Fortunately, nothing tried to enter the Gold Goblin through the secret hatch while the group recovered. Ryland stood guard throughout the night with his magic keeping him from being exhausted the next day. Even as hours went by, he kept watch over the hatch. The troglodytes already used the smuggler's tunnels to enter the Gold Goblin and there was no telling if they were alone. It would have been easy to block the hatch if doing so didn't carry the risk of alerting anyone on the other side that something was wrong. He couldn't let Saul's benefactor think anything was wrong unless his hand was forced to.
Tess was the first to arrive to inform Ryland that it was day and that the others were getting ready. She brought a small tray of food for breakfast consisting of a few slices of bread and a variety of fruit. Although she did suggest he could cook something in the kitchen, Ryland was fine with a light breakfast. The bread wasn't too tasty but the berries were enough to make up for it. What mattered was that he could keep watch over the hatch just in case. Tess left Ryland to his breakfast to inform the others that nothing had gotten into the Gold Goblin.
Soon after, the others joined him. Tess returned with Sarek with Keya and Madia following behind them a minute later. While waiting for Belar, Tess opened the hatch to reveal a small ladder that descended down into darkness. The stench of troglodytes and sea salt flowed out from the tunnel. With a sigh, the druid concluded that it would be too difficult to bring Cassiel and Marlowe with them, much to her and Madia's disappointment. Ryland frowned, having seen how capable the panther and dog were in combat. They would be at a disadvantage against their enemies.
Finally, Belar arrived, yawning loudly as he climbed down the rope. Sarek nodded towards the dwarf and muttered a quick spell, forming a translucent barrier around his body.
"This is it," Sarek addressed the rest of the group, gesturing towards the open hatch. "Whatever's waiting for us below might be the end of this conspiracy. If this leads to Saul's patron, we do what needs to be done."
"At the very least, we're dealing with troglodytes," Belar noted with a frown. "Best be careful. There may be more monsters waiting for us below."
"What are we waiting for?" Keya asked. "Let's finish this once and for all."
Ryland took out his sword and whispered a quick prayer to Iomedae. His sword became enveloped in a faint white light that would guide the group through the smuggler tunnels. He took the lead and climbed down the ladder with the others following behind him. The ladder led to a small pit that led further down to a small pool of water. A series of ladders were set in place, allowing for one to descend down the pit and toward a sandy ledge by the water.
When Ryland grew closer to the ledge, he was quick to note that based on the water lines of the chamber walls and the flotsam embedded in the sand that this chamber was flooded in the past. He eyed the water suspiciously as his companions joined him. The pool was a whirlpool with strong rapids. He didn't think that the group had what it took to swim across it but there was a small narrow passage that led to a tunnel leading deeper.
However, when Ryland took a step toward the tunnel, he heard a strange hissing sound coming from small holes in the wall. They weren't large enough for the group to climb through but were the right size for a pair of snake-like creatures with fishy scales and vicious fangs. The others took notice of the barracudas and readied themselves for battle with their weapons out.
Keya charged at the first barracuda, swinging her sword against the beast. She was joined by Sarek, who launched a small blob of acid, and Belar, who rolled forward to punch the beast. With the half-elf and dwarf keeping one barracuda away from the others, the other charged toward Ryland despite Madia striking it across its side with a stone from her sling. Ryland held his blade out to keep the barracuda's fangs at bay. Tess stepped over to join him but the monster slapped her knee hard with its dense tail. The druid grimaced in pain, and when Ryland struck the barracuda across its side with his sword, she advanced to bash its head in with her quarterstaff.
The remaining barracuda shrieked in pain when Keya ran her blade through the back of its head and grew still. She and Belar appeared to be uninjured from the fight while Tess leaned heavily on her staff.
"Are you okay, Tess?" Sarek asked, concerned.
"I can press on," Tess assured her companions with a forced smile. "I can heal myself if that changes."
While the group was concerned for Tess, she pressed on ahead to the tunnel. Her friends followed behind her and came across a crossroads in the tunnel. The tunnel to the right led into darkness while the light from Ryland's sword revealed that the tunnel to the left had a small pool of water with a treasure chest placed against the wall. With the left tunnel clearly a dead end, the way forward was to the right.
"There's some good loot in that lost chest," Belar noted with a grin. "Imagine the riches that are locked away."
"We need to press on," Ryland sternly told Belar, taking a step towards the right tunnel.
"You're not even going to take a vote on it?" Belar asked.
"No," was all Ryland said.
"Don't worry, Belar," Madia said, smiling. "You can come back for the chest after we're done."
"That's right," Keya nodded in agreement. "I'll come and help when we clear out the rest of the tunnels."
Belar grumbled under his breath but followed the rest of his companions down the tunnel to the right. They found themselves in a small chamber with stalactites hanging from the wall that once again split into two paths. Ryland grimaced at the heavy stench of troglodytes and knew that they were getting closer to their enemy. He tried to see which way the tunnels led while the others were more interested in the stalactites. Ryland had to admit that there was something strange about them. There were crystalline veins running across the rock that were glowing faintly.
When Ryland noticed that the crystals were glowing brighter, he knew something was wrong.
"The stalactites!" Ryland warned. "They're alive!"
With the group now on alert, they could see the stalactites moving. Ryland knew there were monstrous predators that could disguise themselves but he hadn't heard of any creature that resembled the foes they faced now. There were two stalactites that moved with Sarek blasting one of them with two arcane darts conjured from the palm of his hand. Ryland charged the second stalactite and slammed his longsword against the side of it, chipping its rocky hide. Tess joined Ryland in combat, but even with her quarterstaff, attacking their foes in close quarters was difficult as she slammed her weapon across the ground.
Fortunately, Keya and Madia didn't mind the close quarters. The halfling threw a stone towards the sentinel that Sarek blasted with magic with her sling with enough force to break the monster, presumably killing it. Keya tossed her dagger at the monster Ryland and Tess fought with it becoming embedded into the creature. The crystals across its body grew brighter before it sent a surge of electricity at Sarek. The sorcerer leaned out of the way, letting the attack strike against the wall harmlessly.
"Troglodytes are coming down from the tunnels ahead!" Belar called out. "I'll try to keep them back until you finish off this last monster!"
Belar advanced forward, placing himself between the two tunnels and his companions. Ryland wanted to aid the dwarf but wasn't going to turn his back to the stalactite monster. Seeing the other creature fall was enough to convince the remaining one to fight defensively with Ryland's sword and Tess' staff bouncing off its carapace without leaving any damage. Sarek's magical acid likewise proved to be ineffective with only Madia able to strike the stalactite with her sling. Ryland knew the attack left a mark when it directed electricity towards the halfling, who was quick enough to roll away from the attack.
The monster held out long enough for four creatures standing on their hind legs with gray reptilian scales emerging from the tunnel to the left. Their armor and clubs were makeshift at best but that they were coming from a flanking position made them all the more dangerous. Their stench was overwhelming, and while Ryland could bear the smell, the same couldn't be said of some of the others. Tess' face turned sickly green and Belar burst out into a terrible coughing that bordered on gagging.
Ryland knew that if the troglodyte's stench was too terrible, Belar would be overwhelmed. He hated leaving the monster to his companions, but if no one acted, the troglodytes would kill the brawler with ease. Ryland ran away from his foe, feeling something brush across his back as he did so, but he felt no pain. He continued toward the troglodytes, and without hesitation, separated the head of one from its body with a swing of his sword. With someone to back him up, Belar recovered from the sickly stench and delivered a powerful punch towards another troglodyte to knock it down. The dwarf finished his foe off by stomping his foot on its neck.
Tess and Keya joined the fight against the troglodytes with Ryland believing that they defeated the stalactite monster. With the monsters defeated, the group can focus on the troglodytes. However, the remaining warriors, having seen several of their ranks fall, fought defensively against Tess and Keya by blocking their respective attacks. Keya gasped out in pain when her opponent struck her with its club while the other troglodyte lunged at Tess, biting into her shoulder with its massive teeth.
Ryland and Belar moved to help Keya and Tess when they saw more troglodytes emerge from the right tunnel. There were five in total and all read for battle. Ryland frowned, uncertain of how they would be able to handle the reinforcements.
"Fall back!" Sarek called out. "Once everyone's out of the way, I'll hit them with a spell!"
Madia, staying by Sarek's side, provided the group covering fire with her sling. Ryland felt it was safe to trust the sorcerer's plan, and after attacking a troglodyte's shoulder with his sword, fell back. The troglodyte was too slow with its club to hit him, allowing for Belar to sweep the warrior off its feet before punching it in the head to end the troglodyte's life. Keya and Tess fell back from combat, and without anyone in the wave, Sarek unleashed a wave of bright colors against the troglodytes ranks. Three of the troglodytes collapsed to the ground, leaving the group with three more troglodytes left standing, all of whom charged at the group.
Ryland stood his ground, and with a swing of his sword, cut into one of the troglodyte's necks to end its life. Belar launched himself in a tackle against the second, starting to beat it to death with his bloodied fists. The remaining troglodyte fought tooth and claw as it was surrounded by Keya, Tess, and Madia, who had taken up her mace in preparation for a close-quarters battle. The troglodyte blocked Tess' quarterstaff only for Keya to cut across its knee. The troglodyte fell down with Madia catching it below the chin with her mace to end the battle.
"Good work," Sarek said, taking deep breaths. "The three I knocked out are still alive though."
"I'll handle it," Ryland said, and without any hesitation, drove his longsword through one of the unconscious troglodyte's chest.
It was a grim task but a necessary one. He couldn't show mercy to such monstrous foes and continue on with fear of them coming at their backs. He finished off a second troglodyte with Belar making his way to the final one, snapping its neck with his hands. Madia looked away from the executions, but otherwise, no one in the group offered any complaints. It was something that had to be done before the group could return to their task.
Cautiously, the group traveled down the tunnel to the right, reasoning if more troglodytes came that way, there may be something important waiting for them down that direction. The members of the group who were nauseated from the terrible stench had recovered and braced themselves for the task ahead. The floor of the chamber was uneven and covered in bloody fish scales and fungus. A strange creature that resembled a cricket covered by a mushroom screeched at the group. With another fight ahead of them, the group charged against the creature.
Between the sturdy fungus on its head and its claws and fangs, the monster put up a good enough fight. Ryland struggled to cut through it with his sword as Tess struck her staff against the floor as it moved away. Sarek landed a glancing blow against the monster with magical acid with Madia striking it with her sling from afar. Belar and Keya charged forward after Ryland and Tess, and while Keya wasn't able to cut through the monster's carapace, Belar punched it across the face.
Despite all of the attacks, the monster screeched and lashed out with his claws. While Belar and Tess jumped away, Ryland stood his ground and grimaced when it sunk its fangs into his leg. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he slashed at the monster and hacked away at its claws. Tess followed up on the attack by slamming her quarterstaff down on the monster with as much strength as she could muster, crushing the creature.
Tess took one glance at Ryland's wound and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Let me heal you."
Ryland felt her magic at working, closing the wound. "You have my thanks."
"You should heal yourself as well," Madia suggested. "The rest of us are fine so far."
Tess nodded and took a moment to heal herself from the wound she sustained earlier. The group pressed on, and after navigating through another tunnel, found the troglodyte den based on the shattered glass and stained wine. Fortunately, the troglodytes all ran toward the sound of combat and there wasn't any threat to contend with. There weren't any more crossroads to consider as the group continued further down the tunnels. The only time there was a split was when one of the tunnels had collapsed long before they arrived, making it an easy choice for which tunnel the group to head on as they walked across the rubble of the room.
Finally, the group arrived in a chamber that was covered in a strange glowing light that was orange and purple. Even stranger was how it seemed to make the chamber darker with the light from Ryland's sword dimmer despite the power he called from. Ryland glanced at the light's source being strange rocks scattered across the chamber. Unlike the last strange rocks, the glowing rocks didn't appear to be monsters. To their right was a dark pool and straight ahead was another tunnel.
"I've never seen anything like this," Tess said, her eyes wide.
"Aye," Belar nodded in agreement with a frown. "Is it magic?"
"Maybe," Sarek said, although he didn't sound convinced.
"Ryland, could you do something about the darkness?" Keya asked.
Quietly, Ryland whispered a prayer, trying to strengthen the spell he cast on his sword, but it wasn't enough. The group remained cloaked in shadow. Even worse, their conversation attracted two creatures from the tunnel ahead. They were shorter than Belar but their fat, pale skin made them appear bigger than they were. The claws it had were sharp and could cut through anything. Ryland saw several of his companions gasp in horror while he stood his ground.
"Dretches," Ryland told the others, not hiding his distaste. "Demons."
"Seriously?" Keya gasped, watching the dretches advance with a horrible war cry.
There was more to Saul's dealings than with Old Scratch. Ryland came to Riddleport to purge the city of the devils that sought to corrupt it. Dretches were demons all the same and he would slay them in the name of the Inheritor.
Ryland muttered a quick prayer and became enveloped in a faint light that struggled against the supernatural properties of the stone. Although he was focused on the dretches, he saw a flicker of movement from behind them, deeper into the shadows, and expected the coming attack. With a swing of his sword, he smacked a crossbow bolt aimed at his neck aside.
Saul's patron was near, behind the dretches. His divine mission would be completed before the day's end.
A/N: So, funny story, but I finished this chapter a week ago. I completely forgot to post it. I apologize for the late. I'm getting ready to start the next chapter so that'll be up today (or sometime else if I forget to post that too).
Until next time.