by Edward Brody
I glanced around anxiously, making sure no other spiders were nearby. “It’s not about how ‘great’ or dangerous it was. It’s just spiders… There’s something about spiders that freaks me out. Let’s just say I’d rather fight an ancient beast than a spider.”
The two orcs laughed.
“An ancient beast rather than a spider?” Rithnar asked. “There’s something wrong with you humans.”
“Indeed,” Mordok said. “No matter your fear, at least you stand a chance of living against a spider, not so with an ancient beast.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “It’s hard to explain…”
Mordok huffed. “Well, perhaps you’ll change your mind if we make it to where the Gilgaroth is sealed. You’ll see an ancient beast for yourself.”
I heard the light tap of a footstep behind me and spun around frantically. I had the sensation I was being watched. “What was that? You heard that, right?”
Rithnar stepped closer to me and placed his beefy hand on my shoulder. “Relax. The spider is gone.”
“It was probably just an isopod falling,” Mordok said. He turned toward the spider’s web and pulled out a small knife. “I won’t pass up the opportunity to collect some spider’s silk. If either of you want some eggs, get them quickly. We must move.”
I looked around, still feeling creeped out and paranoid. The feeling that I might get eaten by a spider soon reminded me that I had points that I needed to assign unless I wanted to lose them. I pulled up my stats to assess things. I dropped two of my AP points into Willpower, since it was a bit low, and I hoped, likely erroneously, that it would make me a little more resistant to spider panic. Vitality and Charisma were my two other low points, and since I was delving into the unknown, I chose to assign the point to Vitality. I continued the trend of raising my Mentalism unnaturally and dumped my LP into there.
Chapter Forty-Nine
2/23/0001
“Really?” Mordok said as he lifted a couple of the nasty eggs from the web. “Neither of you want any spider eggs?”
I held my hands out in front of me and frowned. “No… no thanks.”
Rithnar shook his head.
Mordok shrugged and placed the eggs in his bag. “Well, alright. More for me.”
I pointed towards the ruined spider’s web and twirled my finger around. “Are there any reagents in here ending in ‘E’ by chance?”
“Ending in ‘E’ again?” Mordok creased his brow. “There’s nothing here but eggs and silk. What task do you have that has you always looking for things ending in ‘E’?”
I shook my head. “Eh, never mind. It’s nothing.” I considered asking for spider’s silk to give to Jax—maybe he could make another invisibility potion with it—but I decided I’d rather not touch any icky spider stuff.
“Alright, let’s go,” Mordok said. He turned and started pushing past the dangling webs.
Rithnar and I followed him a short way until we reached the alternate end of the ledge where two brown ropes were hanging by a thick stone jutting from the cliff face a couple feet out from the ledge and several feet above. One rope was thick and smooth, and the other had tight knots wound into it every foot or two. The ropes were blackened and partially burned in spots, perhaps from the hot ash straying out of the nearby volcano.
When I looked down, I couldn’t tell where the ropes ended.
“This is it,” Mordok said. “No one usually ventures to the bottom of the Cataclysm, so there are only ropes to travel the rest of the way. No ladders.”
“Why are the ropes here if no one goes down?” I asked.
“In case something unintended falls in,” Mordok explained. “We’ve had a few goblins stumble in with valuable items in the past. We must be careful though.” He looked over the ledge. “No one stays down there any longer than they need to.”
I groaned as I eyed the ropes. They reminded me of my middle school gym class, where we were tasked at climbing up and down them. I hadn’t been terrible at navigating the ropes, but I recalled one particular time where I lost my grip and ended up with awful friction burns on my palms. I hadn’t been fond of any sort of rope climbing ever since.
Rithnar turned to me and simply said, “Slide,” before taking two swift steps and leaping onto the smooth rope and quickly zooming down.
I glanced to Mordok, who grinned and waved his hand towards the rope. “You’re free to go first.”
I looked over the ledge and down at Rithnar, but it was difficult to make out his distance. I shrugged and gritted my teeth. “Alright...” I took a few steps back, ran forward and leapt onto the rope. I clenched onto the course cord as tightly as I could and wrapped my legs around it as well. When I felt I had a good grip, I took one last worried glance over to Mordok.
He just glared at me, confused as to why I wasn’t moving.
I loosened my grip a little and began to slide down, first very slow, and increasing my speed after gaining a little confidence.
As I slid down the rope, I passed several holes and caves that were carved out into the side of the Cataclysm, with no obvious way to access them. I wondered if they were also part of the Catacombs. As I continued, a foul, rotten smell entered my nostrils and only grew stronger the further I slid.
While I marveled at the numerous isopods on the side of the wall and continually scanned my surroundings for spiders, I noticed one particular hole in the rock face that was just big enough to house a large, golden treasure chest that was sitting idly inside of it. I instinctively tightened my grip to stop my slide and get a better look.
There were no ledges, ladders or climbing fixtures that offered a good path to getting to the majestic-looking container, and the rope was too far away to swing there. Though the chest was off limits that day, my curiosity was piqued, and I made a mental note to return someday, if I ever wanted to take on a particularly treacherous climb or had since gained an ability that allowed me to access it.
I whipped my head up when I heard a sudden friction sound above me, just in time to see Mordok’s boot slam into my face. I grunted loudly, lost my hand grip, and started falling awkwardly with my legs still around the rope.
Stunned, I gulped air and extended my arms, reaching for the rope and trying to regain some sort of grip. I continued to fall freely for several seconds as I clawed for any and everything, and it wasn’t until I unwrapped my legs from the rope that I was able to somewhat straighten my body and grab the rope with both hands. I squeezed tightly, wrapped my legs back around the rope, and held on for dear life until I finally came to another stop.
My hands were throbbing, my heart was thumping, and my face was stung. I looked up to see Mordok far above me and looked down to see that I was only a few stories from the end of the rope.
“Gunnar!” Rithnar yelled out from below.
I ignored him as I looked at one of my hands. Some of the skin had been torn, but I thankfully wasn’t bleeding. The burning on my hands and the boot to my face had knocked 15% off of my health. I shook my head and groaned, feeling like I had suffered a repeat from middle school.
As I inspected my hands, something warm and sticky touched me, wrapping around one of my wrists and tightening before I even had time to process what it was. Suddenly, it pulled so hard that I was ripped from the rope, and the last thing I saw was the brief glimpse of a giant, red and black speckled lizard and its pink wet mouth as I was pulled face-first inside.
“Ahhh!” I yelled as the giant lizard’s jaws clamped down around me, and its muscles undulated, sucking me further into its mouth.
I was instantly covered in sticky wet goo, and I struggled to move my arms and legs against the strong muscles of the lizard’s insides. It stunk inside, and as its muscles continued to move up and down, back and forth, trying to draw me further and further into its digestive system.
“What the—!” I tried to yell, but wet innards covered my face, cutting me off. I forced my face sideways and finished with a, “Fuuuuuck!” that w
as likely unheard on the outside.
I heard foot patters and felt the sensation of movement, so I knew I was being carried somewhere.
When the monster’s heaving wet insides covered my face again, I couldn’t breathe, and my breath bar appeared. I tried to kick and claw, but I could barely move an inch and my struggling movements only pulled me further inside.
I’m going to die, I thought, and I started to panic. I had gone through all the trouble to travel to the Wastelands, had stolen an infinite mana shard, and now I was going to die. Worst, all of my stuff was going to end up in the belly of some sort of giant lizard somewhere at the bottom of the Cataclysm, so I likely wouldn’t be able to recover it. I couldn’t believe it.
When its muscles moved again, I was forced further inside, and my arm and head suddenly popped through something tight and into a larger open cavity. I could breathe again, but the breath of air I sucked in was acidic and rancid, and when a splash of rotten liquid entered my mouth, I immediately vomited.
I coughed hard, clenched my teeth, and tried to breath with my mouth as tightly closed as possible to avoid getting another taste of the foul, sour liquid. I twisted and wriggled with all my might until I finally freed my other arm, positioning both arms above my head.
I first tried to cast a Fireblast, but the spell just fizzled, and then I fired an Arcane Missile further into the monster’s stomach. The creature jerked, and its muscles tightened, but the spell didn’t seem to do much damage. I considered casting a Firebomb to blow my way out, but I also knew that in those close quarters, a Firebomb would likely kill me or blow my hand off if the spell even had a chance of detonating in that environment.
I sensed that the lizard had stopped somewhere, so I cast a Fire Curtain, focusing directly over my location. Almost as soon as I cast it, the lizard moved again, obviously stepping away from the fire.
I cast another Arcane Missile, waited for the cooldown to refresh, then cast it again. Each time, the lizard jerked and moved a bit, but showed no sign of being noticeably injured or having any inclination of letting me out.
I tried to punch and kick, knowing that I had run out of spells to try. My magic was ineffective, and my hands were in too much of an awkward position for me to grab my staff.
Once again, my breath bar appeared at the bottom of my vision, and when I tried to breathe, the air burned my lungs. Apparently, I had used what little oxygen that was left in the monster’s belly.
The creature’s insides undulated again, bidding to force the rest of my body into its stomach cavity, and I reached out and pushed against it, trying to prevent myself from falling fully inside the nasty liquid I could hear splashing around near my face.
Boom!
Suddenly the creature had been tossed into a flip, and I thrashed my arms as the nasty liquid and chunks of something inside it sprayed all over my face and arms. The liquid felt cold at first, but now it was starting to slowly burn my skin and make everywhere it touched feel mildly hot.
“Argh!” I heard someone outside grunt, and then I heard and felt the thunk of something smashing into the monster. Rithnar? Mordok? I could only hope.
You have gained 1 point of Vitality!
The monster hissed, and scrambled around as best as I could tell, and it was suddenly blasted again and flipped upside down. All the liquids in its stomach poured all over me, and it took all my will not to gasp for air and inhale a mouthful of it.
Thunk! Thwack! Thunk!
My breath bar was quickly reaching its end when another strong blast rocked the lizard, pitching it from side to side. I heard several more thunking sounds, and finally the tight muscles of the animal’s insides began to relax around me.
You have gained 300 XP!
“Gunnar!” I heard Mordok yell through the animal’s outer walls.
I tried to yell back, but as soon as I opened my mouth, I got another mouthful of acidic liquid. I spit and tried pushing as hard as I could against the animal’s soft stomach so I could get myself back out of its mouth.
A strong hand gripped my ankle and pulled, then I felt another hand and a stronger pull. I was yanked further out, and my head felt like it was nearly going to pop off when my chin passed through the barrier between the creature’s throat and stomach.
When I was finally pulled outside, I coughed and opened my eyes, and at first, I thought I had gone blind based on how dark it was. I rubbed my eyes and turned before I finally caught a subtle glimpse of light shining from around a corner. I was somehow indoors.
“Are you okay?” Rithnar asked.
Before I could answer, I was splashed in the face by a fragrant liquid, and Mordok circled me, pouring the substance all over my body.
I rubbed my eyes again and shook my head. “What the hell?!”
“It was a Giant Scavenger Lizard,” Mordok said. “They roam the Wastelands, but specifically around the bottom of the Cataclysm.”
“Not that!” I shouted. “What are you throwing on me?”
“It’s a mana potion,” Mordok explained. “We don’t have any water, but we need something to dilute the stomach acid on you, otherwise it’ll slowly eat through everything you’re wearing.”
I raised my hand and cast Divine Sight on myself as Mordok handed me a health potion.
“Drink half and use the rest to help clean the acid off,” he said.
I popped the health potion and drank as I looked at where I was sitting. The floor was dusty rock, and the walls were made of thousands of small, individual stones. Hundreds of humanoid skulls were embedded into the architecture, forming various rows and patterns. A pile of skulls was in one corner, and three old bare orc skeletons were lying around us.
“We could use your Divine Sight spell,” Mordok said. “Well, Rithnar could at least.”
I nodded, tossed the spell on Mordok, and started to stand when I cast the spell on Rithnar as well. “Is this the Catacombs?”
“Yes,” Rithnar said. “We’re lucky the lizard ran to an entrance at the base of the Cataclysm where we could chase after it. If it had run up the wall, we would’ve never been able to find you.”
“One more,” Rithnar said before stepping forward and handing me an orange potion. “Use it to clean yourself.”
You’ve received: Extended Stamina Potion. Durability: 10/10. Quality: Average. Rarity: Common. Weight: 0.1 kg. Drink to increase your stamina pool by 20% for 10 minutes.
I popped the Extended Stamina Potion, and it smelled a bit like sweat mixed with oranges. I poured it into my hands and splashed it over my body and gear as I continued to scan the area. “Orcs come here for experience, huh?”
“Not from this entrance but from any of the others closer to the top,” Mordok said. “The Catacombs stretch for miles and miles—no one knows how far as no one has ever reached the end—but there is more than enough in its endless tunnels to keep us occupied while we endure in the Wastelands.”
I stepped to one of the walls and rubbed my finger over the head of one of the skulls. It resembled a human somewhat, but it had a broader jaw and wider forehead—reminded me of a dwarf. “Orcs place their trophies here, huh?” I asked
“No, no,” Mordok said. “The Catacombs were built before the War of Hundred Years, when all races lived in peace. This is where the many dead of old were brought to rest. Only when the Cataclysm was formed were all the tunnels of the Catacombs exposed.”
“So, it’s a sort of an underground cemetery?” I asked.
“Was,” Mordok explained. “Now it’s just a place filled with remnants of death. Not even us orcs use the Catacombs for burial anymore.” He sat down on the ground and crossed his legs. “I should meditate before we leave.”
I took a step away from the giant dead lizard and the pool of stench that had poured out when the orcs pulled me from its insides and sat down as well. Before meditating, I decided to cast Absorb One Physical on myself. With its long cooldown, I had been saving it for the end of our journey, but after the lizard ev
ent, I decided it was better to be safe than sorry.
“Mordok!” Rithnar yelled before I could enter a state of meditation. When I opened my eyes, he was gripping his axe and posturing up in front of one of the skeletons on the ground. A barely visible grey aura was rising from it.
The skeleton lifted from the ground and appeared to float as it rapidly rose to its feet. Rithnar acted fast, stepping towards the undead entity and swinging his axe, but the skeleton sidestepped and held up its arm to block.
Rithnar’s blade sliced through the arm of the skeleton, but the skeleton was unfazed and used its other bare, boney hand to grab the hilt of his axe. Its hand glowed with grey in the spot where it held Rithnar’s axe, and when the orc tried to pull back the axe, he was unable to overpower the skeleton. The skeleton yanked the axe out of Rithnar’s hands, causing him to stumble and fall forward on his face.
The severed arm of the skeleton flew up rapidly from the ground, reattached itself like a magnet, and the skeleton lifted the axe with both hands to hammer it down onto Rithnar.
I released a Fireblast at the skeleton, which pounded into its ribs, jolting it back, and when I thrust my other hand forward and released an Arcane Missile, it connected with one of the skeleton’s elbows. The attack severed its arm and left the front half dangling from the axe. When the monster brought the axe down with its working arm, its attack was off-balance, causing it to stumble and catch nothing but air.
“There’s more!” Mordok yelled. I turned to see him fire a blast of energy towards another one of the skeletons that had risen and saw a third was on its feet and prying one of the skulls from the wall of the room.
Rithnar performed a sweeping kick on the skeleton causing it to fall forward, break apart, and let go of his axe. While I watched, I started charging a Firebomb.
I eyed the skeleton who was pulling repeatedly on a skull in the wall as Rithnar retrieved his axe and ran to assist Mordok with the skeleton he was battling.
