The Guardian of Mikado

QUEST MISSION: SLAY THE GUARDIAN OF MIKADO

REWARDS: +40,000 Exp., Str. +2, Rare drop chance 87%.

ACCEPT: Yes/No

I clicked accept as we moved forward, taking a deep breath.

As we stepped through the threshold of the cavernous entryway, flame torches burst into life along the sides of the room. The room was massive, the ceiling vaulted upwards hundreds of feet, the floor was barren Earth. On the other side of the room was another tunnel leading deeper underground. The massive chamber held a large structure on the North side, a golden throne massive enough for a beast to sit upon.

The room seemed to breathe, to pulse with life. Lan led the troops forward, the archers encircled the outer ring of the room, the mages forming a ring within them. The short-ranged weapons users followed Lan. He raised his finger to his lips in a motion of silence. He gestured toward the tunnel on the opposite side of the room. Vane and I shouldered our way through the crowd, motioning Aine to stay back with Erik and James. Vane and I stuck our head into the tunnel and listened closely.

A deep rumbling growl, in time with breathing emerged from the cave. We immediately jumped back, I placed my hand on my sword at my back and drew my weapon forth. Vane reached to his sides and drew his twin blades. The cave began to tremble, pounding thuds sounded from the tunnel amidst an incredible scratching, like nails on a chalkboard.

Gigantic claws moved forward into the light; the beast was crawling. A hulking figure on all fours, skulking across the cave floor like a spider. The large snout emerged into the light, the fangs in its jaw glistened with saliva and a tremendous roar shook the cavern. A few of the soldiers skittered back from the tunnel doorway. The beast emerged from the tunnel darkness and straightened.

As the beast moved into the light, three large menacing faces raised their hackles in a snarl. The heads gazed around the room, taking in the number of soldiers lining the walls of his antechamber. A furry, muscular clawed hand reached to its waistline, and pulled off the barbed whip. With a flick, the golden throne was upended, falling onto its side in a crash. Dirt and debris flew about the room, raised by the air blast from the whip's movement.

The mages began chanting, lifting their arms that held their character specific conduits, smoke of various colours began to billow around the feet of the Guardian. He roared out, the smoke rose around him, enshrouding in a thick cloud. It began to dissipate, and the figure of the guardian began to pulse with a glow. He was slowed, his damage had been reduced, his defence reduced. 

The archers lined up their shots. Lan raised his hand in the air to signal and brought his hand down in the "fire!" motion. Arrows flew through the air; they pierced the tender flesh of the belly and chest of the Cerberus beast. The beast growled, saliva flew through the air and landed on members of the warrior ranks. They groaned and wiped it off of their faces. The archers reloaded and continued to shoot toward the beast. The health bar above its head went down in small increments. 

"Warriors!" Lan called. We roared our assent. I turned to make sure Ellie was safe with the archers, James and Erik leapt to the forefront with me and Vane. Aine was back with the mages. Erik was the first to leap at the beast. He kicked himself firmly off of the ground, raising his broadsword over his shoulder he swung down in an arc, his blade embedding itself deep in the shoulder of the beast. Its gripped Erik and tossed him across the room, he slammed against a pillar and fell to the ground, unmoving.

  I ran around the back of the beast, aiming for his flank. The beast swung his whip in a sharp flick across the floor, many of the warriors jumped to avoid the barbed end of the whip, others were tossed. I leapt in the air and jumped over the whip, using it as a launching point I flew up, behind the neck of one of the giant heads, and brought my blade downwards. I felt a sickening crack, and my blade pierced down through the skull of the left beast head. A loud screech filled the room, and the head lolled down, motionless. I leapt off the back of the neck and landed on my feet. 

The beast's health had depreciated by a third, according to the health bar. I saw James leap forward with his daggers, slashing at the belly and chest. The beast descended forward on to all fours, in an effort to protect is belly. The heads snapped and snarled, grasping soldiers within range, and tearing limbs apart. Little soul flames hovered in the air where our soldiers were dying.

Vane pulled out his twin blades, he used the clawed hand of the beast as a launching point and swirled his way up the arm, slashing the tendons in the arm of the beast. It lurched forward and fell onto its side. It stilled for the moment. A low snarling filled the room.

I saw red hair working its way through the crowd, the flash of a rapier. I stilled and held my breath. Aine had worked her way through to the front of the crowd, her sword raised. She launched herself toward the beast.

"Aine, no!" I cried out, but it was too late. She launched toward the central head of the beast. As her rapier neared its right eye, it opened. The functional arm swept out with whip in its hand, the barbed whip smacked her in the back and flung her against the far wall. She fell in a heap, blood pouring from a nick in her back where a barb struck. I looked at Vane, and realized the scream filling the cavern was my own.