Secret Passage

The group descended the stairs together. At first, they were well-made wooden steps, but they gradually became more worn until they suddenly turned into steps of stone and they entered what was clearly an underground passageway.

"I wonder wha' kinda secrets this guy had hidden here," Delilah remarked. "He musta' had some good stuff to have a place like this!"

"I dunno," Alesha replied. "Maybe some really bad stuff, if you ask me. Something he wanted to keep hidden."

"When will these stairs end??" Flynn complained. "My legs don't get sore easily but this is boring."

"It hasn't even been two minutes yet," Delilah retorted, "Lil' dummy!"

"Hey!" Flynn protested, "I'm not a dummy! I'm just impatient today. There's a difference."

Alesha laughed, their banter easing her mood. 

Flynn looked back at her, smiling. His long black hair shifted over his robes, the silver roots sparkling as they reflected the light that Seth had summoned to illuminate their path. "Your laugh is really pretty, by the way," he said sincerely.

Blushing, Alesha managed to reply simply, "Thanks."

As they descended, the air grew colder and colder. "I sense a dark presence. Not undead, exactly, but not alive either," Flynn whispered.

"I do as well," Seth replied, "Now that you mention it."

"Is it this coldness in the air?" Alesha asked, wondering if that was the case.

"No," Seth answered. "Dark presences manifest themselves to the spiritual senses as a cloak would, comforting in the way a blanket might be. The cold you're experiencing is due to the fact that we are underground."

Well, apparently fictional stories aren't right about everything in fantasy worlds, Alesha thought to herself. Now she just felt embarrassed for her incorrect assumption.

At the bottom of the stairs, Seth (who was first in their little procession) stopped in front of an old-looking door with a rusty knocker and a thick lock that looked much newer than the door itself. Trying the handle, he found the door locked.

"Does anyone here know lockpicking magic?" Seth asked, turning around.

"I do!" Delilah said cheerily, edging past Seth to the door. "Ev'ryone, step back!"

Wondering why they needed to step back for lockpicking, Alesha moved to step backwards up the stairs, but ended up tripping over her tail and falling up them instead. Flynn came close and helped her stand. "Are you alright, fair Alesha?" he asked, concern visible in his eyes despite the dim light.

Alesha was burning with embarrassment. Sure, it hadn't even been a day since she'd grown it, but how could she trip over her own tail?? "Uh, yeah I'm okay," she said quietly, not meeting his eyes. 

A loud bang distracted her from the awkwardness of the moment. Looking up, Alesha saw that Delilah had kicked down the door. Sections of the old door still clung to the frame around the hinges and the lock. Upon seeing Seth's disapproving stare, Delilah asked, "Wha? The door was weaka than what held it, what's the prob'm?"

Laughing at the older student's absurd yet somehow logical conclusion, Alesha stood and brushed herself off. "Well, should we head inside then?"

That was when she heard the most horrific screeching sound she had ever had the misfortune to hear. 

It sounded like the cacophonous, unholy blend of a barn owl's screech, an elk's bugle and the hoarse, soprano scream of a tortured woman. Everyone clutched at their ears, trying in vain to block it out as it continued unceasingly. It came from the room ahead, amplified by the acoustics of the rock and funneled out through the now-open doorway before bouncing around the stony hallway and assaulting their senses. The sound was so loud that Alesha could feel it vibrating in her bones despite the high register.

Ahead of her, Alesha dimly noticed blood coming out from everyone's ears and flowing down their hands. Seth, in the very front since Delilah had let him pass her after knocking down the door, seemed to have taken the worst of it. He was on the floor, hands wet with blood, lying unconscious after succumbing to the noise. 

Desperately, Alesha mentally tried to contact Rogork. She thought towards it with all her might that she needed help. Stop being silent and help me!! Please!!

No response came. 

Instead, her Status Screen popped up, a certain section highlighted, and she felt something in her mind direct her attention to her palms.

[Psychic: 11] … and her palms, unlike the others', were dry.

Realizing what Rogork meant, she smiled to herself. She couldn't understand why it wasn't simply talking to her, but for some reason, even just this little hint made her feel relieved. As much as she usually hated the thing, at this moment there was nothing more comforting than having someone -- anyone -- give her a way out of the situation.

Releasing her ears and grimacing against the terrible scream, Alesha quickly maneuvered around Flynn and Delilah, stepping over Seth and running into the room. The sound still hurt like hell but it was apparently not as bad for her as it was for them. She had to do something to stop that scream!!

The light coming from behind, though dim, was just enough to illuminate what was in the room. Inside, there were several rows of podiums -- each was covered in rectangular prism glass cases, with various trinkets on display inside. Everything appeared in black and white due to the dimness. 

Towards the back of the room was a ghostly figure, flickering in and out of sight erratically as it pulsated with an eerie inner glow. She hovered a foot or so off the ground, her lower half composed entirely of tentacle-like torn fabric, hands contorted into claws over a foot long, too-big mouth filled with short needle-like teeth and hair floating as if underwater. Her entire posture emphasized her wide-open mouth as she screamed. 

This ghostly woman -- probably a Banshee -- was the source of the terrible sound. 

Unsure what she could do but aware that her friends couldn't hold on for much longer, Alesha ran recklessly towards the woman and released a scream of her own.

She couldn't hear her own voice at all; it was completely swallowed by the Banshee's howl. Still, it did seem to have some effect. The Banshee stopped screaming in surprise.

Rushing forward the last few steps, Alesha turned her nails into claws and yelled as she tore at the creature.

Her claws had no effect.

Laughing as if amused, the sound grating and unpleasant, the Banshee moved out of Alesha's reach.

"Amusing little brat," the Banshee hissed, her voice sounding hoarse and angry, and just as awful as her laugh.

Alesha was surprised that it could speak. "Who are you?" she asked, hoping to buy time so her group could join her.

The Banshee laughed again. "Why would I tell you that?"

"Tell me what you want, then, at least," Alesha replied.

"What I want," the Banshee said, moving forward suddenly to claw at Alesha while she spoke, "Is to KILL YOU!"

Taken by surprise, Alesha reacted too slowly, getting scratched, then tripping on her tail again.

[-10 HP, soul poison inflicted. -2 HP per second until the Banshee is slain.]