EPISODE 61:

DESCENT

Vash charged the Scaleback Bull. It didn't notice him until almost too late. The Bull pivoted, bringing its long, whip-like tail around. Vash's Core pulsed a warning, and he dodged to one side. The tail caught him in the shoulder rather than in the torso. The hit sent him tumbling. He tried to turn the fall into a roll and come up on his feet, but the angle was wrong and he slid across the grass on his back, his short sword flying out of his hand and clattering just out of reach.

The Bull turned, letting out a hissing growl. Vash scrabbled for the sword while the Bull leaped, spear held high. Abandoning the sword, Vash rolled out of the way. The Bull landed, spear gouging the earth where Vash had been a moment before. Vash got to his feet, reaching for a throwing knife, but he shuffled back when the Scaleback changed direction, lunging at him with quick thrusts.

More growls came from behind him, and Vash knew he was being herded into the other Scalebacks.

No weapons, and no escape. Vash thought.

He had almost resigned himself to his fate when he noticed the pale blue glow behind his attacker. Charity struck the Scaleback in the temple with her staff. The weapon glowed and hummed with celestial magic, and Charity had an aura that echoed that of her weapon. Charity's staff struck the Scaleback with thunderous force, its skull collapsing from the savagery of the attack. Blood and bits of skull went flying, and gore sizzled on the glowing staff.

Charity twirled her staff into a ready position, standing over him like the literal hand of a god. Power crackled off of her like the air before a thunderstorm. "Get up." She said, her voice stern and commanding. "More are coming."

Vash looked back over his shoulder. More Scalebacks were climbing out of the pit, charging to cover the retreat of the ones carrying the intended sacrifices. Sera joined Corwin, glowing mace in one hand and the nine-spoked iron wheel in the other. Vash wasn't certain how much good a holy symbol would do in this sort of fight.

One of the Scalebacks barked a series of words. Not their usual hissing, breathy language, but a more harsh, guttural tongue. A bolt of flame streaked from the Scaleback's outstretched hand, heading towards Corwin's back.

Sera spotted it, stepped in front of the bolt and brandished the wheel. The bolt slammed into an invisible shield a few inches from Sera's hand. The wheel flared with light for a moment, then faded.

I guess that's useful. Vash thought, scrambling to his feet and grabbing his short sword.

Charity was already moving to support Corwin and Sera. Her staff wove a complicated pattern in the air, gathering momentum before she struck again. The Scaleback shrieked when the glowing staff struck its flesh, then made a choking sound as the weapon crushed its lungs with the sound of snapping twigs.

Vash focused on the smaller Scaleback, who fired the flame bolt at Corwin. It wore a hood made of golden chain, a smock of some sort of leather decorated with shells and crystals, and carried a twisted staff of smooth bone. It was making strange motions with its claws. Probably working on a spell or a rite. Something magical that would cause problems.

Luckily, I trained to be a mage-killer. Vash thought, coming at the Scaleback from an angle. It was so absorbed in its work that it never saw him coming. A reddish-orange glow surrounded the Scaleback magic-user, but before it could unleash the spell, Vash lunged and drove his sword through the back of its neck.

Bones grated against the blade and black blood erupted from the creature's neck. It got out half a syllable before the sword cut through its windpipe. Vash grunted in satisfaction, pulling the sword out and stepping back. The Scaleback crumpled and drew in on itself while it died. Vash was about to move on to his next target when he felt a surge of mana at his feet. Looking down at the Scaleback, Vash saw the red-orange glow around the creature's body brighten. The rumble of mana usage echoed in Vash's Core. It was like flood waters being held back by a tiny dam. The Scaleback hissed and clawed at the ground, but Vash could see its motions getting weaker by the moment.

That can't be good. Vash thought and backpedaled quickly away from the dying Scaleback.

Flames burst all over the Scaleback's body. Leathery skin split to release flames and steam from within its body. The Scaleback gave out one last death rattle, and Vash felt the tension within its body ease. For a heartbeat, Vash was relieved that nothing was going to happen. He turned to look for a new target.

The rush of mana was sudden and dreadful. A concussive wave from the exploding magic-user's body knocked Vash off his feet again. This time, he turned it into a roll and came up easily a moment later. Scalebacks closest to the explosion got thrown into the air like rag dolls. Others, like Vash, lost their footing, but could get back into the fight.

Three Scalebacks lay in twisted heaps near the smoking remains of the Scaleback magic-user. Vash couldn't help but smile. Four for one, I'll take that exchange rate.

Then he spotted another six Scalebacks climbing out of the pit, and his stomach dropped.

They just keep coming.

Vash looked over at Charity and Corwin. A trio of claw-slashes ran down Corwin's left arm, darkening his tunic to a deep crimson. His breastplate and gauntlets looked nearly black with Scaleback blood. Corwin was still fighting hard, still focused on the still form of Jabez being carried by the Nightscale to the edge of the pit. He was flagging though; the fight took its toll.

Charity looked less like an avenging angel now. Her vibrant glow faded to a pale light around her staff. She was no longer killing Scalebacks in a single blow. Now she was engaged in more regular combat: strikes, blocks, counter-strikes.

The gods seem kind of stingy with the power they give their followers. Vash thought, stabbing a fallen Scaleback that had just gotten back onto its knees. The creature didn't make a sound except for the soft thud of its body hitting the ground.

Vash ran and joined Sera to guard Corwin and Charity's backs. He gave Sera a quick nod before parrying a spear that was aimed at Charity's midsection.

"Where have you been?" Sera asked, her glowing mace flickered when she struck the leg of an attacking Scaleback. It screeched and hobbled to one side. Even though she'd hurt it, the strike didn't do permanent damage. Vash saw the Scaleback fall back behind the oncoming lizard-men fresh from the pit.

In a few moments, it'll walk that off and be back in the fray. Vash thought.

"Sightseeing," Vash said sarcastically. "What's happening? You barely scratched that one."

"My connection to the gods is getting weaker." Sera said, wiping sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. "I'm not a Rahman battle-monk, the war gods only like me so much."

"You'll have to explain how that works if we survive this," Vash said, finding an opening in the attacking Scaleback's defense. He boosted the damage of the shallow stab wound with Bloody Strike, sending a bolt of force into the Scaleback through the tip of the sword. The Scaleback convulsed, its guts liquefied by the sudden blast.

"If we survive this, I'll give you the full novice lecture on Celestial magic." Sera said with a bitter laugh.

"Nightscales!" Corwin shouted, drawing Vash's attention.

The towering, jet-black lizard men strode onto the battlefield with a casual grace. Their tails lashed back and forth in their lust for battle. There were ten of them, spreading out to encircle the tiring Wayfarers. Behind them, Vash saw the last of the sleeping sacrifices being carried over the edge of the pit.

"They've taken the captives into the Underlands." Vash said, his voice bitter even in his own ears.

"We must concern ourselves with our own survival, at the moment." Charity said with maddening calm.

"Got any of those blessings left, Sera?" Corwin asked, never taking his eyes off a towering Nightscale that strode towards him, an ugly, angular, black iron blade held in both its massive claws.

"Not enough, but I'll keep them coming while I still have a connection." Sera said, weariness obvious in her voice.

"Vash, can you do that shadowy weapon thing you did earlier?" Corwin asked, setting his feet, Core drawing up power for the next round.

"I'm not really sure how I did it the first time." Vash said, watching as the Nightscales encircled their little group. "But I'll sure as hell try."

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

"Great." Corwin said, and Vash could almost feel the smirk in his voice. "Charity and I will take the five in the front. You and Sera take the five in the back."

"When we get done with these, we'll come help you two," Vash said sarcastically, while trying to find the formula change he'd made to summon Shadowblade. "We're in a bit of a rush."

Corwin laughed, and that, apparently, signaled the Nightscales to attack.

Sera called entreaties to Valoa and laid a blessing on Corwin with a light touch on his back. Corwin's sword gained a pale green glow, but it was a feeble thing compared to earlier in the night. Charity re-set her feet and the blue-white glow around her strengthened.

Vash finally got his thoughts in order and wrapped his short sword in flickering black flames, but he didn't know how effective they would be.

Hell of a time to field-test a new Talent.

Then it was chaos.

Corwin slashed and parried the attacking Nightscales, sword flickering in quick, precise movements. A few times Corwin got past the guard of the Nightscales attacking him, but the wounds he inflicted were only superficial. The Nightscales were just too fast, and too in-sync with one another. One attacking while another distracted Corwin. A line of blood appeared on Corwin's arm when he was late parrying a Nightscale's attack. Corwin grunted, but kept up his defense.

The telltale tug of an incoming attack drew Vash's attention. A massive Nightscale stalked towards him with inexorable calm, a huge black-iron sword held loosely in one massive claw. The attack came in a blur, sword swinging for Vash's head while the Nightscale lunged forward, closing the distance in a heartbeat. Vash didn't have a hope of parrying. He dodged to one side and dropped to one knee. The sword swept through the air that his head had just occupied. The Nightscale's belly was unprotected. Vash stabbed out with his shadow-wrapped short sword. The blade bit deep, making a hissing sound like metal being quenched at a forge. The Nightscale bellowed, a deeper, more savage sound than a regular Scaleback.

Withdrawing his sword, Vash took a step back, readying himself for the counterattack. Black blood flowed down the creature's belly in a torrent, and it stumbled, massive sword dropping from suddenly nerveless fingers.

I thought they were tougher than that. Vash thought, the huge Nightscale falling to its knees in front of him. He didn't have time to question his good fortune. Two more Nightscales shoved their comrade aside and bore down on Vash and Sera.

His new opponent didn't give him the same opportunity for a quick kill as the first one did. It traded off with its partner, attacking and feinting at Vash and Sera, while the remaining Scaleback hung around the periphery of the battle, making sure none of the combatants broke free.

A violent tug on his Core made Vash turn to look over one shoulder. Charity moved out of position to land a savage blow on a Nightscale whose blade locked with Corwin. In the gap, a Scaleback leaped to attack Vash's exposed back. Almost too late, Vash spun, trying to get out of the lizard-man's line of attack. The Scaleback collided with Vash's shoulder, taking him to the ground. The Scaleback's spear went wide, but it grabbed Vash in a bear-hug, claws scraping at his front, digging deep gouges in the leather.

Vash hit the ground hard, the breath knocked out of him. His short sword flew out of his hand, the shadow flames winking out as soon as the hilt left his grasp. Vash rolled, desperately trying to dislodge the Scaleback. The creature growled something in its own language and pushed back, using its tail as leverage. Claws bit into his flesh, piercing the armor. Vash grunted, feeling blood welling up around the wounds and soaking into his shirt.

I just got this damn thing cleaned! Vash thought, bitterly.

He could see Sera off to one side, a Nightscale hammering at her with his sword. She parried its attacks, but each strike pushed her further and further away from Corwin and Charity. The glow of her mace was fading, and each time she lifted it, she was slower than the time before.

Corwin and Charity weren't faring much better. The sleeves of Corwin's tunic hung in blood-stained tatters, and cuts both deep and shallow criss-crossed his arms. A cut on Corwin's scalp left his face half covered in blood and noticeably blinded him in one eye.

Charity took a wound to her leg, making her slower and clumsier. The Nightscale she faced used his heavy sword to smash her staff to the ground, and she stumbled, overbalanced. With the back of one massive, scaled hand, the Nightscale struck her, spinning her like a top. Charity's staff dropped from her hands and she landed hard on the ground, a pair of Nightscales standing over her.

The Scaleback on his back hissed, mouth opening wide, preparing to clamp down on Vash's neck and end the fight. Vash tried to summon Enhance Ability to bolster his strength and push it off, but the focus wouldn't come. Despair and horror overwhelmed him, as well as the feeling of utter failure.

Maybe we should have waited. Vash thought, as his last attempt to break free faltered and the Scaleback lunged forward for the bite.

A strange humming whistle broke through the cacophony all around them. The Scaleback on Vash's back suddenly jerked, its body tense, then it went limp. Vash could feel the Scaleback's life force fading, his Core registering the sudden release of mana as it died. He shoved the body off of him and scrambled to his feet. The Scaleback had an arrow shaft piercing its eye; the arrowhead erupting out of the back of its head.

Another whistle and Vash felt the thrum of mana accompanying it. Arrows slammed into the Scalebacks in rapid succession. Each one was a killing shot.

"Dyo Fotya!" a voice called from the darkness. The words carried the strange reverberation of spellwork. Twin bolts of flame streaked out of the surrounding forest. The first struck the Nightscale attacking Charity in the face. It howled, stumbling back. Vash could see that the Nightscale's eyes had melted and burst in the sudden, intense, magical heat.

The second bolt struck the Nightscale, attacking Sera. The flaming sphere hit the Nightscale in the side of the knee. It howled in rage and pain, the knee suddenly bending inward at an impossible angle. It fell to one side, Sera took the opening and smashed the Nightscale's head in with her mace.

What's happening? Vash thought while scrambling to grab his short sword.

Corwin slashed at a Nightscale, overextending himself and opening up for a kick from his opponent. The strike landed with enough force to send Corwin to one knee. The Nightscale roared in triumph, sword raised and ready to strike.

"Krae'iste Aetomo!" came the voice from the darkness again. A Blue-white aura flashed around the Nightscale and it froze in place. The Nightscale's face contorted in rage and its muscles trembled as it fought the invisible force that held it in place.

Corwin shouted wordlessly, rising and slashing at the same time. The Nightscale's belly tore open, Corwin's sword still showing the last vestiges of a pale green glow. The huge night-black lizard-man looked enraged while it died, held upright by the spell.

The Scalebacks fled, suddenly unsure of what they were facing. The Nightscales made a slow retreat, trying not to give the Wayfarers an easy target. Arrows and spells followed them all the way back to the pit, and did not stop until the last of the creatures had disappeared into the darkness below.

Vash sagged, his body suddenly feeling all the wounds he'd taken. Corwin stood in the middle of the field, shoulders slumped, panting, sword point in the dirt in front of him. Sera was muttering something under her breath. Vash only caught a few words, recognizing it as the Litany of the Nine. Charity had recovered her staff and was scanning the treeline, looking for their saviors.

"I always seem to save you from the creatures of the pit, Ishi'an." A familiar, accented voice said from the trees near Vash.

He looked up and spotted Morwen lounging in the branches only a dozen paces from him. She held a beautifully carved bow of some dark wood and had an arrow nocked. Vash frowned up at her. "I'd say if you'd shown up a few minutes earlier, I wouldn't need saving."

"Ma a'shana." Morwen shrugged, then dropped lightly from the branches to the soft ground below.

The croaking of an irritated crow drew Vash's attention before he could respond. "I told you we should have gone to the tavern. But no, you couldn't bear to be dragged away from your records until Akaziri were rampaging through the village."

"If I'd followed that logic, we'd be running support for Master Astinak with all the others up on the front lines." Galia said as she and Odal emerged from the trees. They were almost impossible to see until they walked out of the brush. "And I'd be out of mana when we needed to kick some ass."

"Akaziri?" Vash asked, confused.

"It's the actual name for Scalebacks. What they call themselves." Galia said, crossing to the knot of Wayfarers. "Scalebacks is a kind of slur, actually."

"I'll be more polite to them when they stop biting chunks out of me," Vash said, checking over his wounds.

Nothing fatal. It hurts like hell, though. He thought. His newly repaired armor had rents and holes in it now, disrupting the enchantment. Probably won't be able to take a hit like before. I'll need to be more careful.

"They took the hostages down into the Underlands." Corwin said, a sense of desperation in his voice. He was on one knee while Sera was looking over his wounds. Pale golden light shone under her hands as she ran them over Corwin's exposed arms. The bloody wounds were slowly closing, but Corwin still looked exhausted. "We need to get them back before they reach the temple."

Morwen looked at him, confused. "What are you saying?"

"The Scalebacks came up here to capture Wayfarers." Vash said. "They're going to take them back to the shadow temple down in the Underlands and sacrifice them. The souls will trigger the Heartstones to merge into a Dungeon Heart."

"Creating a new Dungeon." Galia said, frowning at the pit. "That sounds too complex for Azakiri. They avoid dungeons and heartstones when they can. Their priestesses mark them as taboo whenever they can."

"They've apparently reconsidered." Vash said. "And they've taken our master."

"And mine." Charity said.

"And Sister Clea." Sera said, finishing with Corwin.

"The big man is right." Morwen said. "With the Scalebacks acting so out of character, it points to a bigger problem. We need to stop it before it gets any worse."

"You've been to this temple?" Galia asked, looking at Vash.

"We passed through it when we were trying to get here." Vash said, nodding.

"Then you can lead the way." Galia said, gesturing towards the pit.

"Wait, we're just apprentices," Sera protested. "We're not remotely qualified to deal with this."

"We don't have time to wait for the others to punch through the Scalebacks at the bridge." Charity said. "But we should let them know what is happening."

"Odal can go tell Master Sellick." Galia said, nodding to the crow on her shoulder. "We don't have to defeat the Scalebacks and the temple on our own. We just need to slow them down until the other Wayfarers can come and help."

"Then it would be best if we got moving." Morwen said, slinging her bow over her shoulder.

"Watch yourself down there." Odal said, clacking his beak at Galia. "The temple is in an old part of the Underlands, far more dangerous than you've encountered before."

"Don't worry, you know how careful I am," Galia said. "Now go warn Master Sellick and get us some help."

The crow squawked once more, then flapped his wings and flew off into the darkness.

Corwin rose, looking at the assembled group. "Looks like we've got a pretty solid party."

"I usually work alone." Galia said with a slightly uncomfortable look.

"As do I." Charity said. "Except for Master Edda."

"We're better off working together." Vash said, starting towards the pit. "Just for now, anyway."

After some awkward maneuvering, the group approached the pit and began their descent into the Underlands.

Vash felt a chill as the rim of the pit rose above his head.

Here we go again.

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