EPISODE 72:

DUNGEON BOSS

"What in the name of all the gods is that thing?" Vash asked, trying to keep his hands and his voice steady.

A Great Worm. Cass said, sounding both worried and annoyed. One of Rasu's little pets. Not smart, but large, and dangerous.

Corwin took several slow steps back to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Vash. "Jabez told me about Dungeon Bosses. It's what the Heart makes as a last-ditch effort to protect itself. Whatever you did must have scared it."

"If we kill it, does that mean we kill the Heart?"

Theoretically, Cass said evasively.

"Wounding the beast makes the Heart vulnerable." Corwin said, getting more confident as he remembered what Jabez taught him. "The more damage we do to the worm, the more damage we can do to the Heart."

Theoretically. Cass repeated.

If you have a better idea, I'd love to hear it. Vash thought, watching the Worm rise above the dark pool that spawned it. Its huge, tooth-filled mouth weaved back and forth, searching blindly for prey. It rose almost as high as the cavern roof, emitting low growls as it huffed the air.

Its armor is likely to be incredibly tough. Cass continued. But the flesh between segments and the interior of its mouth are more vulnerable.

"Let's see if it has any weaknesses," Vash said, watching the gaping maw weave unsteadily, raining drops of water and a steady stream of slimy mucous. "Aim for the spots between the armored segments. I'm going to see if I can't get its attention."

Vash charged across the chamber, careful not to trip on any of the Scaleback corpses. He focused on his destination. The altar beneath the Eye of Noctus. It would give him a closer position to the Worm and, he reasoned, it would be unlikely to want to do any collateral damage around the Dungeon Heart.

The worm swiveled towards him, drawn to the motion. The barest hint of a tug on his Core was all the warning that Vash received. Quick as a snake, the worm struck. Vash rolled to the side; only his active Enhance Ability saved him from the worm's crystalline teeth grinding him into paste. The worm still grazed him. Vash felt a line of fire down his left side. He glanced down as he finished his roll. A long, bloody gash showed through torn cloth and leather. A pulse of healing magic from his medallion immediately tried to dampen the pain from the wound, but the sudden pain threw him off balance.

Hit it, Vash! Cass shouted in his mind.

Vash spun about, confused, and saw the worm with its maw buried in the stone beside him. The segments of the worm stretched and flexed, exposing a stretch of soft, pale flesh under the thick chitinous armor. He struck with his short sword, which miraculously kept its Shadowblade.

The worm jerked back at the last moment, and Vash's sword barely scratched the vulnerable flesh. It had some effect, though; the worm let out a hissing growl so deep that Vash could feel it in his chest. Glistening, crystalline teeth waved towards him again; Vash could almost feel it rearing back to strike. A pulse of mana and a heartbeat later, Corwin's sword stabbed deep into the segments towards the back of the worm. The creature let out a pained roar, whipping back away from the blade that had cut it deeply. Corwin forced his sword down, opening a huge gash beneath the worm's segment. Dark red blood flowed out from beneath the armored segment, and as it moved, Vash could see the gaping, raw wound exposed.

The worm rounded on Corwin, huge mouth open wide. Vash threw his dagger, layering Enhance Ability and Precise Strike to send it rocketing into the creature's mouth. A spurt of red splashed across the crystalline teeth.

"Astochi!" Vash called, and the dagger returned to his palm, letting loose a stream of blood behind it. The worm's drool now ran red. It reared back, and if a worm could look angry, Vash judged it would look like that.

The worm slithered out of the pool, lifting its long, trailing back end up as it did. With a sinuous flick of its tapered back end, the worm caught Corwin just as he was moving in for another attack. Corwin tried to dodge, but the huge worm was surprisingly fast. Its tail slammed into Corwin's side, flinging him across the room and sending him crashing into one of the pitted stone pillars.

Stone cracked and sent dust raining down. Corwin groaned and rolled unsteadily onto his hands and knees. Again the worm rounded on Corwin, darting forward to strike. Vash charged the worm, aiming for the large, open wound from Corwin's attack. Feeding mana into Enhance Ability and targeting his Agility, Vash leaped, vaulting over the back of the worm, short sword slicing through exposed flesh as he went. The Shadowblade sizzled as it cut, digging deeper and leaving a more grievous wound than Corwin's sword strike.

The worm let out a shriek of pain, turning from Corwin back towards Vash. Landing lightly on his feet, Vash ran for the altar, again whipping around to throw his dagger into the gaping maw of the worm. "Corwin! Keep it between us; we can wear it down!"

Corwin staggered to his feet, dazed, but he nodded his understanding.

Vash summoned his dagger back to his hand. It ripped free from the worm's mouth, leaving another gush of red behind. The worm shook its head in pain and rage, surging forward with its mouth wide, bloody teeth gleaming in the glowmoss's light. Vash turned, trusting Corwin to do his part in this dance and draw the worm's attention again before it could attack him.

I'm not saying this is a bad plan, but do you have the reserves to wear a Dungeon Boss down? Cass asked.

Vash checked his Core. Cass using the Mana Stone had pulled some of the excess into his own body. For once, his mana levels felt comfortable. I can't speak for Corwin, but I'm doing all right.

Let's just hope the farm boy isn't running low. Cass said with a hint of reproach. Vash got the feeling that she wasn't too fond of Corwin. He would deal with that later, when he wasn't fighting for his life against a giant worm spawned from shadow magic.

The warning tug came a moment later. Vash dove to one side, mana-infused reflexes allowing him to roll back up to his feet without losing a step. The worm crashed into the stone beside him, gouging a deep furrow in the ground. It reacted swiftly, raising its head again and getting its bearings.

Vash risked a look over his shoulder. Corwin had his sword buried to the hilt beneath one of the worm's segments. Dark red blood flowed out and over the warrior's hands. The worm was ignoring the pain, though, focusing on Vash.

It adapted. Cass said with strained resignation in her voice. It's the Dungeon Heart. The intelligence of the Heart will eventually overwhelm the monster's nature.

Can we destroy the Heart? Vash asked, focusing on the crystal in front of Zakarias' limp body. It glittered in the weak light, not entirely drained but definitely dimmer than a few minutes before.

Maybe, but unless you kill the Boss as well, it will just reform. Just as nasty as before. Cass said.

Vash didn't reply. He focused on the Dungeon Heart and ran. A boost to his Agility from Enhance Ability allowed him to run at much faster speeds. The worm struck again, misjudging the distance when Vash sped up, and got a mouthful of stone for its trouble.

Stone shattered on Vash's heels, sending him off balance. He stumbled forward, using his momentum to turn it into a shoulder roll. Vash came lightly back to his feet and continued running. The worm didn't bother raising its head, merely chewing through the rock in Vash's direction, snapping at his heels.

Almost there. Vash thought, staring at the altar that was only a few strides away now.

VASH! Cass screamed at the same time as his Core broadcast a warning that an attack was incoming.

Too late, Vash tried to roll again, but the worm's mouth engulfed him. Foot-long teeth burst through the stone just ahead of his boots, lifting rock and soil. The top of the creature's mouth came down, teeth punching into his flesh and forcing Vash off his feet. He fell, feeling the grotesque mucus flowing around him, smaller teeth grating at him like a farrier's rasp. In horror, he watched the round opening of the worm's mouth get smaller and smaller.

A shape appeared in the opening. Corwin shoved one shoulder against the creature's teeth, then rammed his sword up and into the inside of its mouth. The razor-sharp teeth sliced through Corwin's tunic and the flesh beneath, leaving long trails of blood as he shoved deeper into the monster's mouth, muscles straining, and forced it open again.

"Go! I've got this!" Corwin said through gritted teeth.

"We'll kill it together!" Vash said, struggling to his feet.

Corwin shook his head. "I'll take the body. You destroy the Heart! We may only get one shot at this!"

Vash looked out of the open maw of the worm. The Heart was pulsing again, weakly, and Zakarias was stirring where he lay sprawled on the altar. "You hold on! I'll be right back!"

Corwin flashed him a grin. "I'm not going anywhere, buddy."

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Vash scrambled out of the worm's mouth, body slick with mucus and worm blood. His body suddenly felt the half-dozen punctures on his back and shoulders from the worm's teeth. Corwin let out a cry, which he swiftly turned into a grunt of effort. Vash glanced back. Corwin was slowly slicing his way down the body of the worm, which writhed around him, but didn't dare make a more aggressive move or Corwin might tear through parts of it faster.

On the altar, Zakarias was stirring, head lolling from side to side as he struggled to consciousness. The Heart's mottled light gained a reddish hue, bathing the chamber in a hellish light. Vash focused on the altar, found the shadow to one side, extended his aura and pulled.

A flash of icy darkness, then Vash burst out of the shadow next to the altar. The Heart stood just on the other side of Zakarias' prone form. Vash raised his short sword and put as much strength and mana as he could into a final, devastating strike. He layered Enhanced Ability with Precise Strike, aiming directly for the central crystal of the Dungeon Heart.

"Let's end this." He whispered.

"Yes, let's." A voice rasped beside him.

Sudden pain lanced through Vash's side, tearing through armor, skin, and muscle. Vash felt something pierce him deep inside. He felt suddenly cold. Looking down, Vash saw a shard of crystal jutting out of his side. Zakarias held one end of it, his misshapen face looking up at Vash with undisguised glee. Savagely, Zakarias twisted the crystal.

Vash heard himself scream, felt important things tearing inside of him. His Talents faltered, the mana dissipating along with his concentration.

"You've given me a great deal of difficulty, half-breed." Zakarias rasped. "I would love to make this last, but other things take priority. So, I will just have to be satisfied with killing you."

Zakarias tore the crystal free from Vash's side. Blood flowed out in a rush. Vash sank to his knees, head spinning.

Vash! Cass called, her voice sounding very far away. Stay with me!

The worm let out a barking growl. It spat out a bloody mass, which slid across the floor, leaving a trail of blood and mucus behind it. Vash realized that the crumpled, blood-soaked mass was Corwin. A wave of despair rolled over him. He raised his head, looking at the Dungeon Heart. The glow intensified, getting stronger.

The Heart is making a link to the Dungeon Boss. Cass said, desperate. We have to hope we've done enough damage to the worm to let us destroy the Heart.

Zakarias gave Vash a sick little smile, lopsided mouth quirking upwards for a moment. "So much for heroes."

Vash coughed a laugh. Blood bubbled up in his mouth as he chuckled painfully.

"What's so funny?" Zakarias asked, smile frozen in a quizzical smirk.

"Who…who…ever said…I…was…a hero…" Vash forced out through bloody lips.

Zakarias' lips quirked higher, and his laughter joined Vash's choking gasps. Vash watched the shard of crystal in Zakarias' hand. He saw it quiver. Saw Zakarias' hand lose strength for just a moment.

Vash tapped everything his Core had, every mote of mana, shoving it into his body, willing it to work for just a few moments more. Vash surged to his feet, stabbing Zakarias through the stomach with his short sword. The sorcerer's eyes bulged as his laughter cut short. Vash rammed the sword through as far as he could. The tip of the blade emerged from Zakarias' back in a sudden burst of blood and viscera. Lowering his shoulder, Vash pushed the stunned sorcerer back, channeling every mote of mana he could find, burning the recently healed weave of his soul to get the strength to do what he had to.

Zakarias stumbled backwards, propelled by Vash's savage attack. He slammed into the Heart crystal and found himself pinned when Vash's blade pierced the stone. The Heart cracked and let loose an unearthly screech, hundreds of souls suddenly allowed to breathe, to scream their last before escaping into the spirit plane. Vash twisted and layered on one last Talent. Black flames erupted along the length of the blade. Zakarias shrieked as his flesh and blood sizzled in the freezing shadow fire. The Dungeon Heart audibly cracked, crystal shattering, black stone falling away like sand suddenly losing its shape.

Vash shoved again, harder, and forced another crack. The Heart cracked again and again, a spiderweb of flaws flowing out from where Vash's blade entered the stone. Black fire flowed into each crack. Vash felt a rush of mana leaving him as the shadow flames grew and consumed the heart. Zakarias flailed against Vash, trying to push him back, the fire consuming the sorcerer from within. Vash held firm, even as both his life's blood and his mana poured out of him.

Zakarias' wails became a high-pitched keen that harmonized with the screech of the crystal desperately trying to keep itself together. Somewhere behind him, Vash could sense the great worm thrashing, the connection between it and the Heart disrupting its instincts. Vash held on, unable to even think about doing anything else.

The noise built to a fever pitch. Then, for a moment, everything went silent. It felt as if the world was holding its breath. Vash raised his head, meeting Zakarias' eyes. Any remnants of the sorcerer were gone. His eyes had turned solid black, and the pupils were white bars opening horizontally. Zakarias' face was no longer twisted in agony; it looked calm, if somewhat annoyed.

"You think this is victory?" A voice said through Zakarias' mouth. "You earned a small respite against me and my brethren. All it cost you was your life."

The voice chilled Vash, sinking deep into him and touching something primal. A wave of despair passed over him, and he had a strong desire to let go of his sword. He lowered his eyes and saw the bloody, crumpled form of Corwin, still lying on the stones unmoving.

"No…" Vash said, his voice a ragged whisper. He tightened his fingers on the hilt of his sword.

"Pathetic." The voice chided. "This changes nothing. The old pacts are weakening. The guardians can be corrupted, killed, or swept aside. Your sacrifice is meaningless."

"That's…where you're wrong…" Vash rasped, struggling to take a deep enough breath to speak. Each word brought a bit of blood into his mouth. "My…sacrifice…just means…that I was worthy…"

With the last of his strength, Vash shoved against his sword. The blackness disappeared from Zakarias' eyes, revealing dead orbs that rolled up into his head. A resounding crack echoed through the chamber. Vash felt himself thrown off his feet from the force of the Heart shattering into a thousand pieces.

He lay on the ground, feeling the cold seeping into him. Each breath came with pain and the taste of blood. Vash lolled his head to one side, spotting Corwin just off to his left. The big man had taken many deep wounds, and Vash could barely make out his chest moving shallowly.

Still alive. Vash thought.

Not for long. Cass whispered. But that's true for all of us at this point.

Vash was about to ask her what she meant, but then he heard the great worm's segments grating against the stone floor. Blood and mucus dripped around him in a horrible parody of rain. Vash turned his eyes upwards and saw the huge, tooth-filled mouth hovering over him and Corwin. The worm had several terrible wounds, but it wasn't dead, not even close. Vash let his head sink back to the floor. He still had the health potion that Morwen gave him, but even if it got him back on his feet, he doubted he had the strength to do anything against the great worm.

At least I'm not alone at the end. Vash thought. That's something.

Cass said nothing, but he could feel her presence, like a warm glow touching his mind. Vash closed his eyes and waited for the worm to strike.

"OY! UGLY!" Barked a familiar voice. "YOU WANT A SNACK? I'LL OBLIGE YOU!"

Vash opened his eyes and looked around frantically. At the far end of the chamber stood Jabez, still in his hospital clothes, but in his hands was his heavy war hammer. Vash could almost feel the mana radiating off of the dwarf as he summoned his Talents.

The worm hissed and turned to face this new threat. To Vash's eyes, it seemed like the worm moved a bit more cautiously with this newcomer. Jabez eyed the creature contemptuously. He shifted his weight and brought the hammer up over his head. Mana surged, and Vash saw the traceries of blue-white runes and symbols burst to life on the worn sides of the hammer.

"BALDNIRUUK!" Jabez shouted and swung the hammer in a high arc. It slammed into the ground and sent out a wave of destructive force. Stone shattered along the path of the wave. The worm tried to dodge at the last moment, but the wave engulfed it. The wave of force slammed into the worm, flinging it back several feet. Great rents appeared in the armored segments, exposing raw flesh and oozing blood.

The worm screeched and flailed, trying to get control of its body.

Jabez jogged across the chamber, eyes fixed on the worm. Mana surged again, and Jabez whirled in a surprisingly graceful arc, ending with his hammer colliding with a damaged segment. The force of the blow caused the cracks in the armor to tear open, letting out a gush of blood. Damage from the strike rippled outwards, making more cracks appear on several nearby segments.

The worm screeched again, undulating away from the dwarf with the hammer and the angry stare. It snapped at Jabez, great teeth only closing on empty air as Jabez avoided each attack. Jabez then swung again, smashing his hammer against the mouth of the worm. Crystal teeth shattered, and the worm listed sideways from the force of the blow. Blood poured from the open, slack maw of the worm. It weaved drunkenly from one side to the other, as though dazed from the onslaught.

"Kharboc suuk!" Jabez spat in dwarvish. "Svaroc suuk! Kash ek navosh!"

Jabez roared in fury. Mana boosted him as he leaped into the air. His feet came down on top of the worm's head. He took one step and brought his hammer down in a devastating arc.

"BALDNIRUUK!" Jabez boomed, and the blue-white runes on his hammer burst to life once again. Force rippled out from the hammer blow. The worm shuddered, then the segments burst one after the other, like a sausage left too long in the oven. A great rift opened along the path of the wave of force. Blood, flesh, and other substances erupted from the wound. A great geyser of gore erupted into the air, splattering walls, columns, and floor with chunks of worm.

Jabez stepped back, landing in a crouch on the stone floor.

The worm thrashed, but the fight had gone out of it. It made no sound, just gurgled and slapped in impotent pain. Body writhing against the stone floor. Jabez watched, hammer at the ready, as the worm's movement slowed, then stopped.

The silence that followed was so complete that Vash could hear the patter of blood dripping from the ceiling above.

A groan from Corwin drew Vash's attention. He crawled painfully towards Corwin. Master Eggin's healing potion. There should be enough to keep both of us alive until we can get to a healer.

Reaching one hand into his pouch, Vash found only a mass of shattered glass and a sticky wetness.

Oh no, Vash thought. The potion.

Vash withdrew his hand; in it he held the only intact piece of the bottle. The very bottom still held a swallow of the powerful potion.

"Easy there, lad," Jabez said. The dwarf was suddenly standing over Vash, his hammer on the ground beside him. Strong hands reached down to steady him, but Vash pushed them away.

"Give…give this to Corwin," Vash said, pressing the last swallow of the potion into Jabez's hand. His body had grown so cold that he didn't trust his shaking hands.

"There has to be enough for both…" Jabez began, shaking his head.

"You know there isn't!" Vash said forcefully. He started coughing, which should have caused his wound to flare in agony, but all Vash felt was a cold numbness throughout his body.

That can't be good. Vash thought. His head swam, and it was hard to focus. Is it getting darker?

Jabez shook his head. "We'll find a way."

Vash coughed again. "Don't bother…he saved my life…now it's time to return the favor."

Jabez stared down at him. Emotions warred on the dwarf's face. He desperately wanted to save Corwin, but the guilt was eating at him, Vash could tell.

"DO IT!" Vash screamed.

The chamber was silent, and still. Reluctantly, Jabez turned, lifted Corwin's blood-streaked face, then poured the dregs of the healing potion into his mouth.

Corwin shifted and groaned. Vash could see the most visible wounds shrink and scab over. A wave of relief washed over him.

Opening his eyes, Corwin looked from Jabez and then to Vash with profound confusion clear on his face.

Vash tried to give him a reassuring smile, but he felt it turn into a grimace as something let loose inside him. Cold and darkness swept over him.

"Wha-What's happening…Vash!" Corwin's voice sounded weak and panicked.

"Easy, lad," Jabez said, voice rough with emotion. "It was his choice."

Vash felt slender fingers slip between his, and the calm presence of Cass somewhere close.

I've got you. Cass said, voice soothing. Just come with me.

Vash let go.

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