Nate, Hero of Decura Chapter 26

Into the Darkness Again

With a focused scowl on his face, Crunch led several of his fellow scalekin into the large chamber where he had fought his Chooka just over a week ago, losing his left hand to one of the reyn's short swords. “Two of you, go that way” he snarled, pointing the crude hook he'd had attached to replace his severed claw toward one of the chamber's exits. When none of his kin moved, Crunch glared back at them. “Did you not hear me?!”

One of the scalekin glanced at Crunch's hook hand and smirked. “We don't take orders from weaklings” he snickered, the other scalekin all nodding in agreement.

“What did you say?” Crunch growled, turning to face the rest of the scalekin.

“Scarlord Crunch” the disobedient scalekin chuckled, unable to contain his amusement at the title the elders allowed Crunch to keep. “How can someone who can't even kill one puny reyn be a scarlord? It's ridiculous.” The scalekin pointed a clawed finger at Crunch. “If someone like you can be a scarlord after so many disgraces, why can't I be one? Why can't all of us be one?”

The other scalekin all joined in on the discussion, only to be swiftly silenced when Crunch knocked the head of the questioning scalekin clean off with his primitive stone axe, killing the upstart instantly.

“I'm scarlord because anyone who says otherwise, ends up like that” Crunch growled before turning his glare toward the other scalekin. “Any other stupid questions?” When the rest of his kin simply shook their heads, Crunch returned to directing his patrols, pointing to the various hallways with his hook hand. Once all of his fellow scalekin had left the large mostly empty chamber, Crunch turned back toward the hallway that led to Xeenath's altar, his fist clenched up tight. “Chooka... Your luck won't last forever. Sooner or later, I will end you.”

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Two of the scalekin Crunch had sent on patrol wandered through a hallway, eventually reaching Etin city's massive sewer network. “Can you believe that Crunch?” one of the asked in an aggravated tone. “He's on my last nerves.”

“Just forget about it” the other scalekin grumbled. “The elders told us Crunch must remain a scarlord. I don't know why.”

The first scalekin let out a snicker as he and his companion marched down the long sewer, barely bothering to pay attention to what was in front of him. “Can you believe he declared a reyn his Chooka?” he asked. “Pathetic. How hard could it be to kill one reyn with a bow?”

“I heard the reyn has a dangerous companion” the second scalekin said, wiggling his fingers to emphasize his sarcasm. “Apparently it's some little human child, made of stone no less.”

The first scalekin laughed. “We'd better keep on our guard or else we-”

Suddenly an arrow came zipping out the darkness, scoring a direct hit on the side of the first scalekin's head, killing him instantly. Before the second scalekin could even fully react, a fierce battle cry echoed through the sewers.

“Emi!” a childish voice cheered as a small figure came darting out of the darkness. The second scalekin tried to swing his huge club at his attacker, only for the small thing to duck under the weapon before delivering a powerful uppercut to the beast's lower jaw. As the second scalekin's head was thrown back, the small figure finished her battle cry. “Uppercut!”

As the scalekin toppled over, Emina sent a swift kick into the beast's stomach. “Emi kick!” she cheered as the scalekin's conscious was knocked clean out in an instant. After spinning around, Emina raised two fingers in a peace sign toward her friends.

“Good work Emi” Nate said as he approached, the rest of the Fargrove Fighters behind him. However, the second he got within arm's reach of Emina, Nate gave the golem's head a quick thump. “But next time, try not to shout your attacks. We're trying to be stealthy here.”

“We'd better keep moving just in case anyone else heard her” Danford said before bringing his hammer down on the unconscious scalekin's head, crushing it instantly.

Nate nodded and signaled the rest of his allies to follow before he and his team continued forward, soon followed by Ba'Lonnis and his kassi, Lisa and her mercenaries and the Pennynook knights.

It didn't take long for the large group of heroes to reach the large, mostly empty circular room. Fortunately, there wasn't a squad of scalekin waiting for them this time.

“Alright Nate, which way now?” Lisa asked, making sure to keep her spear ready just in case of an ambush.

Nate glanced over to one of the many tunnels. “That one” he answered. “Last time we were here, that's where both Welkin and a large horde of scalekin came out of.”

“That's the same one my scouts went down too” Ba'Lonnis said, his voice echoing out of the sharp mouth of his hulking wooden golem. “Xeenath's altar is just down that tunnel.”

“Then we'd better move quietly” Ethan said as he kept his sword and shield ready. “I just hope they don't already know we're here and are just waiting to ambush us.”

“Ambush or no ambush, Emi will give them a good thumping” Emina assured, barely able to keep her excited voice from shouting.

As the group continued to advance deeper into the sewer, Austell followed behind closely, his hands gripping the locks on his weapon's sheath. “I... I have to” he thought before unlocking both swords with his thumbs. “If I don't fight my hardest, Marie and the other children will suffer.” Austell narrowed his glare. “Ky... I won't let another child die.”

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Back in the altar room, atop the elevated platform with four large pillars reaching up to the chamber's roof on it's corners, Adam stared at the large white coffin, which seemed enveloped by an aura of dread, sending a shiver down the nobleman's spine as he listened to the scalekin elders chanting around the base of the elevated platform. “Well?” he asked, turning his attention to Welkin, who silently observed the coffin, hands at his sides. “Is it working?”

Welkin slowly nodded. “Yes...” he said, a sinister snicker in his voice. “Can't you feel it? Master Xeenath is waking up.”

What sounded like a single, ominous breath emerged from the coffin, causing the fearful Adam to gulp. “Yes... Yes I can” he muttered, a nervous smile appearing on his face.

“You smug prick” Bruno growled, causing Adam to turn his head toward the small group of prisoners tied up in the corner of the elevated platform, guarded by a handful of the largest and fiercest scalekin in the chamber. “What the hell is in that coffin?”

Adam gave general Bruno, his sister Kiera and the handful of prisoners sitting behind them a smug smirk. “My destiny” he snickered. “But don't think about it too much. You won't be alive to see it.” Adam turned his smirk toward his sister's fierce glare. “You dear sister, might have seen it had you stayed away like you should have. But you just had to stick your nose into my business.”

“You bastard” Kiera growled through her teeth as she tried to free herself, but the ropes binding her arms behind her back were too strong. “What's wrong with you? Was being the most powerful noble in the empire not enough?”

“Such a limited position” Adam sighed, a smile on his face as he shook his head, seemingly disappointed by his sister's question. “Why settle for that when I can rule this entire world in master Xeenath's name?”

“And you'd sell out your own kind for that?” Kiera asked, her fury increasing with every word she spoke.

“I'm a Gigan dear sister” Adam chuckled. “The rest of humanity should be glad to serve as stepping stones to my rise in power.” Adam turned his smirk back to Kiera. “And you'll make the perfect first stone Kiera.”

Kiera's eyes widened. “What?” she questioned. “What do you mean?”

“Simple” Adam answered before turning back toward his master's coffin. “You'll be the first offering to master Xeenath. Once he awakens, you'll be the first to go.”

Baelog, who was sitting behind Kiera, leaned closer to his brother Handaaf. “He's nuts” he whispered, Handaaf quickly nodding in agreement.

“Damn you...” Kiera thought before opening her mouth to really let her brother have it, only for Bruno to cut her off by letting out an amused chuckle.

Adam raised an eyebrow as he glanced back to Bruno. “You find something amusing about this, General?” he questioned. “What possible reason could you have for laughing?”

“I'm laughing at you, you spoiled, stuck up, entitled waste of a man” Bruno answered, giving Adam his most condescending smirk as he scanned the nobleman's dark green robe that matched Welkin's. “Just when I think you can't get anymore pathetic, you go and do something that cowardly.”

“Cowardly?” Adam growled, his right eye twitching a little. “What are you talking about?”

Bruno shrugged. “Isn't it obvious?” he chuckled. “You're so afraid of being proven wrong to your sister that you're going to sacrifice her first. That way, if it turns out this whole Xeenath thing doesn't pan out for you, the Grand Marshal here will never know your shame.”

With a furious glare on his face, Adam approached Bruno and gave the general a swift punch, hurting his own hand more than the stern veteran's cheek. “Nobody calls me a coward and lives to tell about it!” he barked, the smirk on Bruno's face only enhancing his rage. “You think I don't know what you're doing General?! You're trying to convince me to spare my sister! Well  not only will I not spare her from my master, I'm going to allow her to watch as Xeenath devours all the other pathetic trash I've locked up down here! Starting with you!”

“Devious bastard...” Bruno growled, his smirk gone, only to quickly return when a pleased Adam walked back to the coffin. “Fool.”

Chester, who was sitting beside Bruno, gave the general an impressed smile. “Well played” he whispered, having fully understood what Bruno was trying to do.

“What do you think you're doing Bruno?” Kiera asked quietly, waiting until her brother started speaking to Welkin before talking. “Are you trying to hasten your own demise?”

Bruno gave his commanding officer a smile. “I'm simply doing my duty” he answered. “Don't worry about me and stay focused. I'm sure an opening for you to escape will present itself soon enough.” Bruno glanced back to his fellow prisoners. Besides the two old dwarves and the reyn, there were a handful of humans that, given their rough appearances, were most likely criminals of Etin city Adam had rounded up in preparation for whatever was about to happen. "Maybe if we all get up and rush the scalekin at once, you might be able to-”

“You idiot” Kiera growled back, struggling to keep her voice low. “I'm not abandoning you or anyone else just so I can survive.”

“I'm happy you care about an old dog like me Grand Marshal” Bruno chuckled. “But if this Xeenath being revived is as bad as your brother is making it seem, you'll be needed to-”

Suddenly, one of the scalekin watching over Bruno and the other prisoners, gave the back of the general's head a quick smack with his tail. “Keep quiet” he growled in the scalekin's primitive language of hissing and snarls, Bruno complying despite not understanding the beast's words.

“It's a shame Naught couldn't be here for master Xeenath's awakening” Adam noted, sounding pleased his silent companion was missing. “Oh well...”

Welkin didn't respond, simply staring at Xeenath's coffin in silence.

When Adam tried to make another snide remark, a loud banging sound made him jump. “Was that...” was all he could mutter as he turned his gaze toward the source of the sound, Xeenath's coffin.

“It won't be long now” Welkin said, keeping his attention solely on his master's container as a second bang echoed within. “He's slowly gaining control over his new body.”

“And once master Xeenath is revived, I'll be-” Adam's gloating was quickly cut short when he heard a loud commotion coming from the altar room's main entrance. “Oh what now?” Guessing the source of the noise was the primitive scalekin settling a disagreement with their claws and teeth, Adam let out a frustrated sigh as he rubbed his brow. “Stupid animals... Can they go one hour without starting a fight?”

“EMI AXE KICK!” a familiar voice echoed throughout the altar chamber, drawing Welkin's attention.

Adam however, simply rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Emi axe kick” he sighed. “What a ridiculous thing for a scalekin to shout.” A second later, Adam's eyes widened when he recognized the voice and he spun toward the chamber's entrance.

Neither Welkin nor Adam could believe what they were seeing. A large group of invaders had come rushing into the chamber, striking down a dozen scalekin and many more Gigan knights in a matter of moments. Adam quickly recognized a large portion of the attackers to be Pennynook knights, while another portion appeared to be a random assortment of mercenaries. “Is this Edith's doing?” he thought. “How could she have known about this place?”

“You!” Welkin roared after spotting Nate leading the charge, loosing an arrow into the throat of a scalekin who had tried to lunge at him. Beside Nate, Emina unleashed a barrage of punches into another scalekin's stomach, keeping the beast stunned long enough for Ethan to slay it by ramming his sword into it's back. Nearby, Patti and Danford used their heavy hammers to force their way through a group of Gigan knights, their weapons easily smashing through the knight's armor. A large scalekin knocked his human allies aside and rushed at the two dwarves, only for Austell to use Danford's helmet as a stepping stone to leap into the air and ram his swords into the beast's chest, killing it instantly.

“What are they doing here?!” Adam questioned as he turned his surprised gaze over to Welkin. “I thought you said they were outside the city with the kassi.”

As if on queue, the second Adam mentioned them, the kassi came rushing in, using their hulking golem's thick wooden claws to skewer any enemy they got close to.

Welkin glanced down to the dozen stone golems surrounding the elevated platform. “Stop them!” he shouted at the top of his lungs, causing his rocky minions to stomp toward the invaders. “Don't let them get close to master Xeenath!”

The three scalekin elders all pointed a frail finger toward the battle. “Defend the Fleshmaker's rebirth my fellow scalekin!” one of them shouted, struggling to raise his weak voice. “Defend your god!” Hearing their elder's order, the scalekin not engaged with the invaders quickly threw themselves into a wild fury and rushed over to assist in the chamber's defense. This left the elders, their massive guardians and the few watching over Kiera's group as the only scalekin not in the fight.

As the battle raged around him, Nate took a split second to survey his surroundings. While his group's ambush had done significant damage to the enemy's numbers, they were still far outnumbered. There had to be over two hundred enemies still standing in between his forces and Welkin. Ducking under a Gigan knight's sword, Nate loosed an arrow into the man's chest, piercing his armor and killing his foe. “We can't let up” he thought. “Otherwise we'll lose the little ground we've gained.” Spotting another Gigan knight charging directly at him, Nate loosed an arrow, skewering the man's head and sending him toppling over. However, before the deceased Gigan knight's body could hit the ground, it was swiftly smacked aside by the fist of a stone golem. “Damn...” he thought, recognizing that the golem's appearance matched the pair he, Jane and William had fought at Four Corner's tavern nearly a year ago. “How many kids did that sick bastard Welkin change into monsters?”

The stone golem came rushing toward Nate, it's fists raised high above it's head. However, before the hulking brute could bring it's hands down on Nate, the golem was sent sliding backwards by Emina's 'Flying Kick.'

“Thanks Emi” Nate said before loosing an arrow into the battle, managing to score a direct hit on the back of a scalekin's head.

Emina gave her friend a thumbs up. “Don't worry Nate” she said with a smile. “Emi will make sure nothing happens to you while big sis is away.” Turning her attention back to the golem she'd just kicked, Emina raised her fists and charged forward.

However, barely a second later, a Pennynook knight crashed into the ground in front of Nate, his chest plate bent in so much it had crushed his ribs.

“Chooka!” a vicious voice snapped, causing Nate to let out an irritated sigh when he spotted a familiar yellow scalekin come leaping out of the battle to attack him.

“You again?” Nate growled as he loosed an arrow, only for Crunch to swat it aside with his stone axe. Nate tried to reach for another arrow, but his hulking foe swiftly closed the gap between them, forcing Nate to dive to the side to avoid getting his head caved in by Crunch's axe.

In the center of the battle, Ba'Lonnis' wooden golem knocked aside two Gigan knights with a single swing of it's large hand. When a scalekin tried to attack him from behind, Ba'Lonnis made his golem's hand shift into several large wooden spikes before ramming them into the beast's chest. “Press forward my brothers and sister!” his voice roared out from within the golem's body. “Make these monsters pay for Kassile!”

Rallying around their king, the kassi all pushed forward, their golems making quick work of any Gigan knight of scalekin that dared to get in their way. However, the kassi's charge was soon met head on by most of Welkin's stone golems, leading to a clash of wood and stone. While two wooden golems were able to shatter the arms of one of their stone foes, another stone golem managed to tear into it's opponent in a single punch, grabbing hold of the kassi inside before yanking it out. Not even hesitating for a second, the stone golem crushed the kassi in it's hand like a twig before tossing it aside.

From atop the elevated platform, Adam nervously watched the battle unfold. While the kassi's advance in the center had been checked, the mercenaries on the left were easily carving through his Gigan knights. Sure, the mercenaries had lost two of their own, but the Gigan knight's losses were easily reaching the thirties. Lisa in particular was proving to be quite the monster in battle, having just used her black spear to kill her tenth enemy. One Gigan knight tried to rush Lisa before the captain could pull her spear from her most recent victim, only to be swiftly intercepted by Patti, the dwarf's powerful hammers proving more than enough to crush the knight's leg, and then head, into pulp. “Push them back dammit!” he snapped at his knights, furious at the clear difference in skill between the scrappy-looking mercenaries and his heavily armored knights. “Useless!”

Unfortunately for Adam, the right flank wasn't doing much better. The Pennynook knights were fighting with incredible vigor, not slowing down even when one of their comrades was torn to pieces by two scalekin. “Don't let up men!” captain Marcus roared as he drove his sword into a scalekin's chest. “They're no match for us!”

Fueled by the Pennynook captain's battle cry, Ethan managed to best the Gigan knight attacking him, using his shield to parry the knight's axe before swiping his sword into the side of his foe's neck. However, as the defeated Gigan knight slumped over, Ethan spotted an unarmed scalekin rushing toward him. Instinctively, he raised his shield, only to quickly lower it when he remembered the advice Danford had given him during their stay with the kassi. “Don't try to block when the foe is much stronger than you” he thought, repeating his teacher's advice as he charged forward to meet the scalekin head on. When the scalekin swiped one of it's claws at his head, Ethan dropped down enough for the lethal blow to pass right over him.

Realizing he'd swung his arm to wide, the scalekin could only watch as the small human opened up his stomach with one swing of the sword. Clutching his gushing wound, the defeated scalekin dropped to his knees, allowing Ethan to finish him off by ramming his sword through the beast's snapping jaws.

“I got him?” Ethan gasped, more than a little surprised he'd defeated a scalekin all on his own. So impressed by his feat, Ethan didn't notice the Gigan knight coming at him from behind.

Fortunately, Danford was paying attention and dealt with the Gigan knight with a single hit of his huge hammer. “Eyes up kid!” he barked, snapping Ethan out of his surprise. “We're far from done!”

Atop the elevated platform, Bruno let out a little chuckle. “Something the matter boy?” he asked, noticing the fear on Adam's face. “Things not going the way you'd hoped?”

“Shut your mouth!” Adam snapped before marching up to the silent Welkin. “What are we going to do Welkin?!” When Welkin didn't respond, Adam grabbed the masked man by his shoulders. “Speak you bastard! Speak!”

Suddenly, a loud creaking sound drew Adam's attention toward Xeenath's coffin, it's stone lid now slightly tilted open.

“It's time...” Welkin muttered, a hint of joy in his voice as he shoved Adam aside. “Master Xeenath...”

Kiera, Bruno and the rest of the prisoners all glanced toward the large stone container. A second later, a low groan could be heard inside.

“What's in there?” Chester asked, his body trembling in fear of the unknown entity hidden inside the stone coffin.

Welkin threw his hands up. “It's the one true lord!” he cheered, drawing the attention of everyone involved in the brutal battle raging around the elevated platform. “Master Xeenath is here!”

Suddenly, a violent screech erupted out of the coffin, sounding like the cries of a man in both complete agony and pure joy. Everyone in the chamber, from Nate and his allies, the Gigan knights and golems on both sides, even the fierce scalekin, felt a powerful sense of dread wash over them.

“What is this feeling?” Crunch thought, too afraid to move despite his 'Chooka' standing right in front of him. “It's like a thousand chilling fingers are running down my body, digging their nails into my skin.”

“Nate, Emi doesn't like this” Emina muttered, slowly backing away from the elevated platform. “What's happening?”

“I'm... I'm not sure” was the only answer Nate could give, an intense fear gripping his heart.

With their foes seemingly affected by the same fear, all of Nate's allies regrouped around the chamber's entrance. It was like they could all tell that whatever was about to happen, they'd need to be together to face it.

“What's going on?” Patti asked, readying her hammers.

“I don't know” Danford answered before noticing the Gigan knights and scalekin were beginning to snap out of whatever was affecting everyone. “But don't get distracted. They're going to attack again.”

“It's awake...” Ba'Lonnis muttered. “Xeenath is awake.”

Atop the platform, everyone watched the coffin's door slowly creak open. Adam, unsure of what was about to happen, started to back away with a terrified look on his face. Welkin meanwhile, simply watched in wonder as a single pale hand slowly reached out of the darkness and grabbed the side of the coffin.

TO BE CONTINUED....