Last time, on our previous tale...

"Are we going the wrong way?" Mallory asked as the group returned to the alcove they had entered from yet again.

"There has to be a way down, but every alcove we've looked in has been empty..." Darien replied, annoyed by the party's lack of progress.
Mallory peeked from one of the doors and gasped when she saw what looked like a door in one of the cave walls. "Look there!" After leading the party over towards the right wall of the cave, she excitedly opened the door, revealing a small stairwell leading downwards.

"About time!" Lina began as the party trooped downstairs into a large room filled with alcoves arranged in neat and orderly rows. Darien's mystic rope was present as well, snaking through the various alcoves as if showing its master where treasure was. "Let us each follow the rope through this room, and the one room it ends at is where the Crown of Light is located."

"A wonderful idea, my lady." Vince agreed, a weak smile forming through his tired face. With that, the party split up and began looking through the alcoves for treasure...

Episode 31: The Problem With Piscodemons

After winding through the alcove filled room looting what treasures they could find, the party met back at the alcove in the center of the room, where the magic rope appeared to end. While everyone else went through their pile of treasure and began pooling the gold they had found for dividing. Lina stood nearby the door and watched as the various weapons, armor, and other items were neatly sorted into one pile, while the gold was contributed into a masstive pile to be divided among the four of them.

So what did everyone find? Ragnarok asked.

"Well, I found some spellbooks, some bracers, an old key, and some gold." Lina replied as she added what gold she had found to the growing pile of coins. Next, she removed the bronze bracers under her robes and replaced those with some silver ones.

"I found a few Phoenix Downs, some gold, and a tent." Darien reported as he stashed the items into his pack.

"I found some bracers I already have, and some gold." Mallory replied.

"I too found some gold." Vince called back as he added his stash of gold to the pile. After thinking for a moment about how to best divide the massive pile of coins, he carefully shaped four small piles of gold out of the large pile before asking "Are there any objections about this much for everyone, or do I need to make one larger or smaller?"

Darien studied the piles for a moment. "That looks about even to me."

"I have no qualms with that amount." Mallory agreed as she received her share of the gold. "Although, I have to know your secret as to how you knew what the best amount for each of us was."

"While I am serving the village, one common dispute I am asked to resolve is dividing inheritances." Vince explained. "Therefore, I have experience determining who should have what, and how much." Mallory nodded to show she understood.

"Shall we go in and claim the Crown?" Darien asked. Everyone nodded and followed Darien inside the room, where a golden tiara studded in jewels lay on a crude pedestal crafted from a stalagmite.

I think the more proper name should've been the Tiara of Light... Mallory thought as she followed Darien towards the pedestal. Then again, maybe the elven language doesn't have a word to tell the difference between a crown and a tiara...

Some low growling snapped her from her thoughts as three robed squid-like creatures rose from the ground to block Darien from the pedestal. They then wasted no time in blocking every conceivable exit, leaving the party surrounded with nowhere to run.

"Why didn't anyone tell me the Crown would be guarded by piscodemons?" Lina sighed. She heaved her staff at the one closest to her, making it rear back in pain.

Mallory took advantage of Lina's attack to charge a large ball of electricity. "Heavenly bolts, bring holy justice! Thundara!" The three piscodemons were surprised by the spell, and broke away from the party, howling in pain as the thunderbolts criss-crossed their bodies.

Vince grimaced as a piscodemon's tentacle grazed his arm, but countered by cutting through its chest, defeating it. An arrow from Darien felled the second one, leaving one in the room. The lone piscodemon slammed Mallory against the wall in a rage, causing her to slump to the floor in a daze.

Lina winced at Mallory's prone figure against the wall--Cure wasn't going to be enough to heal wounds like this. She quickly charged a medium ball of blue-white light. "Life's refreshing breeze, heal from the sky! Cura!" But before the spell could fly to its imperiled target, the piscodemon slammed Mallory against the wall in hopes this would be the fatal blow. The Cura spell arrived at the same time, negating what damage would've been done and healing Mallory completely. She gave Lina a weak smile as Vince delivered the final blow to her assailant.

Darien rushed to Mallory's side. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Mallory replied as she eased herself to her feet and rubbed her head a little. "Aside from a mild headache, anyway." Everyone laughed at this, relieved the red mage was all right.

"Wonder why the piscodemon attacked Lady Foxheart like that?" Vince asked as he carefully set the tiara in his bag.

"Piscodemons are known to get very agressive when threatened and alone." Darien explained as he led the party back through the cave. "It's not uncommon to have one kill something in its rage."

Like I almost was... Mallory thought as she followed Darien out of the cave.

To Be Continued...