\"Meaning?\" Lith was starting to understand the Baron's way of life.
\"You're my equal, but not because you too are a Baron, but because you earned your title. I've heard a lot about you and so have my people. You slew a wyvern as a boy and a dragon as a man. We respect strength here.\"
\"It was just a man in dragon form.\" Lith pointed out.
\"Strong and humble! Tell me, lad, when do you plan to start your hunt?\"
\"When you point me the way.\" Lith shrugged.
\"See? That's what I'm talking about. Come, there's a lot to eat and even more to discuss before you leave. Failure's not an option.\"
Lith followed the Baron to the dining hall, where the Baroness and their children were having breakfast. The Lady stood up to give their guest a proper greeting, quickly followed by her children.
\"Baron Verhen, this is my wife, Mirias and my children, Kotu and Iriel.\" The Baroness was a woman in her mid thirties, with blonde hair and green eyes.
She was a good head shorter than her husband and Lith would have considered her pretty, if not for the milky white skin typical of the north, that gave her a sickly look in his eyes.
The siblings had to be twins, both with the red hair of their father and the green eyes of their mother. They too were so pale that Lith's Healer instinct brought him seconds away from casting a diagnostic spell on the whole family.
He gave them a bow, before sitting at their table, next to Baron Wyalon. Only then did Lith notice that the table was actually an enchanted item. While the maids served them fresh white bread and porridge, a holographic map of the area appeared in mid air.
Lady Wyalon's eyes narrowed in annoyance for a split second, but she said nothing.
\"The dungeon is here.\" The Baron pointed at the base of a small mountain range a few dozen kilometers from Jambel with his fork, making the hologram zoom in.
\"My scouts spotted three entrances before the monsters discovered them and attempted to have them for dessert. Here, here, and here.\" Wyalon drew three circles with his knife and the hologram opened as many small holes in the ground.
\"There could be more. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if after finding my men lurking around, they put out some guards. If you need a distraction, my soldiers can accompany you and draw the attention of the monsters until you get inside.\"
\"No need.\" Lith replied after gulping down some porridge. Both it and the bread could have used a pinch more of salt for his tastes.
\"I prefer working alone. What I'm more interested in is what kind of creatures attacked the city and a rough estimate of their numbers, if you have one.\"
\"I'm sure that when I tell them, my men will buy you all the beer you can drink. They hate dying.\" The Baron laughed heartily.
\"Dear, put down your cutlery when you speak. You're spilling food everywhere.\" The Baroness' tone was warm and her smile gentle, yet her eyes were icicles. Iriel too glared at her father, until she noticed Lith watching them.
She lowered her gaze and blushed violently, giving her face some color as Lith's lost his own.
'Oh, fuck! Another: \"please be my ticket out of nowhere\" girl. I need to get out of here.' He thought.
\"I'm sorry, dear, but I'm sure our guest doesn't mind.\" Wyalon was an ex soldier, who had risen in the army ranks until he had exchanged his merits for a noble title. Even years after he had retired, he was still used to eating and speaking as fast as he could.
\"Well, maybe some of us do.\" The Lady's silvery voice struck like a fist, making the Lord regain his manners and put the silverware down.
\"The first wave was comprised mostly of small fry. Forty goblins, thirty two ogres, and a dozen empowered orcs. I suspect the ruler of the dungeon might be a powerful shaman.\"
Lith nodded him to continue.
\"The second wave was way worse. Fifty ogres, twenty three empowered orcs, and a few trolls. As for their numbers, I have no clue. The fact they have dispatched almost a hundred of them each time makes me think we are talking about at least one thousand creatures.
\"Are you really sure you want to go in there alone?\"
\"Positive.\" Lith replied. \"Numbers mean nothing in enclosed spaces and I can wipe out any number of non magical creatures on my own. I can always fly or Warp away if necessary.\"
\"Can you really use dimensional magic?\" Iriel's eyes shone like emeralds, making Lith bite his tongue.
\"That's the reason I arrived so fast.\" Since the horse had already bolted, instead of shutting the barn's door, Lith decided to follow suit.
\"Thanks for the meal and the information. Your men's bravery has saved me a lot of time. I'll take care of the dungeon immediately.\"
\"Wait. There's one more thing you should know before you go. One of my scouts says he saw a Balor flying around the mountain.\"
\"A Balor?\" At those words, Lith flinched in disbelief. Such creatures were considered the nobles among the monsters. One of the few Fallen Races to have retained part of their ancient wisdom and power.
\"I'm sorry, Baron, but if that was true Jambel should've already fallen. A one thousand strong army of monsters with a Balor at its head could easily conquer this city. Also, didn't you say you suspected an orc shaman to be their leader?\"
\"I agree it's odd, but only one of the scouts saw it. Maybe he's wrong, or maybe the attack on Jambel is just a diversion.\" The Baron nodded.
\"I suspect an orc shaman because there is no other explanation to empowered orcs and because they would never submit to an Evil Eye. Balors and orcs are sworn enemies, they would never cooperate.\"
The truth was that with their demonic appearance, Balors resembled the fabled creatures that according to orcs' lore had caused the fall of their race. Balors had no grudge against the orcs that they didn't share with the whole of Mogar.
\"Do you have any idea how so many creatures managed to spawn so close to your city without anyone noticing?\" Lith could already smell a lot of troubles. In his experience, the more things didn't add up, the bigger the underlying mess was.
A mess he would have to survive first and clean later.
\"None, it's indeed a mystery.\" The Baron sighed, well aware of how silly his words sounded.
Before leaving, Lith used the holographic table to carefully study the region and plan his next moves.
'I'm afraid this will not be a simple clean up. An orc shaman can cripple our strength and a Balor might even be my equal.' Lith regretted not understanding orcish language. Otherwise he could have learned many things from the shaman.
Back in Othre, Jirni had given him plenty of tips on how to loosen the tongue of a captured enemy, both literally and metaphorically.
'Do you think an Abomination is behind the dungeon?' Solus was triggered at the thought of experiencing the event of Maekosh again.
'No, unless it's the dungeon master.' He replied. 'The anomaly here is the creatures' behavior, not their abilities. Only time will tell us how deep the rabbit-hole goes.'
