Vesperine strutted with a determined gait towards the door with the symbol of death magic. She didn't look back to check if Talax was following her, possibly still embarrassed by her unexpected burst of emotion.
Talax shook his head and followed her. Vesperine placed her hand on the symbol, and a sickly light began to shine. With an ominous groan, the doors parted, revealing only a black expanse beyond. Vesperine didn't hesitate and walked right in. Talax, on the other hand, hesitated, with one foot in the central room and the other in the dark chamber, casting furtive glances inside the new chamber.
"Are you coming?" Vesperine impatiently demanded. He let out a defeated sigh and crossed the threshold. As soon as he stepped into the new room, the doors came crashing shut. "I knew that would happen," his unhappy mutter sounded deafening in the silent room.
The low ambient light made it difficult to see their surroundings clearly, but the simple noise of his steps echoed as if they were deep underground. The air felt damp and heavy, and a faint, earthy scent filled his nostrils. Vesperine reached into the pocket of her cloak, producing a small, glowing crystal that illuminated their surroundings with a soft, otherworldly glow.
She turned to him with a sly smile. "Don't worry; it's all part of the plan," she assured him, though her tone couldn't quite hide the mischievous glint in her eyes. The beauty and splendor of the temple were gone, replaced by an uneven floor with small mounds and depressions, creating the impression of a subterranean landscape. Strange, moss-covered pillars stretched toward the ceiling.
They walked in silence for several minutes, with Vesperine's light guiding their way. The floor had a slight decline, giving the feeling that it was leading them into a lair. Talax, engrossed in his effort to investigate the dimly lit room, failed to notice a small mound of rock and stumbled, nearly falling headfirst.
He gave a shout and flailed his hands to regain his balance. The small noise he made reverberated off the cave walls, echoing as if dozens of versions of him shared the same fate. Vesperine stared at him with wide eyes. "I can't believe you just did that, puppy! Stealth! Stealth is our friend, so stop acting like a disgruntled pelican!"
Talax panted, trying to calm his racing heart, and nodded with embarrassment. Suddenly, a low, dragging hum filled the air, resonating from deep within the room. The ground beneath their feet quivered, and a subtle vibration emanated from the walls. They exchanged nervous glances as the room seemed to come alive with an otherworldly energy.
"I think we've awoken something," he whispered, his voice trembling.
Vesperine nodded, her eyes now more serious. "You mean, YOU have woken something! Anyway, I'm going to see what we're up against." Before Talax could respond, the woman vanished, as if she were swallowed by the shadows around them.
Talax paced nervously in the dimly lit cave, the dragging noise filling the air, making the hairs on his neck stand on end. "Follow me," Vesperine's voice broke the uneasy stillness, causing him to jump and scan his surroundings in alarm. He saw Vesperine chuckling at his reaction and gesturing for him to follow.
They moved in silence through the labyrinthine cave, navigating between imposing stalagmites and small mounds of rock that seemed to rise and fall like subterranean hills. After a while, Vesperine signaled for him to stop. Following her gesture, Talax peered cautiously between two stalactites. To his surprise, he realized that the subterranean room they had entered wasn't as vast as it had initially seemed.
The optical illusion was created by the ingenious design of the cave. They had unwittingly followed a circular path, each cycle gradually descending in elevation, with the final cycle leading to what appeared to be an eerie arena at the room's center. This arena was devoid of rocks or obstacles and featured a polished floor adorned with a prominent symbol, the emblem of death magic.
In the eerie arena at the cave's center, an unsettling creature caught their attention. It moved with great difficulty, circling aimlessly as if guarding something of significance. The creature's appearance was a disturbing blend of grotesque and bizarre.
At first glance, it resembled a massive ape, with a powerful, bulging torso and long, sinewy arms ending in formidable fists, clearly capable of delivering devastating blows. However, any semblance to an ordinary ape ended there, and the rest of its form was grotesquely wrong.
Instead of the usual fur one might expect, this creature's skin was mottled and sickly, riddled with open sores from which a vile, putrid liquid oozed, filling the chamber with a nauseating stench. The creature's grotesque skin was infested with wriggling maggots, intensifying the revolting sight and making Talax want to hurl.
The source of the dragging noise that had echoed through the cave became evident as they observed the creature more closely. It had no feet or legs; instead, it relied on its massive fists to pull its hulking body across the arena floor, leaving a slimy trail in its wake.
Talax recoiled in disgust and turned to the masked woman. "What is that?" he whispered, unable to hide his unease.
"It will be some kind of skeleton!" the masked woman mocked in a high-pitched voice, echoing his earlier words. "That is no skeleton, puppy! That is a shambling horror! They are particularly dangerous creatures; they can use both magic and punch you to a pulp. They are often used as personal guards by necromancers. I just hope there isn't a necromancer lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike when we're distracted."
"That would be just my luck..." he murmured, mostly to himself. "Now what?" he asked, giving the creature one last uneasy glance as it dragged itself across the arena.
"Now, we go kill it. Let's go," Talax followed Vesperine and saw her put her small glowing stone back into her pocket, plunging them into darkness momentarily. His eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness as he followed Vesperine's hazy silhouette, and they found themselves at the end of the path, the faint light of the death symbol illuminating their surroundings as if it were noonday.
"Now what?" he inquired in a low voice, trying to remain undetected.
"Now, you go attack it," Vesperine replied.
His head snapped around, and he glared at the woman. "Now I go do what?" he retorted with a harsh whisper.
"Shhhh," she admonished. "You don't want to alert the horror to your presence!" Talax looked at her, outraged. "That is not some squishy salamander! That creature is huge!" Vesperine chuckled. "Oh, he is squishy, alright." Talax followed Vesperine's gaze and saw a massive piece of rotted flesh sloughing off the creature's body.
He put a hand to his mouth, struggling to keep his stomach contents down, and muttered between heaves, "That is not reassuring. Not at all." The masked woman waved her hand dismissively, as if she were accustomed to such gruesome sights, and said, "I am a rogue, sweet cheeks. I cannot attack it head-on. It would be like hitting a wall with a feather. But from the shadows, oh, puppy, I can work wonders."
He felt her smug smile behind her mask, and Talax finally resigned to his fate. "Fine! What do you need me to do?" Vesperine nodded encouragingly. "That's the spirit! Just try to stay alive and keep its attention on you." Talax hummed, "That sounds easy. For some reason, most of those who meet me want to kill me, so that won't be a problem." Vesperine chuckled and patted him on his head, like he was her pet. "That's a good boy." Then she whispered in his ear, "Now, GO!" and pushed him.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Before Talax could comprehend what was happening, he found himself inside the arena. Instantly, he felt the eerie presence of death magic wash over him, and a faint weakness overtook his body. He couldn't dwell on the sensation for long, as a bone-chilling roar made the ground tremble, and the cave walls shook dangerously.
"Oh, shit!" he exclaimed, locking eyes with the creature glaring daggers at him. The shambling horror had already detected his presence and was dragging its hulking body toward him. He raised his hands and shouted, "Vesperine! I don't think that was a good idea!" Then he started casting. His hands moved, and his mouth opened, muttering archaic words. With a final flick of his wrist, his spell, Bubble of Confusion, materialized. A sphere of water appeared out of thin air and encased the creature's head.
Talax grabbed his bow, intending to attack the distracted creature with impunity. However, an unexpected turn of events disrupted his plans. The shambling horror let out another deafening roar that shook the room, and to Talax's astonishment, his spell failed. The water bubble, encasing the creature's head, parted under the force of its roar and fell harmlessly to the floor.
Talax watched in disbelief. His spell failed! It had failed! That was the first time something like that had happened. Still bewildered and clutching his bow, he witnessed the creature banging on its chest with its fists and screaming in defiance. His stupor ended when the monster refocused on him and crawled toward him with deadly intent.
Talax raised his bow with trembling hands, experiencing a deep fear of the undead creature. He activated his ability, Explosive Arrow, and waited for the arrow to be charged with the ethereal blue glow of mana. Then, he released it. The arrow flew with deadly accuracy and exploded on the creature's shoulder, sending chunks of rotten meat flying. However, the shambling horror appeared unharmed, continuing its relentless advance.
"That's not good," he muttered, struggling to formulate a plan. His most potent ability had barely made a dent in the creature. He had no desire to get too close and have to engage in hand-to-hand combat with it; its fists looked deadly, and he was certain that one blow would take him out of the fight.
At that moment, Vesperine appeared next to the creature, brandishing a thin blade that resembled a long needle. Instead of vanishing, as she typically did in such situations, she remained rooted in place. Her blade began to emit a yellow light, capturing the monster's attention. The weapon pulsed in waves with energy, as if it were infusing power into the creature's body.
The shambling horror roared in outrage and swung its oversized fist towards the woman. Talax's heart stopped as he watched the deadly fist approach with lethal intent. Vesperine remained in place, unable to move while she used whatever ability had her blade glowing. Talax loosed an arrow in an attempt to draw the creature's attention, but it proved futile. The arrow sank deep into its neck, yet the monster appeared unfazed.
Vesperine's ability ended abruptly, her dagger losing its glow, but it was too late. The fist came with crushing force, capable of obliterating a mountain. With a desperate shout, Talax witnessed the masked woman evade the attack with an impossible twist of her body. Her body seemed to bend in a manner that appeared unnatural and wrong. In that instant, as the fist sailed centimeters from the woman's torso, her spirit guide manifested. The small snake lunged and bit at the flying hand with its tiny mouth, releasing a small dose of venom.
Talax exhaled in relief as Vesperine disappeared from sight the next second, and the creature clutched its hand, emitting a sizzling sound that filled the cave. Its hand started bubbling as though it were cooking from the inside out.
The creature bared its elongated fangs and began banging its fist on the hard floor as if attempting to rid itself of the venom. Talax shot arrow after arrow at the distracted creature, causing little to no damage to the undead monstrosity. Slowly, a faint glow of energy appeared on its fists, and the creature used both fists to pound the death symbol on the floor. The room shook as if an earthquake was taking place, and Talax heard an ominous crack.
Looking up, he saw the ceiling full of hanging stalactites that swayed with the creature's every hammer-like strike. Vesperine reappeared, throwing two vials of black liquid at the monster. Black waves of energy coursed through the creature's body, washing it with deadly magic.
Vesperine shouted, "It's already dead. We just have to stay alive until the poison takes its hold." Before her words had fully left her lips, a stalactite came crashing down, showering rocks in a terrifying cascade. Talax was struck by some of the projectiles, and he saw Vesperine leap to the side as another stalactite fell just centimeters from her position.
Stalactites rained down from above, crashing into the cave floor with terrifying force. Talax had to dart and weave, narrowly avoiding the cascading rocks that threatened to crush him at any moment. Amid the debris and falling rocks, dust had caked his clothes, making it difficult to breathe.
An intense light drew his attention as he jumped to avoid another shower of rocks. He saw the shambling horror's fists coming crashing down on the ruined floor, its eyes solely focused on the untouched death symbol beneath it.
The death symbol flashed and appeared to respond. Waves of death energy surged to the surface, and when the creature's fist made contact with the symbol, the necrotic energy surged toward the only living beings in the room, Talax and Vesperine.
Talax watched in horror as the waves of death energy bore down on him. He leaped, sidestepped, and even rolled in a desperate attempt to stay alive. His attention was divided among countless threats, the falling rocks, the small mounds of debris blocking his path, and now the waves of death energy.
With a superhuman effort, he managed to evade the first wave of necrotic energy, narrowly avoiding the black energy as he weaved between broken stalactites. The next wave appeared out of nowhere.
Another stalactite fell just centimeters in front of him, and he leaped back in a desperate attempt to survive, narrowly avoiding the deadly impact at the last moment. The force sent him flying, and rocks pelted his skin as the massive stalactite was shattered by the impact. Before he could fully process what was happening, lying on the ground, groaning, he saw a brilliant light and was struck by the wave of death energy.
Immediately, his brain shut down from the searing pain of the attack. He felt his body weaken, fill with dread, and a bone-deep chill invaded his being. His vision blurred, and the world around him seemed to waver as the necrotic energy gnawed at his very essence.
A burst of mana surged through his body as an ability was activated, an ability that only triggered when he suffered catastrophic damage. So far, he had been fortunate, as his Natural Defense ability, Mitigate, hadn't been activated. To trigger it, he would need to sustain damage that drained more than half of his health points in a single attack.
The fact that this ability had been activated was alarming. Talax looked down at his body with blurry eyes and saw his skin turning black, with pieces flaking off. He heard a distant yell and, with great effort, managed to turn his head. Among the small mountains of rocks, he spotted Vesperine.
She was casting a spell, and after a few seconds, a spectral crow appeared on her outstretched palm, a dark and ominous presence. The spectral crow flapped its wings and took flight with a caw. It weaved between the falling rocks and landed on the creature, dissolving into spectral, shadowy chains that wrapped around the undead monstrosity, momentarily restraining its movements.
These chains appeared to feed on the creature's mana, sapping its strength and weakening its hold on the death magic that had empowered it. The creature howled in fury and frustration as it struggled against the ethereal bonds.
Talax crawled on the floor, grunting with effort, and reached for his pack. With weak and trembling hands that looked more like those of an old man than a warrior, he fumbled through his bag, searching for his salvation.
His fingers touched something, and with excitement, he pulled out a handful of beads. Searching for the right one, he breathed a sigh of relief when he poured mana into the life bead. Soothing energy coursed through his body as life magic clashed against the necrotic energy that had left him a weakened husk of a man.
The bead crumbled to dust, but it had already done its job, pumping him with life energy, granting him enough strength to stand. With a pained groan that sent stabbing pain through his bones, he saw Vesperine approaching the undead creature, slashing at it with her knives and drawing black blood.
The shambling horror appeared to be on the verge of death. The black waves of energy, inflicted by Vesperine, had grown in strength, and with the addition of the spectral chains, the creature was all but defeated. Talax picked up his bow, which had landed somewhere next to him when he fell, and drew an arrow.
His arrow turned blue, its light growing stronger and stronger with every surge of his mana until it resembled a small, blue sun. Talax yelled to Vesperine, "Duck!" The woman whirled around, surprised but obedient, and followed his command immediately.
With trembling hands, Talax released the arrow. It sailed with deadly precision and struck the creature directly on the head. The impact triggered a violent explosion, and the shockwave reverberated through the cave, causing the remaining stalactites to sway dangerously.
Talax watched with tired eyes as the weakened creature swayed, its caged body wobbling for a moment before crashing down, creating a cloud of dust. His face stretched into a satisfied smile, and then everything went black.