Naython

"Don't move or you'll find yourself nursing a foot wide hole in your chest!"

Unresponsive to Heathers threat the girl who was surely the master of the beasts around them stood unmoving in the bright radiance of Heather's blazing hands, seemingly unperturbed by the deadly spell aimed at her, the dirty auburn hair of the girl still hid her eyes and face as she stood completely still, beside her the last remaining beast, the cockroach stood, its massive pincer-like jaws flexing and its antennae still quivering hectically having only recently dodged Heather's last attack.

With Heather fully charged and the other two pet monsters dealt with, the beastmaster girl was on the ropes, it was time for some answers and some justice.

Instructing Heather to shoot the moment the two creatures in front of them tried anything, Gerdur, as the team leader stepped forward again, her breathing uneven, still tired from her extended fight with the cockroach she nonetheless asked with a harsh rasp.

"Who are you? and why have you attacked us?"

The girl didn't respond and instead tilted her head slightly, the cockroach next to her scanning both the group in front of it and the other monsters lying disabled behind them, its antenna flicking like reeds in the wind.

"I said," Gerdur growled putting emphasized threat into her voice, " Who are you? and why have you attacked us?"

On cue, Heather threw a bolt of condensed light at the floor next to the girl, blasting it, the warning shot finally eliciting an obvious response.

The girl took a step backward and looked up, her eyes making contact with Gerdurs, the hair hiding her face swinging to one side as she moved, revealing her facial features.

It was definitely a girl or maybe a woman? She had honey-colored eyes a slight nose and delicate eyebrows, she would have been attractive if she weren't caked in dirt, sewage filth and was unhealthily skinny and gaunt, the girl or woman was clearly young but on closer inspection, Naython couldn't tell how young, as the girl was rather tall.

Naython at this point didn't much care how young the girl was, she had killed whether directly or indirectly three of Naythons teammates and vengeance was a must, Naython hoped this little girl stayed locked up for all eternity.

The girl's eyes locked onto Gerdur's but she said nothing, her stare almost as piercing as the old crones, but her mouth was slightly ajar as if she wanted to say something.

Closing her mouth after glancing at the cockroach, the girl didn't speak, keeping silent as she stared at the party with a twitching and suddenly blank face, the hair beginning to obscure her eyes again as her head tilted forward.

"Tight-lipped huh?" Gerdur muttered darkly, "Well I'm sure the city Guard and interrogators will beat it out of you!"

Motioning to Heather, Gerdur bade her to fire at the girl's legs so that she couldn't get away, the party was neither trained nor equipped for interrogating the soon to be maimed prisoner, 'that', could be left to the professionals, and Naython was sure the city guard would appreciate one less violent killer stalking the streets.

"You can blame this on your own poor decisions," Heather said derisively to the quiet girl, much like Naython, Heather was unhappy with the murder of her companions.

As Heather charged up another shot, one focused on precision not power, the silent till now girl spoke, or rather chuckled,

"Heh heh... heh heh heh..."

The girl's face tilted down once more, Naython could only see her lips which had split into a pained grimace that was steadily twisting into a wide smile.

"Hee hee hee... Hee! hee! hee!"

The girl's chuckle had turned into giggling which was gradually increasing in magnitude and as she laughed Naython felt something shift and change, the vacuous dark once pushed far back by Heather's far-reaching light was thickening, creeping slowly forward, eating up the visible space and coming to gently wrap about the giggling girl and the cockroach.

Naython watched wide-eyed as Heather's potent sun magics were repulsed by the expanding darkness, he was not the only one to notice this foreboding shift.

"Heather! shoot her now!" Gerdur shouted yanking her spear up into her hands once more.

"But I haven't isolated the blast yet! she won't survive!" Heather responded looking startled.

"Just do it!" Gerdur yelled.

The girl continued to laugh as Heather refocused on simply blasting the girl, her laughter growing more bombastic and distorted as the darkness encroached further on the shrinking sphere of light-emitting from Heather's hands and hair.

"Hee hee HAAA! HAAAA! Heee! hee! HAH! HAH! HEE! HEE! HE! HAAH! HAAH!"

Her laugh loud enough for a normal human throat to have bust already, the girl looked up once more, the pupils of her eyes so dilated they looked like black holes and her grin so wide her face looked like it might split at any moment, all Naython saw on that face was insanity and deranged desire.

The girl suddenly dropped into a crouch as if to lunge forward, a shimmering steel blade having appeared in her hands.

Naython had never dropped his wards but hastened to strengthen them as much as possible, he could feel an unnatural dread trying to infringe on his mind and surely that of his comrades as well.

Refocused, Heather launched a particularly large bolt of light at the demented and twitching girl, a bolt large enough to incinerate the girl whole.

It never hit its intended target, instead, striking the cockroach on its side as it moved to intervene, the stink of burning chitin filling the air swiftly, the massive insect did not keel over dead like Naython thought it would but rather shook like a dog ridding itself of moisture before vanishing into the advancing shadows, trailing smoky residue behind it.

The crouched girl disappeared fading into the pitch black, likewise gone, leaving the team facing off against nothing but the darkness.

Heather looked unsettled that one of her more powerful attacks had been shaken off but she quickly tucked that discomfort away and was already charging more shots.

All remaining members on full guard again, Naython heard the injured Carstah say, "Dammit where did that little bitch go! and stay still you great stupid lump!"

Naython glanced quickly at Carstah behind him.

Carstah with one arm clutching his spear was trying to finish off the large bat monster and the rat it was guarding, but the bat was flailing in a pained frenzy keeping Carstah from getting to close.

While Carstah was trying to finish off dying enemies, he would be better served by helping them fight the remaining still mobile ones.

"Carstah help us out over here!" Naython called out.

Perhaps he genuinely did not hear Naython or perhaps he was too embroiled in his own livid rage, his ruined hand still bleeding profusely from the bat's attack, but Carstah failed to respond and continued to attack the already downed bat as it struggled.

Naython grunted but did not move from his position and faced the remaining legitimate threats.

The demented laughter of the girl had not ceased since her disappearance, no it had increased, the cavernous air continually tripling the laughter in an unending echo.

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

The eerie and distressing sounds of sourceless laughter put everyone on edge, no one could see the girl but they all knew she was out there somewhere along with that large insect.

'What sort of mess had the team walked into,' Naython was wondering at this point as he began to hear other sounds mixed into the laughter, the sounds of creaking legs and scuttling feet, 'the mission had only been a simple one.'

And yet now the team was in deep trouble that they had no idea how to deal with.

More disturbing sounds began to reverberate throughout the darkened glade mixing with the already unnerving laughter, the rustling of claws, the buzzing of wings and the wet click of small teeth and something else, Naython could swear he heard a quiet voice, a whisper just barely audible above the manic laughter.

Mine... Mine... Mine.. it's all Mine... Mine...

The voice repeated itself like a mantra, cold yet full of simmering rage and calculated wrath, it sounded like many voices speaking as one but every voice was twisted, alien, reminiscent of decaying leaves and discarded dreams, it pulled at Naythons senses, twinged his instinct to flee, tugged on his primal fears, within that voice an insatiable appetite screamed, more blood! more bodies! more nourishment...

Fusing with the already unpleasant cacophony of laughter and alien creaks and scratching, the glowing crystals Jaquesin had called 'soul stones' began to thrum, releasing the malignant power within, whispers coming from all sides of the glade pulsing from the shuddering and sickly yellow crystals like the heartbeat of a great and terrible giant, the voice repeated itself like a broken recording.

Mine... Mine... Mine.. it's all Mine... Mine...

The extra light of the crystals provided revealed some of what lay hidden skulking in the dark, what Naython saw did not make him feel any better.

Just beyond the light of Heather's spell an ocean of living bodies crawled and seethed over one another, every manner of animal Naython had seen along the way of reaching this glade present and part of the sea of shifting insects rodents and vermin.

These creatures had not been there a mere minute ago, Naython suspected some dark magic was at play here.

Likely thinking the same Gerdur called out to Carstah, successfully getting the man's attention.

"Carstah! stop feckling the dying beasts! and get over here! we are in trouble now! and we need every man on board!"

Carstah much like everyone else had spotted the ocean of creatures hiding just barely in sight and retreated towards the main body of the team, abandoning his assault on the bat.

"What the heck are we really dealing with here!" Carstah said frowning as if he had stepped into the worst dream ever, "No regular mutant or sewer girl could possibly do this! she must be a witch!"

Witches were powerful magic users who utilized dark powers and made contracts with evil entities to manipulate and dominate nature, turning a simple landscape into a living fortress, witches often over time became sick in the mind, the overexposure to dark powers and contracts always coming at a heavy price, usually turning the witch into a raving madwoman who killed indiscriminately.

Thus all witches were outlawed and those who practiced witchcraft were burned, as witches had the terrible habit of reanimating after death as ghaists* or banesheers*.

What was strange was why a witch would be down here, witches despised civilization and never built their covens close to it, the sewers being an old remnant of civilization also counted as witches were never found among ruins either.

So why was a little witch girl here? Naython couldn't help but feel they were missing something big, but he didn't know what.

Naython wholeheartedly agreed with Carstahs words and had no idea what they should do outside of killing the sewer witch girl.

Apparently Gerdur couldn't either and said to everyone, "Offensive formations! we are punching through! we must kill this sewer witch it is our only chance at this point! form up and stay close I don't want to lose any more good people today!"

Gerdur grimaced and said grouchily under her breath so that no one heard her as she took up vanguard besides Heather "out of all the things we could have run into we run into a witch down here, just our luck."

Naython readied himself dropping into the middle of the formation without a word, while Naython was a capable fighter himself he was also the ward specialist, meaning his death would be the worst possible outcome for the team undoubtedly leading to a whole party kill.

The team advanced, eyes scanning for any sign of the girl, the witch had to be killed.

Something witches were known for was holding grudges, if they made to escape, the witch would undoubtedly attack them again and next time with more forces, witches didn't forget easily and since the party had practically killed two of her pets the witch girl was sure to attack again.

The party stepped through the army of vermin cautiously kicking at any that didn't move fast enough, the creatures moved aside if only barely, being far more bold than when the team had traveled through the wooded area before, only Heather got a wide berth as the little creatures stayed well away from the light emanating from her closed fists.

The party was making steady progress through the shifting hordes of vermin, but it did not last, the team had only gone 20 feet from where they had been standing earlier in the glade when the vermin and insects around them stiffened, listening.

"SKREEEEEEEEE"

That horrible and mind wrenching screech sounded out once more, the call of the witch girls roach, every rodent, invertebrate and pest now standing still, enraptured, not a single squeak out of the statue still horde as it listened intently.

Uncovering his ears Naython heard Patreek say dimly, "I don't like this..."

Naython certainly didn't like the sound or look of things either.

The crawling waves of vermin suddenly stopped moving about haphazardly and turned as one to face the party of humans, little beady eyes, antenna and sensory stalks all staring, the horde of animals straightened or quivered as they received their orders.

"Oh shit..." Carstah whispered seeing the almost intelligent gleam and sudden focus in the eyes of the swarm.

Immediately after a few seconds of the creatures standing stock still, they burst into motion, sprinting forwards in an overwhelming mass, the many creatures bore down on the team.

"As I thought," Gerdur barked, "we are definitely dealing with a witch."

The old lady shifted her weight leaving her spear in one hand, a spear wouldn't be much good against these tiny opponents.

"Naython! don't you dare drop that ward! Gerdur said with stern eyes, "our only chance of living through this onslaught is up to you now!"

"Yes!" Naython responded, he knew what Gerdur was saying already, but her stern reminder helped him rekindle his resolve.

The team continued forward meeting the wave of pests in a not so glorious charge.

Rats were sent flying, pythonpedes were crushed and fanged mice were pulverized, the tiny animals had no chance to achieve any real damage on the humans, they were just too small, this did not dishearten the beasts though and with each death the creatures grew more ferocious and violent, throwing themselves carelessly at the humans only for most of them to be swatted from the air.

The vermin were not doing much more than impeeding the humans, but this still worried Naython.

While the thought of being swarmed and devoured alive by hordes of rats and bugs was terrifying, the reality was that the creatures could not pierce Naython's wards, the vermin were just too small and weak and lacked any specialized form of attack that could breakthrough.

The biggest threat the animals really posed would be whether or not the beasts managed to swarm over them dragging the team down to the floor, if this happened Naythons wards could be slowly worn down as the vermin constantly attacked, or alternatively while the team was immobile and helpless, the girl or her cockroach might arrive to kill the weighed down adventurers directly.

That meant that being knocked over or climbed on by the vermin was something to avoid.

He stabbed, stomped punched and kicked, swaths of tiny creatures being downed with each attack, only to be replaced immediately by many more roving and hungry little creatures.

Naython gritted his teeth and brushed a clump of persistent fanged mice from his clothes, the creatures gnawing tenaciously at his mailed coif, around him likewise stomping and brushing themselves down, his party beat back waves and waves of tiny attackers.

Heather even blasting the seething floor around them with her power in an attempt to stem the vermin tide, it didn't even slow the creatures.

With complete lack of care or self-preservation, the animals threw themselves into the red hot fires burning around the team, smothering the flames in a torrent of living bodies, those that died merely becoming the path on which the living trod.

Things were looking rough but the team could still prevail they just had to find the witch and destroy her.

"Keep moving forward! find that witch! she can't have gone far! witches never go far from their home!"

Gerdur spurred the team onward but just as she finished, something enormous came rushing out of the darkness.

"Gerdur! lookout!" Naython called out desperately, Gerdurs eyes swiveled to the front and she raised her spear to defend.

Crack!

Gerdur's spear shattered into three pieces and the old lady was thrown from her feet by the force of the blow, landing some distance behind the party, the creatures behind them already clambering all over her in an effort to eliminate her.

"But my wards!" Naython spluttered, gritting his teeth as he edged towards the downed Gerdur, had a second monster capable of breaching his wards arrived?

"Gerdur!" Carstah shouted but did not go back to help the old crone faced with an enormous and familiar monster he was.

The witch's cockroach was back and it seemed different...

That same fear-inspiring presence was there but now it was deeper and the creature radiated strength it had not before, a fine almost imperceptible yellow murk rose of its hide, swirling before melding with the dark and condensing, the monster looked larger even more so than before.

Naython realized something as he looked upon the beast with arcane eyes for the first time, having activated it previously to better see.

Vast amounts of pure spiritual energies were pouring off this creature and Naython could now see that what they were fighting was beyond them, how had the witch tamed a beast like this?

The larger and more powerful somethings soul was, the harder it became to bind such a creature to another's will and with such vast reserves of spiritual energy, the soul of this beast must be immense.

Naython now had an idea for why the beast had broken through his wards just then, the massive amounts of spiritual energy rolling off the beast was disrupting and overcharging his wards at the same time, making them inoperable when the creature ventured to close.

Swearing inwardly Naython called out to the rest of his team,

"That cockroach can breach my wards! don't take it head-on!"

Carstah spat vehemently towards the abnormal insect, his one good hand holding his spear out before him in a defensive stance as his other mangled one dangled uselessly from his shoulder.

"Another ward breaker ey? and I was hoping for some magical back up this time."

Carstah being second in command took control of the situation quickly.

"Naython, get the old lady back on her feet, I doubt I'll be able to handle this bug by myself for long, get her back over here!"

Carstah narrowed his eyes and stepped forward deftly lunging towards the giant insect.

"The rest of you..." Carstah grunted just barely deflecting the roaches flailing counterattack with one hand, " give me a hand here! this thing is tough!"

Heather had already charged another shot up and launched a few at the monstrous insect, the insect reacted immediately leaping to the right before throwing itself forward under Heather's second bolt, transitioning into a charge, the creature once again crashed face-first into a metal wall, a tower sheild.

Braced against the floor Patreek made to keep the bug in place, "It's strong!" Patreek groaned, his strength alone being insufficient to best the creature, as without functioning wards the full power of the enormous invertebrate prevailed, pushing the stout man back at a rapid rate.

As Carstah and Heather made to take advantage of the cockroach's tunnel vision, Naython sprinted towards Gerdur who was trying to rise to her feet but was being slowly swallowed up in a wave of vermin.

The experienced crone was putting up a good resistance, beating back the pests over and over again, but eventually the diminutive creatures would overwhelm her, already the veteran was sinking under a growing mass of vermin, her one hand flailing, still gripping her shattered spear, as even that was slowly covered in more rodents.

Naython wouldn't allow that.

Coming to Gerdurs rescue, Naython flung aside the critters in squirming clumps, crushing dozens of the creatures trying to reach the old lady.

"Come on Gerdur!" Naython said plunging his arm into the writhing pile of bodies " we still need you!"

Naython dug through the living mountain, smacking the many beasts that tried to run up his arms and drag him to the floor, digging through the mass with a desperate enthusiasm, Naython finally found what he was looking for.

Pulling on the hard smooth object Naython yanked it upwards dragging the weight clinging to it upright, a spear tip burst from the swath of hillocked vermin as Naython pulled it out and holding firm to it was a well-known face.

Gerdur, never, let go of her spear.

The old woman was bruised and scratched up, bleeding from numerous small bites but she was able to stand, and very angry looking, Naython just hoped she was still able to fight.

"Cursed bug! by Salaar I'm going to fillet that creature's eyes!" the old woman yowled, blood running down her lips as she clenched her teeth.

Gerdur was still very capable of fighting if her rage was anything to judge by.

Wordlessly Gerdur charged forward Naython already following behind her.

Ahead the fighting results were mixed...

All of Naythons companions were exhausted-looking, Carstah was panting, sweat running down his brow as he fended off the insect, Patreek had a limp and grunted in pain every time he blocked an attack and Heather was pale her breath ragged as she threw bolt after bolt at the insect, all of which hit but seemed only to anger the insect, the beams sizzling against its chitin but not boring through.

Naython was sure that, much like his own wards Heather's spells were being disrupted by the stupendous amounts of power radiating off the insect.

Gerdur raced back into battle striking out like a viper, her spear heading for the weak spots in the beast's armor.

The cockroach turned its body slightly turning the attack aside as it made contact with hard chitin, before it lashed out with its long spindly legs driving the whole team back as its attack displaced air.

Watching the team once more with its passive yet spiteful eyes, Naython observed as it tilted its head, facing towards each remaining team member briefly the creature made an odd hacking wheeze, the sound emitting from its sides rather than its mouth before it moved once more.

Was the monster laughing at them?

Naython felt angered and uneasy at the same time, the monster felt like it was paying special attention to him and Heather.

'It knows...' Naython realized feeling dread tingle down his spine.

Before he could think to warn his team the creature was barreling toward them, its sharp mandibles and jaws gaping, compound eyes gleaming, the creature hit like a wayward carriage.

Patreek who had barely held it off before was flung aside, the cockroach having seized the tower shield in its jaws and tossing both man and metal aside, Patreek was immediately swarmed by the vermin which had stopped attacking once the cockroach arrived, instead merely encircling the team and ensuring they could not escape.

The team wanted to help Patreek, who was presently in a dangerous situation, the wards Naython placed on him already broken by the cockroach, but they had no time or space to do so.

Patreek happily being a very stout man pushed his way out of the swarm countercharging the insect and pushed it back again with his mace, joining the team again.

"I hate bugs now." the muscled simpleton said covered in bug bites and swelling bruises, even with Patreek beside the team once more the fight was going poorly.

The insect was relentless, every attempt to breach its defenses was met with blazing speed and blurring claws and every effort to bait it into a counterattack failed, the creature never falling for the trap.

Gradually the team was taking injuries while the cockroach for all its many burns from Heather seemed unperturbed, even speeding up.

"Damm it!" Gerdur finally said evading a clawed jab and parrying another as she did so, "This ain't going to work! we need a solution right now!"

"What do you propose?" Naython heard Carstah respond in a pressured voice.

"A sacrifice," the crone said grimly, "this creature is not taking any risks and at some point, it will wear us down and kill us."

The old woman blocked neatly, continuing her words, " I will draw out the creature to attack recklessly by appearing vulnerable and when that happens..."

A moment of silence passed, the din of battle being the only sounds as the whole team fought, everyone knew what this truly meant, Gerdur was going to become the bait, sacrificing herself for the team and giving them a chance to win.

"Gerdur..." Carstah said some emotion thick in his throat, but the normally boastful man said no more, he knew that he could not dissuade the old crone and that she was right, they needed this monster bug dead now.

"I understand," Carstah said, his voice still thick with emotion, "I will finish it for you."

"Mmm," the old woman grunted, for all your cockiness Carstah you've always been a big softy, don't change."

Gerdur without turning her head addressed the rest of the party, in a stoic yet emotionally charged voice.

"Patreek, you big sweetheart! find a girl, retire and get fat, you have long since earned it you big lout!"

Patreek blinked as if he did not understand but then smiled even as he batted away another claw and said, "if that's what the leader wants."

Nodding as she took a small wound to her arm, Gerdur called out to Naython and Heather.

"I have long since known you two were due to be engaged and I wanted to congratulate you two on the baby that is surely coming your way, be sure to have lots it might help fill that wound in your heart Naython, and Heather," Gerdur added "take care of the man he certainly needs you."

Naython did not feel any shock that Gerdur had known, Gerdur was a crafty old woman and she would surely be missed, Naython's own heart ached, as Gerdur was a friend and mentor he had known for decades.

Naython said nothing to Gerdurs words, the goodbye was too much for him, but Heather managed a couple choked words.

"Goodbye... Gerdur..."

"Goodbye my dear, goodbye all of you."

The old woman moved forward, the fragments of her weapon clutched in her hands.

Patreek who had been the frontline quickly stepped aside for Gerdur as she took the lead once more, her broken spear held in her hands like a dagger.

Throwing one half of her broken spear at the monster, which evaded it with ease, Gerdur called out to the massive beast.

"BY SALAAR! YOU ARE ONE UGLY TURTLEFUCKER!" the women bellowed, "NOT EVEN MOTHER NATURE HERSELF COULD LOVE THAT FACE!"

The cockroach didn't understand but it did see an opening in the old women's defense and lept to exploit it.

The old women chuckled sadly as the insect rushed at her, slowly raising her weapons as if she were to slow to defend in time, the creature would finish her and while it was overextending itself Carstah would down the monster once and for all, a death like this was worth it.

Flaring jaws descended and sharp spurs flailed, as the beast bore down on her, Gerdur did not blink as death came to take her.

So she was the first to notice the monster's trajectory was off, it was not charging Gerdur straight on but rather slightly to her left, 'what could it... oh no!'

Gerdur moved her fastest to leap into the cockroaches way but was too late, it had already reached her and bowled her aside, hind legs kicking Gerdur further away as the beast passed.

The monster had never been intent on Gerdur when she showed weakness, it only wanted a way past her, a way to get at the two important mages.

'No!' Gerdur cried internally as she sailed off into the dark, landing in the seething hordes, which immediately engulfed her silencing her voice with countless bodies.

Naython who had not been privy to Gerdurs thoughts still did not fail to notice the fact that the insect had ignored Gerdur and was now charging towards him and Heather, Heather being in front of him by five paces.

It was then that Naythons mind realized something, it was heading for them, more importantly, it was heading towards Heather.

Heather who was at that moment wide-eyed and staring, drew her own shortsword, her other hand still glowing with radiant power as she threw a beam of her highest caliber at the monster.

The shot hit the beast square in the face but the creature ignored the damage just racing faster towards its quarry.

Panicking and sprinting forward Naython cried out the name of his lover, partner and future wife,

"HEATHER!"

The frame of the horrible monster insect was almost upon Heather, its spiny limbs poised to lash out caused Naython to feel true terror, the terror born of love.

Fear overruling his senses Naython gave all he had to one single spell, fear for the one who meant the most to him, fear for his unborn child, fear of an empty future.

His fear gave rise to perhaps the greatest spell he had ever wrought.

"HEATHER!" Naython screamed as he unleashed his spell.

The spell was a ward, one stronger than Naython had ever achieved, one worthy of a paragon.

The spell wrapped around Heather like an embracing shield, a living shelter, it met with the creature's chitinous legs as it tried to stab Heather.

Heather's shortsword was raised, the magical luminescence of Naythons spell glowing brightly upon it as she with the wards help blocked the attack.

For a few seconds, Naython's heart soared, his ward could protect Heather from the monster when all his others had failed, then that happy delusion was crushed.

HIs paragon level spell flickered and dimmed as the cockroach drew itself to its full height, the glade already dark and gloomy, darkened even further, smothering every light in the cavern, the only lights that still dared shine being that of the cockroaches sickly yellow eyes and Naythons greatest ward ever.

Naython could see the ward sheathing his lover fluctuating, Heather's weapon blocking the massive insect's attack with superstitious ease and for a moment it looked like it would hold.

Then that moment passed.

The ward flickered, sparked and then exploded in a white wave, that passed over the roach harmlessly.

Sliding to a stop Naython covered his eyes, In that flash of white light, Naython couldn't see but he could hear.

He heard a whistling sound, a gasp and then silence.

'No! no! no!,' Naython begged internally already sprinting forward, hoping beyond hope that Heather was ok.

What Naython saw next made his mind go blank.

Heather was not standing on the ground or even lying dead on the floor she was in the air.

In the air, hanging suspended from a long spear-like forelimb, Impaled through the abdomen, Heather was still struggling but her eyes were beginning to glaze over as her struggles weakened, her lifeblood dripping at a steady rate down the sharp limb that was impaling her.

The monster, the fiend, the demon that held Heather impaled on its leg held her struggling form close to its head as if curiously watching her die, then as if losing interest, the Insect shook the leg free flinging Heather like a limp bag into a wall with a thudd, where she lay unmoving the golden glow of her last spell being the only thing keeping the vermin tide from devouring her.

The cockroach swiveled, turning away from the battered form of Heather then suddenly tried to dodge left as a single spear lunged towards its large and vulnerable eyes, having overextended itself in its desire to kill a mage, the bug was wide open to attack.

"DAMM YOU!" Carstah screamed hate embodying his voice. "DIE!"

The spear flew at great speed towards the creature's head, it would not be able to evade in time, but it did not have to.

'SPLAT'

A small slime landed on Carstah's face having propelled itself from the ceiling, its mucous-like body already seeking a place to lodge itself, unable to see all of a sudden, Carstah's attack went wide carving a gash into the bugs armor but doing little else.

The insect unphased, attacked the remaining threat, Patreek, the slime already finding the most convenient place to lodge itself, Cartstahs mouth, the one-armed man already beginning to suffocate as his airways were filled with living slime,

Oblivious to anything at this moment but Heather, Naython's reality felt unreal as he ignored the massive cockroach in favor of running to Heather's side.

"Heather! Heather! oh, Heather! don't die! don't die! please don't die!"

Naython desperately shook his wife, his soul mate, his other half and wearily Heather opened her bleary eyes.

"Naython..." Heather gasped, her voice little more than a whisper, "I'm sorry... I don't think I'll be around for that retirement we planned..."

"What do you mean?! of course you will, of course, you will! what are you saying!? we will both retire after this job you'll see!"

Naython tried to convince himself of this obvious delusion but inside he knew it was a lie.

"Oh my love..." Heather said gently touching Naython's face with bloodied hands "Go live, don't die down here, find a new love and settle down. do it for me?"

"How could I do that! you are the only one!" Naython said almost angrily, "The only one I could love, just don't-"

Naython felt Heather's hand suddenly fall away from his cheek, and looking at Heather's blank expression and unmoving eyes he knew he had lost her.

Naython stared at the empty husk of his lover, at her beauty and vitality that was tarnished by her own blood that had been spilled by monsters.

Naython's mind was numb, reeling, he could not accept this, she could not be dead! it was impossible his anchor his soulmate...

Naython's unseeing eyes drifted down to the huge wound in the unmoving Heather's abdomen, what he saw shook Naython out of his daze in the worst way possible.

A tiny clenched hand poked out of the wound, the life of his unborn child had also been snuffed out.

Naython stared at the tiny hand unresponsive, his heart empty and hollow as an unfilled tomb, until he heard something, something that made his blood boil.

"Hee! Hee! Hah! Hah! Heh! Heh! Heh!"

The confusion and emptiness churned inside Naython hearing the mocking laughter, the last words of his lover being unheeded, Naython's sorrow turned into rage, 'that little bitch was laughing at him! laughing at his loss! Laughing at Heather!'

Naython rose to his feet pulling the necklace Heather always wore from her neck and holding his sword tight, veins popping out on his skin from the pressure.

'She took his light away from him! Took his wife and child! it was her monsters that killed his friends his family! he would kill her! KILL HER!'

Utilizing his wards in an unorthodox method Naython charged off into the darkness following the laughter, the horde being knocked flying out of the way as his wards repulsed them, he never did this normally as it exhausted him but now nothing else mattered

Naython couldn't see her but he knew that witch was out there somewhere and he would find her, and when he did...

He would make her scream in agony.

Filled with nothing but wrath and loss and ignoring the calls of his remaining comrades Naython left his deceased spouse to chase revenge.

"I'LL KILL HER!"