Chapter 97 – Greed Stricken Fools

“ABSOLUTELY NOT!” roared Rory. The blackbearded, burly Worvan fighter had a stern look of anger and was seething at the thought of giving up their prizes to come. “I WILL NOT STAND BY AND LET THESE THIEVES COME IN TO TAKE WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY OURS!”

Drade - the redheaded, heavily armored leader of the Worvan group - put up his hands to calm his friend down. “We are discussing this as a group. Nothing is written in stone yet, Rory. Be calm.”

“BE CALM!?” Rory screamed back. “We have NEVER had such a great opportunity present itself to us. YOU SEE THAT CLOAK THERE BOYS?” He pointed to the shimmering cloak That there is ARTIFACT TIER! They were just HANDED IT by this dead man and his monstrous pet here! How can you pass up such an opportunity like it is NOTHING! You are COWARDS!”

“I feel like that’s a bit of an understatement. We were not ‘handed’ anything.” whispered Trey defensively to Taen who was shaking his head in annoyance.

Thinking about the cloak, Trey was also annoyed that he wasn’t able to use the damn thing. It took 210 intelligence to use, and he only had 67.

“They will all die without your help.” Taen whispered back, glancing over his shoulder at the hulking flesh golem behind him that hovered beside its master protectively. “I’m very grateful by the way, thank you for agreeing to my terms.”

“Not a problem. Works out for both of us this way. But what if the rest of your group doesn’t want to take it?” Trey looked back and forth between the mass of arguing faces that had formed a semicircle to discuss the possibility of taking Taen’s idea to run with it. Taen had suggested that they take the safe route, letting Trey’s party take the item of power in exchange for helping them survive the games.

Taen shrugged. “I’ll take whoever is willing to come with me and join you all in your second round of games, if that’s still ok. You’ll have my undead too.”

He was absolutely convinced that without Trey’s group, he was unlikely to live. The others were definitely dead if they didn’t take it, but greed showed through brilliantly to blind them as Rory and many of the other Worvan adamantly opposed the idea.

“Yeah man, of course. You seem like a good guy, I wouldn’t want to leave you to die.” Trey hummed to himself for a bit. “We could use another one of those prizes anyways. We don’t have Atharost or Juila with us this time, but Ezdeath is on our side now. Adding you and whoever else you bring with you, we should be able to make it... I think. AND, if they let us, we can even wait for Juila and Atharost to get back… then we’d really have a good shot.”

Taen chuckled over the sound of the arguing men and women. “You are a ballsy bunch. By the way, ever heard of the ‘ring of shadows’? I’m actually here in the dead lands to find it.”

Trey shook his head. “Nope. Never heard of it. What is it?”

“It’s supposed to grant you shadowform, but the girl I work for needs it for another reason as well. I don’t really know the details.”

Trey looked curiously at his new friend and brushed off one of his horns. “I actually am able to use shadowform myself. Very useful. But you’re working for someone? She didn’t give you any hints as to where it would be?”

Taen shook his head. “She just knows that it’s somewhere in the Deadlands. That’s it.”

Trey scoffed and folded his arms as his tail swatted the ground in irritation. “Sounds ridiculous to me.”

“You know, you could always help me look for it afterwards if you’re down for another job.” Taen popped a raisin into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully underneat the black hood of his cloak. “That’s if we survive this one anyways.”

Trey laughed loudly, his red eyes simmering as he glanced around at the crowd opposite their own. “I’m confident we’ll be fine... Well, I hope so anyways. There were definitely a couple close calls, but the entire crew is on board with this idea. So whatever happens, it was a group decision with no one left out. It isn’t like we don’t go through dangerous situations every day anyways.”

“Taen!” said a gruff voice as Bann - Taen’s single and ghoul - made his way through the crowd. He stopped a foot away from his master with a slight nod - peering through the slit in his steel helmet. “Your idea is a wise one. I was beginning to think you a fool before you made the suggestion.”

“Thanks…” replied Taen with a grimace. He glanced at Coriana, but his phantom just hovered nearby in a translucent shroud of undeath as she curiously watched onwards. Coriana hadn’t been much of a talker since obtaining her, but he hoped she’d open up eventually. Butcher the flesh golem - on the other hand - never spoke unless asked a direct question, and the lumbering monstrosity stood characteristically still as its huge exposed muscles glistened against the dim red light from the ceiling.

Claire and Coctim were murmuring to one another alongside one of Coctim’s men, and Ovalia could be seen arguing with Rory and her brother not far away. The idea had been one that many of the people there were very fond of, as many of them didn’t think they stood a chance of winning the games on their own after watching the show earlier that day. But the ones who wanted to keep the rewards for themselves, namely Rory and a large number of his Worvan guild friends, were beyond irritated that many of their would-be comrades might decide to jump ship in favor of the safer route. The game master silently watched from above on its perch, not saying much but observing curiously.

“And WHO would get to KEEP this item if we WERE to win without the demons’ help?” asked one of Coctim’s men. “I know for a fact it wouldn’t be any of us. It would go straight to you Worvan. Wouldn’t it? For me, going with the group that already has bested these games is the safer and wiser decision. I do not wish to die for your pride, Rory.”

Many of the others nodded or murmured in agreement, causing Rory to become red in the face with anger.

“We had an AGREEMENT!” screamed Rory as he put a hand on his large two-handed axe. Many of the other men tensed up and reached for their weapons as well.

It was Ovalia, Drade’s younger redheaded sister, that stopped the upcoming conflict as she shoved Rory hard and yelled back at him in anger. “WE ARE NOT like the others in the Lawless Lands, Rory! I will not let you bully these people into helping us! Drop your weapon!”

Rory sneared back at her, but did as she said and lowered the axe.

“Your words echo my thoughts exactly, Ovalia. How can we trust these people after having just met them? The people of these lands who venture to Ornthas are in large part criminals, thieves, vagabonds, bandits, pirates… the scum that society does not want. And here we are - more than willing to accept their help. Their help? What if they choose to use us as cannon fodder when the going gets bad? What if they use us as a stepping stone but don’t hold up their end of the deal? What then?” Rory eyed the rest of the group with defiance written all over him. Others in the group started to murmur to one another. “Have any of you considered this before you lost your minds to fear and cowardice?”

“What is stopping them from just taking the prize after we come out, if they really are as you say?” Coctim retorted. “We would almost certainly be down men even if we did manage to win. We don’t know if the prize we receive would be available for use depending on what the stat requirements are. We don’t even know if we’d have the option of a weapon to get either. If they are so determined to use us like that, it would be in their best interest to not even offer to help! Striking us at our weakest would be their best bet! But of course, this all hinges on us actually making it out ALIVE.” Coctim - the scrawny mage that’d hired Taen onto this journey - broke free from the semicircle to stand in front of Trey and his group. “I cannot speak for all of my men, but I personally will take you up on your generous offer. What is your name?”

“You would take this DEMON over us!?” screamed Rory in a rage. He soon quieted down upon Ovalia putting a hand on his shoulder, and the big man snorted to turn his back on the rest while walking away.

Trey shifted his gaze back from Rory and over to Coctim, holding out a hand. “Trey. My name is Trey.”

Coctim roughed up his own chestnut colored hair, shook Trey’s hand in turn and smiled unenthusiastically. “I don’t like the idea of handing over such valuables, but our lives are worth more. I trust you’ll do your best to help us through this.”

“Humans are so fascinating.” Ezdeath smirked as she flipped her tail about to walk forward and circle around Coctim. The men of the room all gazed unapologetically as she moved majestically about to stand beside her new master again - even beneath the form-fitting plate armor, it was a sight to behold given her face alone. “Wouldn’t you say so, Trey?”

Rivia, who was standing on Trey’s other side, gave her new comrade yet another sneer. “Fascinating? Humans are disgusting.”

Ashe sighed as Rivia caught her gaze.

“Not you!” Rivia said quickly, blushing a deeper purple than usual. “You’re the exception, Ashe!”

Izumi shook her head and Jason facepalmed.

“I’m human too you know,” replied Trey.

Ezdeath scoffed loudly at the remark, her armor clanking together as she folded her arms and lifted her chin up in curiosity. “Is that really how you feel? Strange. I can tell just by the aura your soul gives off that you’re something else entirely - even excluding who you’ve bonded to. However that may be, we waste our efforts here. I suggest we rest until the games begin tomorrow, your time is better spent elsewhere. Regardless of who chooses to come with us, I wish to express how I feel. I will crush your enemies for you and scatter their remnant carcasses to the winds. You will see just how right you were to choose me in the end, and I am forever in your service - Heir of the Void.”

She briefly bowed, then turned to leave and gracefully crossed the large main room of Xil’s tomb. Her long black tail whipped out behind her as her hips swayed, and her wings folded into her body to disappear within the slots of the armor that were built to let her wings out. A minute later she sat down in their original spot to lay her head on a makeshift bed of blankets. Before long, a number of others had followed, and the two groups were soon rearranged.

***

“You have completed the quest: Return to the Games - Return to Xil’s Tomb in the Deadlands of Ornthas and participate in Xil’s Games once again. You and your party have each individually received XP equivalent to 1 increased overall combat level, including living minions, and a sum of 1000 gold coins has been deposited into your shadowform for returning.”

He was certainly happy about the level boosts for everyone, and the money was absurdly good… but the hard part had yet to come. Taen had introduced his ghoul Bann, the phantom Coriana, and his flesh golem Butcher to the rest of Trey’s group and the motion was returned. Coriana was especially stand-offish, as was Rivia, but Bann and Izumi hit it off rather quickly. Butcher kind of just grunted at everyone, but seemed alright about the idea of Ezdeath poking and prodding him curiously while the succubus walked around his giant tree-trunk sized legs to examine him as if he was a science experiment. Napoleon was eager to do so as well, and the imp was soon perched atop Butcher’s head as it playfully swatted at the flesh golem’s exposed skull that was held down to the oversized body by stringy mounds of muscle. The 31 zombies remained on the perimeter of the group, waiting dumbly for any orders Taen might give them and holding whatever weapons they had loosely at their sides.

Trey’s original party, Taen, all of Taen’s undead, Claire - who was Coctim’s good friend and a mage herself, Coctim, and four of Coctim’s sailor crew were in the second group designated to go later that day. Upon further questioning and pleading, the game master still refused to let Taen and the others leave until they had completed at least one round of games... or died trying. Surprisingly enough: a majority of the crew that Coctim had hired on and had been friends with for some time now had decided to stick with the Worvan. None of the Worvan had chosen to follow Taen to join Trey and his friends though. Tensions were high, but Rory was one of the very few who stood victoriously as he awaited his chance at Xil’s upcoming game. It had been agreed between the two groups that Rory and Drade were to pick their game first, and Trey would pick up whatever was left.

“It seems that many of the men I’ve hired still think they have a better shot at living with the Worvan.” stated Coctim absentmindedly. “I just hope that we all make it through this. I’ve grown attached to them all, but I fear this may be the last time I see many of their faces.”

“They will die.” Bann said while folding his arms as his armor clinked together with the effort - the ghoul was sure of himself. “They are far too weak to do this alone if what awaits them is anything similar to the things we saw earlier. They were fools to turn down the offer of help.”

“Nobody asked for your fucking opinion!” snapped Claire to her fellow ghoul. The mage had recently been turned into an undead herself, succumbing to the plague upon this most recent trip - and her mood was rather bad because of it.

The heavily armored bald man, Bann, stared back at her unemotionally. “It is not my fault they chose death.”

“Calm down everyone,” hummed Coctim in a worried tone. “It’s supposed to start any minute now. Maybe they’ll pull through!”

“I just hope WE pull through,” said one of Coctim’s men from behind. “I still have a family to provide for.”

‘Calm yourselves, mortals.’ Sithis growled out to startle Coctim and Claire. ‘Your whining is beginning to irritate me.’

There was a brief pause. Coctim paled as he saw the radical change in Trey’s face, only to watch it turn back into a more human version seconds later.

“I apologize for my symbiote,” said Trey casually. “He can be moody sometimes.”

Seconds later and Xil’s booming voice had rang out across the large ominous tomb. The lich laughed loudly as if a child getting a new toy on his birthday, but eventually settled down and began to speak. “Two games in one day!!! And the summoner has already decided to try for round two! How remarkable. I am quite excited to see if you can pull it off again! And do not think that Ezdeath’s contribution to your team will offset your probabilities of death! That would be quite far from the truth!”

“I would never…” muttered Trey. Ezdeath shifted her eyes up to the game master and back down to Trey, batting a lock of white hair from her vision and confidently stashing it over one of her two black horns.

“Have you all decided on which routes you are to take?” asked the synthesized voice from the gigantic game master. The six legs of the construct silently stepped down off the platform high above them and onto the floor in front of them. One on of the giant legs pointed over to the three passages.

The door underneath where the statue of the succubus had once been erected remained closed, and to Trey’s surprise the succubus statue had been removed. He had no idea when it had been taken away, but now the spot was empty after having cleared Ezdeath’s lair. The two other doors remained open with a statue of a devil on the left hand side and in the middle stood a statue of a dragon - symbolizing the champions they would have to face upon ending the rest of their games.

Drade stepped forward, his blue armor glistening in the dim light of the tomb. Ovalia stood nervously, flipping her red locks about behind her brother, and Taen couldn’t help but feel a stinging guilt as she looked his way. He turned his face downwards. To them, he was sure they felt like he was abandoning them. But it wasn’t about that. They had stuck to their pride, and for him this was about living - not about material things.

“Our group chooses the dragon.” Drade thrust his chest out confidently and tried to look brave for the rest of his comrades. There were 19 total after Taen and the others had jumped ship to join Trey’s comrades.

“Ah, so you choose the path of the dragon.” Xil cackled. “I must say, you got lucky! This set of games is significantly easier than the path of the devil on the left!”

The news was met with victorious cheers as Rory and Drade exchanged glances. Ovalia seemed to perk up too, but changed back to her nervous posture when she looked back over to Coctim and Claire.

“Summoner...” Xil boomed as he addressed Trey. “If you wish, I will allow you to watch their games as they watched yours. Or if you would rather, you may start when they do. Which do you prefer?”

Trey looked back to his party and did a head count. Piggy and Telipe were going to be sent off to their respective nether realms to keep safe. Atharost, Boxamoth and Juila were all currently dead but would eventually return. That left Trey, Ashe, Izumi, Jason, Napoleon, Rivia, Ezdeath, Taen, Butcher, Coriana, Bann, and 31 zombies.

“Suggestions?”

Taen shrugged, Ashe was busy yawning, and Ezdeath seemed more than content to just stand and stare back at him with her hands clasped around her exquisite halberd in front of her - ignoring Rivia as the other demoness glared her way. The rest of them didn’t say much or have any input, so he turned back around. “Let us watch if that’s ok… is there any chance that we can wait another couple days? My minions Atharost and Juila are coming back soon but they need time to respawn.”

Xil took a moment to ponder this.

“Very well! I will allow you some time after the show.” squealed Xil from god knows where. “Take up your seats and the show will begin shortly!”

***

Fifteen minutes had passed since Ovalia, Drade, and Rory had led the way into the middle passage with the large stone door locking behind them. Finally a vision of the Worvan group was summoned by the game master, and Trey’s group all turned their attention to the image.

Unfortunately there was no sound to accompany it, but it was still a very vivid picture and provided good detail.

Drade stood looking out into the pitch black of an enormous cave. Stalactites and stalagmites much larger than he was reached up from the ground and down from the ceiling far into the interior until vision was lost due to the lack of light. They began to talk to one another, but none of the ones remaining in the tomb’s main room could hear what it was they were saying.

Ashe prodded Trey in the ribs with a finger as her fox ears perked up, keeping her eyes on the conjured vision overhead. “Can you see what’s in there?”

No doubt she was talking about how it was pitch black. Trey grimaced and shook his head. “No. Not through the vision. I’m sure I’d be able to see if I was personally there, but not like this.”

Ashe frowned, and her fox ears lay flat against her head, but nodded and sat back into her original position as the others held their breath… hoping the best for the others currently undertaking their first trial.

That was when three of the Worvan mages stepped forward and produced large orbs of light that they sent forth into the cave. What they saw made many of them gasp in fright, and some of the men Coctim had originally employed quickly ran back towards the door and tried to pry it open with no success.

Deep within the interior of the cave, a swarm of hundreds - possibly thousands - of giant orange centipedes crawled about and on top of one another. They were each easily the size of a large crocodile around, but were many times longer. Sharp long pincers were attached to their fronts and armor-like chitin surrounded their bodies as they mulled about. Immediately upon the light reaching them, the insects reacted. They all began to swarm ravenously forward towards Drade’s group further up, clicking their mandibles and rattling their armor as they went. An ocean of huge carnivorous insects rushed the treasure hunters as magics and arrows were frantically shot out into the oncoming centipedes. Some of the attacks met their marks to end the lives of the large disgusting carnivores, but there were far too many.

And they were much too fast.

Rory: the big, burly, axe-wielding warrior, was the first to fall. His screams weren’t heard by the onlookers over the clicking noises of the swarm, but they could see his face tighten in agony as his leg was severed and chewed up in front of him. Drade - the Worvan group leader - and three more Worvan soon followed suit as they were devoured alive by the incoming insects, their armor being torn off in pieces as the jaws of their enemies sought their softer fleshy areas. Ovalia - Drade’s sister - was seen with terror lighting up her features as she screamed soundlessly through the vision before a centipede tackled her to slowly tear out her spine and organs from her back.

Coctim began to vomit as he couldn’t take it anymore, and Taen watched helplessly as the rest of the people in the vision were swarmed over to be lost from sight. A knot in his throat appeared, and he felt very uncomfortable even in the presence of overwhelming sickness.

“Greed-stricken fools…” one of Coctim’s men commented sourly.

“You have failed the quest: Chemistry Lessons. Ovalia and her Worvan counterparts have died.” Taen’s mind echoed with the mechanical voice. He’d agreed to help teach them about various chemical properties a while back in the trip, but now that they were dead he’d never be able to hold up his end of the agreement.

“How disappointing, though I am not surprised.” The giant machine-like game master dissolved the vision as the last of the men died an agonizing death. “Summoner - once your minions are revived I will visit you to discuss your second endeavor. Rest well, and I look forward to this next attempt.”

Trey nervously gave him a thumbs up. “Yeah… Sounds good. See you then.”