They descended underground using the cave near where a goblin family had been cut down in the spring. The vampire who was last in line glanced up at the stone vaults as he entered. For the next few weeks, they would all have to manage without the sky. Checking how the sword left its sheath, the man resolutely followed his companions.
The first rest was taken after six hours. Naturally, it wasn't due to fatigue; they just needed a brief break and to replace the monotonous march over the stones with something else, even if it was just sitting on those stones.
"We'll spend an hour on our own activities. Remain vigilant!" Leonid warned a couple of girls who had comfortably settled on the first rock they found, shaking his finger at them.
The warning was somewhat excessive at this point. The territory they were in was uninhabited, and the only danger came from a stray goblin squad that might try to come up. But scouts would warn them about such a squad. In about five hours, they would enter the territory of the local goblin tribe, and then they would have to change from this leisurely pace and touristy habits.
The squad was not large enough to openly confront tens of thousands of small creatures. They could certainly withstand such a force and even succeed, but the composition of their expedition was not suited for large-scale battles with the local inhabitants. Five men and fifteen women were not the force to conquer mountain kingdoms, even if these men and women were vampires.
"Did you start this campaign a bit too recklessly?" Eugene, who had sat down next to Leonid, looked him in the eye.
"What's troubling you?"
"Our girls, of course…"
He didn't get to finish his sentence. He was heard, and a small stone flew straight at his forehead. Such a boldness toward the triumvir could only be permitted by his wife, who was now standing there, glaring angrily at her husband. Rubbing his bruised spot, he merely cast a discontented glance at his other half but said nothing, preferring to ignore the attack and turn back to Leonid.
"You trained the guys for over a week for the campaign to the pass, and everyone there was no novice. But here you went straight into it with a female-dominated squad, without preparation or training," Eugene concluded his thought.
"The only thing that threatens us here is ourselves. Friendly fire. And I've forbidden the use of magic unless absolutely necessary. I see no point in training. It's better to finish this expedition quickly and focus on preparing for winter," the voivode replied without delay. "But answer the question!"
"Alright."
"What are you really hoping to find in these abandoned cities? Don't tell me you actually want to live underground for the rest of your life."
The triumvir couldn't answer as quickly as his partner and spent almost a minute contemplating his response.
"You know, I wouldn't mind spending a few decades here and getting used to this world. I believe we are immortal, and I'm a bit afraid of losing this gift in some foolish skirmish with people above. I really don't like being underground. Neither the air nor the surroundings appeal to me. Even the stunningly beautiful dwarf cities don't entice me to live here. But the fear of death and the locals… It's better to rot here for a hundred years and come up fully armed than to live a year there and die beautifully."
In the ensuing silence, with only the sound of water dripping from the walls creating a background, all the vampires were afraid to even move, lest they accidentally interrupt their leader's revelations. Olga approached her silent husband, sat beside him, and embraced him.
"You know, dear. Leaving here is escaping. And I'm not used to running from dangers."
Eugene wriggled out of her embrace, cupped her face in his hands, and kissed her on the nose.
"I know you're much braver than I am, darling."
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