Chapter 20
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Notes: There are several.
Subtitle for this chapter: Finally, Stuff Happens
Whoops! Looks like it's going to be 22 chapters instead of 23. I found that if I put some of 20 into 19 and some of it into 21, I could eliminate it altogether. So it's gone now. This is what was formerly 21, and the rest should procede accordingly. And one note: The lightest hour refers to what above ground would be noon.
Listen up. Bullfrog owns Dungeon Keeper. I own Dungeon Secrets. I also own the weirdy concepts in here like the Darknesses and whatnot. Don't steal, unless it's from Bullfrog, in which case steal, but be nice about it and don't make profit. If you like my fic and want to archive it just ask and I'll probably say yes.
This story contains slash (male/male relationships)! If this bothers you, just leave now, don't waste your time and mine flaming me about it.
For a glossary of terms and concepts, as well as a map of this Realm, go to this address: http://dragonnest.freeservers.com/fics/dungeonviewshelp.html (Note: This page has recently been added to, including several polls. Please go vote and let me know your opinion.)
Pronunciation Key:
Kaelay: [KAY-lay]
Seiat: [SAY-aht]
Tarkasas: [Tar-KAH-sas]
Ramasha: [Ra-MAH-sha]
Mortagui: [Mor-tah-GUY]
Evain: [Eh-VAIN]
Tukash: [TOO-kash]
Kethian: [KEH-thee-un]
Zannos: [ZAHN-nos]
I think that's all, so on with the fic!
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Kaelay
It's brilliant. He has progressed greatly in his strategies. He has found the one diversion that is at once dire enough to divert Mortagui's entire attention while being a crippling enough move to hide the fact that it is not actually a real attack.
He is attacking Mortagui's library.
While I do regret the damage that may be done to what must be a magnificent collection of spellbooks, this move is cunning and well-thought-out. Already Mortagui has summoned his Call to Arms spell to summon his creatures and defend his precious spells.
I waited long enough after the lightest hour arrived to see Ramasha and Tarkasas off, and then went to check on Evain. When I found the place he was attacking, his Imps had just broken through the wall to the Library. I looked around for Evain himself, but found him strangely missing.
I discovered him shortly, in the body of a Skeleton, leading his troops across the small river between his domain and Mortagui's and to the opening that his Imps created.
Once the battle began, creatures dropped in his territory heard the sounds of the fighting and immediately rushed to the battle. No longer necessary, he abandoned the creature to its combat and turned to face me.
His move was a smart one. If he does not build a bridge between his territory and Mortagui's until after the battle, then there is nothing for the green Imps to take over.
Again I marvel at the genius of this attack. The Library is on the side of Mortagui's Dungeon farthest away from Zannos, so the Blue Keeper has a legitimate excuse for not being able to come to assist him. At least not quickly.
Evain has a Healing spell ready and uses it liberally on his creatures when they start to falter. I come to his aid with a simple Lightning spell, hurling it at the green minions.
Mortagui's force is larger than I expected, but not larger than what I prepared for. If Evain falters, I should be able to get my creatures to come to his aid before his Heart is destroyed. Unfortunately, this battle is a bit too far away from my dungeon for my creatures to be of much help here.
I watch as Mortagui's forces, driven by the desperate need of their Master, fight to keep the violence as much in the doorway and outside in the water as possible in order to protect the Library's books. Evain, prepared for this, has raised a legion of Tentacles to fight in the river, giving him a distinct advantage there.
Evain seems as reluctant as Mortagui to damage what could be one of the greatest collections of knowledge in all the Underrealm. His creatures make an interesting formation. The Tentacles mob the doorway, blocking all the creatures from coming out of the Library, and making it so that only a few creatures can fight at a time. While they do this, Mistresses, Warlocks, Dark Elves, and Dragons form a wide half-circle around them, using their distance attacks to pick off any creatures who manage to get through. Again, the strategy is brilliant.
Every body that falls is dragged underwater by the Tentacles, to feed whatever vile bodies they hide beneath the surface, and turning the river a dark red. Perfect.
Mortagui finally wises up and begins to double-row his creatures. Short range creatures stand in the front, fighting the Tentacles and keeping their heads as low as possible. Behind them, another row of creatures fires distance weapons back at the half-circle, slightly evening the playing field.
I fire a bolt of lightning at a particulary resiliant Orc, smiling grimly when he doesn't get up again. Looking up at Mortagui, I see that his energy form is pulsing slightly, growing brighter and dimmer in time to his Heartbeat. As I watch, the brights get steadily brighter, almost as if he were gathering energy...
I feel his attention turn to Evain, and I have a horrible premonition of what is about to happen.
Evain! LOOK OUT! I scream, but too late.
Mortagui fires what looks like a round ball with teeth at Evain, who is startled enough by my warning to avoid the brunt of the attack. But the missile still hits. The strange ball takes a huge, chomping bite, swallowing a good deal of Evain's energy before rocketing back to Mortagui.
I am aghast. Energy stealing? A Keeper's energy is very personal. An attack like that would be the equivalent of rape.
Unbalanced by the sudden ripple of pain that travels through their Keeper, Evain's forces falter for an instant, long enough for a small Horde of particularly vile Bile Demons to break through the Tentacle mob. They slosh their way to Evain's half-circle, who have precious seconds to adjust their fighting style from long-range to hand-to-hand.
Almost a dozen fall before they can make the change, and now creatures that break through the Tentacles are free to join the fight, instead of getting picked off at a distance. Some of Evain's creatures who were holding back because they were not Tentacles or did not have long-range weapons wade into the water to join the melee.
The battle rages on, the corpses of red and green creatures alike sweeping down the river and further staining its color until it is an almost inky black.
It would be evenly matched, but for the fact that while Mortagui is using his Healing spell to revive his creatures as they fight, Evain can no longer do so.
He has moved back, far enough away from Mortagui that the green Keeper will not be able to attack him again. He is bleeding from the attack, as much as Keepers can bleed, but keeps up his energy as strong as possible to aid his fighters.
I quickly switch my Lightning spell for a Healing one, and set to work on Evain's troops. But Mortagui's spell is more powerful than mine, and I can hear him laugh gleefully as more and more of his creatures pour into the water to join the fight.
I curse silently and pray to the Dark Gods that Tarkasas and Ramasha will hurry.
Seiat
I know I must kill him, but how? I have no weapons, and my body is too weak to do the job with just my bare hands. I heft my pickaxe, striking a blow into the gem seam. I have healed well enough, and the Pull is too strong to avoid my work any longer. But I think as I do it.
I could use the pickaxe, I suppose, but killing someone is not like hammering earth. The pickaxe is not sharp enough to pierce, so any fatal blow would probably have to be to the head. I'm not tall enough to get at a creature's head. I need a real weapon, so I can hurt him enough to get close to him and find a vital spot.
I put the pickaxe away into its holster on my back and reach for the gems strewn across the floor. I should take these back and...
All of a sudden, I see a glint out of the corner of my eye. I look towards it and again it shines. The torchlight, shining of the shifting surface of the water, is glinting on something on the floor. What is it?
I scurry over to the bridge, keeping my eyes locked on the glint. Could a misjudged blow from a digging Imp have hurled a gem this far out? It looks more like metal than stone...
I reach it and gasp. The Dark Gods have answered my prayers!
A dagger.
Cautiously I pick it up, turning it over in my hands. Is this a sign? It must be! I must go now and destroy the Angel! The light glints off one of the jewels in the dagger's handle, seemingly in agreement with my thoughts.
I clutch the weapon tightly to me and head off towards the Lair, dropping the gems I am carrying into one of the many leather bags in the Treasure Chamber before I leave.
But when I get there, the Angel, as well as Tarkasas, is no where to be found. I look about, but he doesn't oblige me by appearing in one of the doorways. I grow slightly desperate. The decision to do this now was rather spontaneous, and I am beginning to regret it. Maybe I ought to plan this out better?
Just as I am beginning to despair, a Spider approaches me. With a guilty start I am reminded of Elseena, the Spider I killed in Mortagui's dungeon. This Spider, also female, gives me an appraising look. Or at least I think that's what it is. With all those eyes it's hard to tell.
"Are you lost, little Imp?" she hisses.
"U-um. N-no. I was just looking for the Angel who owns that Lair." I point to his bed. Gulping, I work up enough courage to ask, "Did you see where he went?"
The Spider lets out a hissing laugh. "You missed him, Imp. He just left a while ago for Mortagui's dungeon."
"What?!" I splutter. Left? For Mortagui? Oh no. He's going to betray our Dungeon to that sniveling weak keeper. Now it is more important than ever that I stop him right away.
I sprint out of the Lair, much to the startlement of the Spider. I hear her clicking her jaws peevishly behind me as I enter the Graveyard. Within no time I am at Mistress Kaelay's minefield. This is the most logical place for him to go, being the closest to Mortagui's dungeon. I take a deep breath and head out into Mortagui's domain.
It takes me surprisingly little time to catch up with him. He is traveling slowly, apparently trying to acheive stealth. In fact, I almost run into him. I quickly backpedal and hide in the shadows of the doorway. He is in a Workshop, edging his way around abandoned anvils and cold forges.
To my surprise, I notice another shadow moving with him. I peer closer to get a good look at the figure.
Tarkasas? What on earth is he doing here? Does he know that the angel is betraying us? Or perhaps the Angel has him under a spell. That must be it! I dart forward, hiding my small frame behind the workbenches, until I am right next to the Angel.
The horrible creature. He is getting what he deserves. I draw my dagger.
Tarkasas
I catch the glint out of the corner of my eye, and have only a second to react.
"Ramasha!" I yell a warning, but I know he won't be able to move in time. Even as I call out I dash forward, knocking him out of the way.
Sparks fly as a metal object drags across the armor covering my left leg, and the suddenly: pain! A white-hot fire lances down my thigh as the blade, for that is what it must be, slips between the pieces of my armor, drawing a huge bloody gash in my leg. I gasp in agony, not having enough breath after the shock to cry out.
I stumble, falling heavily against the wall behind me. As I slide towards the floor, I begin to hear the sounds around me that I had blocked out in my pain.
"Tarkasas! No, Tarkasas! I'm so sorry!" It takes me a second to place the high-pitched voice.
"Seiat?" I manage, wincing. I look around, trying to comprehend the situation.
Ramasha is kneeling by my side, trying to get ease my leg straight out so that he can look at the wound, while Seiat, my Imp friend, is collapsed on the floor in front of me, gibbering and holding a familiar-looking knife.
A bloody familiar-looking knife.
"Seiat, you did this?" The pain is sharp and intense, and I only seem capable of drawing gasping breaths. Pain has never done this to me before. Something must be wrong.
The Imp nods miserably. "I'm sorry Tarkasas. I didn't mean to hurt you. I wanted only to rid the world of this wretched Angel. Why did you have to get in the way?"
I feel Ramasha tense next to me. "Seiat," I try to explain, but it is becoming more difficult to speak, "Ramasha is... not wretched. Please. He came... to our Dungeon for help. He... needs our support now."
I watch the Imp's expression change from surprised to mortified. "Tarkasas," he whispers, "I'm sorry!"
I shake my head. "No time for... that now. Just- ah!" I stop as a sudden spasm of pain hits me. What's going on? A normal wound shouldn't do this!
"That knife..." Ramasha seems to notice Seiat's knife for the first time. "That... that's my knife!"
Seiat drops the knife as though bitten and scrambles to his feet, edging backwards. "I-I'm sorry," he stammers again, "I didn't know!"
But Ramasha seems more interested in me than in the stolen knife. "Tarkasas," he says quickly, "you're in great danger. The knife I carry- or carried, is poisoned. You have to keep very still and calm to slow down the spreading."
'Well,' I think inanely, 'that explains the pain and the trouble breathing.'
"Here." Ramasha fumbles for a flask at his belt. "I have an antidote. If you take it now, you should be okay." He finally manages to extricate it and holds it my lips. I notice that his hands are shaking slightly.
I nearly choke at the bitter taste, but manage to down the whole flask. My breathing eases almost immediately, and I take a deep, shuddering breath.
"We have to get you to a Lair immediately," Ramasha says worriedly. "Your wound has to be cleaned, and the magic should help the antidote get rid of the poison in your system. We'll have to go ba-"
"No!" I interrupt, grabbing his wrist. I look into his eyes to impress the seriousness of my point. "This is too important. Go on to the Heart. Take Seiat with you, he might come in handy. I'll try to work my way back to the Lair on my own. But this has to be done. We only have a limited amount of time, and we've wasted enough as it is!"
"You can't walk back, physical activity will hasten the poison," he says, his voice pleading.
"I'll take it slowly!" I put a hand to Ramasha's face, softening. "Don't worry about me. I'm strong. I'll be fine. Now go!"
Ramasha begins to stand uncertainly, then looks back at me. "Look," he says hesitantly. "Just... just in case I don't come back from this. I wanted to tell you-"
"No," I interrupt again. He looks startled. "Please," I say, meeting his eyes, "don't make me a promise that you're not sure you can keep."
He bites his lip, not wanting to disobey me, but clearly not wanting to leave without saying anything either. Finally his indecision gets the better of him and he kneels down, gently kissing my lips.
I kiss back, just as gently. There's a passion there, right below the surface, but neither of give in to it. That, in its own way, would be making the promise we just swore that we wouldn't.
Eventually he draws back and stands up, not meeting my eyes. "Come on Imp," he says, shooting a poisonous glare at Seiat. "Let's go."
I watch him move through the door to the room beyond, and pray to whatever deity is watching that he comes back to me.
Ramasha
I reach the Heart with an Imp in tow whom I never wanted along in the first place. I don't believe that Tarkasas asked me to bring him with me! The Imp almost killed him, for the Dark Gods' sake! He follows behind me meekly enough, seeming horribly guilty for what has done. Well good.
I forget the Imp for a moment as I step into the Heart Chamber. The beating overwhelms me at first, and I have to take a moment or two to get back my breath. As I regain control, I look around. It's odd how this entire dungeon is just how I remember it. It hardly seems like I was ever here.
I look back too see the Imp standing at the edge of the doorway. "Well?" I say, my patience very short where he is concerned.
The Imp flinches. "I can't," he says.
"Can't what?"
"I can't go into the Heart Chamber. I'd be killed. My Mistress's Heartbeat is not there!"
Belatedly I remember that Imps can't exist without the mana and Heartbeat of their Keepers. "Fine," I hiss, "then stay there and keep watch!"
He nods and looks dutifully for any approaching creatures. I turn away, occupying myself with the task at hand.
Holding out the bag that Kaelay gave me with one hand, I use the other to remove the scroll from my belt. I wonder momentarily if I should put on my mask, but this spell should not have side effects that are too dangerous, if all goes according to plan.
And if all doesn't go according to plan, then we're dead anyway.
Unrolling the scroll, I begin to chant the words. I can feel the mana in the air surrounding me rebelling at the presence of an enemy magic. I can feel Kaelay's mana as well, stored in the scroll, begin to come to life, writhing in the written words upon the parchment. As I say each syllable, it escapes piece by piece into the air, condensing into a large pulsing orb that hovers in midair.
I approach the end of the spell, and the orb begins to change, morphing into a strange, insect-like shape. It resembles a tick, but with only six legs, huge clenching pincers, and a series of spines traveling down its back.
At the last word, the Shell Demon lunges for Mortagui's Heart, plunging its enormous pincers into the molten and beating core. I can feel the mana in the air shudder as the life force drains from the Heart, filling the quickly bloating Shell Demon.
As the Shell Demon grows larger, however, the spines on its back begin to glow with the green light of the mana it is absorbing. As the glow brightens, a small trickle of light drips from the end of each spine, finding its way to the bag I hold.
In my hands, the bag begins to swell, growing warm to the touch. The red light that is Kaelay's mana flares on the outside, but it seems... muted, somehow.
Looking closer, I see the reason for this. There seems to be something... a green shell, so thin as to be practically invisible, covers the outside of the bag, even surrounding the red glow. I have only a few moments to consider what this means before the color of the shell abruptly intensifies, growing darker in the pattern of the pebbly skin of an Imp.
Then, to my immense astonishment, the bag turns into a Imp in my very hands!
Swearing, I drop the creature and draw my sword, slicing the Imp in half in one clean motion.
I stand for a moment, staring at the remains of the Imp, aghast. What in all the Underrealm just happened here? The bag became an Imp? What went wrong?
I look back up at the Heart. The Shell Demon has disappeared after the destruction of the vessel. It would be no trouble to resummon it, but I have nothing to offer it in which to store the mana. That Imp skin...
Suddenly, the crux of the problem dawns on me.
"The Imp!" I say out loud. "Mortagui must have used the skin of one of his own Imps in the construction of the bag! So when we filled it with green mana, we weren't containing the green with a net of red, we were simply sandwiching the red between two layers of green! With access to the ambient mana, Mortagui's must have eaten through Kaelay's like acid. And then, when the skin of the Imp met the mana, which is an Imp's lifeblood, the result..."
I stare at the dead creature, and wave of dread washes over me. "That's it. Without a vessel, we've lost. Mortagui will come and kill us."
"Excuse me," comes a voice from the doorway. Seiat. I had forgotten he was there.
"Yes?" I say, looking up him.
"That vessel," he says hesitantly. "You need the skin of an Imp, right?"
I nod.
"Well," he says. "I'm an Imp. And I've got skin."
Oh God, that was hideous. Take me back.
or
Oh God, that was hideous. Let me complain to the author.