Six hours later they sat around a small teapot as they prepared for the coming fight. The water was heating and the remaining magical tea’s potency had waned greatly but they would still take any help they could get. They had gotten roughly five hours of sleep after drinking the tea Zif had provided and Franco felt like he had rested for a week. His ribs were healed and his head felt clearer then it had since he had gotten it smashed in. He still couldn't remember anything before that point but it still didn't bother him too much, especially with a new death on the line.
He was now going through each item and deciding what to leave here as he shredded as much weight as he could. The golems had worked on his chest piece and beat it back into good shape while he slept. They had even been able to replace a few rivets, small steel plates and sewed up some of the fabric of his brigandine together.
With two healing potions now thanks to his trade with Finn he felt better about the coming fight. All his wands were fully charged and all his Abilities were good. No one had leveled when they slept but that was to be expected. Each team member of the Stone Eaters as well as Gull and Finn checked over their gear. Zif had not been idle while they slept. He had rearmed some of his golems and brought more in. Five now had massive tower shields that were five feet wide with spears 14” long. Three golems had large packs on their backs that looked similar to barrels that had a tub that connected to a special oversized and thick gauntlet that went over their left hands while they carried massive one handed axes in their right. The last two specially equipped golems had massive auto crossbows and wore vests that were covered in oversized magazines full of magical bolts for the crossbows. It looked like the magazines only held four bolts each which means they would burn through their bolts quickly. They each also had a mace hanging from a belt ready to use when they ran out of bolts. While five sword and shield, and five double auto crossbow golems stood ready to join them. Zif was committing nearly a third of his remaining golems to this fight.
Zif himself had rearmed and was now wearing a vest with various items including a small auto crossbow, two daggers and several spheres that glowed different colors. While both of his larger arms held long swords and both his lower arms now held the long single edged and slightly curved blades and for the first time his right upper arm and his left lower held Jade blades.
Their handles were both silver with intricate designs and different accent materials but both the blades had a core running from handle to the tip of the different designed weapons of a silvery metal that the jade encased. A power that gave off a faint light but visibly moved throughout the jade of both. They danced to no rhythm. Franco could sense the magic coming from both weapons and knew he looked at Relic Masterworks of the Temple Of Jade. Once the tea was warmed up Zif joined them sitting in their council of war.
“Long have I walked these halls of my temple and long have I done it with only my brothers. It is good to fight alongside friends of the Temple again.” Zif said and bowed from his seat to them. Gull raised his little canteen he had put his tea in to toast.
“To the last Guardian of the Jade Temple, may he walk all its floors again and see the sun and stars before he sleeps.” They drank and Zif nodded in thanks at the toast.
“I have fought similar fights like this hundreds of times. We have the advantage fighting down the stairs, especially as long as we hold the next floors landing we should make the Grand Armory two floors down without much delay. Once on that floor there is nothing but a large plaza and the gate to the Grand Armory. That plaza can fit several hundred people and will be a killing ground for them. I do not think they could bring more than a few hundred warriors each unless they brought their entire clan.” Zif said, explaining his plan to them.
Maph coughed to get the golems attention before asking,
“Brother Zif up above minotaurs are things of myths and stories. Some speak of clans of them in the northern frozen lands where the lands know winter for half the year, but few in this part of the world believe such tales. How did they come to be here and so civilized?”
Zif nodded at Maph in understanding. “They were not of Desanigh or the Temple before the sinking of the city. In the years that followed, citizens fought citizens for survival but they also fought former slaves. The two groups hated each other and for good reasons, so things were done that should never be done to survive but also to bring vengeance to their enemies. Many were lost to that madness of vengeance in the early years. A faction of the former slaves, being made up of mostly humans and elves from all over the world at that time, knew some truly evil practices. Practices that your Five Evils were known for and they called forth beings of ancient power, evil and cunning. They made pacts with them in their quest for vengeance. Beings you do not suffer to live, but still they did and as all pacts with such monsters go the power they sought came at too steep a price, but it was too late for them by the time they realized it. They and their children changed into minotaurs. They became new Denazians of the Deep but not the last. As others sought power to fight these new threats they went down dark paths via blood magic, or sacrifices or pacts with worse monsters. They became mad cannibals, or goblins or dark necromancers, true monsters of the deep.” Zif then looked down as if in thought and they watched him for nearly a minute before he looked up again.
“When I slept for the first time knowing that I was the last of my Order we had just sealed the ninety seventh Vault behind me, leaving the bodies of over a hundred of my lesser golem brothers. The last two Soul Bond Golems besides myself and the last twenty two living members of the temple. We paid that price to break the back of the last true descendants of Desanigh. Mostly Kimber but also Dwarfs remained. A group that had done unspeakable horrors to survive and for their children and grandchildren to survive the dark, but they had never made pacts with those dark beings and they had not lost their true forms. That was 102 years after the fall of the city and after that day nothing but minotaurs, Goblins and Undead remained. When I woke up 99 years later I discovered that both the Minotaurs and Goblins had fractured into many clans. Some of which had begun to forget their origins and their original allegiances. They moved further away from the ruins and the Deep Mines, but those groups more tightly bound by their old pacts had begun to build the dungeon. During that next century I awoke many times to fight and at times lose more of the temple Vaults to both groups. The Dungeon was completed I believe sometime in that third century after the fall of the city. Since then it has been these more civilized minotaurs and Goblin clans, and at times Undead that have pushed me to the first Vault over the millennia. They have killed many hundreds of my lesser brothers and now they seek a way into the Grand Armory.”
“Zif, you have done something like this before but my [Tidal Wave] is ready. Would you let me clear the way?” Gull said standing up. The old Kimber man had combed out his graying fur and in his newly cleaned gear looked ready for a parade.
“Honored Senior, hold off on your spell. Let it be used as a surprise vs them when we enter that plaza before the gate to the armory or if I call upon it earlier. My brothers will clear us a path, this I promise. You have not seen me use an Ability yet. So let us be about this days work, it is time.” Zif said then stood.
Franco felt his heart start to beat faster as he stood, double checking himself one last time. He had no idea what it was going to be like down there but here was an adventure. To fight alongside an Ancient like Zif in a place of legends. They gathered in the plaza just off to the side of the Third Vaults stairwell. Twenty golems, Zif the last Guardian of the Jade Temple and seven adventurers. Frazier stood in front of her team while Gull and Finn were just off to the side.
“Alight, this isn't our first fight. Zif will clear the way and we will give him space to do that. Maph will lead, followed by Franco and Sarah together, then Oaken and I. Watch each other's backs and don't clump up on the stairwell. Don't do anything stupid.” Frazier said, looking determined. She un-holstered her auto crossbow from her belt and turned around and nodded at Zif.
Silent but for their steps, four of the five large tower shield carrying, long spear wielders walked forward and lined up in front of the first steps of the stairwell. Two of the large barrel backpacked carrying golems followed. The shield carriers moved in step. Wooden magically reinforced shields out in front slightly pointed down. Spears held in right hands, their long heads held just past the shield wall, ready to strike out. They stepped down together once, then twice and then a third time. A loud drumming began from below on that third step. A fast rhythmic beat that was joined by shouting. Franco heard voices calling for others to hurry, to make ready.
The two backpacked golems followed. Zif waited till the shield line reached the first landing and turning like a door on a hinge they swung in perfect formation to the left so they faced the next flight of stairs. Then Zif followed as they stepped further down. Behind him came the two heavy auto crossbow wielders. Frazier waited till Zif approached the first landing before she had them start down the stairs. The remaining golems followed behind them. As a cacophony of nose grew as they descended.
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The battle began as the shield war of white and jade green armored golems wheeled on the next landing down. Bolts and arrows flew as thick as flies in the air with many of the poorer quality metal heads bouncing off the golems shields. The minotaur's had piled a chest high wall of old tables and furniture debris, along with corpses of monsters and beasts to form a poor barrier. The golems continued to descend the stairs and when they were close enough brought their long spears down as one in a flash catching the first rank of minotaur shooters who had just started to back away in surprise by the length of the spears, skewering four of them. The golems quickly stepped back and pulled with their spears. Two of the minotaurs were pulled forward and they along with their companions yelled in sudden fear as the golems took another step back and the two with impaled opponents pulled hard again.
Sending the two minotaurs into their own barricade and their comrades scrambling back, but too late as the barricade came apart as the minotaurs were pulled through it. Setting off an explosion of magic. Lightning arched out of the barricade which then exploded into fire and shrapnel. The two golems whose spears had been embedded into the now dead minotauras were saved from the lightning as it raced up the spears but then dispersed on the shield wall. The golems advanced at the now more than dozen downed minotaurs, their spears flashing to piece any that were getting up. They pushed aside the little remaining debris at the landing as they wheeled again, making sure to stomp on any moving minotaurs below their feet. The shouting from below grew louder at the sight as arrows and bolts started to fly again. This time joined by spells and potions. The line of descending golems stopped only a few steps down as entangling spells and potions wrapped around three of the four golems. Sending one into the wall as it tripped. At this Zif sent the two barrel backpack carriers forward to stand just behind and one step higher than the shield wall. They lifted their oversize left gauntlets which had a tick tube of interlinkling metal that connected the gauntlet to the backpack. They let loose a stream of thick liquid that shot down the flight of stairs into the much stronger barricade on the next landing down, which was now joined by multiple magical spells of shielding. A heartbeat later the thick sticky liquid ignited into a blistering consuming fire. Franco could hardly make out what was going on as they were further back up the stairs but he could just see one of the fire shooters lose and felt the sudden wave of heat hit him. Taking his breath away.
The minotaur’s spells held the burning liquid back for one second, and then another, and then another but started to collapse on the fourth. While by the fifth those unlucky enough to be in the frontlines of the minotaurs started to burn. The fire shooters stopped at this and walked backwards up the stairs.
Zif went to the landing to oversee their deadly work. The screaming ended quickly as great hissing sounds and steam replaced it as water magic put out the fire. Franco then felt the thick hot humid air of steam pass him on its way up it. Zif let the steam disperse before he sent forward the shield wall again. They battered aside the remaining barricade with their shields before they cleared it and trampled the burnt corpses under foot and wheeled again to face the next landing. This one the landing to the next floor.
“By the Four” whispered Sarah when they fully saw the aftermath. The smell of cooked meat and fat made Franco gag.
The golems found the next barricade abandoned as the minotaurs had moved into the large area around the stairwell entrance on the next floor or further down the stairs. Here after a few steps down from the landing Zif had them stop as he had a fire shooter burn the barricade in front of them. Setting off trap Wards again. Ziff moved up his lone tower shield golem he had held back along with two wielding swords and shields and two auto crossbow carrying golems. These five would hold the entrance behind them as they pushed on. No one moved to look over the dead as Zif moved things in place. Everything had grown silent besides the steps of the golems. Franco looked at Zif again and imagined how the minotaurs must see him. They, the descendants of slaves who thousands of years ago made a pact with beings of evil. Now fighting for what they thought should be theirs, maybe for their lives in this hell of an underworld.
Here was the monster of their legends. Did minotaur parents tell their children about the uncaring monster made of metal and jade who led legions of mindless killers, who burned them alive. Franco shuddered at the thought and looked away from the golem. Was it a more mindless machine now or a Kimber who served his Goddess still?
With the new blocking force in line ready to be set up. They moved downward again. The shield wall slowly paced the opening to the floor. Allowing the five golems to set up in the doorway. Three shields up front with the two bolt throwers behind them. The four shield wall golems then passed the entrance and descended again. As Franco passed the open door using the stationed golems as cover he saw what looked to be a dozen minotaurs. Some with green sashes and some with blue. What surprised him and then his team was the two dozen goblins. These Kimber sized beings with two arms and greyish purple skin had large round eyes of various colors with elf-like tilted heads with over long pointed ears and four prominent fang-like teeth among their normal teeth. They wore armor on par with the minotaurs but all had a red band on their right arms with a stylized white goblin hand print while their weapons were scimitars, slings and javelins by the look of it.
Their party did not linger by the doorway but continued to move downward, but they whispered about the goblins. Pointing out things they had noticed with their quick inspection. They found the next two landings empty and then Zif stopped. He got close to their group and whispered as much as he could.
“This grows more dangerous as well as more urgent. Three tribes here and one a Goblin tribe. Their leadership is smart enough to pull back when they knew they couldn't hold the stairwell from me. I expect there to be an army waiting for us at the gate of the Armory while more might try to come up the stairs once we are engaged.”
Zif turned and started descending the stairs again. Franco’s heart was racing as he passed another landing before turning and descending the final flight of stairs to the landing of the next floor. The floor that held the Grand Armory and maybe his death. His heart only beat louder as they saw no one waiting to confront them. Neither did anything try to stop the four golems of the shield wall from making that final landing and then spreading out. Reaching the door way into the floor and with tower shields out in front of them filling it from wall to wall. Only when Zif made the landing himself and stood far behind the shield wall but looking into the space before him did something speak, its voice soft but piercing as if distance didn't matter to it.
“Oh come on then Zif, they are waiting for you to show yourself before they try to offer you a deal. I keep telling them you won't take it. You can't you old bucket of bolts and regrets. And here I offered them a deal, oh and it's a good one Zif, but some here don't see how generous I’m being. Hey old friend, are you more [Golem Bond Soul] these days. Letting the old wiring make the decisions for you. Umm what is that I taste in the air.” the voice grew silent as if in thought.
Zif had stood frozen in shock as if dumbstruck by the words. At the sound of that clear voice Franco had passed Maph to get to the landing and keeping his back to the inner wall of the stairwell moved till he could partially see into the large room. He couldn't see anyone close enough to be talking but he saw hundreds of minotaurs and goblins. They were there behind layers of barricades of all types with a clear kill area in front of the stairwell entrance.
“Oh come on now! Don't talk to me about the Compact when you set one up like him. Hello, little human of Fate, what an interesting mind you have. Come out and let me see you with my true eyes. Silence Faust, you have my offer written in my own blood. Take it or leave it but it is your own insecurities that allow others to talk you out of what you know must be done here. Something new is entering this little drama and Oh it's finally getting fun.” The deep but light, almost airy voice said in a conversational tone.
Franco kept slowly moving, getting more and more of the area past the doorway in sight. His team behind him while Zif remained frozen until Franco stood center of the wide door frame back against the inner wall and the huge round steel colored safe like door to the Grand Armory was in front of him, hundreds of feet away. There hoovered a being in a large magical circle, red and blue energy coming from the ground around him. He hovered in the air just a few inches off the ground at his ease, no bigger than a human man it seemed from this distance. Wearing a formal if old fashioned outfit. Black pants with thin grey stripes, with dark polished shoes, a dark red belt and a tucked in white button up long sleeve shirt. With his sleeves rolled up passed his elbows and with one to many buttons unbuttoned, showing off red ashy skin. His handsome human-like face smiling as if he knew Franco was inspecting him. A trimmed black beard outlined a sharp square jaw while two huge horns came out just above his ears and below his long black slicked back hair. The horns turned forward not up. They went wide out at first but then came back almost encircling his forehead but didn't touch.
“What is that?” Franco caught himself mumbling sudden fear in his voice.
“Rude, not what but who, one should ask for names first Franco” the man said with a smile on his face as Franco locked eyes with him across the way. It had four eyes where there should only be two. Two as dark as midnight and two as blue as the sky.
“Demon.” Zif spoke in a whisper of fear before he stepped in front of Franco and fully in view of the hundreds waiting for them in the room ahead. A voice shouted out, deep and booming.
“Peace, Guardian of this ruined hell. Let us talk instead of killing each other, instead of making pacts with dark legends” a minotaur voice shouted. And as if Franco and his team were standing right next to him the voice of the Demon could be heard.
“Oh how the drama plays out. Hurry Faust or the decision will be taken from you” the Demon said and then laughed, laughed as if he knew the joke before it was finished being told.
