We soon arrive in front of the last room in the hall. At this point I can tell the light I saw earlier, from within the cave, is actually reflected firelight from the next hallway over. Odd, that something would still be burning down here. I can’t smell smoke, and there weren’t any chimneys obvious from outside…

I poke my head into the fourth room to find sarcophagi everywhere. They all look the same as in previous rooms, slab and all. I count about seven total.

I whisper to Lauren “Sometimes these have Wights in them, so be careful. They tend to be armed.”

She scoffs and walks in. It takes a monumental effort not to roll my eyes at her. Whatever. I go up to the nearest coffin, trying to listen for any noises within, when my hearing is jarred by the familiar sound of a slab slamming against the ground. What is less familiar is when the slab I was listening to ALSO MOVES. I jump back as almost all the sarcophagi slide open on their own.

Not on their own, I realize, but because of the five Wights we’ve unintentionally disturbed. I have an easy retreat if I need it, but Lauren was immediately grappled by the Wight in the sarcophagus she kicked open, and she won’t be able to shake it off and escape before the rest of them are already up and ready to fight. Meaning: I have to take pressure off her. Of course, most of the undead are armed.

All at once, Lauren and I spring into action; her, whirling through the Wights, never taking any of them down, but three of them suddenly spout gouts of fire at her passing and me smashing the nearest Wight back into its coffin. I lose track of her as another Wight comes to back up the first, armed with a massive greatsword. It takes a massive swing at me, cleaving the air at chest level. I don’t want to risk blocking that, so I duck its upward slash and spring forward, spearing it with my stick. The Wight is slightly staggered, but I lose my grip on my weapon as it twists away. I make a grab for it, but it slashes diagonally down, forcing me to jump back lest I dodge into another Wight or sarcophagus. I clench my fists, unhappy about taking on armed enemies without a weapon, but there’s no time to think as the Wight I smashed down grabs me and tries to hold me in place. Shaking it violently, I manage to loosen one skeletal hand’s grip and grab it, unwrapping the fairly light skeleton from its hold on my torso and throwing it at the greatsword wielder. The Wight is undeterred by the promise of destroying its compatriot and cleaves right through it, slicing neatly along my ribs in the process.

Damn thing held me just long enough to get hit. Fuck. I devote a bit of Energy to it as fast as I can, but I’m immediately put on the defensive. Groans and skeletal clattering inform me that Lauren is still managing her opponents as well. The Wight is slow, and the greatsword is slower still, but my wound is slowing me down and I can’t duck as fast. Consequently, almost all acrobatic maneuvers are out as well, so I slowly back into the fairly narrow doorway.

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With it unable to swing laterally anymore, it suddenly surges forward with an overhead strike, firmly planting the tip of its sword in the stone floor as I manage to dodge back. The moment of vulnerability as it dislodges the sword from the ground is all I need. Using the colossal sword as a ramp, I smash its head from the rest of its body with a punt. Rotted teeth and bits of skull litter the room as I pick myself up from my less than graceful landing and grab my stick to help Lauren finish up the stragglers.

Fighting is much easier when you aren’t the one outnumbered.

[You aided in the defeat of five Wights! +70 Power (175)]

[Congratulations! Skill levels gained: Hand To Hand +1]

[Congratulations! Your actions have led to the creation of a basic Secondary Skill: Fencing Proficiency. Cost: 100]

[Congratulations! Your actions have led to the creation of a basic Secondary Skill: Blunt Weapons Proficiency. Cost: 100]

I’d like to learn both, but I don’t have the necessary Power to do so. While I like the idea of fencing as a form of combat, I don’t think it will be the best against undead. My stick getting taken from me is evidence enough for that. Blunt weapons, however…

[Congratulations! You learned the secondary skill: Blunt Weapons Proficiency (1)] (75)

About time I got something for swinging this stick around, not that it’s much of a blunt weapon.

I’m certain this stick was both smaller and shorter when I first got it. I broke it with my normal strength without even needing to step on it, and now… it has to be at least an inch and a half in diameter. The length is approaching two feet… might even be there already. Is this from my Energy?

A weapon that changes and grows with me. Now that I like.

I opt to put my new abilities regarding healing to the test and attempt to keep my awareness while I heal my stomach wound. It feels like issuing orders, guiding the Energy where it needs to go, making sure it’s the right type, and telling it to do what I always do: knit flesh.

It takes a while, and I don’t think I could walk while doing it, but I manage to keep my eyes open and watch as Lauren gathers the weapons and other loot. She pockets some of the coins, thinking I was distracted.

Whatever. Let her have them.