Chapter XI:
Our Rogues stand at either end of the loan doorway to the west. Each peak inside. The Half-Elf Rogue's nose raises the stench from earlier much more pronounced and becomes stronger as she sees the chewed carcasses of cave rats and other small vermin lining the floor. There are a few humanoid-looking creatures. These bodies lie atop the base amongst a floor of filth. A combination of hair, fur, and old bones twisting and curling together creates a vast and horrible nest towards the middle top right corner of the room. At the top north junction reads the very illegible word "Thelid."
"Uhh…I think I'm going to hurl," speaks Erica.
"What is… The lid" gasps Eleven. The voice, unfortunately, alerts the many Giant Rats.
The Gnome looks toward the Rogues, the clattering and chattering sound coming closer to the party like a wave returning to the shore. "Eater," answers Argyle. The Gnome's tone reflects confusion as he begins to back off the noises getting closer and closer to the door.
"Hide Meepo! Hide," yells Steve, Nancy, and Will together. The Barbarian, Elf, and Sorcerer watch the small Gully Dwarf scurry to the fountain. Climbing inside the basin, he ducks down. His balding head and eyes peeked out above the fountain's masonry line.
The Giant Rat lunges through the door. Its fur glistens in the torchlight, covered in sweat, blood, and entrails. The Fighter leaps back, one-handed crossbow in hand. He fires. "Out of the way," yells Jonathan.
The Rogues shift together away from the wall. The Half-Elf Rogue between a wall and another fountain.
The Giant Rat falls midair in a heap on the floor. The lifeless corpse of the Giant Rat begins to be pulled from the visibility of the door. There is a loud crunch of bone and the squish of sinew, and tiny drops of decayed blood hit the door.
The Paladin, his attention on the door, grips tight to the handle of his Warhammer, and a radiant glow emerges. He holds his shield at the ready.
Can I delay my turn?
Sure.
Then, I want to do that. I'm not doing anything till whatever's in there shows itself.
"We pick them off one at a time, use our surroundings," declares Lucas. The Ranger has his crossbow at the ready He stands behind one of the activated traps.
The Gnome looks in the direction of the fountain. "Use our surroundings…" trails off Argle. He climbs atop the rim of the fountain. The Gnome squints at the mouth of the carved dragon. He motions to the Sorcerer "Levi," whispers Argyle. He points toward a set of suspicious-looking metallic tubes jutting from the inside of the dragon's mouth. The Gnome also points toward a worn inscription written in Draconic.
The Sorcerer nods. He gives a thumbs up, "Got it," says Will.
A large puss-covered leg reveals itself. Its fur is stained green in spots. The gigantic rat slinks into view, showing the rest of itself. Wobbling her way through the door lifts herself full height of six feet. Her body is swollen, covered with open sores and additional pockets of puss. Her green-hazed red-beady eyes lock with the Adventurers. She rears, releasing a screech as she attempts to bite the Half-Elf Rogue.
Seeing her advantage, the other Rogue tries to grab Thelid's interest, "Over here," hurries Eleven. The Rogue lunges in with her reaper striking the large rat deep, following it with a sneak attack of a dagger. She shifts out of the way, backing toward the group's original entrance.
"Careful, trap," yells Mike. The Paladin pulls her out of the twenty-foot drop.
Gross.
Robin, is it really necessary to be this descriptive?
It's what you people asked for.
The Dwarf jumps in the direction of the door, his hand outstretched, his gloved palm facing the entrance. A puff of noxious gas projects from a tiny tube affixed to the glove. There is an aching cough from inside the room. "Ha," declares Dustin.
Two Giant Rats reveal themselves flanking either side of Thelid. They growl in the direction of our company of Adventurers.
"Get him out of the way," shouts Will to the Barbarian. "Everyone, step back."
The Barbarian eyes the Sorcerer with uncertainty but grabs hold of the Dwarf, maneuvering them both to the Ranger and Fighter. The Elf and Half-Elf Monk move toward the Ranger and Fighter. The Half-Elf Rogue hoists herself to the wall with the fountain running along, landing at the other end of the room. She turns in the direction of her companions. The Gnome nods to the Sorcerer, and the two begin backing in the group's direction.
Noticing the movements of the party. Meepo ducts completely down into his section of the empty fountain basin. He holds his breath.
Once out of range of the fountain. "Let there be death," utters Will with a long breath. The Sorcerer's Draconic is perfect.
A poison mist sprays forth from the dragon's mouth. A billowing cloud begins to fill the room covering the Giant Rats and Thelid. Thelid's nose can be seen twitching above the flowing cloud, although not enough to save herself from the advert effects of the poison. She and a Giant Rat convulse momentarily. The Giant Rat falls flat.
The Paladin looks to the Half-Elf Monk. He hands her his Warhammer. The Half-Elf Monk grips the leather strap at her wrist and begins to swing. She flings it in the direction of Thelid.
Beside the Warhammer, an arrow shot from the Elf's longbow flies into the lone Giant Rat. It hits, skewering the Giant Rat with ease. It falls face-first into the group, held slightly by the arrow feathers resting on the ground.
The Warhammer makes contact with Thelid, and in a burst of radiant light, the Warhammer splits Thelid's head from her body.
"Meepo," yells out Lucas.
"Over here, Meepo, fine," he shows his hiding spot, pulling himself from the fountain basin. He steps over the dead Giant Rats and Thelid. "Meepo sees something!"
The party looks at one another, assessing its worth their nasal passages to go into the room. The Ranger and Fighter decide it is and pull the giant, lifeless corpse of Thelid along the wall away from the door. They walk into the room, followed by the others.
Ignoring the crunch of small bones underfoot. The Ranger begins examining the humanoid body. He rolls the body over. The right-hand flops to its chest. A large gold ring on his finger. The Ranger removes it. "Lady Hercule's son," states Lucas.
"You're sure," asks Nancy. The Elf hovers over the Ranger, who hovers over the body, collecting daggers, a longbow, a small quiver of arrows, and a healing potion. The Ranger ignores the rotting studded armor.
"He's at least a part of that party," answers Lucas. The Ranger lifts the body's hand to the Elf. She nods in agreement.
The elf motions to the Fighter, and he produces an empty backpack. The Ranger begins placing the discarded items into the bag. Tossing away the ruined pack on the fallen man's back. He puts the found objects in the Backpack, including a waterskin, a tinder box, and one torch. The Ranger and the Fighter eye Meepo decide to include the extra bedroll.
The Ranger pulls from the finger and places it in his pack.
"Ugh… This is so gross but so worth it," says Erica. The Half-Elf Rogue can be seen squatting in the nest of Thelid. She begins tossing discarded coins of gold and silver and three separate gems in the direction of the Barbarian and Dwarf.
The Dwarf produces a small sack holding it out, catching the three gems before they clatter onto the ground. "Hey, careful," rushes Dustin.
...
The Adventurers continued to trek through the different rooms of the Mites' hideout, are uneventful. The Half-Elf Rogue noticed a simple bell trap on a door, snapping it free without a sound. After The Barbarian had released his internalized Rage. He and the Paladin swiftly dispatch a set of mites stationed behind a three-foot-high wall. The two efficiently dispatch the practice room with the Fighter's help.
...
The mites' stockade is a different matter entirely. Three Gully Dwarfs sit bound with crude rope, all attached to an iron spike. A battered Gnome is in a cage, which is almost too small for her. Her hair though disheveled is in pristine condition. She wears the robes of a Cleric. Unlike the party's Gnome, her robes have been tailored to fit her flawlessly. Around her neck is an amulet.
The Gully Dwarfs are reluctant at first, even with the sight of Meepo deciding to sit in their positions of capture until the Dwarf takes his axe to their bindings, freeing them all. He points in the direction they came.
"Just follow the path. It should be free and clear to your queen," states Dustin.
The Gully Dwarfs take no chances and run in the direction the Dwarf pointed. They are gone.
With his Greataxe in hand, the Barbarian splits it between a few broken bars of the cage. He pries the cage open with ease.
The Gnome cleric squeezes her way through the bars. Her cloak snags. She lets out a disheartened sigh. She pats at the cloak releasing it of days-old dust. "Just my luck," she says. Her voice mimics the perfect pitch of a silver bell. "The name is Erky Timbers."
The Half-Elf Rogue eyes the Erky with curious skepticism. "Why are you here," asks Erica. Straight to the point.
"Months ago, I was on my way to seek my fortune. I decided to take the Old Road. Just my luck, those Mite Bandits caught me. I've been here ever since." Erky holds the talisman close to her chest. "My deity's blessings have kept me healthy. Otherwise, I'd be dead, no question from starvation or abuse."
The Fighter steps forward he hands Erky the waterskin from earlier. She sits and begins to drink. "What can you tell us about the mites," asks Jonathan. "I've heard the mites talking about something called the Twilight Grove down below. There's a wicked human below that calls himself Belak." She looks directly at the Gnome. "He's just like you."
"Me," asks Argyle. The Gnome points to himself, his hand disappearing inside the sleeve.
Erky takes another swig of water. "Yes, a Druid. He tends an enchanted garden and harvests fruit from it. The mites call it the Gulthias Tree, but they only speak of it in terrified whispers," another gulp of water. "The enchanted fruit grows on the Gulthias Tree."
The Dwarf steps forward, his hand rubbing at his chin, intrigued. "What's the deal with the fruit," asks Dustin.
She pulls the leather straps of the waterskin, handing it back to the Fighter. "The midsummer fruit restores one's spirit and vigor when eaten. The paler midwinter fruit steals the same. I've heard Belak allows the mites to sell the fruit on the surface. I don't know why."
The Elf helps Erky to her feet. "What about the twig blights," asks Nancy.
Erky holds tight to the Elf's leather pant leg to steady herself. "Those awful things live in the level below with the Gulthias Tree."
The Ranger looks to Erky. "We were sent here to retrieve a group of lost Adventurers like us. Do you know what happened to them," asked Lucas?
"Those mites caught three over a month. I had only been down here a few days by then. They stayed down here with me for a bit." Erky straightens herself. Her hand over the snag in her robe, she casts mending. The threads come alive, lacing themselves back together. Her robes were perfect as if nothing had happened to them. "They said their names Talgen, Sharwyn, and Sir Braford."
The companions look amongst themselves, all in agreement. Those were Lady Hercule's children.
"They were only here briefly," continues Erky. "The mites took them barely a week into their captivity. Belack wanted them, and that's the last I heard."
...
After some quick discussion, our Adventures decide it's best to bring Erky along. She now possesses the extra shield, one of the daggers and the spare longbow, and a small quiver.
Like the other mite spaces before, the Company's progression is eventless. They pass through the Half-Elf Monk, Ranger, and Rogue, quickly dispatching three mites.
-.-.-.-
Robin noticed the watch. "And that, my dear friends, is where we will end for tonight. Till next week," she smiles with a clap of her hands. And, as if on cue, a watch alarm echoed through the basement.
"Shit. Erica, come on, we should get home." Lucas rose from his spot on the floor. "Next week?"
The group shrugged at one another, then nodded in agreement.
"Alright. Here again, next week. Also, a meeting about any information we have on the lab," asked Dustin as he and Steve stood from their places. He was met with no protest. He began to shimmy past Nancy and Mike as he exited his space on the couch.
Lucas and Erica rushed up the stairs two steps at a time. They could both be heard thanking Mrs. Wheeler from the kitchen before an intense clash of a screen door.
Nancy rose suddenly from her spot on the couch. "Alright, Dustin, Robin, and I will drive you home."
"I'm sorry, what," Dustin looked at his friend's older sister with confusion.
"Robin and I will drive you home," she repeated.
"You don't have to do that, Nance. I can drive him home. I'm the one who got him here anyway," states Steve as he stretches his long limbs.
Nancy looks at Steve. She waved him off. "No, it's fine. Come on, did you bring anything else with you?"
"I uh…" Dustin looked around his person. "No."
"Alright then, come on." Nancy stepped over Mike's knees. She motioned to Dustin and Robin to follow her and made her way to the stairs.
Dustin shook his head with uncertainty. He decided it best not to question what took place. He followed Nancy.
Robin looked at Steve. Then in the direction of Jonathan, and shrugged. She trailed Dustin up the stairs.
...
Nancy and Robin waved in the direction of Dustin's mom as she waved a thank you and good night to the teenagers.
"Alright. What's up? What did you do all this for."
Nancy says nothing, her focus on backing out of the Henderson driveway. She pulled her car into drive instead of turning left in the direction of her home. Nancy turned right, continued down the road, and stopped when she was at her parking spot at the high school. She puts her station wagon into park and shuts off the engine.
The radio begins to play True by the Spandau Ballet. She twirls the volume control. The song is barely there in the background, and she clicks the overhead light keeping it on. Luminating the two teens.
"Still lost here. Actually, you know what? I'm genuinely confused, Nancy."
"You've seen my house. There's no privacy whatsoever in that place." Nancy paused. "We're friends, right? At least, our mothers seem to think so." She laughs.
"Yeah, sure, we're friends. Outside of Steve. You're basically the closest friend I have to my own age." Robin chuckled.
"I just. Okay, you can't be mad at me for this. I've tried for at least two weeks to get you to tell me…." Nancy trailed off as she looked at Robin. How to ask this without coming off as a complete bitch.
"Sure, I won't get mad at you."
Nancy wrung her hands and gripped white knuckles tight to the steering wheel. "That's what you say now, and you're basically living at my house for at least two weeks, and I just want you to know, at least with me, your safe to be yourself." Nancy released a breath she was not aware she was holding in.
"Okay. You're skirting around whatever it is you want to tell me. Just spit it out, Nancy."
Nancy looked at Robin. Then she turned her attention to the hood ornament atop her car. "Why wouldn't you tell me that you're gay."
"I'm sorry, what," there's no anger in Robin's voice. There is confusion and shock but no malice.
Nancy wanted to bang her head against her steering wheel multiple times. She knew she was going to put her foot in her mouth.
"How did you figure it out."
"I don't… I don't know. I'm not sure. Hanging out with you, really hanging out with you. Watching you and Steve."
"I thought we were dating," Robin asked with a smile. She would never let Nancy live that down.
Nancy sighed. "Yes, I'm still angry with myself about that. It's so obvious now that I think back on everything." Nancy pursed her lips in self-induced rage.
"It doesn't change anything between us," asked Robin. "Me, being gay." Her voice is small.
Nancy looked at Robin. "Of course not! I'm not—not like that, I would never! I want you to know you can be you with me anywhere."
"Okay."
She wanted to frown at Robin. Nancy had been raking her brain for weeks, trying to figure out how to have this conversation with her. "Okay? Just like that."
"Yeah, I guess so. Look, I told Steve I was a lesbian while under the influence of drugs in a Starcourt movie theater bathroom." Robin rested her elbow on the passenger side door. "Having, you ask me in your car, in the middle of the night. In the empty school parking lot, honestly, seems like an upgrade." She looks out her window. "Why did it take you so long to ask? It had to have been killing you inside to wait."
Nancy's hands are back in her lap, color in her knuckles again. "I was trying to be a good friend. Let you tell me when you felt comfortable, but every time I thought you might decide to say something… well, do you ever think anything about our lives will be normal?"
Robin laughed. "I guess not. Thanks for trying to keep it to yourself. I told you I'm not good with signals."
Nancy started the station wagon engine, clicked at the overhead light, and turned the radio again. Prince's Raspberry Beret was playing now. Nancy fiddled with the mirror and pulled from her parking spot. "I'll remember that for next."
"Next time? How many deep-heavy conversations are you planning to have with me in your car? In empty parking lots."
"Funny, very funny." Nancy kept her focus on the road.
Robin grinned. "I'm hilarious. You should know that by now. Nance?"
"Yeah."
"I've got a question for you. You know, tit-for-tat and all that. You and Jonathan broke up in Steve's drive the other week, didn't you."
"That obvious, huh?"
Robin chuckled. "You know, for a guy so quiet, he's not really good at hiding his emotions."
"Could have fooled me. I guess the distance got to us more than we thought it would. Jonathan didn't cheat or anything, but he did lie. Ducking around questions about if he'd gotten school. I know it's silly especially compared to what we just talked about."
Robin sits more centered in her seat. The natural comfort she felt with Nancy coming back. "Sure, but it is still important."
...
The lunchroom at Hawkins High School is again eerily quiet with its lack of students. Robin sits with Dustin, Lucas, and Mike at their usual table. Additionally, with the teens stuck at home with nothing to do, Will and Eleven must have been getting at Joyce and Hopper.
"So that's basically it," finished Lucas. Eleven was nodding with him in agreement.
Robin dropped half of her sandwich on her flattened brown bag 'plate.' She opted to make herself lunch the night before. She preferred something other than third-week Monday lunch options. "Sure. We could also…," Robin paused. She could not remember if she still had it at home or not. "We could always play on the speaker. You know, have Max actually be there, not in spirit."
Dustin swallowed his last chicken nugget. "How would that even work?"
Robin, her hands out, "hear me out. I know it sounds crazy, but her hospital room has a speakerphone, right?" Lucas and Eleven nod. "We have an old speakerphone somewhere in my house. Probably back in its box or something." She waved away her thoughts. "We hook up my old house phone to Nancy's line."
"Nancy has her own phone line," asked Will.
Mike shrugged. "We listened to her and Jonathan too much or something."
Robin looked in the direction of the two. "I'm so happy I'm an only child." She waved her hand again, getting the table's attention. "We use Nancy's line with my old speakerphone. That way, we can 'all' play together for the first time."
The table nodded together, everyone excited about the idea.
"What if it's not allowed," asked Eleven.
Robin pursed her lips. "Fare point." She pauses. "We'll figure it out when we get to that point, yeah?"
Eleven seemed pleased with the answer and went back to her lunchroom food.