CHAPTER XVI
"These men are on official Guild business. You and yer' ilk aren't needed here, Rogue." The Miqo'te snatched the contract from the man, looking it over before handing it to Maleko.
The brothers signed their names sloppily across the contract, granting them the permission to enter the Seagrot. The contract stated that forty percent of all treasures found therein, would belong to the brothers, however the city-state would not be responsible for recovery or rescue if things were to go awry.
Taking the contract, the Yellowjacket shot the Miqo'te one last disapproving glance, and then headed back to the city to file the document with the guild.
/
After a moment of awkward silence, the Miqo'te heaved a sigh, "I suppose I owe ye' an apology mates…"
Maleko shook his head. "Tis' alright, friend, my brother and I aren't exactly the most upright lookin' duo." Maleko grinned, nodding towards Bhaldryss "Especially him… if he weren't me brother, I'd take him for a criminal as well!"
"Marcellus Stryder" the Rogue introduced himself, offering a hand, which Maleko clasped. "But ye' can call me Marcel.
Marcellus proceeded to explain that he was here to scout out the cavern. They had given him direct orders not to engage the Pirates directly; however it was obvious to Maleko that the young Miqo'te was itching for combat.
"Well, Marcel. I've an idea ya' might like." Maleko began. "My brother and I've been sent to do a bit o'… cleanin' up in that there cavern. How about you come 'scout' said cavern, while we do the cleanin', and… twelve forbid, if we were to get ourselves into 'trouble' ye'd be obligated to step in, aye?"
A wide smile spread across Marcellus' face as he nodded. "Aye, as law abidin' residents o' Limsa, if you dimber dambers got into a bit o' trouble, I'd be obliged to lend me daddles. I think ye've got yerself a deal."
Bhaldryss clapped the man on the back, causing him to wince under the brutish strength of the Roegadyn. "Just careful wit' them stickers o' yours… Ye' almost took me eye out!"
/
Spirits high, Bhaldryss led the way as the companions entered the Seagrot, the yawning entry turned into a narrow tunnel. Their soft boots whispered across the ground as the light of day faded behind them.
The small tunnel opened into a large open cavern, and bats scattered overhead, screeching at the intruders. All three men scanned the surroundings, ready to draw their weapons at a moment's notice. Odd, glowing plants gave the dank cave an eerie glow.
A narrow shelf of land formed a bridge, leading further into the cavern, two burning pillars of what seemed to be aether, spiral on either side of the bridge. Approaching the ledge, the three adventurers looked down into gloomy darkness.
After a few moments, Maleko motions for them to move on, crossing the land bridge and coming to a split in the path. The trail slopes down one way, and there seems to be a dead end in the other. Maleko and Bhaldryss begin down the slope, but Marcellus stops them.
He pointed towards the dead end, blinking his golden eyes, adjusting to the darkness sooner than the brothers. "There's… something in those plants" His ears swivel towards any and every noise, ready for the possibility of a trap as they approached a small pile of debris amongst the sparse plants.
"Eh… it's nothin' mate." Maleko huffs, pushing over the remains of a broken crate, "Let's keep mov-". .He trails off, stooping down to pick up a bloody scrap of paper on the floor. His companions gather around him, reading over his shoulder. "The Capten lykes his sees Bloo."
"What kind of gibberish is that?" Marcellus questions.
Maleko shrugs, pocketing the paper and stands up. "Beats me… "He scans the dead end one last time, then nods back the way they came "Looks like there's nothing here after all… let's keep moving."
Turning down the sloping path, they soon approach a rounded cliff, a sheer drop to their right, and a new path to their left. As they move to continue down the new path, bats swoop out of the darkness, screeching and flying all about their heads. Maleko and Marcellus crouch low, but Bhaldryss begins swinging all about him, managing to knock a few from the sky, falling broken to the ground. "Damned flyin' rats…"
Suddenly, jellyfish like creatures swarm up from the deep dark depths. They rush the three men, tiny jolts of electricity striking wherever their tentacles touch.
"The three men back away from the cliff, towards the path; slashing and striking any of the creatures that came within reach. As quickly as it had started, it was over. The creatures went down easily, their squishy bodies giving way and falling to the ground with a splat. Marcellus wiped his blade off on his boots, frowning in disgust. "Nasty little buggers… mucked up me stabbers."
Sheathing their weapons, the adventurers continued further into the cavern. Glowing plants lit their path as they proceed with more caution, ready for enemies to burst out at any moment.
The path ends, opening up into a huge cavern, the ceiling vaulting up over an underground lake. Natural shelves of land and arching bridges wind around the lake, separated by dark, murky water. Mere ilms away, little glowing lights dance around a giant-clam as it opens and closes, giving the shelf of land an almost surreal look.
Curious, Maleko approaches one of the lights, and suddenly, they all burn brighter, shooting tiny fireballs at him. One scorches his jacket, but he manages to dive out of the way, rolling on the ground, and pulling his weapon from his back as he stood.
"Yer' curiosity will be the death of you, Broda!" Bhaldryss charges forward, swatting the little lights left and right, extinguishing them one by one, but they seem to just keep coming, circling the three companions, and dancing tauntingly as they shoot little balls of fire. Minutes feel like eternity as the companions wheel about, cutting, slashing, and ducking out of the way of stray fireballs.
Managing to duck out of the way the circling balls of light, Marcellus scans the battle field quickly. "There! Each time we put one out, another comes from that bloody clam!" The clam opens its mouth, glowing with an unnatural light, and releasing more little flames.
Clearing the lights in front of him with a sweep of his lance, Maleko skips forward, throwing his lance overhand as the clam opens once more. The cavern reverberates with a high pitched squeal as the clam dies, closing once more, and the little lights fall to the ground, fading into nothing.
Maleko wipes his face, clearing a layer of thick ash and sweat as he pulls his lance from the dead creature. His leather coat is burnt in several faces, and he frowns. "This was my favorite coat… bloody magick creatures, nothin' natural about them."
Continuing forward, they descend down a small land ramp, leading to the edge of the murky lake.
Marcellus approaches the edge of the water, looking down and whistling in disbelief. "Phew… I'd hate to fall in that… Who knows what's down there?"
"Well then… yer' not going to like what comes next, mate." Maleko patted him on the shoulder in mock comfort. "We're going to have to cross those bits o' coral and plants to get to the other side there…"
Spongey water plants, held together by a layer of coral, float on the surface of the lake, just close enough to form a makeshift bridge from one bit of land to the next.
Marcellus gave him a haughty glance as they set out across the plants, stepping lightly on each, testing them before putting their full weight down, each one giving way slightly under their step.
Another group of tiny lights dance around a clam on the next patch of land. The three men kept to the shallows, opting to avoid an unnecessary battle as they skirted the land. Progress was slow as they made their way across the lake, crossing plants, and land bridges.
Marcellus ran into Maleko as the Hyur suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Oi' what's the deal?" his ears twitched irritably.
"Sorry mate… but I think I see something", he apologized; pointing passed yet another group of lights. In the dull glow beside the clam was the unmistakable shape of a treasure chest, half buried in the sand. "Y'kno we have to go get that, right?" He said with a grin, readying his lance.
Marcellus sighed, placing a hand on Maleko's lance. "Wait… you two stay here, I'll get it."
Stalking forward, the Miqo'te seemed to fade into the darkness, creeping along the shallow edge of the land until he reached the chest. The lights danced, undisturbed, as he slowly opened the chest, scooping the contents into a sack.
Appearing out of the darkness, he returns to the brothers, an odd, taunting, grin spread across his face. He holds out his hand, placing something in Maleko's eager palm. "Here ya' go, hope it was worth it mate."
"A potion?! All of that for a damned potion?! … Who in the hells puts a bloody potion in a treasure chest?!" Maleko fumes, his hopes dashed by the less than spectacular treasure.
Drawn by the angry venting of the young Hyur, a giant, ugly fish erupts from the water, charging them.
Marcellus pulls Maleko out of the way, just as the scalekin's jaws clamp shut where he had just stood. The beast scrabbles on the damp stones, turning towards the men but before it can charge once more, Bhaldryss slams his axe down, crushing it in one blow.
Wiping his axe off on the damp ground, he shoves the beast back into the waters with his foot. "Blech… now ye' know what's down there."
Continuing forward, it is not long until they reach the other side of the cavern. Three oddly glowing coral formations, one red, one blue, and one green, await them in what looks like a dead end. Spreading out, the men look for a way forward. After a few moments of searching, Marcellus motions to the others, pointing to the wall, and placing his ear against it, twitching them slightly as he listens.
A slight whistling can be heard, and following the noise with his sensitive ears, he finds the outline of a false wall.
"Trick wall… but how do we open it?"
Spreading out once more, it takes little time before Maleko examines the coral formations closer, finding small switches in their base.
"Great, so we have switches… and a false wall, but which do we press?" Maleko ponders aloud. "I'm sure if we push the wrong one, some sort of trap will be triggered."
The three adventurers circle around, silence falls over them as they mull over the issue. The only sounds to be heard are drips of water, and every now and again, an odd scraping noise.
Losing patience, Bhaldryss begins to approach the nearest formation. "Bleed it all, I say we push them all at once."
Maleko shrugs, moving towards another, but stops as Marcellus exclaims. "The note! What'd that damned note say? "
Maleko pulls the note from his pocket. "The Capten likes his sees Bloo…. press the blue one!"
Marcellus moves to the blue coral, taking a deep breath, and then presses the switch. As he presses it, an inconspicuous switch lights up with a dull glow beside the false wall.
"Weapons out, gents, who knows what comes next…" Marcellus warns, moving to press the switch, but suddenly the cavern comes alive with a fearsome growling. Out of the darkness bounds a Couerl, snarling fiercely at the intruders. Saliva drips from its fangs as it snaps at them.
Bhaldryss draws his axe just in time, guarding himself as the giant cat strikes forth with its wicked curved claws. Its body seems to crackle with energy, and the air sizzles around it.
The Roegadyn stands before the creature, beating his chest slowly in challenge. As they circle each other, taking swipes back and forth, Maleko and Marcellus flank the beast, looking for an opening.
With a sudden rush, the Couerl throws its body into Marcellus, knocking the Miqo'te flat, and stealing the wind from him. As he scrabbles to get up, the beast turns towards Maleko, aiming to knock him down as well, so that it can focus on the largest of the 'prey'.
Stepping to the side, Maleko sweeps the ground with his lance, tripping the beast and sending it stumbling into one of the coral formations. Brittle coral gives way with a crack, as the Couerl howls angrily, shaking off the debris and turning back to his prey.
Marcellus manages to regain his feet, cursing the creature under his breath as he fumbles in one of his pouch pockets, producing a small vial of a cloudy liquid. "Let's see 'ow ya' like this, ya' overgrown cat…"
Angry golden eyes dart back and forth, watching the three adventurers closely as they spread out, attempting to corner him. With a battle cry, Maleko charges forward on the beasts left, spinning his lance in wild arcs as he moves forward.
Turning to face this peculiar display, the beast fails to notice Marcellus slip in close. A searing pain shoots through his body as the Miqo'te's wicked daggers pierce his leathery hide. Swiping blindly, the creature backs away from the adventurers as an odd numbing sensation begins to spread across his body.
Marcellus rolls out of the way, keeping his distance from the creature's lethal claws, and throwing daggers. Knives stick into the creatures body, like a pin cushion, each one coated with a layer of paralytic poison, the same that he had used to pierce the beasts body.
Seeing the creatures movements become more lethargic, Bhaldryss moves in, slowly backing the Couerl into a corner. The Roegadyn meets the creatures gaze as it backs into the cavern wall, his inner beast burning in his fearsome eyes. Unable to look away, the creature swipes desperately at the man before him.
Bhaldryss pivots just out of the way of the swiping claw, spinning his axe in a full circle, and bashing the beast in the face with the blunt end, sending it stumbling to the ground. He steps forward, axe poised to end the creatures life, but suddenly its body seems to crackle and hum with energy.
Marcellus tackles the Roegadyn out of the way, just as the Couerl discharges a blinding surge of electricity in a circle around him. As the light fades away, the creature is visibly exhausted, thick lather foaming from its mouth as it pants heavily.
Seeing his opportunity, Maleko rushes forward. As the beast opens its maw to roar in frustration at the Miqo'te that had stolen his prey from him, he is interrupted, Maleko's spear exploding through his chest, and into his heart, snuffing out the creature's life in a brutal spray of blood.