RuneScape Forum Archive | SotD1: Trap of the Necromancer

Crystal Smee

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***

Nothing attacked Ellya this time. She let out a long breath, glancing at Neo. He had entered behind her. He surveyed the room. His dark hair was plastered to his forehead and his eyes were shadowed. Ellya pointed to the door that faced north. Neo nodded wordlessly and headed towards it. The silence seemed loud, pounding in Ellya's ears. Neo shoved the door open and stepped into the hallway. Up ahead she could see a broad wooden door. The handle glinted in the flickering torchlight. Neo started towards it, but Ellya hurried past.

Neo followed, a questioning look on his face.

"I don't -- the handle..." She shook her head, trotting back and bending over it. Neo snatched a torch from the iron brackets and joined her. In the dancing light he could now see it had been smeared with some sort of paste. He grinned.

"Good thinking," he appraised. She smiled and blushed under his praise, turning and jogging down the corridor. She turned a corner, and could see an archway ahead. She ducked under it, slinging her bow free and nocking an arrow in a single fluid motion. Neo slipped up behind her, his spear raised defensively in anticipation. Ellya glanced up as she heard a flutter of wings. Two bird-(c)like creatures, bright white, soared down towards her and Neo.

She released one arrow, watching it sink into the flesh of the creature. It pinwheeled, flapping its wings lamely to stay in flight. It finally dropped to the ground and lay still on the cool stones. Neo, meanwhile fended off the other bird. He ran it through on his spear.

Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of light. Neo staggered back into Ellya, dropping his spear as it seared his hands. When their vision cleared, the bird-creatures were gone. It their place was a sparkling chest, the lid flipped back to reveal mounds of treasure. Mounds of gold coins, all kinds of jewelry, small golden statues, larger statues, and glittering gems. Ellya and Neo gaped.

06-Dec-2010 18:35:29

Crystal Smee

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"I wonder if this is the treasure he talked about..." *he gasped.

"You mean...you mean you think we've found the way out?" Neo glanced around curiously, examining the room with a practiced eye. "I don't see anything."

"Maybe, since we've found it, he'll teleport us out now?" she suggested.

"Or maybe it's because the others are still alive..." Neo trailed off.

"Well, we can't kill them, and we can't let them get to the treasure," Ellya declared matter-of-factly.

"So, what should we do?" Neo shrugged. "All we can do is wait."

Ellya grinned and slung her pack off her back, settling down against the wall. "Then we'll wait."

***

Roan looked around, examining the room he had entered. Suddenly, something whizzed by his head. He threw himself to the ground and rolled, unsheathing his deadly blade. He raised himself into a crouch, blade raised, and was staring at four arrows, pointed straight at him. He followed them up, seeing four small, gnome-like creatures, each clutching a noc*ed bow. He raised one hand and lowered the blade.

"Now, now. There's no need..." he began, smiling weakly.

"Human. You die," one grunted.

"You die," another echoed.

He saw each of their tiny hands clench, preparing to release. His smoky eyes saw the look that passed between them. He waited, suddenly lurching upwards with his blade. As he rose, he swung the blade in an arc, slicing through each body. He wasn't quick enough, though, as two fiery lances of pain shot through his side. Crying out, he stumbled against the wall, tearing at his clothes. He pulled at the arrows, painfully tugging them free.

The serrated edge of the arrowheads rent his skin, but they soon lay cracked and broken on the ground. Coughing up blood, he sunk onto the stones. Why was he having such a hard time of this? He took barely a few steps, and was already injured again. Rubbing his aching head, he closed his eyes and sunk into a fleeting doze haunted by shadowy dreams.

***

06-Dec-2010 18:36:07

Crystal Smee

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Syroce gasped and stumbled backwards. Reacting quickly, he fumbled to grab ahold of his whip, releasing the long coils from his belt. He gulped down the bile in his throat as the were-wolf writhed, then lunged towards him.

He struck it with his whip, and it skidded to a halt on the stones. The were-wolf snarled softly, its eerie yellow eyes piercing Syroce's. Fear blinded him and he lashed out with his whip again, praying that there was a way to injure this beast.

The wolf howled as the whip sliced through its matted fur and into its skin. Blood spattered onto the stones. Growling, it leapt towards him. It soared through the air, arms and claws outstretched. It pounced straight onto Syroce's chest, pinning him to the ground.

Claws rent his clothes and skin as the furious wolf tore at his flesh. Syroce screamed and flailed furiously, but the claws were dug tightly into his chest. He howled once as everything flashed red. For a moment, it was though he was looking down at himself, sprawled on the stones, his blood staining them crimson.

Shame tore his heart as the wolf tore his flesh, shame at his failure. A simple wolf, and he had failed. Then it all went black.

***

Krystal chewed thoughtfully on the bread, then took a small sip from her canteen. Suddenly, echoing through the dungeon, she thought she heard a scream. She shivered. Seth grabbed her hand.

"It's okay," he assured her.

"It sounded like -- someone dying," she gasped, taking a deep, ragged breath. "Why? Why did I ever get into this?" Black patches flashed before her eyes and she paled.

"Its okay," Seth repeated, rising and moving around the table to stand behind her.

Exhaustion mingled with terror and sudden fatigue overwhelmed her. "I need -- rest..." she murmured, her eyes drifting shut as her fear dragged her into unconsciousness. Seth caught her as she toppled and picked her up, carrying her gently to the corner and laying her down.

06-Dec-2010 18:36:56

Crystal Smee

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"It'll be okay," he muttered to himself, sitting down beside her. Tenderly, he stroked her hair, settling himself to wait until she returned to the world of the living.

***

Raylin opened his eyes. The world spun, and he squeezed them shut with a moan. When he opened them again, he was staring into bright, concerned blue eyes. "Katelynn..." he mumbled. She stroked his hair.

"It's all right. We're all right," she murmured. Raylin lifted one shaking hand to touch her face.

"We need to...go..." Raylin croaked.

"We can't, Raylin. Don't worry. You need rest."

A shriek rent the air, echoing off the walls. Katelynn shivered. Raylin heaved himself up.

"I'm fine, Katelynn. We need to go," he insisted. As he settled himself on one elbow, tendrils of fiery pain shot through his shoulder. He groaned and collapsed.

"Fine, huh?" Katelynn chuckled, regaining her composure.

"Yes. I'm fine," Raylin said through gritted teeth. "C'mon, Katelynn. I've suffered worse, believe me." Memories of dashing through burning buildings to rescue children and beautiful women flitted through his mind. As he remembered Emily, once a travelling companion, he sighed.

He glanced at Katelynn, at her inescapable beauty. She looked oddly like Emily. Grinning, he forced himself up, swallowing the pain. "We have to keep moving, to survive." Katelynn grabbed his arm and helped him up.

"Fine, then, if you insist..." she trailed off. She stole a quick kiss from him, then grabbed her bow from the floor.

"Now I feel better," Raylin joked, grinning roguishly. She leered at him and started for the nearest door.

Raylin hobbled along, reaching the iron-cast door first. He tugged at the handle with his good arm, but it didn't open.

06-Dec-2010 18:37:30

Crystal Smee

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"It's locked," he announced. Katelynn stepped forward, producing the lockpick. She bent over the door and began picking, the metallic clink of the tool in the lock ringing in Raylin's ears.

Finally, the door swung open. Katelynn stepped through, followed by Raylin. She glanced around the room. It was entirely bare. Shrugging, she headed for the nearest door, a simple wooden one to the south. It creaked open at her touch, and she stepped through.

"Dead end," she declared, turning back.

"This one, then," Raylin decided, gesturing to another wooden door.

Katelynn pushed it, but it was locked too. With a sigh, she found her lockpick and opened that door as well. A short corridor stood before her, turning in both directions. She made a split-second decision and turned right, north, around a small bend.

Raylin darted ahead of her and opened the simple wooden door. A chair sat in the center of the room. A foggy mirror stood in one corner. Raylin tensed, but nothing appeared to combat them. Breathing slower, now, he sat down in the chair to catch his breath. When he glanced over at the mirror, though, he didn't see his reflection.

Katelynn shuddered.

***

"What...?" he asked in astonishment.

"D-d-dragon!" Daniel gasped. His skin burned from the flames. He couldn't see. "I...Arvenous...I can't...I can't..." his voice refused to work, and he couldn't get out the words he wanted to. He seemed to just be babbling, but white-hot pain searing through his blood made it hard to speak.

"Can't what? Daniel, speak clearly," he demanded, grabbing the teen's head and turning his face towards him. He gaped in shock and horror as he saw the blisters emerging on the boy's face. "You--you're burned! Horribly!' He gently lay Daniel on the stones. "I don't know.." he rummaged around his robes as he kneeled beside the lad, his long silver hair falling over his face.

06-Dec-2010 18:38:21

Crystal Smee

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Finally, he produced a single vial and held it up, glancing at the reddish fluid in the dim light. "My last one..." he murmured to himself. Daniel mumbled something incoherently.

Arvenous was torn. He didn't want to lose his last potion, but the Blood Elves...<c> Finally, taking a deep breath, he popped the stopper and pried Daniel's mouth open and poured some the liquid down his throat.

***

Syroce'* eyes opened slowly. He gazed at the ceiling, low and littered with cobwebs. He hadn't thought he would ever awake again. He had known, known in that last moment, that he had met death. He thought he had. Now he knew he had simply danced with death. Death couldn't take him. He laughed hoarsely. Beside him, he heard a low whine. He turned his head slowly, staring into the yellow eyes of the were-wolf. He laughed again.

"See? You couldn't kill me! Nobody can!" His voice was lower, huskier than normal. That was odd. He frowned. He shifted himself on the stones, and pain slashed through his body. Wincing, he raised his head slightly and looked at himself. The knives of pain that shot through his head were lost in the shock as he saw himself.

Fur had scattered across his body. He saw his hands. But they couldn't be his hands. They had claws. His fingers had elongated, and the nails had sharpened. Shaking, he reached upwards, seeing the mutated hand move, and touched his face gingerly. He could feel fur there, too. His clothes were ripped, and the scratches and gashes bore crusted blood. Fear whipped through Syroce. He knew now what had happened. He rose onto his knees, shaking, glaring at the were-wolf. He bent over, a sob caught in his throat. Finally, shamelessly, the tears trickled out of his eyes.

06-Dec-2010 18:39:08

Crystal Smee

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***

Roan mumbled something. For a moment, his eyes opened, and he saw a blurred image of a room. He could see blood, everywhere on the stones, red smears to his eyes. He saw the figures of the gnomes. The world spun, fuzzy and out of focus. He shook his head, attempting to clear it. Pain lanced through his mind, tendrils that shot out to every inch of his body.

For hours it seemed he sat there, leaning against the wall. All he knew was the spinning, the blurred images, the red smears, and the pain. Then, finally, the spinning faded to black. And then Roan knew nothing at all.

06-Dec-2010 18:39:21

Crystal Smee

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Chapter 4

Krystal opened her eyes slowly and blinked. In the gentle world of dreams, she had been back at home, in a soft bed. Beside her had been Tyell, the man she had once loved. Thoughts of her small dagger, his gift to her, brought a burning to her eyes. The image of his kind, loving, devoted smile flashed through her mind, and a sigh escaped her lips.

Now she was back on the cold stones of the dungeon, ruefully staring at a cobwebbed ceiling. Beside her, she heard the gentle snores of Seth as he dozed at his post. Smiling tenderly, she admired his features. He wore naught but his slim black vest that exposed a well-muscled chest that rose and fell with each soft breath. His scraggly hair was mussed; some of it blocking out his green eyes.

He had hair and eyes almost identical to Tyell's, she realized, and swallowed. One longer lock had landed on Seth's lips, and it floated up and down as he breathed.

Finally, she nudged his arm gently, and his eyes snapped open. "Krystal..." he mumbled, blinking to clear his vision.

"Come on, we have to keep moving," she murmured. He grabbed her arm and heaved himself into a sitting position, shaking his head to clear his sleep-muddled thoughts. As his fingers clamped around her forearm, sparks seemed to race up into her mind. Her cheeks flushed, though he seemed not to notice.

She knew he had, though, as she noted the slight darkening of his cheeks, and flushed further. Taking a deep breath, she scrambled to her feet. Her back and neck ached from hours lying prone on the stones, and her muscles protested at their use. She looked around, examining her options. She randomly picked the eastern door, and began striding towards it, slinging her pack onto her back. Seth hastened to follow, stretching as he grumbled feebly. He vigorously rubbed his eyes, straining to focus, and darted ahead of <cen> Krystal with newfound energy to open the door.

06-Dec-2010 18:39:48

Crystal Smee

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A long, desolate corridor stood before them. He stepped out, stopping at a small fork in their path. He saw a door to his left, and turned, grabbing the handle and tugging the wooden panels away from the stones with a screech. He stepped inside, looking around, when a flash of white light blinded him. He stumbled back, colliding with Krystal.

"You venture into the wrong place, mortals!" a voice boomed. "You, Seth, pledged yourself to Saradomin, though you dare walk the lairs of a great evil unbeknownst to man!" The light vanished, and six glowing men and women stood before them, their snow-white robes giving off a white aura around each. "You chase after gold and riches, when there is a greater task at hand."

Krystal staggered against the doorpost in shock, watching Seth step forward and kneel before the angels.

"Angels, holy of Saradomin, I pray forgiveness. I had not known that there was some greater evil involved. I saw this merely as a test of my strength and courage, with a fine reward at the end. I had no knowledge there was more to this than a test of skills," he murmured softly, his words ringing heart-felt to Krystal's ears.

"Theonalios Goldenblade is not who he seems, Seth Shanelis. He is no simple alchemist, oh no. Theonalios Goldenblade is a necromancer, Seth. You, and these nine hapless others, have fallen into his trap. We pray you make it out alive." And with another flash, the angels were gone.

***

The liquid slid down Daniel's throat. As it began to flow through his veins, the burns on his skin began to heal. Rapidly, his rent skin knit together, without any trace of the ferocious wounds that had been there moments ago. The boy opened his eyes feebly, staring up at Arvenous.

"You...saved me," he said weakly, the sallow color of his cheeks fading to a healthy redness.

06-Dec-2010 18:40:28

Crystal Smee

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"The Blood Elves do not leave a wounded person to die," Arvenous replied formally. "I could not leave you, it was my duty as who I am to heal you. And now, we must decide. Do we face this monster, or do we turn back?"

"That thing is -- nasty..." Daniel shuddered.

"My honor says we must fight, but..." Arvenous sighed. After seeing Daniel's wounds, and he had no more potions...It was chancy.

"I don't want to, but if you must, I will join you. I've heard tell dragons guard large hoards of treasure, perhaps defeating this dragon is the key to winning," Daniel mused.

"Then we fight," Arvenous grinned slightly, sliding his bow from his belt. He noc*ed an arrow, and Daniel drew his blade. Sweat trickled in rivulets past the teen's temples, and his once spiky blond hair was now limp and damp with perspiration. He gulped.

One booted heel struck out, and Arvenous' foot collided with the door. It banged open. Instantly, Arvenous grabbed Daniel, shoving him away from the doorway. They were out of the way just in time, as fire streaked through the corridor past them. Panting already, the Blood Elf sprung out into the doorway, arrow whizzing from the bow. Holding his breath, he slung another arrow towards the massive, black scaly hide before diving into cover again.

"How can I help?" Daniel asked, feeling useless.

"I'll try to wound it in the mouth," Arvenous decided. "If I can lodge an arrow in its throat, it might not be able to breathe fire. Then we can do damage. Just...uh, try to distract it or something." Fire rolled through the doorway once more, and Arvenous sprung forward. He gazed straight at the beast's jaws, spittle dripping from large, curved fangs.

He waited, gauging his time, as the jaws opened wide, revealing a cavernous mouth. In an instant, Arvenous had yet another arrow flying. It soared straight towards the dragon's mouth, shot with acute precision.

06-Dec-2010 18:41:03

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SotD1: Trap of the Necromancer