The Blackwyrm Chronicles #1: A Misadventure like no other...

Chapter 65

I left the dungeons: the only way out was to go up a cramped spiral staircase. (I got stuck three times while trying to go up that damn staircase...) When I finally reached the top, I sunk my claws into a demon who was unfortunate enough to be close to me. After I finished tearing into the unlucky bloke, I noticed that I was in a small storage room with brooms, dustpans, and other tools you'd use to keep a stronghold clean. 

I kicked the closest door I could find off of its hinges and poked my head out of the opening to see where I was. Well, I tried to see where I was, but the hallway outside of this room was pitch black. Thankfully, my sense of vision seemed to have improved since I was able to see in what I could presume was pitch darkness. I slowly walked into the hallway, which felt really fucking weird. (You try walking on your tip-toes. It feels pretty strange, huh?)

After a few moments of stumbling around, I managed to find my way into the main hall of the stronghold. Damn, this place was huge: a large chandelier made of black diamonds hung from the cavern-like roof of this room. Elegant tapestries hung from the cobblestone walls, and a ridiculous amount of relics and priceless artifacts also lined the walls. From this main hall, other wide halls seemed to lead to other parts of the stronghold.

Just to let my people know that I was free and still alive, I released an aural flare that would let them know where I was and that I was also conscious. (As stated earlier, an aural flare is a beacon that other magic users can sense. It's pretty much shouting, "Hey! I'm right here!") I sensed the location of Soren's fort and instantly found Luna's aura. I could tell she was distraught, so I attempted to soothe her mind . It wasn't much, but I was at least able to cheer her up somewhat.

I didn't realize that my necklaces were still around my neck until I heard my mom asking me questions: "Helix? Son, are you okay?"

I chuckled, "I've never been better, mum."

"You're...a lupan." She began slowly, a lone note of amazement in her voice.

"Aye, so I've noticed." I replied in a cheerful, sing-song voice.

"How..." She began again.

I shrugged, "The 'how' part isn't important right now, but you and dad both have a whole lot of explaining to do when I'm done here."

My necklace went silent, and I huffed.

"Okay, you could go silent now of all times." I grumbled. "Eh, fuck it. I have more important things to take care of at the moment-aaand I'm talking to myself. Why? Cause why not"

I heard something chuckle, and the same deep voice that talked to me in the dungeons spoke again: "important things, eh? Make sure you have your priorities in check before continuing."

"You again?"

"Don't act surprised. We talk to ourselves enough as it is."

I rolled my eyes. "Just stay quiet."

I looked around the main hall, sneaking up on the few guards in the room and killing them before they could raise the alarm. I wanted more than anything right now to go after Thaleous and kill that son of a bitch, but my current objective right now was to open the main doors of the stronghold so everyone could join in on the carnage and tear this place a new one.

My pack of wolves appeared around me, and the lead wolf head-butted me.

"Master," He murmured.

I found a severed demon head laying on the floor a few feet away from me and went over to pick it up. I then laid the head before my pack and flashed them a toothy grin.

"Go eat, my friends," I began as they all took turns sniffing at the severed demon head, "And leave no survivors."

"With pleasure, master," The lead wolf replied. My pack stalked off. A few moments later, I heard screams of terror soon followed by triumphant howls.

I walked over to the large set of double doors that would allow my team to enter this damn stronghold and killed the guards that looked at me in silent horror. I guess even demons can be frozen with fear when they stand before a full-blooded lupan. I grinned and pushed the doors open: Freezing cold wind blew into the stronghold, and I paused to make sure the wards around this place were still down. Thankfully, they were, and I was able to breathe a sigh of relief. I looked at the bridge my team and I had stood on a few hours ago and noticed that blood still stained the cobblestones of the bridge. Looking away from that, I looked at the sky: I must have been in the dungeon for the whole day because the sun had fully set, and the full moon was just starting to crest the horizon.

I sighed deeply, freezing suddenly when I heard slithering behind me.

"Do not turn around." My new voice warned me. "Just close your eyes."

I heeded my new friend's advice and closed my eyes. A few minutes later, the slithering grew louder.

"Ah...A huntsssman," A raspy voice began quietly, and I heard even more slithering and hissing as I slowly re-entered the stronghold, "I have not tasssted the flesssh of your kind in agesss..."

"Basilisks? Why does there have to be basilisks?" I breathed as I began to turn around in slow circles. From what I could tell from my other senses, there were at least six of these scaly bastards, and they were all closing in on me.

From what I could remember from the handbook Virrius created for me, basilisks have fairly human torsos: two arms and a normal head. Albeit, their entire body is covered in scales. The lower half of their body is also very serpentine in that they have the tail of a snake. They move by slithering on the ground, and they're well-known for having a paralyzing stare that'll ruin your day. One look, and you're a new house decoration.

"So you're Thaleous' guard dogs, eh?" I began as I continued to spin round and round. "Or rather, guard snakes."

I heard one of the basilisks hiss threateningly, "We are not Thaleousss' guard sssnakesss...we have a mutual agreement: Thaleousss gives usss a home, and we protect him from hisss enemiesss..."

I groaned. "If you keep speaking this way, I'll make sure to turn your unhatched children into basilisk soufflé."

"You dare threaten our young?" One of the basilisks began in an indignant tone. "You monssster."

I chuckled, "Hey, fuck you. I still have a demon lord to kill, and you assholes are in my way. Even if I have to charge in blind, I'll still fight you fuckers."

I wasn't lying: I charged in blind and swung at what I believed to be the face of a surprised basilisk. Luckily, my senses in hearing and smell were greatly enhanced thanks to my lupan...ness.

My strike hit true, and I felt my claws bury themselves into flesh. I tried to yank my paw away, but my claws seemed to be firmly embedded in whatever limb I was currently hooked onto. I tried to free my paw again, only to realize that I had probably skewered the head of a basilisk due to the screaming I heard before the sound of tearing flesh greeted my ear holes.

Just when I thought I had ran out of luck, I heard my pack storming back into the main hall and tear into the group of basilisks.

"Master, you can open your eyes now."

I opened my eyes and looked at the mulched remains of the basilisks that had tried to attack me.

The lead wolf dropped a severed hand by my feet, "We killed all of the demons that we could find, master. There are still some left in this stronghold, but we couldn't find them."

I nodded and patted his head, "Good bo-."

Realizing just how wrong that was, I moved my hand away and laughed nervously, "Ahm...sorry."

The spectral wolf could only shake its head as it stalked off once more with the rest of its pack following behind it.

I sighed, "This is why I can't have nice things..."