The Homeseeker: An Elemental Adventurer LitRPG

Chapter 42 - Castle and Dragon

"He's coming up the stairs!" Zalan hissed urgently.

The others immediately dragged themselves to the edge of the stairs to confirm. They watched in horror. As soon as they reached over the edge, they witnessed Docrun stepping up another stair, then inspecting the area slowly before taking another step.

"He is moving slowly. I do not think he knows we are here," Fran guessed.

"Then let's get out of here before he finds us," Zalan said.

Gorb and Yelsa immediately moved toward Fran who raised her arms for them to pull her up to her feet. Yelsa assisted Fran onto Gorb's back. Quickly, they rushed up the stairs. Zalan and Rep occasionally tried to help Gorb up steps, but he would refuse with a quick shake of his head. Yelsa kept a close eye on Docrun's ascent.

"He is slow. But he is consistent," Yelsa assessed.

"How far are we from the top?" Gorb asked, breathless.

"Maybe one quarter is left before we reach the top," Zalan shrugged.

"Mmm," Gorb intoned, disappointed.

"Do you want one of us to help carry Fran?" Rep asked.

"No," Gorb said firmly.

Rep and Zalan exchanged a glance, then looked back at his reddening face and slackening steps.

"Are you sure?" Zalan ventured.

"He does not trust you to carry me," Fran dismissed them. "He thinks you will drop me right on my foot. As if my broken leg can get worse."

"It definitely can get worse," Gorb said, annoyed.

Zalan supported by pulling up on Gorb's tunic at every step. Gorb scoffed in annoyance, but didn't say anything to the gesture. Rep joined in, and Gorb was able to move faster without totally exhausting himself of what little energy remained. Yelsa kept her eye over the edge, slightly shaking as Docrun continued his slow steps forward.

"What are we going to do if he gets here before we reach the top?" Yelsa asked nervously.

"Kick him back down!" Fran said confidently.

"We will arrive at the top before he is anywhere near us," Gorb assured her.

"But when we get to the top... Will we just go straight in?" Yelsa asked.

The question got no response, compounding Yelsa's fears. Zalan had no idea what the plan was anymore. Would they be able to sneak up on the dragon if they had to rush into its chamber? Would Hatewing be watching the door? How long would the Homeseeker take to activate? What if it took so long that the dragon was able to burn it to a crisp before he got out of there?

Would Zalan be stuck in this world?

Zalan shook the thought out of his head. He needed to focus on getting out of Docrun's path instead of hypotheticals. The occasional skittering in the walls still made Zalan feel nauseous, but nothing was as serious as Docrun on their tail.

Sweating, sore, and fatigued beyond belief, they arrived at the large double doors at the top of the tower. They were made of metal, and totally in-tact as opposed to most of the wooden doors below. The companions took a break for a few seconds, Yelsa watching over the center of the spiral staircase the entire time, hoping to God that Docrun would turn himself around on a whim and leave them alone. Docrun took another step up.

"Now what?" Yelsa asked, dread in her eyes.

"Do we even know if the doors are unlocked?" Zalan asked.