Requiem: Chapter Eight...

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The mansion was quiet as they entered the front door. Skulduggery had a flame burning in his palm despite the protective wards around the house remaining undisturbed. They searched the downstairs together, circling back to the living room just as Ghastly, Tanith and a blonde man appeared with a soft pop.

"I told you not to Teleport into the mansion, Fletcher," Tanith grumbled. "The sigils would have fried us if they weren't already here." She gestured at Skulduggery and Valkyrie as she spoke. The blonde rolled his eyes and disappeared again.

"Thank you for coming," the skeleton said, letting the flame in his palm die out for the moment. "Right now there are no signs of intrusion and the grounds are quiet. I think we've beaten them here, which is a good thing.

"How do you know Requiem wants the armour?" Ghastly asked. He had a package tucked under his arm.

"Sacrament called to warn us of a change in the vision. Valkyrie managed to contact a Sensitive that was willing to show us and what we saw was...well, it wasn't good."

"Lord Vile killed me," she said. Tanith's brow furrowed and Ghastly's eyes widened.

"You're going to need these then," he said, handing the package to her. She watched as Skulduggery cocked his head.

"You made her clothes? How did you find the time?"

"With great difficulty," he answered before turning to her. "I memorised your measurements the first day we met, figuring that those who spend time with Skulduggery usually end up getting hit a lot. I finished them just before Tanith arrived at my home."

"Thank you," she answered, touched that he was looking out for her. They turned their backs as she shrugged the clothes on, deciding it was safer not to let her wander off alone.

The clothes were the deepest black and form fitting. The material was similar to leather but softer, and she could tell it was strong. He'd made her a sleevless shirt with a hardened underbust corset attached to it. She tugged it over her head, not needing to unlace the fastening on its front. It seemed to expand to accomodate her before retracting to sit flush to her stomach as it settled in place. The jacket was long sleeved and close-fitting, but left more than enough room to move. It stopped just above her knees and could be fasted with a zip and two buckles at her waist, though she chose to leave it open. Her trousers were plain black and the boots laced up to her knees. With her new clothes on she felt bullet proof.

"They're perfect," she said, and they turned to face her. Skulduggery's head tilted again as he watched her silently. Tanith nodded in approval.

"You look ready to kick ass," she said with a grin.

"I'm glad you like them," Ghastly added. She shrugged the strap back over her shoulders, fixing the quarterstaff in place on her back. "They should protect you from bullets and magical attacks to a certain extent. Blades won't cut through them."

"Thank you, Elder Bespoke."

"Oh, just Ghastly will do, I think." She smiled broadly.

"Are we ready?" Tanith asked. They nodded. "Let's get this over with."

"We need the key before we can get into the Caves. I left it in Gordon's study once the seal was replaced. I'll be back in a minute." They waited while he disappeared, and he returned a moment later carrying a small box. He opened the lid to reveal an oddly shaped silver brooch nestled on the plush cushion inside.

"Wait a minute, isn't that the brooch Gordon left to Fergus and Beryl?"

"I'm surprised you remember it," he answered smoothly.

"I couldn't forget it if I wanted to. She shrieked at me because I got the house."

"Gordon never could resist an ironic joke." He led them to the basement, running his hands along one of the walls until he found the faintest indentation in the brick. He pressed the brooch into it and the wall opened up to reveal a dark, damp tunnel. "In here are creatures that are immune to magic and will eat whatever they find," he warned. "Stay close and keep quiet." He summoned a flame and Valkyrie copied him, casting light through the dark. Even with the fire flickering between her fingers, she could only see a few yards in front. Skulduggery held his other hand out to read the air as they walked further in, trying to detect hidden dangers.

"I hate this place," Tanith glowered quietly. Valkyrie chuckled, but it died in her throat as she glanced at the other two men. Both of them were tensed up as though they expected an attack at any minute. Skulduggery led them through several turnings and passageways before he stopped abruptly and put a hand up.

"Put out your flame," he said quietly. He let his own fire go out and Valkyrie glanced back to find Tanith and Ghastly had disappeared. She glimpsed the blonde running up the wall as Ghastly pressed himself into a crevice in the rock. Valkyrie snuffed out the light, feeling her heart pound in her chest. She felt something on her arm and then she was pulled back and her mouth was covered. She was a second away from screaming when a voice whispered in her ear. "I've got you," Skulduggery said almost too softly to hear. "I know you can't see, but I can. Stay still." She felt him shift so that her back was to the stone and he was in front of her. He took away the hand at her mouth and rested it on her shoulder as a rumbling growl rattled through the tunnel. The detective pressed her against the rock, concealing both of them in a small alcove. Her eyes began to adjust to the gloom enough to make out vague lines, but it wasn't enough to know what was happening yet. They stayed there for what felt like forever. Her heart hammered so hard she was sure Skulduggery could feel it tapping against his own chest.

A few seconds later his hand pressed against her mouth again, and she knew what he was trying to say. Hold your breath. She did, and she felt him shift, turning his head to watch the creature shuffle past his periphery. The brim of his hat brushed her forehead as he moved, and yet she couldn't see even a hint of his skull in the darkness. The gloom shifted again as her eyes grew more accustomed to it, and she could make out the shape of broad shoulders and pointed ears shuffling away from them. She held her breath until she couldn't hold it anymore, and then let it out as slowly and as quietly as she could. Skulduggery put his mouth next to her ear.

"The creature is blind but it has excellent hearing. We need to stay here until I can't sense it shifting the air anymore." She nodded her acknowledgement of his near silent instruction, breathing as shallowly as she could. He turned away from her, backing up until her hands were on his shoulder blades to keep her hidden. One of his hands reached back to snag the corner of her jacket, the other stretching out to read the air. They waited like that for several long minutes before Skulduggery relaxed enough to let go of her coat and step away. She panicked as he let go, claustrophobia clawing at her throat as the darkness pressed in around her. She tried to breathe evenly in through her mouth and out through her nose, keeping her back against the rock. He wouldn't leave her there, would he? What if he thought she was behind him and he was already leaving with Tanith and Ghastly? She'd be alone there in the dark, with no idea how to get out, surrounded by monsters. What if-

He found her hand in the dark, cutting off her spiral of panic as he squeezed her fingers. She recognised the feel of his leather glove even though she couldn't see him. She let him lead her away from the wall as he called out quietly to their companions. The faintest rustle signalled their approach, and then skulduggery lit the smallest flame in his free hand, just enough to illuminate his skull.

"Well that was fun," Tanith whispered as they huddled round the flame, trying their best to stop the light escaping their small group and alerting the creatures around them.

"From here I think it best to travel without light. The creatures in here are attracted to magic, we need to keep it to a minimum while we still have the advantage of being hidden. The less we have to kill, the more will be waiting for Requiem when he gets here." Skulduggery kept a tight hold on Valkyrie's hand even with the faint light. She looked down to see Ghastly had a similar hold on Tanith. "Ghastly and I will use the air currents to keep track of what's around us. I'll lead us to the armour. Ghastly, keep me in front of you as much as you can."

"No fear, I'd rather you get hit than me," he chuckled softly.

"I'm going to let the light die now. Stay close and stay quiet." The flame sputtered out and Valkyrie was blinded once again by the oppressive blackness that swamped them. The only anchor in that horrific dark world was Skulduggery's hand in hers, guiding her along. It took less time for her eyes to adjust after the light was extinguished, and she began to see vague shapes in the dark again. "Back," the detective said softly. "Go back, quickly." She backed up as quickly as she could without stumbling, crouching as he tugged her down behind what looked like a boulder on the ground. She heard the slightest sound of their companions ducking out of sight behind them. "Phalanx tigers," he said softly. "Ugly things."

She could hear them. It sounded like they were fighting. Vicious snarls and snapping sounds filtered through the rocky warren as the animals drew closer. Skulduggery shifted to put her further behind him again. The boulder was barely big enough to conceal them both as the sound of shattering rock and howling reached them. She could just make out the inky sillhouettes of two hairy creatures slashing at one another with their claws. One of them backed up continuously while the other advanced, unrelenting. The retreating creature tore a large chunk from the wall and hurled it. The other batted it away with a huge paw. Skulduggery barely had time to turn away, pulling Valkyrie towards him as the rock collided with them. He took the brunt of the impact against his back, the force of it pushing him forwards. Valkyrie lost her footing and landed on her backside as the shattering stone drew a low grunt of pain from the detective, forcing him forwards even as he put his arms up to protect her from any shrapnel. He collided with her and they hit the ground in a tangle of limbs, not daring to move until the creatures had taken their fighting far enough away for the snarls to fade.

"Ouch," he groaned as he untangled himself from her.

"Are you okay?" She sat up in the dark and felt his hand stop her abruptly.

"I will be if you can manage not to headbutt me," he was very close to her face. His voice came from only an inch away. There was a hint of amusement in his tone.

"Sorry."

"It's alright." He didn't move away from her, instead laying a hand against her cheek where a shard of rock had left a shallow split in the skin. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"A few bruises but I'll be okay. You?"

"I think I cracked a collar bone. Otherwise I'm peachy." Eventually he got slowly to his feet, finding her hand again to haul her up after him. "I think I may have cracked a rib as well."

"Thanks for saving me," she answered.

"It's becoming a habit." She resisted the urge to laugh even as he tugged her deeper into the caves. Eventually they reached a yawning cavern in the wall that opened out into utter blackness. Skulduggery lit a flame in his palm and held it up to light the space. Valkyrie followed suit, and Ghastly copied them a moment later. The cavern was as tall as it was wide, the walls and ceiling disappearing beyond the bubble of light their fires created. She followed him further in, only stopping when a raised stone dais came into view. On the dais sat a heavy wooden box with a large sigil carved into its front. In the box was the armour of Lord Vile.

"Is this it?" Tanith asked. Skulduggery nodded and let go of Valkyrie's hand to approach it. She followed as he snuffed out his fire and knelt down in front of it.

"The sigil is still active." He reached out and touched two gloved fingers to the glowing ward, stiffening as it sent a surge of energy through him. He grunted in pain, but it died down after a few seconds and he lifted the lid. Valkyrie saw the telltale gleam of metal concealed within. "It's still here." He shut the lid and pressed the sigil again, sealing the armour away with another sizzle of electricity.

"Are you telling me we now have to go through these caves with a heavy box as well as being totally blind in here?"

"Yes."

"There's no need for that," said a booming voice from the cavern entrance. Valkyrie's heart sank as Requiem Jones walked into view, flanked by a group of Infected. "Thank you for leading me to my prize, Mr Pleasant."

"You know, Baron Vengeous tried this before and we beat his ass for it," Tanith said casually, drawing her sword. "Why should you be any different?"

"The Baron was a fool. I don't seek to wear the armour. I seek it's owner. He went wrong when he believed he was strong enough to control it. I am not so weak minded."

"Lord Vile is dead," Skulduggery answered. "You won't find him here."

"Interesting," Requiem replied, narrowing his yellow eyes. He was tall and broad, with thick shoulders and a ragged scar running across the bridge of his nose. "A living skeleton with all of the disadvantages of the human body, and none of the good parts. I bet that's annoying."

"Why does every villain make the same speech? Yes I'm a skeleton, yes I feel pain, no I can't do many things that a normal man can, and yes I've heard it all before. Can we skip ahead to the punching part?"

"With pleasure." Requiem raised his hand in Tanith's direction and she stiffened and punched Ghastly in the face.

"Well that won't do," was all the skeleton said before he launched himself across the cavern. Valkyrie pulled out her quarterstaff, snapping the two halves together and laying into the Infected. Ghastly's armoured clothes dulled the blows and stopped the biting teeth piercing her skin, but still the fight was uneven. She tried to work smart as Skulduggery threw elbows and knees at whatever he could reach. She couldn't help glancing over as he delivered a spinning kick to one Infected before rocking the head of another with his fists. Tanith's body moved less gracefully than normal as Requiem used her like a puppet, forcing her to fight Ghastly. He blocked the strikes and backed away, unwilling to hit her back. Valkyrie used Requiem's distraction to dive at his legs, colliding with his hips hard enough to stagger him. The hold he had on Tanith broke and she leapt into the throng of Infected without missing a beat, Ghastly by her side.

Requiem kicked Valkyrie in the jaw, snapping her head back. She tasted blood as she was forced onto her back. A fireball hit their opponent as he got to his feet, igniting his sleeve. He slapped the flame out with an annoyed grunt and moved to smash his boot down on Valkyrie's chest. She brought up a wall of shadows to protect herself and rolled away from him, grabbing her fallen quarterstaff just in time to slam it into the groin of a lunging Infected. The man she hit snarled and staggered, before running at her so fast she barely had time to curl up as he slammed into her. She bounced off him like a pinball before getting to her feet. Tanith slammed the hilt of her sword against his head from behind and he crumpled.

Most of the Infected were down but Requiem was still on his feet and facing off against Ghastly. Skulduggery put down another bitten assailant and looked around, seeming surprised that nobody else wanted to hit him. He glanced at the wooden box which remained safely closed before pressing his hands to the ground. The floor rumbled and Ghastly danced back as huge spears of rock shot upwards, concealing Requiem behind a spiked stone wall. Valkyrie had never seen anybody strong enough to use the Earth element that way.

"Whoa," she said softly. Her mouth fell open as Skulduggery rose from the ground, rising to see if he had indeed manage to skewer the enemy like he'd hoped. A tense moment passed, and then the rock crumbled and Requiem charged through the dust. Ghastly threw an uppercut that would've knocked any normal man unconscious. The yellow eyed man staggered but didn't fall. Tanith leapt in to slash at him at the same time as Valkyrie jumped forwards to crack her quarterstaff across his back. Skulduggery sent a fireball into his chest, but the larger man snuffed it out quickly and kicked out Tanith's knee. She staggered back with a pained cry, and he crunched a boot against her chest. Her feet lifted off the ground and she slammed into Skulduggery, knocking him out of the air. A thick hand snaked out and clenched round Valkyrie's throat, lifting her into the air before slamming her repeatedly into the floor. She felt the stone splinter and thanked Ghastly mentally again for the clothes that prevented the worst of her injuries. The Elder stiffened as Requiem regained control and began to corrupt him, and Valkyrie took the opportunity to reach up and poke her opponent right in his yellow eyes. He snarled and reeled away, losing his grip on Ghastly as he did.

"Give up, Requiem. You're outnumbered," Skulduggery called.

"You'll have to kill me first, detective," he answered as he straightened up.

"I thought you'd never ask."

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