A Devious Exchange

The Devil's Ascent

"For those who don't know, I am Commander Joseph Atticus, appointed by the royal Helacian counsel." His voice rumbled across the room, pride oozing from his flamboyant tone, "I will be overseeing this mission regarding an exchange with the beast. As trivial as it may sound, Helacia's first fall is no old wives' tale. It is very much real, involving supernatural beings that are still thriving today.

Our King requests the retrieval of an esteemed item the beast possesses, located within the Old' Copper Mine outside Helacia. Due to the precarious nature and scarce information, we must take careful precaution in our confrontation."

As Commander Atticus raved on, I leaned back in my chair and slumped my torso down. My foot tapped the floor to keep my circulation going. If I had to sit any longer today, I'm sure a bruise would be there by dusk!

Distracting myself, I observed the others situated around the table. Many were younger than what I expected, seeming to take in each of the Commander's words like gold. Based on their expressions and curious glances at each other, I'm assuming they never heard the information before, nor have been on many missions previously. Some seated on the opposite end looked more older, closer to my age and then some if I were to guess, despite their overgrowth of beards covering most of their facial features. They're more rugged and toned out than the rookies, various scars and medals adorning their bodies like stars to showcase their vast experience.

Mom would've scowled at some of their upkeeping, fretting to them about proper attire and at least a quick comb-through of their hair. I unfortunately could tell some hadn't showered in a while, nor knew how to work a brush or razor. My mood lightened at the thought of her, a small smile unconsciously turning the corner of my lips.

The longer I sat listening to the Commander's rant, the more exhausted I felt. My eyes wanted to close so bad, but my fear of him catching me kept them wide open. I don't know why, but I feel like he's waiting for me to slip up. I could feel the predatory gaze lingering behind his professional appearance. Something akin to fire was waiting to ignite behind those silver eyes, ever so patient and focused. Why at me?

My mind tumbled in and out of the conversation till a frightening choice of words popped my daydreaming like a bucket of ice water.

"The previous troop gathered some intel about the cavern's layout and animals before their sudden disappearances a few months back. From what we know, the creatures are completely supernatural and have been documented for their hostilities on numerous accounts. Researcher Charles Reginani has proper details."

With that, Atticus swiftly seated himself while an older man at his side stood up slowly, shuffling a few of his papers around on the table. He looked rather thin than the rest of the bunch; pale, wrinkled skin sagged from his brittle bones and his face was aged into a tired drooping. Liver spots spread around his eyes, arms, and bare scalp, and a long, unkept wiry beard dangled from his chin. He barely made eye contact as he pushed his thick glasses up his nose with shaky fingers, keeping his sight downcast. It wasn't a meek gesture though, he almost looked... disinterested?

I'm perplexed why an older gentleman would be placed in such a robust group, it's like he crawled directly from death's doorstep. He must not get out much from his pale skin and skittish behavior. Nevertheless, his presence didn't hinder the impact of Atticus' impetuous statement. Disappearances? What could he mean by that- did the previous group die in the caves by these supernatural creatures? I felt sweat bead at my temples from the allusiveness and tensity. A gut feeling told me they didn't simply resign from their positions.

Reginani shakily pulled out one paper from his stack and squinted his eyes at the writing, bringing the paper up to his nose. He coughed a bit into his fist before gritting out,