You step forward, one hand reaching towards Volkar's back…then you let it drop to your side. You plant both of your feet and turn towards the stairs leading downwards. If the map you found is right, the abomination is right below you now. All you must do is go down this one flight and you'll meet it face to face.
With a trembling body and a determined frown, you place your hands on Olly and Mr. Weston's shoulders. At first, the two of them are look like they're going to question your action…then they get a look at your face.
And the immense pain, and duty you feel leaving the Harrowmonts behind.
Olly immediately turns with you, nodding with a slight smile on her face. Mr. Weston looks back at the werewolves one last time, before shaking his head and standing to your right. He looks at you and nods with the same set look you have creasing his features.
You look between the two of them, take one deep breathe of the stale, dirty air, and sprint off. As soon as you reach the first step, you hear the Harrowmonts engage with the monstrosities. You grit your teeth as the sounds of stone being broken and the wet snapping of bones disappears behind you. Your feet don't stop moving until the sounds fade away, replaced by the continual footsteps of your companions.
The three of you remain silent as you rush down the stairs. Flames flicker past your eyes as you run with your legs moving on autopilot. You're getting more exercise out of this one outing than you have in a while. The fact that it took finding out an Eldritch Monster is living under your school does not fill you with confidence. You wonder why you'd think about something like that at a time like this? Maybe your mind's just trying to calm itself down or stop you from thinking too hard about the whole situation. Even now, there's still a part of you that can't really believe this is all happening. To be honest, you're hoping it never goes away.
Cause this becoming normal, means that something must be seriously wrong with your life.
You look at the lamia on your left side. She's putting on a brave face, skin flaking off here and there as she gets ready for what's coming up. She probably wasn't as affected as you were by what you saw in the prison, but that doesn't mean she's OK. Her eyes are sharp, but you can see the worry behind them. What you're coming up against isn't exactly something that even a lamia would willingly run towards.
Which is why when you look at your boss, unease fills your heart.
You expected him to have the same nervousness about him. That he's in unfamiliar territory, and about to face off against something out of a nightmare.
But you see none of that.
Instead, you see a cold, calculating, focused stare that feels like it will burn a hole through your body. The grip on his weapon isn't even slightly off. His hands are firm with little give anywhere as if he was going on a relaxing trip to a shooting range. Nothing about the way he moved matched your impression of him at all. You had seen him get angry before, but this was something else entirely. He was like a completely different person, his green shirt now looking very out of place on his body.
"Eyes front and center, Craft," he suddenly barks at you, "You can explain what's going on once we're out of this."
You instinctively obey his curt words, filing away the dread at having to explain all of this to him in the back of your head. Instead, you focus on the bright light coming from up ahead. You keep going and the light takes the form of a door, blinding you as you step into the next room. All three of you skid to a stop at the entrance of a large, circular room. The whole place reminds you of a photo of the Roman Colosseum from above. Except the stands have been replaced by chairs with a strange desk in front of them.
And, of course, the horrible monster currently taking up the middle of the room.
At first, when you had thought of the Eldritch Monster, you'd seen it as a huge blob. A giant, unmoving mass with eyes and puss spewing everywhere. A huge creature of meat that looked absolutely disgusting.
What you see here, goes against all those expectations.
Sitting on its knees in the middle of a circular pit is a pitch-black humanoid form. From its head protrude numerous strange shapes that point up towards the ceiling. Its frame is very thin, reminding you of one of those anorexic patients on TV. Its head hung low towards the ground causing the dark robes that had been thrown around it to slump.
From where you were standing, this thing could almost pass as human.
At least, until you looked at its torso.
Instead of arms, multiple large tendrils extended from its body. They reached out in all directions taking up the entire length of the pit, which you'd eyeball at the size of a football field. Each one was the same dark color as its skin, their forms still while laying on the sand covered ground.
None of you speak, instead looking at each other with uncertainty. You didn't really lay out any kind of plan for how you'd deal with this thing. Mainly cause the Harrowmonts were supposed to be with you. They were the experts in all this, but they were preoccupied with those "Gifted" things.
The three of you kind of just stand around looking nervous, until your boss taps you on your shoulder. He indicates your right pocket and pull the amulet Volkar gave you out. Mr. Weston indicates the monster with a wave of his right hand. You pick up on what Mr. Weston's plan is, and so does Olly. She shakes her head in the negative, but you can't exactly be picky about this. This is kind of all you've got in terms of anti-eldritch items, so it'd be stupid not to use it.
However, who should take it? Whoever does is going to have to get up close and personal with this thing. You loathe to make Olly go through that, but you're not exactly the sneakiest guy yourself, and you're not sure how Mr. Weston will handle it. You'll just have to wing it with whoever you send.
[] You'll go. You're the one who is apparently immune to Eldritch sanity loss, so it makes sense.
[] Let Olly go. She's a lamia, and aren't snakes supposed to be sneaky?
[] Let Mr.Weston go. You…honestly don't know how it'll turn out if you send him. Hopefully well.
And, while you're here, you should at least try to come up with a plan for once the actual fight begins. No use going in with your guns halfcocked and all that.
[] Once the Amulet goes on, rush it down. Just charge straight at it and hope for the best.
[] While one of you places the Amulet, the others should try and find good positions to hit the thing from. It does mean that whoever puts on the Amulet will be more isolated, but also stops it from just attacking everyone at once.
[] You'll defer to Mr. Weston for the plan. He seems to be the senior fighter here.
[] Write in…
