Chapter 21: A Maze of Hopelessness

Eris

They have to move soon. They've stayed too long and no doubt others will come looking for the drow they killed when they don't report in. They pack quickly. Destroying this outpost was a boon for them in many ways. They were able to rest in relative safety, the drow had food and water. Harrin, Flig, and Kith also found some treasure amongst the crates and chest lying about. Mili and Kosh help each other pack in awkward silence. Now and then sharing a shy glance. Harrin and Aluuna were bickering quietly in the corner. Aluuna is incessant that he takes it easy. Though after such a time, he is pretty much fully healed. But one could say Eris would be the same over Kith.

Harrin received Cold Iron armor. Which would come in handy well enough if the stories of ghouls were real. Eris looks around. She's pretty certain that they were true too. None of them knew how to get out of here and there was hardly a road map anywhere much less a helping person. She wonders. How can anyone survive down here? They are all fed but a girl could only eat so much rat meat and nasty water. Kosh was able to find a Stone Fist Elixir and a black cloak with steel flecks embedded in its cloth which he gave to Kith. Flig, Okami, and Kosh scouted the areas just outside their small refuge, collecting several beetles and fungus to help illuminate the way. After ten minutes, they are ready to go. Eris always hated tight spaces as they came to a hallway that forces them to sidestep along. Kith and Harrin barely make it through. Harrin's armor scrapes along the rock walls. Skittering echoes around them. Okami growls low.

Harrin finishes getting out, the skittering getting louder. After a few moments of waiting and nothing, they move forward. The hallway empties into a somewhat larger one. Luminescent beetles and other critters scurry along the damp walls. Flig, who is now in tiger form, and Okami take the lead followed by Kosh. The air is thinner and stale. Even with the faint light the bugs provide, it's easy to trip over fallen rocks or smack your head into lower hanging stalactites. It has now become a game as to how many times Kith, Harrin, and Ren curse at the rock-ish devils.

The group makes their way down another narrow hall to empty into a large chamber. The beetles start to dwindle and the air is rancid. Crunching rings in their ears with each step. Flig shines the light as best he can on the ground. Bones, skulls, and the like litter the floor. Flig takes a few steps backward. As their eyes adjust, black fluorescent powder covers the walls, parts of the floor, and bones. A dim light shines next to Flig.

Renimil stretches out a hand grabbing at Flig. Kosh moves his light over to them. A giant porous mushroom pulsates and sputters black dust towards the Elf and Halfling. Ren throws himself and Flig to the ground a few feet away. It misses Flig but Ren isn't so lucky.

He coughs. "No stop. STOP!" He grabs his head as he flails around. Aluuna moves towards him but other mushrooms start to sputter out the spores as well. Kith grabs Ren and throws him over the shoulder as they run across. The cavern is brightened by the luminescence of the mushrooms as a dozen come to life. The air is soon filled with black smoke as they make their way out into another small hallway. This one is brightly lit by flying bugs high above. Thousands of them. Ren finally settles down as Kith puts him back to his feet. Sweat shimmers on his skin.

"Good?" Kith asks.

Ren gives a wry laugh. "Worried."

"I didn't want to have to carry your ass all over the God-forsaken place."

Ren claps his hand on Kith's shoulder. "So glad you didn't have to do that."

Kith smirks. "I wouldn't have by choice." He nods to Eris. "She would have made me."

Ren rolls his eyes.

Okami growls. Her soft red and white hair rose on her back. Skittering again. This time, Eris is sure it's coming from above them.

The bugs that provide light all fly away leaving dying beetle light their only source.

"That's not creepy as hell," Harrin says clearing his throat. He reaches for his sword.

"Get ready," Eris says. Fire rolls around Eris's hand as she shoots it upward. Eris sees something falling towards her. The screeching is loud enough to make her ears bleed. Harrin pushes her and swings his sword upward slicing off two legs. It stumbles on the ground snapping its mouth at Harrin. With two hands, he impales the spider's head. Two more skitter to the floor. One jumps off a boulder to land on Okami. The mandibles open bites the wolf's backside. Okami yelps pouncing and barking. Kith grabs at the legs of the spider and yanks hard. But not before its pincers dig into the side of Okami. She falls to the ground.

Flig swipes at the other spider, clawing its face. It clicks and skitters around. He pounces at it again and bites one of the legs.

Ren backs away to ready himself. An unnatural wind blows through his robes. A screeching sounds behind him as he spins to unleash wispy tendrils from his fingers. The spider squirms around a moment before continuing in a forward onslaught towards Renimil.

Kosh moves Mili to the side. He runs to Okami and slices off two more legs causing the giant spider to release its pincers from Okami. Blood spurts from her sides as she lies on the ground panting heavily. Mili darts between the action and comes to rest next to Okami. She puts the wolf's head in her lap and begins to stroke the velvety fur, speaking to her softly.

Ice blasts from Aluuna to hit and slay the last spider. The room grows ice cold for a moment before slowly warming up to normal. The spider's limbs are frozen in place. The weight of it makes them shatter as it collapses to the ground. Water slides across the floor.

"You know, I hated spiders before. Things haven't changed. I still hate them." Aluuna says, brushing herself off. She makes her way to Okami. She licks Aluuna's hand when she lays them on top of Okami's side to heal her.

Eris spies Ren shaking his head as if to clear it. He rubs his forehead and looks over at her. "You good?" she asks.

"Aren't I always?" Ren says. The smile he gives is noticeably forced. His eyes look haunted and Eris looks over to Kith and Harrin.

"Let's keep moving." More skittering is heard in the distance and echoes in the room they're in. She couldn't wait to get from the underground. The stale air, lack of food, and constant death looming about are making her a little crazy.

They move through different caverns for quite some time.

The maze seems endless and has a dark quality about it that drains all hope. Eris's mind feels like it is unraveling. Sweat drips down her face and back. She could feel panic clawing its way up her spine. Her breathing quickens and she starts mumbling to herself. The air is thinnest here and she thinks she hears voices, whispers in a sinister language. She wills herself to think of her parents and Kith. Of the others. Even those thoughts turn dark as she visions her parents splayed on the floor. Blood over the floor and on the walls. A stark contrast to the muted colors of her home. Images of Kith, reanimated by the Tyrant's dark grasp as Kith is used to slay their friends. Each one dying, one after the other to rise again as undead servants to do unholy things. It's too much. She couldn't take it anymore. She crouches down low, still mumbling to herself tears pouring down her dirty face. Footsteps in the distance close in fast.

Kith

Kith has no time to worry over Eris as drow begin to pour into the current carven their in. Eris is down and they are low on food, water, and morale.

"There!" Both Kosh and Flig yell to the group. They point to an optional exit, then the two of them take off and the others follow. Kith and Harrin stay behind as Ren picks up Eris and runs with her flung over his shoulder. Once the others are safely away, Kith and Harrin start to follow. An arrow is shot towards them and Kith easily deflects it. Four drow soldiers and three others that look to be mages are seen in the light of the glow-bugs flying high in the cavern. Several of the spiders they just fought surrounds the mages. The open room provides no cover for them.

A large shadow grows bigger. A menacing growl low and guttural signals their need to retreat. Though where to he knew not. He didn't know what new dangers await them in the next area. He also had no way to stop their current dangers advancement. Screaming from behind them rang out.

Eris!

More arrows whiz past them as Kith ran with gusto. Kith and Harrin enter an enormous cavern. Its vastness hosts a large ocean. Its edges disappear behind pitch blackness. Giant Stalagmites and Stalactites fill the room. "About 12 enemies coming this way." Kith starts.

And… something else. Harrin says.

Ren sighs. "That doesn't sound terrifying."

Flig and Ren work to hold off the others to by time for them to plan out their next move. Kith races over to Aluuna, Eris and Mili. Eris is writhing on the floor. Black ooze seeps through her tattered boots. Kith pulls it off and a huge puncture mark reveals itself. The black ooze is thick and sticky and he tries to stops the bleeding with a bandage from his pack. Light covers over his hands as he applies pressure to her wound. Warmth infuses his hands and the tiny cuts and scrapes that mar them are instantly healed. One of Aluuna's hands stays over the wound, the other sweeps over her body slowly again and again. Aluuna's eyes close and sweat glistens on her face. She whispers to herself. Her calm warmth washes over Kith, soothing him. Crashing and banging disrupts the calm. Mili takes over applying pressure as Kith stands and unsheathes his sword. "Don't let her die!" He says to Aluuna gruffly. He isn't sure she could hear him in her state of concentration, but he didn't care.

Flig and Ren's defensives are brought down and Harrin and Kith rush to get to either side of the tunnel leading into the cave.

"Let them funnel in!" Harrin says nodding over to Kith.

He nods and they take two of the spiders out. Ren and Flig take care of two drow warriors from a distance. Soon something starts smashing through undeterred by anything in its way. Friend or foe.

The giant creature has a mix of ant legs, tentacles, and pincers. As it enters the room, Kith and Harrin back away. It shoots a line of bright blue acid towards Kosh, Okami, and Flig. They both make it out before getting hit. A puff of smoke fills the area. Some of the glow-bugs fly through and immediately start to fall, they are disintegrated by the time they reach the ground.

Okami growls low. The hairs on her neck rise and she lowers herself to the ground getting into sprinting position. Noise from across the cavern grabs their attention as does a loud bubbling sound from the water.

"Good girl," Flig says as he runs his hand across her head.

Several more drow join them from the other side of the cavern. Arrows and javelins shoot at them. Kith and Harrin do their best to dodge the projectiles as the creature charges Kith and Harrin. It spits again and the echo of the screeching from the creature is almost enough to split open their ears.

"Flig and I should handle the big guy. Range fighting will be the best strategy here." Ren advises.

Flig nods his head. "I agree."

"Let's go to the other side and welcome them to the party." Kith says with a vicious smile to Harrin."

"Might as well. Though I have to tell you. I hate running."

"Better to run towards than away."

A smile breaks across Harrin's face. "Truth."

They run to the other side and are lapped by Okami.

A shadowy image appears before the monster. Ren isn't able to make out the image but he didn't care as his Phantasmal killer spell seems to bother the creature. It steps back a few feet before shaking and screeching again. Rocks fall from the ceiling and Ren flips out of the way to avoid being smashed.

The creature flails its tentacles and rushes towards Flig, who stumbles over the many rocks that have fallen to the ground and is grabbed by one of its giant pincers. Flig groans loudly as the pincer squeezes.

Flig's body starts to transform into a bear. Grabbing each side of the pincher and prying it open, breaking parts of it. He slips through to land hard on the ground.

Kith smashes into a drow knocking him unconscious to the ground he quickly grabs the drow's weapon and lobs it at a drow aiming at Okami.

Harrin leaps on top of a tall, flat pillar and jumps down from behind, slashing one of the soldiers, practically cutting him in half.

Eris continues to twitch, mumbling in her unconscious state.

The water bubbles furiously causing the water to lap harshly along the shore.

Okami bites the arm of a mage before it can get off an attack. Screaming, the mage punches the she-wolf. Okami shakes her head furiously.

Skin and blood fall to the floor before she is finally kicked off the mage's arm.

Kosh races over to Aluuna and Eris. Two spiders make a beeline straight for them. Kosh lets loose one of his daggers and leaps off the ground to land on top of the other one. He stabs it three times in quick succession and leaps to the ground making his way to the other one. The spider turns its attention towards him. He runs towards it to slip under the spider, slicing his belly along the way. Blood falls to the ground pooling around the spider and splashes Kosh as it lands atop its entrails.

A drow sorceress enters the cavern next to Ren and Flig.

"I'm so glad you were able to join us. I thought that it was enough to pull you down here, but alas you're a hardy bunch."

Kith, Harrin, and Okami join Flig and Ren.

Besides being a deathly shade of gray, she was an attractive drow. The way she held herself spoke of sinister power and cunning. Runes covered her bare chest and arms. A piece of thin fabric covers her breasts and tight, black leather pants hugged her legs. Her eyes are bright white and her platinum hair was tied back in a high top knot. Blue lightning twitches between her fingers that lay relaxed by her sides. She looks as if she isn't scared. Like they posed no threat to her whatsoever. A fit of coughing causes her to snicker.

"That girl must be in so much pain." A sneer breaks across her face." Let me put her out of her misery!" She raises her hands and shoots out a ball of energy towards Aluuna, Eris, and Mili. A translucent sphere surrounds Eris, and the energy ball shatters against the barrier. Kith and Harrin move to rush her but a stream of blue liquid stops them.

The bubbling from the water grows louder and the team uses this time to move back behind a few stalagmites. Waves start to crash spraying water over all of them. Something the tentacles creature seems to loath. The sorceress and some others with her begin to fall back a little through the now wrecked entry point they'd originally come through.

A wooden mast pierces through the water, then two more.

"Um, am I seeing things, or is there a freaking ship coming out of the water?!" Harrin yells to the others.

The whole ship is now in full view. It's slightly bigger than the one they rode on. Its sails jostle and clank from its movement as it rocks against the waves. A shimmering aura surrounds it and multiple figures come to stand at its side.

"You look like you could use some help." One of the figures calls. It holds out something then yells again. "FIRE."