Eventually, you party emerges into another enormous cavern. There’s no chasm in this one - but you will have to bare in mind that you don’t get your hooves stuck in-between the rocks underneath you.
However, as you all fan out and start heading towards the tunnel on the opposite side of the cavern, a more pressing problem materialises.
A naked satyress, aged about forty in human terms - and baring waist long, crimson-dyed hair - steps out of the far tunnel. She smiles at everyone - but her blue eyes sparkle with the glint of ice. In her hand, she carries what has to be a wizard’s staff. Her large chest bares weapons of mass distraction. Fortunately, you are immune to satyr seduction, now that you are a centaur.
“Bellona!” Minerva hisses at you all to stop. “Watch yourselves, my friends!”
Cedius’ witch redirects her attention. “So, Minerva! You are helping those who would seek to stop our master! I can see by your offensive garb (i.e. Minerva’s bikini top) that you have lost your way. Rejoin us! You too, Anarosa and Dick! When Cedius acquires the power to make himself a god, we satyrs will rule over this island. We will celebrate as true Bacchae!”
“You would have us as slaves - or dead!” Rachel takes a few hoof steps forward. “Your kind killed Deirdre!”
“Ah, the mermaid! Glaucus did enjoy himself with his knife… Still - you have a chance to save yourselves,” Bellona declares. “Serve Cedius - and you can all share freely in our new haven, where no rules of morality will bind you! You can take whoever you want to satisfy your lust…”
Krista snarls her refusal.
“No!” retorts Minerva, speaking for you all. “We satyrs have to learn to take responsibility! And the island belongs to all the races that live on it!”
Bellona hisses her anger. “Then suffer the consequences of your defiance!” With a motion of her free hand, she summons two minotaur forward into the cavern. Despite being clad in leather armour, you can see from their build that one is male and the other female. Both are roaring, and clutching at the glowing collars around their necks.
“Patience, my pets!” Bellona purrs. She points at your party. “Kill them - and I will release you!”
The captive minotaur bellow, and stride forward - fists raised to pound and rend you all.
“Battle stations!” you cry.
Sigmund and Krista bound in and leap upon the advancing minotaurs. A furious fight begins as your muscular opponents tackle the weretigers with their horns and sheer strength. Feline, and half-bovine, blood and tissue is splattered. Krista is thrown across the cavern, and she slams into a rock. Meanwhile, you, Rachel, and the satyrs take cover behind boulders, as Bellona aims her staff and unleashes a bolt of electrical-like energy at your group. She manages to stun Anarosa, who collapses unconscious.
Soon, Bellona will hit a larger target - such as a centaur…
Rachel notches an arrow, as she crouches with you behind your shield of boulders. “We could get that witch…,” your girlfriend cries out to you, Dick and Minerva. Her voice can just be heard over the noise of the fighting. “…But we need to entice her into our aim of vision!”
Dick if fiddling with the Medallion of Flux that is resting on his chest. He looks thoughtful. “Leave it to me!” he declares - then he concentrates.
You, Rachel, and Minerva watch as a glow from the Medallion sweeps along Dick’s entire body. His got fur withdraws into his naked frame, and the hooves, horns, pointed ears, and beard all disappear. For a moment he is the young man you knew when you all came to the island for your holiday. Then his skin thickens, the muscles ripple. The new horns growing on his head are now those of a bull. Dick’s face contorts and grows fur.
“Oh, ggodd! It hurts…! Is it workingg…? Ahh! Rrrh! RRURH!” Your friend’s voice changes into the billowing of a bull. The new minotaur glances at your astonished faces - then snorts, and strikes the cavern floor with his bare foot. In the next instant, he is charging towards the minotaur that is now pinning down one of the weretigers.
“What!? No!!” Bellona screams, as the unclad minotaur that is Dick thrusts a horn in-between the ribs of his male kindred - and the other beast turns on him. Unwilling to let loose a bolt at Dick, whilst the two minotaur are so close - Bellona instead bounds closer on her hooves, for a better angle. She then turns sharply to face the weretiger Dick has helped. As the feline hunter roars and races towards the satyress witch, the latter raises her staff to strike…
“Don’t you dare!” Rachel yells, stepping out to take aim with her bow and arrow. You too, are ready and - judging the chaos before you - you choose your target carefully.
Bellona fires another blast from her weapon. The injured weretiger roars, as the charge tears through it - then collapses. You can’t tell if it’s Sigmund or Krista - the other weretiger is fighting Bellona’s second beast...
Then Rachel’s arrow slams into Bellona - who screams and falls down - the shaft protruding from below her ribs. Her staff flies from her grasp.
An instant later, you fire also. Your first shot just misses - but your second strikes the male minotaur Dick is fighting. It stiffens from the arrow in its leg. A gasping Dick steps back to recover his breath - and the hostile minotaur turns to face you instead, roaring in rage. It begins to thunder towards you, limping.
Then another of Rachel’s arrows strikes it - in-between the eyes this time. It gives a hoarse cry, and falls - spinning with the impact of the shot.
An instant later, Dick jumps over to the female minotaur the other weretiger is still wrestling with. One neck snap later, and the minotaur that is Dick drops his hostile sister to the ground.
With relief, the rescued weretiger collapses, gasping, on its side. As the enhanced healing abilities common to were creatures kicks into gear, you realise that it is Krista whose wounds are closing up, even as you look. Which means…
“Sigmund!” Rachel trots forward towards the prone weretiger. In the meantime, you watch as Dick begins to transform again. His minotaur form returns back to his original, human appearance - then he reverts into a satyr once more. He falls to his knees, exhausted. A recovering Krista licks his wounds for him. Then your weretiger friend’s eyes widen, as she sees Rachel trying to help Sigmund. She pads over, in alarm.
The badly-burnt Sigmund gazes around at you all, and manages to smile. “Don’t give…up,” he croaks. His half-closed eyes flicker over to Krista. “You and Hharry arre ther last of ourr race, now! Save hhim…and treasure each…otherr…”
“Sigmmund!” Krista growls, panicking.
“I will bbe…re-united with my bbrother and Tiarmat.” Sigmund coughs up blood, then sighs and turns limp in Rachel’s arms. She chokes back a sob, then thumps the were tiger’s chest, to get his heart beating again. When several minutes have passed, Rachel gives up.
“I’m…so-sorry!” she says to Krista, her eyes moist. “He’s gone!”
Krista snarls, and exposes her blood-stained fangs - then turns round to face the fallen Bellona. Your eyes widen as you see the wounded satyress crawl painfully over to her staff. With a cruel laugh, she seizes it, and raises her weapon to destroy you all…
Only Krista is faster. There is a blue of orange-and-black movement - and then your weretiger friend gets to work upon Bellona. Rachel sucks in her breath, and buries her face against your chest, as you shut your eyes and comfort her. Your collective ears twitch, as they are assailed by the piercing, agonised last screams of Bellona.
Hell hath no fury like a were tigress grieved, you think to yourself.
When you open your eyes and glance at Krista’s kill, you shudder. Amongst the mess, it is hard to tell which area of red is the satyress’ dyed hair - and what parts are just her blood.
Minerva helps to support Anarosa, who’s now alert once more. Closing Sigmund’s eyes, you and Rachel stand up. For a long moment, no one speaks.
Rachel removes her glasses and wipes her eyes. “Well,” she says. “Are we ready to go?”
You and the others nod. Krista licks her lips clean, and announces, “I sense ourr journey is nearly overr. Bbut wwe must hurry! Ther moon will rrise in a few hours, and it will turrn me feral again!”
Giving the scattered parts of Bellona a wide berth, you leave the cavern and the smell of death behind you all.