Chapter 57
- Location
- Malaysia
Chapter 57
According to the map, both tunnels would eventually lead to two track-turners. Mel warned them that the turner in the middle of the larger cavern was occupied and so, it was better to follow the left side set of tracks. True to the warning, they could hear loud barks and growls as they neared the three-way crossing that had their side of the wooden track turner. And just ahead of them was a bridge which led deeper into the mine.
"We better do our best to be quiet," muttered Nene.
Everyone nodding in agreement, they proceeded to try and sneak past. With Polka at the corner of the turn keeping an eye out for them, they crept by one by one. The fennec fox girl made a face when spotted what they were warned about; four mangy-looking dogs, two bare-chested cultists wearing strange headgear, sharp metal claws on their hands, and red pants with black skirting, and one large ghoul-like creature wearing a bandolier-like thing with skulls on it. It was most unfortunate that two of the nearer dogs sniffed the air, and then turned to their direction snarling with their hackles raised. Then, the barking started.
"Oh, crap," she thought as everyone else behind her froze.
Loud barking echoed through the tunnels as well as shouts of warning and declaring allegiance to some old gods, much like the horrifying cultist they tried interrogating yesterday. Her fears crept up when she heard Nene scream in surprise and KDR's fervent shouts. Then, she spotted two cultists running up the side tunnel she was looking down.
"Oi, you better back off," she warned as she stepped into view.
"For the Old Gods!" yelled both cultists as they charged at her with their oversized claws.
Surprised, she was able to avoid the first few swings but those claws eventually found their mark. She grit her teeth at the puncture wounds on her legs and arms but then she gave a wry smirk as arrows and a dagger sunk into the chest of the cultist to her left. That smirk quickly changed to horror when a decomposing skull crashed into her head. The foul feeling of the rotting skin made her shriek in fright as it bounced away behind her. The cultists snickered as they came after her again. She growled and fought back.
Ducking under a claw, she slammed her shoulder into the more injured cultist. She intended to follow up but swayed back to avoid the other cultist, her punch was blocked when she swayed forward. She then turned and leaned back against the injured one to avoid a third swipe, she elbowed him as she pushed herself off and then donkey-kicked behind her. She smirked as the injured cultist shrieked in pain. As she turned around, her eyes followed Lamy as she ran next to her as she chanted. Many angelic-looking spirits started flitting around them, giving an uplifting feeling. As her turn finished and she ended up facing the cultists again, she watched as one of the spirits passed through the injured one's head and he fell over dead. The second one was not untouched as the spirits left scorch marks on his skin while Botan's arrows found their mark.
Then, a large figure loomed over behind him. The ghoul had a skull missing from its bandolier and she inwardly grimaced as she recalled the feeling. It then howled loudly, sending a sense of terrifying dread creeping through her mind and body. Then, she heard a wild battlecry.
"Born of fire, tempered with strength," roared the warforged as he slammed his glowing warhammer into the back of the cultist who was circling around her.
"Hey, so much for your old gods. Am I right?" mocked Nene.
"Take my soul for your purpose! For the Old Gods!" yelled the cultist as he suddenly fell and bashed his head on the ground, much to her friend's and Mel's horror.
More voices and shouts could be heard from far off.
"I think many more are going to show up!" Polka shouted as she went on the offensive, slamming two punches into the slavering ghoul's knee before the rest of her blows were avoided when it shifted its body. She then cartwheeled backward over a swipe of its claws sent her way.
It roared as it tried to go after her, but was stopped in its tracks by a gleaming spectral sword she noticed as she landed on her feet.
"Hurry!" urged on Lamy as she slammed her mace into its knee, the radiant light shining as bones cracked and cap shattered.
"Magic Missile!"
Several shining darts flew and struck down on its other leg, spraying chips of bone into the side tunnel wall. Soon after, arrows were shot and perforated its head, causing it to topple over backward and crash to the ground. It expired with a loud wheeze.
"You! You dare intrude on our domain!?" shouted out a familiar voice.
Everyone turned towards the bridge. Just beyond was a familiar figure; the hooded warlock that attacked them at the mines. Behind him was a mysterious black void. As if there was only darkness within.
"Get them! Slay the interlopers!" he ordered loudly as a large group of cultists ran towards the bridge, "For The Old Gods!"
"For the Old Gods!"
As the cultists ran across the bridge, KDR ran past Polka and the others, shouting, "I cast you into the flames of the Forge!" He slammed his white-hot weapon onto the bridge, splinters spraying. The fire flared up as their side of the bridge exploded, sending the majority of the cultists into the underground river below.
"Kill them you fools!" screamed the warlock, his hood falling off his head, revealing the mutations on half of his face. His skin was a discolored purple and his hair had fallen out. In place were tendrils and tentacles writhing and shivering independently of each other.
Polka took a quick drink from her portable cask and gulped down in a hurry. She had a feeling this was going to be a very weird fight.
Unfortunately, there were two bridges and a smaller group of cultists had taken that one over to the party's side. As KDR stood up, he raised his shield. Three consecutive blasts bombarded his defense as he stood his ground. By then, the small group of cultists, all armed with wicked-looking metal claws, shouting loudly, "For the Old Gods!" He smirked, confident in his defense, as the bombardment of spells was continued by two other cultists with short staves; a flaming sphere suddenly appeared over the fast-flowing river and rammed into the lead clawed cultist. His smirk fell as that same one reached him regardless of his wounds and pierced his chest armor with the deceptively dull-looking claws.
He growled as the claws continued to wail on him, losing his concentration on his weapon, and the comforting glow of the sign of the Forge faded. It didn't help that the other clawed ones joined the enemy in wailing on him. Enough was enough.
"The fire of the Forge shall burn evil from my sight!" he half-chanted, half-declared with all fervor as he slammed the ground in front of him.
Fire burst out of the ground, forming a long wall that stretched all the way to the bridge but not touching it. The first cultist that reached him was pretty much burnt to ashes. The rest roared and yelled as the flames of the Forge seared their flesh and burned their vile souls in cleansing fire. An explosion of sound erupted in the middle of the cultist group that pretty much finished them off. As the bodies burned, he noticed the fennec fox girl appear from a distance and crossed the bridge. His throat rumbled an approval as a ray of frost shot past him to freeze over one surviving cultist, the ice and fire taking a toll on the body as it topped off to the side and into the water.
A shrill, agonized cry of pain came from the girl as the cultist casters turned around and used their magic against her. Necrotic energies washed over her body as she stumbled backward in shock. The others tried to help; the lion let arrows fly, his charge's sphere of flame rammed into the caster, and the succubus tried to help by throwing a simple dagger. KDR huffed and dismissed the wall of fire. Then, he broke into a sprint as he chanted for aid, intent on helping the tortured monk.
"I shall purge your evil from this place," he stated sternly as he slammed the now searing-hot warhammer onto the caster's back, paying no heed to the licking flames of the sphere that started to burn and heat up his armor. He has been tempered in the fire of battle. He can withstand a little flame. It is a good pain.
The feeling went away with a wave of healing he felt coming behind him. He looked past the fighting monk and noted the mutated warlock raising his wand.
"Behind you," he stated.
She spun around and ducked under the first blast, however, the second exploded into her chest. He twisted out of the way of the third beam and it exploded against the mine wall. The monk was still alive, a wave of gentle green washing over her as he heard steps coming from behind him on the bridge. A sudden appearance of mist later on the other side of the broken bridge produced his charge who threw a bolt of fire at the warlock. He yelled in frustration as he tore his robes off, showing that his discolored skin stretched all the way downward… and he had a tentacle growing out of his elbow, wrapping around his hand.
"Beware those who trade their souls for power. They are marked for death," declared the warforged in a chant as he swung his warhammer downward at the mutated warlock, launching a bolt of light at the enemy.
"Fools, I serve the Old Gods!" the wolf-folk warlock retorted as his chest got punctured by arrows, "Your tirade means nothing!" He then ducked under the flash of light that KDR sent at him.
"Your old fuddy-duddy gods hold no sway here," mocked Nene.
"Foolish and ignorant!" he declared as he motioned to them. "When will you learn that their power shall destroy you!"
"Will it kill you to shaddap!?" shouted Polka as she flew at him in a flying kick.
"Fools all!" he roared as he caught her right foot.
He tried tossing her back, but she twisted through the air and landed on her left foot. She then got into a handstand and sent her other foot into his face. After hearing the crack of his breaking nose, she pushed herself off the ground and kicked out with her left, sending it into his chest. Landing on her left, she spun around but before she could kick him again, he yelled out some unintelligible words and tentacles dark as ebony lashed out from all over him. They crashed into her and seemed to be spectral enough to go through her.
"POLKA!"
"Damn you all!" shouted the warlock as he vomited blood before he ran off deeper into the mines. Into the inky blackness.
Lamy hurried over and laid her hand on her friend, the other holding on to her amulet in prayer. As she healed up the fennec fox girl, the others gathered around her. On the other hand, Mel and KDR stepped near the strange barrier-like blackness.
"Is this what you could not get through?" he asked.
"Yes, this is the one," she replied as she lightly touched the barrier, a little surprised when the darkness just flowed through her fingers like smoke, "This feels like a Darkness spell..." Turning to the now-recovered monk, she asked, "Polka, can your globe light this up?"
"I can. Stand back," requested the monk as she stood up. As the rest shuffled behind her, she plucked the driftglobe out of the hover. Stretching out her hand holding it, she aimed it at the inky blackness and said, "Sh-"
Before she could say the full word, a piercing shout echoed through the mine and a loud crunch of sorts followed it. Stunned, she quickly shouted, "Shine!"
The globe emitted a dazzling brilliance akin to a full sun shining down on them, burning away the darkness. What they revealed was horrifying. Two horrendous growths sprouted out from either side of the passage; short and stumpy with a few tentacles coming out of the body with beaked mouths, eight red orbs around the top, and a crown of tentacles wildly lashing around. An even worse sight was the thing that was busy eating the mutated warlock, his bottom half lying on the ground; a mass of writhing tentacles, numerous bony spikes along the ridge of its back, a massive mouth with protruding teeth, and many red orbs above said mouth which could probably pass for eyes. It made a swallowing sound, took one look at the party, and let out a horrifying lament as it undulated towards them.
The loud lamentations rang in her ears. Gripping her head, Nene squinted her eyes, trying to bear with her pounding head. When they reopened, she was surprised to find herself standing nearer to Polka.
"Wait, when did I move?" she wondered inwardly when she caught sight of the abomination looming over them, "I think I really don't want to be here..." She also almost gagged when a stump of tentacles suddenly burst from the ground.
"Die," proclaimed KDR as he went in, brushing aside the tentacles that suddenly popped out of the ground and lashed out at him with his shield. His warhammer flared up and seared the aberrant flesh, setting it on fire amidst its screeching and wailing.
As she pulled her lute into position, she saw the healing green glow of Lamy's prayers wash over her. It gave her comfort. That and KDR's headstrong bravery gave her confidence that they could survive this. Plucking a high note, she breathed in and hit that note, her voice going high. A second later, a loud boom exploded behind the aberration followed by its loud roar. However, she felt a sense of dread in the pit of her stomach as the eyes swiveled over to her. She screamed as it arched back and slammed its tentacles into her body. And as she was seemingly lifted off her feet, it clamped its massive jaw on her body. She could feel her body being sawn and jabbed by many teeth before falling onto the ground. Her whole body felt extremely painful and felt like her insides were churned around like butter. However, she couldn't do anything as the tentacle stump whipped down on her chest as she tried rolling to the side a bit too slow, causing her to cough up blood.
"Am I..." she started in her mind when the comforting green glow washed over her again, "No, not just yet! I have to get up!"
As she got to her feet, she could hear the faint voices of her friends cheering her on. To her side, she noticed her lute, now with a torn strap. She reached for Anya and pulled it from her belt. Turning to face the grotesque shambler, she slashed a stray tentacle that was growing from its underside, cutting it off. It roared and returned its attention back to her. She noticed that there were many arrows sticking out of its right side, one even sticking out of its many eyes. She couldn't do anything as it lashed out with its tentacles. Her stomach felt like it was being taken apart. As she collapsed forward, she could feel the cold ground becoming more intimate with her. Her vision began to blur and she could feel the beat of her heart through her veins. She then felt something heavy on her back and neck.
Her vision became black.
And she found herself on top of the flat stone surrounded by the sea once more. One question reigned supreme in her mind.
"Where in the world am I!?"
According to the map, both tunnels would eventually lead to two track-turners. Mel warned them that the turner in the middle of the larger cavern was occupied and so, it was better to follow the left side set of tracks. True to the warning, they could hear loud barks and growls as they neared the three-way crossing that had their side of the wooden track turner. And just ahead of them was a bridge which led deeper into the mine.
"We better do our best to be quiet," muttered Nene.
Everyone nodding in agreement, they proceeded to try and sneak past. With Polka at the corner of the turn keeping an eye out for them, they crept by one by one. The fennec fox girl made a face when spotted what they were warned about; four mangy-looking dogs, two bare-chested cultists wearing strange headgear, sharp metal claws on their hands, and red pants with black skirting, and one large ghoul-like creature wearing a bandolier-like thing with skulls on it. It was most unfortunate that two of the nearer dogs sniffed the air, and then turned to their direction snarling with their hackles raised. Then, the barking started.
"Oh, crap," she thought as everyone else behind her froze.
Loud barking echoed through the tunnels as well as shouts of warning and declaring allegiance to some old gods, much like the horrifying cultist they tried interrogating yesterday. Her fears crept up when she heard Nene scream in surprise and KDR's fervent shouts. Then, she spotted two cultists running up the side tunnel she was looking down.
"Oi, you better back off," she warned as she stepped into view.
"For the Old Gods!" yelled both cultists as they charged at her with their oversized claws.
Surprised, she was able to avoid the first few swings but those claws eventually found their mark. She grit her teeth at the puncture wounds on her legs and arms but then she gave a wry smirk as arrows and a dagger sunk into the chest of the cultist to her left. That smirk quickly changed to horror when a decomposing skull crashed into her head. The foul feeling of the rotting skin made her shriek in fright as it bounced away behind her. The cultists snickered as they came after her again. She growled and fought back.
Ducking under a claw, she slammed her shoulder into the more injured cultist. She intended to follow up but swayed back to avoid the other cultist, her punch was blocked when she swayed forward. She then turned and leaned back against the injured one to avoid a third swipe, she elbowed him as she pushed herself off and then donkey-kicked behind her. She smirked as the injured cultist shrieked in pain. As she turned around, her eyes followed Lamy as she ran next to her as she chanted. Many angelic-looking spirits started flitting around them, giving an uplifting feeling. As her turn finished and she ended up facing the cultists again, she watched as one of the spirits passed through the injured one's head and he fell over dead. The second one was not untouched as the spirits left scorch marks on his skin while Botan's arrows found their mark.
Then, a large figure loomed over behind him. The ghoul had a skull missing from its bandolier and she inwardly grimaced as she recalled the feeling. It then howled loudly, sending a sense of terrifying dread creeping through her mind and body. Then, she heard a wild battlecry.
"Born of fire, tempered with strength," roared the warforged as he slammed his glowing warhammer into the back of the cultist who was circling around her.
"Hey, so much for your old gods. Am I right?" mocked Nene.
"Take my soul for your purpose! For the Old Gods!" yelled the cultist as he suddenly fell and bashed his head on the ground, much to her friend's and Mel's horror.
More voices and shouts could be heard from far off.
"I think many more are going to show up!" Polka shouted as she went on the offensive, slamming two punches into the slavering ghoul's knee before the rest of her blows were avoided when it shifted its body. She then cartwheeled backward over a swipe of its claws sent her way.
It roared as it tried to go after her, but was stopped in its tracks by a gleaming spectral sword she noticed as she landed on her feet.
"Hurry!" urged on Lamy as she slammed her mace into its knee, the radiant light shining as bones cracked and cap shattered.
"Magic Missile!"
Several shining darts flew and struck down on its other leg, spraying chips of bone into the side tunnel wall. Soon after, arrows were shot and perforated its head, causing it to topple over backward and crash to the ground. It expired with a loud wheeze.
"You! You dare intrude on our domain!?" shouted out a familiar voice.
Everyone turned towards the bridge. Just beyond was a familiar figure; the hooded warlock that attacked them at the mines. Behind him was a mysterious black void. As if there was only darkness within.
"Get them! Slay the interlopers!" he ordered loudly as a large group of cultists ran towards the bridge, "For The Old Gods!"
"For the Old Gods!"
As the cultists ran across the bridge, KDR ran past Polka and the others, shouting, "I cast you into the flames of the Forge!" He slammed his white-hot weapon onto the bridge, splinters spraying. The fire flared up as their side of the bridge exploded, sending the majority of the cultists into the underground river below.
"Kill them you fools!" screamed the warlock, his hood falling off his head, revealing the mutations on half of his face. His skin was a discolored purple and his hair had fallen out. In place were tendrils and tentacles writhing and shivering independently of each other.
Polka took a quick drink from her portable cask and gulped down in a hurry. She had a feeling this was going to be a very weird fight.
Unfortunately, there were two bridges and a smaller group of cultists had taken that one over to the party's side. As KDR stood up, he raised his shield. Three consecutive blasts bombarded his defense as he stood his ground. By then, the small group of cultists, all armed with wicked-looking metal claws, shouting loudly, "For the Old Gods!" He smirked, confident in his defense, as the bombardment of spells was continued by two other cultists with short staves; a flaming sphere suddenly appeared over the fast-flowing river and rammed into the lead clawed cultist. His smirk fell as that same one reached him regardless of his wounds and pierced his chest armor with the deceptively dull-looking claws.
He growled as the claws continued to wail on him, losing his concentration on his weapon, and the comforting glow of the sign of the Forge faded. It didn't help that the other clawed ones joined the enemy in wailing on him. Enough was enough.
"The fire of the Forge shall burn evil from my sight!" he half-chanted, half-declared with all fervor as he slammed the ground in front of him.
Fire burst out of the ground, forming a long wall that stretched all the way to the bridge but not touching it. The first cultist that reached him was pretty much burnt to ashes. The rest roared and yelled as the flames of the Forge seared their flesh and burned their vile souls in cleansing fire. An explosion of sound erupted in the middle of the cultist group that pretty much finished them off. As the bodies burned, he noticed the fennec fox girl appear from a distance and crossed the bridge. His throat rumbled an approval as a ray of frost shot past him to freeze over one surviving cultist, the ice and fire taking a toll on the body as it topped off to the side and into the water.
A shrill, agonized cry of pain came from the girl as the cultist casters turned around and used their magic against her. Necrotic energies washed over her body as she stumbled backward in shock. The others tried to help; the lion let arrows fly, his charge's sphere of flame rammed into the caster, and the succubus tried to help by throwing a simple dagger. KDR huffed and dismissed the wall of fire. Then, he broke into a sprint as he chanted for aid, intent on helping the tortured monk.
"I shall purge your evil from this place," he stated sternly as he slammed the now searing-hot warhammer onto the caster's back, paying no heed to the licking flames of the sphere that started to burn and heat up his armor. He has been tempered in the fire of battle. He can withstand a little flame. It is a good pain.
The feeling went away with a wave of healing he felt coming behind him. He looked past the fighting monk and noted the mutated warlock raising his wand.
"Behind you," he stated.
She spun around and ducked under the first blast, however, the second exploded into her chest. He twisted out of the way of the third beam and it exploded against the mine wall. The monk was still alive, a wave of gentle green washing over her as he heard steps coming from behind him on the bridge. A sudden appearance of mist later on the other side of the broken bridge produced his charge who threw a bolt of fire at the warlock. He yelled in frustration as he tore his robes off, showing that his discolored skin stretched all the way downward… and he had a tentacle growing out of his elbow, wrapping around his hand.
"Beware those who trade their souls for power. They are marked for death," declared the warforged in a chant as he swung his warhammer downward at the mutated warlock, launching a bolt of light at the enemy.
"Fools, I serve the Old Gods!" the wolf-folk warlock retorted as his chest got punctured by arrows, "Your tirade means nothing!" He then ducked under the flash of light that KDR sent at him.
"Your old fuddy-duddy gods hold no sway here," mocked Nene.
"Foolish and ignorant!" he declared as he motioned to them. "When will you learn that their power shall destroy you!"
"Will it kill you to shaddap!?" shouted Polka as she flew at him in a flying kick.
"Fools all!" he roared as he caught her right foot.
He tried tossing her back, but she twisted through the air and landed on her left foot. She then got into a handstand and sent her other foot into his face. After hearing the crack of his breaking nose, she pushed herself off the ground and kicked out with her left, sending it into his chest. Landing on her left, she spun around but before she could kick him again, he yelled out some unintelligible words and tentacles dark as ebony lashed out from all over him. They crashed into her and seemed to be spectral enough to go through her.
"POLKA!"
"Damn you all!" shouted the warlock as he vomited blood before he ran off deeper into the mines. Into the inky blackness.
Lamy hurried over and laid her hand on her friend, the other holding on to her amulet in prayer. As she healed up the fennec fox girl, the others gathered around her. On the other hand, Mel and KDR stepped near the strange barrier-like blackness.
"Is this what you could not get through?" he asked.
"Yes, this is the one," she replied as she lightly touched the barrier, a little surprised when the darkness just flowed through her fingers like smoke, "This feels like a Darkness spell..." Turning to the now-recovered monk, she asked, "Polka, can your globe light this up?"
"I can. Stand back," requested the monk as she stood up. As the rest shuffled behind her, she plucked the driftglobe out of the hover. Stretching out her hand holding it, she aimed it at the inky blackness and said, "Sh-"
Before she could say the full word, a piercing shout echoed through the mine and a loud crunch of sorts followed it. Stunned, she quickly shouted, "Shine!"
The globe emitted a dazzling brilliance akin to a full sun shining down on them, burning away the darkness. What they revealed was horrifying. Two horrendous growths sprouted out from either side of the passage; short and stumpy with a few tentacles coming out of the body with beaked mouths, eight red orbs around the top, and a crown of tentacles wildly lashing around. An even worse sight was the thing that was busy eating the mutated warlock, his bottom half lying on the ground; a mass of writhing tentacles, numerous bony spikes along the ridge of its back, a massive mouth with protruding teeth, and many red orbs above said mouth which could probably pass for eyes. It made a swallowing sound, took one look at the party, and let out a horrifying lament as it undulated towards them.
The loud lamentations rang in her ears. Gripping her head, Nene squinted her eyes, trying to bear with her pounding head. When they reopened, she was surprised to find herself standing nearer to Polka.
"Wait, when did I move?" she wondered inwardly when she caught sight of the abomination looming over them, "I think I really don't want to be here..." She also almost gagged when a stump of tentacles suddenly burst from the ground.
"Die," proclaimed KDR as he went in, brushing aside the tentacles that suddenly popped out of the ground and lashed out at him with his shield. His warhammer flared up and seared the aberrant flesh, setting it on fire amidst its screeching and wailing.
As she pulled her lute into position, she saw the healing green glow of Lamy's prayers wash over her. It gave her comfort. That and KDR's headstrong bravery gave her confidence that they could survive this. Plucking a high note, she breathed in and hit that note, her voice going high. A second later, a loud boom exploded behind the aberration followed by its loud roar. However, she felt a sense of dread in the pit of her stomach as the eyes swiveled over to her. She screamed as it arched back and slammed its tentacles into her body. And as she was seemingly lifted off her feet, it clamped its massive jaw on her body. She could feel her body being sawn and jabbed by many teeth before falling onto the ground. Her whole body felt extremely painful and felt like her insides were churned around like butter. However, she couldn't do anything as the tentacle stump whipped down on her chest as she tried rolling to the side a bit too slow, causing her to cough up blood.
"Am I..." she started in her mind when the comforting green glow washed over her again, "No, not just yet! I have to get up!"
As she got to her feet, she could hear the faint voices of her friends cheering her on. To her side, she noticed her lute, now with a torn strap. She reached for Anya and pulled it from her belt. Turning to face the grotesque shambler, she slashed a stray tentacle that was growing from its underside, cutting it off. It roared and returned its attention back to her. She noticed that there were many arrows sticking out of its right side, one even sticking out of its many eyes. She couldn't do anything as it lashed out with its tentacles. Her stomach felt like it was being taken apart. As she collapsed forward, she could feel the cold ground becoming more intimate with her. Her vision began to blur and she could feel the beat of her heart through her veins. She then felt something heavy on her back and neck.
Her vision became black.
And she found herself on top of the flat stone surrounded by the sea once more. One question reigned supreme in her mind.
"Where in the world am I!?"