The Underground Passage
Chapter 7
The next morning dawned bright and clear. As I rose, I noticed Ravina and Paige had joined us in the tent. I rose, my head still somewhat cloudy. I pulled on my armor as Kiara sat up. She looked at the other two and nudged Paige with her foot.
"Get up, sleepyhead, we have a big day ahead of us."
Paige started to rise, then realized Ravina still had her arm pinned. Ravina rolled, and looked up at us. "It got kind of cold outside, even in front of the fire. We thought it wise to come in here."
I smiled down at her. "I have come to a conclusion. Since we will all be working together, no apologies, especially for something like this. If we can't live in the same room, how will we work together? Now, let's all get ready."
I stepped out first, being the first up. Kiara followed close behind.
"So, where are we going? The Underground Passage?"
"Yes," I answered. "I want to get Cain today. This… delay… was not good."
"Next time, make sure they are dead before you turn your back on them."
I turned quickly, grabbing her by the waist and lifting her in the air. She screamed, then kicked me in the stomach, hard enough to hurt, but not enough to do damage. I pulled her close, then collapsed, and we rolled through the dirt for awhile. I looked up at the clearing of a throat, right into Kashya's eyes. Kiara must have also, because she leapt to her feet and away from me.
"Kashya, can I help you?" I asked, still on the ground. She just snorted, but I thought I saw a smile light her eyes. She turned away and stomped off. I looked over at Kiara, and she just smiled. As I rose, Paige and Ravina exited the tent.
Paige saw me first. "Were you just laying down?" she asked, seeing the stains on my clothes.
"You could say that," I answered.
I picked up my equipment, and Kiara got the other items, and we went to see Charsi.
"Charsi, I have a job for you," I said, laying down my stuff. "How soon can you have these repaired? I'll give you all these other items in payment."
She looked it over. "Give me two hours," she said.
Glancing at Kiara, I added, "And let her look at your bows. She'll need two."
Leaving Kiara and Charsi, I went to see Akara.
"Akara, Ravina said you were holding a staff for her. How much do you want for it?"
"Paladin, are feeling generous today?" she asked.
"Actually, it's more of a thank-you gift. She did help save my life this week."
The aged seer went to her wagon and drew out a staff. It had a faint red glow to it. She explained it would add power to Ravina's fire skills, and help to deflect most attacks. I paid her for it, and left. I met Kiara and Paige, who were going to practice with their bows. I wished them luck. I then found Ravina. She was repacking her backpack. Not able to hide the staff (really, where do you put a six-foot-long piece of wood?), I held it out to her. She leapt to her feet and snatched it out of my hands.
"That's for setting Gheed on fire yesterday, I really appreciated it." I smiled at her, knowing she did not expect the gratitude.
"Xavier, thank you!" she cried, wrapping her arms around me. I let her continue for a few minutes, then pried her off of me.
"Ready to go kill some more demons?" I asked.
"Yes."
We went over to Charsi, who was just finishing repairing my armor. After picking it up, and putting everything in it's proper place, Ravina and I headed out of the camp to pick up our Rogues, then we went to the Portal, still open after three days. I guess they last until the caster passes through them again. I went through first, followed by Kiara, Paige, and then Ravina. We came out in the center of the stones.
I started into the center of the field, the others trailing behind. We raced across, slowing only to cut down what was in our way. Ravina screamed as a skeleton sliced at her, barely avoiding losing her arm. I raced to her, using my mace to smash the skeleton, and pulled a health potion out of my belt. I poured half of the liquid on her wound, and dumped the rest down her throat. The lesion healed almost instantly, but I could tell it was still painful.
After that, we decided to stay closer together. Paige stuck to Ravina like glue, her arrows never missing her targets. Ravina's fire bolts and fireballs raced through carvers and skeletons, either blasting them to pieces or burning them enough to halt their advances. Kiara was right behind me, putting arrows through those I approached, leaving me to remove heads. I stopped, and looked behind us. The trail of bodies ran from the stones to the cave opening.
I hesitated, knowing that there were some good items, but wanting to continue. I looked at the women accompanying me. Ravina was pale, and sweating profusely. Paige was laboring for breath, and even Kiara was having trouble catching hers. I felt the weight of my armor pulling on my shoulders.
"We'll stop here, for a while," I said. "Kiara, Paige, can you shoot while sitting?"
"Yes… yes we can," Paige said.
I handed Ravina another health potion. "Drink it," I told her, "it will help."
She gratefully accepted, and drank the potion quickly. I saw the color return to her face. We sat there for an hour, then I stood up.
"I think we've spent enough time here," I said, rousing them to their feet. "Let's head into the cave."
We crept into the dark passage, our eyes slowly adjusting to the light, or lack thereof. I heard the other whisper the light spell, and saw three small balls of light appear near their heads. I spoke mine too, and we started into the cave. Within seconds we were jumped by more skeletons. They fell in seconds. We followed the main passage, only pausing to hack down any creature foolish enough to attack. Several times we ran across large, wooly creatures, the likes of which even the Rogues had not seen.
Many, many, many dead demons later, we stopped to rest, only for a few minutes. I pulled some remains of last night's dinner out of my pack and passed them around, then handed around some health potions. We all had minor scrapes and scratches, mainly from tripping in the cave than from the attacks.
We continued, and found the exit not far from where we entered. We exited into the Dark Wood, and decide to return to town. My supplies of potions were nearly out, and we had a few weak magical items to sell.
Chapter 7
The next morning dawned bright and clear. As I rose, I noticed Ravina and Paige had joined us in the tent. I rose, my head still somewhat cloudy. I pulled on my armor as Kiara sat up. She looked at the other two and nudged Paige with her foot.
"Get up, sleepyhead, we have a big day ahead of us."
Paige started to rise, then realized Ravina still had her arm pinned. Ravina rolled, and looked up at us. "It got kind of cold outside, even in front of the fire. We thought it wise to come in here."
I smiled down at her. "I have come to a conclusion. Since we will all be working together, no apologies, especially for something like this. If we can't live in the same room, how will we work together? Now, let's all get ready."
I stepped out first, being the first up. Kiara followed close behind.
"So, where are we going? The Underground Passage?"
"Yes," I answered. "I want to get Cain today. This… delay… was not good."
"Next time, make sure they are dead before you turn your back on them."
I turned quickly, grabbing her by the waist and lifting her in the air. She screamed, then kicked me in the stomach, hard enough to hurt, but not enough to do damage. I pulled her close, then collapsed, and we rolled through the dirt for awhile. I looked up at the clearing of a throat, right into Kashya's eyes. Kiara must have also, because she leapt to her feet and away from me.
"Kashya, can I help you?" I asked, still on the ground. She just snorted, but I thought I saw a smile light her eyes. She turned away and stomped off. I looked over at Kiara, and she just smiled. As I rose, Paige and Ravina exited the tent.
Paige saw me first. "Were you just laying down?" she asked, seeing the stains on my clothes.
"You could say that," I answered.
I picked up my equipment, and Kiara got the other items, and we went to see Charsi.
"Charsi, I have a job for you," I said, laying down my stuff. "How soon can you have these repaired? I'll give you all these other items in payment."
She looked it over. "Give me two hours," she said.
Glancing at Kiara, I added, "And let her look at your bows. She'll need two."
Leaving Kiara and Charsi, I went to see Akara.
"Akara, Ravina said you were holding a staff for her. How much do you want for it?"
"Paladin, are feeling generous today?" she asked.
"Actually, it's more of a thank-you gift. She did help save my life this week."
The aged seer went to her wagon and drew out a staff. It had a faint red glow to it. She explained it would add power to Ravina's fire skills, and help to deflect most attacks. I paid her for it, and left. I met Kiara and Paige, who were going to practice with their bows. I wished them luck. I then found Ravina. She was repacking her backpack. Not able to hide the staff (really, where do you put a six-foot-long piece of wood?), I held it out to her. She leapt to her feet and snatched it out of my hands.
"That's for setting Gheed on fire yesterday, I really appreciated it." I smiled at her, knowing she did not expect the gratitude.
"Xavier, thank you!" she cried, wrapping her arms around me. I let her continue for a few minutes, then pried her off of me.
"Ready to go kill some more demons?" I asked.
"Yes."
We went over to Charsi, who was just finishing repairing my armor. After picking it up, and putting everything in it's proper place, Ravina and I headed out of the camp to pick up our Rogues, then we went to the Portal, still open after three days. I guess they last until the caster passes through them again. I went through first, followed by Kiara, Paige, and then Ravina. We came out in the center of the stones.
I started into the center of the field, the others trailing behind. We raced across, slowing only to cut down what was in our way. Ravina screamed as a skeleton sliced at her, barely avoiding losing her arm. I raced to her, using my mace to smash the skeleton, and pulled a health potion out of my belt. I poured half of the liquid on her wound, and dumped the rest down her throat. The lesion healed almost instantly, but I could tell it was still painful.
After that, we decided to stay closer together. Paige stuck to Ravina like glue, her arrows never missing her targets. Ravina's fire bolts and fireballs raced through carvers and skeletons, either blasting them to pieces or burning them enough to halt their advances. Kiara was right behind me, putting arrows through those I approached, leaving me to remove heads. I stopped, and looked behind us. The trail of bodies ran from the stones to the cave opening.
I hesitated, knowing that there were some good items, but wanting to continue. I looked at the women accompanying me. Ravina was pale, and sweating profusely. Paige was laboring for breath, and even Kiara was having trouble catching hers. I felt the weight of my armor pulling on my shoulders.
"We'll stop here, for a while," I said. "Kiara, Paige, can you shoot while sitting?"
"Yes… yes we can," Paige said.
I handed Ravina another health potion. "Drink it," I told her, "it will help."
She gratefully accepted, and drank the potion quickly. I saw the color return to her face. We sat there for an hour, then I stood up.
"I think we've spent enough time here," I said, rousing them to their feet. "Let's head into the cave."
We crept into the dark passage, our eyes slowly adjusting to the light, or lack thereof. I heard the other whisper the light spell, and saw three small balls of light appear near their heads. I spoke mine too, and we started into the cave. Within seconds we were jumped by more skeletons. They fell in seconds. We followed the main passage, only pausing to hack down any creature foolish enough to attack. Several times we ran across large, wooly creatures, the likes of which even the Rogues had not seen.
Many, many, many dead demons later, we stopped to rest, only for a few minutes. I pulled some remains of last night's dinner out of my pack and passed them around, then handed around some health potions. We all had minor scrapes and scratches, mainly from tripping in the cave than from the attacks.
We continued, and found the exit not far from where we entered. We exited into the Dark Wood, and decide to return to town. My supplies of potions were nearly out, and we had a few weak magical items to sell.