{"id":243,"date":"2024-11-15T22:47:40","date_gmt":"2024-11-15T22:47:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/deficientlyattentive.com\/?p=243"},"modified":"2024-11-19T23:26:03","modified_gmt":"2024-11-19T23:26:03","slug":"elrin-daun-and-the-grumbsy-gang-chapter-9-dead-walk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/deficientlyattentive.com\/?p=243","title":{"rendered":"Elrin Daun and the Grumbsy Gang – Chapter 9: Dead Walk"},"content":{"rendered":"

Previous Chapter<\/a> : Next Chapter<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The apple didn\u2019t stand a chance against the wraith of my arrow.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The melon, on the other hand, did survive against the same wrath despite being a larger target. But I also put it much farther away and I\u2019m still struggling with longer distances after only a week of training my archery skills. I have been showing some improvement overall. Just not nearly as much as I wanted.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Glish made himself a nice little crossbow and had also been drilling as much as possible. I couldn\u2019t let that little shit get ahead of me. Not in either ranged or melee combat.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In the middle of my practice, Syrielle had finally returned from her trip a few days ago. She barely set foot in town before dragging me out to the woods to practice my swordplay. Her advanced skill set gave her just the right touch to bring out the best in me. And I could feel it in combat. My reflexes were quicker, and my wrists were plenty strong to block her attacks. It was much better than sparring the nearby local guards or other adventuring warriors.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I wasn\u2019t a master, but my improvements were drastic with the sword. In my very egotistical opinion. My archery skills were just creeping by comparison. After my best training session yet, I decided to head back to the Titan\u2019s Trap.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Despite insisting I wouldn’t sing that night, I had a few drinks and soon enough\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Those Scaly Creepy Bastards<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Played With Sharp Toys<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

But In No Way Were They Ready<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

To Mess With The Boys<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The crowd wasn\u2019t large but I had several loyal fans around town. Besides the alcoholics who frequented the Titan\u2019s Trap whether I played or not. There was Barney and Todd. A farmer named Gil. Also an old orc couple who seemed rather high society for their kind. They really liked my songs.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Though they were never particularly impressed when I tried to sing about my adventures with my comrades. And this time I wasn\u2019t improvising. I actually tried to put some good stuff together and just couldn\u2019t do it. So eventually I did what I always did, by delivering something less original.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Just a Small town girl<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Living in a lonely world<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Took the midnight train<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Going Anywhere<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

That song was a much bigger hit. As long as I play to my strengths, <\/span>other people\u2019s songwriting,<\/span><\/i> I do very well. My pen skills must improve. There may be holes in my fighting abilities, but they are being filled as quickly as my training would allow. Which in all honesty was more important in my line of work. Either way, I probably could have made more time to work on my writing. But I was typically rather exhausted, and when I wasn\u2019t I felt like having a good time with the people around me.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Not long into the evening I noticed several ominous men in hooded black cloaks sitting in a booth in the corner of the Titan\u2019s Trap. None of them were eating or drinking anything. They appeared to be observing us all, but it was hard to see through their hoods.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In the middle of not saying anything, Blondos abruptly stood up, pointed at them and very loudly announced, \u201cThey\u2019re kinda spooky, I’m going to bed.\u201d Then he did that. He had spent the majority of the evening complaining about ghosts anyways so it wasn\u2019t that surprising he was paranoid.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I, on the other hand, remained curious of the strangers. My half-orc and the hafflin comrades both couldn\u2019t have cared less if they tried. After a short time, Trant approached me at the bar. \u201cI\u2019m sure you\u2019ve noticed the super nice looking people in the corner over there?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOh who? The cloaked weirdos everyone is staring at? No, I barely noticed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

After snickering he explained, \u201cThey\u2019re priests of Hades. Looking for a little help.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A lesser man would have turned down but I am, \u201cElrin Daun Of Gladland. The Fighting Writer. Pleasure to meet you. Trant tells me you death worshiping gentlemen are in a little need of help.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There was silence for a moment, and I couldn\u2019t see any of their faces through the shadows of their hoods.\u00a0 \u201cOne doesn\u2019t worship death. Death worships us. We simply know it to be foolish not to understand the one thing all life encounters.\u201d The man sitting closest to me removed his hood revealing the gaunt pale face of a fellah who doesn\u2019t eat very much.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d I don\u2019t think he realized I had been drinking, \u201cI\u2019ll be honest, I don’t know what that means. Do you have bad guys you need killed? Maybe some stuff was stolen? A couple of monsters you need to have scared away?\u201d I know I should be good at talking to people about this stuff, but I put a lot of troll in my belly before my performance even started. And since people love buying drinks for a great performer, my pace only increased.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I wasn\u2019t hammered but I was good and drunk.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Without taking any pause he explained, \u201cWe have a temple, To the South East. A place where we pay our respects to Hades, and the River Styx. Any soul that has lost its way needs but only to be shown the waters. Our faith is dedicated to the duty of guiding them home. But a curse has fallen upon us I\u2019m afraid.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cGhosts,\u201d My eyes lit up.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThe dead have risen,\u201d He spoke as if I hadn\u2019t said anything.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d I tilted my eyebrows. \u201cGhosts?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d He stood still for a moment. \u201cFlesh and blood has risen from their graves. They walk among the mortal plane. Wandering the nearby woods. Murdering any traveler that comes their way to add to their ranks.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I nodded to them and for some reason I was feeling sassy, \u201cSounds like you boys done messed up. Fucked around and found out. That\u2019s what happens when you play with dead shit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an abomination to our faith,\u201d The priest didn\u2019t sound angry, his voice never changed once during the whole conversation and the other two sat in complete silence. Motionless. \u201cDeath and the living are two things to be separated. That is the purpose of the River Styx. A soul that can\u2019t find the river needs our guidance. But a soul that runs up the river, comes from a wickedness beyond our power.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOkay\u2026\u201d I held my hand out to gesture for him to calm down. \u201cLove the drama. Really do. But just to clarify, we\u2019re talking about Zombies right?\u201d After he nodded I gestured to my squad behind me. \u201cBecause zombies sound pretty easy for us. You just relax, we\u2019ll kill the dead in no time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t kill the dead you fool,\u201d He replied irritated. \u201cYou guide it back home.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

My mouth was open as I drunkenly tried to come up with the right question. \u201cDon\u2019t you fight zombies by chopping their heads off?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cTypically.\u201d<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThen we\u2019ll kill the dead in no time!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We quickly agreed on a price. Though I of course had to negotiate with my allies. Verg and Glish were on board rather quickly. Blondos had arrived back at the Titan\u2019s Trap pretty early in the morning, insisting he didn\u2019t want to be around people.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When informed of the situation he declared, \u201cThe undead can\u2019t be let to run through the continent. We must stop this before it gets out of hand\u2026\u201d He paused and blinked profusely, \u201cAgain I\u2019m not scared of the undead or something like that, I just don\u2019t like them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Yarrick and Roan were already waiting for us ready to go. Apparently Yarrick was listening to my conversation and grabbed Roan immediately to join the mission. I again asked who the little man was but he didn\u2019t answer.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Syielle rarely ever turned down, especially when I was there.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I was told it\u2019d be a three day walk, but thankfully The River Stoan was rather still at all times. It would be able to lead us most of the way there. Without a current to bother us that was the easiest and least wearing option.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It was a few hours walk to Big Pond. A port nearby where fishermen collect rare inland fish not found in the ocean. Roan insisted we\u2019d find a boat there we\u2019d be able to convince to ferry us down river.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We all hopped on Nydorri\u2019s Elk once more. Heading straight south much like the first time I rode them. This time, they stopped at the edge of the forest and we were forced to walk. Which none of us were eager to do.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As the journey went along Glish and Vergusson were really curious about how the dead were walking. Both asked a variety of stupid questions, that basically just kept attaining the response, \u201cDark magic.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Verg scratched his head and glared at Zorthos. \u201cIsn\u2019t this guy dark magic?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Glish began to inspect the helkin as well. \u201cYou think he\u2019s one of them?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The devilman grew angry at these accusations. \u201cI am not of the undead.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cProve it,\u201d Gish retorted.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Zorthos raised his fist majestically, \u201cWhen I get cut, don\u2019t I bleed?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Vergusson and Glish looked at each other and then back at Zorthos. The hafflin calmly replied, \u201cWell I don\u2019t know, I\u2019ve never seen you get cut.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Vergusson took out a small knife. I don’t know where it came from.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cGuys\u2026\u201d Zorthos waved his hands in the air, \u201ctrust me I bleed.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It took them a minute, but they believed him.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Shortly after that we came upon a tiny collection of water barely larger than a wagon. Next to it was one hut made most<\/span>ly of twigs. It connected to a small stream leading Northwest for nearly a quarter mile until it opened up to a river far wider than the pond itself.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

At the mouth, sat several houses with a large dock and a collection of boats. But near the hut, sitting in a chair wearing overall jeans and glasses, was an orc, far larger than Vergusson. With the friendliest of smiles and the kindest of waves, his deep voice happily announced, \u201cWelcome to Big Pond. If you\u2019d like to join me I am currently having open visiting hours and would love the company.\u201d He pointed towards the docks down the stream, \u201cBut if you\u2019re looking for some time to yourselves, there\u2019s not a whole lot of rules over there. As long as you don\u2019t spoil the water you\u2019re welcome in my neighborhood.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Vergusson announced, \u201cWe\u2019re killing dead people so we can\u2019t fish dude.\u201d Then he walked towards the boat. I wanted to talk to the guy, I think we all did, but one by one we just followed our big buddy.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As we got to the docks there were several fishermen gathered around having conversations among each other. Nearly a dozen boats were scattered about. Mostly canoes, but one medium sized sail ship.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It happened to be docked at the time. A few men were fishing off of it, but they were chatting with several others on the shore nearby who were likely also passengers of that vessel. I took a moment to absorb what information I could before I inquired what to do next, but Glish decided to take matters into his own hands before anyone could stop him.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cExcuse me, I require a boat,\u201d The hafflin announced as if he were the boss.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A plump ginger man, with a hefty beard spun around. He very grumpily replied, \u201cWe\u2019re not a ferry service. You want a boat, go buy one.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Vergusson did not approve of that response. \u201cListen here you little shit\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Syrielle and myself grabbed him by the shoulder. \u201cWoah woah,\u201d I barked, pulling him away. We certainly couldn\u2019t have done so if he was resisting, but he also didn\u2019t like being pushed.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019d I do?\u201d He didn\u2019t sound mad, he was actually asking.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not bandits dude,\u201d I tried to be patient as I explained. \u201cWe\u2019re adventurers.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d He nodded as he calculated. \u201cI get it. We\u2019re\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Glish patted him on the calf, \u201cWe\u2019re the good guys.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This time Verg nodded with confidence. \u201cGot it.\u201d And honestly we were all pretty sure he did. I looked to Syrielle to see if she had anything to say but she didn\u2019t. If anything she thought it was weird I asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When my attention returned to the boat Roan was smiling. \u201cGot us a ride.\u201d The man Verg just threatened only a moment ago had a smile on his face while counting coins in his hand. Our crude friend shook his head, \u201cYou forgot to speak the language shorty.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Yarrick whined, \u201cThat was my gold.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Once we loaded up three men who were fishing along the coast came running over. Of course they objected until they saw the gold and quickly helped their captain undock the ship to set it down the River Stoan.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Lucky for us, the wind pushed us in the right direction. Our shady sailor friend claimed, \u201cI did a little prayer to Poseidon. He\u2019s always got my back.\u201d I just chose to believe him. <\/span>Why not?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The journey took us less than a day with those conditions. I saw more plains and mountains. At one point there were deer, with bright blue fur, drinking from the river, while standing on leaves.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Our guides insisted they were nothing to be afraid of. We definitely were. All of us.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Several times there would be tiny little streams leading away from the extremely wide river. I counted 8 other docks. Some with nothing more than boats. A few were near small towns.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

No such dock existed as we crossed by a large statue of Hades carved into a massive cliff. The captain of the boat, who went by the name Todd, dropped us off just before the beach connected to the cliff.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Standing under the cliff we inspected the eerie statue of the god of the underworld. Through my years I\u2019ve probably seen a thousand different depictions of him. This one was a much thinner, much more gaunt face than I was used to. His hair almost appeared to be like the flames of Hell where devils come from.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSo\u2026\u201d Vergusson wondered out loud. \u201cIf the guy\u2019s we\u2019re working for worship death. Doesn\u2019t that make them the bad guys?\u201d He looked at his hands with more emotion than I\u2019ve ever seen from him before. \u201cAm I the bad guy?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI just said we\u2019re the good guys like an hour ago,\u201d Glish said.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Verg didn\u2019t seem convinced so I decided to help him some more.\u201cDeath judges us far more fairly than the living. Your mother may have been burned at the stake by those whose hearts still beat, but she was led down the River Styx just as any other.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Roan snidely patted me on the back, \u201cLookey here Mr. <\/span>I don\u2019t read much.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There was a rocky path that Todd claimed would lead us directly to the temple. After thanking him and giving him a nice tip for his service, we hopped off the ship and ventured onwards towards death.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It took us only a few minutes before we happened upon a couple of rotting corpses walking on two feet. A male and a female, both were fully nude with wounds all over. Glish and I insisted we be the ones to handle it. As we walked over drawing our weapons dramatically. But then the actual fight wasn\u2019t cool at all. They weren\u2019t even armed so we sliced their heads off rather quickly.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The road is fairly rocky from there. We all took turns dicing up random zombies we found along the way. It wasn\u2019t even an hour’s walk before we turned a corner around a hill and saw another rather large statue of Hades in a domineering pose. Behind him was a temple, with curvy features of a very gothic design.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

At the base of the hades statue, was a fountain, with a smaller sculpture of the ferryman carrying a new soul. Similar statues to the passenger were scattered about the grass. Men and women, decaying much like the zombies in real life, posed as if they were wandering lost and alone.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

After inspecting the team I realized that not only was our second smallest missing as usual, but so was the elf. \u201cWhere\u2019s Nydorri?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cScouting with Yarrick,\u201d Roan pointed at the temple. \u201cSomething\u2019s off.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Glish climbed up on Vergusson\u2019s shoulders to look out over the field leading into the temple. \u201cLooks good to me. Nothing too spooky.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the problem, genius,\u201d Roan explained.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Zorthos added, \u201cThere should be spooky stuff everywhere.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Glish smiled at him very kindly, \u201cYou\u2019re spooky.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I believe the devilman blushed a little. He\u2019s red so it\u2019s hard to see.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Verg just walked in the middle of the field. Realizing there was no point in staying back so the rest of us followed. I closely examined the large statue first. It was much like the one by the cliff. Though the other sculptures were probably rather interesting. Unfortunately I was distracted by a bird flying in front of my face. Suddenly Nydorri was standing by my side.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re coming in groups,\u201d The elf announced. \u201cAll around us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She pointed at the temple, \u201cNow!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

From both sides of the temple, I noticed multiple decayed faces exiting the trees. My comrades shouted there were more coming from the other direction, and the next thing I knew they were walking from every angle. I gazed at the horror with fascination. Roan shouted us all back to reality, \u201cRanged support quit holding your dicks.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

My bow and arrow were drawn in a moment. Glish was beside me with his brand new crossbow out. Zorthos had already launched a fire spear which connected on a nearby walking corpse. It immediately erupted into flames. The hafflin and I shot as well but both missed.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Vergusson had more enemies coming at him from all sides than anyone else. Glish and I both fired our bolts at a couple other targets charging at the half-orc. Our arrows struck our marks, but not in the skulls like we hoped. Still they turned their attention to us, and Verg was able to fight those in front of him without worrying about any coming from behind. For the moment.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The first zombie that got to me had three arrows in his chest by the time we collided. My rapier was out quick and I easily removed his hand. His head was soon to follow. So far guiding three souls back to the underworld, if that\u2019s how it works.<\/em> Glish had similar success to his own foe, which was also his third considering we literally paired up both times we killed zombies on the road coming here.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We both picked our ranged weapons back up. My tiny ally nailed a head shot, getting one kill ahead of <\/span>me. I got one in the neck. Then Glish literally nailed another headshot. <\/span>It had to be the crossbow,<\/span><\/i> though in fairness to him he made the weapon himself.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The area had mostly cleared but they never seemed to stop coming. \u201cThere\u2019s a bigger horde on the way\u201d Nydorri pointed to the East. \u201cYarrick was holding them off as best he could but there\u2019s too many for him alone.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Roan was quick to say, \u201cWe need to keep that horde outside.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Syrielle casually sliced through a lone zombie on her way to Vergusson. \u201cWe\u2019ll stay out here. More room to slice and dice,\u201d She declared and they fist bumped.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll head inside,\u201d Roan wiggled his left hand. \u201cI might be able to fuck with dark magic.\u201d Then he looked to his right hand, \u201cActually, I might have a better ida\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Nydorri walked right over to Zorthos, \u201cThey\u2019ll need one of us inside. And the others should stay out here.\u201d She looked around the forest, \u201cThe trees may be dead, but I\u2019m better outside.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Zorthos nodded and walked after Roan who was already heading towards the temple.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cUhm\u2026\u201d I raised my hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cJust do whatever dude,\u201d Syrielle told me.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll\u2026 Go inside\u2026\u201d I dashed after the helkin and the sailor. Getting to their side just as they stepped into the temple. At first I noticed the long rows of seats, with an altar at the other end. The walls were decorated with various paintings of Hades, both the god and the location.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Behind the altar was stairs leading down into dark catacombs. Besides the entrance there wasn\u2019t so much as a door from what we saw. The three of us quickly descended into an incredibly dark tunnel. Thankfully Zorthos was there to brighten the whole thing up with his flames.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The hallway we found ourselves in was wide and long with about a dozen zombies scattered around. On the other side there was a massive metal door. Along the walls were several holes leading into tunnels where a few more of the dead were coming from. The openings did not look like they were intended to be part of the temple\u2019s architecture.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I dashed to my left squaring up with a nearby zombie. At this point, I had noticed very consistent patterns in their movement and it was even easier to cut through him. Zorthos and Roan weren\u2019t having any problems of their own. And neither did I with the next one.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We quickly made our way to the end of the hall, where Roan kicked the door hard, sending it wide open. I followed him into a massive room with gothic structures all over, and yet another altar in the middle<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Kneeling at the base of the shrine, was a man in long black robes humming to himself. When I moved closer a baritone voice shouted out, \u201cYou dare step into something you couldn\u2019t dream of understanding!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I snipped back, \u201cCan\u2019t imagine it\u2019s that complicated.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Roan snidely pointed out, \u201cI think that\u2019s his point.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Thinking about it, that actually was the stranger’s point.<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A dark fog began to flow out of the stranger\u2019s cloak. At first it simply acted in the way smoke typically does. Then he shouted and the black haze blasted towards us. Roan slipped off his left glove and stood in front of me. Then Zorthos stepped in front of both of us.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Like a dragon unleashing its fury, the hellkin blasted flames from his mouth. Keeping the dark curse at bay. After a moment the flames disappeared, the black fog had gone away. Zorthos leaned forward to his knees, breathing heavily. Roan patted him on the back, \u201cWe need to work on our communication. I had that one.\u201d He wagged his left hand out inspecting our enemy.<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The sorcerer stood to his feet. \u201cI don\u2019t have time for you.\u201d He spun around revealing literally nothing. I couldn\u2019t see a face through the shadows of his hood. Eerily similar to Father Jacob\u2019s two associates.<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

More fog poured from his cloak, but this time it floated towards the ground between us. A massive hole seemed to open up in the dirt. There was silence for a moment, then a fleshless hand reached out, dragging a full skeleton behind it. Dozens more just like it crawled out an instant after.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Roan dashed towards the first skeleton, crushing the skull with a hand ax.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I dashed forward as well to stab one. My rapier managed to crack through the skull, but it got a little stuck and by the time I pulled it out I was forced to run away from like four of them. There appeared to be a lot more on the way.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Standing in the doorway back into the hall was another zombie, but he had his eye on Roan and I managed to slice his head off before he saw me. My skeleton pursuers nearly cut me down, but I was just a bit faster than them, escaping once more.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The large hallway we walked in through was filled with maybe thirty walking corpses with rotting flesh limping towards me. Nearly as many dry skeletons were in the room behind me, including the few pouring into the hallway after me.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Generally when I was faced with what I felt was sure death I was on my knees, weaponless at the end of my rope. But right here, right now, I was on my feet with rapier in hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I lunged at the nearest Zombie, and also the loneliest enemy near me.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It took me a few seconds to get the better of him and I was sure that other zombies and skeletons were going to end me in just a second. That\u2019s when I heard a loud bang, followed by a crack. Then I heard another bang, and the skull right in front of my face exploded. The next bang was followed by a splat from behind me.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Roan stepped through the doorway aiming his right hand with his index finger pointed out. His thumb stuck upwards and a flame sat upon it like a candle. As the next few bangs happened, I saw a small explosion occur at the tip of his extended finger. Zombie heads would explode each time.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He quickly cleared out the skeletons between us. I saw Zorthos taking out several in the room on the other side. I almost went to join him before Roan shouted, \u201cGet me stones now.\u201d<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He stopped firing. \u201cYou got dicks in your ears?\u201d He knelt down, picked up the tiny stone with his left hand, slipped it into his right hand, then fired it. \u201cLittle rocks and pebbles and shit.\u201d He quickly did the same thing with another rock.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I scurried around gathering several tiny little rocks and dashed back to him. The horde had only grown larger as they poured out of the tunnels. After gathering dozens of pebbles I ran back to hand them off to the sailor.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

One by one he slipped them into his right hand before shooting each shot. Up close, I noticed a tattoo on his gloveless right hand of what looked like a long wooden stick that extended from his index finger along the back of his hand. It bent at the end down along his wrist like a handle with little trigger at the curve almost like a crossbow. From this angle I couldn\u2019t tell if that\u2019s what it was. It shot stuff so it felt right to me.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We heard screams from the sorcerer behind us, as well as the roars of Zorthos. \u201cCheck on him,\u201d Roan shouted, \u201cThen get more rocks.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I followed his orders because he was the one destroying zombies. Running back into the other room there were broken skeleton bones all over. The massive hole in the ground had closed. Zorthos was on his knees in front of the necromancer.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Both appeared worn out, but the sorcerer was far more ready for another attack whereas the hellkin was<\/span>n\u2019t moving at all. I fired an arrow in an instant, but smoke whipped out of his cloaks to smack away the projectile. \u201cROAN!\u201d I screamed for help.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He was there in an instant. I shot another arrow to show him what I\u2019m dealing with. Naturally he blasted a stone immediately with the exact same effect. \u201cShit just get me more rocks then,\u201d He spun around and blasted the zombies coming our way.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The sorcerer chuckled, \u201cYou wish to protect this creature?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHe wishes to protect us all,\u201d I replied. \u201cIt\u2019s just smart hero work to save him back. Also…\u201d With Zorthos asleep I could speak the truth, “I love him.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Even though his hood covered his face, I could tell he was smiling. His hand raised above his head. A dark shadow began to form above him. I couldn\u2019t tell what was going to happen, but it was definitely going to be bad.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Then I saw the ever so familiar sudden reaction of pain. His face was covered, but the way his body jerked backwards, it was quite obvious to me what had happened. And once my eyes confirmed what I already knew I said.<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSorry\u2026 We forgot to tell you about our buddy Yarrick.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

From behind our enemy, my mysterious ally stepped to his left, <\/span>so my right,<\/span><\/i> and yanked the silver dagger out that he just stuck in. Then he stuck it in again in the stomach. Before he could attack a third time, the smoke whipped out and smacked him in the back of the head like a punch.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Then the sorcerer grabbed him by the throat and shouted something in a language I couldn\u2019t understand. Yarrick quickly removed the necromancer’s hand with the dagger. Smoke floated behind our foe forming a much smaller hole than before. He stumbled backwards into the blackness before it all disappeared and he was nowhere to be seen.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Yarrick vomited violently, then fell over. I dashed over to him and Zorthos. The rogue was completely unconscious, but the helkin had slowly begun to regain his composure. \u201cWhat happened? Where\u2019d that evil bastard go?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI was hoping you knew.\u201d<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Roan shouted from the door, \u201cStones! Now!\u201d<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I couldn’t believe it. \u201cThey\u2019re still coming?\u201d<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYup!\u201d<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He was handed another dozen stones very quickly, but the hallway was looking more and more filled. Lucky for us, it was also filled with Syrielle on the other side, just blasting through zombies three a stroke. It took the two of them a few minutes to clear the hallway. A few zombies would come through the tunnels here and there, but it wasn\u2019t anything to be worried about.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Especially with Zorthos back on his feet ready to fight.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Nydorri, Glish and Vergusson eventually made their way down explaining that they\u2019d pretty much slaughtered the entire horde outside as far as they knew.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A few stragglers would come in here and there, but never anything to worry about. Everyone was exhausted, bloodied and bruised. Zorthos and Nydorri both said they were pretty much at their mana\u2019s end.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Yarrick still hadn\u2019t woken up. My comrades tried waking him up in several different ways, but we had no success. He was cold to the touch, much like a dead person, but they insisted he wasn\u2019t dead yet.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As they discussed what to do about his condition, I walked over to the fountain and examined it as best I could. Perhaps there was some sort of trap door the bastard slipped through. For all we know he\u2019s hiding from us.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you looking at?\u201d Zorthos asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m wondering if these are magic waters,\u201d I explained.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The second I said that I heard thundering footsteps. Vergusson leapt through the air in full cannonball, splashing water all over the place.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now soaking wet, I complained, \u201cDude what the hell are you doing?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSeeing if it would kill me,\u201d He casually replied.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Glish hopped in right after him making an even smaller splash. \u201cYeah it\u2019s not killing me either.\u201d He turned and started flopping around like a fish, seeming to heal from his wounds much quicker than I did mine.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

With a curious look on his face, Zorthos reached his hand into the fountain. Steam rose from his fingers and he pulled them back in pain. \u201cHoly water!\u201d He announced. \u201cIt\u2019s far from cursed. Quite the opposite.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Vergusson had been climbing out of the water when he heard that. With the quick thinking of a barbarian he promptly grabbed Yarrick and threw him in the water.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Roan dashed towards the drowning man, \u201cVerg what the fuck are you doing?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIsn\u2019t he cursed?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bubbles came out of the water as Yarrick began to drown. We swiftly pulled him out and his condition didn\u2019t appear any worse than before the half-orc threw him in.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Thankfully, Zorthos, Vergusson, Syrielle and Roan had the energy to carry on destroying every last one of the undead in the area that stumbled their way towards us. After a long and grueling day, it was finally over.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Zorthos killed a zombie, and there just weren\u2019t anymore.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSooner or later, you run out of corpses to raise,\u201d Was a line I thought was cool to say.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We tended to our wounds. Thankfully Nydorri had plenty of berries to go around. One of which actually \u201cRejuiced\u201d Roan a bit and he was able to stabilize a couple of our wounds with the cross on his left hand. Though he wasn\u2019t quite at full power, and our injuries had sat for a while, making it harder for magic to affect them.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

After the fighting was over we were genuinely confused about what to do next. It was pretty obvious that sorcerer was the cause of all of this. <\/span>Was he gone for good? Will he come back?<\/span><\/i> There were so many questions.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But the only question on anyone\u2019s mind was asked of me, immediately, by the shortest of us, \u201cHow many did you get?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201c8.\u201d<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHah!\u2019 The little douchebag couldn\u2019t have been more excited after losing the bet on the previous adventure. \u201cI got 10!\u201d As per usual, he shadow boxed with excitement. The half-orc proudly gave him their low five\/high five standard affirmation.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell I had to help Roan take out like thirty,\u201d I added.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I hit a bunch in the leg when they were ganging up on my boys here,\u201d He pointed to the devilman and the half-orc. \u201cWhat\u2019s your point?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I decided to end the bickering there and just take the L. Next time I\u2019ll get three up on the little shit. And lord knows how many everyone else took out. Syrielle and Verg were so exhausted they actually agreed to a tie. For all I know they killed a couple hundred each.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We inspected the area for useful items, but really couldn\u2019t find anything interesting.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Roan reminded us that Yarrick looked like he was about to die. At which point we decided to begin our very quick journey home. I may not trust the tiny comrade, but he was a comrade, and I will do whatever it takes to save his life.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Previous Chapter<\/a> : Next Chapter<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Previous Chapter : Next Chapter   The apple didn\u2019t stand a chance against the wraith of my arrow.   The melon, on the other hand, did survive against the same wrath despite being a larger target. But I also put it much farther away and I\u2019m still struggling with longer distances after only a week […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-243","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/deficientlyattentive.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/deficientlyattentive.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/deficientlyattentive.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deficientlyattentive.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deficientlyattentive.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=243"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/deficientlyattentive.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":276,"href":"https:\/\/deficientlyattentive.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243\/revisions\/276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/deficientlyattentive.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=243"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deficientlyattentive.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=243"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deficientlyattentive.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=243"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}