Trapped

"Is that really it?" Daschia asked, peering into the tunnel entrance. The petite elf stared into the tunnel, but even her keen eyesight could not penetrate the murky depths.

Moments before, it had been obscured by brush before being cleared away by Bhathig and her ax. It was not her preferred use for the weapon, but it did in a pinch. They had followed the directions provided by Rusty, a crusty old prospector. Well, less provided and more bought for with a discount after Bhathig had let Rusty spend some quality time with her massive breasts.

Bhathig sniffed. "Doesn't smell like much," she said.

"Look, if Rusty led us astray, I'll personally cut off his balls and present them to him, okay?" Lanex Sin replied. The lithe thief produced a slim dagger. "But this tunnel is where Rusty said it would be, all right? And it doesn't look like a lot of other people have been around. Look at all the cobwebs, dust everywhere, it's been a while since anyone has been this way.

The three adventurers looked at each other, a silent consensus passing between them. They had come this far, out to the borders of the civilized world, in order to make their fortune. Each had their own reasons... each had their own dreams they were pursuing. However, those dreams would require coin to bring them to fruition, which is why they were here, in the hinterlands, hunting for treasure.

Lanex pulled a silver necklace from a pouch, an aquamarine gem wrapped in wire dangling in the center. She rubbed the gem and it began to glow with a soft blue light. She had liberated the necklace in one of her last robberies in the city of Pallonia. She had left quickly, most of her amassed fortune securing her safe passage away from the watchful eyes of the City Watch and the local gang of thieves who frowned on freelancers such as herself.

The gem gave off a soft light, enough for her to see a few feet in front of her, but hopefully not so bright that it would give away her presence to whatever might be lurking within the depths. The gem hung down between her modest breast, all but the tops concealed by the form fitting black leather armor she wore. The gem had the added benefit of leaving her hands free. She ducked into the tunnel, head brushing the ceiling. She knew Daschia would have an easier time of it, but Bhathig would feel incredibly cramped in the close confines.

As she moved deeper into the tunnel, the light from her amulet played out over carved designs in the stones. Tall, ethereal figures march in procession, bearing covered gifts. Various races were also depicted, nearly all of them shown in chains and on their knees. She wasn't sure how long they walked, the tunnel curving and descending down into the ground, but never branching. Eventually it opened up into an antechamber. Blue-grey globes hung suspended from chains in the ceiling. Stone furniture in the form of couches and chairs were strategically placed around the chamber. Sunlight filtered in from some hidden aperture, casting dim light throughout.

"Not the most comfortable of places, huh?" Lanex said.

"Oh, there would have been cushions and divans all over here," Daschia said.

"They might have built the furniture out of stone... and maybe metal? I don't know. But they were definitely interested in comfort as well. Well, for the aristocracy at least."

"Mmm. I can tell," Bhathig added. She pointed out a pair of rusted iron rings bolted into the wall. "I'm guessing not everyone got the cushy treatment."

"Well, no," Daschia said. "Slaves, captives, and well... anyone the old Empire perceived as lesser wouldn't have the best time of it."

"No wonder they collapsed," said Lanex. "Nothing to stoke the fires of rebellion like treating everyone around you like crap."

But we aren't here to admire their decor, but to see what treasures we might find, right? So let's get to it! What way do you think we should try first?"

Three separate passages led out of the antechamber, not including the one the trio of adventurers had descended from.

Bhathig gave a shrug of her muscular shoulders, left mostly bare from the straps of her leather chest armor. Given her size, it was difficult to always find armor that fit well and covered everything. As a result, a stretch of her green muscled midriff was left bare. She trusted her skill as a warrior to keep herself free from harm.

"I say we go straight ahead," the orc warrior said, pointing into the shadow shrouded passage.

Daschia and Lanex looked at each other, then nodded in agreement. Lanex produced a small bit of chalk and made a mark on the wall next to the passage. "In case we get turned around," she said by way of explanation.

The trio crept down the passage, ears and eyes alert. Lanex led the way, taking care with her approach. Simply because they had not seen any sign of anything living down in the ruins did not mean that there might still be some creature that had made it their lair. Or perhaps there was some long dormant trap waiting to be sprung by the unwary. Tavern stories were full of ruins inhabited by savage tribes of goblinoids or the castoff mutants of wizardly experimentation pushed to the edges of the world by civilization's expansion.

She passed a side tunnel then stopped, the light from her necklace reflecting off a bit of metal down the passage. She held up her hand, Daschia and Bhathig stopping behind her.

"What is it?" Daschia asked.

Lanex shook her head and gave a small shrug. She slunk down the passage, eyes and ears straining. She stopped just before entering the chamber. A small silver coffer rested on top of a stone table. There was no way to tell what it contained, but the coffer itself was probably worth more than she had stolen in any single year. She licked her lips, and her hand drifted down to her dagger. She took a step forward, then paused, her boot hovering over the floor.

"Something wrong?" Bhathig asked.

"Seems a bit too easy," Lanex said. She knelt down and examined the floor, tracing her fingers along the ground. The floor was dressed stone, and she could discover no seams or pressure plates. Without fully entering the room, she examined the ceiling and the walls as best she could, but could find no evidence of any traps or triggers.

"Maybe it really is safe?" Daschia offered.

"Hmm. Maybe..." Lanex reached for the coffer. There was an audible click as a small pressure plate released from under the coffer.

"Get back!" she shouted, trying to figure out where the trap was. Daschia tried to dash forward, but Bhathig wrapped a massive arm around her waist and pulled her back into the passage. Lanex leapt back, but the floor opened beneath her, sending her plunging down into darkness. Daschia squirmed free, her hand reaching out to Lanex, but it was too late. The thief disappeared, and before either Dashia or Bhatig could react, the floor swung back into place, leaving no sign of their friend or the coffer.

"Lanex!" Bhathig shouted, but there was no answer, her voice echoing off the stone walls.

"Do.. do you think she's dead?" Daschia asked.

Bhathig shook her head. "Doubtful. Come on. We should look for her."

"But..."

"But what?" Bhathig asked. "We aren't helpless, are we? Wherever she is, we will find her. Or she will find us. It will be okay. Besides," she offered with a tusky grin, "she has the coffer, and that should be enough to set us up nicely. Who knows what other treasure she might find?"

***

Lanex found herself in complete darkness, the light from her necklace having gone out. She touched her fingers to it and uttered the trigger phrase, bringing it back to life. She had landed on something soft, and looking down she saw that a collection of carpets and pillows had cushioned her fall, all piled together deliberately underneath the chute that had deposited her here. She raised the glowing gem higher, but the ceiling was at least fifteen feet high and centered in the middle of the ceiling, making it impossible to reach. She did not have a good sense of how far she had fallen, either.

She found the silver coffer and tucked it into her satchel. If she did reunite with Bhathig and Daschia, well then the coffer would be well worth this momentary setback.

There was a single wooden door set in one of the walls of the room. She made her way there, her footing unsteady given everything covering the floor. She tested the door, and found it unlocked. She pushed it open slowly. The pale blue of her necklace revealed an unlit passage, the hallway extending into darkness.

She crept down the hall slowly, carefully. It was possible the trap was a relic of the Old Empire simply left to trap unlucky thieves like herself. But it was also possible more recent inhabitants had set it. Still, there was no sign of anyone, not even torches.

Lanex paused at an intersection of corridors, ears straining. She heard footsteps approaching, along with voices, though she did not not recognize the language they spoke. It sounded harsh and grating to her ears. Some form of goblin tongue? Lanex wished Bhathig was here. Lanex realized they were heading toward the chamber she had landed in, and would pass her soon if she wasn't careful. Slinking her way into a side passage, she found a recessed alcove and pressed her body against it. She covered her glowing gem with her hand, plunging her surroundings into utter darkness. Whoever it was walking down the hall evidently had no need for torches or other light sources.

The footsteps receded in the distance, and Lanex allowed herself a sigh of relief. She let go of the glowing gem of her necklace and gasped in terror as four short green humanoids lunged at her.

###

"Are you sure we are going the right way?" Daschia asked. Bhathig shrugged her massive shoulders.

"How would I know?" she asked. "Look, we know Lanex fell down a hole, right?"

"Yes," Daschia agreed.

"And this passage slopes down. I don't see many other options. Well, maybe we could go back to the fort, pick up some mining supplies, and try to dig our way to her."

"But... that would take so long!" Daschia protested. "Who knows what might happen to her while we do that."

"Exactly," Bhathig said. "Which is why we are going this way."

Daschia threw her arms up in frustration, but followed after the Bhathig anyway. She wished she had a better idea, some tracking or teleportation spell that could whisk them to Lanex... or better yet whisk Lanex to them. Then the three of them could be out of the claustrophobic confines of this labyrinth.

Bhathig disappeared around a corner, and Daschia quickened her pace to follow. The passage branched out into three directions in front of her. Two of them led down, and one led up, presumably to another entrance. But of the mighty orc warrior, there was no sign.

"Bhathig?" she called out into the darkness, but the only response was the echo of her own voice. How could a woman that big simply disappear without a trace? At least with Lanex, she had seen her disappear. But this? She hadn't even heard Bhathig cry out.

Daschia felt her heart beating faster, panic threatening to over take her. She could hardly imagine a worse fate than this - trapped underground, alone, with no discernable way out. Well, she could go back and follow the chalk marks Bhathig had left. At least then she would be out of this confounded maze... but without her friends. Steeling her resolve, she gripped her rapier tight and proceeded down the descending corridor.

###

Bhathig went around the corner, only to find a wooden iron bound door blocking her way. "Huh. Well, we haven't seen that before. Too bad Lanex isn't here if it's locked, Daschia? Daschia? Come on now, where are you?"

She turned around to berate her companion, but there was no answer. And where there had been a passage extending behind her, now there was nothing but a blank wall. Funny, she didn't remember hearing any sliding doors or other traps, nothing to indicate that she was anywhere but the passage she and Daschia had been traveling down together. She ran her hand over the wall, wondering if it was illusory. It felt solid enough to the touch, if a little clammy. The door was also solidly built. She doubted even Lanex would be able to slide one of her daggers between the door and the wall. Speaking of Lanex, Bhathig checked for a lock, but didn't see one. Perhaps more distressing, there wasn't even a handle.

Not one to be easily daunted, she set her axe to one side, braced her legs, and pressed her shoulder against the door. It refused to budge. Bhathig gave a snarl and pushed away from the door. She backed up to the wall, gave a small shout and rammed the door with her shoulder.

She bounced off the wooden door and cursed in pain. The door remained, unmoving. Snarling, she snatched up her axe with both hands and struck a tremendous two-handed blow. The blade bounced off the door with such force that she lost her grip on the haft. The axe spiraled backward, the metal blade rebounding off the back wall. The door did not even look scratched.

"Magic," the orc spat. "Where is Daschia when I really need her? Or Lanex for that matter?"

She slumped against the wall for a moment, staring at the cracked, slimy walls. Her eyes were drawn upward, to the ceiling. For the first time, she noticed small circular holes set in the ceiling of the chamber. She wrinkled her brow, trying to figure out what purpose they might serve. As she stared, she thought she saw movement in the recesses.

"If someone is up there, playing a prank on me, I swear I will make you eat my axe!" she yelled at the ceiling.

There was more movement, and she heard something else that almost sounded like laughter. But what could be down here... she felt her blood run cold for a moment. She started to her feet, but before she could, three glass bulbs were dropped through the holes in the ceiling. She dove to catch them before they struck the stone floor, but she was too late. The bulbs shattered. A thick viscous green smoke filled the room, the scent of a heady perfume. She tried to hold her breath, but it didn't matter. She stood up, trying to get above the gas as it clung to the floor, but there was too much. Black spots appeared in her eyes before too long, and she inadvertently sucked in a gasp of air. A sudden lethargy overtook her limbs, dragging her to the ground below. Her last thought before losing consciousness was hoping Daschia and Lanex managed to escape.

###

Daschia rounded a corner and stopped. There, marking the diverging pathways, was one the chalk marks she knew they had left. Had she walked in a circle? She checked the other passage ways, then stopped short, her blood running cold. Her hand tightened around the hilt of her rapier. The passage branched in three separate directions, and each one bore an identical chalk marking. Was someone else down here with them? She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, calming her nerves. First Lanex and now Bhathig... and with no sign of an exit, or any of the treasure that they had been assured they would find. Was this all an elaborate ruse by that miscreant, Rusty? She shook her head. No. They were probably falling victim to traps long undisturbed in the tunnels. The chalk... maybe they had made a mistake. Maybe they had simply missed the markings they had already made.

She drew her rapier and proceeded down the central chamber. She did not remember having come this way, the passageway definitely sloping downward as she went. Crystal lights recessed in the walls glowed to life, only to darken again as she passed by. She brushed imagined cobwebs out of the way, probing the way forward with the tip of her rapier. Faintly, she heard voices in the distance, but too indistinct to tell what they were saying or even what language they were speaking. But if there were others down here, then they would be able to show her an exit... maybe even know were her friends were. And if they proved reluctant? Well, Daschia could be very persuasive if she put her mind to it.

She came around the corner, her jaw dropping open. She nearly dropped her rapier in shock as well. Seated at a crude wooden table were four short, green skinned creatures with bulbous noses and huge batwing ears. They grinned at Daschia with mouths filled with needle-like teeth, their long thin tongues whipping lasciviously through the air. Tied and gagged by the table was a very put out looking Lanex. One of the goblins was using her as a foot rest as they played cards. Daschia could only guess what the stakes were.

"What are you doing?" Dashcia asked. She raised her rapier almost as an afterthought at the goblins.

The goblins, for their part, nonchalantly put down the cards they had been playing and grinned at her.

One of the goblins grabbed something from their belt and threw it at Dashcia. She tried to cast a spell to block it, but was too slow. The globe impacted on the floor, shattering. Viscous webbing erupted from the globe, coiling around her arms and legs, binding her tightly. She struggled, trying to free her arms. She dropped her rapier, tried to work a spell, but then the goblins were on top of her, one shoving a rag into her mouth to gag her.

"Pretty elf no use magic here," one of the goblins whispered in her ear. All of them grasped at her body, their hands sliding her clothing to grope and pinch. She twisted and writhed, but whatever the binding material was, it held firm. Daschia looked to Lanex, but the thief could only look away, helpless as her companion was molested.

"We should finish game," one of the other goblins pointed out. "Still have her to play with," he said, walking over and slapping Lanex on the ass. She gave a muffled protest and tried to squirm away, but she was too well bound to do much else.

"What about elf?" one of the other goblins asked. "Four of us, two of them. Seems good, yes?"

"No," said the first goblin. Daschia realized he was a bit bigger than the other two. Maybe he was the leader, at least of this group. "You know what the chief says. Any elf wenches go to him first."

Daschia's eyes went wide at the implications of that. She had heard rumors of what goblins did with captive elves, but she had never imagined she would find out first hand if those rumors were true or not. She shuddered, fear gripping her as she recalled the worst of the tales - of elves being slaughtered for feasts, of being sacrificed to the dark gods of the goblins... She closed her eyes, tears leaking down her cheeks.

Daschia heard Lanex give a muffled shout and she opened her eyes. Evidently the card game was over. The smallest goblin approached Daschia, brandishing a short, curved knife. Lanex struggled against her bonds, eyes wide in panic as the goblin approached. With a few deft strokes of the knife, the goblin sliced through Lanex's clothes, leaving her small breasts bare, as well as creating a hole at her groin, leaving her pussy exposed. He sliced through the ropes binding her legs as well, though ropes still bound her arms and the gag was still in place. Lanex tried to kick at the goblin, but he easily avoided the strike. He chuckled, stripping off his trousers. Daschia could not help but gasp as the goblin revealed a cock much larger than any she had ever seen before. It bobbed obscenely between the goblin's legs, looking even larger compared to his short, bandy-legged stature.

The goblin grabbed Lanex by her slim hips, pulling her to a kneeling position. She tried to squirm away, but the other three grabbed her and held her face down on the cold stone floor. She shook her head, eyes wide in panic as the goblin got behind her, rubbing his long hard shaft against her pussy. She tried to pull away, tried to deny the sensations running through her body. She moaned through the gag, feeling the goblin grab her by the hips, feeling his hot hard shaft grinding against her pussy. She felt herself getting wet despite herself, her body betraying her. Lanex felt the thick head of the goblin's cock pressing between her pussy lips. She let out a small moan as she felt it start to push inside of her, the bulbous tip stretching her open. She snorted through her nose, clenching her eyes tight as she felt him stretching her pussy, pushing deeper than she thought possible. Part of her wished he would just hurry up and take her, to finish quickly, but another, darker part of her, did not want the pleasure to end. She pushed back against the goblin fucking her, a soft mewling noise coming from her gagged mouth. The goblin picked up the pace. She could feel his heavy balls slapping against her, felt his clawed fingers digging into her leather clad ass as he took his pleasure from her. The other goblins cheered on their comrade as he thrust into her, making her moan and gasp.