be awfully embarrassing for her mana to be so depleted by this puffball of a light spell; she had already consumed a so-called mana ‘potion’, after all. “I became astray in my…sea of thoughts, aha…” She breathed in and out, giving her head one last shake.

  “Alright… Well, anyway, I’ve—” Red was going to say, yet…

  “Wait, uhm…” Blue interrupted.

  And Red flipped himself about. “What?” He stared.

  “I suppose an inquiry, uhm… Red, do…you know…this feeling?” she began to ask; “As if your very thoughts are being…unclothed and eaten?”

  “…huh?” Red’s stare became a blank glare. “Gods’ sacred, Blue…” With an ughing grunt, he shook his head and returned his attention. “Oh, your thoughts are unclothed alright… Yeah, yeah; I get it…”

  “Mmh…” Blue mellowly grumbled. He had presumed she was merely jesting, yet that was a serious question…

  Truly, woe was to her; the consequences of being such a salacious teaser half of the time.

  “Anyway,” he returned his attention to his chain of thoughts on hold; “I think I know—”

  “Wait, one more thing…” Yet Blue once again so interrupted.

  Red yet again turned himself and so glared. “What now?”

  However, Blue took her time with this one, gripping her staff more tightly. “Do you ever just…feel that we’re being…watched by something?”

  …

  Ah. I had nearly forgotten…

  Her exceptional sensitivities.

  “…” Red himself just stared… “Uh… Wait, watched?” And, indeed, his posture changed. “What do you mean? By what? When did you start feeling this way? When we entered this cave or…?” Now he was taking her seriously.

  Blue sighed. “No, not as in here—I meant generally…” she thus clarified, explaining; “This is a feeling I have been…afflicted with lately; it just appears and disappears… Something inside me sometimes feels perturbed, as if…” Yet she sighed again, pausing. “Never mind. Apologies, I must be…tired—that is all. It’s…likely nothing.”

  She did not necessarily want to tell him that…he would not understand.

  “Alright, then…” Red slowly nodded, deciding to go along with her termination of this subject, although he knew very well that she had more to say. He was not going to push it out of her, however.

  Having been interrupted twice now, he turned himself back to his focus of interest.

  “Anyway, as I was going to say, I think I know…the trick going on here.” he thus began to say; “This half-burnt forest used to be Tree-Fiend dominion, and from the Guild’s understanding, Tree-Fiends used to be under-dwellers long ago.”

  “Tree-Fiends?” Blue tilted her head. “I…have heard of those… Although, I thought they were shrouded in mystery? Man-eaters, Demon-worshippers—everything…unpleasant.”

  “Yeah, but not to the Guild.” Red so stated; “And according to what I’ve heard from Bureau bugs, in ancient times… There, uh…” He had to flex his neurons, stretching those long-lost synapses. “There used to be, duhm, entry points or whatever of fuckings—you get what I mean.”

  “…I don’t know, do I?” Blue naturally replied with a teasing smirk.

  Though, Red ignored. “Anyway, all I’m saying is, some caves are natural formations, but a fuck-most aren’t; some are built to look natural, but have hidden…shit…” He placed his unique polearm aside and began to prod the walls with both hands, as if a man unsolicitedly molesting a woman.

  Such was Blue’s interpretive analogy, at least.

  “Goblins love modifying shit—you know, creating their fuck-traps… But judging from the way this…wall looks, sometimes there’s…” He held that ‘is’ whilst he continued to defile the wall, up until he brushed some sort of…rock sticking out thence. “Ah. There we are. Older shit.”

  “Mh.” Blue’s lips curled with a squeak as her cheeks puffed.

  What an awfully…shaped rock that one was, truly… Shaped in a manner that minds of a certain kind could…willfully misinterpret.

  “Red,” indeed she snickered, “might I provide my own hand to…assist in that poor wall’s evident…difficulty?” she thus so ‘offered’. “I am far more proficient.”

  Red did not even need to glance a glare. “Yeah, nah…” Though, he then paused, realizing…

  Hm. He was wearing leather armored gloves, and she was bare-handed; she needed to learn, likewise…

  “Fuck…” He turned to blue. “Alright, actually, I want you to get a feel of it, but”—and he emphasized that but—“no dumb shit. Stay focused.”

  “…” Blue had to seriously ponder the conditions of his proposed treaty. “But, Red, have you considered it is of the most ideal shape to be…well, handled?”

  “Yeah. I have considered that, lady.” Red just replied, arms crossed; “But you can consider this a lesson on identification. This shit’s important; might help you some day if you’re ever on your own.”

  Blue just gave him a kind of look, lips half-turned. “…why must everything be framed as if our ‘party’ is temporary.” She sighed and approached that…unfortunately shaped handle of a rock. “You are aware that I wouldn’t be doing any of this if it wasn’t with you…” she so remarked, yet to which Red would only say ‘for now’.

  Nevertheless, she gripped this rock—appropriately—and…

  “Oh, huh…” She began to feel it—inspectively. “This is…” And she turned, looking at Red; “This isn’t…a proper stone; it does not feel so.”

  “Yeah. It isn’t. It’s definitely a knob.” Red stated with focus. “Now… Memorize the sensation—the texture or feel or…” There was no way to appropriately phrase this. “Regardless, encounter these more often, you’ll start seeing the pattern to them.”

  “…that they all appear to be…rocky cocks on cavern walls?” Blue, naturally, rhetorically inquired, pretending as though she was naive to what he was doing; he was trying to make her ‘independent’ and not ‘overly reliant’ on him.

  Which, fair point, if the motivations were not anything but fair.

  “Nah.” Red just shook his head, himself smirking. “Sometimes they look like a piece of shit or a minotaur’s ball.”

  “…” She looked at him. “You imply thus…that you have witnessed a minotaur’s ball?”

  “Not just seen, lady—I had to cut it out of him.” he so stated. “The weird ass shit some quests ask for…”

  “Huh.” Blue provided an awfully intrigued stare as her hand proceeded to casually pull the disguised switch or lever.

  The cavern wall behind swiftly began to rumble as an orifice proceeded to open itself wide with rather the inanimate grunt. Another passage thus was revealed.

  “Huh.” She repeated again, although this time eyeing the opened tunnel way—a darkly gaping hole with no light yet into which they had to insert themselves firmly.

  …truly, her mind was a gutter.

  “Heh. Looks like I was right.” Red, pleased, picked up his polearm. “Alright, you can stop tail-stroking the rock-knob now; let’s get going.” Indeed, he stared down this newfound way. “This’s gotta be the way those…wagon-creeps went down… Hm…” Never mind also a way by which the Fallen could circumvent the blockage, the Company never the wiser.