The long walk down the stairs begins.
You start hearing voices, and your torch soon iluminates three creatures, apparently of the same race as the corpse. They wear scaled metal armor, and they are running towards Lucius with their swords unseathed.
The creatures are apparently led by a warrior with a shield. His ears are very long, and his skin is pitch black. The two at his sides, with skin blue and purple, turn their swords at the same time, showing they are also warhammers at the other side of the hilt.
Seeing the creatures rushing his group, Misimba twirls his sling-staff and releases an iron ball at the purple skinned beast.
Attack-ranged:
Damage:
The ball dissapears in the distance, and, almost a second later, you see the purple skinned creature jumping to a side, crashing against wall while trying to avoid the shot. Your aim was perfect.
The warrior in the middle grabs a small object hanging from his neck with the left hand, and he touches his forehead, his chest, and both shoulders with the right one, as he recites in Latin. "In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen." and he runs up, pointing at you and cheering his companions.
The creature reaches Lucius, who is already near his companions, and confronts him.
Michel's eyes widen and his stance becomes more aggressive as the elves approach. Unwilling to allow them the advantage of a rush, he moves in to strike with his unique staff.
As Michel hits the leader in the face with the Sansetsukon, and Gül's bolt hits only the wall, Lucius is interrupted by the blue skinned foe, who swings the sword-hammer at him. The priest manages to jump back moments before.
"We will not aid, you barbarians! The child is an abomination!" the purple warrior shouts with anger.
As Michel hits the leader in the face with the Sansetsukon, and Gül's bolt hits only the wall, Lucius is interrupted by the blue skinned foe, who swings the sword-hammer at him. The priest manages to jump back moments before.
"We will not aid, you barbarians! The child is an abomination!" the purple warrior shouts with anger.
Ognos fires a Ray of Frost at the nearest foe:
The little demonic horn on Lucius' head can see Ognos raising his left hand and saying some strange words, as a line of ice sprouts from his left pinky, making flitter his torch and flying towards the priest and the warrior he is fighting with. Unfortunately, it is hard for Ognos to hit his enemy and not his companion, and the magic ray misses both, freezing a large part of the wall and nothing else.
"Should we help?" There is fright in Abel and Octavia's faces, but she has her dagger readied in her hand, and they seem willing to fight.
At the other side of the stairs, the plue creature is already supporting the other two and, grabbing his weapon by the blade of the sword and the head of the hammer, attempts to push Michel back with the hilt, but the At'a'Jutsu artist grabs the handle and pushes back, making his foe stumble against the wall.
"You can try monster, but you will not succeed!", the halfling calls back and fires another bullet from his slingstaff.
Attack-ranged:
Damage:
You hit the purple man in the ear, but, before you see anything else, everything turns dark.
Misimba cannot see anything, so slowly begins to back away from the last place he say the enemy.
Ognos, realizing his torch won't help him see, sets his torch on the ground and backs up as well.
One second Michel was cracking skulls, the next he was virtually blind.
He calls out to the elves, "The darkness cannot protect you, villains. The light of God will always prevail."
Despite his declaration, he makes no move against them, instead standing absurdly still with his eyes shut.
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"From one christian to another, I swear to you that my companions and I mean you no harm." Lucius pauses for a moment then takes a calculated risk. "I am Cardinal Lucius d'Borgia, of the Holy Roman See." Very slowly he holds out his left hand, clearly showing his cardinals ring. "I swear to you, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and his representative, Pope Sixtus IV that I have no knowledge of these beasts which you speak of. My companions and I ventured here in search of a missing child. May the Lord above strike me down if I lie."
"Then, our church is corrupted. If you are not controlling the beasts, there is no reason we should keep your friends alive, monster." The elf rises his sword, ready to strike down Michel, but a shout in an unknown language comes from behind him. He looks back and doubts for a second, before running back down the stairs. The other warriors follow him, ignoring Abel, Lucius and Octavia, who are frozen in fear.
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Lucius waits a moment to check that the dark skinned warriors have really gone before kneeling over Michel. He pulls out a small vial of water, dabs some on his fingers and murmurs a prayer while annointing Michel's forehead.
He then rises and checks the others, trying to establish if anyone is in immediate danger and provide care if needed.
When Michel wakes up Lucius explains shortly. "Someone called them off and they fled. We need to get the others to safety, I can heal somone else but I need time to pray first." He snaps at Octavia and Abel to help Michel with the bodies and begins organising the retreat.
Ognos wakes up feeling quite groggy.
But thankful he's still alive and follows along with leaving the cave.
Duma is growling above, looking at you.
Lucius runs ahead to Michel and takes an eyedropper of a red liquid out of his pouch, letting a drop fall in Michel's ear and waiting for him to wake up as he goes to Ognos, Gül and Misimba, stabilizing the heads of the first two and making them lay straight.
"Will they be fine?" asks Abel. Ognos is bleeding a bit and Gül's nose is broken, but they will be indeed fine. Michel starts to move.
"What did you gave to him? To Michel?" inquires his wife.
Before Michel stands, you feel a strong invisible push coming from down the stairs, and the sound of an explosion. You can see a ball of fire in the room downstairs, before it is covered and the place goes dark again, except for the torch in the floor, that is once again sheding a weak light.
Michel revives with a sputter and a start, turning to his side to cough up some phlegm.
After the shock of his near death experience, the dark cave and thunderous explosion was quite welcome. Stumbling back to his feet, his head spun and he fought to keep the contents of his stomach. The nausea dissipates, but a different sense of unease remains.
"What did you give to me? I feel... strange." Michel asks as he finds the torchlight.
"What happened to those elves? And what in the- Lord's name was that loud noise?"
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"I healed you. Or more accurately gave your body the ability to heal itself faster." Lucius replies without looking up. "Could you help me with the others please, I'm not strong enough to deal with a dead-weight like this."
Although outwardly unmoved by the explosion beneath them, inside Lucius is reeling. God in Heaven this is not good. If there really is a beast down there then it either set that blast off or the blast was aimed at it. Either way we need to get out of here! I need information. Why is the church so weak out here?
As Michel and He strain to move the bodies Lucius asks over his shoulder to Octavia and Abel. "Where is the nearest christian church?"
After waiting a minute or two for Gül to get back up, Berk uncoils from her waist and stays close her unconscious body, following Michel and Lucius when they move her.
Michel huffs as he lifts Ognos over his shoulder, "First escape, then church. Abel, help Lucius with Gül. Now."
As he lumbers back the way they came he tells Lucius, "We need to warn people away from this cave, and we need answers if we're going to save that child."
About a minute after, Ognos is mostly cured.
Sort of conscious (at 0 HP), but in much better shape than he was.
"I... What was that?" Abel looks around, confused, while Lucius is praying.
"The church..."Octavia can't finish what she is saying and falls to her knees, sobbing. "Azad! Was he... down there?" Abel gasps and looks at Michel, waiting for an answer.
Ognos suddenly wakes with a jolt and starts babbling:
Then he blinks a few times.
"Hmph! Ironic that a warning of evil would come
to me from that thieving strumpet back in Pest!"
Lucius approaches Ognos and helps him stand up.
"I am sorry, Octavia. We will go back here soon, with help. Maybe we can find Abel, he could be fine."
"No!" Octavia shakes her head and starts running down the stairs.
"Wait!" shouts Abel, and follows her.
Still feeling groggy, and more than a little, Ognos asks:
"That's not good! Can they see in the dark? I can't."