Time was still frozen.

“Time for talk is over it seems.” Paul pulled out the spiderweb packet from his bag. “[Web]!” Blue runes made their way down to the package before shooting out towards the armoured kobold. The blue ring impacted the frozen thing before expanding into a twenty foot cube that was quickly filled with sticky strings. “OK I’ll just be back here, you guys get ready for if and when he breaks out.”

Francis scooted over to his right putting a pillar between himself and the kobold. “Ready for when he comes by.” Giving a thumbs up to Mark.

The kobold gave a roar of frustration and quickly pulled themselves free of the sticky webbing. Grabbing strands by the handful and tearing it into a ball. Taking the occasional clump of fur off of their hide, the kobold stalked forward raised their hammer up on high and started bringing it down on Mark. The hammer froze in midair inches away from Mark.

Mark slowly lowered his axe that he had kept in a high guard to meet the oncoming mallet. He gave a quick exhale of breath to relax. Took a step to the left. Then swung his axe straight into the stomach plate of the kobold. The axe head impacted hard and sent sparks flying. There was a large gouge left behind from the impact.

Tim rubbed down their right arm and pointed at the kobold. Red runes lit up their arm. They steadied their aim into a point and shouted. “[Guiding Bolt].” a bolt of red light shot out from their pointed finger towards the kobold and struck it directly in the center of it’s torso. A soft red glow began emanating from the kobold.

Paul Took out his piece of charred wood. With a swish and a flick he yelled. “[Witch Bolt]!” The red rune rings flowed from his heart and down his arm to the stick. From there a blue bolt of lightning shot forward and attached itself to the kobolds body. The red glow dissipated the same instant the electricity connected.

Francis stepped out from the pillar he was hiding behind. Stalking to the frozen, sticky, shocked, kobold he saw the glowing spot sneaking out from a gap in the metal armour. Reversing his grip on the knife, Francis brought the weapon up and then down. The knife sunk into flesh, slipping between plates of metal.

The kobold let out a roar of pain and exertion as they completed their swing down onto the ground. The stone cracked under the weight of the hammer. Whipping the maul around towards Mark, the hammer head clanged into his chest piece. Leaving a solid dent from the impact.

Mark staggered back and grunted. Gritting his teeth he swung his axe once more. Bringing the bladed weapon to bear, the axe moved in a terrifying arc towards the kobolds head. The axe came to an abrupt stop as the kobold brought it’s weapon up to parry.

Tim hefted their staff and moved in against the kobold. Swinging low, they aimed at the knee joint. Wood met metal and caused a buckling of the kobold’s knee.

Paul held onto the arcing lightning stick and willed another pulse into the enemy before them. The electric arc sent out a loud buzz and flash of light. There was the scent of ozone and burning hair that filled the air of the crystal’s chamber.

Francis spotted another glowing weak spot higher up on the kobold’s body. Thanks to Tim’s whack on the knee, it was within reach. Pushing the knife into this new spot caused a gush of blood to spew out.

The kobold was not doing well. Blood was leaking out of several wounds. It was unable to stand. With a pained grunt, the kobold twisted round and swung on Francis. The hammer crashed into the blue magic armour and spun Francis around like a top.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Mark Took advantage of the flanked kobold. His axe came up and down upon it’s neck. Lodging itself between armoured plates and helmet to find the thick meat beneath. The kobold fell down like a marionette with cut strings.

Tim glanced between Mark and Francis. “Either of you two hurt?”

“Surprisingly no!” Francis remarked cheerily.

“Got me pretty good.” Mark rubbed their chest underneath his armour axe still lodged within the dead kobold.

“[Cure Wounds].” Tim reached over with the green runic touch. The refreshing magic flowed into Mark who gave a sigh of relief.

The Crystal thrummed with power. A keening noise filled the air and the whole room seemed to vibrate. Waves of energy radiated out and bounced around the room. A resonance of those waves coalesced into two points next to the stone pedestal that the crystal rested on. Those points distended and expanded into humanoid shapes. Skeletal bones formed from from the shapes that swiftly spread their arms wide

The two skeletons opened their mouths in silent screams and charged at Mark and Francis. Clawed bone fingers slashed at Francis who slipped under their grasping hands. Mark was able to parry the second skeleton, sending it off balance.

Tim smacked their blunt staff against the skeletons rib cage. The hollow thunk gave a satisfying sound but there was little effect otherwise.

Paul pointed at the one Tim had struck. “[Ray of Frost]!” the cool blue beam offset by the red runic ring that preceded it. The cold ray hit and produced a small amount of ice upon the nearby bones. “Tim I need you to do the turn undead thing! Make some space for us.”

Francis Couldn’t see any glowing weak points to exploit. He clenched up and held back. Keeping a wary eye on the skeleton in front of himself. “What’s the plan Paul?”

Mark swung his axe left and right causing the skeleton to dance backwards. The axe head would have opened the gut of a fleshy enemy but only passed through nothing on the skeleton.

The Skeletons were a flurry of claws. With no muscles to twitch or tendons to snap, they whirled their sharp limbs at Mark and Francis. Francis was able to slip and slide away from the out stretched bones. Mark was less fortunate and caught a number of shallow cuts on his arms.

The Crystal hummed. Sending out another pulse of energy. This time combining into four points near the rock plinth. The magic forming into four skeletons, smaller than the previous two.

Tim still had Paul’s command in his ears. Raising the staff up high they shouted. “[Turn Undead]!” Which caused a warping pulse of energy to expand from the staff. It carried with it a hint of pine wood and dried leaves. The wave washed over the six undead skeletons in the room, causing them to all flinch in reaction.

Paul clapped his hands together. “OK, I see another pattern happening, and I don’t like it. Those skeletons should turn tail and run, but that crystal is probably wanting to summon more of them. Mark, run up and smack that crystal with your axe, hopefully that interrupts it from summoning more. Francis you get the door open, Tim Keep in view so they stay afraid, And I’m going to throw down a web spell to stop them chasing as we leave.”

Francis dashed back towards the door and wrenched it open. The dark hallway leading out beckoned.

Mark moved past the two skeletons near and approached the humming crystal. The axe was light in his hands. Squaring up like a baseball batter, Mark swung with his full might. The flat of the axe head smashed into the crystal. There was a very small amount of give to the floating crystal as it was shifted momentarily out of place. The humming it was putting out came to an abrupt stop.

The Skeletons in the room turned in perfect unison away from Tim. They scrambled and rushed to the corners where they stood face first into the wall seemingly in an attempt to meld into the stone.

Tim slowly backed his way towards the door. Keeping an eye on the cowering skeletons.

Paul made his own way to the door. Removing the spiderweb packet in preparation for casting.

Francis held the door. “Come on, come on, come on!”

Mark turned and ran. He ran for the doorway with his axe in one hand and the other pumping for balance. Past the other two and shooting through the open doorway.

Tim made his exit. Paul shouted the spell. “[Web]!” causing the space in front of the doorway to fill with sticky webbing.

They all exited the room and Francis closed the door.

Time unfroze.

Paul gave a sigh of relief. “OK, so we never go back in there, agreed?”

The other three gave affirmations of their own.

“I think that’s enough for our trip.” Paul turned away from the door and they began the long walk back to the surface.