Once inside the dungeon, Hector clung on to Leone's arm as tightly as he could, hoping to use the latter as a meatshield against whatever creatures would appear from the faint mist engulfing the entirety of their location.
Sensing the former's thoughts through his actions, Leone scoffed, jerking his arm forward and smashing his thick white tail into Hector's midsection, a quick but effective combo that left Hector kneeling on the floor, clutching his midsection.
Catching his breath through loud gasps, Hector finally managed to ask, "Why did you drag me here you madman", each word accompanied by a slight wheeze, a clear sign that Hector was feeling the aftereffects of being slammed in the guts with the force of a TIER 2 being.
Being called a madman seemed to have no effect on Leone who strolled some distance from his captive, snapping his fingers to reveal the creatures who called the dungeon their home and also happened to be under his command, Illusive Mist Foxes.
Standing at about the same height as a regular red fox, these dungeon based variants obviously didn't have size on their side, compensating for it with speed and cunning, but that is where the similarities ended.
In place of a reddish-orange coat of fur existed a network of millions of reflective tiny glass crystals that evoked a sense of awe and appreciation for the beauty of the beast, provided that one could look beyond the small but sharp canines poking out of the mouth of the hungry beast.
With milky white eyes like that of a blind person's and soundless footsteps, these foxes were true masters of stealth with their numbers and environment proving fatal for whoever found themselves as the next target of this skulk.
Filled with fear Hector looked around for anyway to escape his predicament ultimately leading to his eyes falling unto the blue portal which now had two foxes standing in front of it, serving as guards.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you", said the sharp voice of Leone who saw how Hector reached for one of the three arrows left in his quiver.
With a mental command, the mist thickened providing a cover for the stealthy creatures who heeded the order they had been given, steal the arrows and leave light scratches and claw marks on Hector.
A pained shriek followed by the dull thud of arrows at his feet proved the successful completion of the brief mission and soon the mist lessened, returning vision to all parties present.
Pain proved to be a good solution to fear as the slightly bloody Hector had finally connected the dots.
"W-wait, these beasts, they're not attacking you. These beasts, no this dungeon is under your control, right."
A cold gaze was the only response given as Hector was forced to draw his own conclusions.
"If so then what do you want. Why did you drag me here huh. You obviously don't want to kill me since you brought me here in front of everyone so what do you want?"
After a short period of silence, Leone opened his mouth and said the first words that escaped his lips since stepping into the dungeon, "A reason."
Puzzled, Hector inquired, "A reason, what for?"
"For shifting my arrow off target" responded Leone with a calm gaze.
"Shifting your arrow off target, what are you talking about. "
"I'm talking about the last arrow I shot, the one meant to crown me as the victor of our little competition. A few meters before hitting the target, my arrow got covered with a brown glow and shifted away from its predetermined trajectory."
"What. So that is what all this is about. You brought me here, torturing me both physically and mentally all because your ego couldn't accept a simple loss."
"A simple loss you say. If that was the case then you wouldn't have needed to cheat would you."
"First of all, I didn't cheat because I didn't do anything, proof of that being the fact that no one but you saw a strange glow on your arrow."
Faced with such a solid point Leone was stumped on how to get a confession from Hector, and the faint smirk on his cousin's face showed that he knew it too. After a bit of humming the answer struck him like a lightning bolt, 'if persuasion fails, force must be applied'.
The grin plastered on Leone's face sent chills down Hector's spine, with the next words spoken not offering much reason to relax.
"Hector..., dear cousin, are you really sure that you didn't do it."
Confused about the sudden change in tone from aggressive to calming, Hector just stuck to his earlier stance, rejecting the accusations.
With a slow nod made to serve as the answer received, Leone continued with the second phase of his plan, "Well if you say so I guess I have no choice but to believe your words, do I."
A confused look, the only reply he expected was exactly what was delivered by the boy sitting on the rocky terrain of the dungeon.
'Now to enact the final part of the plan and watch him squeal out the confession.'
"Well I guess this means I have to search for the culprit on the outside then. We can't have the one responsible for this misunderstanding roaming freely while my dear cousin remains trapped in a dungeon like a prisoner, now can we?"
"What do you mean trapped in a dungeon, aren't you taking me with you?"
"Unfortunately I can't do that dear cuz, I mean what if the culprit turns out to be you all along, your release will only give you more time to come up with excuses, but don't worry after all it isn't you right, meaning the culprit would eventually be found right."
Walking to the portal under the pleading eyes of Hector, Leone said, "In the meantime I'll have the foxes keep you company. Ciao", and with that he left, closing the portal after him, returning the area to the dark and misty home of the foxes.
*Grrr* *Snarl* *Growl*
Were some of the sounds made by the skulk of foxes which told Hector that they were hungry and would not hesitate to have him as their next meal.
Getting up to move to the portal's last location turned out to be a bad idea since it caused the group to start chasing him.
A few minutes and a lot of scratches later he saw light return to the cavern, a sign that the portal had been opened though at a different location.
Running for the portal with all his might, he reached it only to have it close and reopen at a different location.
Thinking nothing of this, he run to the new location only for the earlier event to repeat itself. By the fifth repetition he had gotten the message Leone intended to deliver.
'Confess or suffer, cause I can do this all day'.
With the scratches from the foxes mounting up and the blood loss taking a toll on him, the choice became a no-brainer.
"I give up. I confess that I cheated, that golden glow you saw was me using my wood element alright. Now can you please let me out, I'm dying here".
Silence.
After confessing to his 'crime' Hector was expecting a myriad of reactions from ridicule at his pettiness to the joy of being proven right, but definitely not silence.
Right as he was about calling out to Leone again, he heard a voice, a familiar one but one that should not have been present, the voice of his cousin, lackey and one true friend, Thomas.
"Hector, tell me this isn't true, tell me this is a lie, an illusion or …anything at all."
Hearing the rage and hurt in his friend's voice didn't shock Hector, because he knew the reason for those emotions.
The Windsor motto.
The same one broken by Thomas's ancestors which doomed their lineage to forever be a branch family.
'To wear the Windsor crest means to be fair, just and free from all forms of lust.'
A short but powerful motto which encourages its owners to embrace good virtues.
Ashamed and short of words, Hector limped to the light of the portal only to receive another surprise.
With a wave of his hand Leone dispersed the thick mist, revealing everyone who had been present at the earlier bout, his shameful expression seen by everyone who heard his confession.
Surrounded by disappointed faces Hector wanted nothing more than to run out of the portal and find a ditch to hide in but it seemed like it wasn't meant to be since the portal closed when he got near.
Clearing his throat to get everyone's attention Daniel said, "The earlier motion I raised has been put in effect even though it was dismissed. Tomorrow, at dawn we begin training. Anyone who disagrees is free to leave, the gates are opened."
With that said Leone opened the portal, allowing everyone to file out of the dungeon and back into the real world with a lot to think about.