Chapter Text
Barbarian: Talorc
Elf: Salotherion (Sal)
Dwarf: Pierre
Wizard: Formatus Liberius
The deep dark stone corridors of the underkeep seemed to go on forever. Besides the constant drip of leaking water from the limestone caverns above the only sounds were the gentle footfalls of four pairs of sturdy worn boots.
In the lead was Pierre, a dwarf and trapfinder, his keen eyes reflecting the light of his lantern and scanning high and low for traps. Behind him came the mighty Talorc, a mountain of muscle from beyond the sea whose prodigious size belied a forthright sensibility. Next came Salotherion whose Elvish eyes and ears twitched back and forth but whose temprement as steady and cool as a mountain spring. Last came Formatus Liberius the wizard whose lack of skill in close quarters was more than compensated for by his mastery of elemental magics.
The corridors went on for what seemed like an age before they finally stopped at a dead end.
"Hern's teeth Dwarf you've led us to nowhere." Talorc spat, kicking the wall and crossing his arms to lean against the stone wall.
"Perhaps not." Sal offered, running his hand upon the stone and stepping past the barbarian to feel into the cracks and nooks of the wall. It took a moment but his nimble fingers found a seem in the wall and pushing upon it revealed a secret door that led to a small room with a wooden arched door on the other side.
"See?" He concluded with a wink at Talorc, a gesture that earned him a swift shoulder check as the tribesman passed him into the room. The others followed suit and took position to open the door. Beyond which sat a small crew of three golbins playing cards at a table. One of them noticed immediately the intruders and made to rush for a rope by the door but Formatus extended his hand and whispered the word "Somnum!" and the short green fellow slumped to the ground falling into a deep slumber.
The other creatures sneered and drew long curved knives as they slunk down from their seats towards the door. Talorc came out swinging, leaping through the doorway and in one stroke removed the head of the first goblin he could reach before giving the other a baleful look. It quivered in fear as its filthy water leaked down the front of its breeches into a puddle on the floor. The agony of its fear was short lived as Sal entered next and simply pierced the creatures skull with his blade, wiping the dark blood onto a rag to keep it clean. Finally Pierre entered and looked at the scene "Fine work." He said with a hint of admiration in his voice.
"Of course." Talorc said in reply "But what could these pathetic creatures hope to do against the like of us?"
"Perhaps more than you suppose. That rope is likely an alarm" Sure enough the top of the rope led to a hanging bell that would have alerted more of them to their presence had it been wrung. Formatus walked towards the sleeping goblin taking out his dagger to finish it off but Pierre gripped him by his tunic and hoisted him back roughly "Get back!" he warned.
This earned him a glare from the wizard "What do you think you're doing?"
"Look!" the Dwarf said and knelt to expose the tile with a light dusting of his hand.
"It's just carved stone." Formatus stated.
"Is it?" Pierre raised his axe and struck the tile with the handles pommel and the floor fell away into a deep dark pit. The others took a step back, then a step forward to get a better look.
"I, spoke in haste Master Pierre. Forgive me."
The dwarf huffed and stood, to move over the sleeping goblin. He took a moment to look at it and carefully put his boot to the back of its neck. As he exherted pressure there was a gurgling groan from the monster for a moment as it began to wake but found itself too weakened by the spell to free itself from the Dwarf's boot. A moment later a loud sickening crack signalled its end and Pierre picked his axe and lantern up again as the rest looked on. Formatus in shock, Sal in disgust and Talorc in a kind of sadistic mirth.
"Come on," The Dwarf urged "we don't have all day."
"FORTITUDO!"
The wizards incantation filled Pierre with vigor as he landed an arching blow on the orc in front of him, splitting its skull in half with his axe. Almost immediately another stepped over the monsters corpse to take its place and yet more lay beyond that one.
"Is there no end to them?" He called back over his shoulder at the others who wrestled with
their own assortment of orcs and goblins, they screamed and slashed wildly in a mad fervor. Talorc held strong against them, cutting one down with almost every strike but the advance was taking its toll on him as the small wounds of the enemies furious flashing blades began to mount and before long his arms dripped with blood and his breath grew heavy.
Sal did not like using his spells flippantly but with the barbarians mighty frame holding them off he felt there was no other option.
"CUTIS PETRAM!"
Talorc felt his skin harden and take on a rough grey tone. The nicks and scratches that were beginning to whittle down his body became as threatening as gusts of wind as they now scrapped harmlessly across his magically reinforced hide.
"Evil is not infinite, stand firm." Sal bellowed before moving back to Formatus and meeting his uneasy glance.
"I need to get behind them."
The wizard nodded and raised his hands to cast another spell.
"VELUM CALIGO!"
Sal's form became as mist and air that moved through the advancing greenskins on Talorc's side and took form again on the far side of them.
Pierre suffered a blow to the shoulder as an orc wielding a flail beat him mercilessly with a heavy strike but the dwarf took his legs out and cleaved his own weapon deep into his enemies chest. No sooner was it done than a goblin leaped at him with a hatchet, screeching its horrid insults at him as it brought its weapon up high intent on burying it in Pierre's head. A fate he only narrowly missed as he stepped back to avoid the axe.
Behind him the towering Talorc spat hate at the greenskins as yet another founds it death by his blade. In his fury though he did not notice the goblin with the long thin dagger in time to stop it before it shanked his leg. His cry of pain filled the hallway and Talorc fell to one knee, unable to support himself any longer. The goblin's red eyes gleamed and it grinned to show its rows of jagged teeth as it snaked forward in hopes of finishing off the barbarian. Behind it an orc with a curved blade gloated in its vile tongue at him as he backhanded the goblin away and stepped up to deliver the final blow himself. Before he could though Sal's blade-edge poked out the front of his chest. The monster looked pained and confused as the blade disappeared into him and he fell in a dead heap onto the stones. In his place now stood Sal wiping his blade clean and grinning at his fallen comrade.
"You're welcome." He said to Talorc's indignant face as he offered the hand to lift him up. His brawny friend said nothing but only grunted his thanks as he was roused. The goblin that was previously ousted from the front ranks slipped away into the halls in fear.
"We're clear on this end." Sal called to the rest of their troupe and was pleased to see the others had cleared the enemies on their end as well. Pierre was covered in slick dark blood but he was alive and it looked like Formatus was unhurt.
"We cannot meet this many again." Said the wizard gesturing to the orgy of death and carnage about them.
"No we can not." Sal agreed and looking at Talorc's wounds placed his hand on the heaving and blood caked chest of his ally saying.
"SANA CORPORIS!"
They watched as the wounds that adorned Talorc's flesh faded into scars that looked years old. With amazement the barbarian stood up straight and swung his arms, clearly enjoying the renewed feeling of health that came from the spell.
"My thanks."
"Please don't, it's purely in my best interest that you don't die yet. We still have a to rescue Sir Ragnar and escape with our lives."
"Then let's go. It can't be far now." Pierre said, turning to lead them once more into the darkness.
"It's a TRAP!"
The panicked warning of Sir Ragnar came a moment too late as the alarm sounded throughout the dungeon's hallways.
"MOVE!" Formatus called, gripping the freed knight by the hand and leading him through the door. Talorc and Sal took point leaving Pierre to fall in at the rear.
The hallway was vacant but the sounds of rapidly approaching footfalls and growing snarls told them it would not be for long.
Talorc raced to the corner pausing to allow the others to catch up. Behind them he saw two orcs racing after them with weapons drawn.
"PIERRE, BEHIND YOU!"
The Trapfinder stopped to face his pursuers and bared his teeth.
"Come on then you slugs. Come to my axe!"
The others kept moving but Formatus reached back his hand and cried out "PILA FLAMMAE!" and from his fingers an ember flew at one of the charging orcs engulfing him in flames that caused him to die writhing in agony and filling the hallways with horrid cries of fear and pain.
Pierre leaped at the remaining orc who looked significantly less certain of himself now. They clashed back and forth, taking mighty blows against one another.
When the rest reached Talorc her had spotted a very different problem. Three more orcs with something new. A large scaly beast with a single baleful eye in its long skull with a long clubbed tail and eilding a mighty looking axe.
"Fimir." Formatus whispered in mounting fear.
"I'll deal with this." Sal said, before muttering another incantation to himself. "TRANSIBIT PETRAM!" With these words he slipped through the stone wall as if he were a ghost and disappeared.
"Does he think he is funny?" Talorc asked the wizard who only shrugged and readied himself to protect Sir Ragnar.
The orcs fell on Talorc like a green tide and he swiped had with his broadsword which left one dead on the tiles below him.
"Anyone else?" He asked to the rest.
The Fimir stalked forward making a low chuckling sound that resembled a frightful hiss than any human sound.
"TEMPESTAS!" Formatus cried and swirling winds of dark clouds surrounded the monster, keeping it at bay.
"The spell only lasts a moment so make the next swing count my friend."
Talorc nodded and with a smile rushed the closest orc.
Behind them Pierre hobbled back to them dragging his axe and bleeding heavily.
"Pierre!" The wizard exclaimed and rushed to give aid. The dwarf only looked at him through a bleary and blood caked eye.
"He got a few lucky hits in but I finished him."
"Yes you're very brave now lay still." Formatus touched the wall and said "AQUAM SANITATEM!" at which point a stone lions head fountain appeared and began to spout water onto Pierre. The dwarf felt the water trickle over his body and the reguvinating energies heal his body.
"Oh that feels much better."
Sal had made his way to behind the Fimir and saw the tempest that surrounded the monster. He waited for a moment to strike but instead felt a deep burning pain in his side as the long thin blade of the goblin that had earlier taken Talorc by surprise now drove itself into his body.
His cry of pain shot through the hallways to his companions just in time for the spell holding the Fimir to stop and no had it ceased than the hulking creature turned its hateful gaze upon him and swung its axe, catching him in the sword arm and sending him crashing against the wall.
Barely able to stand now after such attacks and with his magical spells depleted the elf grimaced terribly and spat blood at the face of the fimir as it closed in, hissing as it did so, to end his life.
Talorcs roar demanded to be heard as he leaped forward but was blocked by the remaining orc whose wide swings kept him at bay.
"We have to help him." He said to the others and it was Formatus that saw an opportunity.
"GENIE!"
He cried and the smoky form of a muscled almost transparent creature appeared in front of him.
"Destroy that Fimir!" He commanded it and the silent servant bowed then only looked toward the fimir and shot a bolt of lightening at it which caused it to spasm and jerk as the light made it brighter than any lamplight could hope. When the flashing stopped both the genie and the fimir were gone. Leaving only a pile of ash where the monster once stood.
Both Talorc and the orc stared at the spectacle in momentary silence and awe then looked at each other and had the same thought at once only Talorc acted first. Severing the head of the orc from its shoulders and sending the body toppling to the floor.
The goblin, now once more wary of its danger made to flee. Pounding its little feet against the stones as it raced to make it away past the nearest corner.
"Formatus," Sal called out "Can you please."
"It would be my pleasure. IGNE IRAE!" and the bolt of flame that flew from his hand honed in on the scurrying creature as it crossed the corner, the bolt followed, seeking out its target. A moment later there was a faint flash of light and a squeaking scream.
"Obliged." Sal said, clutching his side and sliding to the floor.
Talorc approached his friend and offered his hand. Smiling as he did so Sal took the great hand in his own and hoisted himself up where Talorc shouldered him to the exit where Formatus, Pierre and Sir Ragnar awaited them.
As they climbed the last of the spiraling steps and emerged into the open air the sky was a bright and welcoming yellow the signal of a new day to come. Though they were each exhausted by their adventure they were also glad of it and welcomed the warmth of the sun as it peaked out from over the mountains.
More battles were to come but for now at least they could rest.