“What a mess.” Maph said, looking disgusted. They stood around the corner from the landing to the third vault. Their group was noticeably smaller as Zif had tasked three golems to hold and clear the three entrances they had passed on their dash down here. Now there was a pool of water blocking their way as the mass of bodies had clogged the doorway to the Third Vault allowing the sea water to fill up almost to the top of the doors.
“It's draining but very slowly.” Oaken said pointing to a mark on the wall they could see from where they stood. Showing that the water had fallen an inch or so.
“Can the golems survive being submerged.” Franco asked Zif.
The large golem turned its round sphere like head towards him. “They should be fine if it is limited,.” Zif said.
His low metallic voice hinting at doubt at his own statement. One of the pike carrying golems put its weapon to the side and started into the water. Their group watched as it got near the large doorway. Wide enough to fit ten of its kind and tall enough to let Zif pass without issue but not big enough to let the mass of jumbled dungeon life through. The top of the golems head was just above the water line as it started to pull at the corpses blocking its way. It first started working at pulling or pushing the top of the pile of monster corpses that formed the plug and at times had to stop working on clearing to kill the still struggling stuck living monster.
Then suddenly after minutes of working at it with the seemingly random pull of one corpse the plug popped and in a moment the lone golem along with the mound of flesh that had made up the plug were gone, washed through the doorway and down the hall into the Third Vault.
Zif was running after it before anyone else knew what was happening but Maph was right behind him as were the other golems. The rest of the group rushed after. Down the long entrance hallway, longer than the other vaults had, they rushed till they reached the first intersection and found Zif throwing off the corpse of a large man sized scorpion, splattering half its body against a nearby wall. There under a few more parts of monsters and beasts was the golem sent to clear the plug. It was not moving and Franco could tell the magical lights that had filled its eyes were now empty. Zif rolled over the golem so its back was facing up and Franco saw Zif's lower left hand fold into its arm and a strange tool emerged in its place.
With quick efficiency Zif removed a section of the golems back plate. There was no visible sign of it being a separate piece then the rest but it came off and Zif inserted the tool. A popping and hissing sound as if air under pressure was being released emerged for the prone golem as Zif removed an even large section of the back plate. Exposing a large cavity that had fine gold looking wires and crystals in thin lines forming a complex pattern that centered around a simple brass ball that was no bigger than a human fist with several wires connecting to it. Their group had closed in around Zif as he worked while the other golems had moved to block the other three hallways, protecting them in this unknown area. Franco could see the lights dimming in the chest and with the lights fading, Zif the [Soul Bond Golem] sat down for the first time Franco had ever seen. Its lower left hand returned to its hand form as Zif held his head with all four hands.
“One less companion walks these halls, I’m sorry little friend.” Zif’s metallic voice halting with its metallic emotion.
Finn moved to stand near the sitting Zif.
“Brother Ziff I have [Repair], the advanced Ability. I could try.” He didn’t get to finish his words as two arms grabbed him as Zif moved them to be over the fallen golem
“Now before it’s too late, on the Core, use it on the Core.” Zif yelled.
Finn, still gasping from surprise, moved his left arm which was unbound by Zif’s grip and touched the brass looking Core with one of his thick fingers.
“[Repair].”
A light blue and white light appeared around the tip of Finn’s finger that quickly enfolded the brass looking sphere in the chest of the fallen golem. Just for a second and then it was gone. Zif dropped Finn on the floor and leaned over the golem. His left lower hand turned into a thin silvery wire that moved like a snake that he used to connect to the brass sphere. All were quiet as they watched Zif as time seemed to crawl. Then suddenly the brass sphere disconnected from the rest of the prone golem and with his lower right hand Zif cradled the Core and lifted it to his eyes.
“It was enough, thank you, thank you Honored Senior. His body is beyond my ability, but he lives.” Zif said as a compartment in his lower stomach opened and he placed the Core in it. It blended seamlessly back with his front white and green armor.
Zif gathered his weapons and stood. He looked around as if embarrassed. “Let us check these workshops.” Zif sent 3 golems to clean the entranceway and another 3 to guard the stairwell for the Second Vault. He sent the remaining 4 forward down the hallway.
Franco noticed that these hallways were larger and the stone floors here were different. Almost like concrete but with large regular veins of other materials. Not in a pattern but not natural looking either. This main hallway was littered with corpses and puddles of saltwater but there were clear signs that monsters had fought each other here with blood and fleshy bits higher than the water got here especially as they moved down the hallway past the intersection. For what they had seen on the floors above this area was well lit with many of the ceiling glow orbs still working.
“What was this area used for Zif?” Franco asked as he readjusted his grip on his saber.
“This Vault was redesigned during the 6900s and turned into the Grand Armory. Most of this Vault was converted into the Armory or protections for it. This floor and the next have large workrooms that were used to maintain the Armory’s inventory and to outfit and repair what was being used. Many of the tools and furnaces that were here were stripped, and used on the 19th Vault’s workshops after Desanigh was destroyed as the 32nd Vault had three major entrances that we fought to hold.”
“How did anyone move things in here Zif, 200 Vaults and thousands of floors?” Sarah asked as they approached a set of closed double doors.
“They used the lifts of course or the golem potters.” Zif said as two golems opened the double doors to the workshop and two more went in.
“Why haven't we used them then?” Sarah said frustrated at the oversight.
“Because most broke on the day my city was destroyed, Sarah, and the others were always eventually used as pathways by the Denizens of the Deep so I sealed them on my long retreat up the temple.”
There was no light in the dark space before them so they threw out light orbs in different directions. The room brightened to show a mostly empty space with countertops and workstations around the walls with a few doors to other rooms.
Frazier looked around the group. “Well we have only been up for half a day and some of us haven't done much so Gull, Finn, Oaken and Sarah why don’t you get settled in and clear this space and the rest of us can clear this floor if you are willing to leave a few golems here Zif?.”
“Yes Captain.” Oaken said as he walked into the room.
Sarah just shrugged and went in after him. Gull and Finn waited to see what Zif said. The tall golem looked up and down the hallway they stood in before speaking.
“Yes I think that is wise Captain Frazier. If it is ok with the Honored Seniors I will leave these four golems with you and take the rest here to clear this floor. Something is below, I can almost sense it but we have time.” Gull and Finn nodded and went into the large workshop where Oaken and Sarah were peeking into one of the attached rooms on the far wall from the door.
“How do you want to clear the floor, Zif?” Frazier asked.
“We will go towards the center, straight down this hallway where the stairwell for this Vault is. Secure that and we can go from there.”
Franco followed behind Zif and two golems while the last three golems made up their rear guard as Frazier and Maph walked along. Frazier had pulled out her auto crossbow and held her new shortsword in her off hand. The sword's red lacquered wood handle and single edge blade caught the limited light and Zif’s head turned to see the blade before he went back to looking ahead as they slowly moved forward to the next door on the right of the hallway. As they cleared the still clean workroom they had found just down the hallway Zif pointed at Frazier from across the room with his huge longsword in one hand.
“That Desanigh blade and your crossbow are the only other two items of note your team has Captain Frazier. Has it been hard for you to level.” Zif asked as he left the room and reentered the hallway.
They followed him out and down the hallway to the next room. Frazier’s cheeks reddened from frustration and embarrassment but she answered him.
“Yes, this auto hand crossbow was my fathers and he gifted it to me when I left home some years ago.”
“Ah that makes sense now. It is truly a good weapon. A family heirloom or new? It would have been seen as a Superior item in Desanigh’s time.” Zif said.
“Really Brother Zif.” Maph asked from his side as they lined up to clear another closed off workshop.
“That is high praise from you Zif.” Frazier said as she glanced at the item being discussed.
“My grandfather helped establish a new home and shop for a family of crafters that had fled their country before my fathers birth but they made this and gifted it to him years later.” Frazier said.
They moved on quickly from the still clean room and entered the next intersection. Here they found some giant slugs eating a corpse of what looked like a giant mole. The golems made quick work of them and Zif left the three trailing golems to clean the intersection and to protect their back as they moved forward.
“That crossbow will harm your levels till at least level 15 but it is one that you can have for life and be grateful,.” Zif said, continuing their conversation after some time.
They started to find more broken into workshops or bathrooms now and had to kill a few hiding bugs or critters but their path became cluttered as more and more dead monsters and beasts lined the floors. Flies and small bugs crawling over them and the stench of days old death made the air thick. Frazier almost gagged as she opened her mouth to speak. The smell hit her hard at that moment.
“Zif do you know if I just left it on my belt or in a bag I carried if it would still slow my leveling?”
Zif stopped to clear out a path from the gore with his golems help but spoke as he did so. “Before the city fell it was known that such things could not fool the Gods, their system of levels is not a test you can cheat or so we at the Jade Temple taught”.
Zif walked carefully here as moss had grown thick in his part of the hallways making the floor slick.
Maph cleared his throat and then turned to Frazier.
“Brother Zif would not know this but since the time of the Five Evils and that great apocalypse that followed, worship of the Gods has become much less common in much of the world. The Kimber of today mostly think of the System as the Great Apparatus, an artifact more complex than any golem or watch that the Gods made for this world before they left.”
Zif humphed. “That is foolish it is known the first Gods created the system of levels and what was this great apocalypse you speak of? The destruction of these Five Evils?”
Frazier excitedly chimed in as Maph explained both talking over each other.
“Know how Zif? Did the Jade Goddess walk this Temple?” Frazier asked.
“We are still not sure what or who caused that fateful day but a year or so after the destruction of Desanigh, fire and brimstone rained down from the sky. Legends and myths speak of great evils arising doing that first night. Ancient Daemons and other evils. They say eight out of ten leveling beings died that first year. Only a few places of old survived. Abigail being one where they think only six out of ten died.” Maph said
At his words the [Soul Bound Golem] stopped and looked at him and then the other two with him.
“Are you telling me young elf that a true apocalypse happened after we were buried here and most of the world died?” Zif asked with wonder and shock in his metallic voice.
“Yes,.” Maph said. This all sounded like things Franco knew before Maph spoke them but he would not have been able to give a history. His memory was strange.
“Do the Gods not walk their Trials or Dungeons any longer?” Zif asked in a near whisper.
“What, What are you talking about Zif, What Trials, What Dungeons?” Frazier asked, her voice shaking at the implications of his words.
“A true apocalypse then. No wonder your calendar is off. How strange?" Zif said as he turned to continue down the hallway. They hurried after him.
“How strange, How strange. How is that your only comment.” Frazier half yelled at him.
Zif kept walking but he answered her as he brushed aside thick spider webs.
“I have truly lived near eighty years over these millennia. I have protected this temple and seen it fall floor by floor. Vault by Vault and I cursed the outside world that abandoned us to such fate over that time. But now you tell me that most of the world died and died badly. When my brothers went out to help the survivors of the city they say that half the population survived the burying. A year later almost a quarter of the city still lived. To think if we knew then that we were the lucky ones.” Zif said as he moved forward into the next intersection never looking back as he spoke.
They cleared the central hallway room by room block by block on their way to the center of the floor in mostly silence after Zif’s words. Fighting a few more giant slugs and a pack of hairless aggressive cats but little else. When they reached the stairwell for the Vault they found a more active fight where a pack of giant slimes that had grown fat on the corpses were fighting dozens of spiders the size of pigs that had hundreds of smaller spiders on them. Zif and the two golems with him simply charged into the battle.
Franco followed him in and went for the spiders. He hated spiders but slimes that big were not fun to deal with. So seeing his first chance to really use it he unleashed a [Cleaving Strike] cutting one of the spiders into two easily but sending the many little spiders spreading out. He jumped back cursing his foolishness and pulled out his Flame Spray wand. It had built up two charges and he spent the first one washing the area in front of him in fire for seven seconds. He holstered that wand and got out his magic bolt again as he danced in between Zif and another golem as Zif hacked into two giant slimes at once.
Maph was making big swings of his sword as he cut off parts of a giant slime that was reaching for him as he worked its way to its core stone. Frazier stayed back, losing bolts into the spiders while she cut down smaller slime or spiders that got to near her. After two minutes of intense fighting both the giant spiders and the slimes were dead and Franco was breathing hard but felt good. He had not taken any hits or bites as far as he could tell.
“Neither ran,.” Franco said, taking deep breaths after the fight.
“No, they did not. I am moving the three golems behind us up to hold the stairwell here as well as one I left cleaning up by our entrance. We have cleared about one sixteenth of this floor so far. Do we continue?” Zif asked.
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Maph, Frazier and Franco all looked at each other until Franco spoke up.
“I want to. Gull and Oaken are going to take at least eight hours to get back to fighting shape. I say we see how much we can get done in the next three hours or so before getting some sleep ourselves.”
“We have only started to really work up a sweat, dear.” Maph said, looking at Frazier who just shrugged her shoulders.
“I can think of a better way to get us sweating my elf but fine let's do it this way.” Frazier said as she winked at Maph.
“It's been some millennia since I have seen such sexual interplay. Do I miss it? Maybe but young elf your tan skin has grown red.” Zif said as he turned to start walking down a new hallway two golems in toe. Franco laughed and slapped Maph on the back as he followed Zif down a new hallway.
Just two hours later their group was heading back to their teammates after clearing the top floor of the Third Vault. Almost two thirds of the workshops and other rooms had remained sealed. While they had to do little fighting in the hallways. Almost all the bathrooms had been breached and their worst fights of the last couple hours were in them but their group suffered only minor wounds and they were in good spirits as they turned left onto the main hallway and headed back to that first workshop they had opened up and made camp in.
Zif was stomping ahead of them deciding he was going to go help clear the skipped floors in the Second Vault when they were sleeping. They were almost back to the workshop where two of the humanoid golems with white and green armor exteriors that made them look like thick men in armor had just come into view as they were guarding the doors to the workshop their teammates were in when Zif stopped mid step, spun around facing back the way they had just came.
The two golems that had been walking on either side mimicked his actions just a second later. Now all three faced towards the stairwell in the center of this Vault, and they began to run. All three of Zif’s weapons and his shield were raised high for battle.
“What.” Franco was about to ask when Zif passed him in a sprint. The two golems with him running just a step behind him.
“Run.” Frazier said, spinning Franco around to face the direction Zif was running. As stomping feet from behind him started to run also. Frazier and Maph started to run after the sprinting golems. Franco hesitated only a second before he started running after everyone. The two golems that had been guarding the door they had been approaching soon caught up with him. One with a pike the other with a sword and shield.
“What about the others?” Franco shouted to his teammates.
“No time.” Frazier said between deep breathing as she pulled out her auto crossbow and put in a new magazine.
“What is going on?” Franco asked as he ran. He still had no idea.
“Attack at the stairwell. Must be.” Maph said, keeping up with Frazier while he wore armor that weighed as much as she did or was close to it.
Franco went over his inventory quickly in his mind as he ran. Both shock bolt and flame spray had not fully recharged but his ability was back up and he did not want to waste his [Instant Recharge: Wand] on a half spent wand. It would be better to wait till he really needed it. He had three healing potions, two stamina and two general antidotes. He quickly holstered the wand he was carrying and took a stamina potion from his belt and down it in two swallows. It tasted like boiled leather socks but he felt his energy return as he tossed the empty potion bottles aside. Not ideal but better than going in tired.
“Stamina up” he yelled as they ran past another intersection. Zif and his golems pulled further ahead of them as the group ran past another hallway intersection.
Both Maph and Frazier took out stamina potions and downed them quickly as they tried to keep up with the golems. All four of the smaller ones ran behind Zif who was far ahead of Franco and his team. After passing another intersection of corridors they heard the fighting before they got in view of the large plaza-like area around the stairwell for this Vault. There were roars and the clash of metal could be heard. Weight hitting the floor and the ‘whoosh’ of an explosion.
Then Franco was close enough to see. One golem lay on the ground near the head of the stairwell, unmoving as its left arm was gone and a dozen different cuts had crossed its body. It was leaking dark oil from places and Mana was visibly leaking from it. Franco could only see two of the remaining three golems but those two fought back beastol shapes. Half a foot taller than them with thick horns, one of the beast’s horns pointed straight up after curving out of their cow like heads while one had horns that curved out of his head and pointed forward in front of the beast’s head. They carried weapons. Swords and axes, maces and spears. They wore armor mixed with animal skins that covered their hairy thick man-like bodies and legs to their knees but nothing below that as their legs looked like cattle legs with thick hooves for feet.
“Minotaurs!” Maph shouted in half fear, half awe at the sight.
Zif just ran past his two golems that had been fighting as they quickly stepped to the side so Zif could slam shield first into both Minotaurs. They went flying from the impact. One hit the near wall and bounced off before collapsing to the ground not moving again while the other fell on to his back and skidded further down the hallway into the open area at the center of the floor.
Franco put what he was seeing to the name Maph had just called them and his memories confirmed it or at least it felt correct. They were not common, he thought, no, something else. Something like things of legends or stories. His past memories were telling him he sensed. He was almost there when Zif stepped into the open area around the vault stairwell and was surrounded by Minotaurs instantly. He was in the thick of it, all four arms moving as his upper body spun as he fought. Arrows and javelins started to pelt him from shooters that Franco couldn't see yet. The now six lesser golems moved to support Zif two on either side of him while the twin auto crossbolt ones began to let loose. Bolts flying into both targets seen and unseen by Franco.
Then a [Lesser Lighting Bolt] hit one of the crossbow welding golems sending it tumbling onto its back with steam hissing from it. The minotaurs shouted battle cries and yelled their anger as they clashed with the golems as metal rang on metal.
Then suddenly Franco was there in the fight as he entered the space. The steaming golem from the lighting hit at his feet trying to stand up while minotaurs in the dozens were running up the stairwell that opened straight into where Zif and four of his golems fought. On the opposite side of this massive insertion whose middle was a wide set of grey stone stairs going down but whose three remaining sides were guarded by a waist high stone brick wall preventing anyone from falling into the stairwell. A wall that a dozen or more minotaurs were on the other side of.
Minotaurs with bows, wands, staffs and what looked to be javelins. All their weapons showing the gleam of metal if a bit dull and most without the glow of magic. Franco took in the fight in a heartbeat when he could see the stairwell area fully and with only a slight hesitation in his steps.
After that brief pause for thought he kept moving as he moved to the left, picking up speed again in his sprint.
“Go right and clear the backfield,.” Franco shouted as he passed behind Zif, heading left. Zif was fighting four minotaurs at once. Shield bashing one as Franco stepped to the side while Zif cut deep into the shoulder, pass the armor of another minotaur while shooting a third with his auto crossbow and then with a sudden twist of his upper body cut a minotaur woman in half with his thin long blade in his lower left hand. The minotaur's intelligent eyes went wide in shock. It had a smaller frame body then the other minotaurs and the long light brown human-like hair that its horns emerged from under made it look more female to Franco as he saw her torso fall one direction while her stomach and legs went another, blood and guts spilling out among the scrum.
The two seconds it took Franco to get past Zif and his fight had left two minotaurs dead and two out for several seconds at least. Zif was a nightmare in a fight. All speed and multiple attacks.
When his line of sight was clear Franco let loose six shots of magic bolt. Hitting one minotaur across the way but sending others dodging. That was all he cared about, he needed time to get to them and they knew it. Minotaurs that had not flinched from his shots or were busy with Maph and Frazier began to rain arrows and spells at him. His chest armor took two good hits on it with one arrow burying itself a half inch into his chest below his right peck. He returned two shots back at the so far unmolested archers, one missed but another one killed a minotaur who had the bad luck of dodging into the attack. It hit the bow wielding minotaur in the eye and blew out a quarter of its brains.
He emptied that wand putting shots into the backfield, doing little damage but distracting them enough that he got around the left side of the stairwell plaza. Switching out wands as he ran and before he reached the corner. He turned right into a minotaur pulling a large scimitar from its blue sash around its waist. It was wearing armor skirted leather pants and a bronze looking chest piece that a large quiver full of arrows hung from. Franco lunged saber out and caught the minotaur in the arm as it was unsheathing its weapon. A long and deep cut ran a few inches from the blow but Franco moved to his left, stepping closer to the minotaur that had now dropped its scimitar.
“Help” the minotaur started to scream before Franco slashed downward, cutting the minotaur from its neck down through its chest and splitting its poorly made chainmail.
Not stopping until the blade caught the forearm of the other arm being raised to protect it. Sending the minotaur stumbling forward as Franco moved around the dying beast as it fell onto the ground face first, blood poured from the cut in its neck and chest. Franco had to suddenly step back to block a spear thrust from his right and got hit by an arrow in his left shoulder but all it did was dent the armor while another arrow buzzed by his bald head.. He should be wearing a helmet he thought as he cursed himself.
He moved to the left again trying to get away from the spear holder who stepped in to thrust his spear at him but he battered it aside with his saber and then put a shock bolt into the minotaurs face which allowed Franco to bring his saber back and stab into the things unprotected neck. Franco bent low as arrows flew around him and the dying minotaur, and driving up with his entire body, shoulder slammed the minotaur that was grabbing for its bleeding throat. Body checking him backwards into another minotaur as the two fell to the ground scrambling to save one's life pouring out its neck, while the other tried to roll away.
Franco moved in to kill both of them when he took an [Earth Lance] to the stomach. His armor prevented it from penetrating his stomach but it felt like a rib or two had cracked, his entire chest aflame in pain now. Staggering back he fell on his butt but sitting up. Dropping his shock bolt wand as he pulled his flame spray wand with his left hand and pointed it at the two down minotaurs and let loose a cone of fire for three seconds. The minotaurs burned and screamed with both rolling around on the ground as they continued to burn. Franco scrambled to his feet as he tried to keep the bile down in his throat as the smell of their burning fur and flash filled his nostrils.
***
Maph moved to the right as Brother Zif and his fellow golems engaged the minotaurs emerging from the stairwell. With his longsword out Maph could sense what he needed to do as four minotaurs moved too close with him while others fell back to continue to lose spell and arrow at them. His [Crowd Control] Skill and experience from what had felt like months of training in that strange place of leveling had him move further to the right keeping Frazier and a wall behind him and closing off the gap to the right. Pulling the four minotaurs towards him as he moved to simply past them. He only needed a few seconds but while he waited for the closing minotaurs to move he was pelted from afar. He swung his sword blocking a spell that had been aimed at him while he took an arrow in his right shoulder. It landed perfectly in between his shoulder and chest plate armor. It must have been an Ability as the arrow drove its full arrow head through his gambeson underneath his armor and into his flesh. Maph yelled and broke off the arrow’s body as he dogged or battered away more range attacks until the four minotaurs closing with him had turned towards him and taken a few steps towards him as he wanted.
Using an arrow attack as the trigger he activated his Ability, [Dodge] to suddenly move away from the arrow and close with the four minotaurs. He was among them in a flash cutting down a minotaur that held an old mace. Slashing the tan and white skinned beastman across his open chest. Maph quickly stepped back to bring the point of his longsword down into his second opponent but that minotaur used an Ability to twist out of the way of the blade and bring his weaponless free hand close enough to grab Maph’s wounded shoulder. Maph screamed as the minotaur’s massive hand squeezed the wounded shoulder through his plate, forcing Maph to let go of his sword with his right hand. Now only holding it with his left and poorly trying to bring it up as the minotaur that now grappled with him brought up its own shortsword to run him through.
While the two other minotaurs that Maph had closed with moved to cut him down from the other side. One of which suddenly spun to avoid one bolt that flew through the space he had just been, then a second bolt from Frazier chased him, missing again but then the third one hit its thigh while a fourth took it in its gut. Seeing this Maph dropped his longsword and with both his hands free now grabbed the minotaur holding him. Trying to prevent the beastman from stabbing him and pulled the minotaur backwards as Maph fell onto his back on purpose.
The minotaur lowered his head as they fell trying to gore him with his long horns but doing so he took his eyes off of Maph who then in that limited space between grapplers used [Dodge] again to move his body just enough as they both fell so that the minotaur rammed its horns into the floor. Making it bellow in pain and shocking it enough that he let go of Maph who twisted on top of the downed beastman. Trusting his back to his love while he pulled a long knife from his belt and stabbed the minotaur in the back of its head where the beastmen’s neck connected and without waiting rolled off of the dead beastmen as an arrow glanced off his back plate, pulling the knife free in a sickening slurping sound as he rolled to his feet seeing Frazier near him now.
She was down on one knee with her sword at her feet and her auto crossbow in her right hand. Putting out a blistering unfair volley of bolts at their shooting opponents, sending them scrambling or diving for cover.
She quickly put in a new magazine of bolts as Maph looked for his sword which he found off to the side and with as much elf grace as he had he got up and began to run. Picking up his sword mid step as he turned to face the few remaining opponents. The three furthest opponents had their sides to Maph with a few more minotaurs in front of them fighting something coming from behind them. Maph wasn't going to let Franco outshine him again, so as he reached the closest archer that was just now trying to put arrow to string as it was also stepping back trying to get space between them. Maph lunged, cutting the bow string. Then with a quick flurry of his sword he was cutting down again as the minotaur dropped the bow instantly as it continued to step back and tried to pull a large dagger off its wide green sash around its waist. The minotaur never did as Maph caught the fingers of the reaching hand with the tip of his longsword, severing three of them and causing it to stop in pain as it reached for its hand with its other. He shouldered charged the beastman, putting him on the ground as he flicked his sword down, cutting the minotaur across its face. As he went for the last two facing him, three more were down to Frazier’s bolts.
The older looking of the two remaining minotaurs, this one smaller with long reddish hair from its head and wide bands of gold and silver around its horns pointed a finger at him and Maph felt worried as he brought his sword up to block the spell. A bolt of [Lesser Lighting] split on his sword but sent him spinning to the ground, his body locking up and his arms burned badly. He fell as he saw bolts from his love bounce off a [Wind Barrier] around the last two minotaurs in sight as the mage pointed another finger at him, death in its eyes. Suddenly the minotaur mage was stumbling forward as Sarah appeared as if from nothing driving a dagger into its neck before pushing it to the ground while she spun twin daggers flashing as Sarah used her [True Strike] ability to cut down the second surprised minotaur mage. Frazier was next to him in a second as Sarah ran to help Franco who had just set someone on fire by their screaming. His arms were stiff and he knew some of the flesh of his arms had fussed with his plate but they had no time.
“Healing potion and then help Brother Zif.” Maph said, wheezing in pain.
Frazier just growled in frustration as she ripped off a healing potion from his belt and poured it down his open mouth. He half swallowed, half choked it down as he lay in pain but he felt his arms unlock and his skin rip itself free from his armor while the wound around the broken arrow stopped freely bleeding but Maph knew it would cut open as soon as he started moving again.
“Go” he yelled and half pushed Frazier as he tried to get to his feet.
***
Franco was back on his feet, the two burning minotaur still screaming on the floor as he circled away from them. Not sure where the mage was that had cracked a rib or two of his. His breath came in shallow gasps at the pain. He could only see one minotaur backing away from him. This one with three javelins left. One in its right hand ready to throw while two others were in its left hand which held a smaller shield that was half quiver as it held the four foot long throwing spears. It was backing away trying to stay out of his flame spray range. Franco laughed as he holstered that wand and then touching his magic bolt wand used his [Instant Recharge] Ability on it but before he could pull the wand free the minotaur threw its javelin using an ability. Franco had enough time to only begin to move before it punched him in the gut causing him to drop his saber and see the javelin sticking out of him. His armor had saved his life for now but it had still gone almost four inches into him as blood began to openly flow from the wound.
“Shit” he said his arms were not working as well as they should as he reached for the recharged wand but it was taking too long he had to look away from the minotaur to get the wand in his right hand. When he looked up the almost pure black skinned and fur minotaur javelin thrower was dead with a shard of ice buried two thirds of the way into its head. Franco found himself on the ground with Sarah over him.
“Come on don't die, I don't know how I was able to pull that javelin out of you.” Sarah said as Franco felt his stomach and guts knitting back together. His ribs still hurt and he felt like he was bleeding from his hip somewhere.
“I’m here.” Franco said, his throat dry.
“Thank the Four.” Sarah said as she looked into his eyes and then stood up. He could still hear fighting but it sounded different as if it was further away. Sarah moved over to the short wall and took a quick look down before moving back.
“They are falling back down the stairwell, Oaken and Gull are flinging a lot of spells into them from above. This fight is over and I only got two kills.” Sarah said as she knelt down next to him again.
“You still look hurt, do you know where?” She asked moving her hands over him looking for more wounds.
“Ribs and blood running down my hip.” Franco said, reaching with his left hand toward where he thought the blood was coming from. She checked the wound, having to loosen his adventurer belt and pants. Pulling his pants down enough to see.
“Nasty cut. Deep and long it would need a lot of sowing to close it. Half a healing potion might be enough to close it. Rib’s are your call.” Sarah said as she took another healing potion off his belt.
Franco sighed and nodded as she opened the little bottle and poured half of it onto his wound and then handed him the bottle when he reached for it. She helped him sit up and then he swallowed the rest of the potion. The wound on his hip closed and he felt his ribs firm and what felt like a piece of bone reattached to one. They were still bruised and hurt a lot but he could breathe normally again. All at the cost of another healing potion. Two gone and only one left.
“Come on let's get you dressed.” Sarah said as she helped pull up his pants and then handed him his adventurers belt.
“Thank you.” Franco said after he was dressed.
His armor pinched in places and had holes in others but he could move freely enough. Sarah just patted him on the back. The fighting was over by the sound of it but they could hear the sounds of minotaurs below them talking in the stairwell as well as a few wounded around them.
“I’m just happy we didn't completely miss the fight.” Sara said with a wide smile on her fair and freckled skin. Her red braided hair was bright against the dark black and grey armor she wore and Franco found her smile with those eyes disturbing. She was genuinely and unabashedly happy to have fought and killed
