Chapter 16

Once around the block, and I'll slide back out the side door

There was a cooking area in evidence near the entrance to the crypt, and the place was overgrown and with some rocks we could use as cover, but not much else. The cover was the most important part, as the gargoyle dogs had been left outside and were wandering around. They weren't tied up, so I had to wonder what really kept them from wandering off but it didn't seem they were likely to do so in the next few minutes. This was fine, Malachite cautiously went over there but they didn't react, so they had not been "gifted" with the ability to see us where we were.

"There's a set of stairs going down," he reported, waving us towards him. "Let's go get the drop on them."

We all nodded and the others made sure their weapons were ready, and we passed "through" the door and headed down. We didn't get far when it started to get suddenly dim and moving forward became much more difficult.

"Whath happening?" Snarly asked, looking around. "Ith it getting darker here?"

"I would say that was impossible, but it clearly is," I agreed, looking around.

"I can barely move!" Malachite, who was in the lead and thus several steps down from me, complained. "We have to turn around."

I don't like it. Not one bit.

We did so, passing the dogs again and taking cover to plan our next move.

"Do you have record of such a phenomenon?" Hanz asked me.

"Shouldn't be possible," I told them. "I mean, I suppose if someone went into the astral and cast something it could do anything. Strange sort of protection spell in any case, if it's that. Of course magic isn't the only power in the world and we do know locations can have strange phenomenon nearby. Maybe they found such a place a long time ago and simply built their base here?"

"You can't counter it?"

"Even if I knew exactly where the center of the effect was, this and my phasing spell are the only dimensional magics I know. We could try going further down, to purgatory."

"What are the chances we will find a similar blockage there?"

"Pretty good," I had to admit. "You don't board up your windows in a storm but then leave the side door wide open."

"Not if you are intelligent at all. Options?"

"The dogs may be fooled by magic, I could disguise us as cultists. At least they would bark and not attack? We could try getting someone from below up here and get taken down to see what the situation is. Some kind of inspection of the lamp oil plan? Or I guess take them prisoner one at a time as they come see what's going on up here?"

"Risky," Malachite mused. "We won't know any code phrases or secret handshakes or anything."

"I want a thecret handthake!" Snarly announced.

"I could go either way," Hanz admitted. "We should do a secret foot shake, handshakes are too mainstream for a group as on the cutting edge as we are. But returning to the topic at foot- I mean hand- how about invisibility?"

We all looked to Snarly. "They might signal if they smell something weird though," I tactfully didn't indicate him in any general way. Everyone knew who I was talking about. Well, maybe not Hanz, could they smell things?

"Never mind all this trickery stuff this time! Let's just kill the stupid dog things," Malachite insisted. "They don't have souls." He looked to me.

"I suppose the stairs were pretty far down," I thought out loud. "They probably wouldn't hear us and come running?"

"Could your magic tell us?"

"Eh, tricky. I would be asking about a different dimension. I don't think it would work. We could back way off and I could ask where they might not smell us."

"Dang. Well, as long as we can cover the door they can't come at us except from right there. Easy to defend against."

"I suppose. Really couldn't keep them anyway I guess. Get into position then…"

The others took up their positions by the dogs, and got ready to strike. Meanwhile I got behind a rock and closed my eyes for a moment, putting my emotions into the box. My breathing steadied and I relaxed. They have brought this on themselves. And the cult has to be stopped.

Peaking up from cover everyone nodded. I raised three fingers and put one down. A second. A third. I dropped the spell.

I drew extra mana into my core and cast, aiming for the head of the dog not covered by one of the others. Somehow the thing dodged me, and looked around stupidly. From its perspective three people just appeared out of nowhere and started attacking its buddies. Malachite smashed into one, cutting the side of it but not dropping it. Hanz attacked a second one, hitting the head but it also was still up and fighting, while Snarly hit his on the leg with the poison blade. The dogs didn't waste any time fighting back, Hanz got chomped but didn't seem to mind. I finally hit mine, though I had to cast twice to do so, again going for the head and missing, then switching my target to the body. Snarly got knocked around a bit, causing Hanz to start shooting at that one, but he somehow missed. One final cast at the one I was fighting made it pretty much explode next to Malachite who had rushed over to help, splattering him with unsavory bits.

Shoot, so much for that one.

He switched targets, going for the last one, and swung, cleaving its head off.

And that one.

Hanz rushed to the door, first listening at it and then covering it with their weapon.

"I hear something, but not footsteps yet," they announced.

"Anyone hurt?" I asked. Snarly limped over.

"I could uth thome healing," he admitted.

"You can take care of this too, right?" Malachite asked, also coming over and indicating their armor and general messiness.

"I guess they aren't stone all the way through?"

Hanz backed off and we went into the astral again, deciding we would do the same thing if any cultists popped up out of the hole. Figuring they would rush out, stand looking around wondering what killed their dogs, giving us time to get behind and ambush them. But it didn't come. We waited and waited, but nothing happened.

"So they're trying to counter ambush us?" Malachite finally decided.

"There is a high probability of that," Hanz agreed. "Or they are unaware of our presence."

Meanwhile I had been looking the dogs over. The two nearest me were a loss, and it seemed the other two were not much better. So much for making myself some cute little zombie doggos. I guess I'll get my own summons out at this point. No sense maintaining it for only two. I mean, really.

"I guess invisibility is the only option at this point?" he went on.

"We could try phasing, but it may be close enough to a dimensional effect we have the same problem," I decided. "We might not make it all the way down the stairs."

"Let's not keep our hosts waiting then."

We dropped back into the material plane and I got out my two ally creatures. They went invisible and I put my spell on Malachite, Snarly, and myself. I put a hand on their backs and as Hanz vanished on their own I said they should go first, we would follow. They agreed and opened the door, and we all carefully made our way down the stairs. It wasn't that dark now that we were not in the astral and got most of the way down, my allies following me. Three bored looking guards were standing there before a door, all in cultist robes. Their symbol had been scratched into the door as well, just to hammer the point home I guess. Wouldn't want some other doomsday cult accidentally wandering down here, now would we?

"Ah, finally!" the center one said. "You're making enough noise I don't know why you bothered with invisibility."

Well excuse me for not knowing how to sneak around. Mr. I'm Stealing Lamp Oil For Some Bizarre Reason.

He went on. "Perhaps you would like to come out and we can talk?"

Does he really think that will work?

There was a confused pause, none of us were really expecting this.

"I don't have all day!"

I think you do!

"Fine," muttered Malachite who went forward. He appeared, having touched the guy's neck with his sword.

He looked down at it. "I can't say I'm surprised."

"That I would want to chop the head off yet another end-of-the-world type cultist? Yes, you would be completely stupid if you were. What do you want?"

"It is not what I want, but what my master wants. He wishes to speak to you. To be more specific, you did us all quite the favor when you killed Jekserah, and our master wishes to thank you personally."

He snorted. "Sure he does."

"She was a nuisance. Best forgotten. You on the other hand have proven capable, with all of our brethren that lay dead at your feet. It is time for our master to see if you would be willing to join us. You don't know our true aims, of course."

Nuisance? She was researching a spell to create undead for kilometers and take over the town. Is that really the best you could come up with?

"We have a pretty good idea of what the Gloom is, we want no part of it."

"Then use this time to probe our master's weaknesses. Not that you will find any, but he would relish the chance to overcome them and become stronger."

Malachite hesitated. Of course it's a trap. But we need to get in there one way or the other. And talking directly to the thing may get us more answers than I got out of the ice demon thing I talked to. Now that was a waste of time. "Fine. Open the door and let me see what's in that chamber. I'm not walking into a place dripping with lamp oil. I would survive any explosion, by the way."

So would I, wearing the boots, but there's still the possibility of being crushed. Neither of us would survive that.

"Oh no, that has another purpose," he claimed. "Once your friends have shown themselves, we can proceed."

"Once you open that door, and we are safely inside, they can show themselves."

"But some may stay out here without my knowing."

"Then allow me inside, to verify the safety of my people and then they will show themselves and enter."

"But the invitation is for all of you. You must go together."

"There is nothing you can do to show your good faith?"

"I am unarmed." He spread his arms.

Yeah, so am I buddy. That doesn't mean the door doesn't trigger some kind of explosion when it's closed again.

"I tire of this." The sword came up again.

"Very well, very well!" he hastily agreed. "Let us proceed then!" He knocked the special knock, the doom knock one might say, on the door, and there was the sound of a bar being moved. The door opened. "Please, come in!" The two on the side moved aside, and he entered the chamber.

Well, he's dying too if there's some trick.

Malachite warily proceeded, and (presumably) Hanz did as well. Snarly and I moved up, and he went one way so I went another.

Let's spread out, see what- oh.

The room was basically circular, with 4 more cultists. I didn't see any oil, barrels, or traps. With the two cultists still to enter the room, these four, and the talkative one that made seven. We were almost outnumbered two to one.

So it will be a fair fight.

But the most distinct feature of the room was the ribbon of darkness in the center. It pulsed and shimmered, making it hard to look at. So I didn't, looking around the room instead. Two doors, one to my left and one to my right were perfect for having more forces come to attack us, so I headed to the right. Let's go see if there are any surprises there. If someone comes out I can maybe do something?

I heard a noise and to my surprise the door was closed again, leaving the two cultists out there. The bar was put on the door again.

Er, what? Why are they locking themselves in here with us? Are they so confident they don't need those other two? What's going on?

"This is our master, the Gloom," the cultist said when Malachite was before it. His attitude changed, now shouting sarcastically; "He has a gift for you, for killing so many of our brothers!" Three nasty looking figures started climbing out of the rift, and he went on. "He is so happy you are here, it's time for you all to join our army as-"

He was cut off, literally, as Malachite sliced his head off. "Wow," he cried sarcastically. "I so did not see this betrayal coming. Who would like to lose their head next?"

The three creatures swiveled their, I'm going to call it their heads?, towards Malachite. They were bloated and tall, humanoid with no clothes on but with nasty looking claws.

Snarly appeared, shoving one back through the rift, where it tripped and went down. He bounced off it, flipping back so he didn't go through as well.

The room was rather large and I was still invisible, so I figured I would continue with my plan and cracked the door I was next to open. A bright light spilled out, there were two of the elemental demons in there, light type.

Glad I checked. I wouldn't want to have them come at me from behind. I took a step back as they started towards me. Okay, that could work. I kept backing up, trying to line myself up with the cultist at the far end of the room. That thing will charge out, and I'll do a thrust on it, slamming it into that guy over there! I started to draw upon magic and Boline hit one with a balk, making sure it would be even less likely to resist. This caused him to become visible though. I cast, holding the spell, as he balked the other one for good measure. However the demon went for Boline, who dodged to the side, so I let the spell go and it went flying backwards. He had to dodge again as the second one went to slash him as well. He rushed past, heading for me.

"Oh no you don't," Malachite told it, leaping as far up as he could with a flap of his wings.

"Elemental Strike!" I cast when he was at the apex of his jump. He crashed down on the demon, slicing through it and it started to dissolve. He turned to give me a thumbs up but suddenly I was blinded.

"Something got my eyes!" I yelled to him, holding out a hand. "I can't see."

"Elemental darkness demons," Malachite told me. "Hold tight!"

Onto what, exactly? Okay, they did some kind of darkness ability, will my light spell even work? I started to back up, figuring I would put my back to the wall at least. I directed Besom to cover my front, while Boline I commanded to at least head through the door and see if he could find that other light demon. If the darkness doesn't extend all the way into that room at least he can keep it busy, right?

I heard the sounds of combat as I slowly backed up, finally feeling the wall behind me. Okay, let's go left. There was a guy standing there but would the demon blind his own cultist buddy? I think not. I'll go invisible, get into a good position, and see what the situation is. Meanwhile… I sent Besom forward, figuring it may as well get free of this darkness and attack something. It did, but then I felt my connection to her break. What in the world?

"Got the other light demon!" Malachite shouted. "You're being ignored Orchid nothing near you."

Okay, but I'm not now that you just called attention to me, lover! I cast my invisibility spell and inched my way along the wall. Finally out of the darkness I took in the scene. The others had been busy, keeping the undead creatures from fully coming through and dealing with the cultists as well. One demon of elemental darkness has looking around for a target so I cast my elemental needle spell on him, causing him to burn away. At the same time Malachite went for one of the cultists and a second demon appeared near him, blasting him with darkness. He chopped off the cultist's arm, who screamed, and magical energy enveloped all three of them. They vanished.

Uh, what?

With the cultists near me already taken care of, Snarly killing the last one with his dagger (where did his sword go?) and Hanz attacking the last moving undead creature I made my way around the room, Boline joining me as the darkness was now gone as well. I didn't want to go near "the master" if I could help it. Though it's probably a lie, that doesn't seem to be a creature like the Enlightenment was. Now where is Malachite? Please just be some backfired invisibility spell or something? "Malachite?" I called.

"There's something on the other side of that rift," Hanz announced, pointing through it.

Right, it's not the Gloom, it's just a portal or something. Those things came through it. From the other side. You don't think they somehow ended up through there? No help for it. I sent Boline through, with orders to help Malachite if he saw him, and when my connection didn't break (meaning he had made it through to the other side) I followed. Thankfully, Malachite was still alive, though looked hurt. He was holding the demon at bay with his sword, while the cultist was bleeding out on the floor next to him.

"Okay, Malachite?" I asked.

"Now that you're here maybe. Want to do that awesome combo attack again?"

"Sounds good."

But it was not to be, as I got shoved by Hanz and Snarly rushing into the place.

"Don't all come in here!" I protested. "What if the rift-"

The rift closed.

"That!" I shouted, pointing. "What if that!?"