Loki Familia
A long table dominated the center of the room, figures seated in heavy chairs around it.
Finn sat at the head of the table, his expression grave.
"Reports keep coming—missing adventurers on the middle floors. From now on, no party goes past the tenth floor unaccompanied." Finn started, earning a murmur of disagreement in response.
"Tsk, it's just a couple of weaklings.." Bete started only to be shut down with a glare.
"It's more than a couple, and the guild wants us to find out why." Riveria cut in.
"They say... it's a cult, Evilus.." Lefiya started hesitantly only to be shut down by Gareth.
"Evilus was wiped out ages ago, ale will make people say strange things" he snorted in response.
"Ale or not, until we find out what it is, we proceed with caution." Finn finished.
"Now, with what we know, Several marks have been found in the Dungeon. This one in particular." Finn set a scrawled paper on the table.
A downward triangle with a handprint in the middle, the palm in the shape of a skull as it drooped down toward the point.
"Rather fittin' for a wannabe cult." Loki jested
"We don't know their leader, or their numbers. Only that their base must lie somewhere beyond the safe floor"
"Furthermore, they have taken no action on the surface, which means they either can't, or they're too weak to risk a crusade." Finn finished before continuing on to a specific action plan.
The Dungeon
"Mark it and move on." A soothing voice rang out in the distance, a goblin nattering in response.
The goblin rummaged through the adventurer's corpse, snatching weapons and stones. Then, with a bloodied palm, it smeared the wall. Two wipes, then a downward triangle traced with its index finger
Ignoring the temptation to feast, the goblin turned on its heels, heading deeper into the dungeon.
Further ahead, Ketheric walked, his armour polished, a minotaur by his side and a few hooded figures.
"Weak, yet useful," Ketheric mused, his gaze sliding over the hooded figures. They shivered beneath it."
"Now tell me, what use are you?" Ketheric continued, stopping his footsteps abruptly.
"We serve Enyo, we can-"
"Destroyer of the city, how plain." Ketheric cut him off, voice flat with boredom
"As if the trivialities of the past are of any concern to me." He continued as the hooded figure recollected himself.
"It's different this time! We have only grown stronger!" The figure responded defiantly.
"Stronger yet you once again seek my help? Ssix years, and all you've done is whine and hide like mice. You bore me" Ketheric finished, signalling the minotaur on his other side.
"Kill them, quickly." He continued softly.
"No! Wait! The God of death wants to meet with yo-"
The figure was cut off by a gauntleted hand clasping his neck.
"There is only one God of death, and my God does not care for your prattlings." Ketheric finished, snapping the figure's neck as the others looked on.
"Go now, tell your Gods that I concern myself not with their schemes." The figures left as Ketheric continued on.
The stench of smoke and fear lingered in the corridor.
Ketheric walked on, shadows clinging to his armor, the minotaur's heavy footfalls echoing behind him.
The Dungeon seemed to part before his march. Goblins and kobolds scurried out of sight, bowing low or melting into cracks in the stone.
Then he heard it—a voice, thin and desperate.
"Please… please, not again…"
Further down the passage, two adventurers cornered a small cloaked figure. A child's size, clutching a battered pack against her chest. One man shoved her to the wall, blade against her neck.
"Thought you could cheat Soma, eh rat?" the taller one sneered, yanking her hood back.A girl's face, pale and grimy, stared back at him. Her eyes burned with hatred even through the tears.
The second adventurer laughed, kicking her knee. She crumpled with a gasp."Pathetic. Crawl for us, maybe we'll let you breathe."
Their laughter choked the air.
Until it was silenced.
A shadow fell over them.The taller man turned, ready to spit another insult—only to meet the cold gaze of a helm.
A gauntlet seized his skull.Crunch. Bone shattered. The man's body spasmed once before collapsing, blood leaking between Ketheric's fingers.
The second man screamed, swinging his blade wildly. Lightning-quick tendrils lashed from the stone, skewering his arms, his chest, dragging him into the wall. His cries cut off in a wet gurgle.
Silence.
The girl stayed where she had fallen, trembling, certain she would be next. She pressed her back to the stone, hands raised to shield her face.
Ketheric crouched before her. Shadows flickered across his helm. His warhammer rested at his side, dripping red.
"You scavenge in the dark," he said softly, "You survive on scraps. That makes you kin."
Her lips parted, trembling. "P-please… don't kill me…"
His head tilted, almost curious. Then, slowly, he extended a hand, the gauntlet still stained with blood.
"Follow me… or be devoured like the rest."
The girl's breath came quick, ragged. Her instincts screamed to run. But her body obeyed
Her small, shaking hand reached out.
And Ketheric pulled her up from the dirt.
"Name," he demanded.
"…Liliruca. Lili."
"Lili," he repeated gently, as if testing it. "Good. You will live. Serve, and you will be more than prey."
The minotaur loomed behind him, red eyes fixed on her. The shadows curled hungrily at her feet, but did not strike.
For the first time, she was spared.
Together, they walked deeper into the Dungeon.And with her, The Absolute gained its first real follower.