My (Monster?) Hero Life

"They're coming," Grugda announced to the group who were resting sparking a sense of urgency within them. "They took the. Same path."

"For fucks sake! Can't we catch a break!" Raven bellowed. He had hoped that when the enemy reached the split in the tunnels, they would go down the wrong path and run into Feliks' lair. Even if they had split up to cover both routes at least the ensuing battle would be more comfortable.

How could he not curse their luck when Grugda confirmed that every single of them had followed them. Little did he know it was neither the gods nor their fate to blame. Phillip was using his natural attunement with the fire element to trace the path their body heat had left in the air.

It did not take a genius to work out from there which direction they should take, mostly since the other option was stone cold, which means that not a single one of their enemies had gone in that direction. The crew swiftly prepared themselves to either stand and fight or run for their lives.

They only awaited their Captain's orders. Captain Raven looked slightly perplexed as he considered the possible outcomes of both choices. It would not take them much longer to reach the door, but if they were caught before they could pass to the other side, they would be screwed. 

"Move your asses! We don't have all fucking day!" Raven commanded in a deep voice. His mind was made up. They would have to pin their hopes on being able to lock the heroes out if they passed beyond the door.

Phillip had just spotted the residual heat of a group who had stayed in one place longer than usual. They could only be around ten minutes ahead of them now judging by how much of the heat had dissipated. The group of heroes became feverish with a battle frenzy as he conveyed his information to them.

Tyler was livid since awhile ago Phillip had slowly been gathering the approval of their comrades again. Tyler had done all that he could to destroy Phillip's reputation on the way here belittling him and his abilities as much as possible.

However, Phillip was slowly but steadily unravelling all that work. Since he had gotten severe, his abilities showcased how useful he actually was. Even going as far to display quick decision making such as back at the fork in the road. They were all curious about how he had managed to correctly work out which way their opponents had gone with just a glance.

"Prepare yourselves. They're most likely aware that we're on their tail. They moved too suddenly from that last position." Phillip announced as he took charge of the situation. He would not allow Tyler to fuck this chance up for him.

The heroes cheered at this news. It meant that they were most likely in for a short and bloody fight. If they ended it quick enough, they might even be able to make it back to the beach in time to claim more merits in the battle against Yul. Phillip did not even bother to reprimand them for the ruckus they were making.

Since their presence had already been exposed, he could always hope the high morale of the heroes would deal a psychological blow to their foe with the echoes. Phillip sped around the next bend as the heat signatures were getting more precise. This meant that they were gaining on them. His heart began to pound loudly in his chest as adrenaline began to pump through his veins in anticipation for the upcoming fight.

What awaited him as he rounded the bend, confused him to end. A large black stone door lay wide open. A mass of heat signatures surrounded it, meaning that their enemies had just been opened it maybe a minute or two ago. His eyes caught sight of a broken glass container on the floor as a basin full of red liquid was slowly draining.

His mind raced to put two and two together. 'Ah fuck!' he cursed to himself as he picked up the pace. Pushing his muscles to their limits to make it beyond the door. The rest of his group noticed his desperation and followed his lead.

"Hurry up! The door is fitted with some sort of timer. When that basin is empty, it will probably close!" Phillip shouted over his shoulder as he broke out in a sweat. 'Please make it!'

He felt relief wash over him as he crossed the threshold. He came to a halt to catch his breath as the others attempted to make it in time. Only five of their group failed to make it in time. As the basin dried out, the heavy door slammed shut with incredible force. 

Unfortunately for one poor soul, they had been in the process of passing through the doorway. The door caught them in its swing, crushing them against its frame without giving its victim the chance to react. The sheer force split her body into two parts. Her once pretty face had been smashed like a pumpkin. Bits of gore coated the floor like a welcome mat, except nothing was welcoming about the gruesome sight.

It took Tyler's excited child-like yelling to grab Phillip's attention away from the door. Phillip was pretty pissed at his companion's lack of respect for their fallen comrade who had died in such a pointless way. As he turned to rebuke him, the words would not come out of his mouth as spotted why Tyler was so excited.

Before Phillip stood every surviving member of the group, they had been chasing down. Each of them looked only slightly less exhausted than they did. He noticed that the majority of them were definitely normal humans which would make their battle a concise one. There was only a couple of the group that he felt they would have to be careful in dealing with.

Despite this piece of good fortune that was staring them in the eyes, it was not the reason why they were so excited. It was what stood beyond the group. Even Phillip had to admit that it would be a game-changer if they took control of it.