Chapter 11

"Do you think it could be Tal?" Fie asked, having overheard after catching up.

"Oh, you might be right Fie, Tal is more concentrated in dungeons." Tarkas chimed in.

"Maybe we're just used to it because of our experience," Lail added on.

I looked back and forth between them, confused.

"Tal? What's that?"

This earned me a couple of concerned looks from the party members. Before anyone could say a thing, Bern and Dulmir had caught up as well.

"Oh, right. I forgot to let yall know. Hale here has, er... amnesia?" Bern stated.

Feeling their gazes of concern land back on me, I shrug, "I can't remember a thing before waking up in the desert a few days ago."

It again grew silent. I was uncomfortable. I just wanted to explain my situation, I didn't say it because I wanted their pity. I've had enough of that for one lifetime.

"Hale, I don't know what to say, I'm so-" Fie started.

Bern clasped her shoulder and smiled at me, "I guess you'll have to start from the beginning then, Fie."

Dulmir audibly groaned, "A Fie lecture? You can count me out."

Bern smacked him on the back, "What? This knight's scared of a little learning?"

He grinned back, "Hey, I've served my time." He gestured over at Lail, "if anything, should that gangly guy over there is the one that-"

"Just because I don't need to attend-"

The group fell into conversation, for a moment, they were all chatting like old friends again.

Bern's interjection seemed to have diffused the pitying atmosphere. I was thankful for it, the last thing I would want is to go back to how it was after Aliyah disappeared...

Regardless, if they were going to feel bad for me, shouldn't they have started when I got this job?

Well, whatever.

"Stop."

Bern's voice silenced that chattering.

"This all can wait until tonight. Let's get moving again Hale, we have ground to cover."

And that was that.

-

The next few hours of walking were relatively uneventful.

With each of Hallia and Lail's intermittent lifesaving interruptions, I was able to walk forward with more confidence, knowing that the two of them were fully capable of helping me through this.

I had reached the point where I was beginning to believe I could live through this.

At the very least, the constant anxiety of death at every step was somehow fading.

*seh*

The stone beneath my left foot sunk half an inch.

The sound of some contraption clicked to my right and something was launched toward my thigh.

The entire thing happened far too quickly for me to react, I stood there stunned, like a deer in headlights.

Then, nothing.

I couldn't feel any sort of pain in my leg, but I knew that didn't always mean I was clear. I tried to look quickly, but my eyes moved slowly as if scared to reveal what'd happened.

There was a very small, orange liquid-coated dart embedded. It was stuck in the excess chainmail hanging towards my knees. It never reached my skin.

Relief flooded into me. I lived, Bern's XXXL stature had actually just saved my life.

A few tears started rolling out, but I couldn't help a smile as I turned back towards the party to let them know I'm alright.

Oh, right.

The party was over 20 feet behind me now, weapons out. There were no looks of sympathy, just hardened faces ready to meet any foe.

Somehow, I kept forgetting the harsh reality. I was not one of them. I was expendable. Not a single one of them would have batted an eye had I been on the ground right now, convulsing from the poison.

I shook the dart out of my chainmail and watched it hit the floor. The orange poison hissed as it hit the dusty floor.

I turned back to continue walking.

Let's get this over with.

-

Monsters.

I knew that they were inevitable in here but actually seeing them is something entirely different.

The never-ending staircase had given way to some sort of chamber. It was relatively simple in design, with 6 columns scattered throughout the room with catacomb-like coffins lining the walls.

To be honest, the room was a bit underwhelming, considering the sheer number of stairs we had climbed to get there.

I nearly stepped into the room before Lain pulled me back.

"This is our part." He whispered to me, before gesturing for me to move farther back.

Quickly enough, the entire party was in front of me, preparing their equipment. Minus Fie of course, though even she had her wand at the ready, poised to fight.

Not a word was spoken between them as they stepped out in formation. Dulmir, Tarkas and Bern moved forward in a defensive triangular shape, with Hallia and Lail standing near the back, side by side.

At this point, I hadn't seen a sign of life in the room. All I could do is respect how serious they were about using the utmost caution.

I carefully surveyed the room from the top of the steps, while looking towards the coffins on the right, I heard the sound of an arrow being loosed and the following crack.

Lain looked like an unkempt Robinhood as he shot an arrow into one of the wall's indented coffins, nailing an unfortunate skull before it even had the chance to reanimate.

This acted as the starting gun. Almost every single corpse began twitching at once, slowly reanimating into disfigured monsters.

Skeletons and mummies. In games, they're considered trash mobs, barely worth your time. I watched as the grotesque figures twitched and pulled themselves together. Fear pounded in my heart, this was supposed to be the weakest enemy?

The smell of rot reached me, the scent of some unknown years these corpses spent in decay. I instantly retreated down the stairs, struggling and failing to hold in my lunch.

The top of my head pressed against the cold sandstone as I stared down at the dusty yellow steps.

From above, I could hear the sound of arrow after arrow being launched accompanied by the slow crecendo of mummy moans, but nothing more.

Concerned, I wiped my mouth and looked back towards the battle. Everyone other than Lail was simply standing firm, allowing the corpses to begin to stagger over.

Why would they just leave Lail to do all the work?

Why wouldn't they try and kill them all before they revived?

Almost as if she had sensed my confusion, Fie whispered an explanation to me.

"When fighting the undead, the real danger lies in being cornered or overwhelmed."

She gestured to the coffins, "We don't know if these enemies can revive again. If we spread out to try and kill them too quickly..."

The skeleton whose skull had been smashed first began twitching.

"That could happen."