[UNDERCITY - The Labyrinth]
[XianEvermor, Druidquest & StorminJericho Collaboration]
[XianEvermor, Druidquest & StorminJericho Collaboration]
"Where to? Beneath lake, we are," snuffled Rat, who had more or less given up on struggling, though... more due exhaustion than lack of drive. "Only way is forward. This goes to the Sizzle-Drip cave. North-turn there... if we survive?" He squeaked.
The tunnel itself was long and narrow, with scantly enough space for two or three men abreast, and as they rushed through, the bioluminescent vines running along the ceiling spotlighted the pair. Back in the cavern, the creature staggered away from the wall, shaking itself off and spattering the ground with thick, oily viscera from the wound which burned vigorously. Its tusked lower mandibles opened and a bundle of fleshy tendrils shot out to grip Maire's ankle.
Máire was flung into the air and sent hurtling across the cavern, her coat billowing past the back of her head. She twisted in the air, swords thrown out toward the creature with a thrust of her hand. Máire closed her hand into a fist, as through gripping invisible wires, and then pulled it back past her shoulder, sending herself hurtling after the silvery blades.
Fleshy tendrils whipped around, narrowly missing the Templar's ankle as she shot up towards the ceiling. The creature lunged to the side, narrowly avoiding the blades as they embedded themselves into the cavern floor. A roiling squelch echoed throughout the chamber as it hunkered down, and then belched a mass of steaming molten slag up at Máire as she closed the distance.
J-3 remained a silent steed for a moment, thinking quietly to itself before speaking up. Their voice was a deep and rumbling thing, surprising for the shape they took.
"Tell me a story. 'Ramble-talk'. You are going to calm if you do so. We will learn where we go, when it comes to it. But we do not progress without the blonde one."
This statement, nearly rambling for J-3, was followed by a duo of pats. Gone was the scorpion's tail, here now was a long furred thing, tipped with a poof! of silky fur.
"Ramble-Talk?" Squeeked Rat nervously. "Story? Um, uh... Oh Gods. Once a time upon, there was Rat... and Rat delivered the packages... and it. Was. Good? Y-yes, yes, the packages must flow," stammered Rat. His voice had calmed somewhat, but there was no hiding the obvious and constant full body shiver of fear. He froze for a long moment, his whiskers twitching a few moments before a dull *Thrum* resonated through the cavern somewhere far ahead.
"Oh no, oh Gods! The north-turn is GONE! Who will deliver the packages now?! Dead! Rat's secret packages won't get delivered, my reputations oh no!" Wailed Rat as he struggled to escape the restraints. He slumped against J-3 after only a few futile moments. "Rat is lost," he whimpered.
Burning. Fire clawing its way into her arm and the side of her head.
Not the first time.
Máire hit the ground and rolled, propping herself upon her knees and elbows. A silver cloud swarmed violently around her, Her ears singing and dead on one side. Squelching across the cavern reminded she didn't have time to sit and recover.
She got shakily to her feet, one eye shut against the searing filth dripping down toward it, and raised her hand past her shoulder. At her beckoning, a great silver blade almost taller than she was appeared, tip pointed at the ground. She took hold of its handle, hefting it up onto her shoulder, baring its weight in one arm.
If this thing wanted to be a dragon, then Máire would play at knighthood.
The creature regarded Máire hungrily, its six gleaming red eyes all blinking individually over its snout as it circled her, shaking its head. Thick blots of intensely burning viscera spattered to the ground in its wake from the wound in its flank. It stamped its feet, suddenly lowering its head as it charged towards her, flames roaring off its skin. At the last second its fanged maw opened, billowing a plume of black smoke as it tried to bite down on her leg.
Máire held her breath as the black cloud hit her, eye stinging against the acrid smoke. The beast was rushing toward her, pounding hard against the floor of the cavern, fast and hard. Not fast enough.
Máire's blade came down like a guillotine, slicing through the side of its skull, between its shoulders, nearly the full way along its spine until it came to rest embedded in the stonework. Silence filled the cavern, the creature's smoke slowly fading as it disseminated through the air. After a long moment, Máire's sword began to disappear as well, trails of silver dust creeping up the blade and back into her arm. When the smoke had cleared enough, she took a breath, soft and silent, as if she'd never been holding it at all.
J-3 stayed silent as Rat rambled, only once blinking as the little... Man? Told his story. Then he began to whine, wail, and bemoan the loss of 'secret messages' or something of the sort.
Oh well. The little creature struggled against the bonds that held it. J-3 turned, after a moment, to simply look at Rat with their multiple eyes. They blinked twice, before shrugging and moving to stand. "If, hrr, you are lost. Then we go back for the blonde."
And off J-3 scurried, nose twitching violently as they sought for the scent of The Blonde one and the beast.
It didn't take them long to retrace their steps, with J-3 moving at a brisk pace and taking no breaks. Their form shifted as they did, slowly sliding from rat to feline, then from feline to vaguely weasel-snake-crab. They still bore many legs with many clawed limbs, though now they were laden with venom. They chose to make it a swift working thing. Rot through flesh, and stop hearts and lungs.
"Blonde one! Are you dead? I can smell you."