The traveller, Kael, and Sirius walked cautiously through the rocky halls of Frostmaw Hollow. Their hoods pulled up, shielding them from the biting cold and their footsteps echoed faintly in the quiet dungeon.
Kael, trailing behind the group, couldn't stop glancing around nervously.
Noticing his unease, the traveller turned to ask, "Kael is something wrong? You seem a bit tense."
Before Kael could answer his brother question, Sirius quipped, "He's probably scared we'll run into a snow bunny and it'll bite him. Oh how cute."
Kael, flustered, yelled out, "I'm not scared of snow bunnies!"
The traveller chuckled. "Then what's bothering you?"
Kael hesitated, scratching the back of his head. "Well, it's just... don't you think it's a bit weird? We've been walking for a while, but we haven't seen a single monster."
Sirius frowned, crossing her arms. "Now that you mention it your right, the dungeon's been eerily quiet for some reason. I don't like it."
The traveller nodded his head in agreement. "It's possible the other parties already cleared out the monsters ahead of us."
"Maybe," Sirius said, unconvinced.
Kael slightly relaxed, placing his hands behind his head. "Well, if that's the case, that means less work for us, right?"
Sirius rolled her eyes. "As if you do any work to begin with."
Kael's hands dropped, his enthusiasm deflated. "Hey! That's not true!"
The traveller laughed softly. "Come on, Sirius, let's be fair. Kael's cooking skills are pretty good."
Kael's face lit up, tears of joy welling in his eyes. "Really brother? You think so?"
Sirius smirked. "Sure. I mean it's the only thing you're good at—oh, and maybe being an idiot counts as a skill."
The comment crushed Kael, leaving him slumped in despair. "That... really hurts, sis."
Sirius grinned. "Good. It was supposed to."
The traveller chuckled. "Don't take it too hard, Kael. You know she doesn't mean it."
Kael sniffled dramatically. "Yeah I know... You're not as cold-hearted as someone else I know."
Sirius glared at him. "What was that?"
"You heard me," Kael said with mock bravery, sticking his tongue out.
Before their argument could escalate, the floor beneath them suddenly began to rumble. A glowing magic circle appeared, as the entire dungeon began to shake violently.
"What the—?!" Kael shouted, stumbling. "What's happening?!"
"It's a trap!" the traveller yelled.
Sirius lost her footing and fell to the ground "Ahhh!" as chunks of the ceiling began to collapse.
Both brothers shouted in unison, "Sirius!"
The traveller rushed to her side, throwing himself over her as a shield just as the debris rained down on them. Rocks and rubble battered him, but he stayed firm, protecting her.
Kael, dodging falling stones, cursing under his breath. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!" as he was overwhelmed by the rubble and debris.
When the chaos finally subsided, the dungeon went silent. Dust filled the air, as a pile of rubble covered much of the corridor.
Emerging from the debris, bruised and dusty, was the traveller himself. He coughed, glancing down at Sirius, who still tightly held her in his arms.
"Sirius, are you okay? Please say something!"
Sirius, her face pressed against his chest, gasped, "C-can't breathe..."
Realizing his grip, the traveller quickly let go of her. "Oh! Ahhh sorry about that!"
Her cheeks flushed pink as she looked away. "It's... fine. Thank you."
Noticing her blush, he placed his hands gently on her cheeks. "Are you sure? Your face is all red."
"N-no, it's nothing!" she stammered.
Not far from them, the rubble began to shift, and with a mighty yell, Kael burst free. "I'm alive!"
Sirius stared at him with a deadpan expression. "Too bad you couldn't stay buried. That would've made things a lot quieter."
Kael glared at her. "Excuse me?! Have some compassion! In case you haven't notices I almost died!"
"Shame you didn't," Sirius muttered.
"Why you—!"
The traveller interrupted them, offering Sirius a hand to steady herself. "Alright, that's enough you too. What matters is that we're all still alive."
Sirius, cheeks still faintly pink, avoided his gaze as she accepted his help. "Right."
Kael, dusting himself off, glanced around. "What the hell was that?"
Sirius tightened her hood. "Some kind of trap. Probably meant to keep intruders out."
"Do you think the other adventurers we came looking for set it up?" Kael asked.
"Why would they do that?"
"I don't know," Sirius replied. "But whoever it was, clearly doesn't want us here."
The traveller nodded grimly. "Stay alert. Whoever set this trap might still be nearby."
At that moment, Kael's ears twitched, picking up a faint sound. "Wait. I hear something—footsteps. Two people, running toward us our direction."
The traveller tensed. "Be ready. And hide your ears."
Both Kael and Sirius pulled up their hoods, concealing their demi-human traits, as they raised their guards, as the footsteps grew louder with each second.
From the shadows, two figures appeared. One carried a sword on his belt, while the other seemed unarmed. They both froze upon seeing the trio, their expressions a mix of shock and suspicion.
The armed man reached for the hilt of his sword and demanded, "Who the hell are you people, and what are you doing here?"
Sirius quickly reacting stood before the traveller, as she held one of her fans in tightly in her hands.
The traveller placed a hand on Sirius's shoulder, stepping forward. His gaze met the man's as he replied calmly, "The real question here is... who you people are?"
End of Chapter 19.