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Chapter 14: With the dagger, she smote

In the shadowy grotto, Lisa and Hilda stood before the Darklings still entangled in Mirranda's delicate webs. Their glowing gazes flickered red with unease.

Samson's urgency was palpable. He demanded, "Where are our belongings? My prized scimitar and the Glenoid's swords?" His words echoed the escalating tension.

The Darkling nodded, guiding Samson's attention to an unremarkable box against the rugged stone wall. Samson approached, rough hands prying open the lid to reveal the gleaming metal of his warrior's blade. To him, it was more than a weapon; it was an intricate piece of himself, a work of art brimming with complex engravings and dented edges from battles past. As he traced the carvings with his fingers, a wave of pride enveloped him, his purpose and destiny in the weight of the scimitar. Despite the grotto's darkness, he felt comfort and light in the weight of his blade. He wanted to protect, he wanted to fight. His desires weren't complicated, only truthful and raw.

With a swagger, Tallik moved forward, exuding confidence and authority. "Listen up, Darklings. There's only one way out of this," he said, a cunning grin on his face. "I have a proposition for you."

Hilda and Lisa exchanged confused glances. What game was Tallik playing?

The captive beings squirmed in their bindings, their faces contorted with palpable frustration. Exchanging covert glances, they kept silent, waiting for Tallik's next move.

"Join us," Tallik demanded, his command cutting through the gloom like a flash of silver. "Stand with us against Cardamon when the moment arises, and we will free you from Mirranda's webs."

"Freedom?" one of the captured Darklings hissed, skepticism dripping from its voice. "What would Westerians, elves, Glenoids, and Spiderlings know about our struggle? The daylight chains us here. We can't fight out in the bleeding day!"

Mirranda retorted, suspended from the grotto's dripping ceiling, her black eyes locked on them. "Would you not prefer to meet your end in battle under the sun rather than rotting in a wet cave? Would you not choose to be warriors rather than insects caught in my web?"

Hilda's fingertips brushed against the cool metal of her necklace, a Vidian artifact of love. "You know, there are fates far worse than being turned to ash by the blazing sun," she said.

In response, Lisa clutched her own Vidian cross, its energy pulsing with a forceful ray that left blistering marks on their skin, a stark reminder of the silver within it.

"Please stop!" their desperate pleas echoed.

Lisa spoke with a calming and silky tone, moving the Vidian under her tunic. It glittered dangerously as she concealed it from the Darkling's gaze. "All of us, even you bandits, are threatened by Cardamon," she stated. "In these challenging times, we all require powerful allies."

"Your odds of enduring an onslaught improve in our company, compared to your current defenseless state, wrapped in webbing should they invade," Hilda supplemented.

The Darklings exchanged another uncertain look, acknowledging the dangers they'd face upon aligning themselves, and the grim alternative: a drawn-out demise by Vidian or confinement in a silken jail.

"Very well," one of them finally agreed, their voice shaky. "We'll join you. But remember, our loyalty isn't free."

"What's your price?" Lisa asked.

"Shelter from daylight," answered the Darkling, its gaze fixed on Lisa. "We need to escape the harsh sun if we're to fight alongside you."

Lisa considered their request as Tallik stepped forward, cloak absorbing the cave's shadows. "Don't worry," he promised, voice echoing in the cave. "I can provide sunlight-resistant cloaks for the battle."