Resume the search

"Let's go after it," Paxia called as she started towards the tunnel that the beast had escaped down.

"No, leave it," said Helena. "We have bigger things to worry about than a single beast. How is the girl it attacked.

"I... I'm good," said the cat beast man. She was slumped against the wall with another adventurer driving two fingers into her pussy.

"I'm sorry I wasn't faster,"

"No, really, I don't mind."

"And I don't mind helping," chuckled the young man with a goofy grin on his face.

"It's the whole reason we brought him my lady," the cat girl laughed. "He's shit with a blade, but he has decent fingers."

The teasing jab lightened the mood, and the camp once more settled in for the night, listening the the soft coos of the girl as she was brought down from the poison. The next morning, Natalie was back leading the group, with the young cat girl trailing close behind Helena. After a while, the princess looked back at her with a smile.

"Feeling better?"

"Oh yes! I just wanted to thank you for coming to my rescue."

"No need to thank me. Comrades are there to be your sword and shield. I would gladly put my life on the line for all of you."

"Well, for some of us, its more of our modesty or chastity on the line, but I get it. By the way, I'm Chima."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. That young man last night, was he your boyfriend?"

"N-not really," Chima said with a slight blush. "We grew up together in the slums and have always had each other's backs. When we needed money, adventuring together just felt obvious."

"He seems sweet," Helena said with a knowing chuckle.

"He really is."

The group progressed theough the dark tinnels for another full day and once more had to rest for the evening again. That night they had to repel two small attacks, but other than minor scraps, no one was hurt. They were well into their third day when they heard shouting down further down the tunnel they had been traveling down.

Helena led the charge and they burst into a brightly lit opening, half catacomb and half natural cavern. Several men were panting and setting fire to freshly killed tentacle monsters. Their dented armor bore the kingdom's emblem, so it gave Helena hope that they had found their people. She marched her **** through the remains of the battle and up to one of the officers.

"Are you Knight commander Riddel's men?"

"Yes ma'am, at least what's left of us."

"Where is the commander?"

"Through those doors ma'am."

The officer pointed towards the back of the cavern to a massive set of steel doors. Helena was caught off guard for a moment at the sight of them. Had Knight Commander Riddel found the tomb?

Helena left Groban in charge of her forces to help secure the area and had Paxia follow her. She cautiously stepped through the open doors and found a large room that was definitely a tomb. Around the room were several stone sarcophagus and the walls were lined with crevices with mummified corpses wrapped in linens. There were some disturbing details though. The pink substance that the creatures would use to make their nests and bind their victims were all over the walls and floor, but had turned brown with age. On the furthest sarcophagus from the door, a woman lay atop it with a torn quilt laid atop her body.

Several soldiers were currently in the room getting relief from their last battle, and among them, Helena spotted Riddel perched upon a sarcophagus with a soldier's head between her legs. She was moaning loudly and her body quivering when Helena approached. The ilder woman gave a weak salute, but didn't let the man rise.

"G-good to see you *oooh fuck* on your feet my lady. S-sorry for my current state, but the battles have been fierce."

"I'm glad to see you and most of your men have pulled through. Was the Ancient here when you arrived?"

Beatrix Riddel held up a hand to take a moment for a screaming orgasm. She took a few mome ts to catch her breath before dismissing the young man.

"After a few days of hilding this place, modest was a commodity we couldn't afford. But to answer your question, no. We found this place abandoned, and just with the lone woman. It seems she was one of the adventurers that freed the Ancient. Best we can tell is that after her body gave out, it laid her there and covered her before leaving to hunt for anither victim."

"You're telling me tha lt these things can pay respect to the dead?"

"It seems like they are smarter than we first believed. At least the Ancient is. And ever since we areived, we've had to deal with probing attacks that have left my forces with nearly a third taken or dead."

"Is that why you haven't left this place," asked Paxia.

"It's one reason. There are three tunnels connected to the cavern outside. If you followed our trail, we may have an opening to escape, but we weren't sure if they had set up an ambush or if the other paths would lead to safety."

"Our path was mostly safe. No losses, but we did have to clear out where they had been starting a new nest. We need to gather your men and-"

"My lady!"

Helena was interrupted by Chima rushing ibto the room and calling out for her. The beastkin made her way over looking panicked.

"What's wrong?"

"That lady from the nest! She's going into labor!"

"Fuck! Bring her in here and set up a decisive perimeter! We need people on standby to execute the monsters ss they are born and be ready in case her screaming draws attention."

Riddel was beside her barking orders to her men as well. Two soldiers were to remain in the tomb with Paxia to assist with the delivery while the rest gathered outside to prepare for a possible attack.