Chapter 56: 2-9: The Catacombs

Terra

(I am not writing about the fucking society assholes. You want to know about the catacombs? Okay, before the ancients, there was those they called their 'Originators' these people had gods of their own that they worshipped who lived in palaces. It was a common occurrence to be buried in your god's palace, an honor even. Somehow before the ancients came to settle the area, the land rose nine hundred and fifty some feet, burying the old settlement and palace beneath what would become Otterburgh, creating what was known as the catacombs. There are rumors that a man dug a shaft into the palace a hundred years ago or so, but where the hole is exactly was unknown for a while- but the assholes seemed convinced that Farnsworth had found it. And as such we made our way to his offices to ask, finding Khione and Caela there for something about celebrating a sponsorship for Khione after beating Caela in another tournament we had missed while out looking for the catacombs and talking to people who somehow misgendered us while being misogynistic. I mean seriously, they somehow also managed to be homophobic to us in the proper way for our genders too. I seriously do not understand how these people function at all. Anyways, I suppose moving on would be good here before I write down an entire rant about how this fucking region was somehow the worst place to be now that I was Terra.)

"Ah, Faiche and Leabaidha. What brings you here?"

"Have you heard of a catacomb beneath this city?"

"Oh? Why would you be interested in this my good man?"

"I just am."

"Well, yes, I suppose I have heard of it. More than heard even. Perhaps one could even say I had done more than hear of it."

"Oh? Is that so?"

"Well, don't go telling anyone but I did find a lovely shaft down to a buried city. I was a bit too afraid to explore much but it was there I found some shards of pottery which I sold, and which helped me gain my fabulous fortune. Now, I suppose someone interested in them would be interested in seeing them, no?"

"I- really? You'd show us them?"

"Yes, why not? I am bored being couped up at my office so often. Hornsbury! To the shaft, dear chap!"

A short and skinny middle-aged man walked into the room and let out a deep breath, "Sir, would you like your expediton shoes?"

"Of course, what self-respecting man doesn't wear his expedition shoes when exploring an ancient city?"

Hornsbury shook his head and left the room, "And Khione, I am sorry, but the final details must wait."

"No, no. That's fine. I can wait here if you want, sir."

"Excellent. And you, Speirei are you joining your friends?"

Caela looked at us. Hayli shrugged. Nodding she replied, "Of course, Faiche needs the protection of course."

"It's a catacomb Speirei." Hayli replied.

"Well, the more the merrier I say. Let's crack on." Farnsworth stood up and departed with Hornsbury going after.

"Crack what?" Caela asked as we hurried after him.

"I don't know, must be an old person thing." Hayli responded.

I really didn't feel good about how well this was going, but a gift horse was a gift horse no matter how bad the breath.

 

Hayli

The man led the three of us out of the city and into the woods, and to a hole which we climbed down via a very unsafe rope ladder which I must repeat was very unsafe breaking on me a few feet from the bottom. Terra thankfully caught me, which allowed me to give her a little kiss on the cheek in thanks. For the mission of course. (I know, how is that for the mission, Hayli? Consider this: Fuck you.) After my red-faced savior lt me down, Farnsworth had his manservant toss a bunch of high-grade light packets, lighting up the space like it wasn't buried under a thousand feet of dirt and rocks. There wasn't much to see where we had descended to, just the ruins of what I assumed were once houses, their roofs having decayed or destroyed long ago. I could some assorted bones scattered about by the rats and bats that lived down here. The most important thing was the large palace like building at the furthest end, a building that was so obviously the catacombs.

"Well, shall we explore men?" (Fuck you.) Farnsworth said walking forward with everyone else right behind him.

The catacombs were a pretty standard ancient ruin deal. A bunch of easily avoided traps before entering a bunch of tunnels, this time with the added bonus of skeletons and mummified corpses in fun poses to look at. 

"Hayli, how is being in the bone palace supposed to help us find the magic item?"

"Well, it might have other stuff too."

"You just want to spend time with Terra."

"I can stab you so easily, you know."

"I don't hear a denial."

I coughed a little, "Look, is this hurting anything? Besides we are with our main suspect for the holder of said item, right?"

"I suppose so. Well, enjoy your weird ruin date with Terra then."

I smiled, showing off my teeth, "You know what, I think I'll just take your pillows tonight."

"But those are the only soft things in my bed!"

I ignored her and walked ahead while she stayed back to keep an eye on Terra who was looking at the dead a bit to much.

Soon we made our way to a sealed door, covered in markings of some kind. They seemed like something other than runes, but still, I couldn't make heads or tails of it.

"Well, I bet that's an important room, too bad it can't be opened." Farnsworth said whistling. 

Terra laughed, "Why can't it be opened?"

"Well, it's closed, and the stuff written on it is unreadable. Right, Hornsbury?"

"Yes sir."

Terra chuckled, "Really? Weird that there's signs it has been opened. The subtle line of dust over there or how the dirt where the door would swing is not as dirty as the rest of the floor. Or the fact that the door says, 'ye who wish to enter, strike with black stone and I shall open for you.'"

"Heh, heh. Oh, you have quite the imagination. But let's say that line you said is true. Sadly, I did not bring any black stones with me, and I see none around here." Farnsworth replied. Oh, I was getting vibes like he really didn't want us to get that door open. Odd, perhaps he had a certain item hidden behind it covered in runes?

Terra shook her head and dramatically pulled out her knife. Her black stone knife. At its appearance Farnsworth seemed to be trying to convince her to not do it, but of course Terra ignored him and struck it against the door, sparks coming off as it slid across the stone. Terra gave a very sarcastic looking bow before walking away as the door swung open by some force to reveal:

A long chamber with a throne at the end.

We walked inside and squinted, trying to see anything besides basic shapes. Terra casually pickpocketed Hornsbury and tossed a light packet in to fully ignite it. As she did, a voice high pitched and rich in tone came from the other end of the now revealed chamber. 

"Farnsworth. Odd, I thought it would be a while until the finality came. I do hope you brought a meal tastier than that mummified hand of runes." (I am now realizing that was the item. No spoilers but... uh yeah.)

"I said not to open it, dear boy." (Fuck you.) Farnsworth said as the door slammed behind us.

Ah shit. I nudged Caela and whispered, "I don't see water, this is all you."

A tall and buff woman suddenly jumped down from the ceiling, golden bull horns on her head. She glared at us, and shook her head, "These are not the tastiest morsels."

Terra seemed a bit annoyed. "Oh great, another ancient."

"Ancient? Please do not compare me with them, I am a remnant of the before, mortal." The Remnant said. She whistled, reaching down to the ground and picking up a halberd. "Now, make it fun for me. Farnsworth, please do be a help."

"Of course, my lady." The hatted man pulled out a slender blade and pointed it at us while Hornsbury held a hatchet of his own. I am still unsure where that man had a hatchet on him. 

The Remnant charged Terra who side stepped her and ran over to me, "Sorry, this happens to me a lot in ruins."

"I- what?"

"Actually, this is the second really old horned being I've had swung an axe headed object at me."

"I- look out!" I yelled pulling her away from another swing of the halberd.

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Meanwhile Caela was toying with Farnsworth as Hornsbury 's burnt and decapitated corpse lay on the ground. Well, she was handling herself. 

"Terra, I would suggest using some magic."

"Can't."

"Why?" I asked confused, "You have three magics to pick from use one."

Terra rolled her eyes, "Fine. Hey, ancient!"

"I am a remnant of the before, mortal not our worthless kin."

"Really? Sure, someone like you would have some power magic. Way cooler than the ones ancients use, and even cooler than rune magic. Surely, you don't have lame magic. right."

"Terra what the fuck are you doing?"

The Remnant snarled, "My magic is beyond your comprehension mortal. Behold." 

The Remnant held her hand up and closed it. Suddenly I felt myself being pulled towards her. Caela seeing this used a blast of wind to knock us away, being stabbed in her left shoulder as a consequence.

"Terra, really?"

"I was sort of hoping she'd use a magic I could use. DS didn't get anything, and I didn't detect any new magic."

"What?"

"Yeah, we might die." Terra said looking down at her feet. "Sorry."

"That's fine. At least it took a deity to kill us."

"Well. I think we might get some help?"

"How?"

"Eh. Just a dream I had."

"Stop talking mortals!" Yelled the remnant. A sudden force blew the two of us apart. Terra was slammed into a wall and slid down slowly. She stumbled around while I meanwhile was being held by the Remnant.

"You will be the first, scaled one."

I struggled trying to escape. Terra was still trying to collect herself and an injured Caela (My bad.) was slightly struggling now. Great. I was going to go out like this. I never even laid with a girl or kissed one. 

The remnant raised her halberd above her upside down and swung it towards me. I closed my eyes and accepted my death. I heard a sudden bang and felt a flash of light even through my closed eyelids.

"Hands off my daughter, Odaka." I heard the familiar voice of my father speak.

I was dropped onto the hard stones as Odaka replied, "Oh? And who's soul did you inherit mortal?"

"I care not who I was, I only care at making sure this world is." 

Odaka swung her blade at my father who caught it in his hands. It shimmered and shifted into a longsword, the hilt in his hands and the sharp blade in hers slicing them open. She let out a cry of pain.

"I see, form magic. You're her father, that bitch, that two-faced queen."

"I am only the father of Hayli." My dad said, before thrusting into the chest of Odaka. The blade shimmered again, and many spikes shot out of her body, each spraying a ton of blood.

She looked annoyed as she bled out, "Well, I was getting bored with this flesh." Before suddenly melting into a puddle.

My father walked over and picked me up into a hug. "I was so worried about you, my little princess." 

"Father, why are you here?"

"Well, I was worried about you. I tried to dream contact you and yet I ended up in someone else's... Well, I don't think it was a dream. More like a mental space?"

"Dad."

"Right, so I decided to use one of my rune stones that I tied to go to your location to visit you. And good thing. I'm pretty sure the queen didn't order you to fight a remnant of that which came before." 

"Argh, why can't you ever let me do things on my own? But thanks."

"My pleasure, princess. I am glad this remnant was unfed, or it may have been for naught."

"Hey, Hayli's dad! A little help!"

"Of course!" My dad said picking up the ball of spikes, morphing it into a spear and chucking it at Farnsworth's head, ending him.

"Thanks!" Caela yelled running over to me. "You good?"

"Yes. Fine."

"Well, we should get going. Hey where's Terra?"

At that name my father stood up straight and turned towards Terra who was now standing shaking while glaring at them. He patted our heads and suddenly I felt odd. Like why was there a girl in front of us? A really cute girl that wasn't there before. Weird.

 

Terra

"Hayli, Caela! Why is he here?!" I yelled at them.

"How do you know our names, human?" Hayli replied.

I blinked feeling my body shake. No. No. No, not again. I felt a nervous smile creep the way across my face, "Swyr. What did you do?"

"I returned them to as they should be human." 

I charged at him with my knife, not thinking at all. He laughed and nodded at Caela who gathered wind into a tornado and sent it at me. I was tossed by it into the wall again, dazing me badly. I probably had a fracture now. I was standing up when the ground itself grabbed me and drug me to Swyr. He looked at me in the eye.

"This is quite the tomb, human."

I tried to summon that orb but suddenly felt something slice through both my arms. I let out a cry to wake up the dead. I hate ruins so fucking much. \

"I am not sure how your magic works, but I doubt you can use it without your arms."

"S-sh-shut i-it." I spat at him.

He wiped his face and glared at me, "What a waste of final words."

And then I felt a blade in my guts. It shook a little and then I felt pain like nothing I had felt before and my vision began to grow black. Damnit, damnit, damnit. 

As I was slipping away, I could hear a voice, so close to mine own chastise me for not being careful. I was really sad about that for some reason. Eh, whatever.

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