Chapter XXX: An Honest Attempt at Rescue

“This is not what I signed on for!” Konstantine complained loudly as her tiny Tarutaru body was pelted with rocks torn free from the ground by the impact of the giant scorpion’s tail.

“We’re Those Guys,” Decay responded even as the diminuitive White Mage cast a spell of protection around her. “This is precisely what you signed on for.”

The monster rumors had dubbed “Serket” had long been the boogeyman of Garlaige Citadel. Amidst all the confirmed reports of vampiric bat swarms, animated monsters of beastial flesh, and the hordes of the undead, there had always been peripheral sightings of some sort of enormous beast lurking in the shadows. Dark enough to hide itself within the shadows of the lower catacombs, only remnants of its victims provided evidence that it was even real. As the monstrous thing came into view, it was clear that its existence had gone so long unconfirmed because those who had been unfortunate enough to discover it never lived to tell the tale.

Whatever magic or mutation had spawned the beast, it stood fully thirteen feet high, and another twenty in length. Curled up over its back was a tail like a tree trunk with a barbed stinger at the end, big enough to be used as a smashing bludgeon as well as the obvious danger posed by the potent venom leaking off of it, which hissed as it hit the ground. It skittered back and forth with a speed that should not have been possible for something so large, a sign of the awesome strength held within the thick, stalk-like legs holding it aloft. With inky black eyes it looked out at the small assemblage before it, then back to the multitude of sick and wounded on the other side of the six warriors in front of it. It gave a rattling hiss and pulled its tail back again. It obviously did not consider this any great obstacle to reach its dinner.

“We can’t let it reach the Jeunoans,” Rykoshet ordered, brandishing his blade in the face of the thing. Danienne, her scythe ready to swing, stood at his left and Decay his right, the monster looming over them. “Konstantine, you help the wounded get to safety, Liyah, assist the Guards. Fated,” he called out to the Paladin, “you’re with us!”

The scorpion took another sweeping glance at its foes, and then launched into an attack. Its razor-sharp claws stabbed at Rykoshet as he dodged and rolled to the side, Danienne rushing forward to meet the appendange with her own ebony scythe, masterfully forged weapon crafted of orichalcum. The scorpion’s strength immediately overpowered the Hume, and her blade was deflected sharply to the ground. She released the weapon and dropped down as Serket took another stab at her with its foreleg, avoiding the thrust by mere inches. With a burst of dark magic, she called the scythe back into her hand, and it flew from the ground to her awaiting gauntlet, but worry was already creasing her brow.

Serket dove down, snapping at her with its clenching fangs, but was driven back as Decay came forward with his blazing rapier. The beast reared away from the fire, but swung fiercely with his mighty foreleg, knocking Decay aside. The Red Mage flew hard against the ground, the protective spells woven in the air around him saving his ribs from being crushed. Rykoshet charged forward while Serket was still focused on Decay, and his great sword slashed against the beast, Fated at his side. Serket immediately swung around, sweeping its tail out to impale the Elvaan upon the lance-like stinger at the end, but Fated caught the attack with his shield, the impact rattling him to the very bone. Serket, unprepared for such a deflection, was staggered for just an instant. Rykoshet gripped the hilt of his sword and took as much advantage as he could.

Even as he pressed his attack forward, he knew he had made a mistake.

Serket’s left pincer came crashing downwards, deflecting the blow of his great sword before it ever found the surface of the monster’s shell. Fated leaped to his defense, but with its powerful legs, Serket stomped down on the ground with such force that it send a shockwave which blew the Paladin onto his back. The cavern quaked, and Rykoshet reeled, the right pincer catching him just under the rib cage, leaving a gaping rend in his ebony armor as the blonde Elvaan was propelled backwards, skidding across the rocky ground as he struggled to maintain his grip on the blade he carried. Serket leaped up again, and his impact send out another tremor that caught all of them in its wake, shaking them like children’s toys as the scorpion snapped its killer jaws, preparing for another assault.

“Damn,” Fated moaned, stabbing his sword into the ground as he attempted to rise, “it’s too fast!”

“Don’t let up!” Danienne called out as she swung her legs outward, swinging a hand underneath herself and pushing upwards, spinning her scythe into a position of readiness. “The four of us have to work together, it’s too strong for these individual assaults!”

“Nothing is too strong if you know where to aim,” Decay spat out menacingly from behind her, his eyes a portrait of anger. His palms flared to life with writhing energy, and he leveled his hand at the monster as it advanced on the still-prone Rykoshet.

“Decay,” Danienne shouted out, “don’t! We have to – “

“Burn, monster!” the Red Mage growled, and with his snarl a tongue of flame shot forth from his hand. The swirling red energy struck the monster, and Serket squealed a high-pitched, insect-like cry as Decay’s magic fireball seared its rock-hard carapace. Its agony only seemed to increase Decay’s force, and the blast rocketed forth with even greater intensity, consuming the monster in a bath of flames. Rykoshet, caught beneath the inferno, clutched at the rock and debris around him, finally finding enough of a handhold to pull himself upright and away from the screeching monster. He squinted at the light being produced by Decay’s magic, holding a hand up over his eyes in a vain attempt to shield himself from both illumination and the intense heat. With a twist of his wrist, Decay cut off the flame, which continued to burn with arcane force even after its energy had been dispelled.

“Now chop apart what remains and let’s get out of here,” the Red Mage ordered, lowering his still-smoking hand. “This place reeks.”

Danienne screamed as Serket burst forth from the flames meant to be his funeral pyre, his gleaming red eyes focused intently on Decay.

The auburn-haired Hume spun around to face the charging beast as it shrieked, weaving a stoneskin spell around himself as it bore down on him. Danienne, however, catapulted herself in the way, knocking them both clear of the monster which hissed and clicked, throwing out it’s back legs to pivot back towards the both of them as they rolled clear. Danienne came back up off the ground with an athletic leap, swinging her scythe out in time to meet another jarring blow from Serket’s now-enraged attack. It’s bladed limbs reared back as it prepared to impale the Dark Knight upon them, but Danienne through out a burst of dark magic, and for a moment Serket was stunned by the arcane release. Rykoshet, finally recovered, did not waste the moment Danienne had bought them.

The Elvaan surged forward, muscles bunched as he brought his great sword to bear against Serket’s massive shell. Danienne hacked away with her scythe, and as Serket brought his trunk-like tail down to smash them, Fated returned to the fray, deflecting the monstrous blow with his already-dented shield. Fated grimaced and grit his teeth has he felt his arm strain under the force of Serket’s tail, but he held his ground as Decay, seething, regained his footing. The air around the Red Mage crackled, and his aura flared to life as lightning began sparking from his fists. Decay raised his nose disdainfully at the monster striking at his friends, and with deadly precision, bolts of electric force lanced out from his fists, surging through the hide of the beast. It jolted back, skittering on its hind legs to escape the attack, but Decay was implacable.

He drew forth his sword, and as soon as it touched the air, it began swirling with razor-sharp tendrils of aero magic, the light-green energy visible to the naked eye. The winds in the cavern began bending to Decay’s will as he took another step towards Serket, which was now swiveling its elongated head back and forth between Danienne and Rykoshet in front of it, and the advancing Red Mage, plumes of energy convalescing around him. For the first time, the monster appeared unsure.

“Stand back,” Decay warned, stretching out his sword, and both of the black-armored fighters in front of him wisely took a step to the side. Fated turned and saw what was about to occur, and with a yelp he dove onto the ground, arms protectively clapped over his head.

Like a concentrated hurricane, wind energy blasted forward as Decay released an Aero spell of the highest tier, directed straight at the enormous scorpion. With enough force to tear flesh from bone or strip a boulder into sand, it left wind burns across the skin on Rykoshet’s unprotected face, though he stood several feet away from the horizontal column of magic. He raised his hands defensively as the concussive force overtook Serket.

His upraised arms only shielded him from the shower of rocks and pebbles which pelted forward as Decay’s spell collided harmlessly with the stone formation behind the spot where Serket had previously stood.

Danienne gasped audibly as Serket crashed down on the ground in front of Decay. At the last moment, it had leaped into the air, completely avoiding the Red Mage’s fearsome spell, and now came down with enough power to cause a tremor. Decay swore an oath nearly worthy of Vile as he was shaken from his feet, his sword clattering to the ground beside him. The scorpion squealed its insect-like screech, and the Hume sprawled out in front of it suddenly felt fear shiver up his spine as the monster’s dripping fangs hovered over him.

He was spared for the moment he needed to regain his footing as Rykoshet, swinging his great sword, charged the monster from behind. With an almost dismissive attack, Serket swung his tail around like a club, and the crushing blow he dealt with it took the blonde Elvaan full in the ribs, only his heavy armor saving his life. He flew through the air, colliding with the rock walls of Garlaige and sliding down, stars in his eyes. Gritting his teeth as pain shot through his side, Rykoshet struggled to rise again, but found it futile. Decay, on the other hand, snatched his sword from where it had fallen and rolled to the side, springing to his feet as he tried to summon his magic. Danienne was still on her feet, running to Decay’s aid from a distance so as to avoid the same fate as Rykoshet, and further off, Fated was also attempting to get back into position.

Serket, moving faster than any of them, slashed at Decay with its foreleg, and the Red Mage smartly sprung backwards. Red-and-black cloth flew out in tatters as the bladed leg of the creature tore the front of Decay’s tabard into shreds. The Red Mage staggered back, a smirk on his face as he raised his sword again, preparing to blast Serket into nothing with another spell. He raised his arm, magic welling up inside of him, and readied his attack.

He pulled back with an agonized cry as from Serket’s mouth, a stinger shot forward that caught him in the shoulder of his outstretched arm. Decay tumbled backwards, pain setting the entire right side of his body on fire as he convulsed under the grip of Serket’s venomous sting. Just like that, the Red Mage had been taken out of the game, and Those Guys had lost the best piece they had on the board.

“Decay!” Rykoshet called out from where he had finally managed to rise, bracing himself against the wall Serket had flung him against. The Red Mage, his eyes rolling back, gave no response as he twitched feverishly, the scorpion’s venom taking hold in his system. Serket heard his call, however, and the monster spun around, shooting out this time not a single stinger, but a spray of poisonous liquid that shot towards where Rykoshet stood. With a grunt as the side of his body Serket’s tail had struck shot spikes of pain into him, the Elvaan dove down and the scorpion’s attack struck the wall behind him. The aqueous purple ooze hissed and bubbled, leaving a smoking trail where it slid down the rock.

The monster turned again, and Fated hastily raised his battered shield as it was suddenly upon him, hammering down on the Paladin with frightful force. Danienne rushed to Decay’s side, where the Red Mage lay trembling. He looked up pleadingly at the Dark Knight as she raised him up in her arms, and struggled to form words. Serket’s venom was coursing through his blood, and it was taking all the magic he had in him to keep its effects at bay. As Danienne felt the energy Decay was expelling coming off of him, she realized that he had already expended a good deal of his power in the course of the fight. If they could do nothing to treat him immediately, then Serket’s sting would turn his body into a liquefied husk. Fighting back panic, she gripped the stinger, still protruding from Decay’s shoulder, and with a fierce tug empowered by dark magic, tore it free from his body. The Red Mage’s scream was blocked by his constricting throat, and equal parts blood and black, dripping venom poured out from the wound on his shoulder.

“This is all going wrong,” Danienne lamented, standing with Decay in her arms, “we’ve got to get out now.”

Rykoshet, in the meantime, had finally gotten back on his feet. The pain in his body was crippling, but he managed to stay upright as he brought his great sword back up. Fated was quickly crumbling under Serket’s assault, and without help they would soon lose another friend to the monster. Taking a step forward, he halted, wincing as pain blossomed through his ribs again, but then he took a bracing breath and continued. He had to stop this thing, here and now.

He was almost back to where Serket and Fated stood locked in one-sided combat when he realized that beneath the clanging sounds of Fated’s shield being quickly rent apart which echoed throughout the caverns, there was now a low, hungry moan. A moan which rose to greater and greater decibels with every step he took. From the far side of the tunnels beneath Garlaige it rose, and became increasingly harder to ignore with every second. The line of Jeunoan guards which had maintained their ranks in protection of the refugees even as Those Guys had struggled to put down Serket now turned with oaths and shouted orders, raising their weapons in preparation for a new battle on the horizon.

Rykoshet stopped in his tracks as the sounds of combat began ringing all throughout the enormous cavern chamber. Whether attracted by the scent of blood, the sense of weakness and confusion, or simply because they were somehow intelligent enough to know when to strike, they had come. Against a handful of guards bolstered only by Liyah and Konstantine, while Serket raged amongst them, and with hundreds, perhaps thousands of Jeunoans caught in the middle, they had finally made their move.

The undead horde of Garlaige had attacked. Now, Rykoshet thought, crushed by the realization, their doom was certain.