Undeath Beckons

Chapter 14 – Drunk As A Monk

LOADING…

FETCHING CHARACTER DATA…

CHARACTER SELECTED: BLIGHTFIRE

ENTERING WORLD…

We burst through the doors, weapons drawn and spells at the ready. Alas, our fervor went to waste, as this corridor was deserted. Quick steps led us past row after row of prison cells—all empty—and torture devices—not all empty, but no living beings inside, either—as we headed toward the monastery proper. A wandering Scarlet patrol provided us with an outlet for our bloodlust; we tore them to pieces. As we navigated the twists and turns of the torture chambers, I began to wonder if we'd entered the wrong building by mistake. Where was everybody? There was clearly enough space in here to house numerous prisoners and guards, but no one was around. Oh well. Made our job easier.

Our feet carried us up a few flights of stairs, until we reached the central chamber. I consulted our map: this would lead us down each of the separate forks we needed to take. Time to get to work. Our first destination was, as we'd been instructed, the Library. We stole swiftly through a doorway and into another series of hallways, built from tan stones and lined with Scarlet banners. A Scarlet patrol became a scarlet puddle. We rounded a bend and found ourselves in an outdoor courtyard, littered with archery targets, weapon racks, and… bones?

"Release the hounds!" a deep voice bellowed. Our heads turned: a tall man in sleek goggles and thick gloves was standing on a platform above a massive cage. Houndmaster Loksey.

"Incoming!" Vorrel shouted, putting up his shield. A pack of six slavering dogs burst from the container, their fur deep red and their jaws dripping with frenzied saliva. The first of the group lunged and was parried quickly; Mitexi roasted it with a burst of fire, and her imp finished it off. Iyania was the victim of the second dog, but she dodged out of the way and thrust her daggers upward, severing its throat. The third and fourth hounds went after me. I backpedaled, tossing curses out as I dared, while my imp Quznam threw little blasts of fire.

"You'll not escape so easily!" the Houndmaster called. He blew a whistle. Instantly, the dogs around us seemed to grow in size and vigor, becoming even more ravenous than they were before. Enraged dogs: not good. Another pack of the creatures burst from a nearby doorway, looking equally ferocious.

"Get behind me!" Vorrel roared, his battle cry seeming to energize us. We changed formation rapidly, just as he created a wall with his shield, blocking the jaws of the hounds. From behind the protective wood and steel we threw spells and knives, slowing working away at the health of the beasts. Eventually they began to fall.

"My hounds! You'll pay!" Loksey barked, leaping from his perch.

I turned to order a strike, but Iyania was already gone, vanished in a puff of smoke. She reappeared behind the Houndmaster with daggers drawn, and delivered a cheap shot to his back. He toppled shortly after, and without their master to guide them, the dogs fled whining into the chambers we'd come from.

"Status report?" I asked.

"Still have all my bits," Mitexi said with a smirk.

"Got a new pair of specs," Iyania told us as she snapped them on. Their silver lenses complimented her red hair quite well. Savenia confirmed her good health, and after a bit of healing, Vorrel was ready to continue as well. I slipped the dog whistle off Loksey's broken neck and hung it around my own, alongside The Rake's claw from Lonek and the bolt I'd found in my bank vault. Quite a collection of trinkets.

"We've dealt with Loksey," I announced. "Let's take care of Arcanist Doan. Remember everyone, if we don't eliminate all of the Scarlet leadership before the Cathedral, we'll have to deal with them in a big gang." Nods all around. "Shadowstalkers, move out!" We marched on.

The courtyard led to a series of decorated hallways with vaulted ceilings and tapestries aplenty. Scarlet Monks and Mages occasionally impeded our progress, but they were no match for us. My imp became a nuisance, so I summoned the succubus Helyla instead. A side chamber held pilfered treasure, which went from stolen by Scarlets to stolen by Shadowstalkers. Another room contained a scroll detailing the plans for a tailored robe.

"I can make this!" Mitexi said excitedly, snatching up the pattern. We entered the Library proper, making short work of more Monks and Scarlet scholars. Mitexi looked around wide-eyed and said, "Hey Blight, aren't we supposed to-"

"Find the book, yes. Spread out and get searching!" I ordered. We scattered across the room, scanning the shelves one by one. I found myself on the west wall thumbing through title after title. Most were in Common, which I found unintelligible; I constantly referred back to a slip of paper on which I'd written the name of the tome we were seeking. Compendium of the Fallen. Not this one, or this one… I pulled book after book off the shelves, carelessly tossing them on the floor. It was so easy, so nonchalant to send them tumbling. Dare I say fun? I chuckled to myself as I pushed a whole shelf down, then clambered up a ladder to reach the higher tiers.

"What is the meaning of this? You will not defile these mysteries!" a powerful male voice shouted. I turned my head, nearly losing my grip on the ladder. I was six shelves up and in no position to fight, but it looked like the options were limited: Arcanist Doan-tall, bookish, and surrounded by a sparkling blue mana shield-and a cadre of six Scarlet Elite had stormed into the library, weapons drawn. Vorrel, Iyania, and Mitexi were all on ladders as well. Only Savenia was there to meet our assailants on the floor. Not good.

Savenia's green eyes flashed. She bit her lip and threw her hands outward, sending a wave of light toward the aggravated hit squad. A brilliant wall of yellow energy coalesced before our eyes, buying us a bit of time to slide down the ladders. But even before we could descend the full length and join the melee, Doan and his crew were already sending volleys of magic missiles into the shield wall.

"Shindu fallah na!" Savenia cried. Doan pushed past the barrier at last, lashing out with a Frostbolt. Savenia staggered back.

"Savy!" Iyania cried. She took a flying leap off the bookcase, her hair trailing behind her like a comet's tail, daggers flashing in the torchlight, and slammed Doan with a two-legged kick. He skidded sideways. His mana shield had absorbed most of the blow, but he was temporarily interrupted. Iya, meanwhile, performed a deft maneuver and leapt to her feet, ready to strike.

By now Mitexi, Vorrel, and I had managed to stumble down the ladders and were readying ourselves for combat. I launched a shadowbolt at Doan, and watched his mana shield absorb it. Damn! Thankfully it seemed Iyania's daggers were a bit more effective; she sliced and slashed, tearing his robes several times before taking a stiff punch to the cheek and backing away. A pair of Monks came at me.

"Helyla!" I thundered. The demoness shimmered into view. "Handle the left one!"

"Let's have some fun," she purred. Red magic shined from her clawed fingertips. One of the Monks suddenly stopped in his tracks and stared, enamored, at her pink skin and leathery bat wings. She beckoned him closer with a curled finger, grinning wickedly. I, meanwhile, unleashed my full regimen of curses and afflictions on the other Monk, who seemed more than happy to die. Perhaps that was only my impression, though.

"Blight!" Mitexi called. Two Scholars on her. I cast Fear on one of them and he fled, undoubtedly chased by nightmarish visions. Texi burned the other to a crisp and shoved his blackened body out of the way, pushing toward Doan. Vorrel had the Arcanist in a stun-lock, continually bashing him with his shield and slapping him with the butt of his sword. Doan's mana shield was flickering like a dying fire. Time to strike!

"Focus your attacks on Doan!" I ordered, adding a Curse of Agony to the mix and curving shadowbolts around Vorrel like a sharpshooter. Iyania left off her attacks on a nearby Scarlet and stabbed Doan in the shoulder, nearly piercing his armor. Mitexi and I poured out shadow and flame on him, and it was clear he'd soon fall.

"Burn in righteous fire!" Doan thundered. Our spells fizzled as a rising cascade of heat and light began to grow around him, swirling like a cyclone. The three remaining Scarlets saw what was happening... and ran.

"My attacks?" Iyania stammered. Her blades were bouncing harmlessly off Doan's new aura. Even Vorrel appeared shocked, and seeing as his face rarely displayed any emotion other than apathy, that was saying something. The whirling bands of energy gleamed with kinetic force, growing brighter and stronger by the second. Despite our magical training, none of us appeared to realize the obvious truth. I blinked and let out a gasp.

"Fall back! He's channeling a sp-" I started. FOOM! A terrible blast of holy fire radiated out of Doan, hurling us into the air in all directions. I spiraled across the library, clipped a brazier, and collided with a bookcase, knocking all the volumes down onto me as I hit the floor. The air left my putrid lungs, and I was dimly aware of a ringing sound as I struggled to remain conscious. My whole body throbbed with pain. "Ooagh..." I groaned.

I heard mixed screams and shouts from somewhere seemingly far away. But I was in no condition to keep fighting. I could feel something hot and wet against the skin of my neck. Blood. Black blood, curling and twisting through my hair, down into my robes. The pain became a white-hot tingle all over my body… then numbness. Waves of color swam before my eyes, and the seconds stretched into hours.

I spent those endless moments contemplating my situation: in the midst of a daring assault in enemy territory, I still had only a vague idea of who I was and what my life was like before undeath. My sister was out there somewhere. My past, too. And though I couldn't say why, I felt as though something even greater was just over the horizon, waiting to be discovered.

"I can't die here," I thought, panic setting in. Even my inner voice was raspy and strained. "I have too much to do! Cassandri needs my help!" My thoughts grew wild, unchained. "I have to get the truth about my tattoo, and see Lonek again, and help Mitexi, and… and… and I have to stop David Trias! And I have to find… that damn dreadlord who… wait, but I… I… I have to… have… to…"

"She's awake!" Mitexi said excitedly. "She's okay!" I felt cool undead hands lifting me up into a rough sitting position. A waterskin was pushed into my palm. With some difficulty, I took a drink. There was a word jumbling around in my skull. Dreghood? Dreamboat? I couldn't remember. Everything was still a little blurry.

"Wappened?" I asked, slurring.

"Doan's dead," Mitexi informed me cheerfully. "We killed him extra hard, just for you."

"Atta girl," I grunted. Now I could finally see again. The library was a wreck. Almost every shelf was empty, and the floor was piled high with charred books. Doan's corpse, as well as the bodies of the six Scarlets, was shoved away in a neat pile at one end of the chamber, all useful gear stripped away. Vorrel stood around looking disinterested, while Mitexi, Iyania, and Savenia hovered near me.

"Can you stand?" Iyania asked. Savenia mumbled something in Thalassian, and studied me carefully.

I tested my limbs. "Yeah," I said, rising to my feet. Whoa, headrush… but it passed, and I felt relatively strong again. A bit on the woozy side, perhaps, and the blood on my skin felt sticky, but otherwise alive. As alive as a zombie gets, I mean. "How'd you do it?"

"Simple enough," Iyania informed me as she shuffled a few choice textbooks into her pack. "You took the biggest hit in the blast. The rest of us got back up quickly, and Doan had nothing left to fight us with. Mitexi dealt the killing blow."

Texi make an exploding motion from her chest. "I used that new spell you taught me. Conflagrate. Messy." She laughed. "I said, 'Nobody does that to my friend and lives!' It was badass!"

This made me smile. "Nice," I told her. Gods, what was that word? Dressmaker? Derelict? Deadcord? "Did you find the book?" Books, everywhere. Books tumbling through my vision. Wings, and armor.

"We found it," Iyania replied.

"Okay. Let's move forward, then. The Monastery isn't going to clear itself." I dusted more of the debris from my robes and used some water to wash away a bit of the blood. It was an odd situation: how could I be covered in my own blood, yet still perfectly healthy? Magic is weird.

"I've taken the liberty of getting Doan's key for us," Iyania said, holding up a crimson key on a small chain. "We should be able to access our next destination with this."

"Perfect," I told her. "Form up and move out." Vorrel took his place at the front of the line, followed by Mitexi and I walking side-by-side. Savenia was third, with Iyania in the back. Our party was complete. We left the Library and located the large wooden door leading to our third objective.

The Armory didn't present too many challenges. We encountered numerous Scarlet squads practicing combat and inventorying supplies. Their guts made fitting décor on the granite floors. Perhaps the most exciting moment was the discovery of several barrels of red fireworks; we launched them indoors, and laughed as they popped and flashed. After weaving through a number of corridors, we came upon a towering door.

"According to the map," I informed my team, "this should be the Champion's Hall, where Herod likes to train."

"Herod?" Mitexi asked. "I forgot which one he is."

"He's allegedly the Scarlet Champion, Not entirely sure what that means, but he'll likely be itching for a fight."

Iyania slipped her daggers from their sheaths and spun them in her hands. "Then let's give him one," she growled.

We entered the chamber cautiously. It opened wide and tall before us, a grand circular room. In massive alcoves on every wall stood towering statues, of warriors, hunters, mages, and priests. I assumed these were fallen Scarlet heroes of yore. The door was situated at the top of a staircase leading left and right. The steps curved around the room, leading down to a pit below. And in the midst of said pit, surrounded by piles of stones and Scourge corpses, stood-

"Ah, I've been waiting for a real challenge!" Herod shouted. I studied the "Champion" from our perch atop the rotunda. Bare-chested and well-built, he wore a red steel helmet and carried a massive battleaxe. His shoulder armor consisted of one huge plate above his right arm, painted red and adorned with white spikes. This wouldn't be easy.

"Iya, what-" Mitexi began, then shut her mouth as Iya put a finger to her lips.

"Shh," the Blood Elf hissed, stepping silently backward and disappearing into the shadows near the statues.

Herod, it seemed, was sizing us up. He scoffed. "But a real challenge I'll not find today. Just more undead, and they've dragged some long-eared mongrels in with them!" He flexed. "Bah! Why not just run away now? Save yourselves the embarrassment of defeat! It's not as though you could possibly pose a challenge to me, Herod, the Scarlet Champion!"

I spotted Iyania for a fraction of a second on the far side of the room, near the base of a statue of a warrior in plate. What was she doing?

"You meanie! You can't talk to us like that!" Mitexi called back. She sounded hurt.

"I'd like to see your rotted, disgusting corpse do something about it! That'd be the day!" Herod jeered. "You undead are all the same: you think just because you talk like humans and walk like humans, that makes you human. Well I've got news: it doesn't!" He pointed his axe at us. "You vile beasts are a pestilence on this land! You should've stayed in your graves where you belong. Maybe then you'd provide a useful service… as worm food! Why I, Herod, the Scarlet Champion, would even stoop to facing you in combat is-"

KACHOOM! The room shook with the force of a small explosion, and then shook again as the statue of the warrior toppled and hit the floor. I turned away just in time to avoid getting the spray in my eyes. Iyania emerged from the statue's former alcove, slightly dusty. She strode casually over to the gooey remains of Herod and extracted his helmet from the debris. Holding it aloft, she put on a wicked grin and casually announced, "Easiest boss fight ever!"

Mitexi, Savenia, Vorrel, and I stared, mouths agape, for perhaps ten seconds.

"That. Was. Awesome!" Mitexi cheered. "Unbelievable! Outstanding!"

Savenia was shouting too, something along the lines of, "Anar'alah thori'dal!" She and Mitexi held hands and danced in a circle.

"Well, uh," I finally managed to stammer. "I guess that's that. Nice work! Take his stuff and let's get out of here." We tromped down to the chamber floor and rifled through Herod's gear. New shoulder armor and helmet for Vorrel was just about all we could salvage, but it suited him well: now he looked a bit lopsided, which made Mitexi laugh.

We retraced our steps out of the Armory. Herod's corpse had also yielded a key, which fit the lock on yet another great wooden door. This one led outside, into an open courtyard. The grass was clean and well-kept, and in the middle of the area stood a grand fountain, gurgling merrily. It was almost peaceful. We changed that.

After dealing with the Scarlets patrolling the exterior, we turned our attentions to the Cathedral itself. It rose high above like a beacon, its spires a bit dingy with years of weather but otherwise intact. The highest of them was shrouded in mist. There were stained glass windows visible on a few sides. I wondered what purpose this place used to serve. Did these damn fanatics build it? Or was it one of their conquests?

We burst into the Cathedral, weapons drawn, spells at the ready, the taste of battle on our lips.

It was empty.

"What the hell?" I murmured. The grand cathedral of the Scarlet Crusade… abandoned? It couldn't be. We strode carefully into the wide, vaulted space, a bit awe-struck by the décor. Beautiful tapestries, bright braziers, and stained glass everywhere, with a grand altar in the center of the chamber. The floor was polished stone, decorated with colorful patterns. We spotted numerous rooms off to the sides, but a quick examination found them vacant as well.

"Hel-oooooo?" Mitexi called. Her voice echoed around the cavernous space. No one answered. "Sheesh. All that work and no welcome party?"

"Keep your guard up," I told everyone, shushing Mitexi. "Something isn't right." I gazed around the hallowed space again, and spotted the door leading to the Crusader's Crypt, where David Trias was allegedly hiding. "Can you pick the lock on that door, Iya?" I asked, pointing.

She spent a few minutes on it, but to no avail. "It's magic," she announced.

"Huh," I said. "Well, I guess we'll-"

"Meet your doom!" a wicked voice rasped. The great doors to the Cathedral, previously half-closed, were thrown open. At the head of the line stood a rotten undead I instantly recognized as High Inquisitor Fairbanks: his face was a mess of scars and missing bits, and the few strands of hair left on his putrid head were sickly brown. He wore Scarlet Crusade garb. A heavy mace hung at his side.

And behind him stood at least twenty Scarlets, armed to the teeth.

"Oh no!" Mitexi shrieked.

"When we got word that a party of Forsaken and Blood Elves had breached the west wall," Fairbanks explained cockily, "I rounded up everyone I could find and began searching the building. Seems we were just a step behind you."

"To arms!" I called. Steel rang out in the halls. I readied a curse. My hands glowed with shadowy energy. "You done chatting us up, Fairbanks?"

Fairbanks threw back his head and laughed with what was left of his jaws. "I suppose so. Kill them!"

The Scarlet brigade charged toward us: I spotted Monks, Scholars, Friars, Bishops, Mages, and all manner of other warriors among them, shouting battle cries. In moments we'd entered the fray. I threw curses left and right, adding shadowbolts when I could and ducking under flashing blades. Mitexi took a shield to the face; I caught her as she fell and pushed her upright.

"Thanks!" She fried her assailant and kept working. I weaved in and out of the crowd. Needed to keep an eye on everyone. My demon Helyla was lashing out with her whip, while Mitexi's imp scattered fireballs like raindrops. But it wasn't enough: Vorrel and Iya were beginning to struggle, and I saw Savenia sweating as spells flew from her hands at a breakneck speed. We were in trouble.

"There're too many of 'em!" Mitexi cried. "We can't keep this up!"

Like hell we can't, I thought. Hell. Hellfire. Wait, hellfire! Something in Silina's memories triggered, bursting into view like a solar flare. "Incoming!" I shouted, and let loose Hellfire. Waves of flame radiated from me, singeing my robes and sending burning pain up and down my body. The fires engulfed the mass of Scarlets; I could smell the putrid stink of burning flesh as the Monks and Bishops ignited. "Burn you bastards!" I cackled, an agonized scream of rage. The pain… so delicious! Pulse after pulse of the roaring inferno spread outward. Now the Scarlets fell in droves, like dominoes, scrambling over each other to get out of the heat. Iya and Texi picked them off quickly.

"Look out!" Vorrel shouted. CLUNK! Someone pummeled me with a weapon, breaking my concentration and putting a stop to the hellfire. Fortunately, the others in my party kept the remaining Scarlets off me while I recovered. Daggers, swords, and spells flew.

Seconds later it was over. We stood triumphant amidst a sea of Scarlet corpses. Vorrel began cleaning his blade on one of their tabards, while Savenia touched up our wounds and sat down to sip some Moonberry Juice from her waterskin. Mitexi and I did the same. Ah, sweet nectar. I could feel my mana coming back like gentle waves on a beach. We rested for a few minutes, the sudden silence almost more deafening than the clatter of battle.

"Is that it?" Iyania asked.

"Fairbanks took off," I replied. "The coward ducked out while we were fighting."

"Jerk," Mitexi scowled. "Probably not the last we'll see of him."

I nodded, and beckoned for everyone to rise. "Now we just need to find-"

"Bra-vo! Bra-ah-vo!" called a human voice, condescension dripping like melted wax. I heard him clapping slowly. "Well done! I must admit I'm slightly impressed. Aren't you impressed honey?"

"Marginally, dearest," a woman added. We all turned to face the altar. There they stood in the flickering candlelight, not two hundred yards from our party: Mograine and Whitemane, striding casually out of the shadows. Mograine was powerfully built, with an attractive face and reddish beard. His armor was polished to a dazzling sheen. Whitemane had long white hair, red paint on her face, and was staring at us coyly with two beady eyes. "Still, an unwanted intrusion on the peace and sanctity of our holy grounds. We-"

I heard Iyania burst into laughter behind me. "What is with that stupid hat?" she guffawed, doubling over. Mitexi joined in, her giggling infectious. I laughed too.

Whitemane shot us a glare that could kill a kodo. "Excuse me?"

"I just… ha ha!" Iyania choked. "I just can't take you seriously!" We all began laughing uproariously.

"Enough! Renault, end them!" Whitemane screeched.

"In due time, my love. In due time. First I must ask: what is the nature of your visit today, foolish Hordelings?" Mograine was smirking at us. "Did you come here for a quick death? Or perhaps you're… looking for someone?"

Despite my urge to keep chuckling, I swallowed the laughter and called back, "We've dealt with your lieutenants. Herod, Doan, Loksey… they're all dead."

Mograine's smirk faltered. "Have you now?" He lifted a pendant from his shirt and held it in a closed fist. I heard a low hum. His smirk disappeared. "Sally, my sword." I now noticed his blade on the altar behind him. Damn! We could've gotten the jump on him already!

"This is it everyone," I growled under my breath. "Give it all you've got. Vorrel, I want you and Iyania on Mograine. Mitexi and I will handle Whitemane."

"Right," Mitexi whispered. She unclipped the staff from her back. "Bitch is goin' down."

We prepared to rush forward, as did our opponents. Two on five, but was our combined might enough to bring down our stronger foes? I didn't know, and neither did anyone else. But I'd be damned if we didn't try. This was what we came for. This was our mission. The Dark Lady was counting on us!

"Iyania, you set? Savenia?" I asked.

"We're set," Iya hissed, her teeth bared in a snarl.

"Any time now!" Mograine called cockily. "It's been a while since I killed a Blood Elf. I'm quite looking forward to it!"

"I'll make you eat your ears, filthy corpse-lover!" Whitemane taunted. Iyania bristled.

"All ready?" I whispered one last time.

"Ready," I heard everyone reply.

"Shadowstalkers, attack!" I led the charge, weapon drawn, crying out: "For the Forsaken!" Vorrel began shouting threats and battle cries in a deep, booming voice as he ran, making more noise than I'd heard from him any time prior. Savenia jeered in Thalassian, as did Iyania—I only caught a few words, but they didn't sound friendly. Even Mitexi was cursing loudly. The black blood in my ears pulsed in increasing time. This was it. No turning back. No second chances.

As we stampeded across the cold tile, our enemies readying weapons and spells, I did the only sensible thing I could at such an intense moment: I blacked out, and awoke in brilliant sunlight, standing beneath a floating island under the bluest skies I'd seen since Silverpine.