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Chapter 24 - Monsters*

A labyrinth of tunnels and dead ends lie at the deepest part of the caves.

The floor was an uneven carpet of boulders and rocks, riddled with cracks that could break ankles or swallow them whole.

Luna took each step with caution while a cold vampire walked behind her to avoid breaking her neck.

Her wet shift had clung to her body, and it didn\'t provide any warmth at all.

She held the lantern, and the lights had cast strange shadows on the rock.

It made her heart race as she thought about monsters attacking them out of the blue until she was convinced her heart would beat itself out of her chest.

At each intersection, countless rough markings were carved on the stone.

Some were clear directions or warnings, but others were meaningless symbols.

Luna needed to know how to find her way for better chances of escaping.

"Who made these?" Luna asked, her voice seeming loud after the long silence.

She kept her tone quiet and non-confrontational so as not to offend Jon\'s hot temper.

"I made these codes; therefore, I am the only person who can save you and keep you safe." Jon tapped one of the strange symbols with his hand.

"I made my marks leading the way I deemed the fastest. Or safest." He amended. "I have lived long enough, and my memory seems to be failing me. Sometimes I wonder if my memories had been real or just my imagination. Better to write the directions to be sure."

\'A vampire who confesses that he can\'t differentiate his real memories from the imagination?\'

Jon was a threat.

Luna must keep her guard up with this vampire.

There was an arrow next to a symbol carved into the stone pointed to the right heading towards a narrow tunnel.

Luna wasn\'t even sure if she could fit in there.

Arrows and other symbols pointed to the path on the left side, which seemed wide open and a lot safer than the other one. "Why not the other way?"

Jon shook his head and tapped two wavy lines chalked below the markings. "Cerberus had been sighted down that path. Or their leavings, at least."

"I\'m going to kill Cerberus?" Luna\'s voice shook with anger. "Wouldn\'t that put me into a mess with Hades?"

The uneasy expression on Jon\'s face did not ease her fear.

"Cerberus only guard the caves here, and they would not do any harm as long as we avoid them, but they could be a distraction," he said. "The real enemies are the Myrmidons, Nagini\'s, and the Minotaurs. They are the monsters."

"Those monsters? This is ridiculous." Luna said shrilly. "If we ever got close enough to spot one, it would be unlikely I would like to tell the tale much less kill these immortal monsters with untrained magic."

"Aye. Even we, vampires, are afraid of these monsters." Jon pointed towards the right. "The tight spaces are safer. Let\'s stick to the path where we don\'t meet any Cerberus."

Luna shone the light down the left passageway, but she couldn\'t see what was beyond.

She wouldn\'t be able to tell if the passage was safe.

Jon didn\'t assure her if indeed there weren\'t Myrmidons, Minotaurs, or worse lurking beyond.

With her back against the wall, Luna squeezed into the crack reluctantly.

They moved slowly, and Luna was starting to get exhausted.

The crevice had remained tight for a long time.

When the tunnel finally opened up into a bigger space, Luna sank on the damp rock with relief.

Jon\'s face wasn\'t as filthy and exhausted as Luna\'s when he emerged. Luna wished she was born a vampire.

"We need to keep moving," Jon said as he passed a bottle of water to her. "The Vampire King is expecting us."

Luna didn\'t find the reminder particularly motivating at all.

"Do any vampires ever visit this place, you know, if they\'re feeling a bit bored and curious about where the Vampire King hides during the morning hours?"

Jon raised a curious eyebrow at her. "No one knows or can tell anyone about this place - Fei and the Vampire King has ensured that. If you made it to the Valley of Kings to that secret lair where the Vampire King resides, and if they figured that you are the high Priestess quick enough so they wouldn\'t kill you on the spot, the King will make you swear magic oaths so that you would keep the secret. It\'s why I couldn\'t tell you anything until we got under the rocks. Witches and warlocks are serious when it comes to oaths and contracts. Don\'t take too kindly to those who break their word. I only knew a few people who managed to get to the other side safely. We should move right along."

"The Vampire King." Luna sat rooted, refusing to move. "Does he know how to summon magic?"

"Aye. "He\'s a collector of all kinds of magic or hexed items all centuries and has been trading with the Fae longer than the others." Jon tossed up his hands in exasperation. "He learned everything by himself with the help of Fei, pore out every material he laid his eyes on just to get rid of his curse, and with no progress at this point."

"Trading what?"

"Books, of all things. The Faes are good at handling their ancient text and scrolls."

"And the Faes? What did you give them in exchange?"

"We didn\'t give them anything." Jon shrugged. "We kidnap one of their brethren, especially their nobles, ask for the books and magic scrolls the Vampire King needs and then we release them. If the King was feeling generous, we give them gold. Goblins and trolls love their gold. And if they don\'t accomplish what they were asked of, they are thrown and sent here, to the Myrmidons and the Minotaurs. Like the Vampire King, these monsters need to be fed, too."

How do you kill these Greek monsters which regenerate by themselves?

They were immortal.

Luna would not be able to kill them with magic.

She only read about them when she visited the sinking Library of Alexandria.

They are indestructible; these monsters have no weakness whatsoever.

This was a suicide mission, and she would serve as nutrition to these starving monsters.

Does Fei want to get her killed without being given a chance to show her abilities?

Why would they bring her here unless they want her dead?

Fury overtook her fear of punishment.

Her heels lashing out, Luna caught Jon in the knees and watched as he toppled over the edge of the rock and out of sight.

Unfortunately, Jon still had his grip on the rope, and Luna\'s ankle was dragged forward until her feet dangled over the edge.

"You just don\'t give up, do you?" Jon sat about five feet below her in a pool of guck, and a putrid stench rose to assault her nostrils.

He wasn\'t alone.

"Looks like you have a friend over there," Luna said, pointing at the skeleton lying on the floor next to Jon. "It\'s a shame that you didn\'t share a similar fate."

Jon looked down nonchalantly.

Curiosity might soon kill this cat as he gave the body a closer examination. "Shine the lantern down this way, Luna. I can\'t believe I\'ve never noticed him before."

Luna obliged because she had no other options.

Jon would pull her over the edge if she didn\'t obey his words.

Judging from the bones, the man had been dead for some time now. Her skin broke out into a fresh set of goosebumps. "What is that, slime?"

"Dead vampire treasure hunters." He sounded nervous, agitated. "Nagini\'s. I guess they\'re around here somewhere."

"How many times have you been this way?" Luna asked, her mind turning to the real fear that they might be lost, and he didn\'t know it.

There was no chance to respond before the cavern thundered with a strange roaring noise.

The echoes faded, replaced by the wet swish of something slithering in their direction.

Something large.

Jon\'s terrified eyes met hers, and he whispered, "Run!"