Light Wrapped in Darkness
Magicman: My beloved readers speak to me again. I hear and respond, eh? Thanks muchly for the name of the inn. My BG2 CDs are on the fritz, and it's been a while. I knew I'd heard the Friendly Arms inn before.
Daevan: That was where I met Jaheira. *Sighs with remembrance*
Magicman: Thanks for the concern SM (Suicide Minion). To set your mind at ease, Taurus isn't a sappy sort of guy and Vicky isn't a sappy sort of girl. I haven't decided yet about Aerie; your proposition is intriguing, however. But for Jaheira, rest assured that she will not die. I need her alive for what I have planned. Actually, I was rather inspired by Deathblade Prime. But enough of my inane babble. On to the feature presentation!
Daevan: *dances to music that sounds form nowhere* Lets all go to the lobby, lets all go to the lobby, lets all go to the lobby to get ourselves some snacks!
***
"I'm Gracen. Who are all of you? More new recruits?"
"What? You mean...oh Gods! Spies!"
"Yes they are! Lets kill them Gracen, and we can go about our business!"
"Shut your mouth spies! You won't take us so easily!"
"You think you can take us back to Linvail? You can think again!"
"Go to Hell! This new guild is too tempting to pass up!"
"Silence! The deal is off, and now I shall kill you all!"
There was a struggle. The sounds of clashing steel and shouting fought with the rush of footsteps and furniture being destroyed. Then all was silent.
Aerie, Viconia, and Jaheira sat in various positions of relaxation in the next room. Viconia was mumbling impolitely in drowish while playing Rock, Paper, and Scissors with Jaheira. She kept losing, which probably explained the swearing. Aerie was sitting on the bed, reading her spell book. One spell in particular was driving her nuts. She'd been working at it for days.
The women looked up as the door opened. The men entered, looking rather battered. Taurus was happy though; he strolled in proudly, brandishing a letter. "We've found them!" he announced. "The other guild is in the Graveyard district. Oh, are you losing again Vicky?"
"This game is infuriating!" Viconia hissed. "How the Hell can paper suffocate rock? I would like to KILL the rivvin who invented this!"
"If I see him, I'll be sure to tell him" Jaheira said, barely concealing her smirk.
***
"The Graveyard?" Linvail was thoughtful. "That would make sense, given the dark nature of this new guild. While you were busy, we were attacked again. This time the guild mistress herself, Bodhi by name, was involved."
Taurus nodded slightly. "So what's so special about her?"
"She is a vampire, as are many of her guild. Such evil must be contained." Linvails hook his head sorrowfully. Jaheira thought it looked almost real. "Your final mission will be to finish her guild once and for all."
"These beasts of evil will not live through the night!" Minsc crowed.
"That's the spirit! Go down into the crypts. There you will find some doors made out of thick blue stone. They have been reinforced magically, and are virtually impossible to open."
Aerie snorted. "You'd better have a plan. I'd hate to have to resort to banging my head on it." She blushed wildly as everyone stared at her in surprise, even Linvail. "Sorry" she mumbled.
"Actually I do have a plan," Linvail continued once he had thrown off his surprise. "I've sent a mage to open the door once you've arrived. He'll be waiting for you. Here, these stakes and vials of holy water will surely be of use to you. Incidentally, good luck."
Viconia snorted as she stowed the water in her pack and examined her stake. "Tangling with an unknown number of vampires? Thanks jaluk. Thanks a lot!"
***
Taurus decided that the crypts of the Graveyard district were probably the least pleasant place he'd ever been witness to. The stench of decay filled his sensitive nostrils, and dust coated every possible surface. He had a strange feeling that he was being watched. A few steps from the entrance brought him to a massive chamber. The floors were crumbled with disuse, and coated with what seemed to be spider web. Far away, on the other side of the room, Taurus could make out a small side door. Probably what the party was looking for.
"Ew! I hate spiders!"
"I do not care much for them either" Viconia admitted to Aerie. "They are tools of Lolth, and I would just as soon not make acquaintance with HER again." She stroked her holy symbol of Shar protectively.
Taurus looked back to survey the group. They were well armed and armoured, and logically as ready as they'd ever be.
Taurus was decked out in his black Elven mail, and wielded Celestial Fury and the Blade of Roses.
Minsc was wearing a heavily enchanted suit of heavy plate mail from the Temple District, and also wielded Lilracor and had a heavy longbow slung over his shoulder. Because he could not normally see in the dark, he wore a Helm of Infravision.
Yoshimo kept back in the shadows, protected by the leather armour Mayor Lloyd had given them, his trusty katana sheathed so as to not gleam in the torchlight.
Jaheira wore a suit of Ankheg plate mail, the fabled Helm of Balduran, and held the Staff of Thunder and Lightning, a gift from the druid grove for clearing out the Shadow druids. In addition, she also held a magical sling with magical bullets and a pair of strength increasing gauntlets.
Aerie also had a sling, and was well protected with Arch mage robes, a powerful magical staff that held many innate powers, and boots of Avoidance.
Viconia brought up the rear of the party, wearing a form-fitting suit of plate mail, the enchanted shield given by Madulf and wielding the Maulers' Arm, a powerful mace that increased her own strength. She also wore enchanted boots that protected her from electricity.
Taurus sighed. No matter how well they were protected, he couldn't help fear that someone he cared for would die that night. But the only thing he could do to prevent it was give up the search for Imoen.
And he would not do that.
"Okay gang" he announced, "Lets get going. Those vampires won't kill themselves."
Jaheira and Viconia snorted with amusement. "If they did" Aerie spoke up, "It would sure make life easier."
***
As it turned out, the vampires clearly had no intention of killing themselves.
The party found the door with only a minor incident. A drow priestess, akin to Viconia, had moved into the crypts to cultivate the hordes of spiders already growing there. Viconia had taken immense pleasure in breaking open her skull with her enchanted mace and taking her holy statuette for her own.
The vampires would prove far more formidable, however. They had sealed themselves behind their enchanted doors and didn't look like coming out anytime soon. Fortunately the cavalry had already arrived. A man in blue mage robes was standing nervously about. A large figure that loomed behind him, a golem Taurus realised, stood motionless and seemed to ease the mind of the mage. "Ah!" the man said loudly when the party approached. He seemed startled by his own voice. "Here you are" he continued, quieter. "I've been waiting for you. These spiders are damn unnerving." He shivered and looked over at the crushed corpses of several abnormally large spiders.
Viconia smirked. "Then do your job and let us worry about the big scary spiders. I promise not to let them bite you."
Her sarcasm fell on deaf ears. Eager to be on his way, the mage had already turned to his golem. "Fleshy! Go you stupid creature! Break open that door so we can be away from this place!" As his creation moved slowly, the mage spoke conversationally with the party. "He's quite dim, but a useful servant nonetheless. I must admit to being rather fond of him."
Any further discussion was lost as Fleshy started slamming its fists into the sealed door. Jaheira winced at the echoes that rolled around the cavern. "Can't you get him to be quiet? Every vampire in Amn can hear us!"
"Do you want in there or not? Faster Fleshy! We don't have all day!"
The golem gripped one edge of the door and pulled with tremendous strength. It peeled back the metal slowly but without pause, and soon an opening gapped blackly into the depths beyond. The mage smiled with pride as his creation stepped back, and gestured grandiosely. "There you have it. One opening to Hell. May you use it well."
That was as far as he got before a pair of arrows streaked through the opening and pierced his chest. He coughed up blood, clutching the arrows.
"Ambush!" yelled Taurus, and the party was instantly ready for attack. A pair of creatures Taurus couldn't identify hovered at the opening of the den. They were suits of armour with no body. They didn't look real. But the corpse of the mage, his blood still decorating the floor of the cavern argued otherwise. And now, the things were knocking new arrows and aiming them at the party.
A cry of inhuman anguish rumbled from the golem's mouth. Then without warning, just after the arrows had been launched into the midst of the party, it hurled itself onto the bodiless creatures. If they had faces they likely would have shown surprise before they were thrown back into the vampires' antechamber.
The party rushed through the door to find total chaos. The golem was tearing into the spectral creatures with wild abandon. Their axes and arrows had no affect on its tough rocky hide, and soon all that remained was a pile of armour, too badly beaten for any use, magical or otherwise. After its foes had been destroyed the golem stood perfectly still for a moment. Then it slowly toppled over in heap of rubble.
Yoshimo walked forward cautiously and poked the remains with his katana. "What happened?"
"Its master died" Aerie spoke up. "A golem draws its magic from its master, and perishes when that power dies out. Unless, of course, the wizard passes control to another wizard."
"Oh. That makes sense."
With no distractions, the party was able to get a look at their surroundings. They weren't very nice at all. The antechamber was made of barren stone, with an opening at the far end of the room. A hideous stench drifted through the opening, making Viconia's nose wrinkle.
"Death" she muttered. "I never did enjoy its stench."
The party advanced slowly, their weapons out and ready. Leading, Taurus stepped through the door. He took one look and hissed, drow-like. The figure of Mook's murderer lurked at the end of the chamber.
"You have the gall to come here? You are brave mortal, if terribly foolish." The vampire skulked in the shadows, his raised hands revealing claw-like nails. "I am Lassal. It is maddening to think that you came here, to the inner sanctum! You will die where you stand!"
At some unseen signal, doors opened from all over the room. As Lassal transformed into a vapour, death poured into the chamber.
The dead walked. Vampires, six of them, shrieked with eternal hunger as they flew at the companions, nails poised to tear. Behind them, a small pack of four ghouls shambled. The hordes of undead converged on the party, murder on their minds.
Aerie raised her hands and chanted desperately, a growing panic in her eyes. A massive fireball shrieked as it hurtled at the undead. The vampires scattered, and the spell exploded in the midst of the ghouls. One was killed and the other three were badly burnt. With a collective hiss of rage, they all shambled toward Aerie. She muttered a word into her magical staff and suddenly disappeared from sight. The ghouls paused in confusion, giving Taurus enough time to release a lightning bolt into their midst. Already weakened from the deadly fire magic, two of them succumbed to the lightning immediately. The other died of a sling bullet from Jaheira to the head.
Viconia chanted a spell to Shar and the room suddenly filled with light. The vampires cringed and covered their eyes in agony as streams of smoke rose from their skin. Desperate to stop light, one of them hurled himself at the cleric. Startled, Viconia was bowled over. With her concentration gone, the light vanished and the vampires quickly moved among the party.
Jaheira blocked one attack with her staff but felt it wrenched from her grasp by undead strength. Quickly, she released the staff and pulled out a scimitar but was hurled to the ground and gashed by the vampire's claws. Suddenly the undead woman shrieked as the tip of a scimitar pierced her chest. Yoshimo withdrew and leapt back from her flailing counterattack. She made the vital error of turning her back to Jaheira. The druid capitalized, and hacked at the monster's neck. The dead skin resisted the first attack, but Jaheira swung again as the vampire started to turn. The head parted company with the shoulders and the body vaporised with a tooth-rattling shriek. Jaheira took a moment to breathe then hurled herself back into the fight.
Viconia had managed to thrust her shield between her and the vampire before she had been knocked over. Now she struggled to keep hold of the barrier as ravenous teeth strained to reach her. The vampire paused, distracted, and looked to the right. Aerie was attempting to turn the creature. Scowling, it seized a nearby stone, long broken off from the wall, and hurled it at the elf. Aerie let out a cry of pain as it connected with her upper chest and her magic ceased. Minsc's heavy foot kicked the vampire off of the drow, and it rolled before Lilracor could skewer it. Grinning, it caught hold of the sword and pulled, bringing it to its feet and Minsc off balance. It then struck the ranger a thunderous blow to the head, felling him like an ox.
Taurus wielded both his blades expertly against two vampires when he saw Minsc go down from the corner of his eye. With reflexes few could approach, he hurled Celestial Fury into the back of the monster and its electrical magic released, paralysing it with pain. Seeing an advantage, one vampire lunged at him but the crintri was ready. He pulled out his stake and thrust, feeling it bite home. The vampire screamed and vaporised. Another one jumped on his back, biting his shoulder viciously. He bucked, hurling it into his other opponent and losing a chunk of flesh in the process. Jaheira cast Entangle, capturing the two for a moment.
The sixth vampire waited for an opportunity before attacking Viconia again. It shoved her to the ground and rent her armour, exposing her neck. Panicked, she bucked and tried to throw off the monster but it made two quick slashes and her struggles weakened. Leaving her in a growing pool of blood, it scanned the fight and attack Jaheira just as she finished her spell. Aerie rushed to Viconia's aid and frantically began healing. The drow managed a feeble "What took you so long?" before succumbing to blood loss.
Recovered, Minsc saw the attack and screamed with fury. He lunged at the vampire that attacked Viconia and caught it by the back of the neck just before it reached Jaheira and slammed it into the ground. Pinning it with his foot, he thrust Lilracor into its chest. The vampire vaporised, and floated away as a mist.
By this time the other two vampires had broken free. They paired off against Taurus and Jaheira, but their efforts were seriously hampered by Yoshimo shooting arrows at them. One arrow struck its target in the eye, drawing a growl of annoyance. The distraction was all Taurus needed. He released a Burning Hands spell into the face of the vampire. It clutched its face and shrieked in agony, stumbling backward. Its frantic motion blocked its partner. Frustrated, she thrust her partner aside, and flew at Jaheira. The druid bent quickly then straightened, sending the vampire flying over her head. As it tried to get up, she thrust her scimitar down and pierced the vampire through her throat. It gurgled as it struggled to unpin itself but Jaheira thrust again, this time through her chest. As she disintegrated, Minsc finished off the final vampire that was thrashing on the ground.
Taurus rushed to Viconia's side, just as Aerie was finished patching her up. The healing had taken quite a bit out of Aerie, so she sat back onto the stone floor, winded.
Taurus knelt and held Viconia gently. "Are you alright sweetie?" he asked, concern lacing his voice.
"What kind of stupid question is that?" she demanded. "Of course I'm not alright! A vampire nearly tore off my head, I'm dizzy and woozy, and now I think I've been infected by elf-girl's sickeningly good goddess!"
Aerie rolled her eyes as she breathed. "Elf-girl. At least it's better than 'butterfly'."
Taurus smiled at the bickering. He hugged Viconia once more then helped her to her feet. She staggered, but kept her feet. Then her eyes narrowed as Taurus slid an arm around Aerie's waist and nuzzled her neck, murmuring thanks in her ear. She giggled and snuggled against him.
When they broke apart, the drow woman smiled slowly as a thought occurred to her. She walked over to Aerie and whispered something in her ear that caused the elf-girl to blush wildly and shake her head vigorously. But as she walked away, she gave Taurus and Viconia a glance that was...curious.
Seeing the look, Taurus glanced at Viconia, who was smiling innocently. "What did you tell her?"
Viconia simply shrugged and smirked. "I just mentioned something I told you about the other night."
Jaheira, Yoshimo, and Minsc watched the entire scene with tired resignation. "I was hoping these scenes would die out once they all worked things out" the thief commented to the druid, who nodded assent.
"Minsc is confused. They're all happy together. Why do Vicky and Aerie still insult each other?"
Jaheira and Yoshimo glanced at each other awkwardly. "One day you'll learn that women are either each other's worst enemies, best friends, or sex toys" the talking sword spoke up. "It is the way of things." The thief and the druid stared at the sword in shock.
Minsc thought for a moment. Then he brightened. "I understand! It is like Dynaheir and her sister! They were always going out together, leaving Minsc and Boo to watch the house."
There was dead silence as Yoshimo and Jaheira shuddered involuntarily. "I don't think I'll be able to look at women the same way again," Jaheira muttered to herself. Yoshimo looked at her oddly.
"Okay" Taurus said to his group, as chipper as ever and completely oblivious to Jaheira's inner suffering. "Lets get a move on. Several undead monsters down, who knows how many to go! We've got a busy day or so ahead."
As Taurus picked up his katana and strolled deeper into the nightmare made reality, whistling tunelessly, Yoshimo heard Viconia muttering something about 'that loveable idiot' and 'taking nothing serious' and smiled cheerily. "I've had a revelation about Taurus" he shared with Vicky. "I've decided that he takes everything seriously, but he makes jokes and belittles the more dire things. It helps him stay sane."
Viconia's eyes could have winged daggers. "When you're sleeping with him, then you can make smart-ass comments about how seriously he takes things! Until then, shut your trap before I tear out your tongue and strangle you with it!"
Yoshimo smiled, unfazed by Viconia's death threat. "Your passion is, as always, an inspiration to all us lesser mortals. I salute you." He saluted Viconia with perfect seriousness before turning to follow Taurus.
He didn't see Viconia, her eye twitching furiously come up behind him, her mace ready to crack open his skull. Luckily, Aerie caught her arm before it could ventilate Yoshimo's mind. Seething silently, the drow made a mental promise to kill the thief one day.
***
Magicman: Hmm. Why do I always seem to end with a funny note?
Daevan: Maybe you're building up suspense? I looked over this chapter's stuff and found references to the future.
Magicman: Intriguing. You're smarter than I thought.
Daevan: THERE! A DEMON! KILL IT! *Runs off, screaming and brandishing his staff*
Magicman: Though intelligence does not necessarily breed sanity.
Magicman: My beloved readers speak to me again. I hear and respond, eh? Thanks muchly for the name of the inn. My BG2 CDs are on the fritz, and it's been a while. I knew I'd heard the Friendly Arms inn before.
Daevan: That was where I met Jaheira. *Sighs with remembrance*
Magicman: Thanks for the concern SM (Suicide Minion). To set your mind at ease, Taurus isn't a sappy sort of guy and Vicky isn't a sappy sort of girl. I haven't decided yet about Aerie; your proposition is intriguing, however. But for Jaheira, rest assured that she will not die. I need her alive for what I have planned. Actually, I was rather inspired by Deathblade Prime. But enough of my inane babble. On to the feature presentation!
Daevan: *dances to music that sounds form nowhere* Lets all go to the lobby, lets all go to the lobby, lets all go to the lobby to get ourselves some snacks!
***
"I'm Gracen. Who are all of you? More new recruits?"
"What? You mean...oh Gods! Spies!"
"Yes they are! Lets kill them Gracen, and we can go about our business!"
"Shut your mouth spies! You won't take us so easily!"
"You think you can take us back to Linvail? You can think again!"
"Go to Hell! This new guild is too tempting to pass up!"
"Silence! The deal is off, and now I shall kill you all!"
There was a struggle. The sounds of clashing steel and shouting fought with the rush of footsteps and furniture being destroyed. Then all was silent.
Aerie, Viconia, and Jaheira sat in various positions of relaxation in the next room. Viconia was mumbling impolitely in drowish while playing Rock, Paper, and Scissors with Jaheira. She kept losing, which probably explained the swearing. Aerie was sitting on the bed, reading her spell book. One spell in particular was driving her nuts. She'd been working at it for days.
The women looked up as the door opened. The men entered, looking rather battered. Taurus was happy though; he strolled in proudly, brandishing a letter. "We've found them!" he announced. "The other guild is in the Graveyard district. Oh, are you losing again Vicky?"
"This game is infuriating!" Viconia hissed. "How the Hell can paper suffocate rock? I would like to KILL the rivvin who invented this!"
"If I see him, I'll be sure to tell him" Jaheira said, barely concealing her smirk.
***
"The Graveyard?" Linvail was thoughtful. "That would make sense, given the dark nature of this new guild. While you were busy, we were attacked again. This time the guild mistress herself, Bodhi by name, was involved."
Taurus nodded slightly. "So what's so special about her?"
"She is a vampire, as are many of her guild. Such evil must be contained." Linvails hook his head sorrowfully. Jaheira thought it looked almost real. "Your final mission will be to finish her guild once and for all."
"These beasts of evil will not live through the night!" Minsc crowed.
"That's the spirit! Go down into the crypts. There you will find some doors made out of thick blue stone. They have been reinforced magically, and are virtually impossible to open."
Aerie snorted. "You'd better have a plan. I'd hate to have to resort to banging my head on it." She blushed wildly as everyone stared at her in surprise, even Linvail. "Sorry" she mumbled.
"Actually I do have a plan," Linvail continued once he had thrown off his surprise. "I've sent a mage to open the door once you've arrived. He'll be waiting for you. Here, these stakes and vials of holy water will surely be of use to you. Incidentally, good luck."
Viconia snorted as she stowed the water in her pack and examined her stake. "Tangling with an unknown number of vampires? Thanks jaluk. Thanks a lot!"
***
Taurus decided that the crypts of the Graveyard district were probably the least pleasant place he'd ever been witness to. The stench of decay filled his sensitive nostrils, and dust coated every possible surface. He had a strange feeling that he was being watched. A few steps from the entrance brought him to a massive chamber. The floors were crumbled with disuse, and coated with what seemed to be spider web. Far away, on the other side of the room, Taurus could make out a small side door. Probably what the party was looking for.
"Ew! I hate spiders!"
"I do not care much for them either" Viconia admitted to Aerie. "They are tools of Lolth, and I would just as soon not make acquaintance with HER again." She stroked her holy symbol of Shar protectively.
Taurus looked back to survey the group. They were well armed and armoured, and logically as ready as they'd ever be.
Taurus was decked out in his black Elven mail, and wielded Celestial Fury and the Blade of Roses.
Minsc was wearing a heavily enchanted suit of heavy plate mail from the Temple District, and also wielded Lilracor and had a heavy longbow slung over his shoulder. Because he could not normally see in the dark, he wore a Helm of Infravision.
Yoshimo kept back in the shadows, protected by the leather armour Mayor Lloyd had given them, his trusty katana sheathed so as to not gleam in the torchlight.
Jaheira wore a suit of Ankheg plate mail, the fabled Helm of Balduran, and held the Staff of Thunder and Lightning, a gift from the druid grove for clearing out the Shadow druids. In addition, she also held a magical sling with magical bullets and a pair of strength increasing gauntlets.
Aerie also had a sling, and was well protected with Arch mage robes, a powerful magical staff that held many innate powers, and boots of Avoidance.
Viconia brought up the rear of the party, wearing a form-fitting suit of plate mail, the enchanted shield given by Madulf and wielding the Maulers' Arm, a powerful mace that increased her own strength. She also wore enchanted boots that protected her from electricity.
Taurus sighed. No matter how well they were protected, he couldn't help fear that someone he cared for would die that night. But the only thing he could do to prevent it was give up the search for Imoen.
And he would not do that.
"Okay gang" he announced, "Lets get going. Those vampires won't kill themselves."
Jaheira and Viconia snorted with amusement. "If they did" Aerie spoke up, "It would sure make life easier."
***
As it turned out, the vampires clearly had no intention of killing themselves.
The party found the door with only a minor incident. A drow priestess, akin to Viconia, had moved into the crypts to cultivate the hordes of spiders already growing there. Viconia had taken immense pleasure in breaking open her skull with her enchanted mace and taking her holy statuette for her own.
The vampires would prove far more formidable, however. They had sealed themselves behind their enchanted doors and didn't look like coming out anytime soon. Fortunately the cavalry had already arrived. A man in blue mage robes was standing nervously about. A large figure that loomed behind him, a golem Taurus realised, stood motionless and seemed to ease the mind of the mage. "Ah!" the man said loudly when the party approached. He seemed startled by his own voice. "Here you are" he continued, quieter. "I've been waiting for you. These spiders are damn unnerving." He shivered and looked over at the crushed corpses of several abnormally large spiders.
Viconia smirked. "Then do your job and let us worry about the big scary spiders. I promise not to let them bite you."
Her sarcasm fell on deaf ears. Eager to be on his way, the mage had already turned to his golem. "Fleshy! Go you stupid creature! Break open that door so we can be away from this place!" As his creation moved slowly, the mage spoke conversationally with the party. "He's quite dim, but a useful servant nonetheless. I must admit to being rather fond of him."
Any further discussion was lost as Fleshy started slamming its fists into the sealed door. Jaheira winced at the echoes that rolled around the cavern. "Can't you get him to be quiet? Every vampire in Amn can hear us!"
"Do you want in there or not? Faster Fleshy! We don't have all day!"
The golem gripped one edge of the door and pulled with tremendous strength. It peeled back the metal slowly but without pause, and soon an opening gapped blackly into the depths beyond. The mage smiled with pride as his creation stepped back, and gestured grandiosely. "There you have it. One opening to Hell. May you use it well."
That was as far as he got before a pair of arrows streaked through the opening and pierced his chest. He coughed up blood, clutching the arrows.
"Ambush!" yelled Taurus, and the party was instantly ready for attack. A pair of creatures Taurus couldn't identify hovered at the opening of the den. They were suits of armour with no body. They didn't look real. But the corpse of the mage, his blood still decorating the floor of the cavern argued otherwise. And now, the things were knocking new arrows and aiming them at the party.
A cry of inhuman anguish rumbled from the golem's mouth. Then without warning, just after the arrows had been launched into the midst of the party, it hurled itself onto the bodiless creatures. If they had faces they likely would have shown surprise before they were thrown back into the vampires' antechamber.
The party rushed through the door to find total chaos. The golem was tearing into the spectral creatures with wild abandon. Their axes and arrows had no affect on its tough rocky hide, and soon all that remained was a pile of armour, too badly beaten for any use, magical or otherwise. After its foes had been destroyed the golem stood perfectly still for a moment. Then it slowly toppled over in heap of rubble.
Yoshimo walked forward cautiously and poked the remains with his katana. "What happened?"
"Its master died" Aerie spoke up. "A golem draws its magic from its master, and perishes when that power dies out. Unless, of course, the wizard passes control to another wizard."
"Oh. That makes sense."
With no distractions, the party was able to get a look at their surroundings. They weren't very nice at all. The antechamber was made of barren stone, with an opening at the far end of the room. A hideous stench drifted through the opening, making Viconia's nose wrinkle.
"Death" she muttered. "I never did enjoy its stench."
The party advanced slowly, their weapons out and ready. Leading, Taurus stepped through the door. He took one look and hissed, drow-like. The figure of Mook's murderer lurked at the end of the chamber.
"You have the gall to come here? You are brave mortal, if terribly foolish." The vampire skulked in the shadows, his raised hands revealing claw-like nails. "I am Lassal. It is maddening to think that you came here, to the inner sanctum! You will die where you stand!"
At some unseen signal, doors opened from all over the room. As Lassal transformed into a vapour, death poured into the chamber.
The dead walked. Vampires, six of them, shrieked with eternal hunger as they flew at the companions, nails poised to tear. Behind them, a small pack of four ghouls shambled. The hordes of undead converged on the party, murder on their minds.
Aerie raised her hands and chanted desperately, a growing panic in her eyes. A massive fireball shrieked as it hurtled at the undead. The vampires scattered, and the spell exploded in the midst of the ghouls. One was killed and the other three were badly burnt. With a collective hiss of rage, they all shambled toward Aerie. She muttered a word into her magical staff and suddenly disappeared from sight. The ghouls paused in confusion, giving Taurus enough time to release a lightning bolt into their midst. Already weakened from the deadly fire magic, two of them succumbed to the lightning immediately. The other died of a sling bullet from Jaheira to the head.
Viconia chanted a spell to Shar and the room suddenly filled with light. The vampires cringed and covered their eyes in agony as streams of smoke rose from their skin. Desperate to stop light, one of them hurled himself at the cleric. Startled, Viconia was bowled over. With her concentration gone, the light vanished and the vampires quickly moved among the party.
Jaheira blocked one attack with her staff but felt it wrenched from her grasp by undead strength. Quickly, she released the staff and pulled out a scimitar but was hurled to the ground and gashed by the vampire's claws. Suddenly the undead woman shrieked as the tip of a scimitar pierced her chest. Yoshimo withdrew and leapt back from her flailing counterattack. She made the vital error of turning her back to Jaheira. The druid capitalized, and hacked at the monster's neck. The dead skin resisted the first attack, but Jaheira swung again as the vampire started to turn. The head parted company with the shoulders and the body vaporised with a tooth-rattling shriek. Jaheira took a moment to breathe then hurled herself back into the fight.
Viconia had managed to thrust her shield between her and the vampire before she had been knocked over. Now she struggled to keep hold of the barrier as ravenous teeth strained to reach her. The vampire paused, distracted, and looked to the right. Aerie was attempting to turn the creature. Scowling, it seized a nearby stone, long broken off from the wall, and hurled it at the elf. Aerie let out a cry of pain as it connected with her upper chest and her magic ceased. Minsc's heavy foot kicked the vampire off of the drow, and it rolled before Lilracor could skewer it. Grinning, it caught hold of the sword and pulled, bringing it to its feet and Minsc off balance. It then struck the ranger a thunderous blow to the head, felling him like an ox.
Taurus wielded both his blades expertly against two vampires when he saw Minsc go down from the corner of his eye. With reflexes few could approach, he hurled Celestial Fury into the back of the monster and its electrical magic released, paralysing it with pain. Seeing an advantage, one vampire lunged at him but the crintri was ready. He pulled out his stake and thrust, feeling it bite home. The vampire screamed and vaporised. Another one jumped on his back, biting his shoulder viciously. He bucked, hurling it into his other opponent and losing a chunk of flesh in the process. Jaheira cast Entangle, capturing the two for a moment.
The sixth vampire waited for an opportunity before attacking Viconia again. It shoved her to the ground and rent her armour, exposing her neck. Panicked, she bucked and tried to throw off the monster but it made two quick slashes and her struggles weakened. Leaving her in a growing pool of blood, it scanned the fight and attack Jaheira just as she finished her spell. Aerie rushed to Viconia's aid and frantically began healing. The drow managed a feeble "What took you so long?" before succumbing to blood loss.
Recovered, Minsc saw the attack and screamed with fury. He lunged at the vampire that attacked Viconia and caught it by the back of the neck just before it reached Jaheira and slammed it into the ground. Pinning it with his foot, he thrust Lilracor into its chest. The vampire vaporised, and floated away as a mist.
By this time the other two vampires had broken free. They paired off against Taurus and Jaheira, but their efforts were seriously hampered by Yoshimo shooting arrows at them. One arrow struck its target in the eye, drawing a growl of annoyance. The distraction was all Taurus needed. He released a Burning Hands spell into the face of the vampire. It clutched its face and shrieked in agony, stumbling backward. Its frantic motion blocked its partner. Frustrated, she thrust her partner aside, and flew at Jaheira. The druid bent quickly then straightened, sending the vampire flying over her head. As it tried to get up, she thrust her scimitar down and pierced the vampire through her throat. It gurgled as it struggled to unpin itself but Jaheira thrust again, this time through her chest. As she disintegrated, Minsc finished off the final vampire that was thrashing on the ground.
Taurus rushed to Viconia's side, just as Aerie was finished patching her up. The healing had taken quite a bit out of Aerie, so she sat back onto the stone floor, winded.
Taurus knelt and held Viconia gently. "Are you alright sweetie?" he asked, concern lacing his voice.
"What kind of stupid question is that?" she demanded. "Of course I'm not alright! A vampire nearly tore off my head, I'm dizzy and woozy, and now I think I've been infected by elf-girl's sickeningly good goddess!"
Aerie rolled her eyes as she breathed. "Elf-girl. At least it's better than 'butterfly'."
Taurus smiled at the bickering. He hugged Viconia once more then helped her to her feet. She staggered, but kept her feet. Then her eyes narrowed as Taurus slid an arm around Aerie's waist and nuzzled her neck, murmuring thanks in her ear. She giggled and snuggled against him.
When they broke apart, the drow woman smiled slowly as a thought occurred to her. She walked over to Aerie and whispered something in her ear that caused the elf-girl to blush wildly and shake her head vigorously. But as she walked away, she gave Taurus and Viconia a glance that was...curious.
Seeing the look, Taurus glanced at Viconia, who was smiling innocently. "What did you tell her?"
Viconia simply shrugged and smirked. "I just mentioned something I told you about the other night."
Jaheira, Yoshimo, and Minsc watched the entire scene with tired resignation. "I was hoping these scenes would die out once they all worked things out" the thief commented to the druid, who nodded assent.
"Minsc is confused. They're all happy together. Why do Vicky and Aerie still insult each other?"
Jaheira and Yoshimo glanced at each other awkwardly. "One day you'll learn that women are either each other's worst enemies, best friends, or sex toys" the talking sword spoke up. "It is the way of things." The thief and the druid stared at the sword in shock.
Minsc thought for a moment. Then he brightened. "I understand! It is like Dynaheir and her sister! They were always going out together, leaving Minsc and Boo to watch the house."
There was dead silence as Yoshimo and Jaheira shuddered involuntarily. "I don't think I'll be able to look at women the same way again," Jaheira muttered to herself. Yoshimo looked at her oddly.
"Okay" Taurus said to his group, as chipper as ever and completely oblivious to Jaheira's inner suffering. "Lets get a move on. Several undead monsters down, who knows how many to go! We've got a busy day or so ahead."
As Taurus picked up his katana and strolled deeper into the nightmare made reality, whistling tunelessly, Yoshimo heard Viconia muttering something about 'that loveable idiot' and 'taking nothing serious' and smiled cheerily. "I've had a revelation about Taurus" he shared with Vicky. "I've decided that he takes everything seriously, but he makes jokes and belittles the more dire things. It helps him stay sane."
Viconia's eyes could have winged daggers. "When you're sleeping with him, then you can make smart-ass comments about how seriously he takes things! Until then, shut your trap before I tear out your tongue and strangle you with it!"
Yoshimo smiled, unfazed by Viconia's death threat. "Your passion is, as always, an inspiration to all us lesser mortals. I salute you." He saluted Viconia with perfect seriousness before turning to follow Taurus.
He didn't see Viconia, her eye twitching furiously come up behind him, her mace ready to crack open his skull. Luckily, Aerie caught her arm before it could ventilate Yoshimo's mind. Seething silently, the drow made a mental promise to kill the thief one day.
***
Magicman: Hmm. Why do I always seem to end with a funny note?
Daevan: Maybe you're building up suspense? I looked over this chapter's stuff and found references to the future.
Magicman: Intriguing. You're smarter than I thought.
Daevan: THERE! A DEMON! KILL IT! *Runs off, screaming and brandishing his staff*
Magicman: Though intelligence does not necessarily breed sanity.