Looting the 13th Floor 4 -- Chapter 1 (Patreon)

I could hear gargoyles screaming outside as I swung the last loot bag over my shoulder. The masking spell that had been placed on the manor was going to wear off any moment, but we had managed to gather all the valuables inside over the past two weeks. Every gemstone and golden goblet had been taken from the den of the hunters we had slaughtered, and the cellar was finally empty.

My new life as an outlaw in the magical world of Hollowfell was fast-paced, thrilling, and very fucking dangerous. It felt like a lifetime ago that I had found the hidden doorway to the magical land. I never could have dreamed that such a life-changing portal was nestled on the thirteenth floor of my dull office building.

But that was my life now.

Living as a wealthy man on Earth and working as a skilled thief in Hollowfell. My world had been turned upside down, and I was finally living life to the fullest.

And right now, three gorgeous monster girls carried their own loot packs on their shoulders beside me as we scanned the cellar for any remaining goods we might have missed in the dusty corners.

Cleo strode around with her chestnut legs glinting against the dying torchlight. Her furry cat ears twitched amongst her black hair, and she studied the room with her sharp, golden eyes. She was a tough as all hell beauty, and her workout shorts and crop top clung to her lean curves like a second skin. Her long, velvety black tail whipped around under her cloak as she adjusted the straps of her backpack. Cleo had been the first trophy girl I had brought back to Earth with me, and she was endlessly grateful to be free of her life on the run. 

The cat-girl had become my lover soon after I saved her, and I was constantly amazed by her bravery and skills. So many years of her life had been spent dodging the grasp of the evil beings who tried desperately to track and capture her.

All of the High Society in Hollowfell had an obsession with collecting rare and beautiful monster girls who they called trophies. It was a sick way of life that the rich folk of the magical world thrived on, but Cleo was safe now that she was by my side.

On my other side was Kali, and the dusk nymph wrinkled her nose adorably as she carefully fastened her bag shut. Her shimmering wings were hidden under her cloak as she hoisted her pack onto her petite shoulders. Pink curls tumbled into her beautiful face, and her light-purple athletic gear highlighted her perky breasts while her pink gloves protected her whenever she had to touch metal. 

Kali was a pure-hearted cutie I’d freed from the clutches of evil pirates. She had quickly become part of the family and slotted right into life with me as a lover, and it was hard not to let my mind constantly wander to the steamy nights we had spent tangled up in bed together.

This was another of the endless rewards I had won from discovering Hollowfell.

Ash was the newest monster girl I had freed during an auction for High Society to bid on rare trophies. The dragonling was a red-haired beauty who had become close with our tight group over the past couple of weeks. She wore a green workout set I’d bought for her, and the green gem set into her tooth glinted as she threw me a wide grin. 

“That’s the last of it,” the dragonling said happily. “There’s so much more peace in this space now. I can feel the lightness radiating through the stone.”

Ash ran her hand along the dark wall and muttered something to herself as she nodded confidently. The dragonling definitely had a serious hippie vibe to her, and I chuckled as Cleo raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“It will not be peaceful soon,” the cat-girl said. “The masking spell will be gone, and the manor will be flooded with High Society.”

“Let’s get going.” Kali shuddered as she gripped her bag straps. “I don’t want to be anywhere near this place when the gargoyles get here!”

“Agreed.” I nodded. “Let’s get the hell out of here and take this loot back home.”

We hurried toward the dim, underground tunnel that led out of the manor and back to the hillside where our secret portal waited. Finding the map of the underground labyrinth had definitely changed the game for our looting sprees, and I was more grateful than ever for that now. 

Viper had been the head of the trophy hunting group we had slaughtered in this very mansion, and it turned out he’d had an entire secret passageway system that he clearly used for tracking down monster girls all over the damn place. The map that was currently rolled up in my pack showed all the hidden tunnels that were now open to us, and I couldn’t wait to explore more of them.

I raised the wand that locked each tunnel as the monster girls strode out of the cellar and into the dark passageway. The familiar rush of magic pricked at my fingers as I focused on locking the hidden doorway.

Being able to actually perform spells was still very new to me, but I was able to use the wooden item as long as I really cleared my mind. It only appeared to work with charms that had been preloaded into the wand, though, so it was like having the most badass remote in existence.

We started to walk along the route that had become familiar to us over the last couple of weeks. Ash had lit the torches as we went along the tunnel on our way in, and the flames illuminated gray beetles that scuttled along the ground. A strong smell of damp and mold filled the air, and there were silver webs hanging above us. The secret corridor was made of black stone that sent echoes of our footsteps in every direction. 

I couldn’t help grinning as I felt the heavy weight of the last loot from the mansion on my shoulders. There were emeralds, diamonds, and countless other treasures just waiting to become dollars in my bank account.

All we had to do was get it back home with the rest of our manor haul, and I would be ready to call up Elijah. My buddy’s family had the best jewelry business in LA, and they had eagerly accepted me as their number one supplier for rare gems and precious metal. I was seriously lucky that they paid fairly and didn’t ask questions.

My last haul of blue diamonds had finally hit my bulging bank account just recently, so I was excited to have another stash of loot to bring to them so soon after. We had carefully organized everything we had from the manor so far into boxes at home, and the collection was finally going to be complete. I could just picture the shit-eating grin on Elijah’s face when I dumped the loads of treasure in front of him.

A couple of the torches along the corridor had died out, but there were still more than enough burning flames to light our way. Purple moss grew between some of the stonework along the walls, and I wondered how one man had created such an intricate labyrinth underground.

“How do you think he did it?” I asked as we turned a sharp bend. “Viper had this whole system that nobody else seems to know about. He couldn’t have built this all by himself, right?”

I’d learned not to assume anything in Hollowfell. There seemed to be so many spells and curses I would never have dreamed of, so I knew Earth rules didn’t apply.

“I do not think he built this.” Cleo frowned as she glanced at the dusty ceiling. “Stonework is a careful art, and his people would notice if he vanished for such long periods of time.”

“Then how did it happen?” Kali asked. “Do you think it already existed, and he just discovered it?”

Ash shook her head as she ran a hand along the wall while she walked. I had learned in the past couple of weeks that the stunning dragonling had a habit of contributing to the conversation in her head but forgetting to say it out loud. 

“Ash?” I prompted. “Any ideas?”

“Oh,” she giggled as she glanced my way. “Yes! It was probably a mind fogging potion. He could have used poor working folk to build the tunnels, and they would forget all about it after he gave them the potion.”

“Why would anyone work for him?” Kali asked with her adorable face carved into a sour frown.

“He might have offered great pay.” Ash shrugged. “The potion would make everything about their past few days foggy. He could make them forget a whole month depending on how much he gave them. It’s very dangerous to give anyone a high dose, but he wouldn’t care.”

I felt a rush of anger at the thought of Viper tricking poor folk into doing his dirty work, but it didn’t surprise me one bit. We didn’t know if that had happened for sure, but I had grown to trust Ash’s expansive knowledge of spells and curses. She had spent time with a sorceress who had given her an in-depth understanding of potions, and she had clearly soaked it all up like a sponge.

“This is the last of the loot from the hunters’ manor,” Cleo purred proudly. “Does this mean our next trip will be for the… supposed… dragon treasure?”

“It is real,” Ash said firmly. “I know you think the last dragon is just a story, but I can feel her in my bones!”

“Fuck yeah.” I grinned. “We’re going to need to do some serious planning before that one.”

“A quest for a dragon,” Ash sighed happily. “My ancestors will be so pleased.”

She smiled vaguely up at the ceiling as if her ancient family were directly above her, and Kali followed her gaze nervously.

There was so much of the magical world I still had to explore, and I was thrilled at the prospect of going deeper into the land. Every time I came back, I would learn so much about the ways of the people here. Maybe we would even be able to score some new potions on our next trip.

We hurried around the gentle curve of the tunnel as we neared the last stretch of the hidden pathway. A red spider crawled along in front of my boots and scuttled up to the vast tangle of webs.

All we had to do was get up the hillside to our portal for the last of the hunters’ treasure to be secured. Our trusty steed was waiting for us just outside the tunnel exit, and we would be back on Earth just before nightfall.

The office building that held the entrance to Hollowfell would hopefully be empty enough for us to slip through unseen. Then I would be all set to organize my next meeting with Elijah, and his dad could estimate how much the treasure would be worth.

Everything was falling perfectly into place.

We turned the final corner in our tunnel and strode toward the gentle slope that eased upward toward the secret exit. My calves burned as I took wide steps up the last stretch of stone ground, and I could hear the howling winds that waited for us outside.

There were three stone steps that led to a door in the ceiling, and I turned to the monster girls before I climbed up.

“Ready?” I asked, and the girls nodded confidently.

“Let’s go home.” Kali smiled. “I can’t wait to have a hot shower!”

“Also food.” Cleo nodded as she pulled up her hood. “Stealing from dead hunters makes me hungry.”

“We can use the summoning box,” Ash said dreamily. “The one that brings the food angels.”

“It is a phone,” Cleo said firmly. “We are very good at using them now, so we should say the words properly.”

I grinned at the cat-girl’s confidence as I slowly climbed up the final steps. We had been very careful about sneaking into the tunnel every time we came, but I was always ready for anything to be waiting for us on the other side.

There was no room for error in a world filled with gargoyles and banshees.

I quickly checked under my cloak to make sure I had my weapons and felt the cool metal of the rifle over my shoulder. We had discovered beautifully carved long-daggers with golden handles in the hunters’ loot on our last visit, along with belts designed to hold multiple blades. Our guns were always with us for emergencies, but the quiet killing of blades was always good for not drawing attention to ourselves.

The heavy doorway in the ceiling creaked slightly as I gently eased it open to reveal a full-on storm that had taken over the sky. The electric-green sky swirled with dark purple clouds as rumbles of thunder screamed throughout the land. Rain splattered down in fat droplets as I scanned the trees for any signs of movement. The dense woodland around the hillside was dark, but I couldn’t see any glowing eyes or flashes of claws.

“Looks clear,” I hissed. “Let’s go!”

Then I pushed the doorway fully open and hauled myself up onto the muddy ground. I did another quick scan of the area before I helped each of the women up from the tunnel and reclosed the exit. Sharp wind stung my face as the rumbling storm sent flashes of eerie lightning over the glowing sky. Every dark leaf around us rustled as the twisted trees shook violently.

The monster girls kept watch as I aimed the wand at the tunnel doorway, and I cleared my mind as best I could with thunder screaming in my ears. I focused on the exit locking tightly, and I only just heard a gentle click of magic as it sealed. 

We hurriedly started to kick the pile of dirt and stone we had arranged over the entrance to hide it from view. My boots were filthy as I made sure the door was unnoticeable, but I swiveled around when I heard the heavy footsteps of our steed.

Hobble was a huge beast we had bought from an underground market, and his wide form moved quickly toward us as he honked gently. Ash had placed a repellent spell on the creature that kept him safe from anyone harming him, but there hadn’t been enough potion to use on ourselves. 

That was fine with me, though. I would much rather our faithful steed was protected when we weren’t around to help. Besides, we were armed to the teeth and well practiced in slaughtering High Society fuckers who tried their luck.

“Hobble!” Kali said happily as her pet stopped beside her. “You really are the smartest boy. Thank you so much for coming to help.”

She planted a quick kiss on his snout before we started to load our haul into his leather saddlebags. Hobble didn’t even seem to notice the heavy weight as he sniffed the wind that blew around us.

We climbed up onto our steed as Ash transformed into her dragonling body to fly alongside us. She could easily be carried by Hobble if she wanted to, but she liked being able to use her flame powers if needed on the final stretch of our journey.

It was still incredible to watch her beautiful face carve into a snout while her red hair was replaced by shimmering scales. Her green body was lithe and quick, and she kept low as her strong wings flapped easily against the wind.

Hobble began to run as I gently squeezed his sides, and we made our way up the dark hillside toward our portal. I had perfected riding our steed with one hand on his saddle, and my other one clasped firmly on a weapon. My fingers gripped the cool metal of my new long-dagger as I scanned every shadowy space for any signs of an attacker. 

The wanted posters that were pinned to the trees had been soaked in the rain, and the dark ink trickled down the yellow parchment. My last disguise of a werewolf was plastered all over Hollowfell, and I felt smug to know that High Society had no clue it was just a carefully executed costume. 

Gargoyles screamed in the distance, but I couldn’t spot any hovering in the stormy sky nearby. They weren’t fast flyers, and I figured they wouldn’t risk trying to move through such a brutal storm. Even if they knew that the outlaw king was out there with their stolen trophy girls.

Cleo’s ears twitched under her hood as Hobble thundered up the side of the hill. Her incredible hearing had saved our asses multiple times, and I trusted her to warn us at the faintest sound of movement. 

Ash swerved expertly through the trees beside us as a deafening roll of thunder rang out over the forest. We were just over the halfway point to the portal, and I glanced down to check the saddlebags were still secured.

“I hear something!” Cleo hissed as she spun her head to the right.

I pulled out my long-dagger as Hobble continued to race along the muddy ground, and I saw the glowing eyes just in time. 

A huge snake covered in blue scales shot through the trees with a vicious hiss. The leviathans were terrifying in their animal bodies, and those sharp fangs could cause deadly damage. 

I was a hell of a shot, but it wasn’t worth risking the difficulty of firing my rifle while Hobble moved so quickly. My dagger glinted under the electric sky as I slashed it toward the snake right as it opened its wide jaw. 

The beast tried to fly at Cleo, but I’d already swung my weapon down into its open mouth. There was a horrible crunch as my blade connected with its tongue and cut right down into its lower jaw. Blood splattered all over my hand as I quickly pulled my weapon back from the creature’s broken face. 

The leviathan’s eyes rolled back in its head while its mouth dangled open as it tumbled to the ground. It hit the wet mud with a thud as it bled out and died on the wet hillside. Then two more leviathans sprang out from either side of us, and my monster girls snarled as we attacked. 

Ash opened her mouth and breathed a stream of orange flame directly into the huge snake that launched her way. The fire consumed the leviathan’s head and melted away the blue scales. Its eyeballs quickly became runny jelly as the beast gave out a pathetic hiss and flopped down in a mess of burning goop.

Cleo and Kali swung their blades to the right at the same time as me, and the second leviathan was met with three sharp long-daggers as it came right up against Hobble’s side. My blade cut down into the neck of the blue scales while the monster girls slashed its head. Kali’s dagger pierced the snout right as Cleo stabbed directly into the snake’s eyeball.

A rush of adrenaline coursed through my body as the leviathan shuddered violently from our deep cuts. Its thick body slumped down as we pulled our blades back, and there was a wet pop as the eyeball was pulled out and stayed on the tip of Cleo’s dagger.

The dead beast was covered in mud as Hobble’s heavy footsteps sent a wave of dirt over the corpse, and I smirked as I glanced back at the slaughtered bodies. We swiveled our heads around as we scanned the trees for any more attackers, but there was no sign of glowing eyes or blue scales.

“Nice work!” I called over the wind. “How does it feel to be Hollowfell’s most elite set of outlaws?”

“Very good,” Cleo purred over her shoulder. “Look! My very own trophy.”

She waved the eyeball proudly, and Kali glanced back and winced at the sight.

“Awesome,” I snorted. “But also very fucking gross.”

“Please get rid of that,” Kali groaned. 

“You do not want to take it home?” Cleo asked. “Maybe we could put it in a frame?”

“Nooo,” the nymph said. “It’s creepy!”

“It is funny,” Cleo said as she waved the eyeball around. “Look how it wobbles.”

“Cleo!” Kali begged. “I hate it!”

“Return it to the dirt,” Ash called as she swept under a low branch. “It’s bad luck to bring evil into our home.”

Cleo studied the severed eye for a moment before she elegantly flicked it off her blade and sent it flying into a nearby tree. The sphere burst into bloody jelly on the dark trunk, and Kali moaned with disgust.

Hobble slowed down when we neared the hilltop just as the rain became heavier around us. The mud was thick and slippery, and the creak of the black trees was almost as loud as the thunder.

Our steed came to a halt right by the rockface that hid our portal, and I swung my leg over him to dismount. I steadied myself on the slippery ground before I helped Cleo and Kali down, and we quickly unpacked our loot from the saddlebags. 

Ash landed gracefully beside me as she shifted forms again to reveal her sharp jawline and tumbling curls. She tucked her red hair behind her ears, and the tiny green scales along her cheekbones shone under the glowing sky.

We hauled our backpacks over our shoulders and pulled off the leather saddle from Hobble’s back. The huge creature bit a chunk of muddy grass from the ground and chewed loudly.

“Thanks, man.” I grinned as I patted his side. “You saved our asses once more.”

“Yes.” Cleo nodded. “I am pleased we have such a fast creature to ride on.”

“We’ll be back soon,” Kali cooed as she pulled a sugar cube from the side pocket of her bag. “You are such a handsome boy! Be safe, okay?”

The nymph planted a kiss on Hobble’s snout as he munched the treat, and he honked dutifully before he stormed back off into the darkness.

“We’ll need to find another repellent potion soon,” Ash said as we hurried to the portal. “He probably only has another couple of weeks of that repellent remaining strong.”

“Oh!” Kali gasped. “Liam, we have to make sure he’s safe.”

“We will.” I nodded. “We’ll try and scout some more potions on the next mission.”

I took one last glance around to make sure we weren’t being watched before I flung open the hidden door in the rockface. My ears pounded with the sound of wind and thunder as the dull hallway to Earth was revealed.

We leapt through the magic exit, and our muddy boots skidded on the carpeted floor. Cleo slammed the door shut behind her and pulled down her soaked cloak hood.

My heart thudded in my chest as I caught my breath and wiped rain from my eyes. Every inch of me was wet and muddy, but I felt on top of the fucking world. We had just claimed every last scrap of the hunters’ treasure and managed to get back to Earth without a scratch on us.

I was seriously becoming an expert in magical looting trips. It was the best job I’d ever had. And having three gorgeous women helping me along the way didn’t hurt, either.

“We did it!” Kali cried excitedly as she slipped the backpack off her tiny shoulders.

The nymph’s cheeks glowed as she started to peel off her filthy cloak and shook rain from her pink curls.

“Another successful mission,” Cleo purred proudly. “Our outlaw king never fails.”

The cat-girl planted a kiss on my cheek, and I felt the warmth of her large breasts press against me.

“I couldn’t have done it without you all.” I grinned. “This is going to seriously add to our riches. Elijah’s going to lose his damn mind when he sees how much we’ve got for him.”

“We are very wealthy,” Cleo said airily as she slid her bag off. “Even more wealthy than the hunters. It feels good to have claimed the riches they made from catching trophy girls.”

I chuckled as the cat-girl unbuckled her cloak and grabbed wet wipes to clean her pretty face. We would clean up thoroughly at home, but we just had to look normal enough to not draw attention to ourselves as we traveled, so we scrubbed at the filth on our skin and pulled on spare clothes that we always had ready for our return. 

The dry fabric of my blue shirt felt good against my neck that still felt the bitter sting of cold from the Hollowfell wind.

“I knew this would come in handy,” Kali said happily as she picked up the portable hair dryer she had suggested we get.

She’d spotted it on a show we watched on TV, and I agreed it would be a good addition to our supplies. The nymph hummed as she helped dry the girls’ hair off before she quickly blasted her own curls.

I stretched out my arms to prepare for the final trek to my car, and my gaze fell on the staff that leaned against the wall. The magical item had belonged to a bandit we had killed, and I’d taken it with hopes that I would be able to use it myself. 

But unlike the wand, the staff didn’t work with the simple act of clearing my mind. I had attempted everything I could think of, but we couldn’t get it to do anything no matter how hard we tried.

Kali had suggested that it could just be an accessory the bandits used to display their wealth. It was certainly possible, but there was something about the staff that radiated an eerie feeling.

I was determined to work out how to use it, and I wondered if it just needed the right spell to unlock its powers.

We folded our soaked cloaks into an empty bag that I would drop off to get cleaned. Then the girls checked in the small mirror that their pretty faces were free of any mud specks.

“Okay,” I said as I slid on my leather jacket. “We just need to get this load down to the car, and we’re ready to go home.”

“The air has positive vibrations,” Ash said. “Our victory has put radiant energy into the universe.”

The dragonling raised her hands up slowly as if she was touching something invisible, and I couldn’t help smiling at her eccentric ways. She was definitely odd, but she was so gorgeous that it was just adorably endearing.

“Glad to hear it,” I chuckled. “I reckon that means we deserve pizza when we get home.”

“Yes!” Cleo said eagerly. “I can order it from my phone because I am good at summoning the food people.”

She smiled proudly as I stroked her soft hair, and I couldn’t wait to fall into bed with her and Kali pressed up against me. That would be the perfect end to our successful looting trip.

We adjusted our rucksacks full of treasure and strode away from the glowing door of Hollowfell. It wouldn’t be long until we stepped back into the manic world of fantastical beasts, but I was glad to be leaving it behind for today. My body was crying out for a hot shower and some warm food.

I opened the exit onto the short stairwell, and we hurried down the metal steps to reach the twelfth floor of the office building. We had placed a spell on the entrance that meant we were the only people who could see it, but I only opened it a few inches to check the corridor on the other side. Even if no one could see the door, it would be very fucking alarming if we just appeared out of nowhere. 

There was no sound in the gray-carpeted hallway, and the lights in each office were out. Only the main fluorescent light was on, and I could see the sun had nearly set from the far windows. I waited a beat to make sure we were alone before I pushed the door open further.

“It looks clear,” I said quietly. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

We hurried out into the dull hallway, and I quickly closed the door back over. My muscles ached from the heavy pack on my shoulders, and I was dying to get this last stretch of our journey over with. It was always jarring to step back into the mundane office building after fighting monsters and stealing treasure. Everything seemed so normal and lifeless, but the sound of gargoyles still rang in my ears.

Ash hummed as we walked toward the elevator in the center of the corridor, and Kali pressed the button to summon it.

“I wonder if the manor is visible yet,” the nymph said. “Do you think High Society are already searching it?”

“Maybe.” I grinned. “But they’re not going to find anything worth a damn.”

“I can picture their ugly faces,” Cleo purred. “They will be so angry that there is nothing left inside.”

“Good thing Liam mastered the wand,” Kali said happily. “They won’t even understand how the place got looted!”

“I can’t wait to put this bag down,” Ash said as she shifted her feet. “Will any humans ask questions?”

“Nah,” I said. “We shouldn’t see anyone before we get to the car, and our doormen at the apartment never even mention the weight of the bags.”

I had already casually said to the office security guard that we would be working late, and he seemed thoroughly disinterested when I said we had to haul old printing equipment out to clean up my employer’s storage space. That meant that he wouldn’t be alarmed to see us with bulging bags even if he was at his desk when we got to the lobby. Nobody else who knew us should be around at this time, either, and that meant we had a clean exit to get down to the parking lot.

Everything had fallen into place on our final manor looting mission, and I felt my chest loosen as my face finally started to warm up.

Then the elevator doors pinged and slid open, and I came face to face with the suspicious eyes of the boss of one of the twelfth floor companies.

Shit.