The Monster's Stratagem (Lesbian Story)

24: Words Beneath the Rain

Syrena pointed her spear ahead of them, ready to slaughter whoever or whatever was waiting. Streaks of black liquid stained the spearhead and shaft and if Dawn looked closely, she could see parts of flesh too.

Following the light, the tunnel led towards another cave, although this one was much less extreme and its mouth opened up to the outside world. Having previously thought that she would die in the cavern, the sight and smell of heavy rain and lush green leaves were a wondrous sight to behold; so much so that Dawn almost groaned with relief at the view.

The cave itself was remarkably small in scale and bare of any defining features; save a few stones scattered across the floor and a large boulder that sat against the wall. The space was less damp than the cavern, and Dawn couldn't drag the fresh air into her lungs fast enough.

"Someone has been here recently, look at the floor." Syrena commented, pointing to the fresh footprints embossed in the dust.

"Then this is the place." The Venturer confirmed, looking around at the vacant cave. "I am sure of it."

"Only there is nothing here." The Commander also scanned the area, voicing what Dawn was thinking. "Whoever was here has emptied the cave of its contents."

"Now we know why they didn't bother to kill us." Dawn grumbled, kicking her feet against the floor in an act of chagrin. "They might've even thought that the creatures would do their job for them."

Syrena, despite the fact that she had slept recently, suddenly looked exhausted. "What now?"

"I don't know about you, but I don't feel particularly inclined to walk in that downpour." Dawn attempted to make light of her crushing disappointment. Their search had been in vain. "For now, we sit and wait."

Dawn and Syrena sat in silence, too weary and too overwhelmed by the recent events. It was quite a lot to take in; the pit, the cavern, the artefacts from a world long gone, the creatures, the explosions. Every grisly and horrendous incident was piling on top of the other and Dawn found herself needing time to process each of them. It was almost too much.

Resting her head in her hands, she closed her eyes as she listened to the relentless rain, the sound somehow soothing her despite the circumstance.

Not only had they gone through hell and back, they were still no step closer in discovering the mysterious threat that loomed over their heads. Not to mention that the damned opposition knew of their search, solidifying the fact that there was indeed a nefarious plot at work.

Feeling rather dejected, Dawn looked at the Commander and sighed. "How long were we in there for?"

Syrena glanced outside. "Maybe a day?"

"Great." The Venturer lifted her head, absently tracing the patterns on the roof of the cave with her eyes before dragging her gaze down the wall. The longer she stared at the scenery, the more she felt as though something wasn't quite right, although she couldn't put her finger on what. Perhaps she was grasping at straws, desperate to find anything that would result in their success rather than their apparent failure. It certainly felt that way at least.

Once she realised what felt out of place, Dawn turned to the Monstra. "How strong are you?"

Syrena, confused by the abrupt question, raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"

"Would you be able to lift that boulder?"

"Of course." The Commander scoffed.

"Prove it."

"Why?"

"Don't you think it's odd that in a cave sparse of any remarkable features, there is one random boulder sitting pride of place in front of the wall?"