Chapter 134

Vorbuk's eyes slowly fluttered open as his entire body felt limp and ached from head to to toe. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Prince Leo resting beside him. The prince's head was leaning against his shoulder. Clearly the prince had kept watch over him the entire time he was unconscious.

"Hm.. You're awake?" Leo asked groggily as he rubbed his eyes. Feeling the wolf move had woken him from his own rest.

"How long was I asleep?" Vorbuk asked while standing up to step away from the prince.

"Several hours already. You really over did yourself. Zoe ended up passing out with you but she woke up a while ago since her condition was not as serious as yours." Leo pointed in the direction of Zoe who was being comforted by a worried Daryl. Bredret was standing back with an indifferent expression on his face.

"It's good that everyone is alright." Vorbuk smiled as his ear twitched as he felt a sense of relief.

"Master, you're awake~!" Ashley cried out with a bright and teary smile that almost made it feel like flowers were blooming from his expression when he caught sight of the wolf awake. Grasping onto the wolf's fur in a hug of relief he sighed. His expression darkening as he glared at the prince while the wolf was unable to see the look on his face. "I knew you wouldn't go in without some kind of idea about what you were doing but that one really is-!"

"What do you mean by 'that one'?! It's natural to worry about your friends!" The prince retorted back quickly at the vampires mocking before he could finish speaking.

"If I don't finish speaking how would you know I was referring to you?" Ashley gave a pitiful look as if he was trying to gain sympathy from his master. Holding his hand up close to his face in a way that made the prince unable to think anything other then, "How shameless will this guy act in order to get attention?"

Vorbuk growled loudly and shook the vampire that was clinging to him in a firm hug off. Something about the vampire being so close to him made his fur stand on end with an unpleasant shiver down his spine.

"I was joking, master! I'll be serious now!" Ashley tried to defend himself against the sudden growling that Vorbuk directed at him. Unable to understand what the wolf spoke he could only judge Vorbuk's reaction by his body language.

These two are a horrible combination. Vorbuk could feel his head throbbing as he hoped they would eventually learn to get along.

At the very least I hope this guy learns to stop approaching me so casually. Vorbuk growled more deeply as he thought about it.

Tap.

Vorbuk felt Leo's hand gently tap down against the top of his head. Glancing up to see him smiling triumphantly over some unknown reason to him.

"We should probably let the others know that we're ready to go now." Leo spoke before Vorbuk had time to contemplate what had happened. A look of annoyance on Ashley's face as he stood there puzzled over the situation himself. There was nothing more annoying to him then to be shown up by someone he felt was useless to have around his master.

From a distance Daryl could already see them moving around. Their voices while they argued with each other was enough to draw his attention easily.

"If you two are done bickering we should get moving." Daryl called over in their direction. His gaze temporarily landing on the wolf as he observed it closely. Though it had not been long since the wolf awoken from his slumber the sooner they moved forward the better.

The sounds of the previous fight could attract more beasts to the vicinity they were in. They could not move previously while everyone was regaining their energy but now that everyone was awake they could move again. Time was not something that should be wasted by sitting still when it came to being in the place they were. Even when they slept someone had to always remain awake and alert in case wandering beasts came along.

Safe zones did not exist within dungeons because they were not man made zones. Dungeons were creations caused by natural disasters throughout time. They were like lost fragments of the continents history that could hold either riches, knowledge, or other unknown variables. That was why they were rarely found and rarely successfully wiped out. Only those strong enough to dwell among the dungeon would be able to leave with knowledge of it. If someone could make it all the way through there would be no reason to share knowledge of a place that had already been cleaned out. While those found that could not be completed would clearly have no knowledge of what was guarding the dungeon because escaping death was never guaranteed once you reached the master of the dungeon you entered.

Along the pathway they followed smaller beasts had already began to crawl out of hiding. As weaker creatures they could not be mistaken as simple beasts. They resembled insects that were as large as Vorbuk himself. Fighting them off they struggled to make their way forward with the exit as their goal. The wolf occasionally glancing around in search of the place known as the tiger's den.

It was then that a familiar voice called out to him from a screen before his eyes.

[ Entering The Tiger's Den ]

[ The Dungeon Master has caught your group in their sights. ]

In front of them stood a massive stone gateway. Crystals spiking out from between the stone cracks lit in various colors like a pastel rainbow. The stone seemed lined in gold and silver as if they were approaching a palace gateway.

"One can only guess what awaits us on the other side," Prince Leo said as he stepped forward from the group and placed the palm of his hands on the doors for a moment. Pulling them back and slamming them against the gateway, the doors swinging open as they all stepped forward together with caution. "but there is no going back."

The inside walls were lined with the same stone and crystal design as outside the gateway. Crystal pillars lining the room around them while at the other end a pile of skeletons could be seen next to was looked like a stone slab that had been carved perfectly into a resting place for the tiger. On top of the resting place were fancy cloths that had been used by the crystal tiger as if it was treated like a royal pet.

Iron chains hung from the ceiling above as well as the floor shackling a single person in the air. Four large blue wings came from the man's back with skin a pale blue. He wore a black set of robes that faded to a tan about half way down them. Black hair faded to white hung down covering the man's head where he hung in the air.

A staff was held in the man's right hand. Red light could be seen emitting from the ruby at the top of the staff. It was a twisted staff that gave off an aura like that of nature.

This man was the one who owned the Crystal Tiger that they had struggled against for so long.

[ Dungeon Master Kalen has awoken. ]

Vorbuk could see the words but his focus was hard to pull from the golden gaze of Master Kalen. It was an expressionless gaze that carried a heavy pressure as if the man was gazing deep into his soul.