MAGGOTS IN ANDARIEL'S LAIR - Part I

- -

The morning after, Mikaela had shown up looking very tired and somewhat battered. No one was quite sure where she went until Exxos mumbled to Faelach something about seeing her out in the marshes the previous night. After she returned she had gone straight to her tent without saying a word to anyone, where she remained for a while. Andros was in there waiting for her of course. The others assumed that they were coming up with a strategy on what to do next, since they were like the leaders of the group. When the paladin finally came out and sauntered away (maybe going to Gheed for gambling a bit, since it did well for the soul-but not for the pocket. Oh well, he had looted plenty of gold from the Blood Countess.) Roine went to seek out Mikaela and talk to her about the issue she had mentioned the night before. When she came back to report to Zeke, she looked very puzzled.

"She just listened to my arguments without interrupting." Roine answered the unasked question that Zeke's expression provided.

He raised his eyebrows. "And…?"

"Well, when I said that we wanted to be a part of this too, she just said that it suited her just fine. She said that I didn't have to ask for her approval, and if we manage to survive, or if we end up with one or multiple missing limbs then it would be our problem."

The gore in Mikaela's words didn't faze Zeke. Roine, on the other hand, seemed rather unnerved. "And?" He asked again.

"And that was it." said Roine impatiently. "She just crashed on her bed, turned her back on me and that was it. She's not herself Zek. I wonder what's up…?"

But the necromancer just shrugged it away, not particularly caring about the source of this sudden change. 'Typical insensitive, jackass male.' thought Roine. Instead, he was quite happy, and so excited about finally getting some action, that he was practically skipping through the Tamoe Highland a week later, resurrecting corpses like it was the most joyful thing in the world. Roine was more down-to-earth about this adventure than he was. Besides, she had enough sense to consider Mikaela's words about the missing limbs. She looked at the dead bodies feeling the food she had eaten earlier crawl up her throat and forming a knot there. All the protruding guts were making her sick, but Zeke's face shined whenever he saw bloodied carcasses. 'Sick dude, that one.' She thought to herself and quickly turned her head away as a squishing sound was heard from where a carcass lay nearby and a skeleton raised form it. The sorceress caught a glimpse of Mikaela. The amazon had curled her lip in disgust and was looking and Zeke with obvious disapproval, but other than that offered no comment.

Soon, the seven heroes found themselves nearing the Monastery Gate. The necromancer looked rather disappointed, but that expression was wiped away from his face soon enough.

"Don't worry, you'll have more than plenty of corpses in here. If you don't end up being one yourself, that is." Muttered Mikaela so only Zeke could hear her, as Andros and Exxos pushed open the great oak doors of the Monastery. She had a sour look on her face. As the others all filed into the place somewhat apprehensively, he followed them feeling much less enthusiastic than before.

The Outer Cloister seemed deserted and lifeless. It appeared that the heroes that had previously passed had cleared the place of any abominations. The group looked around them, realising that this was once a very beautiful place, but Andariel's corruption had taken its toll. They soon neared the Barracks. The dark foreboding interior welcomed them. The flickering torches provided a feeble light, just enough for them not to trip over their own feet.

They walked on, each in their own little world. Roine was the before last of the group. She was thinking along the lines of how creepy this place was when she felt a sudden movement behind her. Turning around sharply, she noticed that Exxos wasn't there anymore, which was weird, because he had been behind her just a moment ago. The sorceress looked around frantically until she spotted a glimpse of him. He had taken a different turn.

"Hey Exxos," she called in a strangled voice, then, seeing as he didn't answer, she raised it a little. "Exxos, wait! That's not the - where are you going…?"

But he had disappeared. Roine looked at the companions in front of her. Andros and Mikaela were talking quietly to each other; Faelach's wolves flanked them while panting loudly. Every now and then one of them would approach the druid, who in turn would pat them and murmur something incoherent. Estele followed without talking, holding on to her claws close to her. Zeke was right behind her, his excitement now completely vanished. The necromancer kept looking around him, squinting his eyes in the darkness for alien life signs and jumping out of paranoia every time one of his skeletons would crash and fall.

Roine lagged behind. Had no one noticed Exxos leave? They all seemed so absorbed in their own thoughts that they hadn't even noticed her call out to him. She looked behind, and then in front of her again, and then stopped altogether. This place was too dangerous to go wandering in alone. She could not just let him go like that. Even though Roine wasn't as good at fighting as maybe Andros or Mikaela, she could still offer some backup. She made up her mind, and with one last glance at the people in front of her, she went in the direction Exxos had disappeared to.

- -

A crash resonated off the cold stone walls and Zeke almost jumped out of his skin. What he saw when he turned to look for the source was just another skeleton. He frowned in annoyance. Just when he seemed to relax, another one went and blew up. He also saw that if they didn't find more corpses, he would run out of skeletons pretty soon.

Of course, he could use those dead rogues they found on their way every now and then, but Mikaela would skin him alive. When they had first entered the place, she had insisted that they move the bodies of her Rogue sisters to a relatively safer place (since nowhere in the monastery was safe anymore). Besides, they didn't really need a safer place. They were dead anyway… (At that moment Zeke was glad that Mikaela wasn't a mind reader, because if she knew what he had been thinking, she would have had his head by now.)

Still, the Amazon insisted that they do this out of respect and honour for the sisters. Then, when she saw that there were just too many of them, she just gave up and looked at their bodies mournfully every time they passed one. This moment didn't last however, since she would turn her head hastily so as not to lose her nerve. Mikaela thought that her companions didn't notice this, but they did. They just didn't say anything about it. Although she tried to be tough all the time (because the team needed someone like that to keep their wits in place during hard times) she was still made of flesh and blood, like all of them.

Then Zeke suddenly noticed that something was missing. He turned again, and saw that Roine wasn't behind him anymore. The necromancer scanned the area more closely before realising that Exxos was gone too. He tapped the closest person he was to on the shoulder who now happened to be Faelach.

"Roine's not here." He said anxiously. "And Exxos is missing too."

Everyone stopped. Andros wheeled around, looking very surprised. "Where did she go?"

"I don't know." answered Zeke, not really paying any attention to the paladin. "I don't know…"

The others searched the surrounding area too, while the necromancer kept calling the sorceress louder and louder. "Roine? Roine!"

"Shut up!" Hissed Mikaela urgently, grabbing his forearm and pulling him back.

"Where is she?" He now seemed on the verge of panic.

"Calm down." said Andros, trying to be calm himself. "We can't find her now."

"He's right." said Mikaela. "The foul beasts in this place must have been roused by your screams by now. We'd better move faster form now on." She added to Andros, who nodded.

"What? You mean you're just going to abandon her!" asked Zeke incredulously. "What if she's lost?"

"We would not be able to find her even if we tried. Besides, she can use a town portal scroll at any time." Said Andros, though he didn't seem convinced himself. 'That is, unless something jumps at her from behind and kills her before she has time to portal back to town.' But the paladin didn't voice his thoughts seeing as what he had said had calmed Zeke down a bit. The necromancer started saying something else but Mikaela was already dragging him away.

"What about Exxos? He's gone too!"

Andros seemed to tense at this, but he was spared when Faelach spoke up.

"We'd better move. I sense something coming."

Mikaela, Andros and Estele nodded. Zeke continued his struggle, but the druid came to Mikaela's aid and the two successfully managed to take the necromancer with them.

- -

She could hear her own heart pounding in her chest. She took another turn, which led to yet another dead end. Roine let out a string of curses that wasn't exactly suitable for young ladies. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths so she could think clearly for a moment. She could try teleportation… Yep, that seemed like the best alternative at the moment. But first, she focused on casting Thunder Storm (love this ability), just in case enemies attacked her when she wasn't paying attention. That done, the sorceress concentrated on the direction she guessed Exxos was in, and instantly teleported there.

Nothing. Nothing but darkness. There weren't even any of those stupid rat men that lurked in places like these. In fact, it was so weird that there weren't any enemies at all nearby. Without really knowing what she was doing she cast a frost shield spell on herself. Just as an extra precaution. Besides, it helped illuminate the way a bit better.

She teleported again. This time a lighting bolt came down and hit a creature nearby. Roine turned sharply in that direction, but saw that it was already dead. She breathed a sigh of relief, tightened her grip on her staff and tried again. And again, and again, and again. This was getting very tiring, and just when her energy was running out, she noticed a flash of silver turn just around a corner. That must be that huge axe Exxos carried with him!

Her heart leaped, and not being able to contain her relief, she broke into a run. A very stupid thing to do, because just when she was turning around the corner, something grabbed her and she was shoved against the stone wall, with the sharp edge of an axe close to her throat. The sorceress froze, not being able not utter anything except for making a sort of choking sound. There was a moment where nothing moved or made a sound, until the axe slowly lowered, and she was released. Roine staggered forward, shaking slightly and not being able to breathe properly. Exxos looked stunned, but recovered quicker than Roine.

"Sorry… I thought that you were one of those cows that follow you around…" When Roine didn't answer he sheathed his axe and approached a bit. Maybe she felt insulted. He had mistaken her for a cow after all, and as Exxos knew, women were very touchy about this sort of stuff. "Are you ok…?" He asked hesitantly.

She nodded hastily, but still didn't say anything. She appeared to have been too shocked to have listened to his first comment.

"Sorry…" He repeated.

"I-it's ok." She finally managed to croak out. When she seemed to be a bit calmer he spoke again.

"Why did you follow?"

Roine observed him for a while. He didn't seem mad about it.

"You can talk?" It was a rather dumb question, but she had never really heard him speak like this before. But Exxos merely looked puzzled. "Never mind. I don't know why you went your own way, but I followed because I could not just leave you wander this place alone. It's too dangerous." She explained.

"I don't need your help." He said simply, then turned around and started walking away.

Roine went after him, trying to keep up with his pace. "You never know. Maybe you will." She retorted. He gave her a sideways glance, but other than that didn't comment.

- -

"It's too quiet." muttered Mikaela through gritted teeth. "Something is not right."

And indeed, right at that moment something shuffled behind her. Without hesitating, she took out one of her poison javelins and threw it fast, so that the others barely had the time to register what had happened. It turned out that the thing lurking in the shadows was a dark minion. The javelin had gone right through it, leaving it dead. But maybe killing it seemed somewhat rash upon a closer inspection of her surroundings.
All around the five heroes appeared dark minions just like the one Mikaela had killed. Only these had a little backup. Behind them stood big misshapen giants, smoke already coming out of their mouths. Just seeing those butt-ugly-would-be-faces would be enough to make someone flee. But luckily for our heroes, they all managed to keep their pants dry. Devilkin, bone mages and warriors, and dark shamans were also present. Among them, a shaman with a bluer tinge was prominent. Obviously, this one was the leader along with a tainted giant.

One of the shamans raised his staff, gave a stupid grin, and waved it here and there a few times. There was a burst of fire behind, and turning to look, Mikaela saw that the minion she had previously killed was standing there looking very alive. It gave a snicker and was waving its club at Mikaela as if mocking her.

Nothing moved. The five companions held their breaths. The only sounds that could be heard were the snickering of the Dark minions and Faelach's wolves growling. Mikaela had grabbed another javelin and was glaring defiantly at the monsters, as if daring them to attack. Meanwhile Andros had his hand on his sword handle, but didn't take it out because he figured that that might rouse the creatures. He was scanning the surroundings, registering just how many he could take down in the shortest amount of time possible. Faelach was also scanning his surroundings, but he was thinking about the bad position they had ended up in, rather than smashing skulls with his mace. Estele had already taken a fighting position. She hadn't said a word since they had started the journey.

Zeke was rooted on the spot. However, he recovered enough to take a step back, and run right into a barrel, which tumbled over, fell on the floor and rolled over until it made contact with the wall where it exploded with a big bang. That did it. Poor Zeke had only enough time to mouth a 'sorry' to Mikaela who was now glaring daggers at him. The last thing he could think of was that he hoped Exxos and Roine didn't end up in a similar position, before the monsters all lunged forward at the same time.

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Well, that's the first part. They're going kill Andariel next time. I changed this chapter because I didn't like the way I had made it before.