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Chapter 5 by Aradnor Aradnor

Does Clémence's swing strike home?

It does indeed, as does the next!

Clémence brings her mace down with a ferocious roar on the swarming goblins, and the head of the first caves in with an explosion of blood and viscera. She batters it out of the way with her shield as the other two raise their swords to strike. Clémence blocks them both, one of the blades clanging noisily off her buckler, the other bouncing harmlessly off one of the steel plates encasing her right arm. The latter stumbles backwards, pushed off-balance by the impact, and Clémence lashes out with her mace, crushing the goblin's chest. The other, keeping itself upright against the labyrinth wall, makes to strike again, but the warrior strides forward holding her shield aloft before slamming it down repeatedly on the unfortunate sod. Not much is left to look at when the mangled body, oozing gore, slowly slides down and then off of the wall.

You withdraw from your seeing stone, uninterested. You would have expected nothing less from a trained bounty hunter, goblins being by far the weakest species trapped in your labyrinth. And yet, you are somewhat disappointed. Every single specimen you have captured over the years has two overriding instincts. Firstly, to eat. Secondly, to breed. It is the latter that intrigues you, excites you even. Most of the creatures are ravenous for human flesh - as evidenced by the fate of the many male adventurers you have cast in with them from time to time. What they desire most of all, however, are human women. Human wombs. You wonder if such a desire is the result of the magic that ensnares them in your dungeon, a genetic default or the inhospitable conditions in which you keep them, unsuitable in all honesty for any form of natural life. What is certain, however, in light of the few female prisoners that you have toyed with in the past, is that your newest acquisitions, Clémence included, can look forward to the particularly cruel future of becoming the unwilling mate of whichever monster first claims them. And this time, via your power of projection, you intend to be the father.

You return to the glass after a few minutes' pacing and bring up the map of your playground. Clémence may have overcome the first obstacle in her path but there remain countless others, and you must not forget to check up on her companions' progress. You smile as you see two yellow dots walking unknowingly towards their latest test. The former is advancing to what seems to be a large, immobile concentration of some as yet unseen creature, whereas the latter is heading towards a single, restless foe. You zoom in for a better look on one of the locations and allow a stream of magical energy to infuse you with its strength.

Which creature comes to view on the seeing stone?

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