The war wizard had positioned himself atop the remnants of a fallen pillar to get a better view of the battlefield. The power that emanated from him as his magic stirred in earnest was enough to make Miles’s hair stand on end. For all his small size, the raccoon wielded power that perhaps only Blue Scales could match.
[Ash Bolt].
The raccoon’s first attack sailed through the air and struck one of the zombie crabs. The creature’s thick shell weathered the heat reasonably well, but the molten ash had a more insidious way of dealing damage. The glowing-hot material forced its way into the crab’s insides through its mouth and by burning through the soft tissue around its joints. Once inside, it rapidly charred everything within, leaving the zombie crab a literal husk of itself. The zombie thudded to the ground – as dead as it could be.
A savage smile crossed Roger’s lips. That had been a blow to test the effectiveness of one of his favourite Words. Now that he knew it worked, he could use it freely.
[Ash Bolt].
[Ash Bolt].
[Ash Bolt].
Roger hurled the Word out with speed and accuracy, and his aim shifted from the zombie crabs to the biggest and most fearsome of their kin. The three he’d targeted were certainly larger than the others, and they sported different patterns and colouration too. They were smart enough to try to cover their mouths, but the molten ash still clawed at their eyes and joints. Shrieking, the trio fell back and hurled themselves into the water raging around the edges of the chamber. Clacking its claws and stomping its legs into the floor, a crab at the back raised its claws. The rest of the crabs hastened their advance, and the zombie crabs, in particular, moved with renewed vigour as a wave of necromantic power filled the air.
“If you get a decent shot,” Aria said to Susannah. “Kill that one at the back. It must be a necromancer.”
“Got it.”
“The rest of you, brace yourselves. Here they come.”
As the crabs charged forward, Roger continued to hurl magic into them in a bid to thin their numbers. Half a dozen of them fell, but the rest barely seemed to care, and more were entering the chamber with each moment. It was Eileen who was the first to meet them. The buzzing in the air reached a fever pitch, and her insect-like summons swarmed over the crabs, biting and stinging at any soft tissue they could reach. Eileen followed an instant later, doing her best to blunt their charge with the bulk of her bear form. A thunderous swipe of her claws sent two crabs stumbling back, but their thick shells held firm despite the force behind her blow. Eyes narrowing, Eileen’s claws rippled and became dagger-like limbs that Miles had only ever seen on an insect before. It looked nightmarish, but her new claws should do better against the crabs’ shells.
As the crabs tried to surround Eileen, the rest of them moved forward to hold the line. Blue Scales ducked under one claw of a crab and swiped at its legs. It stumbled onto its side, and the merman leapt and drove his trident into its underbelly with all his weight behind it. Lightning flashed along the weapon, and the crab gave a hideous shriek as the trident’s prongs sank deep into its flesh. Its legs scrabbled wildly, and Blue Scales turned his head to avoid a blow that would have caught him across the face. At last, the crab fell still, and the merman yanked his weapon free. Elsewhere, Roger’s ash constructs had already chosen their targets. They dived into the crabs and exploded into clouds of cloying molten ash.
Eric mimicked Blue Scales’s attack only for the downed crab to rise a few moments later. The werewolf cursed and struck again, driving his spear through the crab’s mouth and jerking it savagely from side to side. “Damn necromancers. We’re going to have to kill everything twice unless we’re careful. Make sure you damage their insides as much as you can. Otherwise, they’ll just get brought back.”
“This is how the dwarves must have fallen,” Jonathan said. “Having to kill everything twice – maybe even three or four times – would have worn anyone down.”
“Most likely, sir.” Miles grimaced as he dodged the crushing claws of one crab and drove his foot up into its underbelly. The thinner shell there cracked beneath his magically reinforced blow, and he twisted to land a pair of punches to the battered area. The crab slumped and went still only to rise again. “They are persistent.” He parried a blow from the crab’s claws – the sheer force behind the attack made his hands ache – and cast [Pulverise] to ensure that his next strike completely pulped the zombie crab’s insides.
Aria was having better luck. The light pouring off her sword seemed to have corrosive properties against the zombie crabs, and it did a fine job of holding off necromancy. Whatever she killed with it stayed dead. However, she had to be very careful. It was extremely risky to use her buckler against the crabs’ crushing claws, and her sword lacked the reach offered by Eric’s spear, Blue Scales’s trident, or Eileen’s claws. Instead, much like Miles, she had to pick her spots, striking when she could and retreating when necessary.
Still, this was going better than Miles had expected. Then again, they were fortunate. Magic related to water was exceptionally rare amongst the dwarves, and they were not known for producing users of holy magic either. The group had both, which had swung the odds in their favour, to say nothing of Roger’s contribution. The raccoon had been incredibly effective so far, and hardly a moment passed without him blasting away with another Word. And still the crabs pressed on, every bit as determined as Blue Scales had said they would be. A crushing claw came within a hair’s breadth of closing around his arm, and Miles jerked back to avoid the pair of legs that threatened to pierce his torso an instant later.
At the back of the throng of crabs, the leaders of the crustaceans were growing more and more enraged. Their frantic movements were accompanied by a renewed push by the zombie crabs. Eileen found herself pushed back, four crabs attacking her, and the rest of the group was pushed back as well, slowly but surely being buried under a tide of shells and claws. Miles saw a trio of crabs surround his master, and he bit back a curse.
With an angry cry, he threw himself into a leaping kick. He caught one of the crabs in the side, and the blow launched the crab away. It was far from dead, but he could not afford to pursue it. Instead, he hastened to his master’s side.
“Sir!” Miles cried. “Hold on a little longer!”
Jonathan ducked a swipe of the crab’s claws and blocked a strike from its legs with his shield. Sparks flew, but Jonathan had managed to angle his shield enough to take the edge off the attack. He struck out with his sword, but the blow skittered off the crab’s curved shell. Thankfully, there was enough strength behind it to unbalance the creature for a moment, which allowed Miles to close the gap and drive one Word-enhanced fist into its side.
“Thank you!” Jonathan shouted.
“Be more careful, sir,” Miles warned. “We need to stay close to the others.”
Another trio of crabs joined the one still attacking them, but a blast of lightning drove them back. It was Roger. The raccoon nodded sharply at them and then turned his attention back to the crabs at the back of the horde. Magic flared to life, and his next several Words impacted against a barrier of rustling shadows. The raccoon snarled and launched another Word before a blast of corrupting energy had him scrambling for cover.
“[Enduring Protection]!” Aria backed away from a crab and turned to use the Word on Roger. They could not afford to lose him in this battle.
Miles frowned as he realised something. Where had Susannah gone? The ranger had seemingly disappeared. She couldn’t have deserted them. She didn’t seem the type, and he was certain she’d have taken Roger if she planned on retreating. The answer came in the form of an arrow. It struck the necromancer crab right where one leg met its body, and the tip buried itself deep into the vulnerable tissue around the base of the limb before it exploded. The crab’s entire right side vanished, and the throngs of zombie crabs immediately began to slow down. Miles’s eyes narrowed. Impressive. He still couldn’t see where Susannah had gone, but she continued t
o make her presence felt. As Roger unleashed another barrage at the crabs wielding dark magic, Susannah struck again. Three more arrows dispatched three more crabs, and the crabs were suddenly bereft of magical support. By the gods, Susannah should have called herself an assassin not a ranger. Yet even with their leaders dead, the remaining crabs continued to press on. They were nothing if not determined.
“Work together with me, sir,” Miles said.
“Gladly!”
The crabs pushed forward, and Miles was ready to meet them, as light and easy on his feet as a dancer. It was mildly troubling how easily his deadly skills had returned. It was as though a part of him had never forgotten the thrill of combat. As a crab reached out with its claws, he stepped neatly to one side and landed two short, sharp punches. It was tough, but he’d caught its attention. It rounded on him and swiped out with its legs. He ducked and drove one foot into the joint where its leg met its body. The joint gave way, and it stumbled. His master seized his chance and cut off two more of its limbs.
“Well done, sir.”
The crab lost its footing, and he lunged for its underbelly. Cracking that open left it vulnerable, and his master struck the killing blow. Without a necromancer to raise it, the crab stayed dead.
“Onto the next one, sir,” Miles said crisply. “Same idea as before.”
As they moved onto the next crab, he caught a flash of grey. Susannah was flitting back and forth through the shadows that filled the chamber. With her Words, the crabs’ shells posed no obstacle, and each arrow she loosed felled a crab. The crabs at the edges of the horde looked about furtively, and they retreated inward, pressing together in a bid to avoid the shadows where she lurked. Miles smiled thinly. She was herding them, preventing them from encircling the group. With the crabs bunched together, Roger’s magic had the potential to be even more effective. The raccoon must have noticed it too because his magic surged and swelled to fill the chamber.
“We should fall back, sir,” Miles advised. His master struck an awkward blow and then retreated before his opponent could catch him. Miles took the chance to kick it back. “Whatever Roger is about to do, it looks to be quite powerful.”
His master took one look at the raccoon and broke into a run. Great tendrils of ash had filled the air around Roger, and the darkness of Mordrath had given way to a grim, angry volcanic glow. Embers rustled through the air, and a deep, foreboding orange light spilled outward. It was like staring into the maw of a dragon.
“Move!” Aria shouted. “Get clear!”
As soon as everyone was out of the way, Roger gave a sharp cry and gestured. The markings on his robes lit up in a dazzling display of gold, silver, blue, and red.
[Ash Cloud].
A vast, glowing cloud of molten ash rumbled forward, so large it filled the entire room except for where the group had sought refuge behind Roger. The crabs turned to flee, but it was too late. The ash was even hotter than before, and there was so much of it that anything that survived the initial attack was swamped, enveloped, and buried beneath the sheer weight of it. As the Word raged around them, the ash began to move faster and faster. It was like being in a sandstorm – if the sand was molten ash. Miles saw one crab reel back as the whirling mass of white-hot ash ripped its shell apart before another fell back, ash pouring out of its mouth and several holes in its shell. The Word went on and on until Roger finally brought it to an end. The raccoon sagged, and Susannah caught him and gave him a scratch behind the ears. Absurdly, the smell of freshly cooked crab filled the air.
“Not bad.” Eric patted Roger on the head. “Not bad at all, little guy.” He poked one of the fallen crabs, and chunks of molten ash and charred shell fell away to reveal the cooked flesh beneath. “Anyone up for some crab? I could definitely go for a bite.”
Aria sighed and gave him a gentle bonk over the head. “We are not eating any of them, Eric.”
“But they smell fantastic, and all this fighting has got me hungry.” In Eric’s defence, Miles agreed. The crabs smelled delectable.
Eileen snickered and held up a sign. You don’t know where they’ve been – and it might be better if you didn’t.
“Indeed.” Blue Scales prodded one of the downed crabs and bared his teeth. “They may smell nice, but even my people do not eat them. Their flesh is usually poisonous, most likely due to heavy exposure to the foul magic wielded by their kind. Eating them would be unwise.”
“That’s a pity. But when we get out of here, we are definitely going to get some crab.”
“This wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be,” Jonathan murmured.
Eric stared. “Did you not just see what Roger did?”
“Uh…”
The werewolf laughed and slapped Jonathan over the back. “I’m kidding. I get where you’re coming from. I mean we’re a group of adventurers. How could the dwarves get overrun if we were able to hold off this many? It makes sense if you think about it. First and foremost, none of us except Eileen rely that heavily on armour. The dwarves did. You’ve seen what their claws can do. Armour won’t help. That’s tough on dwarves since they lack the speed and agility of humans or elves. Moreover, there weren’t that many crabs. Sure, we had to kill a bunch of them – and Roger killed even more – but if Blue Scales is right, this barely even counts as a scouting force for the crabs. We also got lucky. The crabs were so worried about us that they didn’t notice Susannah until she’d killed all of their powerful magic users, which is the only reason Roger was able to use [Ash Cloud]. If they’d still been alive, he would never have gotten the chance to use it. It’s also unlikely the dwarves had someone like Blue Scales to hold the water back, and he did say they were much weaker outside of water.” He grinned impishly. “Oh, and I guess Aria helped a little too.”
The former paladin rolled her eyes. “Even the living crabs didn’t like holy light much. Unfortunately, holy magic is exceptionally rare amongst dwarves, far more so than in humans. It’s why there are so few healers amongst them.”
“I see.” Jonathan sagged. “It seems the dwarves were most unfortunate.”
“And don’t forget,” Eric added. “We were expecting trouble, and the dwarves had to worry about protecting their women and children too – women and children who could be turned into zombies.” He shook his head. “I’ve faced necromancers before. Believe me… having to bash in the skull of a zombie child is not something you ever forget. Most people don’t have the stomach for it, and it’s hard to blame them.”
Miles could imagine how difficult that would be. If his master somehow became a zombie, would he have the heart to strike him down? He honestly wasn’t sure, and he prayed he never found out. “Shall we proceed?” He adjusted his gloves. They were a gift from his master, and they boosted his strength. “The loss of this many crabs will be marked by their superiors, and we may soon find ourselves faced by a greater host.”
They continued deeper into Mordrath until they reached yet another hall. It was truly mindboggling. The dwarves had spared no effort or expense. A single one of the halls they’d already passed would have done the castle of a vampire noble proud. To see so many in one place spoke of the incredible power and prestige the dwarves had wielded before their downfall. However, this one was different to the others. It appeared to be a stadium of sorts with many upraised seats arranged around a central area.
“This is a meeting hall,” his master explained, eager as always to share his knowledge. Miles fell into step behind him as he scurried from one place to another, keen to examine it. “The dwarves of Mordrath were a monarchy, but few kings were foolish enough to rule without the aid of advisors and without listening to their people. It was not uncommon for kings to ask their subjects to air their opinions on contentious issues. A king wasn’t bound to heed their words, but it was considered poor form not to hear them.” He chuckled. “It isn’t a coincidence that the dwarf words for meeting and battle are almost identical. It was not unusual for such gatherings to end in a brawl.”
“It seems we aren’t the only ones to get this far.” Eric pointed. “Look over there. They can’t have been dead for longer than an hour or two.”
They hurried to where a handful of adventurers had slumped against a toppled pillar. The colossal mass of stone had broken into three pieces, and the dead adventurers had huddled together amidst the wreckage. Miles’s jaw clenched. All of the adventurers bore terrible wounds, and it didn’t take a scholar to guess what had ruined their armour and torn up their bodies.
“They must be from one of the other ships.” Aria stepped around the pool of blood that stained the floor. “Because I don’t recognise them. Had we been faster, we might have reached them in time to heal them.” Her brows furrowed. “But if they managed to get here, why didn’t the crabs pursue them into this hall? In their condition, they could hardly have put up a fight.”
“The crabs dislike being far from water. Maybe they abandoned the chase, knowing the wounds they’d inflicted would be fatal.” Blue Scales growled. “They can be cunning like that – or there is something here they dislike.”
“Oh?”
“As you already know, these crabs worship dark powers. Even in the Deep, there are beings a wise person leaves well enough alone. Likewise, there are other powers that despise those corrupt entities. Look for Signs or other such things. I do not know much of the lore myself – such was not my craft – but they have been known to avoid certain Signs unless they have no choice.” He nodded at Jonathan. “Our scholar friend may have more luck with this than any of us.”
Jonathan studied the area carefully. [Locate Sign] rustled outward. There were ways to inscribe Signs, not unlike making runes, but from what Miles knew, they were difficult and costly to use. Blood sacrifice was the easiest method, but the dwarves were not fond of such wickedness. “The doorways,” he said at last. “There are Signs woven into the doorways.”
“But they can’t be that strong,” Eric argued. “Otherwise, the dwarves would have put them everywhere, and Mordrath wouldn’t have fallen.”
Attempted Adventuring (The Attempted Vampirism Series Book 2) Page 17
