“Guardian, please let us speak. No more blood needs to be shed.” A large minotaur said as he approached the front line of their barricades. He was inches taller than any other minotaur around him. He wore a deep blue cloth that hung over his shoulders and came down to a point at his navel and the small of his back. The blanket-like shirt had a pattern of overlapping circles made in gold colored thread at its edge. He wore an enchanted breastplate of some kind underneath the cover. From the navel down he had a studded leather apron like armored skirt that hung down to his knees. His thick bull-like legs went slightly back from his knees before connecting to the foot which was more hoof then foot that made him look like he was standing on his toes but looked natural. His thick dark brown skin grew darker on his tail that he swung behind himself. The tip of the tail had long hair that had been braided and had gold bands containing it. He had a massive single headed axe that hung from his armored skirt. Its metal gleamed in the light of the many glow orbs that lit the space. It also had a thin line of jade that formed its edge.

  Several minotaurs and goblins flinched as the four tower shield wielding golems suddenly walked forward out of the doorway by a dozen feet or so and snapped their spears up before standing at a parade rest. To his credit the large minotaur didn't flinch at the sudden movement but waited as Zif walked clear of the doorway and stepped into the entryway of the Grand Armory, into the prepared kill box. There he stopped and crossed all four arms with their counterparts, swords pointed up, their blades resting on his shoulders. Franco moved to the left side of the doorway while Maph moved to the right. Keeping half their bodies covered by the corners of the doorway they got closer to watch and listen. Sarah joined Frazier in going to Maphs side while Oaken, Gull and Finn went to Franco’s side. The remaining golems lined up behind them keeping out of line of sight while two watched the flight of stairs heading down to the next level.

  “I am Eike Lin Rulehold, Longhorn of The Rout and we know your name Zif of the Jade Temple. Let us discuss, so that my brothers may be saved from their folly.” Eike said. The tips of his wide set front facing horns caped in gold shimmered as his head moved. His thick five fingers, and very human like hands out wide inviting.

  “Stalker of the Deep, The Death of Sanctuary, The Scourge of the Gods, The Jade Killer and a dozen names more to bring terror to our calves. Why make peace with the monster that has killed our people for millenium.” An older minotaur said.

  He wore a green cloth that draped over his shoulders like Eike’s but his was a square that ended at his waist. His skin tone was a light grey with small irregular black shapes spread around it. His horns were shorter but curved up above his cow like ears. He held a thick staff in his right hand. Wrapped in bands of different metal and stones. Two thick bands of jade were a foot from either end.

  “And who calls me such in the Temple of my Goddess.” Zif said, his metallic voice almost growling with anger.

  “I am Faust, Longhorn of the Free Hoard and we remember you killer.” Faust said, tapping his staff on the ground. The large entry area of the Grand Armory was tiled in huge white tiles. The same type, if larger than what had made up the main floor of the temple and the plaza out front. The room looked to be 200 feet wide and roughly 300 feet long while the ceiling here was thirty feet high and half the glow orbs set in the ceiling were working. The walls were that glossy grey with black streaks through it besides the giant round metal door in the far wall.

  “And I am Orla, Chieftain of the Obsidian Way.” A light female voice said to the side. An older female goblin had jumped onto a stone workbench that was part of the first line of an improvised barricade. Her toothy smile was wide and her ears were long enough that the tops flopped in on themselves. She wore light tan leather looking armor with a deep purple robe over it with a long slender blade on her hip. She had dozens of bracelets of all sizes and makes on both her long arms. Her long fingers had claw like fingernails with most having a ring on it.

  “Are we fighting or are we talking? I was promised weapons.” She said pointing back at the Armory door.

  “Ugh, are you done with the introductions? I do have eternity unlike you bugs but Faust, my patience has minutes left.” That light male voice said and from the leader's responses they heard it this time like he was standing near them.

  Orla waved one of her bracelet-covered arms at the Demon, smiling “Be quiet, you wait only because you want to, Old One.”

  Zif spoke before anyone else could. “I have not killed you trespassers yet because of that being.” Zif pointed at the Demon with both his right swords.

  “You must not deal with it. Have you forgotten your own people’s past? No good will come from such dealings. Only sorrow.”

  “Who, me?” The Demon said, feigning surprise. He pointed to himself with a smile on its face.

  “Are they not free now? Their children play and grow old and have for thousands of years, besides the ones you have killed Zif. Where are their old masters now, dead and gone for thousands of years, well besides them” the Demon pointed with a thumb at the Goblin Chieftain.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “Old lies from the Old One, old tricks like always.” Orla said, waving him off again. Eike stepped forward waving around him.

  “Guardian this is why we must speak. The Dungeon truly awakens for the first time in our history and monsters flood out of it by the hour. Our peoples are threatened as monsters flee monsters. Villages have been lost and a city is besieged by an Undead legion. I see you have brought those we expect are responsible in part for our suffering.”

  “They entered the Temple as friends and fulfilled the 5000 year old prophecy of the Last Abbot. You have come like you always do, thieves and squatters that are the descendents of poor wicked fools.” Zif said.

  “Our needs drive us to make rash choices, that is the history of my people. You can save us from such a choice now Guardian. We allied to save our people, I with the knowledge of the location, Orla with the knowledge of the paths that could still be taken in these dying times. While old Longhorn Faust promised us he had a way into the Armory.” Eike said.

  “And he does. I could have you in that little Armory in seconds. You could have been in there yesterday or even the day before that.” The Demon commented as if this was all so mundane to it.

  Eike looked back at the Demon then at Faust. “All he had was a dark secret of our past that was better left there. So you see, a Demon's bargain to enter the Armory or hopefully you can remember that we are just people now, hoping to live during these hard times Guardian. Let us take half the Armory and no one needs to suffer. We can promise a retreat back to a deeper Vault, peace for a century. Ask?”

  “Half?” Zif asked in disbelief.

  “Half?” Faust scoffed.

  “I’ll take half.” Orla said.

  “You waste our time Eike.” Faust said as he started to walk backwards.

  “Hold! Longhorn Faust. Let us negotiate.” Eike yelled at the still backing away older minotaur.

  “Our people are dying by the minute and the Guardian will give us nothing.” Faust said now further back.

  “He won’t give you what you want and it's about time to start the show. Yes, yes don't quote the ancient laws to me children. Faust, you have one minute to accept my deal or I’m gone” the Demon said standing straighter in his summoning circle.

  The entire room grew still for a second until Faust cursing turned fully to walk back towards the Demon. The Free Horde minotaurs all wearing their green fabric sashes started to fall back with their Longhorn. Franco with a saber and wand in hand stepped out from around the corner he had been crouching behind and walked forward to stand next to Zif. Gull and Finn were right there behind him while the rest of Franco’s team moved to join them.

  Eike turned to Faust who was quickly walking away. “Don’t, the price he made them pay was..was”

  “It's what made us a people,.” Faust said, his staff hitting the floor with every step he took.

  Zif stomped his foot down to get everyone's attention.

  “Each leader can choose one weapon from the middle armory.” He said it as if the offer hurt him. The demon laughed as did Faust. The Goblin Chieftain just shook her head. “Not enough” as goblins started to move around her.

  “Tick tock, tick tock, little old bull man, only thirty seconds left.” The demon said, pulling out a pocket watch from his shirt somehow.

  “Offer more Zif or its Demon deals and a fight on our hands.” Finn the old Kimber [Vangaband Merchant] said.

  “Each tribe gets 10 weapons from the middle armory and 90 from the entry armory”

  “I'd take that Faust.” Eike said to the now running Longhorn of the Free Horde.

  “No, it's not enough, we will lose everything without it all.” Faust screamed as he ran. Eike turned away from the running minotaur and looked at Zif just for a second.

  “I’ll take that deal Zif.” Eike said. Orla blew out her checks. “Should have asked for more, but I’ll take it,” she said. Faust stumbled just in front of the Demon and outside the summoning circle. Falling to his knees before looking back.

  “What? How can you accept so little? I lost over a hundred warriors getting here. A dozen to that monster there.” Faust shouted pointing at Zif.

  “Better than the Old One.” Orla said, pointing to the Demon.

  “It's a good deal, no more blood needs to be shed and we walk away stronger which is all we wanted. No infernal pacts.” Eike said pleading to him The Demon sighed dramatically.

  “Well it's been longer than a minute, looks like you lost old man, oh and Rube Lake’s walls just got breached. How sad.” The Demon said dusting off dirt from his clothes or at least acting like he was. Faust, still on his knees bent over and looked back on the distant golem and snarled. His eyes were alight in anger and hate.

  “Well” the Demon said, tapping a finger to his cheeks as if he was in thought.

  “You make a good point and since I am such a nice guy the offer stands, Longhorn Faust. Just for the Free Hoard so take my hand to seal the deal.” The demon smiled as he reached his left hand out as far as the summoning circle allowed. Zif started to move while Eike and half a dozen other minotaurs shouted, “No” but before Zif could finish his first step Faust used an Ability and leaped forward from where he was kneeling, taking the outstretched hand of the Demon in both of his as he pieced the Summoning circle and slammed into the tall smiling Demon. Who had not moved an inch when Fuast slammed into him. The Demon now just stood there half cradling Faust, Summoning Circle gone as the Demon laughed and called out.

  “Come children, only twenty of you will get to keep one so be quick and only from the Free Horde. Looks like we have some killing to do.” The demon laughed as he pointed at the giant safe door behind him that suddenly shook and then with a pop swung open a dozen feet.

  Pandemonium struck the camp as hundreds of little monsters, demons of all shapes and sizes began to appear around the Free Horde minotaurs and started to fight each other while Zif and the golems of the Jade Temple started to run towards the open Armory door.