Sorry for taking so long with this one, I've been focusing on League of Legends and my brother just got back from a month long vacation. I've just had a lot on my mind. But now I can finally start this chapter! WOOOHOOOO!
The cave was filled to the brim with darkness, wrapping around Steve's body like a void, obscuring everything that could be around him. Slowly his eyes adjusted and he shook his head. Squinting, he was able to make out a figure sitting across from him on some stone. "Who are you?" Steve managed to rasp. "Really?" the figure shifted and pulled down his hood, revealing a skeletal head, "That's how you start a conversation? You're parents must be so proud for you and your friend making skills. My name is Kar." Steve jumped slightly, only to hit the wall directly behind him, hard. He rubbed his head and looked around, until he came to realization that he had no idea where he was. "where are we, how did we get here?" Kar did not move, staring at him with cold eyes. Steve looked back uncomfortably, and said again, "Do you know how to get out of here?" Kar shifted and finally replied, "Son, there are manners to be considered, even in grim situations. You can't tell me that your parents taught you none of them." Steve scratched his head again and said, "I don't honestly remember them Kar." Kar stood up and began walking. "Well it's clear you don't remember your manners!" he said loudly. Steve stood up and began to follow, "I meant my parents."
Kar stopped. He scratched his skull awkwardly and threw over his shoulder, "My condolences... Now follow me, we're getting out of this mad house." Steve just shook his head and replied, "No. How can I trust you. I mean you're one of them. A skeleton." Kar turned and laughed, "OH I AM!? I thought I was a SQURREL! Kid those things aren't what they used to be. Me and them used to be normal dead, then that... WARLOCK, found us and turned us into these... ABOMINATIONS! I'm putting an end to this. I liked my rest, I want to go back to sleep! but whatever he was doing with that portal wasn't... right... I don't know how to explain it, but it wasn't natural." Kar looked Steve dead on the eye. "I need your help to do this. But if you don't want to help me because I'm a skeleton? Then that makes you less human than me for letting those other creatures walk about."
At a loss for words, Steve entered a moment of thought. Waiting a good five minutes to talk, Steve replied, "I'll need my backpack. It has my sword and my tools. I'll help Kar, but I'm not too comfortable with this. Kar nodded and lead them through the darkened halls of the stronghold. Leaning up against a wall, he heard a few skeletons clattering around a corner. Once he was sure they were gone Kar began moving again. They soon came to an iron door, guarded by a skeleton with black bones and a sword." Kar turned to Steve, "How good are you in a fight kid?" Steve considered this before replying. "Come on kid, this ain't a game of truth or dare, this is the real deal, can you fight this thing while I shoot arrows at it?" Steve nodded and ran around the corner. "That's what I'm talking about!" Kar said as he let loose a few arrows behind him. They landed hard on the larger skeleton's skull, leaving cracks and scratches. Steve balled up his fists and ducked under the skeleton's swing. With a hard upper cut and a swift jab to its ribs, Steve broke three of its ribs and shattered its jaw. The skeleton recovered quicker than anticipated, swinging back down and cutting his arm and his chest. Steve winced and jumped back, before two more arrows flew in and broke its skull in half.
"Good job kid. Now lets get in the armory. Hell, maybe you'll find something better in there." They ran in and quickly rifled through chest after chest, throwing rusty weapons and armor aside into a heap. "There isn't anything good here Kar!" Steve shouted over to him. Kar came out of one chest with a shiny iron dagger. "Hey kid, you a good marksman?" Steve nodded and said, "decent enough I might say." Kar threw his bow and his seemingly endless amount of arrows to Steve. Steve strapped the arrows to his back with a piece of spider silk from the walls as Kar spun the dagger about in his skeletal hands. "I always preferred a good bit of steel to a bolt launcher anyway. Gives a more personal feel of satisfaction to the killer." Steve shuddered. "You always so much fun?" Kar laughed and said, "I'm great at parties!"
The two began down the halls again, running through the seemingly endless maze of stairs and halls. Kar lead the way, but even he seemed lost in all the twists and turns. "Kar, you know where we're going, right?" Steve shouted up to him. Kar yelled back, "Shut up kid, I've never been good at mazes!" Steve stopped running and yelled, "WHAT!? YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING!?" Kar yelled back, "Oh what? YOU THINK YOU CAN LEAD US BETTER!?" Steve would have yelled back, had he not realized they were standing in front of a new door. The skeletons behind it had opened it and unleashed a hail of arrows at the two. They both ducked aside, at separate walls. Kar and Steve looked at each other and nodded once. Quickly, Kar jumped around the corner, taking down the nearest skeleton with a quick dagger to the face. Steve followed suit with a volley of arrows, taking down the skeletons that tried to flank Kar. Taking down skeleton after skeleton, they soon realized they were getting out numbered. "Kar! We have to back out!" Kar turned to look at Steve and nodded. "Yea we're losing this fight quick. I'll make a distraction kid, you gotta get outta here!" Steve Shook his head, "No, just duck!" Picking up a skull from the ground, Steve threw it at one of the skeletons. It staggered after being hit, and stumbled into the other skeletons and tripping over discarded bones.
Kar turned and, with Steve, ran through many different corridors until they were both sure they were safe. gasping for air, Steve bent over on his knees. "That was some quick thinkin there kid." Through pants Steve replied, "Thanks... and by the way... my name... is Steve." Kar laughed and patted him on the back, sending chills up Steve's spine. "Steve eh? Well glad I you finally found the decency to introduce yourself!" Steve laughed lightly and sat down. Putting his ear to the wall he was leaning on, he listened for nearby footsteps. He could make out the faintest footsteps, coming closer and closer. "Hey kar, someone's coming! they're alone so we got the element of surprise!" Kar and Steve waited patiently, until the footsteps became audible and ever louder. Just as the figure stepped around the corner, Kar jumped on top of it, followed up by Steve nocking an arrow. Under Kar sat a terrified creeper, on the brink of tears. When the creeper saw Steve, its eyes lit up and tried to communicate as best it could. Steve realized who Kar had just tackled, "Lilian!? How did you get down here!?"
It is night time, and I just finished this chapter! actually its 3:47 so that was a decent time writing this thing. I hope anyone who read this enjoyed it, and I really hope I can sleep tonight instead of staying up like I normally do! :D
