Chapter Three
Hell is full of miners.
I awoke to the candle maiden chanting "Soul of the lost, key to life's ether, let strength be granted so the world might be mended." Looking around I saw the Nexus, and the crazy man at the archstones. Hefting myself up, I grabbed my sword, and advanced to the stones. Ignoring the man's mutterings, I touched the stone one flight up from the castle's stone.
The rush filled me, and whisked me off to a large, somewhat dingy area. It looked to be a mine, from what I could tell. I crossed the bridge leading to the mine's workhouse, when out of nowhere, massive rocks were thrown at my head. I'd managed to step back, but the impact of the rocks had shaken the bridge, loosening the pathway bricks. Taking this last chance, I dashed across, and just in time. The bridge collapsed just as I'd managed to get off of it.
I looked up and yelled at the idiots on top of the workhouse "Oi! Look out below, or a warning of some sort would have been really nice, you twits!" Then I though for a moment. "Oh. Probably had their souls stolen by whatever beast has made its nest here. Trying to kill me, no doubt. I'll return the favor." I stepped into the workhouse, and saw several yellow eyes look at me. They just turned back to whatever was in front of them, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I wasn't ready to fight just yet.
I found an elevator nearby, and took it. Up to the top I went, and there was a fat man. Laughing, he spewed fire from his hand at me, and I sidestepped him. I stepped forward, and swung my claymore at him. He tried to sidestep, but did so right into my blade. Forcing him down, I stabbed into his back, forcing his armor to split so that I could kill him. As his soul, and the ones he's stolen flowed into me, I found the two miners who'd thrown the rocks at me. I stabbed one with my claymore, and the other tried to punch me. Before he could finish the wind-up, I'd sent my blade through his throat, sending his essence spattering on the rocks he'd intended to throw. Their souls felt weak, almost non-existent as they joined with mine. Back down again, and the miners there were glaring at me. They had become hostile toward me, and it was time to get hostile right back. I hefted my blade into a defensive stance, and prepared for a horde.
They came at me with picks, hammers and fists. A stray hammer caught me in the leg once, but instead of going down, I used my sword to re-balance, and crush the miners closest to me. Down they went, blow by blow. Soon, their corpses surrounded me. "Hmm." I muttered to myself. "I've not even left the first room, yet here we are." I pressed on, killing miner after miner, and fat men as well. I neared what seemed to be a doorway, but blocked by jars. The jars burst, and suddenly a pack of dogs was lunging at me. "Aw crap." I said, reaching for my dagger, and one-handing my claymore. Stabbing the dogs with my dagger was surprisingly difficult, but then again, I'd never been terribly dexterous. When they came near, I simply swung my sword, and caught two of them in the jaw. Vicious, yes, but they were attacking me.
Moving along, more miners, dogs and fat men were struck down on my way to the belly of the mine. I looked around for a moment. "Awful lot of spider web down here. I wonder why?" I wouldn't be wondering soon enough.