Chapter 19: Deep Within

Flig (and Okami, of course)

Flig grabs a small torch from his pack then rams it in the ground to light it. Okami is lying down next to him her breathing, rapid. She whines a little as she licks her leg. Flig covers the wound with his hands, careful to not aggravate his red wolf companion any further. Pale green light emanates from his hands. After a few seconds, the wound starts to clear up. Heavy footsteps and torches light up a cavern hallway a distance away. "Come on, my friend. This is the best I can do for now."

Okami licks his hand before getting to her paws. Flig throws the flame into the nearby water. The only light now from those of the torches carried by the mysterious creatures that usher down the tunnel halls.

The ground was thick with rocks, crevices, and stalagmites. Low visibility has Flig jumping and stumbling. If they can use the light given to see across the cavern, it could be used to see them. Okami and Flig made it barely to a rock pillar off to the back of the giant expanse. Flig looks around for an escape route. He sees what looks like a tunnel. But with the light growing near to them, there would be no way they couldn't be noticed. Flig taps his head against the pillar. Noting Flig's distress, Okami licks at his hand. He takes a deep breath. His heartbeat thumping out of his chest it feels. "On three my friend." The halfling druid whispers to his companion. "Three!" They ran as fast as they could. Hollering coming from behind them.

Sweat drips into Flig's eyes, stinging him. Metal clinging and shouting were now coming from in front of them. Flig hits the opening and spins around. A thick wall of thorns forms in the hallway they just came from. Okami barks behind him. This cavern was smaller than the last, with several tunnels leading elsewhere. Off to the left is a water source of some kind. Debris and some of the sailors lie at the waterbed, believably perished. Okami shoots out towards the distance towards the noise. Flig runs after her. She would not have just taken off. Upon nearing, Flig sees Kith taking on 3 drow and Kosh, 2 others. Several of the sailors are also fighting. Other drow and sailors litter the floor, blood trails to the water, staining the ground. One drow leaped at Kith, who easily dodges him, but a female drow comes in from behind. Okami leaps to grab her arm and yanks her to the ground. The female screams in agony. Flig flicks out his hand as sticky vines wrap around her body, pinning her to the ground. Kith finishes her.

A flash of light in the back catches Flig's eyes.

He can see Aluuna fighting off a drow sorcerer. Eris lies still on the floor. A shimmering light surrounds her. Blood smears on her shirt over the stomach. Flig runs quickly to Aluuna's aid. His legs feel tired and weak. Fatigue is having him push himself to the limit. Flames burst from Flig's hands and hits the drow in the back, catching him off guard. Aluuna uses this to her advantage. A channel of light descends to her uplifted hand and she shoots the beam back out directly at the sorcerer's face. The male lands with a thud, smoke, and char mar his face. Flig turns back to see Kosh finish his guy. Kith and Kosh walk over to them and collapse near Eris. Both breathe heavily. Kith clutches his arm. Blood seeps through his fingers. Aluuna moves towards him and he waves her off. Kosh reaches into his pack and takes out a potion, quickly downing it.

He tosses another to Kith, who does the same. Kith slides down the wall, falling down to his side, no longer able to stay conscious. Kosh's head slumps forward.

"Ren? Harrin?"

Aluuna shakes her head as she steadily heals Eris. "No clue about Ren. Harrin and some others were taken."

Flig closes his eyes. He heard rumors of the things they did to people. Worse things than even he knew firsthand could compare to those stories. He didn't think they were stories at all. No, the people they were told by, the hallowed looks they had as they drank themselves into oblivion telling them. Most wish they never made it out alive. They had to live with all those memories. If you can call what they did living at all. Harrin saved his life so many times. From the horrors of their adventures and from his father. He owed him too much. All they had been through, after everything his clan did... Flig swallows hard, he couldn't think about that. A secret that would ruin his friendship with Harrin, were he to ever find out.

An explosion went off in the area Flig had put a barrier.

"What the hell!?" Ren shouts, stepping over the thick vines and sticks now scattered on the ground.

Half a dozen pale gnomes follow behind him. One pokes Ren forward with the tip of his bow. Ren swats at it and the gnome goes to poke him again.

"Enough, you two." An older gnome moves closer to Flig and the others. His hair is white with a full gray beard. He wears a fur cloak and his bottom half is wrapped in cloth. Potions adorn his belt.

Although slightly aggravated, Ren doesn't seem threatened by these gnomes, so Flig meets them halfway. He is thankful for the light and the warmth the torches provide. Ren makes his way over to Aluuna who is now working on Kith, wrapping his arm which already looked to be healing. He checks on Kosh. Ren looks around at all the bodies.

"Just exhaustion," he says with a shrug.

The old gnome hands him a pouch. "Drink," he says and motions to him. Flig looks to Ren, who nods his approval.

Water! Flig greedily drinks his fill, then leans down to give some to Okami.

Ren must have been given his own waterskin. He passes his to Aluuna, who drinks just as greedily.

"Looks like his hand could use some bandaging," Ren says to Aluuna. "You rest, I'll finish him."

Aluuna nods and rests herself against Kosh, closing her eyes.

Flig tells their new friends all that has happened since Flig's arrival.

"How did you happen upon Renimil?"

"We were out hunting." The oracle shifts shaking his legs. They crack a little.

"Who are you?" Flig asks, with mild suspicion

"The Svirfneblin. I'm the leader of our…" he pauses to think, "village if you will. Name's Nebit. "

"Your friend almost cost us the hunt." the one with the bow says as he points to Renimil. "Luckily, he caught it for us before it could escape."

Ren rolls his eyes as he looks to Eris, who is now stirring.

"Welcome back." He says as he helps her sit up. She looks around.

"You must leave. The others that took your friends will be back with more fighters. Nebit says. You should make your way back to the surface."

"We can't. We're missing a friend who was taken." Flig says.

"No good. Only the 6 of you." He shakes his head. "Their numbers are many. You would have to leave now to catch them before they make it to their main settlement. Even then, they probably made it to a small outpost."

The bowman points to where Kith and the others are sleeping. "They don't look like they can do anything, much less take out one of their small stations. They'll be more over there than what they fought here."

Ren gets up to walk over to where all the bodies are lying on the ground. He begins to pursue through their pockets. "You don't know our friends, Nebit," Ren says with a smirk. He looks up at Flig. "Some more water but only two."

"He is right," Flig says to the bowman. "I know what it is like to be left behind. The friend they took made sure it was never done again. Flig stood from his crouch position. "I will NEVER abandon him."

"Damn right," Aluuna says, slowly waking from her restful state.

Kosh stretches determination splayed across his face.

Kith stands to his feet. "Let's go get our friend back."

The oracle shakes his head and sighs. "Good luck, adventurers. You will need it."