LogFAQs > #897978018

Mead had entered the tunnels through a hole that he originally thought might have belonged to one burrowing animal or another, only to find Parrot waiting for him on the other side, his hands already glowing as his flames filled them. No advantage there, leading Mead to lower his axe and smile, trusting that his true nature -- and the bloodlust it contained -- did not show in his eyes. He had to let his Dwarf side show instead, using his sense of earth and stone to guide him through the tunnels as Parrot followed at a discreet distance, his fire magic always ready at his fingertips.

In a different section of tunnels, Wukong followed the thief Darico for the same reason that Parrot followed Mead, except that Wukong kept his presence concealed, lest the Dwarf try to trick him. Not that anyone dared to trick the Monkey King, since he had entered the tunnels in the first place by using his fist to smash a hole through the ground at his feet. Effortless. He feared nothing from any mortal dungeon.

The cemetery behind the remains of the village church had nothing but open graves in it, and one of those had been deep enough to lead into the tunnels. Belicia had used a spell to levitate herself down through that entrance, and the mist that she noticed there reincorporated itself into Guy almost as soon as she guessed at his presence.

The Druid leaned against one of the walls, holding his side. He thought that Mead had only grazed him, but the injury had already started to burn, suggesting that the edge of the axe had been poisoned. A fever had already blossomed in his head, and the incantations he murmured under his breath did almost nothing to keep it at bay, suggesting one of several unpleasant possibilities that he had to face.

"Be healed, friend," Belicia said, her fingertips brushing his forehead as her white magic lifted the worst of his pain. "I've no quarrel with you." She ignored the pain in her ribs. Her goddess granted her the ability to heal others, but did not give her the means to heal herself -- a price she had hoped never to pay, but she had been sent to the Pit on what basically amounted to a suicide mission by the High Elf Elders. She had resolved to save her complaints for the afterlife, though the pain still lingered in her side.

"Thank ... you," Guy replied, blinking his eyes, the haze partially lifting from his mind. She had not been able to cure him, not completely. Perhaps it had not been a poison? Perhaps it had been -- ? He dreaded to consider the possibility. Best to collect himself and continue on his mission. As a Druid, he had a duty to keep the corruption of the Pit from spreading, and many other Druids had died attempting the same thing.

If he had thought about that instead of his pain, he might have realized that he and Belicia had similar causes, but the High Elf had already continued on her way.

A short distance from that exchange, Fiske pressed his back to the wall, clenching his teeth, wishing that the Cleric had noticed him first. He had managed to remove the knife from his back, and he had used his expertise to at least stop the bleeding, but Rhona had true aim, and he suspected that she might have injured -- or punctured -- his right lung. And to think that he had been puttering in his laboratory only days before, hardly a thought in his head of the Pit and his secrets ... until he had discovered that book.

Fiske kept thoughts of that book to himself, though, as he noticed Grillga heading down one of the adjoining passages. He did not distrust the Orc, but he thought it best to not take any chances. He only had so much time and so much blood, after all.

(Cont.)
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.