Chapter 36: Eyeaduct's Skeletons

Once Aonghus, Matthias, and Gavin stepped through the white door, they found themselves in a dreary landscape that consisted of a series of small islands in a vast body of water shrouded in mist. But one distinguishing feature was a large skull positioned on a raised rock with pumpkin-lit stairs leading up to it on the island opposite of the one the Mercenaries were standing on. However, before they had the chance to move, Skeletons appeared out of the mist in various shapes and sizes with a green aura surrounding them.

"Kill 'em all!" Aonghus cried and charged at the Skeletons.

Matthias and Gavin followed his example and they fought their way across the island towards the one with the giant skull where a looming Skeleton emerged. He looked like all the others but was slightly taller and wore a crown on his bare skull. The Mercenaries figured that he was the Skeleton King, and so they pressed on. However, every time they destroyed a Skeleton, another would take its place to allow the former to put itself back together before attacking once more. As a result, the Skeletons proved harder than the Mercenaries expected, and they soon became exhausted.

"Is this the best you can do?" roared the Skeleton King. "I'm thoroughly disappointed. If you can't take down my men, then you have no chance against me."

"Don't jump to conclusions, Skeleton King," Aonghus cried, lifting the Lahnin Géar sword into the air, which gave off a faintly bright light. "For I hold in my hand the re-forged blade of Iomhar, my ancestor."

"Oh, really? Then let's see how well it does against my blade!" The Skeleton King made an inhuman scream, which made the Mercenaries cover their ears as the other Skeletons lifted themselves into the air and flew towards the Skeleton King.

To the Mercenaries' amazement, the Skeletons merged with Skeleton King, turning into a great mass of bones. As the mist cleared, the mass became the upper-half of a giant Skeleton with the Skeleton King's skull and crown on top, having grown several sizes larger than before. Then raising his right hand, the Skeleton King reached inside his rib-cage and pulled out a sword that looked exactly like Aonghus' only the hilt was made gold. With this blade, the Skeleton King raised it above his head and made a strike down towards Aonghus. Fortunately, Aonghus managed to stop the enormous blade from crushing him, though its weight made him sag.

"Don't try to interfere, lads!" Aonghus said just as Matthias was about to fire his Huntsman's Bow and Gavin was about to strike with his Jag Wrench. "This is my fight, and mine alone!"

"If that's the case, then you wouldn't mind if I eliminated your 'colleagues,'" the Skeleton King said as several Skeletons appeared behind Matthias and Gavin.

But Matthias and Gavin heard them, and turned their attention to the Skeletons that were approaching Aonghus' back, while he in turn struggled to overcome the Skeleton King's blade. After a few moments, Aonghus' knees started to give way, but he stood his ground and glared up at the Skeleton King. Then suddenly, the Lahnin Géar sword's faint light grew brighter and even more as Aonghus pushed the Skeleton King's blade further up.

The Skeleton King shook his head. "You're wasting your time, Demoman. You'll break the sword if you keep this up."

"I'm aware of that, but I trust this sword won't break," Aonghus replied.

Then when the sword was at its brightest, Aonghus roared at the top of his lungs and swung the Lahnin Géar blade in an upward swing that was so strong that it caused the Skeleton King to nearly let go of his blade. In response, the Skeletons that were attacking Matthias and Gavin vanished along with the others that merged with the Skeleton King. The mist returned and the Skeleton King reappeared before Aonghus.

"Well done, descendant of Iomhar," the Skeleton King said slowly."You withheld against my attacks despite the odds and that blade of yours is a fine one, indeed. Now why have you come here?"

Aonghus hesitated, and then I said, "The Robots are about to attack Bigrock once more, and I need your help."

"Need my help now, do you, after all these years we've been locked in this unholy prison and used as a Wizard's mere playthings? What's the catch?"

"Eh?"

"What will you give us in return?"

"Freedom."

"Freedom? That's a lofty promise. Will you swear to it?"

"Aye."

"Under the Mercenary's Oath?"

"Aye. As soon as Bigrock is safe, I will release you."

"Good. But if you go back on your word, then we won't hesitate to kill everyone in sight including you. Do I need to repeat myself?"

Aonghus shook his head.

"Head for Loot Island, that's the one with the skull on it, and you will find a portal that will lead you back into the world of the living."

"Thanks!"

As the Skeleton King vanished, Aonghus and his two companions made their way to the other island, ascended the steps leading up to the skull, and inside it they found a white door similar to the one they entered through. Without hesitation, the three Mercenaries entered the portal, and soon found themselves at the bottom of the mines in front of Bigrock where gunfire, explosions, and hundreds of metallic feet could be heard. In haste, Aonghus took up his Lahnin Géar sword and charged along the worn-down mine-cart rails up to the surface with Matthias and Gavin behind him and hundreds upon hundreds of Skeletons in their wake.

End of Chapter 36