Chapter 38

C'nthia struck the giant skeleton with her round shield pushing the skeleton back a step. She stepped in to the space the skeleton had just backed away from and pursued the monster with repeated strikes of her sword.

The sword didn't cut the bones so much as the sheer force from the strikes slowly began to do damage to the skeleton, bones and shards dropping clear of the body. M'tthew had stepped back a few steps and was peppering the giant creature with arrows that struck with concussive force shattering bones and sending them skittering across the floor as they fell to the ground.

The skeleton did not let up its assault on C'nthia and Jay was just thankful it was focused on her and not Jay. It would have been impossible for Jay to even attempt to defend himself against the creature. Jay kept towards the back of the group and just held his staff out defensively just in case.

Angelica continued to shoot off glowing white bars that hit her group mates with a satisfying sizzle as the heals went to work. Any injury the skeleton dished out was quickly healed by the white robed woman.

Jon had waited a few moments to make sure the skeleton's attention was focused on C'nthia before sliding in behind the creature and beating on it with his twin swords.

No one used any crazy attacks or abilities and they managed to make quick work of the giant skeleton. C'nthia was breathing heavily. She laughed once after wiping sweat off her forehead, the sound seeming loud in the post fight silence. “That one was waiting for me. Let's hope they're not all like that.”

Jay looked at his other group members and was pleased to see that no one was freaking out or having a bad reaction to the fight. Everyone on the trip this time was a professional.

Except for Jay of course. He was still learning.

“Everyone ok?” asked Angelica as she went from person to person to check on them. Everyone was fine, the fight had just started a little abruptly, that was all.

Looking around the room Jay saw that they were in a wide hallway that disappeared around a corner just ahead. The corridor let out in to what looked to be a giant foyer and was probably the main entry way to the residence back when it was a residence. Carpeted stairways circled the rooms edges and led to the second level high above their heads. Another door led off further in to the first floor of the building.

Jon had a map and directed C'nthia up the stairs, “The first boss is this way. We should have a few more skeletons on the way, nothing complicated.”

M'tthew helped check for traps before they continued. Although the map supposedly showed where all the traps were the group still checked to be safe. It only took one mistake to end things badly.

“Clear.” he said while waving to C'nthia. Nodding she led them past the second floor stairway landing and in to a nearby room.

The room was a sitting room and had a number of padded chairs and sofas arranged in the middle of the room. Chairs dotted the surrounding perimeter as well. Jay couldn't quite figure out how a fight would work in a crowded room stuffed with furniture.

There was the sound of a click as the door behind them locked. They quickly looked at each other as they realized they were locked in. Suddenly a rattling was heard as four skeletons dropped from the ceiling. Each skeleton was only a few feet high but with arms as long as they were tall.

“Rippers!” C'nthia shouted as the others attacked, “Stay away from their claws!”

The group was forced to run around and over furniture, knocking them to the ground or kicking them across the room in an attempt to not get hit by the skeletons. Jay didn't know what happened if you got hit but the rest of the group seemed terrified by the prospect and were running around the room like crazy to avoid it. The group members didn't stand and fight, instead they would turn and attack quickly before once again running to regain distance.

Jay found himself doing poor-man's parkour over all of the furniture which mostly consisted of him hurling his body across open spaces in the hopes that he wouldn't land badly.

Angelica seemed like she had her work cut out for her and she spent half her time running and the other half healing. It was a winning combo and kept her and her group from getting bogged down with injuries.

The small yet dangerous mini-skeletons fell one by one until the group was the only ones left standing. They stood panting for breath, leaning on the walls or chairs for temporary support as they healed up.

“Great work, that was hectic.” C'nthia said with a smile.

M'tthew laughed, “That was a cluster is what that was. Those little things are fast – they seriously creep me out.” he said with a mock shiver.

Jay smiled and looked over at Angelica who was standing there with her hands folded in front of her. Jay wasn't sure if her outfit had some religious significance or had some other meaning but he thought it was odd she hid her entire body under white cloth.

Jay felt a brief ping of a notification and brought it up.

Cleaning House: 5/10 skeletons killed.

They left the sitting room with the furniture scattered across the carpet in varying stages of destruction. Entering a long hallway the lit candles lining the way were much more dim forcing the group to try to make out what lay ahead. A scrabbling could be heard before small skeletons began to run down the corridor towards the group. These skeletons were armed and carried spears.

C'nthia ran forward and used her shield to deflect the first spear before she stepped in towards the skeleton and took off the arm holding the spear with one brutal swing of her sword. The skeleton seemed shocked and just stood there as it tried to pick up its severed arm.

Jon, following right behind her, took that opportunity to strike at the skeleton's head again and again until with a loud pop it came free and the skeleton collapsed to the floor.

The following skeleton was not so easily handled and C'nthia was forced to let Jon handle it as another skeleton was heard charging towards them. She swung her sword sending the skeleton's spear swinging to the side as she brought her shield down in an overhand swing that hammered in to the skeleton sending it to its knees.

Reversing her motion she brought her sword back around and struck repeatedly, slowly forcing the skeleton back.

The rest of the group had been busy as well and had focused fire on the skeleton Jon had been fighting. Thankfully the skeletons weren't all that dangerous and were easily handled with their combined efforts.

Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

They continued on down the hallway in that manner. C'nthia catching any charging skeletons and then handing them off to Jon and the party to kill while she reset for the next charge.

They fought on past a few more skeletons before the hallway opened up in to a vast room with a ceiling so high that it disappeared in to the darkness. Hanging from above were ropes and chains all of which were suspended from the ceiling far above them.

In the center of the room stood a giant skeleton guarding a podium with a square plaque set in it.

“Ok,” C'nthia said in a low voice and the group gathered around her. “Jay, if I'm right we only need one more skeleton for our quest, right?”

Jay checked.

Cleaning House: 9/10 skeletons killed.

Jay said, “That skeleton is the last one we need for our quest. Everyone else at 9 as well?”

Everyone nodded.

“Here's the problem,” C'nthia said with a frown. “As soon as we kill that skeleton this room will begin to fill with tiny vicious skeletons with lots of tiny teeth and sharp claws. The only thing those bastards do better than kill is climb.”

“As soon as the big skeleton dies we have to climb up these ropes to the top. Don't stop to fight or you'll be overwhelmed. Just climb. Ok?” she asked the group looking from face to face.

Everyone nodded.

“Jay.” she said pointing at him. “Your job is different. While everyone fights the monster you position yourself next to that plaque. As soon as the skeleton dies and we finish our quest you need to touch that plaque to get our next quest as fast as you can and then start climbing. Don't waste time – get the quest and climb. We can read it when we get to the top, ok?”

Jay nodded with wide eyes. Out-climbing flesh eating skeleton gremlins sounded terrifying but it was a little late to be worrying about that now.

C'nthia didn't wait any further but instead ran right at the looming skeleton with a scream. After a stunned moment the rest of the group charged in after her. She danced outside of the skeleton's reach and forced it to pursue her until it was a short distance from the plaque instead of right next to it.

As she moved the skeleton Jon sneaked up behind it and began chipping away at the monstrosity. M'tthew was again firing off arrows that seemed to explode on impact with the skeleton's giant white bones. Angelica was hanging back a bit while waiting for someone to suffer an injury serious enough to warrant healing.

Jay began to notice the light getting dim and yelled, “Are the lights supposed to be going out?”

C'nthia didn't stop raining blows down on to the skeleton, “Yes, it'll go dark when this guy dies. I didn't want to worry you earlier!” she yelled back at him.

The light was now quite dim and giant shadows played across the room as everyone moved back and forth while trading blows with the skeleton.

It was M'tthew that finally killed it with a well placed exploding arrow that sent its bones flying across the room. Angelica was struck in the head by a rib and Jon chuckled a little without meaning to.

Jay quickly reached over and placed his hand on the plaque.

You have completed a quest! Cleaning House: 10/10 skeletons killed! You have been awarded 100xp!

Congratulations! You have been awarded another Dungeon Quest. This is the second quest in the Cleaning House series and must be completed in order. Failure of any quest in the series will prevent its follow-up quest from being awarded. You may share this quest with your group in which case it will become a group quest. Personal rewards will still be granted for completion regardless.

Quest: Vertical Race!

Task: Reach the next exit without taking damage from a skeleton.

Reward: 100xp

“Fuck! CLIMB!” yelled C'nthia as the sound of hundreds of tiny gnashing teeth suddenly filled the room. In the faded light Jay could barely make out a sea of tiny skeletons begin to fill the surface across the room's floor and Jay reached out blindly and grabbed the closest thing he could and began climbing.

Jay had only gotten a few feet off the ground when the lights went out completely drowning the room in darkness. Jay climbed faster than he had ever climbed but had no idea if that would be enough. He could hear the scrabbling of bony figures climbing after him but couldn't see how close they were. The hairs on the back of Jay's neck stood on end just as he felt something brush his ankle.

Jay screamed and pulled himself up even faster. Reaching the top he pulled himself on to a platform that was dimly lit enough to see the rest of the group looking back down in concern. Angelica was still climbing and Jay wasn't sure if she would make it.

C'nthia reached down and grabbed Angelica and pulled her up with a quick movement and the lights finally came back on. The scrabbling continued and the group quickly hurried through the next door in to an empty room. At least it was well lit. The entire group squeezed in and the door behind them shut with a click.

It was close quarters and Jay was getting uncomfortable when a second door across from the first swung open. The group was about to walk through when Jay stopped them. “Wait, let me grab the quest first.”

He walked up to the door and placed his hand on the plaque next to it.

You have completed a quest! Vertical Race!: exit reached undamaged! You have been awarded 100xp!

Congratulations! You have been awarded another Dungeon Quest. This is the third quest in the Cleaning House series and must be completed in order. Failure of any quest in the series will prevent its follow-up quest from being awarded. You may share this quest with your group in which case it will become a group quest. Personal rewards will still be granted for completion regardless.

Quest: Jaded Keymaster

Task: Retrieve the Jade key.

Reward: 100xp

C'nthia made a hmmmm noise. “I don't know of any jade keys in this dungeon.”

Jay shrugged, “Every other quest was given to us right before the room it applied to. I'm guessing we'll find it in the next room.”

Angelica spoke up, “I could use a brief break to regenerate some mana. I've been putting heals out pretty consistently and while I'm not on empty I'm not on full either.”

C'nthia nodded, “Good idea. Everyone check for injuries and look over your gear. The twins are next. It's a boss fight so we really should be at 100% going in. These two skeletons get stronger the closer they are to each other so Jon and I will keep them on opposite ends of the room.”

Jon looked up, “Focus fire on whatever one I end up fighting. C'nthia is more durable than I am and can keep her skeleton busy indefinitely.”

C'nthia continued, “One will use fire magic, the other lightning. They take a few seconds to cast each time, so when you see them casting give them a knock upside the head to interrupt them. Otherwise you're getting zapped. Or fried. Or both.”

The group all nodded as they sat or stood while going over their equipment.

“Any questions? Ok good. We go in five.” C'nthia finished with a smile.