Through the Catacombs
Chapter 16
Returning through the Portal, we dashed to the stairs to the jail, killing a few more carvers and shaman along the way. The denizens in the jail proved to be no match for us. We cleared the three levels quickly, only finding a few magical items. Alanna recovered a Guardian Angel body armor, Riega got a Bartuc's Cut Throat, and Paige got a Stormstrike. We found our way into the chapel just inside the Inner Cloister, and cleared it fairly quickly, finding only dark ones to hinder us, then descended into the Catacombs.
Upon entering, we were attacked by Blood Lords. These died just like everything else, and soon each one attempted to run away from us. We found more dark ones, shaman, and Forgotten down here, along with Spiders. The Spiders are nasty creatures, spitting poison everywhere. We had to sacrifice many health potions to reverse the effects.
As we reached the fourth level, we heard manic laughter ringing up the stairs.
"Alright. There should be a small anteroom first. We enter there, dispatch whatever is inside, then throw up a Portal. We'll go back to the encampment and get some supplies, then go take out this demon."
We rushed down, slicing through the few zombies inside. A single wooden door stood there, revealing the only way we could go. I eased it open, peeking into the next room. It was littered with dead bodies, adventurers that did not survive. Dark ones and zombies shuffled around inside. I let the door close, and threw up a Portal. We stepped through, and collected the items we needed and sold items we didn't, then returned.
Stepping through the door, we cut down or shot down everything we saw. A few Rogues had been tied to poles and tortured until death. We cut them down and laid the bodies to rest.
I stood and faced the two large doors, behind which stood the Princess of Despair. I looked around at my companions. The Rogues were grim-faced, their bows held ready. Ravina gripped her staff tightly, her knuckles turning white. Alanna drew a spear from behind her, gripping it like a staff. Riega slowly rotated her wrists, the blades of her katars glittering in the firelight.
"Let's go," I said softly, and started to the door. Everyone followed. I could feel arrows being drawn, and magic building. I kicked the doors open, and ducked as four arrows and a fireball shot over my head. Three zombies fell, and others turned to greet us.
Riega and I leapt out in front, slicing through any and all that dared to approach. Arrows whizzed by, seeking any targets. Fireballs danced through the hall, diving after shaman. Then she arrived. Standing ten feet tall, with four arms attached to her torso, Andariel approached, slowly. One arm shot forward, a blob of poison racing toward us. I dived to the side, catching sight of everyone else doing so too.
As I drew myself up, I saw Riega attempting to move around the demon. To aid her, I picked up a body part (an arm, I think) off the floor and lobbed it at the red-haired demon. I then brought my sword up and charged her. She struck out with one arm, my sword biting into it. Trying to pull the blade free, I saw her other arm swing back, then toward me. I released the sword and rolled away, barely avoiding her blow. She jerked the sword out and tossed it at the Rogues, who quickly fired then moved out of the way.
I reached into my pack and pulled out the crossbow, loading it and firing quickly at Andariel's leg. The bolt dug in, striking an artery. Thick, black blood poured out, but the wound covered itself quickly. I fired again, and again, then Riega leapt in, both katars flashing. One burrowed into Andariel's shoulder, the other into her kidney. She screamed, a long, drawn-out scream of anguish. Riega fell to the floor, unable to recover her katars, and rolled away. The Rogues began a constant fire of arrows, fireballs dashing in from Ravina. Alanna rushed in, her spear held in front of her like a lance. The tip caught the demon square in the chest. She drove it through, the leaf- shaped blade punching out of the demon's back. Andariel screamed again, her arms flailing. One struck the Amazon, sending her flying against the wall. Amplisa ran to assist the fallen Amazon. Ravina began an onslaught of ice bolts, slamming them into the towering demon, one after another. Her skin began turning white, then blue, as the ice froze her.
I grabbed my mace, and approached the chilled monster. Her arm swung around, the ice cracking as the limb flexed. I swung at it, and it shattered into a million pieces as my mace smashed into it. I swung again, smashing it into her chest. Andariel stumbled back, her mouth agape as she looked at the damage I had caused. Her chest cavity was busted open, the organs inside exposed to the air. Kiara and Paige sent arrow after arrow into the hole, puncturing and destroying every exposed organ. Riega leapt in from behind, a short sword in her hands. She drove the blade into Andariel's skull, and the blade pierced her forehead.
I ducked away as the beast slowly toppled. After the dust cleared, I grabbed my sword, and brought it down on the fallen demon's neck, severing her head from her body. I through it into the nearest fire.
"Amplisa," I said, "how is she?"
"Alanna needs medical attention, immediately," the Rogue answered. "She has a concussion, and may have broken ribs. We have to get her to Akara now."
Ravina threw up a Portal, and Blaise and Amplisa carried the wounded Amazon through. Paige and Kiara began collecting magical items, those dropped by Andariel and by the other creatures attending her. Riega pulled her katars out of the demon, wiping the blades on the limp body.
"Maybe next time, Paladin," the Assassin said, "we can wait and rest before we attack a large demon."
I laughed. "Good idea. I almost thought we were lost."
Paige and Kiara walked up then. "We got everything we could find," Kiara stated.
"Some of these items even look useful," Paige added. "We should take them to Cain to be sure, though."
"Ravina, lead the way. We're going home."
Chapter 16
Returning through the Portal, we dashed to the stairs to the jail, killing a few more carvers and shaman along the way. The denizens in the jail proved to be no match for us. We cleared the three levels quickly, only finding a few magical items. Alanna recovered a Guardian Angel body armor, Riega got a Bartuc's Cut Throat, and Paige got a Stormstrike. We found our way into the chapel just inside the Inner Cloister, and cleared it fairly quickly, finding only dark ones to hinder us, then descended into the Catacombs.
Upon entering, we were attacked by Blood Lords. These died just like everything else, and soon each one attempted to run away from us. We found more dark ones, shaman, and Forgotten down here, along with Spiders. The Spiders are nasty creatures, spitting poison everywhere. We had to sacrifice many health potions to reverse the effects.
As we reached the fourth level, we heard manic laughter ringing up the stairs.
"Alright. There should be a small anteroom first. We enter there, dispatch whatever is inside, then throw up a Portal. We'll go back to the encampment and get some supplies, then go take out this demon."
We rushed down, slicing through the few zombies inside. A single wooden door stood there, revealing the only way we could go. I eased it open, peeking into the next room. It was littered with dead bodies, adventurers that did not survive. Dark ones and zombies shuffled around inside. I let the door close, and threw up a Portal. We stepped through, and collected the items we needed and sold items we didn't, then returned.
Stepping through the door, we cut down or shot down everything we saw. A few Rogues had been tied to poles and tortured until death. We cut them down and laid the bodies to rest.
I stood and faced the two large doors, behind which stood the Princess of Despair. I looked around at my companions. The Rogues were grim-faced, their bows held ready. Ravina gripped her staff tightly, her knuckles turning white. Alanna drew a spear from behind her, gripping it like a staff. Riega slowly rotated her wrists, the blades of her katars glittering in the firelight.
"Let's go," I said softly, and started to the door. Everyone followed. I could feel arrows being drawn, and magic building. I kicked the doors open, and ducked as four arrows and a fireball shot over my head. Three zombies fell, and others turned to greet us.
Riega and I leapt out in front, slicing through any and all that dared to approach. Arrows whizzed by, seeking any targets. Fireballs danced through the hall, diving after shaman. Then she arrived. Standing ten feet tall, with four arms attached to her torso, Andariel approached, slowly. One arm shot forward, a blob of poison racing toward us. I dived to the side, catching sight of everyone else doing so too.
As I drew myself up, I saw Riega attempting to move around the demon. To aid her, I picked up a body part (an arm, I think) off the floor and lobbed it at the red-haired demon. I then brought my sword up and charged her. She struck out with one arm, my sword biting into it. Trying to pull the blade free, I saw her other arm swing back, then toward me. I released the sword and rolled away, barely avoiding her blow. She jerked the sword out and tossed it at the Rogues, who quickly fired then moved out of the way.
I reached into my pack and pulled out the crossbow, loading it and firing quickly at Andariel's leg. The bolt dug in, striking an artery. Thick, black blood poured out, but the wound covered itself quickly. I fired again, and again, then Riega leapt in, both katars flashing. One burrowed into Andariel's shoulder, the other into her kidney. She screamed, a long, drawn-out scream of anguish. Riega fell to the floor, unable to recover her katars, and rolled away. The Rogues began a constant fire of arrows, fireballs dashing in from Ravina. Alanna rushed in, her spear held in front of her like a lance. The tip caught the demon square in the chest. She drove it through, the leaf- shaped blade punching out of the demon's back. Andariel screamed again, her arms flailing. One struck the Amazon, sending her flying against the wall. Amplisa ran to assist the fallen Amazon. Ravina began an onslaught of ice bolts, slamming them into the towering demon, one after another. Her skin began turning white, then blue, as the ice froze her.
I grabbed my mace, and approached the chilled monster. Her arm swung around, the ice cracking as the limb flexed. I swung at it, and it shattered into a million pieces as my mace smashed into it. I swung again, smashing it into her chest. Andariel stumbled back, her mouth agape as she looked at the damage I had caused. Her chest cavity was busted open, the organs inside exposed to the air. Kiara and Paige sent arrow after arrow into the hole, puncturing and destroying every exposed organ. Riega leapt in from behind, a short sword in her hands. She drove the blade into Andariel's skull, and the blade pierced her forehead.
I ducked away as the beast slowly toppled. After the dust cleared, I grabbed my sword, and brought it down on the fallen demon's neck, severing her head from her body. I through it into the nearest fire.
"Amplisa," I said, "how is she?"
"Alanna needs medical attention, immediately," the Rogue answered. "She has a concussion, and may have broken ribs. We have to get her to Akara now."
Ravina threw up a Portal, and Blaise and Amplisa carried the wounded Amazon through. Paige and Kiara began collecting magical items, those dropped by Andariel and by the other creatures attending her. Riega pulled her katars out of the demon, wiping the blades on the limp body.
"Maybe next time, Paladin," the Assassin said, "we can wait and rest before we attack a large demon."
I laughed. "Good idea. I almost thought we were lost."
Paige and Kiara walked up then. "We got everything we could find," Kiara stated.
"Some of these items even look useful," Paige added. "We should take them to Cain to be sure, though."
"Ravina, lead the way. We're going home."