Gii'da heard the scrambling of the infected goblins behind her. It was unnerving.
The patter of feet charged without a shout or gasp of air.
It was so unnaturally quiet that she could hear her own heart beating.
Thump-thump, Thump-thump.
“Demonspawn.” she hissed under her breath.
Marcus led the way, ignoring her, Delvin looked back, but then he was busy carrying the shuddering Geeb.
The creature's sobs were quiet and breathless.
Lucius was running surprisingly well for a spellweaver. Gii'da thought they just sat around and read books, but this one? Lucius was obviously no stranger to the exertion of a hunt.
More infected started pouring in like creeping mold from the side passages. Gii'da punched one and drew her knife.
“Where are we going?” She called ahead.
“Back to the bridge!” Marcus shouted.
They turned and the opening to the cavern was ahead, as well as hundreds of walking half-decomposed goblins, grinning with no lips, no nose, no life.
“Back the other way, to the door!” Marcus yelled.
The decayed goblins crept forward, the one in front had its neck sliced open, it was more fresh than the others. Tendrils twisted up through the cut in its neck.
“The sentry from the bridge! What dark magic is this?” Gii'da gasped.
Lucius looked back. “This is no manaweave! It's the plants! Just keep running!”
Up ahead the blue light echoed, casting wavering shadows on the tunnel walls.
The horde slowed as the blue light touched them, some of the more deteriorated goblins collapsed, twitching.
“Fascinating! It appears the light has a fungicide effect. Perhaps we could. . .” Lucius marvelled.
“Study it later! We need this door open. If we wait here we'll starve unless the goblins get us.” Marcus interrupted him.
Gii'da could see him sweating, was he tired from just this short run? Then she saw his eyes.
No, that was fear. Just like she saw in Ja’kerra’s eyes when they were cornered by an arctic tiger. No, she couldn't think of him, wouldn't think of him. Not him, not her mother.
His courageous charge was the only reason any of them survived.
She pulled out her knife, and took a deep breath. She could feel it. Her time had come.
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A hand on her shoulder stopped her.
“It isn't time yet, daughter of the snow.” Delvin said in perfect Kh'orrish.
“How do you know the people's secrets?” She asked.
This man knew too much.
Delvin looked back towards where the infected were prodding at the light.
“I've hunted for many moons, but now we must face the task that was placed before us.” He gestured at the goblins as one which was less deteriorated stepped forward.
It didn't collapse.
“Lucius? How are we doing on the door?” Marcus called back.
“I'm working on it! Unless you'd like to translate Arcane sigils from dead languages and trace these circuits for me!” Lucius’ voice cracked.
Gii'da could feel it.
They were going to die, they were all going to-
“Delvin, Gii'da, let's give Lucius the time he needs, and if I don't make it. . .”
“Shut up Marcus, we're not going to be your corpse bearers.” Delvin called back coarsely as he drew out his hand axes. “We're going to hold the line and get out through that door together, and then you are buying us all a drink!”
Gii'da was startled by how Delvin's face and voice changed. Her eyes narrowed. He must be a practiced liar. . . What did the southerners call them? Actors?
Her thoughts were cut short as the Goblin wave shattered against them.
There was no time to think. She had to fight. Her heart beating with the thrill of battle.
Thump-thump.
Her long knife sliced the limbs off these creatures that just didn't care. An arm here, a leg there, crude knives and spears jamming towards her. The glorious cuts and scrapes of battle streaming this tunnel red and green with blood!
Her heart was beating, she could feel it!
Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
More goblins rushed forward. The fungus on the walls seemed to creep with the horde. The furry tendrils reaching for her. Gii'da could see it.
Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
It matched the beat of her heart.
It was beautiful, mesmerizing.
She felt at peace, at one with. . .
Delvin's axe cut one down before its crude knife could gut Gii'da.
Marcus seemed to dance with the goblins, his twin daggers pushing and pulling with the horde, slicing here, dicing there, his feet snapping up in time to crush goblin skulls.
Why did she get distracted? Something was wrong. She never got distracted in battle!
She beheaded a goblin attacking and looked again at the fungus. She felt sick. She had been out of the blue light.
“Watch out! This damned fungus can affect our minds! Stay in the light!”
“Pull back!” Marcus called out, “to the door!”
Lucius was still waving his hands about and the light from the door was shifting, flowing through various channels in its surface.
“Almost have it!” Lucius called back, sweat was pouring from him as his hands twitched in the air.
Something boomed behind the horde.
“Well damn, that's not good,” Delvin said.
“What part of any of this is good?” Marcus asked. “I should be relaxing on a couch in Sar’ket right now! Not dealing with a fuzzy green menace!”
The goblins pulled back.
“I've got it!” Lucius said, as there was a loud click behind them.
The door started to open.
“But. . . Oh that's not good.” He said.
“What is it now?’ Marcus asked.
“The door. . . It can only be closed from the outside.”
The blue light flickered, the arcane sigils broken to open the door.
“Well shit.”
The goblins rushed forward.
Step by step they were pushed back, closer to the door.
The horde seemed enraged.
They were on the threshold, fighting next to each other.
“Marcus, you go in first! Figure out what is in there! Gii'da and I will follow!”
“Fine, but you both better follow me!” Marcus
“Keep going, and don't stop, little hunter” Delvin said softly.
“What do you mean?” Gii'da asked.
Those were her mother's words long ago. How would he know them?
Delvin shoved her through the door.
“I'll see you on the other side.” Delvin said as several spears impaled him.
The horde moved forward to swallow him and chase after them, as Delvin shut the door.
The ground shuddered as the heavy stone slid into place, and a sudden shock rippled through the tunnel.
Gii'da could hear an almost primal shriek from behind the stone door, and then it was silent.
It was over, they survived. If being trapped in a new dark hell with only spoiled food could be called survival.
Gii'da’s stomach growled.
Then the tunnel was flooded with blue light.
Is Geeb a fun character, or should he be killed off?
