Time to Hunt

We stood on a narrow ledge, high enough according to Zhavros not to alert the creature resting below us.

The oppressive silence was broken only by the distant echo of Tícaros' breathing, reverberating through the cavern. We whispered among ourselves, aware that any stray sound could seal our fate.

Zhavros broke the silence.

"I've only been here a couple of times... just to observe. I haven't come to many conclusions, and I've never seen anyone face her." There was something in his gaze that suggested even he wasn't entirely comfortable with how little he knew about the beast.

Eldrek frowned, assessing the situation. He leaned toward us and whispered quietly, "So, we could let a creature in intentionally, just to see how the beast reacts."

Lyris frowned at the suggestion, but before she could say anything, Zhavros flashed a twisted grin.

"That, or maybe the creatures already know it's a terrible idea. Though for you, Eldrek, that strategy is... almost brilliant." The sarcasm in his voice cut through the air, drawing a forced smile from Lyris.

Even I couldn't help but crack a small smile, though Zhavros' words carried an uncomfortable weight. He seemed to enjoy mocking us at just the right moments.

"Do you know where the artifact is?" Lyris asked, narrowing her eyes, clearly doubting if Zhavros had all the answers. There was a glint of distrust in her gaze.

Zhavros pointed downward, toward the massive creature.

"Yes, it's right beneath Tícaros. There's a blocked passage. I've only seen it from up here, no idea what else might be down there." His words made it clear that even he didn't have a solid plan, which only increased my concern.

I felt the weight of the situation pressing down on us. I tried to break the tension with a little sarcasm.

"So... we need to find a creature hostile enough to attack Tícaros and see what happens. Easy, right?" I grinned as my words hung in the air.

Lyris shot me a look that conveyed both complicity and exhaustion. Zhavros let out a faint chuckle, his tone dripping with irony.

"Yes, piece of cake."

We retraced our steps, moving carefully to avoid making any noise. As we distanced ourselves from the creature, the tension began to ease, though the threat still loomed over us.

When we finally reached Zhavros' hideout, it was him who, as usual, broke the awkward silence.

"Well, if we want this to work, I'll need to disable my traps. It wouldn't make sense to lure a creature in only for it to fall into one of them before even reaching the beast."

Eldrek crossed his arms, assessing Zhavros. "And how do you plan to get a creature down here?"

Zhavros let out a brief laugh, full of his characteristic dark humor.

"Simple. I'll go out 'hunting.' Don't worry, there are plenty of beasts out there to choose from. I just need to find one dumb enough... or hostile enough."

I stared at him, and though he seemed to approach everything with a casual attitude, I couldn't help but wonder if he was really prepared to deal with whatever he brought back.

Lyris, sitting in a corner of the hideout, murmured, "Sounds... easy, sure." She shot me a knowing glance before turning her attention back to Zhavros.

Zhavros, with a twisted grin, added, "Nothing in this life is easy, Lyris. But with a little luck, it won't take long."

He stopped and looked at us, his tone more serious than usual. "We're going to take the tunnel on the far side. There's a creature there I think might be useful."

Lyris looked up, skeptical. "What creature?"

Zhavros smiled, savoring the anticipation before revealing it. "It's a subterranean chimera. I've seen its tracks before. It's extremely territorial, so getting it angry won't be hard." He paused, as if recalling a close encounter, then added:

"Its claws can tear through stone like it's paper."

Lyris frowned, clearly concerned. "Are you sure it's a good idea to mess with a chimera? You know they're incredibly hostile and skilled in combat."

Eldrek nodded gravely, backing up Lyris' words. "Yeah, Zhavros, that's no ordinary creature. We can't underestimate it."

As they spoke, a knot of nerves began to form in my stomach. The thought of facing a chimera made me wonder if Zhavros truly knew what he was getting us into.

For a moment, I questioned whether we could really trust him. But as always, Zhavros seemed to have everything under control. Or at least, that's what he wanted us to believe.

Zhavros, far from showing any concern, paused and turned to us with a twisted smile and a wicked look in his eyes that sent a chill down my spine.

"Oh, relax. I've got it all under control. Just trust me, alright?" His tone, though calm, didn't ease my doubts. Something in the way he said it made me think he was actually enjoying the risk.

Lyris raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "Sure... trust you. Sounds easy."

Zhavros let out a soft chuckle and continued walking, deftly disabling the traps as we went, his fingers moving with the precision of someone who had done it a thousand times before.

We cautiously approached the tunnel exit. The ground beneath our feet grew more uneven, filled with sharp rocks and cracks that seemed to sprout from the very earth, traced by the chimera's footprints.

In the distance, towering rock formations created a natural labyrinth, casting eerie shadows that seemed to shift with each step. It was the perfect environment for a creature like the chimera: dark, enclosed, and full of hiding places.

Eldrek had moved ahead, positioning himself within Tícaros' territory, waiting for us to lure the beast over. Zhavros, Lyris, and I moved in silence, eyes wide, scanning for any sign of the creature.

After a while, Zhavros raised a hand, stopping us. "There it is," he murmured, pointing toward one of the large rock formations.

At first, we didn't see it, but then the shadows seemed to shift, revealing the imposing figure of the chimera. It was enormous, with the muscular body of a lion, its bat-like wings folded across its back, and a long tail that twisted like a snake, poised to strike.

Its eyes gleamed with a wild light, and as it noticed our presence, it let out a roar that made the ground tremble beneath our feet.

Without further warning, the chimera went into a frenzy. Its wings unfurled, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris as its tail slammed into the ground with terrifying force. It shot us a murderous glare and, in the blink of an eye, charged toward us.

We barely managed to dodge its first attack. The venomous tail whipped past my face, just inches away, and I could see the rocks dissolve where the poison touched them. Lyris rolled to the side just in time to avoid the creature's razor-sharp claws, while Zhavros moved with surprising speed.

Then, everything changed. The air around Zhavros began to warp, and to my shock, I saw him rise slightly off the ground, silently levitating as the shadows around him twisted and shifted.

Dark, nightmarish images began to form, projecting horrors that looked like they had crawled out from the depths of a nightmare.

His figure transformed; his face stretched grotesquely, and his body seemed to blur, as though the shadows were consuming him. He didn't speak a word. Zhavros' silence as he levitated and controlled the illusions was more disturbing than any scream.

"What's happening?" Lyris whispered, her voice trembling, her eyes reflecting both fear and confusion. I didn't know if what we were seeing was the chimera's doing or Zhavros', but one thing was clear: the space around us was no longer the same.

The rocks seemed to twist, warping into impossible shapes, and spectral figures emerged from the shadows—figments of illusion... or perhaps they were real.

The chimera, in its rage, began to fall into the illusions created by Zhavros. Its movements became erratic, disoriented, and soon it started attacking what it could neither see nor understand.

Gliding through the shadows, Zhavros led the chimera, which no longer seemed to know what was real and what wasn't, toward the tunnel that would lead it to the vast terrain where Tícaros lay in wait.

We followed at a safe distance, keeping ourselves clear of the illusions warping the space around us. With each step, I wondered if Zhavros was fully aware of what he was doing, or if he had unleashed something beyond his control.

As we advanced, I saw Zhavros float smoothly, almost like another shadow among the rest, moving with an eerie calm, guiding the chimera toward its fate. The creature, completely disoriented, fell into the trap without even realizing it.

Finally, the chimera reached the vast terrain where Tícaros lay in the shadows. When the beast entered the area, its roar echoed throughout the cavern, awakening Tícaros. A deep rumble sounded in the distance.

We stopped, watching from a safe distance as the chimera thrashed about, furious, alerting Tícaros with its violent entrance.

As we positioned ourselves beside Eldrek, who was already there at the higher ground, Zhavros joined us in his usual form, his voice returning to its normal tone. "Just as you said, Darius—an easy task."