Too many turns and back tracks later, she ventured into an empty space, in short order lost without a trace, every place looked the same as the one before. At least the bones mercifully didn't show again. That isn't happening, I don't want to see this anymore, I want to go back to buy pretty shineys and spending time with everyone.

She punched herself in the arm, hard. Stop it, Opial is alone in here somewhere, and may or not be even able to move. I hope that's not the case. Is she even alive?

Another krack-knows-what was in the water again, it seemed to delight in just going past one's vision only to disappear again. The occasional unseen splashing without a source didn't help either. She searched, wading through the water. She hugged herself. Don't fall apart, it's really there, I know it is. Right?

It flicked her shin. She yelped, scrambled back and pressed her back to the wall. That answers that question. It circled, the shadowy form not quite breaking the surface. It hurt her neck as she arched it, scanning the wall. Nothing to grab on to.

It wiggled closer.

A shriek built up lump like, she swallowed it and continued on, stumbling over objects below the surface, but caught her balance by catching a hold of a small cubby. Her long sleeves dipped into the water, and clung to her skin. I want Opial, I want Han, I want Parcival! I hate catacombs!

Boom. Thump. Thump. It's coming from the other side of the wall. Thump.

Heart beat and thumps unite with each instant, her heart tightened a little more.

The sobs louder then before filled the halls, suddenly they boiled over into choked out screams of rage, as if someone went too far into despair and snapped.

If her hair wasn't so wet it would have risen ten inches on its own, the many goosebumps raced across her skins' surface. She bit her hand, the pain it helped some. She trembled, waiting for the broken thoughts to make sense again for her body to quit acting frozen and move. She tugged on the hair wrapped about her neck wring out the water.

Move do something. Jumping away, whatever direction, it didn't matter. She sneezed, the spirit energies thick here, they activated her spirit perception. Some kind of spell was being cast!

The walls shook, bricks fell free, splashing into the water. A growing bulge appeared right in the middle of it, cracking in the center.

Again, an ear breaking boom, then another.

Bricks and chunks of wall shot past her face, her foothold went out beneath her. She tumbled over and fell under the water, a roar of flame followed along with a writhing mass of tentacles that curled, smoked and smoldered as it thrashed wildly.

Bursting through the surface obscured Merryn's view, she quickly wiped her eyes clear. She ducked one and moved out of the way, her heart beats bounding in her ears, body shaking. She grit her teeth and willed for calm.

Like an angel of destruction, Opial burst into the scene, her hands flew making rapid gestures as she shouted out a quick fire of spells. "You oversized barbecue on a stick, eat flames!"

The abomination yowled and randomly whipped its tentacles, spiraling ramming into random parts of the catacombs, more appendages joined the rest. Opial ducked, then cast another fire spell at it. "Lunch shouldn't fight back this hard, it's not right."

She chuckled despite herself, even if most of her wanted to leave this man made cave from Hades, screaming on the way out!

Instead of reducing Opial to pieces, it did a fine job on the walls and ceiling instead, large chunks were pulled down. The creature's wounds leaked onto the waters below, they turned a dull gray, its blood thick along the surface refusing to mix with the water. She avoided touching it.

The searing heat rushed over her face, she held her breath, bolting back. From the corner of her vision, another appendage came though the side of the opening. Merryn closed her mouth that had fallen open. Here I was worried about her. "What's this? What's going on?"

Opial splashed over and snapped her fingers. "Your shirt is in tatters, want me to sew it when we're out of here?"

Her head heavy and sluggish, Merryn blinked at her, before replying. "That'd... be... nice." She's been awfully nonchalant.

"If you can talk, you can move. Double time it, move!" Opial slapped the wall beside her.

Merryn whipped around and stared, while Opial pulled on her arm. She's showing shades of bones made of brass that weren't fully shown before. "How are you… even?"

Opial took out the small stone, now a glowing pearly gray, it shrank then vanished. "It's a Terrene it will restore part of your spirit energy, but because they will slowly harden your heart over time they aren't usually used."

Merryn, swallowed a lump while squeezing Opial's hands quick then let go. I'm glad. Maybe we can get out of here, even find what we came for.

A tentacle cracked and whipped at Opial, she rapidly mashed the words of the spell and lobbed a huge blazing ball at it. The heat warmed Merryn's face and side, steaming her nearest sleeve.

"Don't use anymore!" It must be a warped type of spirit power imbibed in it, or maybe made with ill intent. "I'll give you some of mine if this ever happens again." Hopefully not. I hate to do so, it makes me so sickly and feeble after.

"No need, no need." She chuckled, while keeping an eye on the thing. "I have a healer that, I like."

Merryn shrugged. I wouldn't consider doing that healing, considering the ability takes as much as it gives. Don't care about details; she's alive! She grinned.

Opial raised a brow. "This isn't something to be happy about..."

She shook her head, "it's not that."

She took out the mallet. "Would this?"

"Unknown, have to test it."

A couple more arched toward the ceiling, they immediately dropped overhead, emitting a raising hiss as it fell.

Opial is moving too slow! She reached for a dagger, but the lack of the weight reminded her of them missing. Ah, that's right, the guards still have them. She swallowed hard. Don't think, just do, that's best right now. Fine. The mallet was awkward in her hands, nothing like the lighter daggers, nothing was right. She struck, a frenetic jump.

She screamed at it pushing away in the back of her mind that this creature was far more than it seemed; stemming from nowhere and everywhere, all once its essence pressed down ln her mind. Would it even respond to such a physical attack? A mad multi bashing of the mallet did nothing, it passed though like a low pressure of steam bubbling over a cauldron.

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Landing on her feet, she rolled away. "What use is this weapon? Why'd he give it to me? To look the fool?" Her accent slipped back, soothing her words and sending others on high. The connection with the other Elvin was stronger to her, almost to the point of hearing their innermost thoughts again. This strength of the connection also extended to what dark being lived within this place. Its thoughts held much humor and amusement. It's toying with them, bored from being alone for...

Heavy pounding in a nearby tunnel, accompanied by a gurgling growl that intensified as it rebound through the underground. Lords above and below, what is that? Another one, or something different coming closer?

She gasped, her breaths raw and sore. "Opial, we can't fight it, you aren't actually doing anything. It's a lie, an illusion. We must get away!" her words a croaking rasp.

The mental connection ate at her, like cold thick oil it coated her thoughts, demanding it be let in again.

Opial's skirted along the broken tiles, her brows compacted and low. "How do you know of this? I say you're the one suffering under some spell!" She gestured at nothing. "Your attacks hit true and crippled its tentacle arm, why it's a bloody stump!"

"Much like a bad jump, your perception is wrong, not mine. Trust in my truth, I'll be your eyes. Your warrior heart knows, listen to it when eyes and ears betray you."

What way to turn? What way? Opial while younger in mortal age, was still more worldly. I'd barely ever left Dentree even after reaching past fifty, tho' that was so long ago now. But what if she's wrong, and what's taken in by our senses to not be true? A tentacle whipped far overhead, and passed though the wall harmlessly.

Is it real or fake? The danger lies in if it is real, and acting like it isn't there would get us both killed. It's far better to assume; at least for now it's real, then to have regrets or loss.

The mallet shook as she gripped it tight in both hands before her. "I trust you, friend." If my reality has slipped from a spell, please help me find my way back." If there is a way. Had others who ventured here gone through the same? I doubt the very flooring under my feet!

A muted glistering tentacle progressed and wormed through the broken wall, its shape unlike the rest on its end a broad paddle of a fin, this grasped the stones like a fused hand.

"There may or may not be—"

"Excuse my breach of manners, yes, I see it."

A bit of an unrealized weight lifted from her words. "I don't think we can win this, I feel this but a tiny drop of what it can do."

Opial scoffed. "Are you always like this? Is your back of hardwood or mush? No. I've seen you, you're better than this. Find yourself again, I need you back, quickly now!"

The hairs on her arms raised, and she clenched her fists. I know what she's doing, but it still pisses me off! Arrg! "You've had my help all along, what are you talking about!"

Opial smirked, "Good, come on!" She waved about her hands, chanting quickly, while spraying droplets of fire at the tentacles.

Though the tunnels they went, and further into the deeper levels, with the creature hunting them all the way. A flight of steps was longer than the rest.

Somewhere along the way, the creature became far worse than the catacombs. She straightened, the weakness in her legs gone, and hurried to catch up to Opial.

Most of the walls here were in better shape than the ones above, the beams above still were partially charmed with a stone spell. Whoever made this place must have wanted this area to last. Merryn took the lead, the water not much higher than the above areas and warmer.

"You seem to know the way," Opial said, "how much further?"

"I feel it's down here." Merryn played with the edge of a dirty sleeve. "It draws me."

Opial gave her a lengthy look.

"You've seen it before, though just a glimpse of it. When I went on that near rampage. A missing piece is down there, that might..." She turned her head left and right, the thoughts just wouldn't mesh. "Needed, yes needed."

Opial barely breathed, her breaths small huffs. "If you change again, I—"

"It's fine, I'm not." At the bottom of the stairwell, Merryn picked a tunnel that branched away from the others. "I'm sorry if that upset you." I don't remember much of what happened, all jumbled and scattered. Was I fearsome, or rather the god?

While wading though the liquid, a thought floated to the surface. It's strange, truly strange, that Maxwell hasn't come back yet. What with his great pride, he'd be set to rage on the whole city. Opial shouldn't have flung him away like an old stick. She eyed her. He might go after her first. Well, have to worry about that later.

As to what's down below, that 'truffling' thing it, was? She scowled. Need. Want. Do I want it? No. Unnamed, his thoughts muddled but always there.

Crumbling, a handful of gravel plunked into the water from above, a aged shrine on the shelf teetered at an angle. It slid off. Opial was beneath it, surveying.

She lept away, and gripped Opial's robes, submerging them both. Opial squeaked, and covered her face as they both fell under the surface. The shrine made a muffled splash as it drifted down past her. Merryn broke through first, sputtered and wiped her eyes clear.

A small, thin corked urn bobbed a foot away.

Opial came back up, blinking, and wrung the water from her streight black hair. "You didn't have to—"

"You'd have been crushed." Motioning to the shrine that lay wedged in the way before them.

Merryn stared at the urn. "I say leave the urn alone." She edged closer to Opial. "Let's just, avoid it." Besides, the creature was still alive. Her heart raced even faster, she placed her hands behind her back, and willed her body to quit shaking. At least Opial is calm.

"Yeah?" Merryn let loose a dry sort of laugh and pushed her hair out of her face.

"Don't overthink it, or it'll be too much."

It's not just the urn. Is the abomination coming again? Everything's smaller in here, the walls, they can't creep forward, can they?