Villain's Second Heart: Trapped in A Fantasy Novel (BL)-Chapter 11: The Worst Homework Assignment

Far below them was a swampy basin, and right in the center of their field of view was a matted, gnarly mess of vines.

"You have a plan to get down there?" Ezra asked, biting his lip as he eyed the ledge. He had never been comfortable with heights.

Oberyn took a deep breath. "I think she does, but I don't like what she's going to say."

Deek winked at him. "Oh, no! Even I wouldn't jump from here!"

Thank the gods. That looked like a long fall.

"Don't worry. There's a safer way down a little further out."

Sure enough, about a quarter-mile ahead and a few switchbacks later, they were at the bottom of the basin.

A noticeable temperature shift greeted them at the bottom of the basin. The air was cold, damp, and thick with the sounds of buzzing insects and croaking frogs. Mist clung to the ground, tinged faintly blue.

"Hmm," Deek murmured. "I only saw the nest from above, but I think it was this way..."

She stumbled through the thick brush. The trees, and much of the ground, were coated in dangling vines—so dense they obscured much of the forest.

"These vines kinda look like Manticore hair, don't they?" Deek mused as she hopped over a massive root.

"I wouldn't know," Oberyn admitted.

"Well, you will soon!"

They pressed forward, and then all at once, they saw it.

A gaping maw opened in a massive tree, large enough for an elephant to walk through. Vines hung like curtains over its entrance, sinking into the earth like twisted roots. It was unmistakable.

A Manticore nest. Ezra shuddered. He'd never seen something less inviting.

Decoy hummed a little tune but hesitated for just a second. Her ears flattened before she skipped ahead again, her voice suddenly a touch louder than before.

The clearing around the nest had been ravaged; the vegetation trampled and torn apart. Carcasses littered the ground, from deer to the mangled remains of a bear, smashed against a fallen tree. Deep, triple-pronged claw marks adorned the surrounding trees. The signs were clear.

Oberyn stopped short, his gaze lingering on the bear's ruined body. His hand instinctively brushed the hilt of his sword.

They peered into the abyss before them. The darkness inside swallowed everything beyond the threshold.

"You think she's home?" Ezra asked.

"She?" Decoy scoffed. "We better hope it's not a 'she'! I don't need any little Manticore children running at me. I prefer a nice, big, beta. A Man-Manticore. You feel me, Ez?"

Ezra perked up. She used his nickname! It was just the bit of encouragement and camaraderie that he needed, because moments before all he felt was the palpable dread exuding from the nest entrance.

"No way to know without going in," Oberyn said with a smirk. As he spoke, he locked eyes with Ezra.

Ayo? Ezra bit his lip at the comment.

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As they stepped inside, the vines pulsed faintly, almost alive.

The air thickened with the metallic tang of something predatory. A rhythmic clicking echoed from deep within the cavern.

Judging by the overwhelming stench of animal musk that filled Oberyn's lungs the moment they crossed the threshold, the Manticore was close.

As they crept through the nest, Ezra found it far worse than he had expected. Not that he had any idea what a 'Manticore Nest' would be like.

"Deek, you're going to get us killed, aren't you?"

"Shut up! I've done this like, ten times before."

The vines overhead were so thick they blotted out the sun, twisting and tangling into grotesque shapes that felt almost... deliberate. The dim light that bled in from above bathed the dripping walls in an eerie, teal glow.

The space felt claustrophobic, as if they were being swallowed whole by a plant monster. Even the walls seemed hostile, the vines appearing ready to lash out at any moment, like a writhing mass of snakes poised to strike.

And the stench. Gods, the stench. It reeked like something massive had been left to rot for weeks. For Ezra, breathing through his mouth did little to help. The putrid air burned his throat and made his eyes water.

'Damn,' Ezra thought. He never had a strong sense of smell in his first life. How unfair that his perfectly working olfactory senses had to be assaulted by such a repugnant place.

Stay close," Ezra whispered. Oberyn stiffened. Just for a moment. His amber eyes flickered toward Ezra before he quickly looked away.

The blond swordsman was a few steps ahead, eyes darting around frantically, absorbing every detail. Sweat matted his hair, but his stance remained steady, prepared.

The two of them each took an instinctive step nearer to each other, ending up closer than either had originally anticipated. It was comforting - barely strangers, and yet they knew instinctively each other's strength.

Behind Oberyn, Decoy wiggled in her boots, each step a precarious clomp forward. She gripped her magicked boomerang in both hands, her eyes flicking between her feet and whatever lay ahead.

"This is a scary nest, huh?"

"You're the one who was skipping here! Why are you scared all of a sudden?"

"Mmm, normally it's not so scary because the great 'Sage of Clouds' is with me... He can do anything! Though usually he makes me go first to distract the Manticores.

"Like a decoy?" Oberyn chuckled. Deek didn't seem to get the joke.

"You said you could kill a Manticore all by yourself!" Oberyn fretted. "Don't get cold feet on us now."

"You know... you're right, Mr. Nephilim! I can do it all by myself, so I don't have to worry about how weak you two are!" she said with a wink.

"Focus, you two," Ezra said, his voice sharp but not unkind. "It's there. Right ahead."

He was right. Oberyn felt it before he saw it - the deep, rattling growl of a magical beast. A vibration that was more felt than heard. The vines around them twitched as if recoiling from the presence of the predator. The suffocating stench shifted, now laced with the coppery tang of blood and burnt fur. His grip on his sword tightened as he stepped closer to Ezra.

"Manticores are magical beasts, so no sense using any of your fancy Magician powers on 'em. Physical attacks are best. Oh, and watch for the tail. They're nasty things."

Noted.

The Manticore slithered out from the rustling vines, its shaggy mane of dark green bristles blending seamlessly with the foliage. Now, Oberyn and Ezra understood what Decoy had meant. The beast looked like part of the nest itself.

What lay beneath the camouflage was far more fearsome. Thick crimson skin emitted burning smoke, and a writhing mane cascaded around its muscular shoulders. Its barbed tail cracked against the ground with enough force to shatter stone.

"Move!" Oberyn shouted, and the Manticore charged!