Private Tales The Necromancer's cave

[Míriel Fëanorna]

Miriel wiped the blood from her blade against her leggings and then laughed softly at his comment. She realised the subject of her own magic had never come up in their night together.

"I feel as though I am about to play into your theory my people being tree huggers again," a dramatic sigh. "My people manipulate the earth and things associated with it, I can control metal and I can speak with them too. Everything has a voice it just needs waking up. It's what makes my weapons unique. I do a touch of Rune magic like humans and dwarfs, but mostly I just... wake them up and give them a job. They have their own mind and soul and it works better than runes. It's why she has a name and it's why she won't listen to anyone but you now," Miriel gestured to the axe.

 

[Baise]

"Vilissë," he murmured. Valthar started to recoil from the axe when he felt a distinct something from the weapon. He had been all too ready to believe that in her elven way she believed the metal was awoken, but that it was no different from a dwarven enchantment.

"Hmm," went the stoic northerner. He looked from left two right. The two narrow corridors that branched off from the chamber were narrow.

"That one smells more like death," he said, pointing to the right. A clang range out and he turned sharply towards the left. Valthar had been about to suggest they headed right to find the necromancer, but something had made that noise.

 

[Míriel Fëanorna]

I like him.

Miriel smirked when the axe spoke, causing Valthar to recoil. Of course the Nordenfiir wouldn't hear the words, though now he had used the axe in battle he would be able to feel her. Perhaps, one day, if he opened his mind enough he would be able to hear her too. It would work better if he did, the axe knew what she was doing when it came to the dead.

"But is it a rouse?" Miriel tilted her head slightly to the side, straining her ears to hear anything else. "I don't like the idea of splitting up but..." she left the decision open. It was either that or they chance it and go one way with the threat of whatever was down the other corridor coming up behind them to block them in.

 

[Baise]

"No splitting up," Valthar grunted. Holding out the axe he turned it from one direction to the other.

There was a stronger glow from the head of the axe closer to the corridor to their right. The rhythmic clanging from the other passage was hard to ignore.

"Towards more undead or make that fucking noise stop?" Valthar asked. He had to briefly take stock of where he was again. Underground, holding a magical axe which apparently had its own consciousness and hunting a necromancer.

It wasn't fishing.

 

[Míriel Fëanorna]

The horsemistress was glad when he said he didn't want to split up. She was confident in her skills but she wasn't arrogant and Necromancers were no laughing matter. She considered both paths and then with a shrug rummaged in her belt and brought out a coin which she tossed upwards. When it came back down she snatched it out the air and put it on the back of her hand.

"Heads right, Tails left," she removed the hand that was covering the answer to show the coil of a dragons tail. She shrugged and pocketed the coin, shifted her sword back into her hand and then set off towards the left.

"Excellent. Spooky, creepy noise it is. I sense I am going to need a lot of chocolate tonight to recover."

 

[Baise]

"I thought you might have used it up," Valthar mused, turning down the left hand cavern. It was dark, the light of the axe and flames they had brought not showing much of the way ahead.

"Do I get some tonight then?" Valthar chuckled quietly. The necromancer had to know that they were coming. He clearly knew little of necromancy, but they had made a great ruckus. He had to have sensed his creations being destroyed. The corridor started to widen out, but kept at a gentle slope down ways. The rhythmic noise of metal on metal grew steadily.

 

[Míriel Fëanorna]

Miriel's lips twitched as she tried to keep a straight face, failed.

"You can wrestle me for it."

Despite their conversations nature and the relaxed way with which she walked Miriel was tense. A trained eye would be able to tell her sword was in the right position to move at a seconds notice, her head was slightly tilted to try and pick up any noise, and her eyes roamed the shadows of the corridor. She didn't mind their lack of stealth, it wasn't like the metal on metal sound was inconspicuous.

"Fighting...?" she questioned, her voice barely above a whisper but she knew his superior hearing would pick it up. "Or... a forge?"

 

[Baise]

"I do hope I don't get turned into a zombie before the end of the day," Valthar muttered. It was hard not to let that thought distract him from the current situation. Given what was ahead of them, a distraction wasn't dangerous. It merely took the edge of the growing fear.

The corridor opened out completely. The light caught something rising and falling. It wad the source of the noise. The bleached white frame became visible in the flickering light next.

As the grinning face turned towards them Valthar stopped. The skeleton had to be over ten feet in height. Its hammer fell one more time.

Valthar looked at what was being hammered and recoiled. Pink and scarlet flesh shifted under each blow. There were teeth and claws and bones. An amalgamation of flesh given life. Held together by iron.

The giant skeleton held more nails in its left hand. They were each as long as Valthar's shin. It looked down at its work, satisfied. It threw its hammer over its shoulders and strode away.

The thing on the great table started to rise.

 

[Míriel Fëanorna]

"I forgot how much I fucking hate Necromancers."

All thoughts of the future faded as she looked upon the skeleton, her lips twisted into a grimace. It must have once been a giant but that it was this deteriorated said it had been dead for a long time. Which meant this Necromancer was not a few one testing its strength. It was older. Wiser. More dangerous. Very slowly Miriel reached for her other sword and drew it. Two seemed appropriate here.

Her eyes slowly dropped to the flesh golem as it lumbered to its feet and looked around. It was said that sometimes such creatures could be spoken to and reasoned with though looking at its mismatched parts she was struggling to see how one could possibly do such a thing. It turned towards them as if considering what to do.

"Hey... buddy..." Miri swivelled her blades so they pointed down and hooked in her thumbs, her palms flat out towards him to show she meant no threat. "We're here to help."

 

[Baise]

"I forgot how much I fucking hate Necromancers."

"I am learning quickly," replied Valthar, readying his axe.

The homonculus turned one head towards Miriel. Then it turned another head towards her. A third also rolled around its shoulder and looked down at her. Valthar was certain they were a human, ogre and orc heads.

If there was much intelligence left in the pieces it did not show. The heads turned their attention to different appendages in different states of decline. Valthar was certain one of its arms was actually the tail of a naga.

"Think it will die if we get all three heads? Where do the giant go?"

 

[Míriel Fëanorna]

"I have a horrible feeling it went to go make some more things for us to play with," Miriel was looking intently at the tunnel the thing had disappeared down. If that were the case it was going to be a long day for the pair of them and Miri was looking forward to having her evening too much for this to take up longer than the daylight.

"Yes, if we get them all in one go I think it will," Miri nodded then glanced at the sides of the walls. Valthar was a lot taller than the elf and with the combination of the height of the axe he could probably reach the heads easier than her. "Alright, you get the left and middle, I'll take the right," she glanced to him, waiting for a nod before she sprinted full pelt towards the wall.

 

[Baise]

"You're the one with two swords..." he could be heard muttering as he broke left. The beast slammed down the arm that was a tail. The lump of flesh thudded into the ground so hard, Valthar was certain it would have crushed him.

He turned and brought the axe down. It bit deep, but it would take another blow to severe the limb.

"It's not that fast on its feet!" he called out. It struck out quite quickly, but it wasn't going to rush around following them.

 

[Míriel Fëanorna]

Whilst the beast was busy with one arm and Valthar that didn't mean it was slack with its other side unfortunately. Miriel leapt before she hit the wall, her light elfish feet finding purchase on the odd bits of rock that jutted outwards. She hopped from one to another, climbing an invisible staircase higher and higher until she was level with the creatures heads she pushed off and swung with her blades. They were sharp but like Valthar she found it was definitely going to take more than one swing to get through the thick meat. She grunted as her sword hit the flesh and wrenched it free, standing precariously on the things shoulder.

It might have been slow on its feet but its movements with its arms were a lot quicker. With a roar it swung its hand towards the wound and knocked the elf flying back into the wall.

"No," Miri called back, her face grim as she stood up slowly and spat out a bit of blood. "But it packs a punch."

 

[Baise]

How the fuck did she run up wall like that? Thought Valthar as he watched her. He couldn't pay too much attention to what Miriel did. The beast seemed able to split its attention quite well. What passed for its consciousness was another question altogether. Did it even think or was it merely a puppet.

Valthar retreated from its swinging arms. If he shifted he was only going to make himself a larger target. Size wasn't always everything.

He waited for the right moment and charged in, ducking under a claw that could have ripped him in two. He hack once, twice and then rolled around behind it before it could strike him.

It had a novel approach to counter that. It flung itself onto its back, trying to crush him beneath its bulk. It would have done.

The lump of flesh didn't hit the floor. Valthar roared in his svalen form, back up on hind legs and shuddering as he held its bulk up.

 

[Míriel Fëanorna]

"Val-!" Miriel started forward as the creature flung itself backwards, her eyes widening. But she caught herself just at the roar rang out. Not human, she had to remind herself, as she relaxed. There was absolutely nothing cute and fluffy about him when he was using this form to fight.

At leas the creature was distracted. Time to move. Miriel glanced at the wall again and took a breath and ran. Up again to get the height and power she needed. If she could drop just so she might be able to sever a head but she needed magic too for this. Once she got to the height the creature had been when standing Miri swan dived, aiming for the middle head.

Both swords went through the throat as she landed on its chest.

"Cirissë!" her twin blades hummed beneath her hand and she shifted her grip, pulling both swords in opposite directions outwards. The creatures howl was ear shattering but at least from one head it stopped as the swords ripped the throat apart and the head lolled down and over Valthar's shoulders.

But the blades didn't stop and as she let go they went curving towards the other two heads even as its remaining arm reached up and tried to grab at the elf.

"Urulócë!" Another command and the blades sparked with heat as they hit flesh. Singing meat filled the air as the burning metal cut through the thick necks.

The body spasmed and then its legs gave out. Miriel half slipped half jumped off the body slick with oozing black blood to land in front of Valthar, grimacing. The spray had hit her from all three sides and was smeared across her uniform. She picked a piece of flesh from her shoulder and dropped it to the floor.

"Urgh."

 

[Baise]

Valthar managed a shrug in Svalen form. He hadn't managed to shift until Pandemonium, but was becoming increasingly comfortable in this skin. Having been holding the flesh golem up from the floor he had not seen her acrobatics, but it had sounded impressive. The results were too. His back and paws were matted with blood now. It didn't smell fresh either.

"We will find a stream afterwards," he suggested. Despite the blood she looked a true warrior, her magical blades an extension of her form. She moved with a effortless grace beyond what was typical for even an elf. Valthar was definitely the one reaching. Perhaps, he thought to himself, he deserved a little luck after the journey to Alliria.

"That skeleton will be next then," he growled.

 

[Míriel Fëanorna]

"I actually know of a hot spring on the way back..." Miri kept finding bits of flesh and pulling them off of her armour with disgust, flicking them into the corners of the room. She glanced up at him and then grimaced again. It was all in his fur.

"I'm sorry, about the..." she motioned to the general muck he was covered in. Least they would both stink together, though she feared his sensitive nose would have a harder time of it. As they begun walking after the skeleton Miriel tried to wipe her blades as best as possible, seemingly to care more about them than of herself.

"Yes... giant skeleton..." a grimace. "You might just have to throw me," it was a half a joke but it might be a possibility if there was no other way.

 

[Baise]

"Better than being dead," he replied. This time his mind did not wonder far, even at the notion of hot springs. They were going there if they saw this through and remained intact. Imagination wasn't going to live up to the real thing anyway.

The caverns narrowed and them opened up again. A gentle curve of steps led down to by far the largest space they had encountered so far. Braziers around the chamber burned a bright blue.

The skelton loomed, waiting for them. It had its great hammer slung across one shoulder. Impassive, hollow eyes watched them.

At its feet stood a perfectly normal, human woman. She could have been a house wife on any allirian street. She wore a plain blue smock that carried darken stains that he assumed were blood. Under one arm she held a heavy, leather bound tome. To Valthar's eye that, at least, made her look more like a wizard.

"So yer killed Boris then? Worked awl day on 'im ah did."

A thick accent too. This simply could not be the necromancer. Valthar actually looked over his shoulder towards Miriel for moral support.

 

[Míriel Fëanorna]

Miriel gave up trying to get rid of the blood and instead focused on where they were going. How long did these tunnels go on for? She let Valthar take the lead; the hulking bear was probably more equipped for dealing with a 15ft plus giant skeleton whilst she kept an eye on their backs. She couldn't hear anything coming but as they went she left a tiny metal bead from the braids in her hair on the odd ledge. The metal would at least be able to send her a warning if something began to head towards them.

As the tunnel began to widen into a large room the elf turned her gaze to the skeleton and brought her swords into a ready position. At Valthar's look she could only shrug; Necromancers came in all shapes and sizes.

"I'm afraid Boris is indeed no more but if it is any consolation, from one smithy to another I empathise," to lose a creation was distressing. "Are we to assume you are the person disturbing a Dead Man's Sleep?" Her gaze kept flicking back to the skeleton. The mage was a threat but that hammer...

 

[Baise]

"Tha'll do!" she called, pointing at Valthar. "Need summit big fer what I've got planned."

She turned her gaze upwards.

"Fetch."

The skeleton strode past the necromancer before they had even reached the bottom of the stairs. It broke into a thundering run towards them.

Valthar dove back up the stairs as the hammer came down where he had been standing. The stairs cracked under the weight of the blow.

"No yer daft bastard. Fetch, don't flatten. Ah want to start a new Boris not a rug!"

 

[Míriel Fëanorna]

Miri moved as Valthar came thundering towards her to scamper back up the stairs and out the way of the mighty hammer, her back to the wall to let him pass. There was a clear park of anger in the set of her jaw as the woman spoke. Slowly she let out her breath and allowed herself a minute to think as the beast yanked the hammer out of the ground where it had dented it and got it momentarily stuck.

If she cut the creature to the ground she would raise it again no doubt. Unless she could get its head separated from its body. Her eyes roved up. She could get up to its neck but whether she would be able to get the head off was another matter. It would be easier to kill the Necromancer. Miri's eyes flicked back to the woman assessing her. Of course she could raise more things to attack them and that would make defeating the primary concern of the Skeleton right now.

"We need to kill her," Miri called back to the bear but didn't turn her head. The skeleton crouched down to peer up the stair case at them then reached in a long arm in attempt to fish them out. "Would you like to act as skeleton distraction or kill the witch?"

 

[Asuego 'Susanna']

(He boyyyyy)


Fighting was for warriors, and Asuego was no such person. She was here for an entirely different thing, and that was the matter of preventing the furthering the fold of necromancy.
Indeed some witches dabbled in this art, but Asuego disfavored such practices. (Even though most would disfavour her practices with the pit lords and demons.)

Slowly the remaining undead were piled up one by one to burn up together, so none remained for their puppeteering masters. Sadly impromptu fires ever burned hot enough to completely dispose of bodies.
As the others departed deeper into the cavern, the witch stayed behind to properly get rid of the undead.
But still, they might need her assistance?
Asuego wriggled her basket while crouching. A small cat jumped out of it and landed on it's feet. It wriggled it's nose and rose it's tail when it turned to the wisened witch.
» Apollo, Apollo, go follow the manfools and share what you see with me, « the witch sweetly spoke to the kitten, caressing it's back down to the tail. In fact, she caressed some flying ointment on the cat.
» But stay out of trouble, your life is my own, « she leaned back up and took out some chalk, beginning to draw circles around the pile of the dead.

A rune for the goddess of life and good tidings, a rune for the Leafsie lord and a rune for the goddess Sophia.
Elaborate marks, well as elaborate as one could draw on uneven and gravel ground.
Asuego offered sage, salt and heaps of dirt. There was no magical energy in this area that was not trained by necromancy, her own will have to do for now.

In the meantime, the cat darted down the tunnel, down the split fork towards the right, which reeked most of death and through the winding narrows until the elf and nordenfiir were once more in view.
The cat meowed, regardless of what they were up to.

 

[Baise]

"Get the necromancer!" Valthar roared. He barely even heard the mew of a cat behind them.

It made sense if the undead giant was instructed not to flatten him. Of course she hadn't told the giant not to kill him, just to avoid doing so much damage that his corpse couldn't be used as part of a new macabre experiment.

He threw himself off the stairs, shifting in mid-air. Valthar didn't land lightly, but in his human form he didn't break anything as he rolled across the floor. He shifted again and with his svalen went crashing into the giant's shin.

 

[Míriel Fëanorna]

Miriel nodded once as he gave her consent to leave him to deal with the skeleton. Desperately she wanted to watch him in action in his svalen form - it was a rare sight so far south and her warrior curiosity wanted nothing more than to take notes. But they had a job. Gritting her teeth she pushed herself from the wall after Valthar. As he threw himself forward and the skeletal arm retreated to chase after the bear Miri hopped on top of the bones to hitch a ride. It seemed momentarily confused but its focus and job was Valthar not her.

She ran up the length of his arm to his shoulder. Let the Necromancer think that she was going after the giant and not her a little longer. Her hazel eyes kept flicking downwards as she kept a note on the woman's position before she threw herself down the curve of the beasts spine. Her knees bent to steady her escalating slide and for a moment exhilaration swept through her. She hadn't dreamed to be skating down a giants spinal chord today. As she got to the point the bone ended Miriel pushed off, twisting mid air and bringing both blades across her chest in the hope of slicing the woman open at the throat like she had the beast before them.

 

[Baise]

Valthar Almost toppled the giant. His full weight was thrown against its shinbone, just below the knee. It went stumbling back, but was so tall it reached out to the roof of the cavern and stopped itself from falling.

Valthar ran back towards it, thinking to try again. The skeletal giant smoothly delivered a kick that lifted Valthar in his svalen form from the ground and sent him tumbling across the ground. That hurt. He had a lot of weight to slam into the ground that hard. Nothing was broken, but by the time he was back on all fours the giant had closed the distance and wrapped its hand around his middle.

The necromancer stepped away, but the tip of Miriel's blade opened her throat. Blood bubbled and fell from the wound and she crumpled into a heap. Then her body dissolved into a pool of absolute darkness.

Several yards away she emerged from the shadows a moment later. Her throat was still open, but no blood was flowing. The necromancer hissed and several ethereal shapes rose from the ground before her. The conjured wraiths formed a wall between her and Miriel.