EPISODE 71: A RESCUE

"Vash!" Corwin cried, a wide grin splitting his face. "I didn't think you'd come for me."

We're always alone, Sparrow. Iona's voice floated up in Vash's memory. He grimaced, Not today.

"What, let you defeat the big, bad dungeon and get all the hero credit?" Vash said with a cocky grin. "Not on your life."

Vash crossed the room and took a position at Corwin's back, blades at the ready. From the shadowy corners of the room, Vash could see movement. He activated his elvish sight and could see Scalebacks approaching the altar. They moved slowly, carefully, having gained instinctive caution when dealing with the Wayfarers.

"That'd be a trick." Corwin snorted. "Unarmed, low on mana, and outnumbered about a hundred to one."

"I'm sure you'd do it just to piss me off." Vash said. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted what he was looking for. A Scaleback with a bastard sword strapped to its back moved carefully to flank them. Enhance Ability bloomed, giving his reflexes an extra edge, then he layered on Precise Attack for extra damage and accuracy.

The dagger flew from Vash's hand faster than the eye could follow. With a gurgling moan, the Scaleback toppled to the ground.

Vash summoned the dagger back to his hand. "Go get your sword. I'll give you cover."

Corwin grinned and charged. The startled Scalebacks, still recovering from Vash's sudden assault, barely had time to reach for their spears before the big man slammed into them like a battering ram. Meanwhile, Vash danced around the periphery, dagger flying out towards anyone who got too close, then whipping back into his hand with a murmured word.

The Scalebacks hissed and snarled, bringing their spears to the ready. Near the altar, Zakarias had stumbled back and was leaning on the pulsating crystal of the Dungeon Heart. The slow flow of congealed blood stopped within moments, and a large, deep-red crusty scab formed over the wound.

"We can't keep this up for long, Corwin." Vash said, sending his dagger streaking towards a Scaleback that stepped within his range. The Scaleback deflected the dagger off to one side, sending it spinning off into the shadows. It faced Vash with a grin made of yellowed, jagged teeth, each the size of Vash's thumb. "You're quick, I'll give you that. Astochi!"

The dagger flew back to Vash, but now the Scaleback was in the way. The heavy steel pommel smashed into the Scaleback's skull at high velocity. Bone crunched, and the Scaleback toppled, clutching its head in pain. The dagger kept going, landing back in Vash's hand. Vash lunged, stabbing his short sword through the Scaleback's neck, then vaulting over the creature to keep the others back for a moment longer.

A Scaleback flew past Vash and slammed into a pillar with a sickening crunch. Then Vash heard the ring of steel being drawn and the thrum of mana. He risked a peek over one shoulder. Corwin waded through the knot of Scalebacks that he hadn't already dropped with his bare hands. Lizard-men shrieked in horror as Corwin lopped off heads, arms, legs, whatever got too close to him and his flashing sword.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Corwin said, giving Vash a feral grin. "I'm just getting my second wind."

"Don't get cocky." Vash warned, scanning the chamber, looking for the next attack.

"They're just Scalebacks." Corwin said, rolling his neck with an audible crack. "This is a warm-up."

A savage roar echoed off the stone walls. It was so loud that the pillars shuddered and let loose a rain of dust and Therium flakes.

Vash gave Corwin a flat look. "You were saying?"

Nightscale warriors entered the chamber, drawn by the commotion. For a moment, Vash was worried. He could coat his sword in Shadowblade, but Corwin didn't have any sort of magical enhancement that allowed him to punch through the Nightscale's thick hide.

"We can handle this," Corwin said, bringing his sword up into a ready position. "Trust me."

Corwin took several deep breaths. Vash could feel mana building up in his Core. The faint echo told him how low on mana he was, but Vash could feel something building. Corwin pushed mana into a Talent. Vash could feel it humming with power.

Whatever that is, I hope it's strong. Vash thought, turning back to his opponents.

A Nightscale threw its spear like a javelin, the weapon whistling through the air at deadly speed. It was heading directly for Corwin. Vash started moving to intercept, but saw that it wasn't necessary. Corwin stepped forward, snatching the spear out of the air with one hand, spinning with the momentum and sending it back at its owner with a savage yell of effort and defiance.

The spear flew too fast for Vash to really track. Eyes wide in surprise, the Nightscale tried to grab the spear as Corwin had, but the jagged metal head slipped past its claws and slammed into its chest. The Nightscale flew backwards, knocked off its feet by the force of the strike. It hit the ground and slid several feet, still and lifeless.

Corwin let out a challenging howl and charged the nearest group of Scalebacks. The closest bull was nearly seven feet tall and outweighed the former farm boy by almost a hundred pounds. Corwin sliced the creature nearly in half with one stroke of his blade. The lizard-man standing closest to his doomed companion tried to backpedal out of the way, but Corwin simply continued his forward motion, making two quick cuts that laid the Scaleback open, spilling black blood in a gush across the stones.

Tugs from Vash's Danger Sense pulled him away from staring open-mouthed at Corwin's bloody display. He turned and immediately yelped before leaning on Enhance Ability to leap back and away from a spear that nearly skewered him through the eye.

Pay attention! Cass scolded. You can goggle at your boyfriend later.

He's not— Vash started, but the Nightscale launched another series of stabbing attacks, interrupting him.

Vash retreated from the first thrust, then side-stepped the second. Knocking the spear-head out of the way, he advanced along the outside of the spear, getting close and burying his Shadowblade up to the hilt in the Nightscale's shoulder.

The huge lizard-man roared in pain, its right arm flopping at its side, useless. Vash stabbed it in the side with his dagger, surprised when it sliced through the Nightscale's hide without difficulty.

It's a magic dagger, Vash. Cass said scornfully. Of course, it's going to bypass their Damage Resistance.

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Vash chose not to answer, just twisted the dagger and pulled it free. A gout of blood followed, flowing down the Nightscale's side. It stumbled back, dropping its spear with a clatter and clutching the wound with its good hand.

Turning, Vash sought a new opponent. Corwin had three Nightscales bearing down on him. The nine-foot tall lizard-men dwarfed Corwin, as big as he was, but he didn't seem to care. Corwin moved through them with reckless abandon. He dodged one spear thrust, so close that his breastplate took a new scratch, then sliced through the spear and the torso of the Nightscale behind it. The creature's hide didn't part as easily as it had for Vash's magical blades, but the force of Corwin's blow not only tore through the thick hide but also smashed its ribcage.

As the Nightscale collapsed, lungs straining to take in air with shattered ribs, Corwin kicked out savagely to his left, connecting with a second attacker at the knee. There was a loud crack and the creature's knee bent sideways. It shrieked and toppled, right leg suddenly useless. Corwin laughed, a hollow, crazed sound, and spun to face an overhand strike from the remaining Scaleback. He blocked, sword held horizontal only a few finger-widths from his head. The Scaleback growled, a harsh, rumbling sound akin to thunder. Corwin snarled back, face a rictus of strain and controlled rage.

The two of them stood locked together like that, neither giving an inch. But Vash could see Corwin's muscles trembling under the strain, and could feel the fading power of his mana.

"Enough of this," Vash muttered and threw his dagger. The blade streaked through the air and struck the Nightscale in the left eye. It stiffened, a look of surprise crossing its face. Vash recalled his dagger, and it flew back, trailing a mist black mist of blood from the Scaleback's ruined eye.

Corwin shoved back against the Nightscale. It fell backwards, dead before it hit the ground. The chamber was suddenly quiet except for the heavy breathing of Corwin and Vash.

"Come on, let's get out of here." Vash said, moving towards the northern doorway. His Dungeon Sense still had a clear pathway between this chamber and the river exit. "We need to hurry before the Dungeon recovers enough to…"

Vash trailed off. His Dungeon Sense was clouding over. Once clear hallways suddenly became obscured by a gray fog in his mind. A surge of mana came from behind him. Vash didn't want to look, but guessed where it was coming from.

Vash, look at this. Cass said softly, voice worried.

Vash turned and felt his blood run cold. Zakarias stood at the altar, hands buried in the crystals of the Dungeon Heart. The sorcerer was chanting something, but Vash couldn't make it out. A faint purple glow surrounded the fallen Scalebacks and Vash watched in horror as their hides split apart, revealing glistening worms. The worms were each the length of his arm and three inches thick. They lay coiled and writhing within the corpses of the Scalebacks. With their warm incubators breached, they lifted circular sucker-mouths ringed with needle-sharp teeth and swayed in the air, searching for something.

Corwin fell back and stood at Vash's side. "What are those things?"

"Nothing good." Vash answered, backing slowly away from the altar and the Scaleback bodies.

"You can't leave now." Came the oddly amplified voice of Zakarias. "I have such wonderful things to show you."

Zakarias laughed, a horrible sound, wet with mucous and raw with the torments his body had gone through. As he did, Vash felt a surge of mana. As one, the worms all turned towards the altar, sucker-mouths flexing as if they were tasting something on the air. Slowly, the worms slithered out of the corpses and wriggled their way across the stone floor to the altar.

"We need to go," Corwin said, fighting hard to keep the revulsion out of his voice as dozens of worms slithered towards the altar.

"We can't." Vash said, grimacing. "The Dungeon Heart is obscuring my mind-map. I won't be able to find a way out."

"So, what can we do?" Corwin asked, eyes fixed on the mass of worms forming just in front of the altar, their glistening bodies finding crevices in the crystals and working their way up the sides of the altar. Zakarias continued to laugh, voice harsh and bloody spittle forming at the corners of his mouth.

Any ideas? Vash asked.

One, but it may just make things worse. Cass said, voice unsure. And I don't know if you trust me enough to do it, anyway.

Why? What is it?

We still have a link to Zakarias from the Thought Cage. It's tenuous, but it's still there. Cass said. If I had access to mana, I could, theoretically, use that connection and Zakarias' connection to the Dungeon Heart to force the Heart to manifest on the physical plane.

What would that do?

The Heart would become a creature we could fight, something we could kill.

What's the catch?

It would be a powerful monster. Cass said. Something terrible.

Zakarias began chanting in the strange language again, the worms slithering together and melding with one another on the surface of the altar, forming a horrid gelatinous mass.

It looks like that's what Zakarias is doing, anyway.

"If we're not leaving, then we should probably go kill that bastard," Corwin said.

"Give me a second." Vash said. "I want to try something."

Corwin gave Vash a curious glance.

Vash reached into his pouch and drew out the mana stone. He reached out with his Core, feeling the warm pool of mana in his hand. Mentally he connected the mana stone to the place within him he thought of as 'Cass'.

It was an odd sensation; the mana flowed through Vash and into Cass. The warm glow felt like a second Core.

Oh my, I have missed that. Cass said, voice almost delirious with ecstasy. After a moment, Vash felt the connection to Cass deepen, then tendrils of mana reached out, finding almost invisible lines of connection between himself and Zakarias.

Cass wove mana in a subtle, intricate pattern along the lines of connection. Zakarias continued to work on his monster, oblivious to what Cass and Vash were doing. Vash felt Cass probe the connection between Zakarias and the Dungeon Heart. She found the line, like a thick cable running from the sorcerer to the Heart. Cass wove a sheathe of mana over this connection, reinforcing it with deft patterns and knots. Finally, it was all ready. Vash could feel her hesitate, unsure about what to do next.

Do it. Vash thought, gripping the mana stone tightly.

For a moment, there was nothing. The world held its breath.

Then Vash felt an enormous pull, like a giant was using his soul to brace itself against while hauling a huge net. He could feel the web of connection between himself, Cass, Zakarias, and the Dungeon Heart all go taut.

Then he felt the Heart move.

Zakarias looked up in confusion, staring at Vash. "What are you doing?"

Corwin looked at Vash. "What are you doing?"

Vash couldn't spare any energy answering questions. Cass was pulling with all her might, drawing mana from the mana stone at an alarming rate. The Heart fought back, struggling like a fish on a hook. Nevertheless, the Heart moved inch by agonizing inch out into the physical world.

Back in Durron's Ford, Vash had seen calf births many times. It felt like watching one of those. Arms deep in the mother cow, pulling and straining to bring the calf into the world. All the while, the Heart fought, unwilling to be pulled into the physical world that it was already corrupting.

"Stop!" Zakarias said, panicked. He couldn't move while his hands shaped the crystals and worms on the altar, didn't dare step away. "You don't know what you're doing!"

"Yes, I do." Vash said through gritted teeth. "I'm ending this."

Corwin watched in confusion, unsure what to do, or even what was happening.

"You'll kill it!" Zakarias wailed.

"That's the plan!" Vash snarled.

Vash could hear Cass screaming with effort, pulling with all her might. He added in his own strength to hers, adding his Core to the power of the mana stone. The Heart let out a psychic screech like anything Vash had ever heard or felt. He felt its grip slip. In a rush, the essence of the Heart exploded into the physical world. Vash could feel it flailing, trying to find a grip on anything. It let out another screech, and Vash felt the world go white. He fell to his knees in pain, unable to do anything but pray for it to stop, for it to end.

As suddenly as it started, the pain vanished. Vash slowly opened his eyes. Corwin was also on his knees, clutching his head and breathing hard. At the altar, Zakarias lay face-down on the altar surface. The worms appeared to have vanished.

All was silent and still.

Did we kill it? Vash thought.

In answer, Vash felt the stones rumble beneath his feet. The pools of dark water that flanked the altar bubbled in agitation. Vash could see a trail of glistening slime leading from the altar to the pool. He felt a thrum of mana, bigger than anything he had ever felt before.

The water erupted in a huge geyser. A massive, segmented worm rose from the water. Its back had enormous plates of chitin, colored black like the surrounding stone. It lifted its head, a great mass of sword-length crystalline teeth sparkled in the dim light.

The worm let out a screech that made Vash cover his ears in pain.

"A Dungeon Boss." Corwin breathed.

Vash had never heard him so frightened.

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