Chapter 24: Chapter: 24 Catacombs

“I can still taste frog slime every time I burp,” Ahri said and her words echoed along a passageway that sounded like it branched off into a honeycomb of tunnels.

I held a candle in one hand and a sword in the other as I led the group onwards. Flint followed behind me, constantly bumping into me and apologizing over and over. Ahri, looking grim and smelling like frog guts covered our backs.

The long passage twisted and turned and then began to descend. We traveled for some time and the path continued steadily down for most of the journey. The air grew hot and stifling and at times we felt currents of cooler air on our faces.

“What's that,” I mumbled more to myself than to anyone in particular.

I squinted. There it was again. A flicker of light in one of the lower passages, there one moment and gone the next.

“Are these kobolds really worth it?” asked Flint. “This place gives me the creeps.”

“Tana Sol told us that the kobolds live down here,” I said. “We just need to catch two or three and then we get the hell out of here.”

“Can't you put me back in my card,” said Flint. “I'm not much of a night person.”

“You were a gate guard,” said Ahri. “Being a night person was literally your job.”

Ahri and Flint seemed unaffected by the darkness but each time I peered into deep shadows shivers ran down my spin. I drew my newest card to distract my mind from the darkness.

* Karf’s Poison Mist

Deals minor area of effect poison damage.

The more I light my lighter, the lighter my lighter gets until it is too light to light- Saying of the Elder God Karf.

“Who’s Karf?” I asked. “I don't remember his name mentioned on any cards in Hero Seeker.”

Flint sidled up to me and looked over my shoulder at the card.

“He’s one of the elder gods that created this world.”

“So what’s the difference between elder and new gods?” I asked.

“The elder gods made this world,” said Flint. “They all came together from their own words to create a paradise. Umbra is the combination of all the best bits from each of the seven elder god’s home worlds.”

“Are the elder god’s worlds like your realm, Ahri?”

Ahri walked closer.

“Stay down wind,” I said.

She groaned and said, “It already smells like something shat itself to death in this place.”

“I don't make the rules, Ahri. Those with gas or smell like ass walk behind. It even rhymes so it must be true.”

Flint nodded his head sagely.

“Is it my imagination,” said Ahri. “Or has someone been following us for the last hour?”

I immediately stopped walking and as I did I heard footsteps stopping close behind. I swung the torch around and shadows scattered in all directions.

“Why are you only telling me this now?” I asked.

Ahri shrugged and said, “Does that really matter right now?”

Shrill laughter echoed in the distance and Flint bumped into me, almost knocking the candle out of my hand.

“Did you hear that?” he asked.

Holy shit I'm freaking out right now.

“Stay calm,” I said.

“How many are there?” asked Flint.

The laughter rang out again and was picked up by voices much closer to us.

“Too many to fight,” Ahri whispered.

“I don't like this,” hissed Flint.

A low thumping sound like someone banging a pipe against the wall drew steadily closer. The rhythm rippled through my body making my knees weak and filling me with dread.

If this is a war drum to freak out enemies, it's working.

A skull smashed against the wall inches above my head and bone fragments ricocheted around the room like mad pinballs.

“Time to run!” said Flint.

I shot forward, the two right behind me.

Rocks and skulls bounced off walls and the sounds of whooping and laughter followed us.

“I'm covered in guts and I smell like ass,” said Ahri. “This is not how I imagined my life ending.”

The passageway branched in two directions. I veered for the left tunnel but something exploded in front of me and

Flint shoved me down the right passage.

I tried to look behind but there was too much movement for me to see anything. The candle flickered angrily in my hand and shadows danced across the walls but still the sounds of our pursuers remained close behind. They seemed to always be just out of the candle lights range.

Ahri moaned in pain as a rock glanced off of her back and smashed against the wall beside us.

“Flint, do something,” she shouted. “You’re our guardian.”

“Screw that,” said Flint. “I'm not fighting those little shits.”

I kept waiting for them to strike, to snap at us from all directions. Thoughts kept ticking through my mind. I could block the tunnel with Mold Earth but then we’d be trapped. I could fill it with poison but then we’d be poisoned.

What should I do?”

“Put out the light,” Flint yelled.

That works too.

I snuffed the candle and darted through a door and felt Ahri’s body pressed up against mine.

I heard the pounding of little feet running past our room.

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Then all was silent again.

I didn't dare say a word and finally my heart’s furious beating began to slow down. Rock scraped on stone and Flint appeared beside us breathing heavily.

Ahri’s warm breath blew on my neck as she leaned in and said, “Did we lose them?”

I let out the breath I had been holding.

“I think so.”

A sliver of light reflected off something metal.

“Ahri,” I whispered.

Boots scuffed on stone.

“Watch out,” I shouted.

Something smashed into me from behind and my head collided with the ground. My vision blurred and pain shot down my neck and through my body.

A weight landed on me and pressed down on my chest suffocating me. I swung my sword wildly but the creature pinned down my arms.

“Talasin,” Ahri shouted. “Where are you?”

A blade pressed against my neck and a non-human voice said, “You say a word and I'll cut you.”

Through the dim light I saw the kobolds. They were half the height of an adult human but heavy set with long tails. In their tiny hands they wielded bone clubs and spears made from sharpened bones.

Flint went crazy. He flung two creatures off of him and then pummeled them into the ground like he was hammering in a nail- made from a skull. He then spun around and smashed a giant rat and its rider against the wall and the sound of crushed bones echoed throughout the room.

Kobolds scrambled towards Ahri, some on two legs other's on four and some mounted on the backs of giant rats. They surrounded her, their spears pressing in from all sides.

All I could think about was that she was in danger. I reached a trembling hand into my spellbag.

“Don't think about it,” hissed the voice.

I slid two fingers into the bag and drew the first card my fingers touched. The image of the spell took form in my mind and I took a deep breath as poisonous mist poured out of the card.

The kobold on my back loosed its grip long enough for me to spin around and stab my sword through its chest. It hissed and then its body went limp.

The room continued to fill with the purple smoke and my eyes and lungs burnt.

Flint charged passed me and snatched up a kobold. It shrieked

in terror as the Twilight Titan tore it limb from limb.

I heard Ahri shouting as the creatures closed in around her.

“Flint we need fire,” I shouted. “Ahri, shield yourself and get down.”

I inhaled a deep breath and my chest seared in pain as the poison filled my lungs.

The titan grated his stoney knuckles together and a single spark flared up and the room exploded in a ball of fire.

Kobolds shrieked, some died instantly, some scrambled from the room and others were knocked unconscious.

* +970 Exp

* Congratulations

* You have leveled up

I stood up and felt new strength entering my body. Leveling up always made me feel refreshed.

I drew Mimic and cast it on the titan and said, “Flint, catch those dickholes.”

---

We returned to Marshhaven as conquering heroes. The six titans carrying two kobolds each led the way into town with Ahri and I limping after them.

Tana Sol’s gaped as we entered the wizard's spire.

“That's quite a haul.”

“You could have told us that the kobolds lair was an underground death trap,” said Arhri.

Tana grinned sheepishly and asked, “What’s that smell?”

“It's Ahri,” I said.

Ahri punched me.

“Good,” said Tana. “I thought the kobolds had pissed themselves. I've had that happen to a few monsters before.”

“What are you going to do with these things?” I asked.

Tana gestured at her workbench and said, “Making cores for my constructs.”

“How?” I asked.

“The same traveling engineer that told me about this town,” said Tana. “Also sold me blueprints for a transmutation circle that turns kobolds into cores. What kind of luck is that?”

That sounded way too convenient to be just luck but I said nothing. I was tired and just wanted food and bed.

Ahri shook her head. “I don't care if you’re stuffing them and using them as teddy bears. Where’s our 12 silvers?”

Tana opened a draw and said, “You’re right, here’s your money.” She tossed a coin pouch at Ahri.

“Is there an Inn in town?” I asked. “Preferably one with a bath.”

“There’s only one place for rent in this town,” said Tana. “And that happens to be my house. I rent per hour or per night.”

“Per hour,” said Ahri. “Why?”

Tana frowned at her.

“Guess that means you want it for the night?”

---

[Level 6 - Progress towards next level: 72%]

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