Realms of Fantasy: Operation Stealth [Episode 123783]

Midorigame the Gator-Man licked his chops after having swallowed the remnants of the last Goblin he’d killed, and then picked some scraps of meat from between his razor-sharp teeth with the tip of a clawed finger.  Those midgets weren’t particularly good-tasting, but at least they were filling.  Even if time was virtually stopped whenever he was stored in the magical bottle, he plain couldn’t help being hungry when coming out.  Thankfully, whenever his mistress conjured him, there was usually plenty of food around.

Still, the reptile would have liked something more palatable than common, raw goblinoid flesh.  He was musing this when his sensitive nostrils flared, picking up a singular smell among that of mushroom compost and Goblin innards; it was close from the sweet smell of the two humans with him, but yet different.  Midorigame couldn’t help salivating at the prospect of a tastier morsel.

“Missssstreeessss... morrre meat coming....” he slurred in his heavily distorted speech, turning around and pointing with his great battle-axe in a direction behind the two women.

Kodachi and Kasumi stopped and looked worriedly in the direction the bodyguard was indicating.

“More Goblins?” Kodachi asked.

“Sssss... no... not ssssame sssssmell.”

“I can’t see a thing...” Kasumi whispered.

“Not a surprise in this dark place... what is more worrying is that I don’t hear a thing.” Kodachi said in equally hushed tone.  “Midorigame-chan, are you positive...?”

“Ssss... Midorigame no sssssee or hhhhear... only sssssmell... is ssssneaky food.”

‘Great, a spy or scout...’ Kodachi thought in dismay. ‘A silent, and probably even invisible spy.  We have to catch it before it could warn the Drow.  I hope I have enough magical strength to cast something as simple as glistening dust....’

Kodachi was getting ready to invoke her spell, and was about to ask Midorigame for the general location of the intruder... when the eerie quiet was broken by a sudden rustle of feet, then by a yelp and the sound of falling.  Midorigame, Kodachi and Kasumi sweatdropped when the imprint of small body suddenly appeared in the dust of the mushroom forest a few paces from them, as if something unseen had just done a faceplant.

There was a shimmer in the air, and the invisible being appeared. No more than one meter tall, he was garbed in the black clothes of a sneak-thief, which were torn in several spots. He pushed himself up with his arms, his front a dirty gray, before pulling himself to his feet and rushing again toward the trio.

“ Kodachi-sama!” a voice, strangled by emotion, squeaked.  The small figure was crying rivers, arms open to give the stunned Kodachi a hug.

“Oh my!” Kasumi exclaimed in surprise.  Midorigame hissed and lifted his huge axe high, but Kasumi stopping him with raised hand, shaking her head.

“Oh, Kodachi-sama, I found you at last!  I am so happy!”

Kodachi blinked, looking down at the diminutive humanoid which was currently clinging to her waist.

“ S...Sasuke-kun?  I can’t believe this... you’re still alive?”

The Halfing rogue, who had been her faithful servant since childhood, nodded emphatically, unable to speak.

Kasumi walked closer, a bright smile on her face.  “We are glad to see you too, Sasuke-san.  We were so worried about you after you fell in this well in the dungeons of the Goblins.  We searched you for days, but the place was too dangerous, and we had to withdraw....”

Sasuke looked toward the human priestess and whipped his tears.  “Yes, I understand, Tendō-san.  I don’t blame any of you from leaving this horrid place.  After all, you had no way to tell whether I survived or not.  In fact, I fell into some underground river, which dragged me far away from the Goblins caves, in a deeper level of the Underdark.  I doubt you could have found me, even searching for months....”

“But how in the Abysses did you manage to stay alive for so long, all by yourself?” Kodachi inquired.  “My brother and I were convinced of your demise, and we even started to mourn....”

“Well, you can say I was lucky... not long after getting lost, I found this magical ring of invisibility...” he explained, showing a plain gold ring.

“I guess it came in handy...” Kasumi commented.

“Yes, but not that much.  Not many monsters in this dark kingdom actually use their eyes... I had to flee and hide quite often from some ravenous beast intent on eating me.  And the loneliness was hard to handle, too.  Nobody to talk with... well there was that weird creature, not long after I found the ring.  It wasn’t a Goblin, I’m sure of it, but I couldn’t tell which race it could be otherwise.  We bargained a bit, and agreed on a riddle contest; if I won, it would guide me out of the maze... I don’t want to think what a loss entitled... but it was a sore loser anyway....”

“Sasuke-kun,” Kodachi interrupted, “I am certain you have plenty of fascinating stories to tell about your solitary trek, but now isn’t the time.  This is a dangerous place, with Goblins or Drow patrols that could spot us anytime.  We have to move and find our comrades....”

“Of course, Kodachi-sama, of course!  Where are the others, by the way?”

Kodachi’s face darkened, and Kasumi looked sad.  “I am sorry to tell you this, Sasuke-san... but we fear the rest of the party was captured by the Drow.  I believe they are still alive, as the augury I cast earlier wasn’t entirely negative. But we don’t even know their exact fate....”

“Captured?  That’s not possible!  Even Tatewaki-dono?  I would have thought he would die before—“

“Don’t waste your breath on wishful thinking, Sasuke-kun.” Kodachi cut him off.

Kasumi winced; the noblewoman seemed still quite upset with her brother.

“Still, it makes your unexpected comeback quite welcome, Sasuke-kun.  We’ll need all the help we can find to save our friends.  I wouldn’t have imagined saying it, but...” the sorceress hesitated, and took a deep breath, “... I’m really delighted to see you fine and alive, dear loyal servant.”

“I live to serve Milady and the Kunō family, Kodachi-sama.  I would never abandon you!” Sasuke boasted, the emotion making his lips tremble and his eyes water again.

“I am happy to see you, too, Sasuke-san.” Kasumi added.  Do you need some healing?  You look like you went through some rough time.... ”

“I’ll survive, Tendō-san.  This can wait until we find a safer place.” “By the way,” Kodachi inquired, “how did you manage to find us so readily in this forest, Sasuke-kun?  We barely have any idea where we are ourselves....”

“Oh, that is thanks to my most precious belonging.” Sasuke answered.  He pulled a faceted gemstone from his pocket.  “The Finder Stone.  Transmitted in the Sarugakure family since several generations.  Now that’s one treasure more valuable than many riches of this world.  All I had to do was thinking about you, Kodachi-sama....”

“Oh yes, I should have remembered about that!” Kodachi said, excitement on her face.  “With this artifact, you cannot get lost.  And this is exactly what we need to find precisely where are imprisoned our companions.  After such a bad day, the gods finally deign looking upon us favorably.”

Midorigame blinked, not having followed the whole conversation.  When the small group moved again, he asked his mistress about Sasuke: “Sssss... no eating?”

“No, Midorigame, no eating.  Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll meet plenty other snacks....”