DungeonBorn: Pinnicle of Heroes : Knights of Nethercrown Duel with the Sea Devils.
Tootch roared, the dragonscion bloodlust erupted in wave of heat and anger. The barbarian rage threatened to boil over, as the enemy stood before him.
The delver adventurer knew he and his companions were in a desperate battle for their lives.
The creature before them was no merrow abomination or sea devil skulk, this was a horror he had never faced before.
This monster he and his fellow knights of Nethercrown was the master of the sea devil who had claimed host to the ancient light house from long ago.
If not for the wanderlust of his companions and cousin, he would never had entered the den of evil before him.
The struggle had been hard, three of his companions had nearly died in the engagement, and even as he hefted his axe to swing at the master of the sea devils the snake-man, one of the folk he had helped rescue, went down in a bloody heap, as a rusted cutlass sawed through her gut.
His mind reeled, and he could remember the hot corridors of the dwarven kingdom. He remembered the stink of death, as the pale dwarves came upon him and his fellows; the smell of blood, and steel mixed in a orchestra of swirling blades.
Now once again, Tootch was in a life or death struggle with another foe. A enemy not afraid to take his or his companions life away.
The creature was a horrid sight to behold. It's wrinkled grey-blue flesh had the consistensy of paper, yet when blade touched skin it was as if he struck stone.
The monster's grim eyes flashed red in the pale blue light of the cavern, the torch's illumination giving on he slightest light and less heat.
Attached to a gnarled face were fangs of the deepest pitch, and hair so black and green, the monster seemed to have been spat out from the maw of the watery gloom itself.
In its hands which should only have had the strength of an old woman, the power of ten men surged into it. On hand grasped a staff of wicked destruction humming with arcane energies.
Butter's the Hugrinn, his companion had felt the sting of the creature's fierce magic.
Devastating bolts of arcing orbs had laid low Viviana their primal healer, and druid.
If not for Viviana, the knights would never had known of what lurked ahead. The sight of this new found friend, made the knuckles on his grip turn white as it began its sweeping arc.
Everything happened in a blur of action.
Moosong his nephalim cousin, and ranger, used both blade and bow to deadly effect. The sea devil gurgled and died as the were sheared like wheat in the field. Each one either tasting hard steel, or a feather shaft through eye and neck.
Tootch could say this about his cousin, he surely was a dead-eye.
One of the last remaining sea devils ran upward toward Viviana, as she worked her healing magic. She nearly saw darkensss again, if not for her quick movement, the monster brandishing a wicked long sword was ready to take her life.
Viviana had always been comfortable with her magic, it had defended her greatly, yet she felt the tug of her daggers hilts and coolness of her hands on pure instinct the woman slashed foward lopping a sea devil arm clean off as she buried the second deep.into the other.
Tootch wondered if her goddess had whispered something in the heat of this battle. Of course being a barbarian he preferred cold bladed death to sorcerous magic.
Denivar, raced passed several of sea devils curs, to aid Butters who had taken serious hurts.
" Kill the Crone! He cried out to ths others."
Tootch was about to do just that, as the Crone leapt upon them, with iron barbed talons. The horror had forgone the use of magic for closer battle.
Both he and Butters were the recipient of the claw strikes; angry stinging blades cutting through skin and arms.
Denivar howled in anger, and swung his mighty warhammer at the Crones flank. There was a great Thunder clap and the crone howled, just as Tootch felt the war axe dig deep into the monsters chest crunching bone, slicing sinew. He felt the axe give way as he saw Butters move.
An arrow from Moosang split the air destroying the Crone's eye socket sending it whirling backwards.
Butters ran up behind, the Crone, she sqwacked loudly, and her weapons punched upward, catching the Sea Crone through both lungs and chest.
Oh how the the evil Crone cried!
Black blood exploded from its torn body in horrific showers.
Tootch noted the Sea Crone buck back sending Butters the Rogue flailing backwards.
Was it dead the Dragonscion wondered reading another blow.
To his surprise the Crone found some strenght yet unseen and sprang fornthe large pool in the center of the cavaern
Tootch howled! Surprise and anger bouncing across the cavern walls.
Butters the Hugrinn, would have none of it.
Tootch, looked on in amazement as the smaller rogue, leapt upon the doomed Crone and Butters sank her blades into its back. Tootch ran to the large reflecting pool as the Hugrinn splashed into the freezing water.
"By the black doors!" Tootch hard Moosang blurt out.
By the black doors indeed, the barbarian thought.
Blood and bile spilled out into the clear pool, and finally Butters rose from the inky liquid.
The struggle was over, and they had won.
Barely.
Tootch was happy, but he kept it in reserve. He was proud of the team that was coming together, in the sadness of their loss of a new member their mettle had been tested, and the rest of the group had prevailed.
It was not the first time nor the last, but he knew where he belonged, he turned to Moosang and dropped a heavy arm over his shoulder.
"What now?" He asked.
Moosang shrugged. " Cathedraial, hopefully the answers we seek when we started our adventure are there. Already this quest seems to be more than we thought it would be."
Tootch shook his head in agreement. Both he and Moosang joined the others, their minds swirling about the trails they had travelled and the paths they yet had to take...
To be continued.
