“Hey Ragnar, see, Abs said the key was down here,” Zagthaan said, turning back towards the entrance.

“Ah, there’s something more important right now,” Abs said, staring out the door with Ragnar and Lucy.

“What about the big guy out front here?” Ragnar said, pointing at the Cleaner as it took its first step forward.

“What big guy?” Zagthaan asked, tilting her head as she started walking towards the others, Stigr following.

“Come see for yourself,” Ragnar said, waving and shifting his weapons and shield towards the door.

“Boilers are going to explode, by the way,” Stigr stated loudly as the noise continued to increase.

“Wonderful,” Zagthaan drawled. “So we can’t stay here because boilers and we can’t go out there because of the big guy.”

“So bait the big guy to come in here, trap him in here, make it explode and run away,” Ragnar said over his shoulder to her.

“I mean, if you wanna try.”

Lucy, panicking, bolted, heading north towards the unexplored stairwell.

“Wait!” Zagthaan called to Lucy before pulling out the coin and moving into view of the Cleaner, holding it up for him to see while still inside the boiler room door.

Seeing everyone else move to their battle stances, Stuff quickly pocketed the key before starting up his rolling drumbeat, moving to catch up with Zagthaan.

Abs vanished from view. “Are we fighting this thing, or are we running?” Ragnar asked, glancing at the other two as the Cleaner started lumbering forward towards them.

"It’ll be following us the entire time," Stigr stated.

Ragnar, taking that as a nod to fight, lurched into a charge, bringing his warhammer into the Cleaners torso. He felt the hammer connect, but the Cleaner showed no signs of reacting to the blow.

“Hey, want this?” Zagthaan yelled as she moved out of the boiler room, waving the coin above her head, nearly hitting herself with the warhammer dangling from her wrist. Stigr followed her out and a few steps away from the boiler room door.

Reaching out, the Cleaner grabbed Ragnar by his striking arm and lifted, pulling Ragnar into the air and closer to its face. Small beady eyes peered at Ragnar as it breathed heavily through its stapled up features.

Swinging his feet up so they pressed against the underside of the Cleaners arm, Ragnar heaved, breaking free of the Cleaners grasp. Using the momentum, he flipped in mid air, landing back on his feet, shield between them.

An ear piercing scream blasted past Zagthaan as she tucked the coin away. The magic ruffled the creatures hood, but didn't seem to do much else.

Hearing a door open up the corridor, Zagthaan noted Lucy ducking into the stairwell. Taking a few steps towards the dwarf, Zagthaan turned back as Abs appeared behind the creature, his rapier piercing flesh.

As if annoyed by Abs, while still being expressionless, the Cleaner reached around and picked Abs up by the head, lifting him off the ground. Trying to draw the attention of the creature back to him, Ragnar hit the Cleaner with both his warhammer and shield a moment before the boiler room exploded behind them.

Stigr was blown off his feet, his back burning as the fireball rolled out of the room, engulfing Zagthaan and Ragnar too and washing over the Cleaner and Abs.

“What the fuck was that?!” Lucy called out as Zagthaan and Ragnar spared a quick glance behind them to Stigr, Zagthaan moving to the trollkin’s side, healing him as she shook to clear his head.

Abs, panicking about being held by the head in the huge meaty paw, struggled to escape before being thrown into Ragnar, forcing them both back towards Zagthaan and Stigr. Ragnar maintained his footing while Abs rolled and crashed into the wall next to the burning boiler room.

Growling at the Cleaner, Ragnar stepped back into combat with the Cleaner, hitting with both his warhammer and shield again as Abs cried out, “Lucy, help!”

Steeling herself, Lucy ran back, aimed her shotgun at the combat and fired, just as Ragnar shifted into the bullet's path. The shot glanced off his armoured shoulder, making him glare at the dwarf.

“Right,” Zagthaan muttered to herself as she shifted her grip on her warhammer, stepping up to the combat, next to Ragnar. Gritting her teeth, she swung, feeling the crunch of bone under her swing, even though she saw no reaction from the monster.

Abs and Stigr stood, Abs moving past the creature to flank it, while Stigr started up his drum beat again, permeating the air with his magical music. Abs slipped under the wide strike from the monster, getting behind it a bare moment before the Cleaner lashed out with a wide swing, throwing Abs into the northern wall. The force of the blow shoved Ragnar back into the wall next to Stigr, making him lose his footing. The same blow shoved Zagthaan back into Stigr, but she was able to maintain her footing thanks to the trollkin’s aid.

Seeing her companions blasted away and the Cleaner turn towards her, Lucy collapsed to her knees, dropping her shotgun, fear evident on her features as tears started appearing at the edge of her eyes.

“Get up Lucy!” Ragnar growled as he stood back up, pushing off the wall to join Zagthaan, who, while focussing her anger at the Cleaner, ignited her warhammer, fire bursting from its head as she struck again.

Another scream erupted from Stigr, ruffling the clothing on the Cleaner and making a few more small marks as Stigr moved towards Lucy and away from the burning boiler room.

Abs, rolling forward and to his feet, took a backhand blow from the monster before slipping in and piercing the creature's side, the blade going in as far as the hilt before being withdrawn.

Taking the last two steps to Lucy, the Cleaner shoved Abs, Zagthaan and Stigr aside, Stigr stumbling and falling, but saving Zagthaan from the same fate, while Abs hit the wall and fell, again. The monster, bending over a little, picked up the sobbing Lucy, who immediately passed out, going limp in the creature’s grasp.

Ragnar, stepping back into combat, smashed his hammer into the monster’s arm, the one not holding Lucy, making it go limp for a moment, before it started moving again, as if ignoring the broken bones under the skin. Zagthaan, following Ragnar’s lead, stepped up, smashing her own flaming warhammer into the creature’s back.

Abs, retrieving a potion from his belt, stood shakily, drinking the healing potion moments before the Cleaner turned, walking faster than it had previously, moving with a purpose towards the elevator, Lucy in hand.

Ragnar and Zagthaan lashed out with their hammers, trying to trip up the creature to stop or drop it. Both warhammers connected, but didn’t slow it enough. The creature stepped into the open elevator, tossing Lucy into the corner. As Zagthaan and Ragnar chased the monster, it mashed a button, dropping to a knee and watching as the doors closed.The pair came to a halt as the doors closed in front of them. Zagthaan punched the door. “We nearly had him!”

"Come here," Stigr rumbled, taking a few moments to use the wand of cure light wounds to heal everyone. "Should we try upstairs?" Stigr asked, nodding towards the door Lucy had gone through. With non-committal shrugs, the group moved up the stairs, Abs leading.

Tapping Abs on the shoulder, Zagthaan touched her ear and pointed down the corridor as they reached the top of the stairs. The sounds of growling and snuffling reached their ears.

“We should follow that growling," Abs whispered.

“Ehhhh….” Zagthaan replied, glancing nervously towards the sounds

“Well, actually, yes. No. Yes. You wanna follow that noise guys? Let’s follow it. It could be where Lucy is.”

“At no point in time did that thing growl or snarl," Stigr stated.

“That’s probably the dogs you heard and Lucy saw, back at the tavern," Zagthaan offered.

“I don’t know where to go, I’m lost," Abs replied. "Zagthaan, where do we go? We’ve lost our guide.”

“Don’t friggin ask me, I don’t bloody well know where to go.”

“Let me have a look.” Abs hunkered down and silently, stalked along the corridor, poking his head around the corner. Taking in the three odd looking dogs, he crept back to the group. “There’s three dogs around that corner. They’re sniffing at doors. I think they’re looking for us.”

“Well, that’s not good,” Stigr muttered.

“Do we just run out and try to kill them?” Zagthaan queried.

“We might just have to,” Stigr replied with a shrug.

Zagthaan turned to Abs. “Do you want to try and sneak out and get flanking and we’ll follow in a few seconds?”

“Sure, let’s do that,” Abs replied, uncertainly. Stepping quietly, he drew his rapier and slunk back around the corner towards the dogs. As he neared them, the closest turned, barking loudly as its mouth split open revealing a horrendous maw. (A/N: Picture Blade 2 dogs)

Hearing the barking, Ragnar and Zagthaan charged out, Zagthaan rounding the corner first and interposing herself between the demonesque dogs and Abs, getting between them as the dogs charged biting into her arm and leg. Ragnar shoved the one attacking him away with his shield, hitting it with his hammer as Abs stepped up, stabbing the dog between him and Ragnar.

Channeling her inner healing strength, Zagthaan healed herself a little as she swung her hammer, the ferocity of the attacks causing her to miss. As she realised her error with her strike, she stepped back and into line of sight of Stigr.

The trollkin, seeing his ally shaken and suddenly bleeding, retrieved the wand of healing, tapping her with it as the dogs turned their attention away from Zagthaan and towards Abs, biting him as the third was once again brushed away with Ragnar’s shield.

Stepping through the mess of bodies, ducking under a belly, Abs lashed out, his rapier piercing neck where vital nerves and blood vessels should have been before ripping the rapier back out, sending ichor splattering to the floor.

“Hope this works,” Zagthaan muttered to herself as he swiftly cast a spell on herself, her midriff glowing a warm, fiery red under her armour before she tried to hit the injured demonic dog.

“More trouble coming,” Stigr called out as his attention was drawn up the hallway they’d entered from as a lasher, a monster with lashing vines dragging on the floor behind it, appeared from around a corner, shambling towards the bard. Raising his arms dramatically, Stigr started up his battle rhythm, infusing his allies with strength.

The injured dog snapped at Ragnar, dodging out of the way of the warhammer before being impaled through the side with the shield spike, causing the creature to expire and slump to the ground. The other two dogs, having their small snack dodge around them, turned to follow and, as Abs’s rapier flicked out of the wounded creature, they leapt, both biting into flesh.

Seemingly focussing on the music, the lasher raised its vines, lashing out at Stigr, hitting him a couple of times, but not breaking his battle rhythm.

A burst of fire erupted from Zagthaan as the glow around her belly intensified and spewed from her mouth over the two dogs, missing Abs and Ragnar by inches. Wiping the back of her hand across her mouth as if wiping away drool, she waved to Stigr. “Stigr, move behind me.”

Moving past Zagthaan, Stigr bit the dog between him and Abs, giving Abs the moment he needed to also strike, piercing a vital organ with his rapier. Taking the distractions, Ragnar stepped up to the dog the others had focussed on, bringing his warhammer down on the creature’s back, cracking its spine and killing it.

As the creature dropped, Abs stepped back, flanking around the remaining dog creature, dodging its bite.

The hallway lit up as Zagthaan breathed fire again, the flame washing over the lasher as it struck back, seemingly unfazed by the small fires that flickered and died on its vines.

Working together, Ragnar leading the attacks with Stigr and Abs, the remaining dog was dropped under a barrage of hits while Zagthaan, igniting her warhammer, struck out, missing with her strike, the fire leaving a faded arc in the air as the creature lashed her twice more. Stigr’s music faded away as he faded off his drum beat.

Coming up on either side of her, Stigr took a swipe with his claws, missing, but making the creature step back and into the full charging strike of Ragnar.

“Ooo, that’s ugly,” Abs said, coming around the corner behind the others as Zagthaan brought her hammer down into the lasher's head, dropping it to the ground.

Seeing the creature fall, Stigr retrieved the wand, tapping the various wounds on everyone. “I just have to be more careful when engaging now,” Abs said, wincing as the bruises faded.

“No shit,” Zagthaan replied with a scowl.

“Oh yeah, no shit. Really no shit,” Abs said, giving Zagthaan a deadpan stare. “Since those wolves and all that are gone, should we look for Lucy?”

“She wouldn’t be here because we didn’t encounter the Cleaner,” Stigr stated.

“You never know. I’m just curious about these doors and what there is in there. Cause the dogs were sniffing at them.”

“Currently the only way we know to get through that locked door is to go back down, through the bar and back up near the foyer,” Zagthaan stated. “I’m going to look at the elevator. We need to rescue Lucy.”

“The dogs were sniffing around here, they must have been looking for something or guarding something,” Abs said, waving at the few doors.

“They were probably just looking for us,” Stigr said, tucking the wand away and giving one of the dogs a kick.

“Yeah, but they were sniffing at these doors specifically.”

“Yes, but…” Zagthaan said, her thought trailing off. “Actually, that’s a point, they were sniffing at those doors. Let’s look at them.”

Two of the doors, side by side with only a small wall gap between them, had big, level like handles and, as Abs pulled the first one open, a thunk and a click sound was heard before a gust of cool air washed over Abs, revealing a walk in fridge. “Hey guys, there might be food here, there’s a walk-in fridge here.”

“I think we’re a bit busy at the moment,” Stigr answered.

“Honestly, there could be anything in there,” Zagthaan said, looking in. “Let us at least see if there’s, heaven forbid, a potion in there.”

“Okay, that’s fair, I guess.”

“Should I open the other door, or check this one first?” Abs asked.

“This one first,” Zagthaan replied, entering and looking over the shelves along the sides and in the middle of the room. Mold and dried food greeted them on most shelves as, even in the refrigerated room, things had still expired. Picking up a jug of chilled water, Zagthaan washed some of the blood off herself before sipping it, while the other three sipped the chilled wine and ate some of the non-perished cheeses.

“Should I open the second one?” Abs asked, standing at the door back into the hallway.

“I mean…” Zagthaan started.

“I’m going to do it.” Stepping out of their view, Abs opened the second door, a blast of colder air washing over him. Frozen meats hung from hooks and lay on shelves. “Rangar, want any food? There’s some frozen ones. Why were the dogs sniffing around here?”

“Um, food?” Stigr said, sarcasm in his tone.

“Probably just food,” Abs replied. “Dog’s can’t smell frozen meat though.” Closing the door again, he went to the last door along the wall, this one still sturdy, but wooden and, after being opened, revealed a pantry. The group followed Abs in, pushing cans, jars and boxes of ingredients aside, finding a few hidden things.

“What’s this Zagthaan?” Abs asked, holding up a small potion as she found a bag of powdered substance.

Looking over it, she advised Abs it was a potion that would increase his attacks for a minute, while the bag of stuff she’d found was a mist that would obscure an area for a while.

“Hey, found something,” Ragnar called from his spot near the door, a box with ‘Medical Supplies’ written on it in hand. Opening it up, he found a few bandages next to a set of 8 potions, 4 a lighter colour than the other 4.

“Healing potions, light and moderate,” Zagthaan stated, looking over them.

“We didn’t come out empty handed, yay!” Abs said, smiling happily at Ragnar. “Ragnar, can we spread those potions out a bit? Can I grab one of each?”

“Are you really trusted with them?”

"I mean, he did get mauled by dogs, so it might be nice to have some healing?” Stigr said in Abs defence.

“Yes, I can be trusted with them,” Abs huffed at Ragnar.

“Mhmm.”

“I honestly won’t use them for my current injuries, I’d keep them for just in case reasons.”

“I don’t believe you, but you can have one of each,” Ragnar replied, handing the pair of potions over.

“Yeah, thank you,” Abs said, pocketing the two potions as they all exited back out into the hallway.

A glass door at the end of the hallway showed them an overgrown garden, the fog pushing its way through the branches, shrouding the view more than ten foot out. Pushing on the door, it failed to move and, even after Abs tried picking the lock, the door remained steadfast.

“You could try breathing fire on it,” Abs offered to Zagthaan.

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I don’t want the fire blowing back in my face, even if I am resistant to it.

Turning from the glass door, they glanced at the next closest door, the word ‘Kitchen’ written on a simple plaque. Ignoring it for now, they went to the elevator, pressing the button to open the doors. A pleasant tone rang out as the doors opened, revealing an empty, dusty room.

Stepping in, Abs reached up and pressed the F2 button and waited a moment. After nothing happened, he clutched his side and knelt, imitating the Cleaner as he reached up to press the button, causing nothing to happen again.

“No one’s been in here except us,” Ragnar said, waving at the dust and the prints they’d just made.

“We’re in the wrong elevator,” Stigr stated.

“How can we be in the wrong elevator?” Zagthaan asked.

“I don’t know, how can we be stuck in this massive building, surrounded by mist filled with creatures in it.”

“Yeah, fair.”

“Should we head back down and check that elevator?”

“I got a feeling it’s not gonna really matter.”

“I think we just need to head upstairs,” Abs stated. Before moving from the area, Abs quickly checked the staff door, not finding a way to unlock it from this side.

Shaking his head in annoyance, Abs carefully pushed open the door to the kitchen, scanning the room before entering, the others following him.

A massive kitchen greeted them, rows of burners along the north wall, a row of ovens of various types on the south wall. Along the west wall, the wall between the kitchen and the restaurant, heavy shutters sat closed. After the last of them entered the room, the door slammed behind them, making Zagthaan jump, making them all look at the door as a big glowing red rune appeared on it.

“By coincidence, does this happen to look like anything you saw on the inside of a door that closed behind you?” Stigr asked.

“Don’t be smart,” Zagthaan said, rolling her eyes at Stigr before looking over the rune. “Oh, wait, hang on. That totally looks like that thing that happened in the lobby.”

The burners and ovens flickered to life as a grinding of metal on stone reached their ears. At the far end of the kitchen, a huge, bloated creature rose up, garbed in a stained chef’s outfit. The temperature in the kitchen grew hotter as a massive cleaver, the blade longer than Abs was tall, came into view. A deep drum beat swelled into life.

“Goddamn it Stigr, stop with the boss fight music!” Zagthaan said, glaring at him.

“Are you telling me this isn’t a boss fight?” he replied.

“We don’t need it to be!”

“Look at that cleaver, it’s the size of me.”

Bloated, putrid flesh ripped, fat bursting from the gaps as eyeless sockets looked over them, an orange glow in the sockets lighting up as the burners swelled up. Its jaw, completely gone, allowed its long tongue to hang down the huge creature's chest.

“He looks like me after a big night out,” Stigr stated.

☆~☆