Ch5 The Forgotten Temple

Rouge was angry with Mage about him firing the fireball but he just decided to wait and see how Aaron fared from the attack.

I hope he survived to I can take my time torturing him and stripping him of every single piece of gear he has.

As the smoke began to clear he became confused and started to search his surroundings. Aaron was nowhere in site with what was remaining of the smoke was still clearing.

Rouge, “Do you guys see him anywhere?!”

Mage, “No sir! I also believe he is not dead since I did not get any experience or level up.”

They began to walk to the spot where he had vanished. Almost immediately they spotted the hole in the ground.

Rouge groaned and turned to Mage

Rouge, “great going there dumbass now we can’t get to him if he even is alive from the fall. “

Mage, “I how was I suppost to know about there being something under the ground let alone a underground cave or ruin.”

Rouge, “What ever! Do you have a spell or something to create a light with?”

Mage, “Wait a moment I got a spell right here.”

He pulled out a spell book that he had stolen from a mage they had striped for goods and experience points.

Knight, “um boss… ah”

Rouge, “be quiet Knight!”

Mage began to recite the spell from the book, as he finished he let it slowly fall down the hole. They could not see anything yet as it reached about five feet down.

Knight, “Um boss you should see this!”

Rouge looked at Knight and said, “what do you want Moron!”

He then noticed things starting to rise up out of the ground and that a number where already standing. Mage also looked up after the other two had frozen. A large number of undead where rising from the ground and stumbling towards them with old rotten armor and weapons.

Mage, “Shit I don’t have any holy magic spells!”

Rouge, “we need to get out of here.”

Knight, “How are we going to do that?”

Rouge, “what do you mean?”

Knight pointed behind the two. They both slowly turned to se more coming from the woods and what was left of the wall of fire. They both groaned at the sight and prepared their weapons. They looked for the the thinnest section of undead but it was almost unending.

The three started to back up to the cliff while mage was throwing fireballs at any undead that got to close. Soon they had to stop or risk falling over the edge.

Rouge, “well this has been fun guys.”

Mage, “sure has but its not over yet.”

Knight, “ah what’s been fun?” He looked at them confused.

Rouge, “forget it we need to fight or else.”

Soon the leading undead reached them and where hacked to pieces. The three paused looking around as undead where coming and the fires continued to grow to surround the clearing. Another wave of the undead finally reached them and they continued to hack away at them. Soon every time one fell another two took their place.

Mage, “watch out I’m going to use rock wave!”

The other two stepped back as the Mage cited a spell and slammed his staff against the ground. The attack sent the ground in front of the three flying into the undead sending them back or destroying them.

Rouge, “I’m almost out of stamina how are you guys?”

Mage, “I’m almost out of mana to but I still have one potion left.”

Knight, “I’m at my limits, I’m almost on empty.”

As he said that they heard something between a scream and a roar. They turned to look at the forest edge and saw a large undead Troll walking out dragging a large club behind it.

The three took up another fighting stance again as the undead came at them again they continued to cut and hack until the undead troll was on them. The knight charged forward to swing his sword at its leg but instead tripped over a crawling undead and fell face first. As he began to get up he saw the trolls leg he was going to strike come down on top of him. The Knight vanished as the Troll continued to come towards the rest of the group.

Mage, “Just great what are we going to do now? ... Hercules?”

He turned to see Hercules starting to climb down the cliff.

Mage, “you coward! To Hell…”

He could not finish his sentence as he was sent flying over the cliff by the swing of the undead trolls club. He fell to his death screaming like a little girl all the way down.

Rouge, “sorry guys but I at least have to make it out of here.”

He was still climbing down but saw a shadow and looked up. A number of the undead where falling over the edge to get at him but missing. He began to climb down again as one of the undead crashed into him making him lose his grip.

He plummeted to the ground thinking why me.

___ _ ___

-Back at the Tavern-

Aarons friends where finally all together again after logging off for a break. They where all watching a number of the fights going on from the groups facing off to duels and even a fight that was just a jumble of players attacking each other. Then they finally saw who they where waiting for.

Aaron was walking to a stream where he was getting some water. Then cam out the three players form the other day.

Marcella Dawntracker, “Ah that’s just great it’s the three stooges from the other day!”

Kevril Falconsflight, “That’s going to be one tuff fight.”

Merlin Wizardblood, “I believe that the chance of victory is not in our friends favor.”

Alimore Serpenthelm, “Are you saying that he’s not going to win? I can’t believe that he is one of the strongest players I have ever seen!”

Kevril, “That’s not what Merlin meant its just that it is three on one and the threes levels are unknown.”

Marcella, “That’s another thing I hope he kicks their butt.”

They watched as the three chased after Aaron towards the clearing. They gave a laugh at Hercules getting dragged up into the air by one of Aaron’s traps but soon stopped as the mage through a fireball ahead of Aaron igniting a wall.

They saw Aaron start to head to the side of the clearing where the winded Hercules began to step out of. Aaron had stopped and they said a few things to each other before Aaron ran towards Hercules. Just then Aaron disappeared from a fireballs explosion that the Mage had launched at him.

Alimore, “What that could not have happened! Where’s Aaron?!”

Marcella, “I don’t know? Your right he could not have just disappeared.”

Merlin, “Your right he is still on the Competitors list.”

Erick (Blacksmith), “That’s one of the reasons I hate Magic.”

Instructor, “Just watch we might see what happened to him.”

They watched as the three stooges argued and began to search the area where Aaron had disappeared. Right then they could see the hole that was in the ground .

Kevril, “Nice escape but hopefully nothing bad happened to him.”

Then everyone in the room froze and fell silent as the undead began to rise up out of the ground. The three stooges on the screen still did not notice until the knight looked around. Eventually the other two noticed but it was to late they where already surrounded in the clearing.

As they began to back up to the cliff on screen the Blacksmith and Instructor along with a few other NPCs ran to the door saying something about an emergency council.

Kevril watched as they left, “Guys looks like Aaron just activated an event.”

Merlin, “Not sure it was him but it was perfect timing.”

They all looked back at the screen as the room started to get loud from players bustle with excitement about what had just happened.

Alimore, “I hope he’s alright.”

___ _ ___

-Ruins-

Aaron had landed on a pile of dirt and rubble while losing over two thirds of his health. He sat up and tried to get a view of his surrounding but it was to dark to see anything besides what was in the little light from the hole.

Aaron looked up, “man that was a long fall I’m lucky I’m even alive.”

He slowly got up and pulled up his inventory to get an unlit torch out. As he did that a light orb began to slowly descend from the ceiling. He then started to use his striking flint to try and light his torch.

Once lit he looked at his surrounding though it was still hard to make out anything. He seemed to be in a great hall, behind him there was a large door blocked by a large amount of debris and ruble. To his right was a long wall with alcoves between arches, to his left was the same thing. In front of him was another door towards the far end of the room.

He decided to go look at the alcoves to his right first. The first alcove he came to there was a old weapons rack with some old rusted and dusty weapons. Most of them looked like they could fall apart while a few looked durable enough to become usable again if repaired. He decided to grab three of the swords and through them in his pack.

He walked over to the next alcove along the wall where a old skeleton was lying on the floor. He walked around it and saw a bunch of old relics lying around on shelves but nothing worth taking besides a handful of gold coins. As he reached the last alcove on this side of the room he began to hear explosions above with some dust beginning to fall from the ceiling.

He looked up at the ceiling and wondered what the three stooges where doing but continued on looking at the alcove. There where a number of books on shelves with a number of them falling apart. He grabbed a few the last one having a sword on its cover and through them in his pack.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

He ran to the other side’s alcoves and grabbed some more books and gold coins until he noticed a creaking sound be hind him. He stepped to the side while drawing out his swords into his hands.

Where he was standing a second ago an axe came down striking the stones. Aaron took a few steps back to get a better look at his attacker and to get into a better position. An undead skeleton was standing there slowly lifting its axe off the ground. He recognized the skeleton as the one that he walked by earlier.

Aaron swung both his swords at its legs but only managed to hit one as it tried to dodge his attack. His attack took off from just above its knee down. It was about to take another swing at him with its axe. He kicked out its other leg causing it to fall and miss with its attack. Aaron then began to hack away at the skeleton taking of its limbs then head. Once that was done he began to crush the things ribcage in by stomping on it repeatedly in anger.

He stopped and stepped back to catch his breath.

Man that was a close call I didn’t even notice the thing until it was on me.

Aaron began to pick up the loot from the skeleton, which was some coins and some boots. As he grabbed the boots he noticed that he could not hear any explosions anymore.

Aaron stood up and began to look around at his surroundings once more when a number of skeletons began to fall from the hole in the ceiling falling apart as they hit the ground then slowly starting to reassemble them while more continued to come through the hole.

Aaron knew he did not have any time left and ran for the door passing the remaining alcoves. Once he pushed one of the doors slowly open and ran in once he could fit and shut it behind him.

Aaron stepped back and looked for any thing to block the door. He saw a number of old barrels and crates along with two small statues. He grabbed one of the swords he had picked up earlier and slid it through the doors handles. After that he began to stack the crates and barrels against the door. As he started to slide the first statue in front of the stacks to help hold it the doors started to reverberate from the undead beginning to hit at the door. He quickly slid the other statue to his make shift barricade then stepped back.

That should buy me some time! Now if only I could find a way out of here.

Aaron turned and ran down the hall keeping an eye out for any monsters or undead that may be lurching within the ruins.

___ _ ___

-Back at the Tavern-

Since the undead took out the three stooges more and more of them began to appear all over the area. Players that had once been fighting each other as part of the contest where soon either on the run or fighting back against the undead.

“The Seekers of the Land” began to rally a number of the players together to confront the undead. They had about 73 players in the middle of a large field outside the forest. They where picking off groups of the undead as they came at them, they even managed to take out two undead trolls. But as they took out each new group of undead there was another even larger group coming at them.

Kevril, “Man this tournament sure did turn into something didn’t it.”

Merlin pushed up his glasses, “yes it sure did, who would of expected an event to be triggered in the middle of it like this.”

Kevril, “There where a number of random events like this in the beta such as… um never mind.”

Merlin, “what do you mean they’re where others like this.”

Kevril, “Um yes I heard something about it from a friend though I don’t really know all the details.”

Alimore, “I hope I don’t have to face any undead like that any time soon.”

Marcella walked back to the table from the bar with some more drinks for the group.

Marcella, “Has there been anything new about Aaron?”

Alimore, “not yet I’m starting to get worried.”

Kevril, “Don’t worry he should be fine Merlin has been keeping and eye one the rapidly decreasing competitors list.”

Merlin, “Hey why don’t you keep an eye on it for once? I’m getting tired of repeatedly going through the names.”

Marcella, “hey why don’t we all calm down and just keep watching…”

A player burst through the door making it slam and reverberate. Everyone looked at him while he caught his breath.

Player, “The Elder and… Angels are going to make… a live announcement in a few minutes.”

With that everyone began to talk amongst themselves again.

Merlin, “Well hopefully its something good.”

On the screen a few of the 73 players have died and risen again as the undead and where attacking their fellow player. A few of the players also began to run away only to find themselves surrounded and alone within a short distance. The mages shortly began to continuously shoot fireballs at the oncoming undead while the clerics healed the players and cast holly spells on the undead to weaken them.

Merlin, “well they are going to run out of mana very soon.”

Kevril, “yah they should be using it steadily and conserve as much of it as they can or else they will be exhausted when the larger groups of undead hit them.”

The screen changed quickly to have the angels and a few members of the village council.

Angel, “Due to unforeseen events we have decided to cancel the rest of the tournament until further notice. All remaining players will be teleported back until we have control over this current crisis. That is all”

The screen turned back to the player’s battle against the undead and began to have the remaining players teleport out. Once the last player was seen teleporting the screens vanished.

The room fell Quiet.

___ _ ___

-Ruins-

Aaron was continuing to run through the halls checking out each room and passing more hallways. He hand long since left the barricade and knew it was gone since he heard something similar to an explosion. He continued to pick up loot along the way. As he reached another intersection a group of undead came at him from the hall on his left.

He quickly readied his weapons and attacked the closest one. The undead struck at him but he blocked it. To get a better opening he ran into the undead with his shoulder first nocking it into its companions. Aaron then went at hacking it and its companions. Soon there where only three of them left standing one of them was a undead mage behind a great sword wilder and axe wielder. Aaron ran forward sliding between the two weapon wielders causing their attacks to his each other.

Aaron continued forward raising his swords to slice the mages head off before it could finish the spell it had just started. His blades struck perfectly taking off its head and causing it to vanish leaving loot behind.

He then rounded on the two remaining undead and hacked at them blacking a few swings before he took out their legs from underneath them. He continued the hack at them until they to vanish.

Aaron stood there a moment taking a breather then walked back to the intersection. Looking down all the halls he could see undead from the hall he just came down and the ones to his left and right his only way was to continue further heading down the same hall.

This time he ran down the hall not stopping for anything passing a few rooms until he reached a circular chamber. The chamber had five massive standing statues that seemed to be woman but where to worn out to make out their featchers. Another of the statues was lying on the ground where it had fallen while its broken off fee where still in their place. Between the statues where doors that all had chains locking them shut.

I guess the only thing to do is to see if there is an opening on the other side of the fallen sculpture.

Aaron ran taking off his scarf and tying his sword to one of its ends. Once he was close enough to the statue he throw the sword end over the arm and pulled it Tight. He slowly climbed onto it and looked back to see that the undead where almost to the room.

I hope that this at least slows them down.

He quickly looked on the other side of the statue to see a Brocken down door by the statues other arm, which had broken off. He quickly untied his scarf and sword and worked his way down to the floor.

Aaron walked into the room and saw many wonderful artifacts and relics in the room set up as if it was a display behind a temple alter. At the far end a marvelous black and white armor stood on an armor display rack. The armor made him almost forget about the undead behind him as he walked across the room to it.

If I can use this armor maybe it could help me escape from this place.

Aaron Used Identify

Armor: Goddess Anae’s Armor

Dexterity: Unknown Defense: Unknown

Ancient Armor of unknown origin

Level is to low to fully Identify Object

This thing is Amazing.

Aaron began to lift parts of the armor off the stand when he heard a musical feminine voice.

Do you wish to become my vessel and my hand in the world?

You have been offered a Class!

Goddess Enae’s Chosen

Do You Wish To Accept?