Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Nicholas let out a cruel laugh. You will meet him eventually. Well, at least parts of you will!

I groaned and looked at Friar Brown. Are all cultists so melodramatic?

Apparently, he grumbled.

The hulking boss beside Nicholas stood, its muscular frame covered in dark red skin that seemed to be stretched too tight. It had a snarling face, with long, vicious black teeth and tusks made out of black bone. Probably best to avoid those if at all possible.

Nicholas climbed into a saddle onto its back, pulling out a halberd from the other side of his mount. Not saying another word, he charged down the hall straight for us.

Friar Brown dashed to the side and took cover in the pillars. There was no way I could face the charge head on, the hulking creature was bigger than a bull and moving surprisingly fast for its bulk.

Reshaping Mercy into a long, curved blade, I sidestepped Nicholass charge, his halberd crashing down too close to dodge. At the last moment, I deflected part of the blow with the shaft of Mercy, but the heavy blade still slammed into my leg. The bone cracked, proving I couldnt take another blow like that. The only thing that kept me going was the resistance my skeletal body had to bladed weapons.

As Nicholas rushed past me, I slashed at the hindquarters of his mount, scoring a deep cut. The wound didnt even appear to slow the powerful creature. But thankfully the warmth of Friar Browns magic suffused to my weapon.

I lowered into a defensive position as Nicholas rounded the corner and came charging back. When I dashed to the side again, the creature snagged me with one of its tusks. The sharp bone punched through my robes, and while it tore free, the tug was enough to throw me off-balance. This wasnt just a mindless beast thenit had anticipated my move.

Within those precious seconds, Nicholas also landed a blow, flaring pain across my shoulder. Before I could recover, he sped past me out of range. I was pretty sure his attack to my shoulder had nearly broken the bone. Again, I was saved by my resistance to bladed weapons. Except Nicholas blows were heavy, and I got the sense he was a much higher level than I was.

The third charge was when things started to change. Friar Brown was busy preparing a spellNicholas having clearly forgotten about him. Right as Nicholas was about to reach me, a bolt of light slammed into the monstrous mount.

The monster staggered, jostling Nicholas and giving me the opening I needed. Stepping to the side, I plunged Mercy deep into the side of the mount. Its own momentum and my staffs incredibly sharp blade resulted in a deep gash running along the left side of the beast, from its chest clear out past its hip.

Friar Brown and I both chargedour opportunity to finish this couldnt have been better. I led the way and scooped up Mercy as I rushed past it. Nicholas waved his halberd, red light beginning to glow.

Friar Brown muttered, Oh no you dont.

He cast the spell far quicker than I realized he could, and a bolt of gray light slammed into Nicholas, sending him tumbling and his halberd flying out of his hand. I reformed Mercy from the thick blade and to a slender, almost needlelike blade. As I approached the lame mount, I leapt into the air, its hate-filled eyes following me as it tried to block with its one remaining front arm.

Trusting in Mercy, I didnt even try to avoid its arm and plunged the tip through the forearm. With my weight behind it, the tip burst through and drove straight into the wounded beast. Thankfully, Id caught the forearm in a position where it didnt have much strength. I released Mercy, leaving it impaled where the tip dug deep, nearly out the back of the beast. It didnt have the leverage to pull the weapon straight out, and whenever it moved its arm, the tip slashed back and forth inside its body.

Even though I was now weaponless, Nicholas ignored me. He dropped his halberd, backpedaling away from the friar.

P-please, Nicholas babbled as Friar Brown closed in on him. I didnt mean it.

I went for the cultists halberd and moved to the side of the maimed and disabled beast. Just then, Nicholas began to scream. Using the halberd like an ax, I lopped the head off the mount with several heavy blows, and by the time I was done, all that was left of Nicholas was a pile of ash.

The hulking mounts headless form spewed blood, and a large pool quickly formed under it. I pulled Mercy out of the beast, then gestured to the halberd. You want that? I asked Friar Brown. I really have no need for it.

We can retrieve it on our way out. I shall take it to the temple to have it destroyed.

Behind the seat Nicholas had been sitting on was a door that led to a spiraling staircase of large, stone slabs jutting out of the wall. This was the first staircase wed come across since entering the dungeon itself. Before this, wed been walking down what felt like a large spiral path, with a constant downward angle through every room and hall.

Peering down the center of this spiral staircase, I could see a bright red glow, brighter than the room we fought Nicholas in, emanating from the bottom.

This feels like were descending into hell, I said.

Considering what we will find down there, in a way, we are, Friar Brown said.