Chapter Fifteen

Exploration

Mecovali Jomal was a human in his later years. He had served with the Imperial Sheriffs of Trevalla for many years patrolling the land putting an end to highwaymen and bandits. Eventually he had retired from military life and became a treasure hunter. He had raided hundreds of tombs and ruins and had recently overheard a group of adventures talking about the ruins of some castle they called the Ruins of Eminence. He had heard them talk about the few articles of treasure they had found before they left chased off by kobolds.

Mecovali chuckled, he had been fighting off darklings for years and a few kobolds weren’t going to bother him. He was sure the adventures were exaggerating the strength of the kobolds; the most worrying thing would be the guard drakes they had spoken about. He reached into a pouch at his belt and pulled out a cigar he struck a match on the stone ruins beside him and lit the cigar blowing out a cloud of smoke. He swung his pack off his shoulders and removed a set of long cloth wrapped tubes with cotton soaked in mixture of urine and charcoal. He removed his cigar and used its burning end to light the fuse before tossing it at the caved in entrance.

He turned around and strode purposely away, moving behind a stone wall as one hand drummed against his thigh with each second. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, BOOM! The cave in exploded, rock dust filled the air and bits of stone rained all around bouncing off the rim of his hat. Mecovali raised a silk handkerchief to his face and drew his rapier. He walked forward and slung his pack back onto his shoulders. He descended through the hole into the dungeon of the castle ruins.

What he saw before him was very different than what the adventures described but that could always be due to their ineptitude to take in details or changes in the environment because of the cave in. He investigated the swampy cavern and smiled at the glowing plants in the water. The location of these would fetch a high premium to a alchemist or herbalist. The large pillars of stone blocked lien of sight but he saw a tunnel leading farther town but decided to leave that for the moment. He heard an iron door swing and turned pulling forth his other weapon.

A dwarf burning red eyes and wrapped in chains shambled towards him the head of a Warhammer dangling from a chain it held as it swung it back and forth. Mecovali fired his duel-wand the shot echoing about, the dwarf twitched but its face twisted in rage and it began to charge him. Mecovali backed up and clicked the heels of his boots together the spurs jangling. He dashed to the side firing his duel-wand twice one shot hit but the gun jammed as the mana in the air acted upon even the simple mechanics of the weapon.

“Damn it!” Mecovali cursed and shoved the duel-wand back in his holster. Forces of magic had kept the technology of the gnomes from making them invincible and dominating the world. On the other side of the world technology like this was almost never seen. Mecovali ducked the chain as it swung over his head, he lunged forward with his rapier scoring a hit on the dwarf’s shoulder as it twisted about. The dwarf swung its chain low this time wrapping about Mecovali’s legs. The dwarf yanked on the chain and Mecovali sprawled backwards.

The dwarf pounded the spot where Mecovali lay but the man rolled to the side and slashed out with the point of his rapier slicing one of the dwarf’s eyes. The dwarf roared its beard and eyes bebang to burst with red flames in a very non-metaphorical way. The dwarf roared again its mouth spewing fire, Mecovali barely managed to roll out of the way this time. His coat was singed but it was a Sheriff’s coat made my alchemist and masterwork tanners to allow its wearer to have the fastest reaction time for pulling their firearms, so it easily shed the flames.

Mecovali rolled to fist feet shaking the chain off he dashed off behind a pillar and fixed the jam in his gun. He turned and saw the dwarf rushing up on him and dodged the chain as it whipped forward only grazing his arm. He shot his duel-wand twice his thumb a blur as it pulled back the hammer in quick succession; he fired a third time, but he missed, and his gun jammed again. Cursing he dodge another blast of fire.

Ember

Meanwhile- Ember heard Wraith’s warning about the adventure but the door was already opening. A cool gust of wind washed over them and there was the sound of creatures stirring. The kobolds carried no torches, and everything was grey color fading out to pitch blackness. In the blackness they saw six pairs of yellow eyes snap open and one set of four red burning eyes. The creatures moved into the light reveling the rail thin frame of wendigos and a tall well-built frame of a demon with a long-barbed tail and a massive pair of bat wings with a crown of spikes.

The demon pulled a sword from its side and snapped its hand extending a whip of fire. The wendigo rushed forward, and the demon plunged its sword into the stone floor. Lines of fire raced through the stone and kobolds began jumping as fire scorched their feet. The wendigos paralyzing fear hit the kobolds and only a quarter of them were able to hold their ground. The archers in the back were the least affected and they began loosing quarrels. The wendigos barely acknowledged the bolts hitting them as they threw kobolds against the walls or ripped off limbs slurping up the blood from the limbs as the bodies cooled and blood pooled on the floor.

Ember began banging his mace against his shield the loud clang sounding out through the room. A wendigo lunged at him, but Ember bent at the waist ducking the claws. He struck out the mace flaring with light as it struck the wendigo’s thigh crushing the bone. Ember used the advantage of his high and sprung at the wendigo hitting it with his shield and began pummeling it with his mace the spikes ripping out chunks of flesh as the heavy weapon beat the greater undead’s head to a pulp.

Ember stiffened as he felt three lines of fire open on his neck a wendigo had come up behind him and its claws left ragged lines in the gap between his breastplate and helmet. Ember whirled barely manages to block the wendigo’s other hand with the shaft of his mace.

“Inferi!” Ember shouted, and a blast of fire extended from his mace striking the wendigo in the face and knocking it back.

He kicked out at the wendigo’s knee, but his armored foot bounced back making him stumble and slip on the blood slick floor. The demon jumped forward its wings snapping out and propelling it forward his sword raised overhead. Ember raised his shield and the sword thundered against it ringing like thunder, every bone in Ember’s body thrummed and his teeth rattled from the blow; if he had not already been prone that blow would have knocked him threw the wall.

Ember swung the mace at the demon and an even brighter flare of radiance appeared as it struck the demon’s ribcage and bounced off its black and red carapace armor. The demon was flung back, and it hit the ceiling. It snapped out its wings again and raised its sword into a two-handed guard position and advanced slowly. Ember got to his feet and raised his mace keeping the mithril kite shield between them.

The demon spoke but its words were only snarls and growls to Ember, seeing he did not understand the demon spoke again. “You where the face of one of the hell-kin but you do not speak the language of the abyss.” The demon’s voice was painful to hear as it grated across Ember’s ears. The demon halted its advance and turned to the ghost. “Well done Morgan, you have completed our bargain complete the ritual and your soul will be released.”

“Yes master,” Morgan said and grabbed a fallen kobold and plunged the obsidian dagger he had requested into the kobold’s chest.

The pentacle painted on the ground began to glow a bright red and the stone on the ground began to disappear replaced with empty darkness. A horned head emerged with four red eyes, and a massive hulking brute appeared and landed with a leap on the ground cracking the stone. Its forearms were longer that its legs by several yards and it roared revealing massive tusks, the hair on its body was thick and pointed like the quills of a porcupine. Another beast appeared and then another. In desperation Ember swung his mace down on the circle of the pentacle breaking the stone beneath it as the weapon crossed the line.

Morgan screamed as he and all the bodies in the circle were sucked down into the abyssal hole of darkness as it disappeared replaced by unmarked plain stone even the blood disappearing. Luckily the kobolds had all been dead and their soul sparks had been making their slow arduous way back to the core.

“My apologies Morgan, It appears that your freedom has been cut short.” The demon stated. It turned its head up to the side and began to sniff. “You have a peculiar odor creature,” It said to Ember. “It has been many ages since I caught such a scent. Pure mana given sentience you are a minion of a dungeon. That is good, I shall consume your master’s core and increase my power.”

Ember turned and ran as the demons rushed after him. They slammed into the kobold archers and abolished them snapping their necks by whipping there bodies about or slamming them against the wall. Ember pushed out his consciousness until he felt Wraith’s.

“Boss we have incoming! The demon used us to summon some greater demons, they look like seventh circle muscle. Activate all our defenses and pull out every card you have in your sleeve,” he shouted as he ran pell-mell down the tunnel.

Stop where you are, I’ll collapse the tunnels and open a way up the city above. Try to draw the dragon’s attention; the cave in will force the demons to come up here, Wraith instructed.

Ember wheeled his arms as he stopped almost tripping and falling. There was a rumble and tunnel in front of him collapsed. Ember coughed rock dust and he rushed forward clambering over the pile of rubble. He took his mace and began banging on his shield the sound ringing out through the darkness. Far, far in the distant a deep and rumbling roar echoed through the city.

Mecovali

Mecovali pounced on the dwarf knocking him prone. Their battle had been long and intense but now it was over, he place the barrel of his duel-wand against the madden undead dwarf’s skull. He pulled the trigger twice in rapid succession and breathed out a long breath. This ruin had been much harder than he had anticipated, he resolved to leave and return with some other treasure hunters he knew and trusted. He headed for the exit and saw a light green mist descending from the hole above and the walls of the cavern. The only place it wasn’t coming from yet was the hole that led deeper into the earth.

Not wanting to head farther into danger Mecovali covered his face with his silk handkerchief. He stepped into the mist but immediately jumped back as the mist began to burn and corrode his skin. He turned and hurriedly reloaded his duel-wand. Taking his rapier and duel-wand in hand he dashed down the tunnel leading deeper into the earth. He entered a maze but followed a well-worn path, made by studded armored boots. He passed many corridors and tunnels as the mist came up behind him. After four minutes of running he came up to ledge of stone with a massive earthwork leading up to it. Far in the distance he heard a mighty roar that made him wonder if the mist had been the greater of the dangers.

Crouching low Mecovali continued into the ruins of an underground city. He heard the clattering of weapons and ducked into a doorway as a dozen kobolds in leather armor raced off in the direction of the roaring which was continuing along with some deep snarls growls and smaller roars as well. Mecovali looked around and tried the door of the alcove he was in. The door opened, and then fell off its hinges a spear launching towards his chest as a bell began to ring above him.

Mecovali started to run back to the cliffs, whatever that mist was, it was better than facing hundreds of kobolds and whatever those monsters were.

Meanwhile- Ember

The dragon descended upon Ember’s location and Ember dived into a small cave created by a collapsed house. Bits of stone pelleted the ground and one of the greater demon’s arms were shredded as it propelled itself out of the hole. The demon was then assaulted as hundreds of kobolds appeared on the roofs around them. The other demons quickly extricated themselves from the hole and Ember was forgotten as the battled the adult steel dragon.

Ember crawled out of his shelter and away from the fight; after he was out of sight he became sprinting towards the tunnel leading back to the dungeon. He came back into the edge of Wraith’s territory and felt the dungeon’s presence once more.

The explorer is hiding in the tunnels ahead, if any of the demon’s get through, I plan to use him against them he seems competent, Wraith said to Ember. I need you to weaken the demons if he fails and one or more of them gets through. several soul sparks have already arrived at my core and I have recharged their mana pools and we are setting up a trap. Do what you can as soon as you die try to make it back in time to fight the demon, Wraith instructed.

“Yes, my lord,” Ember said.

Take this, Wraith said and out of dirt grew a long spear made of mithril tipped with adamantine. It should help to pierce the demon’s heavy armor, ignore the dragon for now; it is temporarily on our side and the demons should hopefully weaken it enough without our assistance so that we might slay it ourselves after we have dealt with them.

Ember took the spear dropping the mace and ran back down the earthwork into the ruined city. The roaring continued and the screams of kobolds were now visible. He climbed the side of a fallen manor and overlooked the battle. One of the demons, the one with its arms shredded was dead a black skeleton remaining. Two greater demons smashed the kobolds ripping them apart as the Necovali and two of the greater brute demons attacked the dragon. The demons beat on the dragon ducking back. It was obvious the dragon had scored some hits as all three of the demons sported claw wounds that leaked black ichor. Ember looked about and then climbed down and then entered a old bell tower where a group of kobolds were cornered underneath.

One of the brute demons charged forward and Ember dropped down skewering it with the sneak attack. The demon thrashed for a moment, but the blow had gone right through its spine and it stilled. Its body burned away leaving a pile of sulfur and a skeleton of black demon bone. The other demon turned at its dyeing companions last roars. Its eyes narrowed when it saw Ember. It charged forward its front arms propelling its body like a catapult load. Ember yanked the spear free and planted it in the ground the demon swiped at the spear, but Ember twisted it out of the way of its massive paw and then back on target. The demon impaled itself and Ember was slammed into the stone wall behind him. He felt more ribs cracking and gasped. One of the demon brutes fighting the dragon noticed Ember and turned grabbing a boulder the size of large barrel and hurled it at his head.

Ember knew he didn’t have time to jump he planted the spear and aimed it at the oncoming boulder. The boulder impacted the spear sending a hum through Ember’s arm. A normal spearhead wound has been bent flat the shaft splintered to sawdust, the wielder smashed to paste, the ground impacted with a crater; The spear instead was shoved two feet into the ground and the boulder shattered into rubble that rained around him. Ember tried yanking the spear out, but it was wedged firmly in the ground and the demon had abandoned its attack on the dragon and was running after him. Ember ran, he ducked through building as the demon smashed through them behind him. He grabbed ancient rusted lampposts to swing himself around street corners as he sprinted away. Groups of kobolds running towards the battle tried to stop him, but he vaulted over them. They then heard a roar and turned just in time to get in a few attacks before being knocked aside.

Ember snatched a spear out of the hands of a kobold coming from around a corner. He tripped the kobold and then ran around the next corner turned and waited. The demon came around the corner and Ember hurled the spear into one of its four eyes. He lunged forward throwing a knife striking it another one of its eyes and then rolling between its legs barely avoiding being crushed as the demon screamed and smashed the ground where he had been but a moment before. Ember drew a knife out of his boot and stabbed it into the demon’s leg hamstringing it in the process. He knew the poison on the blade would have no effect, but it was best to try.

“Fool. Toxins of the mortal world have no effect on a creature like me,” the demon said its voice surprisingly articulate. It began to circle Ember who drew his sword holding his knife in his off-hand.

“I know, luckily it has a secondary effect,” Ember replied.

The demon cocked its head, “Secondary effect?” it asked.

“Luxi,” Ember said extending his hand and the wound burned with light mana and the demon howled as the wound burned all the flesh away to the bone.

“How are you able to use light magic? I can sense your aura you are no servant of the light!” The demon hissed as it began to slowly advance on Ember.

“Agreed, but I advised my master to choose shadow, and you cannot have shadows without a bit of light. We have been slowly accumulating it although we still do not have a ready source of it. But we have more than enough to kill you demons,” Ember replied.

“I can sense your lie mortal, you do not have enough mana to destroy us all, else you would have done so. No, you hope to weaken us, and this was likely most of your store of mana,” the demon purred. “I see no use in further conversing.”

The demon pounded forward, it was much slower and awkward than before thanks to its leg and Ember was able to role to the side. He lashed out with his sword igniting white flames along it, the blade sliced through the demon’s bicep of its left arm clear to the bone. The demon roared swiping at Ember lighting fact with its right arm. Ember managed to catch the blow with his sword severing the hand but was knocked into the wall of a building. He lay there stunned and listened as the dragon’s roars grew distant.

The demon made its slow careful way to the Ember its injuries severely limiting its speed. It was joined by the Necovali it suffered several large wounds on its body it armors dented and scratched. The other demon was not with it presumably dead.

“A clever trick with the dragon, pitting one enemy against another. I can see you two are no allies, but your plan has failed. It has been a pleasure to pit myself against such a strong opponent but in the end, it is only a beast and a lesser form of conscious being than me, It was doomed to failure as are you and your master. Goodbye creature,” The demon said nodding to the remaining brute demon who stepped forward and crushed Ember with a blow from its fist.

Mecovali

Mecovali peered around the corner of the maze of tunnels. This one too was blocked off by mist that advanced forward forcing him into the main tunnel that lead back into the ruined city. He heard something approaching and readied himself for a fight. Two demonic creatures made their way up the earthen embankment one of them had its head low to the ground as if tracking something or someone. The demons would soon either spot or smell him so Mecovali chose to act he stepped around the corner aimed his duel-wand at the larger of the demons two remaining eyes the other two blinded. The gun shots echoed about and the demon roared thrashing about blindly going into panicked maddened death throws.

The other demon took its great-sword in both hands and advanced. It sniffed the air and laughed again. “So, it tries the same ploy again, pitting two of its rivals against each other. Come sheriff we need not be enemies join me or step aside,” the demon offered.

“I don’t think so,” Mecovali replied keeping his rapier leveled at the demon. “I’ve dealt with a demon before you can’t be trusted, it is your nature to betray, mislead and destroy.”

“Can we truly come to no arrangement?” the demon implored.

“I’m afraid not,” Mecovali replied levelly making no move to attack or retreat. “It is my duty to defend my country from a creature like you going loose on the surface. If I die I have friends who know where I went, and they will come looking for me, you will be stopped.”

“Come now, stand aside and save your own life,” the demon urged.

“No,” Mecovali answered this thumb pulling back the hammer of his duel-wand.

“Very well, I was saving this for some annoying paladin or cleric, but I shall settle for using it on you,” the demon replied and pulled forth a scroll.

Mecovali got off three shots before his gun jammed but the demon deflected two and let the other ping off its armor. It chanted a quick spell and Mecovali fell to the ground his body shrinking within his amour until only a small lump remained. The lump moved, and a black beak poked out of the white silk shirt. The bird cawed and suddenly Wraith could here the former human’s voice in his mind.

“Caw!” The raven croaked as it flew up into the air. What have you done? A panicked physic voice said.

The cultists who summoned me had this scroll, the demon chuckled, I have been saving it for an opportunity to use it on a hero such as yourself. Enjoy your new life mortal I will leave you to your fate you will find no rescue from this spell. The demon laughed as it continued the poisonous mist having no effect on it as it made its way up.

Wraith

The demon entered the swamp and looked around until its eyes alighted on the massive pillar of earth that served as Wraith’s core room. He strode forward and stopped as a door slid open in the side of the pillar. He looked about but saw nothing in the flickering light of torches set about the cavern casting long shadows on the ground.

“What game are you playing at dungeon?” the demon asked.

You shall see demon, Wraith replied.

The demon strode forward its great sword in hand. It continued to glance about looking for whatever trap lay in store for it. It stepped through the doorway and a wave of fire washed over it. The demon laughed.

“Do you think fire will affect me? I was born in fire dungeon!” The demon shouted.

Oh no, that was just to blind you, Wraith answered.

The demon staggered back with a spear in its chest. It grunted and pulled the spear free. “Well done dungeon but it will take more than a simple trap to end me.” The demon advanced again its sword swinging back and forth to deflect and detect more traps. “Where are your guardians dungeon, did you think so little of me not to prepare?”

“Did my Lord Spark not tell you, I am a shadow dungeon, a place where the light is smothered. Did you not wonder why this cavern is filled with torches? I do not need them,” Wraith replied.

The demon stopped and looked about at the torches positioned everywhere. “And tell me dungeon will your torches turn into dragons and destroy me?”

“It is not the light but the shadows that you should worry about,” Wraith replied.

The shadows struck wrapping about the demon. The demon writhed dropping oversized sword and striking at the shadows with its fists but their proximity to its body made attack them unfeasible. Despite this demon quickly shredded the shadows and the soul sparks needed time to recharge their mana. The demon staggered to its feet picking up its sword and stumbled towards Wraith’s body dragging his sword. Then a large ball of white energy entered the room and streaked over to Wraith’s core. Ember sucked in mana and his body glowed even brighter. Ember then touched the body lying on the floor behind Wraith’s core.

Ember stood up his bright yellow eyes shining it its draconic looking skull. Long arms ended in claws tipped with adamantine and the bones shone silver reinforced with mithril. Ember pounced upon the demon and with one arm blocked the strike of the demon’s great sword. Ember’s claws tore through the throat of the demon and Ember grasped the demon’s skull and ripped its head from the demon’s body. The flesh crumbled to sulfur leaving behind shiny black demon bones.

“The demons are dead my lord; what are your orders?” Ember asked.

The dragon is weakened; we march on it at dawn, Wraith replied.