Short story - Nick Parker searches for missing boy

This rag-tag group of adventures was a gods send to me. When my nephew came back, bruised and breathless, babbling about Timmy missing in the caves, I was filled with dread. Someone would have to keep those kids from going back to those caves and looking for trouble. Today, Timmy went missing. Tomorrow, ghost stories and fantasies about adventures would bring more and more kids to their doom.
 
Every day I walked to the caves. Those first 3 days, everything was quiet. Then more young people came. You know the age. When they have to prove themselves but are brainless and interested in talking big about themselves. But still kids. I told each and every one to leave. To not come near the cave. A few brave ones cursed at me. Most just turned around and hopefully went to find a bull to help prove their bravado. I stayed.
 
Finally, I met with 3 very different people. One quiet and shifty, one tall and aloof, and one strong. They wanted to know more about Timmy. They would help me find the body.
 
We explored deeper into the caves. There was a ravine that falls into an underground river. A monster lives there. The monster may have eaten the boy, but only if the boy fell in. The tall one suggested killing the monster, but it did not seem to pose a threat.
 
Across the ravine, there was a cloud of cursed miasma, atop a small islet, as tall as this. I talked these idiots out of blasting the thing, which may have saved all out lives. The tall one created a brigde to the islet, once the miasma dissipated. We carefully walked across to make sure not to disturb the drust.
 
From that point, we could see a door. Probably from the same large creatures who inhabited these caves long ago. A mess hall, filled with stinking yellow mold. One of these idiots disturbed the mold, and up sprang a crew of giant skeletons. We did our best to beat them back. I expected help here, not children springing traps to get us all killed! I will have to keep a better eye on them.
 
I protested that Timmy or any other children would not have come this way, and for people helping to search for a missing child, we were lost and chasing wild geese. They wanted to push further. Perhaps they had other reasons to come here, and I was the fool that should have kept to myself. If I die, children will continue to come here and die.
 
For better or for worse, we pressed on. In the next chamber, we found a glowing portal. Thank the gods that there were doors keeping any younglings from coming here and disappearing. But now the path to becoming lost was clear for any 7 year old. What a mess. Then we encountered a giant mushroom creature who attacked me like he was possessed. I fought back and had my arm broken. The rest of the group was slowly able to defend against the 5 smaller mushroom creatures. However, they did not have to. The creatures knelt in front of them, only to be slaughtered by the idiot knight. He kept yelling about honor and evil, but I know evil is the slaughter of innocent creatures that have surrendered. What have I gotten myself into?
 
Luckily, the small creatures were soon dispatched and the knight helped me fell the giant one. The tall one helped me heal my arm, but gods, it hurt. I stood in shock while they dug up underneath the portal, and when they found a large magical sword, the portal disappeared. I picked up the sword, as everyone else hesitated. Being with this band, I'm already cursed, and I cannot imagine what other horrors the sword alone would cause. A black, ornate, vicious looking thing. I think I picked it up to keep the deranged knight from using it for more deranged slaughter.
 
The group mentioned that the sword would be talked to the Lady Seraphina, whose house I served when I was part of the Duskhan Army. Were they deceiving me? Did they think I have a need for a vicious looking weapon? If they were not lying, the Lady could have come to me, and I could tell her of the foul deeds committed in her name. In the end, I chose to surrender the blade and return to my cabin to remain vigilant for the threat to children of our village.
 
The adventurers said they wanted to to return to River's End and rest, then come back for the monster. Why? What had the creature done that is more insulting than their psychotic behavior? But that bridge cannot remain, and I may finally be able to convince the sorcerer to remove it, and keep the children safe if I help them again.
 
"Thank you, but I do not want to accompany you any more than I have to. I am an honorable old man, trying to protect my farm and neighbors," I said to them. I did not add my thoughts. "You are a group of short sighted idiots, who will bring destruction to my home."