So We're Monsters, So What?

Chapter 14: The Dragon and Spider

Reading a book with her face glued to it with light coming in through the small window, the elf princess Filimos has a whole stack of books next to her. Trying to find examples or other similar events that happened in the past, she had to know exactly what she was dragging around before she could even think of informing Potimas. Having trouble reading the book she's currently on as the carriage starts to gradually bob up and down more and more, it eventually comes to a complete stop. Wondering what's going on, she puts the book down and peaks her head out the window. On the side of a rocky mountain a part of an armed caravan, it consisted of about 20 carts and 100 guards. With half the caravan in the front and back, right in the middle sat the beacon of light she found in the old battlefield on the upper sanctum. Pulled and cut from where it was, even with 100 people working on it, it took a whole day to release it from the webs. Now brought outside the labyrinth, they still needed the help of 3 lesser tamed Earth Dragons to move it. Looking to the front of the caravan, Filimos sees boulders in their path. 

Oka: Is everyone ok?

Driver: No need to worry ma'am, they came down long ago. But damn, just when we thought it would be smooth sailing from here on out...

Oka: That's a relief. You and your man have went above and beyond on this job, when we get back I'll make sure to pay you extra. As an ambassador of the elves I swear it.

Driver: Hope so, we knew you would keep your word and compensate us but this heavy-duty delivery is starting to become more troublesome than it's worth. With us having to bring in those earth dragons and all the broken tools trying to cut those tough webs, we're gonna need the extra pay...

Calling a few guards from the back of the caravan to clear out the road, Oka slides her head back in the carriage. Taking a breath in and out, she reaches over and grabs the small taratect sickle still having the note webbed to it unopen. Placed right in front of what she found and having a note of all things attached to it, there was no way it wasn't placed there intentionally. Hesitant to open it, she didn't know if it was meant for the person to first find the beacon, or for whatever was inside it to awaken. Putting it back for now and waiting for them to clear the road, Oka hears some commotion outside. Moving over to the window to check, her carriage suddenly gets violently thrown in the air. Thrown around by gravity inside with all the hard books she was reading hitting her, Oka's carriage does 4 complete flips before skimming against the ground and coming to a halt. Her head spinning and her eyes unfocused, Oka feels a sharp pain in her head and tries to get up. Touching the spot where it hurts and seeing her hand covered in blood, she hears screaming and fighting coming from outside. Shaking it off and reaching for her bow, she stumbles out the carriage and is met with chaos. Throwing and flinging the guards in the air like they were nothing, the creatures known for living in the lower sanctum of Elroe, the ape like Bagragatches, were assaulting the caravan all over. Ripping the soldiers brutally apart limb by limb and seeing her driver with a spear in his chest, more kept descending upon the caravan in overwhelming numbers from higher up on the mountain. Miles away from the Labyrinth and even further from the deep depths of the lower sanctum, there was no logical reason for them to be out this far.

Oka: Bagragatches?! All the way out here?!

Taking care of most of the normal soldiers quickly, the earth dragons and the reason for their attack in the middle of the caravan was next. Trying to fight back against the legion of apes, the restraints put on them for pulling was their death sentence. Overwhelming the dragons and pushing them over, they had to helplessly watch as they were one by one thrown over the cliff and down the deadly mountain. Seeing them turn towards the beacon, Oka readies her bow and fires. Getting two clean headshots and killing them, the rest quickly take action and dodge out the way. Using all his strength to pick up and hold a carriage over his head, the bagragatch throws it directly at Oka. Coming in to fast and with no time to evade, Oka saw her life flash before her eyes. Truly believing she was going to die, one of the still living soldiers tackles her to the ground. Flying past their heads, it crashes into another carriage and they both go in a wood explosion. Quickly looking up, she sees the apes cut the tie down ropes and tilt the platform they put the beacon on near the edge.