- I think I hear something. - Jonas, the rogue, commented as he stuck his ear to the wooden door.

- Does it sound like monsters? - Durgan asked a bit too loudly. Wearing heavy armor and carrying around a giant metal shield, the dwarf wasn't very used to the concept of being quiet.

- Shhhh. - Jonas replied while putting his finger on his lips. - They're going to hear us.

- That won't be a problem! - The dwarf answered. - Earthus will protect us with all his might! -

Durgan was a cleric of Earthus, the god of earth, stones, caves and the underground. This meant the dwarf felt right at home inside this dark and moldy cave they were exploring. He was able to see perfectly in the dark - even better then your regular dwarf, mind you - and he always new the way the group had come from. It was really useful, because it decreased the probability of them getting lost to virtually zero.

It also meant he was as stubborn as a stone.

- Listen to Jonas. - Michael told Durgan, his face a mask of seriousness. As self-apointed leader of the group, Michael was always very serious. He was a fighter and, as such, he carried enough weapons to equip a considerable sized army. There was an axe on his back, a bow, a sword on his hip, a dagger on his boot and so on.

Durgan looked a bit upset, but crossed his arms and decided to be quiet.

- I might be able to see whats behind the door. - Allianara, the last member of the group, suggested. She spoke very quietly, not because she was worried enemies might hear her, but because that was simply her tone of voice. The elf wizard wasn't really used to interacting with other people and more often then not, it appeared she was only speaking to herself. This time, she touched her staff, using her open palm at the sphere just above it. She then closed her eyes and started mumbling some magic words.

And that was their group. They were a typical exploring adventure party, exploring and adventuring themselves in a typical dungeon. There were traps, monsters and treasures, not the mention an evil badass lich at the end of it all. The lich, Lardnel, had been terrorrizing the locals and the mayor of Greenlake Town offered a handsome reward for whoever is able to defeat him once and for all. So, naturally, here they were.

- I see them. - Allianara informed after finishing her spell. - They are monsters, four of them. Two are very huge, while the other two are very small. They are doing something together. They apear to be... playing pool.

- Playing what now? - Michael asked in disbelief.

- Pool. - The elf repeated herself while she opened her eyes and ended the magic. She spoke as if it was the most natural thing in the world. - That game with a sticks, where you have to put the balls in the holes.

- I know what pool is. - The fighter replied, annoyed. - But I can't believe that the monster are playing it. Are you sure?

- Positive. - 

- Maybe you should check again. - Jonas suggested. - You know, just to be safe.

- Alright then. - Allianara closed her eyes again and touched the staff. She once more spoke the magic words. - Yep, there it is. They are definately playing pool.

- Thats insane. - Michael commented.

- But it's a good thing. - Durgan spoke again.

- How's that a good thing? -

- If they are busy playing pool, they wont see us coming. We will have the element of surprise. - The dwarf explained.

- Thats actually a good point. - Jonas commented.

- And there are four of us and four of them. - Durgan completed. - Those are good odds.

- Alright them. - Michael started giving orders. - We should focus on bringing down the big ones first. Allianara, try to use some area magic in order to hold them in place as long as posible. - He took out his bow and knocked an arrow. - Jonas, open the door.

And, with that, they charged the room.

-Is it over, is it over? - Kevin asked from his hidding place behind a counter. - Are they dead?

-Yes, it's over. - Gregor, replied, banging his great hammer on the floor. - You can come out now. - Gregor was a big fellow, with muscular arms and chests. Above his face, the face of a bull, a pair of great horns pointed to diferent directions. Yes, he was a minotaur.

- Good, then. - Kevin put his reptilian head out of his hiding place. Once he confirmed the battle was over, the kobold pulled himself out of the hide out. - They didn't stand a chance.

- No thanks to you. - Marvin, the goblin, spoke. - You just hid behind the counter, as always.

- Yeah? Well, tell this to the elf that was about to explode you to smithereens if I hadn't cast that fear spell on her. - The kobold answered in a very defensive tone.

- Big deal. - Marvin replied as he went down to his knees and started searching one of the bodies. - I would've handled it.

- No you wouldn't. -

- Yes I would. -

- No you wouldn't. -

- Enough! - A big hand slapped Marvin on the back of his head. The hand belonged to Lara, a big and muscular female bugbear. - Now play nice you two.

- Okay. - Both Kevin and Marvin spoke at the same time, like to children that had just got scolded.

- Oh, man! - Gregor exclaimed all of a sudden. - They broke the pool table! They always do that! - Now that the fight was over, they were able to look around and discovered the pool table had been broken in half. One of the sticks had been used to hit one of the invading adventurers over the head. Not only the pool table was broken, but the whole room was a mess.

- At least the watercooler is okay. - Kevin added, with a smile.

Actually, the whole room was a mess, except for the watercooler.

- I'll have to put this in the report. - Lara commented, scratching her head. - I'm sure Lardnel will get another pool table for the lounge.

- Hey! Look what I found! - Marvin exclaimed. He was holding a cloak with both his hands. - Now you see me. - He then wore thec cloak and it was like his skin changed colors. He didn't become quite invisible, but he became harder to see. It was as if he had become one with the shadows around him. - Now you don't!

- Pretty cool. - Gregor commented.

- I think it's magic. - Marvin explained.

- Gee, you think? - Lara's sarcasm was almost solid. - Don't get too excited. All the loot will go into the report and will be taken to Paul, so it can be best distributed amoung the members of the dungeon.

- That's not fair! - Marvin exclaimed. - I killed the rogue, I earned this cloak!

- You know how things work here. - The bugbear spoke in a tone of no nonsense.

- But... - Marvin started to complain, but didn't have a chance to finish.

- Who found you lost in the woods and brought you to his dungeon? -

- Lardnel. - The gobling replied.

- And who pays you monthly and gives you shelter and food? -

- Lardnel... -

- And who pays for you health plan and dental? - 

- Lardnel. - This time Marvin spoke very quietly, as if ashamed.

- I didn't hear you. - The bugbear spoke, bringing her hand to her ear.

- Lardnel! Alright? - Marvin exclaimed. - He does all those things for me! -

- Exactly! So if Lardnel says we have to hand in a report and divide all the loot between all the other monsters in this dungeon, we do it. - That wasn't the first time they'd had that discussion, so Lara was really annoyed. - If he tells us to jump on one foot while trying to lick our own elbows, we do it! Go it?

- Yes, ma'am. - Marvin was looking at his feet.

- Good! - Lara smilled. - I'm going to deliver the preliminary report now. You guys will stay here and do an inventory of everything they had. And don't even think about keeping something to yourselves.

- We wouldn't dream of it. - Kevin was the first one to reply, being his usual scared self.

- The thought hasn't even crossed my mind. - Gregor spoke.

- Alright then. - She then pointed at Gregor. - You're in charge until I return. Don't let Marvin to anything stupid.

- Hey! - Marvin exclaimed. The others looked at him. - Well. Okay. That's probably a fair assumption. -

- Alright, you heard her. - Gregor spoke as soon as Lara left the lounge. The minotaur approached Marvin and took away his cloak. - It's time to start the inventory. Marvin, you search the two humans, I'll do the dwarf and the elf.

Marvin nodded and continued seaching the human rogue he'd been looting so far.

- Kevin, you're in charge of magic items. - Gregor turned to the kobold. - You'll examine the itens on the inventory, using magic, and will separate all the magic ones, alright?