The Proven escorted the two adventurers to the Safe Zone as well as delivered the body of their fallen teammate. After restocking their provisions the team returned back to the site of the Mists. They stood on the muddy embankment with the ominous pale white tendrils floating before them.
“I have a thought. This is not going to be popular, but maybe we should not go through with this,” Mikal stated.
Ziplocke snickered and cried, “The first rational idea I have heard from you fools!”
“I believe we are prepared to conquer this challenge,” Dunar replied and turned to the others, “But the choice belongs to the group. What say you?”
“I’m eager to kill those Swamp Demons and rid this place of their evil,” Rolfe growled. He thumped his spear against his shield.
“Oh, ho! Same here! Let us go and test ourselves!” Helga cheered. She gripped her two-handed axe tightly.
“I am confident my Spirit Spell can guide us through the mist,” Jeze said. That was her role, to use the Aspect that Rainia had provided her. Jeze had practiced the pattern many times and was prepared.
“Lastly, we have experienced the Affliction aspect on the first level. We won’t be caught off guard this time. Our minds are strong,” Dunar added.
Mikal shook his head and replied, “Fine! You have convinced me. Let’s get this over with.”
“Fools!” Ziplocke shrieked.
“Form up!” Dunar barked.
Jeze Summoned and Shaped the Spirit aspect. A golden flicker of light guided her into the Mist.
“This way,” she said and entered through the white curtain of fog.
Dunar and Rolfe marched next with their shields readied. Helga and Mikal followed with the Healer, who occasionally scanned the rear. Each team member started to feel the effects of the Affliction aspect. It was the same as the first floor. Jeze heard voices talking down to her. They were constant, and they insulted her. Helga saw pretty images, and Rolfe felt bugs crawling under his armor. For Dunar, he sensed that the team was about to be ambushed and had an urge to change formation. Mikal felt a frustration in his chest over the inadequacies of his colleagues. If left unchecked, the distractions would blossom into madness, but the Proven steadied their breathing and utilized their Will to negate the Affliction aspect.
“This way,” Jeze said as she followed her Spirit spell.
She led them through the thick fog and over mud and dirt. They passed twisted trees, and through marsh and bog.
“How is this Mist formed? There was no mist on the first floor,” Mikal wondered.
“That is what we are here to find out,” Dunar answered.
“What can you tell us about the Mist?” Jeze fed Ziplocke some paste. The Goblin rested on her shoulder, and he slurped it up.
The Goblin sniffed the air and answered, “It is a mixture of the Affliction and Water aspects.”
“That is helpful information. Thank you, Demon. Mikal, can you control the Mist by using your Water magic?” Dunar asked.
The Healer replied, “It depends on how much power the creator put into the Mist. I can try.”
Mikal tapped into his Channeling tools and shaped Glyphs in the air with his hands. The Healer gritted his teeth and attempted to Shape the silky white tendrils. His Will battled with the Will that Summoned the Mist, and he prevailed. The fog parted before them for several meters before Mikal let out a gasp of air.
The Healer said, “That is all I can do. My apologies, but we will need to find and destroy the source of this spell to end it.”
“You did good, Micky!” Helga said and squeezed the dark-haired man’s shoulders. Mikal flinched under her powerful grip but nodded in gratitude.
Slowly, the tendrils returned along with the voices. Dunar ordered the Proven to be alert and to take a moment to steady their breath. Mikal chanted for them.
“In with peace, out with stress. Go with the flow and be in this moment,” the Healer guided them.
“Do not let up, and keep your minds sharp! Not only will this keep us alive, but this will make our Will stronger!” Dunar stated.
Jeze reconnected with her Summoned Spirit aspect and saw the flickering golden light in between the gnarled trees.
“This way,” she said, and the others followed her.
It was not long before they encountered the notorious inhabitants of the Marsh of Despair. It was Ziplocke who first noticed them. The Demon was perched upon Jeze’s shoulder as she led the others. Behind her were the protective shields of Dunar and Rolfe. Helga’s deadly axe was prepared to deliver destruction, and Mikal was close enough to provide healing.
“Pay attention to the shadows, my disciple,” Ziplocke whispered into Jeze’s ear.
Disciple? She scowled at the Goblin, but his small green face was serious and lacked the normal mischievousness glint behind his eyes. Jeze felt a twinge of fear in her chest. For Ziplocke to be this earnest meant it was something of consequence. She heeded his words and focused on the shadows. Her hours of tapping into the Darkness aspect have given her something of an affinity for it. Darkness was the absence of light. That’s right! It was overcast above, and the entire level was bathed in a muted white glow. The trees were gnarled and spread out and created small pockets of shadows.
“Why have we stopped?” Dunar whispered.
Jeze held up her hand for silence, and the others tensed and readied their weapons.
“I see it,” Jeze acknowledged.
“What do you see?” Ziplocke asked. It was the rare moment where he acted as her teacher.
“The Darkness aspect is subtle. The shadows under those trees are just a little thicker,” Jeze answered. They were unnaturally thicker, and only a trained eye could have spotted the difference.
He asked, “What could that mean?”
“An ambush,” Jeze concluded. The knot in her chest tightened. She slinked back to inform Dunar.
“Where?” The Leader asked. He squinted into the Mist.
Careful to not alert their would be ambushers, Jeze described without pointing to Dunar where she believed the enemy was hidden. Mikal moved to the front.
“I saw movement in the mists to our left flank,” the Healer said.
“Oh ho, and to our right,” Helga added.
“I don’t see anything,” Rolfe observed. Jeze detected a small tinge of panic in the large Protector’s deep voice.
“This could be a trick of the Affliction magic,” Mikal pointed out.
Dunar shook his head. The Leader was confident in his Will and separated the Affliction from reality. Dunar believed that this was the real threat, and they were about to engage with the enemy. He scanned the area and saw that they were being encircled. Jeze pointed to where the enemies were hidden in front of them, and the fleeting shadows through the Mist showed that they were flanked on the left and right. They still had an open avenue for retreat behind them, but it was about to be cut off.
“Jeze get behind us. Shield formation and retreat!” Dunar ordered.
Helga unslung her shield and moved to Rolfe’s right. She shifted her grip higher on the haft of her Dane axe, which allowed her to use it one-handed, but with reduced power. Dunar was on the Protector’s left, and the three formed a shield wall. Jeze moved behind them and beside Mikal. The team retreated. From the Mist, the team heard the twang of bowstrings that were followed by the hiss of arrows. Some of the missiles thudded into the shields, while others shot past and into the trees.
“Dunar, we are sitting ducks here,” Mikal growled.
“I’m thinking,” the Leader calmly responded.
Dunar’s mind quickly compiled all the information they gathered on the Swamp Demons from the adventurers they rescued and combined with what he learned from Ziplocke and Jeze. The Swamp Demons were lightly armored skirmishers. They also had Rune casters who used the Darkness and Nature aspects to confuse, entangle, and poison their foes.
“Jeze, which direction do we need to go?” Dunar asked.
She closed her eyes to tap into the Spirit Aspect and pointed straight ahead. Dunar nodded. If they were to attack the middle group, they ran the risk of being surrounded by the two groups on their flanks. That was not a good option. The Swamp Demons were known to be quick, so chasing them would not work as well.
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“Keep retreating, but slow and steady,” He ordered. He wanted the Demons to gain confidence and he baited them to come closer.
Mikal flinched as an arrow flew dangerously near him. “We need to act fast. We can’t stay here,” he hissed.
Dunar nodded as he looked over his shield. An arrow thudded into it. He explained, “On my command. Jeze, place an orb of Darkness to our front and right. Mikal, Summon Frost to our left. I want the Demons slowed. Helga, Rolfe, and I will charge right after. We will attack the left group hard and fast.”
“Hurrah!” The others chanted back, even Mikal. The Healer agreed with the plan.
They continued their slow retreat, and even Rolfe was able to see the shadowy figures of their attackers as they came closer. There were many! Maybe a dozen or more, and the rain of arrows intensified. Jeze felt the Affliction aspect grew stronger and it touched her mind. The negative voices intensified. It was distracting and she figured that there were Rune casters among their enemies.
“Stay focused,” she reminded the others.
Mikal nodded and chanted, “Breathe in and Breathe out. In with peace, out with stress. Go with the flow and be in this moment.”
Rolfe, Dunar, and Helga kept their shields up and breathed deeply per Mikal’s instructions. It was hard for them, but the distractions from the curse magic faded out of their thoughts. It was easier for Jeze because she knew the Affliction aspect. For Mikal, his Will was impressive, and he was able to maintain focus. Jeze had to give him that. But he was still annoying.
Ahead of them, the Demons became more aggressive and moved closer. Jeze was even able to make out their leathery scaled features and red eyes through the dense Mist. The arrows increased, and Helga flinched as an arrow thudded into her thigh. The tip went in between the lamellar plates of her armor and pierced the mail. It was a shallow injury and would have been harmless if not for the poison.
“I’m alright. This is nothing compared to the Helldrake’s poison,” Helga boasted, but Jeze saw the warrior maiden’s face begin to pale. She felt the same sense of urgency as Mikal and itched to unleash her Rune magic.
“For Glory!” Dunar roared.
“Hurrah!” The team shouted back.
As one, they acted. Jeze released an orb of pitch black Darkness that hid them from their attackers. Mikal Summoned water vapor to cover the shadowy figures of their attackers to their left. The Healer closed his fist to complete the gesture to Shape the water aspect to flash freeze their enemies. Dunar, Rolfe and Helga charged forth and rammed their shields into their surprised enemies. The arrows intensified but the attacks were blind and erratic.
Dunar hacked a Swamp Demon through its skull with his axe, as Rolfe impaled another. Helga split a third nearly in half with a powerful chop. The remaining Demons fled and disappeared through the thick fog. Arrows thudded all around them as the Proven repositioned their shield wall. They were attacked from two angles. An arrow snapped in half off of Dunar’s shoulder pauldron.
“Jeze, I need a wall here,” the Leader ordered.
She complied and tapped into her Earth aspect Channeling tool. She poured her Will into her spell and Summoned a huge mound of dirt. Jeze completed the next glyphs and Shaped the dirt into stone that protected their left flank.
“We will attack the next group. We will hit them hard and fast like the last one. On my command, we will charge forward. Jeze drop the Darkness spell, and Mikal flash freeze our enemies. Are we ready?” Dunar barked.
“Hurrah!” The others responded.
“For Glory!” The Leader roared.
The team charged ahead. Jeze dropped the orb of Darkness and revealed another group of shocked Swamp Demons. Before they could turn to flee, Mikal encased them in ice and slowed their movements. The scaled enemy dropped their bows and drew wicked curved swords and daggers. But they were no match for the Proven, and in moments, four more Swamp Demons were killed while the rest fled.
“They flee before us! We should chase and route them!” Helga shouted.
“No, that is not our objective. Quickly, let us follow Jeze’s Spirit aspect and find the source of this Mist,” Dunar responded.
Mikal stopped to treat Helga. He removed the arrow and Summoned his Life aspect to remove the poison.
“I’m fine, Micky! We need to move on,” Helga said, but the Healer gave her a stern glare that stopped her from arguing further.
In moments the Healer was finished and the continued on. Their minds and Wills were getting fatigued from the constant struggle against the Affliction aspect. The sooner they eliminate the source of the Mist, the better they will be. Jeze tapped into her Spirit aspect and was shown a golden glow.
“This way!” She said, and the team rushed forward through the dense fog.
“How much further?” Dunar asked as they jogged in formation. They didn’t have much time before the Swamp Demons regrouped and organized a counterattack.
Jeze concentrated on the Spirit spell. It was difficult as she was also combating the Affliction aspect housed within the Mist. She needed to separate the curse magic from reality. Her Summoned Spirit aspect was trying to communicate with her. It was not through words but through feelings and faint thoughts that were easily lost like a leaf in the wind. There! She felt a tug and a faint feeling, but it was no mistake.
“We are close, just a little further!” Jeze exclaimed.
The Proven pushed forward with renewed vigor and enthusiasm. Jeze told the group to pause as she reconnected with the Spirit aspect. She received no glowing light to guide her but a sense that they needed to go down.
“We are here, and it is below us,” she said.
“Below us? Are we looking for stairs or a hole?” Dunar asked.
Jeze didn’t know. It was hard to see as the Mist was extremely thick around them.
“The Affliction magic is stronger here. Be more focused,” Mikal cautioned.
Rolfe was beginning to scratch at the imaginary bugs, but he stopped himself. His broad chest heaved in and out as he focused his mind on warding off the curse magic. Helga nearly wandered off but also stopped herself. She did the same as the Protector.
“We need an answer, Jeze!” Dunar exclaimed. He started to get anxious from the Affliction magic.
“I’m trying. It’s hard to see anything!” Jeze responded, but she remembered something. “Mikal, Control the Mist like you did before.”
“I’ll do my best,” the Healer responded. It was strange for Jeze when he was not being sarcastic.
“You are not strong enough!” Ziplocke teased. The Demon couldn’t help himself sometimes.
Mikal scowled at the Goblin and used his annoyance to fuel his Will as he tapped into his Water aspect Channeling tools. With gritted teeth, he parted the Mist like he did earlier, and the team stumbled back in shock at what was exposed. The giant maw of an enormous beast. It took a moment before everyone’s brains registered that it was the skeletal remains of a giant monster. The mouth was so large that Jeze could fit inside of it. The skull was shaped like a Helldrake and was three times bigger.
“Is that a Dragon?” Helga wondered.
“The same from Mount Dragon?” Rolfe asked.
“Fool! How could this be that very same Dragon? Besides, that is a child’s tale! Come on, Rolfe, grow up!” Mikal snapped.
The large Protector rose to his full height and approached the Healer. Mikal raised his hands and said, “I’m sorry, I spoke out of line.”
Rolfe growled, and Jeze never saw the Protector so angry before. She also never heard Mikal snap that viciously either. Something was wrong.
“The Mist is stronger here,” Jeze cautioned.
“This Dragon skull is real, ya?” Helga asked. She touched the hard bones.
“What is it doing here?” Dunar wondered.
“Even mighty Dragons fall to the Spire!” Ziplocke cackled.
“On the Third floor? I would think a Dragon could climb higher. Much higher, especially one this large,” Jeze said.
“But, how would the Dragon fit in the tunnels of the first level?” Helga said.
“The Spire changes each time. The floors are never the same,” Mikal reminded them.
“Ya, that may be true. But this large beast couldn’t fit in some levels, no?” Helga responded.
“The tales from the Ironfist Kingdom say that the Dragon there could change form and would walk the world as a man,” Rolfe said.
“Bah,” Mikal started his retort but stopped when he received an angry glare from his teammates. “Perhaps,” he said.
Dunar rubbed his temples. The Affliction magic was constantly attacking their thoughts. “Focus team! This is a distraction. Jeze, where is the source of the Mist? You said it was near,” he barked.
The Scout nodded and tapped the Rune-covered necklace that Rainia gave her with the Spirit Aspect. With extreme effort, she listened to the Spirit and looked up with understanding.
“There,” Jeze said and pointed to the mouth of the Dragon Skull.
The Mist leaked out from the Dragon’s maw. With trepidation, the team inched closer to the massive mouth lined with sharp fangs. The feeling that the mouth would snap shut on them was strong, but they overcame their fear.
“A staircase?” Dunar said.
A crafted stone stairwell was at the base of the throat of the Dragon skeleton. The Mist was so thick that it nearly suffocated them.
“Mikal, you need to clear this fog,” Dunar ordered.
The Healer nodded, and with gritted teeth, he Controlled the Mist to disperse. It was painfully slow, as if the fog fought back against him. Finally, it parted, and Mikal fell to his knees in exhaustion. A short distance down the stone steps revealed a heavy iron cauldron that hung over a fire pit. Hovering around the pot were three Imps. The Demons shrieked and fled like roaches down the adjacent dark corridors.
The Mist was slowly returning, and Dunar ordered, “Jeze, destroy the pot! That has to be the source!”
Jeze nodded. She Summoned, and Shaped the Earth aspect into a large boulder. Jeze Controlled it to smash the black iron cauldron and spilled its steaming contents all over the floor. Shortly after the team felt the curse magic abate from their minds. It was a relief, like pressure was removed from their skulls.
“I feel like I can think clearly now!” Rolfe cheered.
“We did it!” Helga roared.
All around them, the Mist sank to the ground and revealed the Swamp Demons gathering in the distance.
“Oh ho, they look angry!” Helga observed.
“Proven, form up!” Dunar barked.
The team rushed into formation with their backs to the stairwell. They had a decision to make.
“Do we fight our way out of here, or do we explore below?” Dunar asked.
“We don’t know what is down there,” Mikal replied.
“It has to be something important!” Rolfe added.
“What makes you think that?” Mikal snapped.
“A staircase in a Dragon’s mouth? That is a clear path to Glory!” Helga answered.
Rolfe agreed with a loud “Hurrah!”
Arrows began to whizz at them from the gathering of Swamp Demons. The numbers were greater than before. Dunar glanced down the stairs.
“We have a more defensible position below,” he observed.
An arrow thudded into Rolfe’s shield.
“There is a reason why the Swamp Demons are out there and not below. It could be something much more dangerous down there,” Mikal stated.
“Berserker Orn says that we must push ourselves if we wish to advance,” Jeze replied.
Mikal rolled his eyes.
“We go below?” Dunar asked his team.
“Aye!” Both Helga and Rolfe replied.
“Fools!” Ziplocke shrieked.
“I say we use the tactics we did earlier and push our way back to the Safe Zone, where we can gather more adventurers to raid this dungeon,” Mikal said.
The Proven turned to look at their last team member to speak up. Jeze grinned at Mikal, and the Healer shook his head. He knew her answer before she said it.
“I vote we go below,” Jeze replied.