Chapter 525 – A Hell of a Ride

A powerful explosion shook the room, causing bits and pieces to come off the ceiling and walls. It wasn’t the heavy release of condensed steam, however. Instead, the complex machinery blew up fiercely from the combined efforts of the trio currently turning every single piece of dwarven technology into scrap. The dust soon settled, the chamber falling silent, no more muffled thudding reverberating through the structure of the fortress.

Stepping out of the smoking cloud, Miria returned to her default form and wiped her forehead with her forearm. “A little bit disappointing. I thought those Golems from the entrance would have rushed us while we were dealing with these contraptions.”

“We are of the same mind, then.” Noir flicked a hand through her hair as she appeared near the panthergirl. “I was actually hoping for a little bit of a challenge. After the supply lines collapsed, cutting off the reinforcements, it got quite boring.”

“There’s something going on with this dungeon,” Asterios joined in, capturing their gazes. “It’s not acting in any way we expect it to. But, is it because it’s just that smart or quite the opposite? The lack of intel, combined with these discrepancies, is worrisome.”

“A mindless enemy whose actions you can’t see through is more dangerous than a cunning one who moves according to a masterful plan,” the Dragon girl commented. “But, it all falls before a true might in the end.”

“I didn’t think I would hear you admit something like that.” He smirked at the scheming lady of the dark lineage.

“The best plots come undone in front of overwhelming power.” She scoffed while crossing her arms over her chest. “Those who can’t see that truth are fools, all of  them, no matter how clever they assume they are.”

“I’m glad you are super strong, then!” Miria flashed Noir a cheerful grin, her tail swishing merrily behind her waist.

The other woman harrumphed while looking away. “We should continue this excursion. All these delays only give our enemy more time to prepare and hunker down.”

“Since we didn’t find anything useful while dealing with these launchers, the main hallway is our best bet,” Asterios stated, starting to walk back to the staircase. “We can take care of that inactive army on our way in.”

The other two fell in step with him, flanking his sides. They reached the balcony overlooking the entrance a few minutes later. As expected, the Golems were still frozen in the same positions as they had remembered. Not even all the destruction wrought upon the upper level had any effect on these troops.

“It will take a moment to destroy all of them.” Noir hummed unamusingly.

“And this time, reinforcements might actually come.” Asterios nodded in agreement. “Yet, we can’t exactly leave them as is. They are still a threat to our friends.”

Miria rubbed her chin thoughtfully, glaring daggers at the metal puppets. “Can’t we stop them from leaving somehow? What about blocking the gate? Without the launchers, that should be their only option, no? Perhaps we could cause a cave-in?”

“Not a bad idea.” Noir grunted to herself. “It would give us time to retreat while they scramble to recover.”

“We need something a bit more… permanent.” Asterios stared at the gate, specifically at the seam in the middle. “Can you two guard my back for a moment? I think I can solve this.”

“Leave it to us, Master!” His fluffy-eared lover threw an arm over the scaly-tailed girl’s shoulders. “With Noir and me here, you can even take a nap in the middle of their ranks!”

Noir rolled her eyes at the bold remark but glanced back at him with a gaze that was rather supportive of it. He smiled warmly at his brave companions… and fell back over the railing. A cute gasp reached his ears before the whistling of the wind filled them. The ladies peeked past the edge and saw him soar in his full draconic form, deep crimson scales covering his sturdy frame this time.

“Let’s go!” Miria cheered, jumping up and down excitedly, then dove forward with her hands joined at the front as if she was jumping into a lake for a quick dip.

“No wonder they fit so well together. They are both crazy.” Noir sneered as she watched the other female smash into the ground below with a burst of force, though the corner of her lips curled up a tiny bit.

It disappeared just as quickly as she checked on Asterios, Miria, and took a peek left and right. Withdrawing her hand from the railing, she took a few steps back a little hesitantly. Throwing one last glance over her shoulder, she sprinted forward… and vaulted over the balustrade with a twist mid-air, her back arched gracefully. Soon after, her wings spread wide, and she glided after the feline warrior, the tiny smile decorating her fierce visage unseen by any. Even herself.

Asterios landed right ahead of the army’s front rows, not sparing them even a fraction of his attention. He fully trusted his lovely mate and his very dependable partner. The latter might still act a tad prideful at times, but after everything they had experienced together, he knew she would easily swallow that pride to let him know they had trouble fulfilling his request rather than put him in danger again.

Perhaps his Onyx side was rearing its cold and calculating head, but he felt compelled to make use of the current situation to boost his fellow True Dragon’s morale by giving her this important task. She needed a little feel-good in her troubled life.

Therefore, tuning out the sounds of battle, he closed his eyes and peered within. Intense heat began pooling inside his very being, spurred to action by his Crimson Heart. He relied solely on its heritage for this move, as much as his Onyx core signaled its readiness to cooperate. Yet, the only support he drew in was the bond and strength of his fiery princess, just as willing to give him everything she had, even across the entire mountain city.

Outside his own mind and body, a mix of red and orange flames seeped from the cracks between his scales. The spacious hallway grew brighter from the sudden illumination. If the combatants behind him were anything other than mindless dolls, they would have undoubtedly paused to gape at the glowing spectacle. Alas, the audience remained rather dispassionate amidst their own performance. Even as Asterios swung his jaws open and breathed out.

A wild plume of yellowish flame whooshed forward, crashing into the coppery gate and splashing around the point of impact. Ast’s maw slowly adjusted, closing bit by bit, and the violent stream unhurriedly compressed, the whimsical wisps of fire around the thick pillar he spewed out beginning to even out, turning it into something close to a stream of something almost solid. The far end ceased dispersing all over the entrance and focused into a sharp, whitish tip that blew strictly into its target, the loud whooshing reduced to a lethal hum.

Asterios languidly dragged his neck upwards, the seam splitting the gate into two fusing into one at the path of his tightened flaming exhalation. It was not unrestricted enough to be called a Dragon’s Breath, and at the same time, it was not constricted enough to be compared to the fiery beam Silvia was now known for. The latter would have punched right through the reinforced dungeon metal.

He didn’t need power. He needed balance.

And it was not easily achieved.

He felt the control trying to slip from his grasp multiple times, swaying towards either extremum. This feat was even more difficult than drawing his latent potential to go all out, past his limits. Somehow, achieving harmony between gentleness and fierceness appeared to be an unbelievable struggle. But perhaps it was due to his kind nature clashing against his draconic roots.

Nevertheless, Asterios managed to reach the top of the gate after what felt like an eternal battle within himself and withdrew his breath. The trickling flames decorating his scales remained, however, sizzling lazily, needing time to die down. He could still feel the inferno in his throat and jaws, surely still alight too.

Finally, he chanced a look back and found the expected carnage behind his position. Miria was a force to be reckoned with, using her precious blades to slice through dozens. Noir struck from the sky, covering the panthergirl’s flanks with greatsword blows that sent shockwaves through the air. The silent cooperation of the pair brought a different kind of warmth to Ast’s core.

The black-scaled girl noticed his attention and signaled something to her furry teammate. In a blink, she launched herself upwards, stabbing into the ceiling. A brown flash touched her weapon, which Asterios recognized as the activation of a crystal sigil bearing a sealed spell. It had been a while since Noir received permission to use them while under his direct supervision.

A massive tremor surged through the stone roofing. Just like the smaller tunnels, it was kept that way to look natural. While it was certainly an aesthetic choice, coupled with a bout of seismic magic channeled through a metal spike driven deep into its anatomy, it turned into a disaster. A great chunk of the ceiling came crashing down, a literal avalanche raining upon the draconic and feline Golems.

Asterios understood its goal immediately and took flight. Dodging the more considerable pieces, he scooped his merry lover up into his left claw, stealing her from the middle of a fight. Miria whooped as they hastily ascended through the earthy downpour. Ast’s right claw carefully wrapped around Noir too, and he flapped his wings to sail along the ceiling, the Dragon girl’s sword still embedded in stone and vibrating valiantly as it was dragged with its owner away from the entrance.

Putting a good distance between them and the sealed gate, Asterios stopped, hovering in the air. The three of them gazed upon a path of destruction they had left behind their escape. It hadn’t drowned the main tunnel in bedrock completely, but it was now a difficult terrain to navigate. Not to mention those who would need to navigate it having ended up buried under layers of stone.

Their pursuit would be delayed at least a little bit.

Letting the girls down, Asterios shifted back, dropping between them. “Good work with the ceiling. That should have bought us some time.”

“It wasn’t my idea if you still recall.” Noir wrinkled her nose, but he could sense the kernel of joy in her heart at the praise.

“Master! What was that?!” Miria, on the other hand, was completely unfazed by the supposed theft of her concept, taking it for granted since they were a team.

Asterios chuckled, ruffling through her hair as those always curious black gems drilled into him fervently. “Just a little something I spied in the workshop of our dwarf friends. They were kind enough to explain the principle behind their handheld burners. I decided to give it a try. It’s tougher to achieve naturally than I thought.”

“I could feel your internal tussle from over there.” Noir gave a slight nod of acknowledgement. “It still hasn’t settled down.”

A snicker escaped Miria’s plump lips. “Yeah! Your irises are all swirly! It looks cute, ehehe~”

The other girl puffed up at her. “Cute? He is a supreme True Dragon who just displayed the peak of his might to us. There’s nothing cute about that. If anything, it was… majestic.”

“But it is cute! Can’t you see it?” The panthergirl pouted, glancing between her and Ast’s eyes.

Noir peered into them for a bit longer as he held her intense gaze, then sneered as she pushed past him, her shoulder clipping his. “Whatever.”

Asterios caught the hint of something rosier along her cheek as she passed him, but wisely decided not to comment on it. He turned to Miria, who watched him innocently with her head adorably tilted, and let out an affectionate sigh.

She could really be a sweet menace without being aware of it.

Giving his mate one more quick scratch, he brought them after Noir. They could have continued on foot, but he offered them a lift, and they didn’t protest. Thus, the girls rode his draconic back comfortably as they traversed the spacious corridor.

But the comfort didn’t last long.

“Traps!” Noir shouted as she was the first one to notice something shifting in the walls.

Squares disappeared, replaced by what looked like offensive contraptions. Huge bows, ballistas, projectile launchers, web and net shooters, and so on. A barrage bombarded Asterios from both sides as he refused to relent. His agile maneuvering allowed him to evade most of the threats, his tough scales dismissing the others.

When something was too risky to tackle head-on, his literal bodyguards stepped in.

Miria combined her blades at their pommels and used them like a bat, sending armor-piercing attacks back to the attacker. Twirling around both herself and her weapon, she deflected explosives and other compounds, parrying them before they could blow up. Asterios felt the patter of her feet as she danced over his back, running back and forth along his spine.

As for Noir, the Dragon girl made use of her superior reach and aerial advantage. She targeted all the nets, chains, and webs, cutting them down mid-air. Nothing was able to get past her as she zipped from side to side, using Ast’s limbs and other body parts to make efficient turns and turnarounds.

Asterios kept conveying the locations of the mechanisms as they soared ahead. From time to time, he shielded them instead, taking the brunt of the less threatening blows. Tia’s energy had no issues mending a gash or two in his vigorous constitution, but it would be a different thing with either of the ladies injured by the big projectiles.

So, they protected each other like that until the end was in sight. Another tall gate blocked their path. They needed to get through it fast, as the number of traps had risen copiously since the start of this death hallway. There would definitely be even more of them right at the door leading deeper into the mountain.

“The chains!” Miria shouted atop him.

As she had noticed, there was a thick, corded, metal chain on each side of the gate, wrung taut from top to bottom, snuggled perfectly into a carved channel. Those had been there for the other gate too, but they hadn’t been of use when they needed to close the entrance. Opening it up was a different topic.

“Go for it!” Noir shouted back, some quick-witted planning taking place between the two beauties.

Miria’s growl reached Ast’s ears as he felt her borrow his techniques through their special link. Her blades burst into flames, the metal turning white-hot. Next to her, Noir spun her greatsword faster and faster at her side, reaching rotation speeds that started to impede Ast’s flight by pulling him off the course.

Thankfully, he didn’t have to correct it for long.

With a strained growl, Miria sent her shortswords forward. They flew with their flat sides against the wind, which shot them back to the sender almost immediately. Noir stepped in front of the panthergirl and roared loudly as she swung with all she had, releasing the pent-up centrifugal force. Impressively, she managed to strike both of the returning blades at the very same time, hitting their pommels.

With an ominous whistle, the flaming shortswords sailed ahead at an unthinkable speed, thrown into a spinning motion of their own. The sharp discs soared towards the chains, one per side. They sliced through the links like through butter, making them snap loudly, the eternal tension released at once.

Asterios swept both ladies into his claws and pressed them tightly to his chest, wrapping his wings around his frame. A few projectiles tore through his membranes before he slammed into the center of the gate with all his weight. The double doors snapped open under his assault, smacking the walls inside hard enough to create an imprint. Ast’s body crash-landed on the floor and slid a slight distance while he hugged his companions protectively, scanning their surroundings.

The barrage ceased. There were no more contraptions on this side, and the previous ones weren’t capable of getting an angle on them anymore. No other threats entered his sight right away as his piercing gaze investigated the weird cavern. Judging their surroundings safe enough, he released the ladies from his protection and shifted down.

“Huh. I kind of expected a boss monster to be present in the furthest chamber of each level.” Miria looked around confusedly. “There’s nothing here.”

“We’ve already established that this place doesn’t follow your usual rules.” Noir dusted off her shoulder and offered Asterios a small frown. “Are you okay?”

“Just a few scratches, nothing serious.” He rolled his own shoulders. “Don’t forget your blades.”

Miria let out a charming gasp and recalled her shortswords, flushing a little.

They examined the cavern together. The presence of the copper metal was diminished here. Perhaps most of the reinforcements had been focused on the front and the outer edges of the dungeon first. Or the supply of the special alloy was more limited than its owners would have liked it to be. In this place, only one contraption was made out of it.

At the end of the chamber, it turned into a cliff, which extended to the sides in what looked like fully natural tunnels. They ran far and deep, their depth and length impossible to judge from the current position. Past the dark edge, the dwarves had built a pier, or perhaps a small version of docks. A few metal gangways led to numerous… hanging carriages?

Multiple coppery beams ran along the ceiling. From them, curved hooks descended to the docks. At their bottom was something closely resembling open carriages, but much longer than the common ones with the wheels. Each one was split into two or three sections that could house a dozen or more people, with benches along the rim since the hook was attached to the center.

The trio approached the peculiar port warily but with visible curiosity. While the girls poked around the closest hanging cart, Asterios studied a booth full of levers. Sheets with lines and markers adorned its insides. After spotting one of such symbols on the roof of the booth, he realized that they signified stops for this peculiar form of transport.

He took a moment to decipher the map and memorized it to the best of his ability. Satisfied with his investigation, he rejoined his companions, who wandered all over the open wagon with their eyes full of wonder. Coincidentally, it was also the one they needed to use.

“What is this, Master?” Miria peered at him while running her fingers along the protective railing past the seats.

“It’s how we are going to get where we need to go,” Asterios answered. “Those rails above us connect to all the important facilities of this place. If we go that way, we should reach the Intelligence Center, which has a high chance of housing the brains behind the clan. If not, there’s something marked as the Bunker. But, I don’t think they are desperate enough to run away.”

“The safety measures aren’t anything to scoff at. And there are the Golems too. I would bet they still feel rather overconfident in their defences,” Noir chimed in.

“How does this thing move, though?” The panthergirl strutted around, peeking under every bench and shelf.

Asterios moved closer to the middle. An axle was mounted in triangular brackets coming out of the floor. Some kind of material belt was wrapped around its center, disappearing beneath their feet too. Long rods topped with a bar sprouted towards the front and the back of the vehicle, mirroring the directions it could go in.

He grabbed the one that was positioned higher than the other and yanked it down. Miria squeaked as the carriage lurched forward, then bounced back into place. The girls’ eyes locked on him in a blink.

“Let me try, Master!” His feline mate inserted herself into his spot and dragged the bar back up with both hands.

Again, the transport jerked forward, then very slowly continued to move as Miria kept lifting and dropping the bar with noticeable groans.

“Wait. That’s the wrong way,” Noir pointed out, grabbing the rod on the opposite side to stop her.

She spotted a vertical lever between them, leaning in the direction they were previously moving, and gave it a kick. Something clicked beneath the floorboards. Offering the beastfolk female a nod, she let go, and as she had guessed, they staggered the correct way this time.

“It works, but I don’t think it’s supposed to be that hard…” Noir frowned, casting a glance over her shoulder.

Her brows lifted a tad as she figured something out and walked to the edge of their cart. She brought forth her blade and swung it at something. The resistance Miria had experienced while fanning the bar disappeared, and they shot forward quickly enough to force the other two to grab something.

“Yes! What did you do?” The panthergirl kept pumping as she beamed at the Dragon girl.

“I cut off the connector that bound us to the rest of the wagons.” Noir threw a thumb over her shoulder, pointing at the three open carriages that had been part of their transport. “Since each of them had that mechanism in the middle, I assumed they had to be operated in tandem.”

“Good thinking.” Asterios smiled at her. “Now, we should be able to traverse this tunnel without an issue. I doubt they riddled it with traps since this might be their only way of moving around.”

“Great! Just sit back and relax, Master! I’ll get us there in a blink!” Miria’s pumping intensified, raising their speed by a notch or two.

He chuckled at her enthusiasm as they dove into the depths of the dark tunnel. Only the way ahead was illuminated slightly by the front lamp, while the carriage’s interiors were bathed in a gentle glow of a splattering of crystals embedded in its inner walls.

“Watch how fast I can go, Master!” Miria giggled giddily, dragging the bar up with a grunt, then pushing it down with enough strength to lift herself off the ground.

It was clearly harder to move it up than down, and the inconsistency made the motion slightly bumpy.

“Your movements are too chaotic.” Noir shoved her hands into her pockets. “Not even an undead would be able to rest in these conditions.”

“Oh, yeah?” The panthergirl snorted at her. “Think you can do better? Or is this kind of work beneath such a noble Dragon?”

One could see the said Dragon’s eye twitch visibly.

She stepped up to the opposite bar again and grabbed it mid swing, joining the fanning. The speed picked up once more, but the general pace evened out, the wagon gliding smoothly through the tunnel. This seemed like the correct way to propel this vehicle, with one person pushing down at the respective ends of the horizontal swing.

“See? Nothing special.” Noir directed a nonchalant glance her way. “The question is, can you keep it up, kittygirl?”

Miria grinned back at her sweetly. “Oh, I haven’t been giving it my all yet~”

Her skin turned into fur in the span of two pumps, and she threw the full power of her bloodline into the motions. The cart jumped forward, causing Ast’s boots to slide back a step over the floor, his arms flailing to catch balance.

“Neither have I.” Noir growled viciously, a matching grin twisting her sharp lips as scales emerged over her own skin.

As she matched the pace, or even attempted to overtake it, the metal gears screeched above and below them. Asterios was thrown back into the seat behind him, slamming down onto the metal bench. He grabbed the edges of the cart to anchor himself before he was flung past it. Intense wind whizzed by his ears and smacked his hair around wildly.

Pinned down by air pressure, he watched the two ladies push the wagon farther and farther into this spiral of increasing velocity, locked in an unspoken contest of strength, sparks beginning to fly from the clamp attached to the rail beneath the ceiling.

Surely, dwarven technology reinforced with draconic materials would be able to withstand a little bit of speed.

Right?