Chapter 78: 78. It's a trap
The adventurers reached the lightning room. Would they die in there? I didn't know. They moved into the room. The nearest pillar flickered on the map.
One of the red dots blinked, taking damage. The other characters scattered. The lightning pillar pulsed again. A red dot moved to it. Then the pillar winked out.
They disabled their way through the room. My fingers clenched about the armrests on the throne. Was I making a mistake? Maybe. But I had to show the world that I wasn't a bad guy. That I didn't need to be their enemy. I could be an ally to them.
There was no need for us to be enemies. For my existence to promote such animosity.
The adventurers began searching the lightning room. Would they find the false door or go down one of the two decoy tunnels? Maybe they wouldn't find us and retreat.
Well, at least they would be alive. They could tell the others that this wasn't a real dungeon. That would be nice.
They headed down the south decoy route. It was nothing but a small maze full of traps. It went nowhere. Garnet started pacing more and more, shaking her head. She stared at me with this fear in her eyes.
She was worried for me.
Lana was getting antsy, too, but she tried to hide it. Usiku had found this stoic calm. She stood almost like a statue, hardly moving. I flexed my fingers. Then I sent a command to one of the wildhounds.
Du was the closest. She raced to the lightning room. While the adventurers were moving through the southern maze, Du reached the lightning room and opened the concealed door before she darted back out of the room.
"Big bro!" Garnet gasped. She shook her head in exasperation at me, her red hair dancing about her features. "Really?"
"Really," I said. "We're here to make friends today."
The trio took about a quarter hour to explore the offshoot and then headed back to the lightning room. They stepped out into the room and froze. They huddled up for several minutes. They had to be talking about the open door.
"Great, they see it as a trap," I said, shaking my head.
"It was our best defense," groaned Garnet. "And you just turned it off. Why not just march to the entrance and be a greeter! Just shake their hands like you work at Walmart or something, big bro?"
"Yeah, I'll do that next time," I said with a big smile.
My little sister shot me an irritated look. She puffed out her cheeks again, her demon wings fluttering. "Big bro, you are so maddening!"
"They're moving," said Usiku. "They're coming here."
The adventuring party cautiously moved to the door. One appeared to search it then led the way. That dot must be a rogue-type character. He kept disabling all the traps that lined the way. They reached Usiku's guard room and the door that led here.
"Okay, places," I said, the tension growing. I stood up, holding my lightning spear. I drew in a deep breath, hoping this wasn't the greatest mistake of my life.
The three figures moved down the corridor and then reached the throne room. I looked at the doors. They were just on the other side.
My heart pounded so fast in my chest. Garnet stood on my right, Lana on my left. Usiku to the side, arms folded across her chest.
"Okay, this is--" I started to say.
The doors flung open and the trio rushed in.
A woman led the way. She wore armor straight out of a cheesy fantasy movie from the Eighties. A breastplate bikini that cradled her tits and a matching pair of steel panties.
She had pauldrons covering her shoulders and thigh-high boots with greaves strapped over them to protect her ankles. Her black hair streamed behind her in a braid. She held a sword in her hand, the blade bright silver, that seemed to be vibrating. I could hear a hum coming from it.
Behind her came two men. One was clearly the rogue, a slim man in black leather with a knife in hand. The other looked to be a mage or a priest, it was hard to say, wearing yellow robes with a white accent to them. He didn't have a staff or wand, but his hand clutched at an amulet about his neck. A wide disc of gold.
Like a holy symbol. A priest?
"Welcome, welcome," I said, trying to sound friendly as I stepped forward. The trio stared at me suspiciously. The woman advanced, the rogue and cleric following behind her. They formed a triangle aimed at me. "I'm Leo. Leo Baldwin. And I would like to talk. To parley!"
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