The stairs spiraled down several floors, tightly enough that no one could see more than the person in front of them. Lighting hadn’t seemed a consideration for whoever designed this stairwell, as there weren’t even any discernable holders placed for torches to hang. The light, from the enchanted torch that Aeric held out in front of himself, was not even visible to Gailin or Veridean, who took up the rear of the group. The stairs were definitely not meant to make traveling them a pleasant, nor an easy, experience; it was as if whoever design them specifically wanted to discourage their use.
Aeric wrinkled his nose, and whispered behind him, “there’s death up ahead. It’s recent, be on your toes.” One hand held the torch, while the other readied his giant sword. It was too big to hold properly in the stairwell, so he had his left hand held behind him with the blade pointing forward. He was ready to drop the torch at any moment in case they ran into any trouble; not that anyone could really swing it in such a cramped place, but it gave him comfort to know that it was as ready as could be.
“I can feel it too. Whatever it is, it’s bad,” Raen said while subconsciously rubbing the symbol of Jerick that he wore around neck, with his thumb and forefinger. Feeling the outline of the wolf’s head, as if it would increase his connection with his god. He felt increasing nervous, the farther they traveled down. “I’m sensing something else down there. I don’t think it’s alive.”
Quietly, Jaxom began incanting. “Maxoltai Flartrant Zelbontri . . . Jezeelbon.” The light Aeric carried flickered as if in response to the words, as if the magic of the words had been drawn partially from the torch, which returned to normal. Jaxom shimmered softly for a moment, as a white light appeared around him and then suddenly disappeared, as if it soaked into his skin. He was preparing a protective spell in case they ran into any problems when they reached the bottom.
Jaxom was always a little nervous when it came to going blindly into possible danger. He always liked to be as prepared as possible, even if it meant wasting some of his power for the day; if it kept him safe then it wouldn’t be a waste. He never really questioned where his power came from; he always accepted the fact that he was just a bit more in tune with the universe itself. He hadn’t needed to study magic as most did; he was born with it. Most of the time he could watch someone else, and just mimic. There was a piece of him that just understood magic more intimately than most could ever hope to. Some studied for years to do the things he did, some relied solely on their wit; Jaxom was the magic that he wielded.
The stairs emptied into a short hallway, once again without torches, that ended in a wooden door with a brass handle. Aeric passed the torch back to Raen, and reached out to open the door; which of course was locked. He tried a few times to squeeze the handle open, hoping that he could unlock it with force. “It’s locked,” he said over his shoulder. “Hold on, I’ll get it open.” He pushed Raen back unintentionally as he backed up, getting ready to break the door down.
“Aeric, don’t be silly. I can open much more quietly.” Veridean looked more amused than anything, as she pushed her way passed everyone, not even seeking permission. “Leave it to the boys to try beating themselves up with a door, when I can just as easily unlock it.” Ducking under the arm of the giant warrior, she knelt down in front of the door, and pulled out two, slim metal rods. “Could you hold the light a little closer, or do you want me to just guess at what I’m doing.”
She could feel her skin tingling, and Danyelle’s medallion seemed to burn hot around her neck. There was definitely something close by, something pulling at her; but unlike before, she still had a choice to not go running to it. Perhaps the paladin was right, she thought as she played with the locking mechanism, the medallion seems to be working. Her hands felt a bit more unsettled than usual, as she fought to keep them steady enough to feel the catch inside the lock.
It took a bit longer than usual, but eventually a self-satisfied smile crossed her lips, as she stood up, turned around and said, “there you go. Now wasn’t that easier.” There was a playful tone to her voice, which was a bit hard to pick out by most, as she seemed a bit crass at times. “I’ll let you open it though, who knows what’s in there. I thought I heard something scraping on the wall, but that could’ve been Gailin twitching with the urge to run through us all.”
She was half right, as Gailin did feel like just charging past the group and breaking down the door. The only thing that held him back was that he had said that he would allow Aeric the lead, and was holding himself as rigid as possible to avoid rushing past. He felt very uncomfortable being in the back, he didn’t want anyone to face a danger that he could prevent.
Aeric grinned at Veridean’s thoughtfulness, as he opened the door hurriedly, running into the room on the other side, thankful to be out of the cramped hallway. He quickly surveyed his surroundings as the rest pushed their way through the doorway. The room held several cells, closed in by steel bars, off to the right. There were two bodies chained to the wall, which had obviously been there for quite sometime, as they weren’t much more than skeletons anymore. There was another door on the left side of the room that seemed to be made of steel plating; Aeric knew that one would be tough to break down.
Jaxom grimaced, his face contorting into an odd shape. “What’s that smell, it’s worse down here than the plagues of Tuallend. I didn’t think anything could be that bad. I guess I was wrong.” He looked like he was about to keel over, as his face became slightly green out of nausea. Gailin didn’t feel much better, though he managed to remain composed.
“It’s coming from over there,“ Raen said walking toward the cells. “I think there’s a few more dead in here.” He looked through the bars, attempting to penetrate the darkness, finding it an impossibility. He beckoned to Aeric for the torch, as his eyes weren’t getting anywhere without light; which he soon wished he hadn’t done. The light moved across the room, slowly penetrating itself into the cells, illuminating more than just empty walls.
Raen gasped in comprehension of what he was seeing, “Green, I think you may want to see this.” There were at least a dozen bodies in various levels of decay. Some were chained to the walls; others were bent over on the floor. They all seemed to bare some sort of deformity. Some had elongated fingers, some webbed feet, others oblong heads. One seemed to have what looked like wings. They all had one thing in Common though, they all seemed to have been slit at the throat, and it looked like the blood was collecting in a concave portion of the floor.
Veridean didn’t need the torches light to know what they were, what they had been. They had all been creatures tainted like her. They all bore signs of it, like her eyes and ears. “Who would do this? Who would collect them like this?” But she knew the answer. Everyone knew the answer to her questions. It was Baric Ashton. This is what he was doing. This is why he seemed so interested in the Veridean when they first came here, and why he seemed to know so much about the taint. He’d been studying it.
Gailin didn’t even bother to look; his resolve was set. He knew what he had to do and was already studying the steel door, trying to figure out how to unlock it. A small sliver of light was permeating from the bottom of the door, along with what sounded like panting. Something was in there, and whatever it was, he knew that it was the source of the evil he felt. He was certain of it.
Suddenly there was a snapping sound in the middle of the room, as everyone turned toward it to address the noise. Against the wall the two skeletons were moving, pulling at their bonds, one had already broken its chains out from the wall. Something was bringing them back to life. A reddish glow came from the sockets that once held their eyes, and it was growing brighter.
Raen quickly rushed forward, holding his holy symbol out on chain that it was bound to. Rage filled his voice as he proclaimed, “By the power of Jerick, remove these abominations to nature from this plane of existence and back to the nether-worlds in which they belong.” His talisman began to glow, power emanating from within, as the skeleton that broke free swung the chain that was still connected around his wrist, hitting Raen across the side of the head, sending him to the floor. Simultaneously, Aeric and Gailin rushed in, swords drawn.
Before Gailin could get there, Aeric’s sword met with the creature that had attacked Raen, slicing the creature’s head cleanly from its body. Bone fragments flew from the mighty blow, smacking against Gailin’s chest. The creature seemed to still be tying to move forward, but faltered after two steps falling forward to the floor, the bones smashing to pieces.
Gailin paid it no heed though as he sidestepped the end of Aeric’s blade, saying “Aesia, put them to rest,” as his own blade swung powerfully toward the center of the second creature, who was trying to break free from it bonds unsuccessfully. His sword glowed momentarily with power, as his blade met with the creature’s exposed ribcage, breaking through bone and gristle until it came to a stop as it met the wall behind. The creature’s lower half fell away from the creature, smashing into the floor similarly to the first, pieces of the wall falling along with it. Its upper half continued to writhe though, not seeming to notice its loss. It looked to be struggling to get out, but lacked the leverage to do anything without its legs to push.
Gailin pulled his sword out of the wall behind the creature, pulling it back, flat against his chest; he stared for a moment, looking into the red glow. “I will give you your final rest,” he said, compassion more noticeable in his voice than hatred. He pulled his sword back into a swing, and cleaved the creature’s head in two. The red glow faded slowly from what was left of the eyes sockets, as its movement slowed to a stop; the skeletal body fell limp.
Raen pulled himself to his feet with Veridean’s help; his jaw looking like it was swelling a bit. His eyes still looked a bit glazed over as he shook his head a bit trying to shake the fog from his brain. “Thanks,” he said, withdrawing his arm from Veridean’s hand.”
Aeric had a slight smile on his face as he slapped Raen on the back, a bit too hard, knocking him forward a bit. “See, there’s better ways than magic. You okay?” He didn’t seem too concerned, as he knew Raen had been hit harder before. “Well, that was fun and all, but I say we find Ashton and do the same, cause that was more of a tease than anything.” He began moving toward the metal door, studying it, as if looking for a weak point to break it down from.
“I think I’m okay,” Raen said, stabilizing himself from the hit on the back he just took. He was already trying to pull his brain back together when Aeric decided to slap him on the back. “I agree, let’s get this over and done with. Perhaps you should allow Veridean to open that one. You’ll only hurt yourself trying to bash that down.”
“Hold on, let me help you first before we go in there.” Gailin stepped across the floor toward Raen, taking his head in his hands. “Aesia, heal this one of his hurts.” White light shown from Gailin’s hands as a warm glow surrounded Raen. The red that was growing on Raen’s face seemed to immediately recede as Gailin channeled the light of Aesia into him. “We need you at full when we go through that door. It feels as if what we’re looking for is coming through it. It makes me want to cringe, and if it’s that bad than we’re gonna need everyone at full strength.”
“Thank you Gailin, I could’ve done it myself, but thank you none-the-less. My head is feeling clearer already.”
Veridean moved past Jaxom, who was still looking into the cells with a horror filled eyes, toward the door. Pulling her lock-picks back out of the pack around her belt. She hesitated for a moment at doing it as she could feel a large portion of herself wanting to go though the door. The medallion around her neck was giving her enough sense to not just run through the door, and allow her to not want to go through it at all. She knew that if she wasn’t wearing it that she would be going through it, and running to embrace whatever was on the other side, and that scared her.
Jaxom turned away from the cells finally. “Um, guys. I think whoever did this was performing some sort of ritual on the blood. There looks to be runes drawn in it around the basin.” He hesitated at his own words for moment, glance back at the bodies. “I think he may have been drawing power from them. I don’t think we should just rush in there. If they were tainted like Veridean is, who knows what he’s done with that power. I think we should think this through.”
“What’s to think through?” Aeric asked. “We go in there, catch him off guard and take him out as quickly as possible. Right Gailin?”
“Jaxom’s right.” Gailin said after a moments pause. “He has amassed some sort of power to him. Can’t you feel the dread in the air? It’s overwhelming. We don’t know what he’s done. If it truly is the power of Neresh, then who knows what he can do.” He turned his head down to Veridean, who was still fumbling with the doors locking mechanisms. “I agree that we need to catch him off guard, but I think you need to stay back from this Veridean. We don’t need this power coming to rest in you if we have to kill him. I’m not trying to be down on you, but who knows how much power he’s accumulated, and if it goes to you, than I doubt even that medallion will be able to protect you.”
Veridean stopped for a moment, and turned her head up. Her gaze didn’t quite meet Gailin, but he knew she was addressing him. “I know Gailin. I can feel it too. I can feel it pulling at me, welcoming me, offering me an open embrace. I don’t want that embrace. I’ll stay back.” She turned back to the lock, and continued trying to open it after taking a deep breath. Her hands felt even shakier. They all thought he was through this door, but she knew. She didn’t know how, but she did. It was as if another piece of herself were calling to her, asking to be whole once more. She didn’t want that at all.
After a few moments an audible click came from the door and she turned to the group, “it’s done.” Standing, she walked away from the door, and to the back of the room, head held down a bit.
Aeric walked to the door, “are we ready, cause I know I am.” Everyone mumbled agreement and Aeric moved his hand toward the handle. “On the count of three we go. Ready. One . . .Two . . .Three.” Throwing the door open, he ran into the room, Gailin closely behind.
The room on the other side was huge. It had the ceilings of a cathedral, but none of the windows. Banners proclaiming the icon of Neresh ran around the room, centering on one spot against the far wall. There stood an alter made of bone and flesh, holding a dish in the center. Blood covered the whole thing.
On the floor was a figure, on hands and knees, pushing itself up. Its black robes seemed to stretch across the floor; any blood that was on them was lost in the empty color. Slowly it pushed itself up, cackling. “So you have brought her, good. Come to me Veridean. I shall bring you the peace you seek.” It’s voice seemed hollow, devoid of anything that could be construed as human quality, but it was Barek. Gailin was certain. It turned as it brought itself to its feet. Its fingers were elongated, as were the face, but it was definitely Barek Ashton, or a semblance of him. A black disk grew above his head; it seemed not to be colored black so much as it seemed to be an absence of light. As if it were devouring the light around it.
“You can’t have her Barek,” Gailin said, a murderous tone levitated across his voice. “We’ve come to finish this. You’ve gone too far.”
“Ah, the noble paladin. I never expected this when I started, but I have become something more than I could have ever dreamed. Join with me, and hold your faith in a sleeping god no more. I shall show you true righteousness.” Barek’s voice seemed haunting, it echoed across the room, though his tone seemed to be no more than a whisper.
Without warning Aeric lowered his gaze to meet that of the demon in front of them. “You won’t have any of us,” he screamed in a battle rage as he threw himself across the space, quickly closing the gap between himself and Ashton. He began to swing his sword as he closed in, anger following his blow. Ashton however seemed not to notice as he swung his hand to the side, an invisible force picking up Aeric and tossing him against the wall to the side, his body falling to a crumpled pile.
“You will not do this. You will not take us.” Gailin held his arms out signaling the rest of the group to stay back. “I will finish this.” His voice grew in intensity, ”Aesia, I call upon your strength and light to guide my blade and give me the power to strike down this foe, who is the embodiment of you most ancient of enemies.” Gailin drew his blade across his open hand, tossing his shield to the side. Blood smeared across his blade and began to glow as he entered into a charge.
Barek seemed surprised for a moment, though a smile grew on his face as Gailin charged forward. “You haven’t seen all of my tricks yet,” he said as his stomach exploded into four tentacles, as black as the disk above his head. The first one struck Gailin’s arm, knocking the sword free of his hand. Two more wrapped around his body at the same instant, grabbing hold of him and raising him into the air.
“NOOOO!!!” Veridean screamed from the back of the other two, both began chanting. Gailin struggled to get free of the two tentacles, but to no avail, as the just squeezed harder and harder. Aeric began moving, looking up at the seen in front of him, searching for his blade with one hand, pushing himself up with the other.
“Why yes, my dear Veridean. You see I must show you all that this boy’s god is nothing more than a myth. I want him to know that his god has no power than I cannot take, that I cannot destroy.” The tentacles continued to constrict around Gailin, as he let out a scream unlike anything any of them had ever heard. “Boy, your god is nothing more than a weak, elven woman who got lucky once. No more. Give her my regards.” A smile passed over Barek lips as the fourth tentacle shot forward, burying itself in Gailin’s chest.
Gailin screamed for a moment, and then fell limp. Barek’s head cocked a bit and then he tossed the dead body of the paladin to the side, Gailin’s empty shell hitting the wall, and falling lifelessly beside Aeric. The tentacle, which pierced Gailin’s chest, remained in place, with a heart skewered on the end. “Well, I’ll say this. The boy had heart.” Laughter filled the room, devious and shrill.
In unison, Aeric and Veridean both screamed, “GAILIN!!!” They both charged the creature, Aeric from the side, Veridean pushing her way past Raen who looked forward in shock. Seeing a wound, which he could not heal. Just as Aeric began a swing as the creature, a loud crash came, as lightning ripped it’s way out of Jaxom’s hands, tears and hatred streaming from his eyes. Blue electricity shot it’s way across the room knocking Barek back a bit, giving Aeric the chance to swing down and sever the tentacles from Ashton’s body.
Shock and fear ran across Ashton’s face as he watched Veridean charge across the room, screaming, and drawing her sword. Before he could collect himself, Veridean drive her blade deep into his gut where the tentacles had originally come from. With a twist of the blade, she pulled it back out and struck him once more, in the chest, piercing his heart. Ashton screamed with a fury that shook the mortar walls of the room, knocking several banners off the wall. Unbelieving eyes glanced down at Veridean who sneered up at the creature and withdrew her blade.
Ashton fell backwards, on to the alter to Neresh; the black disk above his head began lowering across his body. Feeding on Ashton’s life force. “This . . . this can’t be. I had . . .the power . . .of . . .” His body went limp across the alter as the disk faded into his body, which began sinking into itself.
Raen ran across the floor toward Gailin, almost falling on top of his fallen friend. “Jerick, save this one, give my life unto him. JERICK!!!!” But he knew; it was too late. Gailin was dead, and there was nothing he could do.
Veridean stumbled backwards, staring at what was once Barek Ashton, staring at the disk that was emerging from his chest. Aeric ran to her side as if to push her out of the way, but it was too late. She had dealt the killing blow. His power was hers, and she knew it.
She screamed as the disk shot across the room, knocking her all the way to the far wall, consuming her in darkness. She fell to the floor, the others could still hear her screaming as she fell unconscious. |
