“I don’t know what I think.” Ak’ka admitted, honest. Truthfully the haze from the pain made it too hard to make thoughts, ‘specially when all of her energy was spent puttin’ one foot in front of the other and scoping out the hallway. Nothing but dust and cobwebs in the dark corners. She strained her ears for any sound of the bear, but… silence. It musta taken the long way around to find them. That fact itself set alarm bells ringing in her mind. Fuckhungry animals were more interested in plowin’ through their obstacles in sight of instant gratification in the form of blood n’ raw meat. That it was able to figure out how to get around another way for its meal made her worried. “I don’t think it’s a damn normal bear, that’s for sure.”

But they shouldn’t waste energy worryin’ about things that they couldn’t control. The only thing they could do was follow Shaa’s map… or lack of one. “Damn. That takes a lotta mental power. I’ll follow yer lead then, watch yer back.” She was pretty sure the only livin’ thing down here besides them was the bear, and she was still wary of that thing popping out at them.

As they walked, Shaa lit the flame on a small candle torn from the remnants of what mighta’ been a lantern, once. Ak’ka hadn’t thought about the impact of the dim light - down here where there were no windows and sun there was about fuck all save the shadows - but it was the only idea they had. At least they could kinda smell the smoke on the wind, feel it carry on the draft as they went. It really was better than nothing. And if people only tried the ideas they were certain would work then nothin’ would ever get done.

And they plunged deeper into the halls, lookin’ for the chamber that Shaa identified. It was their only lead. Ak’ka kept an eye out behind them, wary of the bear, but her vision swam and pain clung to her like a bad hangover and it was difficult to think, much less keep a good eye on her surroundings. Ak’ka was actin’ tough, but as they stumbled blindly through the halls, she knew it in her bones. Even with the infection burned out of the bite, there was a chance she might succumb to it anyways.

She grit her tusks and stomped on.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t very stealthy, and didn’t do a great job of hidin’ her presence - not that there was much to hide from… or so she thought.

The voice found them first anyways.

In the din of her fading thoughts and rational mind, Ak’ka almost missed it. The presence, boring into her mind. The creeping, yawning, thing in the dark ahead of them. She shrugged away the feeling, passin’ it off as her own paranoia. Until Shaa stopped. Until Shaa asked if she felt it, too.

Ak’ka stopped. She wasn’t familiar with the sensation of fear. The last time she’d allowed herself to feel it - really understand it - was when she was just twelve, the day she lost her da. She coulda lost her own life too if she hadn’t learned ta shove it aside and tap into hate instead. But now, that old enemy crept up her shoulder as Ak’ka stood, peering into the dark.

Then she heard the voice.

I ssssssseeeeeeee you. It hissed. Flesh and blood and bone. Come here.

Ak’ka’s limbs froze without her volition. She wanted to take a step forward, to ignore this dead thing in the walls and keep movin’ forward. But her body wouldn’t let her.

Ak’ka pounded at her chest, forcing the fear out of her body.^[1] With a grunt, she held her hand out to the minotaur, nudging him in the side. Wasn’t a gentle touch, wasn’t a harsh one. Just tryin’ to pull him out of the fog.

“Don’t listen to it, man. What can a ghost do? Punch us?” She grunted, her voice low.

Come here…

“Oh, I’ll come here, alright.” Ak’ka didn’t have cloth to wrap her fists, but she could make do without. She punched her fists together, the air growing cold around her skin, like they’d been doused in ice water. Fear, Ak’ka wasn’t familiar with. But death was her old pal, and she’d send anyone back to the grave who stood in her way.^[2] She was still flushed and feverish from the wound, but Shaa was leadin’ them to safety. Least she could do was fight till her heart stopped beating. “I’ll come out if you do, ghostly coward. Show yer ugly mug, if ya’ve even got one!”

---

1. Undying Fervor
2. Delaela’s Cold Iron Touch

Shaa stamps the ground and sends out a broad geometric pulse. To his dismay, there was actually something out there in the dark. Had it been a ghost or a specter, he wouldn’t have been able to feel anything. This thing, whatever it was, had mass, a body, a form. It was too talkative to be a zombie or even a revenant. It was more like a…no….was it even possible?

I’m ff fff fine. It will take more than that to stop me. Shaa kept moving, the feeling in his spine starting to widen. Bravery isn’t the absence of fear. It’s doing something in spite of it. You aren’t going to stop us. A low laugh echos in the hallway. Continue on. Your fear is delicious to me. I will enjoy sucking it from the very marrow of your bones. Well that was certainly graphic. But it had also matched a story that he had heard among the wandering tribes when he was very young.

---

(35 years ago in a camp near the Fairy Glen) 

The band had settled down for the night, having been raiding for the last several days. Shaa, a pre-teen Minotaur conscripted to fight for the nomadic clans, is chained to a nearby stump.  Febber, a young scout in the clan, hands him some stew and sits next to him as the elder fighters gather around a large bonfire to tell stories. A large man with an eyepatch calls for the raider’s attention.

My family, this run has been hard, we have crushed our enemies and laid waste to anyone and anything that opposed us. We have gathered several imperative resources for the clan that will keep us through the winter. Because of your strength and sacrifice, our clan will survive another year. The fighters yell and cheer, drinking several mugs of questionable liquid while reveling about the battle. Shaa sat quietly away from the fire with one of the few people he considered a friend.

And we honor the dead! We honor Ragsha, Tommen, Quell the archer, Fangorne. We honor their blood spilled. A young fighter who wore animal skins and was missing several fingers stood up defiantly. And Poochin! My brother also died. A loud grumble ran through the crowd. Your brother was a coward. His death was deserved and is not worthy to be spoken at the fire. No! He was no coward! He ran! We all saw him. No! I swear I saw it. Kugamain was there! It grabbed my brother, it wasn’t his fault! The eye patch man spit into the fire, a log hissed as the liquid hit it. Enough, don’t say that name. It’s true!

Shaa got a confused look on his face and inquired of Febber quietly. Who dis, Kugamain? Unfortunately the eye patch man heard him ask. He angrily picks a hot stick out of the fire and deftly tosses it at the young Minotaur, smacking him hard in the leg. Quiet beast! Yours is not to speak. Forget again and I’ll cut out your tounge from your grotesque head. Yours is only to die at my leisure. Turning back to the fire, eyepatch continues. No one else saw it and we will speak not of it again lest we summon it here. The man stayed unnamed. The young fighter kicks at the ground and walks away from the fire.

We have all suffered greatly. Let us take a moment to remember…whomever you will. After the silence, the men get back to eating and drinking. When they were busy and drunk enough, Febber scoots himself back next to Shaa. Sorry about that brother. You should know better than to say anything. You will live longer maybe? He looks around again and continues. Kugamain is a myth or legend or whatever. They say he is a demon that causes fear in men’s hearts and then consumes it. It lives in the dark or where despair is deep. Then he comes and feeds on the fear. Some say that those sometimes accused of cowardice are really under the demon’s influence. Do you believe it’s real? The young man shrugs and takes a gulp of his stew. We are camped next to a fairy grotto. I’m too young to discount anything yet I suppose. How old you must be? He enquired earnestly. Febber laughed and a bit of stew came out his nostrils. I’m thinking very old. Maybe I’ll never be old enough. For some reason that made a lot of sense to Shaa and thought it very wise of the young man.

Real or not, I have heard it with lots of names. Kugamain, Sorra the Wailer, Chaffe dak nar. If you go to a certain small cave in the Nomads stone, there is a tablet with one more name. What the name? The incarnation of fear.

---

In the years since, Shaa had heard sporadic tales of the creature although he had never encountered one directly. After all this time he had begun to assume that they were just ghosts and creatures just freaking people out. No one specifically nasty being that literally ate fear. Maybe Febber was right after all. You can never be too old to discount anything.

Shaa grits his teeth together , shifts a bit to rebalance the orc, and pushes on. Is it you Kugamain? After all this time, have I found you lurking around in this hole? Time means nothing to me. But I have been known by such names before. I have been known of many names. The flame on Shaa’s candle flickers unnaturally and starts changing into random colors. Shaa’s senses can tell the creature is moving around. Not towards them exactly but it seems to trying to keep them off balance. Shaa swallows hard and continues to push through the darkness further into a large open room. He can hear something shuffling in the corner. You are alone Minotaur. You are always alone. You were alon on the Nomadic plains as your companions were slain around you. You are alone in the guild were your own guild mates look to usurp your power. Let ‘em have it! I never wanted to lead! You are alone even now. A beast is ready to devour you. It has already devoured your friend, she just doesn’t know it yet. Shut up! Gawww. You are alone…always alone. 

Shaa absentmindedly reaches for his pouch and painfully remembers its absence. He was alone. But that never stopped him before.

---

Geosense

Bravery isn’t the absence of fear. It’s something in spite of it.

A lesson Ak’ka never had the chance to learn. There was no place for fear, or courage. She’d only known anger and hatred, a mindless creature. No room for bad thoughts if ya didn’t think. Ak’ka shoved them out by force; Shaa embraced them and moved on in spite of them. He knew his enemy, knew how to counteract it, no matter what the spirit whispered into their minds to taunt them. Fucker was like a leech - searching for the best way to get in and suck their blood.

Ak’ka narrowed her eyes, searching the din. Her eyes weren’t made to cut through the dark, couldn’t see whatever was hiding in there so comfortably like a hermit crab who’d crawled into the skeleton of this prison and made this place its home. This was why Ak’ka hated ghosts. They couldn’t touch you with fists - so they relied on their words and their tricks to lure people in. And you could barely hurt ‘em, barely even see ‘em… the dead thought that being dead made them invincible.

This one didn’t seem tricky. No, its hissing voice was almost hungry. It wanted Ak’ka and Shaa to get close, all so it could eat them.

Ak’ka would die before she let it.

She pulled herself up from where she’d been half-leaning against the minotaur, cracking her knuckles. Her challenging scream echoed into the chamber - the silence, her response. Then the creature spoke.

Oh? It sounded almost… interested. This one has a shield. But shields can be broken.

“You can go ahead and try.” Ak’ka snarled, fists raised. This fucker wanted her fear? She’d give it a dose of its own medicine. Behind her, she thought she heard Shaa speaking - a name - Kugamain. Not a name she’d ever heard before. Didn’t matter. Name, no name, the creature would get sent back to the grave all the same.

Yes, come here. It will be delicious stripping you of your armor.

Ak’ka ignored him and charged forward, fists ringing with the song of cold iron - she couldn’t see what was in front of her but she sure as hell could feel her flesh connect with air, like banging on a gong, the first bell of a cage fight. It was a sound that struck fear into elder beings the an anvil on stone - most fuckers were so sure they couldn’t be touched that when they met a mortal able to pierce their incporporeality, that surety crumbled to dust.

Then the thing shifted in the dark.

She couldn’t see it but Ak’ka had a sinking feeling it was lookin’ right at her.

Oh, I see. It had no tone but Ak’ka could practically hear the smugness coiled within each word. Then the cold pressure where her fist had connected with not-skin disappeared, leaving Ak’ka alone in the dark.

You stave off fear by shoving it onto others. But what do you do when you meet something worse than you, little monster? There was no sound from the voice - but her instincts screamed it was behind her. Ak’ka whirled around and threw a punch blindly through the air. It soared through empty air.

“Nothin’ is worse than me.” Ak’ka snapped.

She’d lost her entire family at twelve and slaughtered the enemy clan who’d tried to take her life away, too. She’d been buried alive and pulled herself out of the fucking ground with her own two hands. Nothin’ had stopped her so far because she wouldn’t let it.

There is always something worse out there. So what do you fear, little monster? The day you might find the peak of your strength against a being greater than you?

Ak’ka snapped her eyes shut, vision useless here. The not-voice was all around her now, spinning, like it was tryin’ to make her dizzy with it. She grit her tusks, let the thing keep speakin’, listening for any shifts in the air, where was it, where was it…

There!

She jabbed a fist at random, snapping open in triumph when she hit somethin’ solid - but still, the presence didn’t falter, didn’t stop.

No, not that. You’ve faced death before, haven’t you? In the World’s Crown. Here, as the Beast eats you. It is not the end you fear. Is it loneliness?

“I’ve always been alone. Don’t bother me none.” Her voice was ragged, aggressive. She couldn’t breathe. Her wound burned. Where was it?

Yes, you always have been. The voice agreed, mock-sympathetic. Not for lack of people, but because you put yourself upon a pedestal. You let them look but only touch. Why don’t you want them to reach you? Why do you distance yourself?

“Stop. Talking. Stand still and let me hit you.”

She punched the air again - she was getting sloppy. Not that Ak’ka noticed.

Oh. I get it. It’s fear.

The wind almost sounded like laughter.

You fear fear itself.

Ak’ka stiffened.

“That’s stupid.”

Is it? You keep away from people so you don’t have to love them. You don’t have to confront the fear of losing them. The Bonegrinder is a concept who cannot stand the idea of being mortal. Of being touched. So you wear this armor and never have to confront whether fear will make you weak or not.

“Fear won’t make me weak. Nothing will.”

Prove it.

Maybe Ak’ka shoulda known she was being provoked, that the creature wasn’t challenging her but tryin’ to unlock the door her fear’d been closed behind. Why would she see it? Her mind was still lost, bein’ eaten up by the bear, and now worn down by the Kugamain. She wasn’t weak. She’d show em. She’d show ‘em all that.

“Fuck you.” She spat, lowering her fists. Let go of her rage.^[1]

And then her heart began to race.

YES, DELICIOUS!

Ak’ka’d given it exactly what it wanted, and in doing so she’d only made it stronger.

“Shit!” The orc scrambled backwards, scrambling for - for what? Safety, help, a wall? She needed to breathe, getting her bearings. Glancing around wildly, she searched for something familiar, like she could see through the dark. That was when she saw it. Or thought she saw it. A dim, flickering light a good distance away. Shaa’s candle? Or her mind playing tricks on her? Didn’t matter. It was her only hope right now and she had to act.

“SHAA!” She sprinted, the ghost’s laughter at her heels. Maybe they were both afraid, maybe the fear was poisoning their thoughts. But neither of them had to face it alone. They could figure somethin’ out. They could destroy this entire chamber if need be.

She just had to reach him.

She just had to reach him…

---

1. Undying Fervor ended early

Shaa’s night vision allowed him to see his new companion grapple desperately with their penumbrash opponent. It was like watching someone trying to pick a fight with their own shadow. The swings were wild and undisciplined, nothing finding any purchase. But he also knew it was a big stinking lie. What he had felt earlier was an actual solid mass of something. It wasn’t a ghost, it had a form, a shape. A freaking tricky one granted but he knew it wasn’t nearly as untouchable as it made out. It was no wonder such a creature had garnered an almost mythical reputation. 

Time was not on their side. They were already dealing with injuries and hunger. This being, whatever it was, was going to force them to exhaust themselves until it could feed at its leisure. It wanted them afraid. It wanted them desperate. Otherwise why would it have engaged at all? It could have just watched them from the darkness and fed on their fear. It didn’t need to provoke a conflict. Or did it?

A horrible thought crossed Shaa’s mind. What if it thought that they were dying or about to die? If it was a creature that fed on fear, it would need their prey alive to feed of them. If it felt we were in danger and wouldn’t last to feed on, it might make a move like this to illicit as much fear as possible before it was too late. But what in the hell was so dangerous down here that a creature this old, would think that two large fighters like themselves would not stand a chance? The bear? Shaa remembered the comment from the jerk ghost earlier. It wasn’t what he said, but how he said it. Like Shaa had no idea what he was about to go up against. Was he really so far out of his depth? The thought made him pause for a moment until he heard his own name.

SHAA! Ak’a’s voice called to him from the darkness. And there he stood, a tiny pathetic light burning in the nothingness of the stone room. He needed to take this thing’s advantage away. He was freaking out and he needed to get his head back in the game. Screw the bear. Screw the fear eater. Shaa couldn’t go more than a couple days without some nit wit trying to stab him or poison him or whatever. Just who in the world did they think they were screwing with? That was the problem here. Ever since he woke up. Heck, ever since he got kidnapped, everyone and everything has been jacking with him like he was still that child tied up to the stump. But that guy doesn’t exist anymore. The scars that covered his body were proof enough of that. Shaa didn’t spend all this time to get jerked around like this. It was time that he showed these chumps who he had become. By doing what he does best, something supremely stupid.

OVER HERE! QUICK BEHIND ME! Shaa drops the candle to the floor and grabs the warrior, pulling her in and holding her tightly. It’s ok, you are not alone. And today, we are going to check something off my bucket list by taking down a legendary pain in the butt. The voice in the darkness laughs even louder. Your bravado cannot hide your terror. I have consumed many fighters greater than you. Well, that’s your mistake demon. I garuntee you something. You have NEVEF EVER fought anybody stupider than me. The voice actually sounded suspiciously worried as it replied What? 

Shaa had sometimes been criticized by other fighters for not wearing any armor or carrying any obvious weapons. Just a big half naked fighter walking around. As a result, despite his reputation, he was often underestimated when it came to fighting. They would realize, only too late, that Shaa didn’t carry weapons because he had spent his entire life, becoming a living weapon.

Shaa walked into the darkness like he was strolling through a park. Suddenly, a aura starts to glow around him, glowing brighter and brighter. Then, in a flash, the Minotaur’s entire body bursts into flames as he transforms into a fire elemental. Body ablaze, the entire room lights up and then Shaa can finally get a good look at their tormentor. If he had a stomach in this form, he would have lost it. The creature looked like a skeleton but wrong. The entire skeletal structure was black as the blackest ink you could think of. And somehow, impossibly, it was dressed in some sort of living shadow that seemed to swirl and coalesce into and out of its bony frame. Despite the bones, the creature did not look fragile at all, but solid like a statue that had no discernible organs to speak of.

Knowing it’s hiding place was destroyed, the creature stood up to its full hight and started to approach the flaming Minotaur with no hesitation. The flames may reveal me but they will not save you. The fires of the pit burn bright such as these. It will only illuminate that which will end you. You know you sure talk a lot for someone so fleshless. The creature of fear rushes at Shaa, reaching out with his boney hand. Not sure exactly what touching incarnated fear would do, Shaa opts to dodge the touch and stamps the ground in front of him with his flaming hoof. As he does, several vines burst out of the ground and a vine feild around the creature’s feet. Do you think this will stop me? The dark creature hisses. Nope. Shaa reaches down and grabs the vines adding stacks of conflagration. The vines burst into flame turning the field into a pyre.

As the flames lick up at it, Kugamain leaps straight up and attaches itself to the ceiling. You must do better than that. Wrong again boney. You are missing the big picture. It’s not a “me”, it’s a “we” and ‘she” can now see your boney butt. Shaa didn’t even need to look to know what was coming for the creature from the side.

---

Full Elemental Transformation- Fire (Post 1 of 3)
Stinging Nettles
Conflageration

Silence after she called Shaa’s name - she almost couldn’t breathe, her heart beating in her ribs like a hammer, somethin’ ancient and instinctual beggin’ to be let out, let out, let out - then Shaa’s call, the echo. The second she heard his voice, saw the candle was real and that it wasn’t some trap from the monster, relief came like a sip of liquor pumping liquid courage from her veins. She wasn’t used to this feeling. But weakened from the scar from that bear and the branding that came after, mind dulled with delirium and pain, the hunger gnawin’ in the pit of her belly and that - that thing messing with her mind, maybe there was a small part of Ak’ka that was ready to succumb to the fear.

Not ‘cus she was afraid of dying. Ak’ka had faced hell and come out the other side. Not death and not loneliness and not whatever hell nightmare the incarnation of fear threw at her. She was the nightmare. She couldn’t be this… this helpless, injured, tired, starving, knockin’ on death’s door.

In that moment she wouldn’t be surprised if Shaa did decide to leave her. Was only natural when she was this useless.

But then he dropped the candle - the lighthouse beacon - and grabbed her tight. Maybe it was the fatigue gettin’ to her, maybe it was the fact that Shaa was the only one down her with her. He’d saved her from death already, after all. But barrelin’ into him like a bull crashing into a wall came like a rallying cry. Ak’ka didn’t rely on most folks ‘cus she couldn’t afford to when she could bear most burdens on her shoulders and she had a feeling Shaa was the same. That was what the creature was likely dependin’ on. Separating them and drinkin’ the despair from the marrow of their bones.

Fucker hadn’t counted on two strangers leanin’ on each other cus it was all they had.

Ak’ka spat on the cold stone ground, fear growin’ bitter before hardening like ice. Fucker had taken advantage of her, wormed its way into her skull. “Right.” She agreed, voice a low timbre, a growl in her throat that startled almost her. But she wasn’t thinkin’ in thoughts so much as she was workin’ with an animal’s instinct, gut instinct movin’ her as she grounded her stance and bared her feet. Maybe she was afraid, but when a frightened, injured Beast was cornered, it didn’t cower or show its neck. It lashed out ‘til it couldn’t fight no more.

Ak’ka’s breath came out in icy puffs, chest heaving as Shaa found somethin’ in his heart to keep moving. Darkness ebbed where he stepped, body alight with his spirit… literally. Shaa was bursting into flames. No; he was flame, a brilliant flare that finally lit the room so Ak’ka could see. If she hadn’t dropped her rage, she wouldnt’a recoiled at the sight - but the fucker was real nasty. Looked like it was born from the bones of sickly, dead prisoners and the darkness of their screams. A beast made of all the malice and hatred and bitterness left behind… and its sickly frame said it hadn’t eaten in years.

Ak’ka wouldn’t give it the chance tonight.

Shaa was impressive, but the creature didn’t seem that nervous ‘bout the torch bearing down on it. Good thing Shaa wasn’t alone. She was already ahead of him as he reminded the bastard that those two weren’t the only ones in the room.

Steelin’ herself in a way she hadn’t since the good ole’ days, Ak’ka charged, only seein’ red. Red from the flames, red from the blood on her fists, red, red, red.

Kugamain spotted her approach first - shadows stirred and loose crates, rotted wood, and cracked stone lifted from the ground and flung themselves at her.^[1] Ak’ka opened her mouth in a scream, punchin’ the air with a rallying shout that rippled the air around her with her hate, her anger, and the air shattered a large piece of rubble like a ghostly hammer.^[2] Didn’t stop her from takin’ some of the damage - piece of wood imbedded itself in her thigh and rock rubble scratched at her face, but Ak’ka didn’t give a shit. Shaa’d given her an opening and like hell if she was gonna waste it.

Why do you still fight when your efforts are as futile as an ant’s against the boot bearing down upon it? The creature mocked. Still didn’t view her as a threat even when she could see it. I thought you’d given up already. Why don’t you just lay down and accept your fate? If not by my hand, then the Beast will have its way with you soon.

“I ain’t losin’ to no one. Not you, not this dungeon, not to some flea-infested Beast!” Another punch in the air, rippling across the air and colt clocking the shadow-being in the face. It didn’t recoil, didn’t even seem to feel it. But even if Ak’ka’s fists didn’t inflict fear, she could still touch it. And if she could still touch it, she could rip it apart with her bare hands.

Another volley of obstacles flew her way - Ak’ka stamped her foot on the ground, ice crackling under her boot as a wall of pure ice jutted upwards from beneath her.^[3] The force of the wall flung her skyward, over four hundred pounds of hulking half-orc pulled downwards by the force of gravity. And she was gonna make this thing taste the sting of her fucking fists. With a roar that made the heavens tremble, she landed straight on top of him, cracking bone and semi-corporeal darkness and the stone around them, breaking the floor apart with her might.^[4]

---

1. Telekinesis - Incarnation of Fear
2. Art of the Soul (Post ⅓)
3. Glacial Wall
4. Bull’s Strength, Heavy Enchantment, Double Strike for the WOMBO COMBO

As the mighty Bonegrinder comes crashing fiercely down on their shadowy adversary, the force of her strike upends the floor and some of the surrounding walls start to buckle. Shaa was already worried about the overall structural stability of this place, knowing that a collapse could be catastrophic. Not only for them, but also for the tower full of guards and prisoners perhaps hundreds of feet above them. A collapse here could cause the tower to shift, maybe even topple over. The casualties would be extreme. Not to mention several very crunchy prisoners might get a chance to escape. They needed to be mindful.

While in his full fire elemental form, Shaa still had access to his other elemental abilities but had to be extremely careful that they were not influenced by his flames. As he feels the walls in the room start to shift, he summons other walls in strategic places to keep the supporting earth from sliding. They couldn’t hold back with this guy, he was way too ancient and powerful to mess around with. But they would need to be careful they didn’t end up burying themselves in the process.

As he works, Shaa keeps a careful eye on the battle. As a mele fighter, fighting together with someone you haven’t fought with before could be tricky. Even under the best of circumstances. The best course of action here was to run support and let his new companion do her thing. Even so, Shaa knew that with her injuries, she would not be able to last long. He would have to watch for signs of fatigue before the nightmarish creature could take advantage. 

From off to the side, a stone raises to the hair and streaks towards the back of Ak’kas head. Shaa sees it just in time to snag it out of the air. He takes a moment to add a stack of conflagration to the stone, tuns it and then hurls it at the dark creature. Despite grappling with the staunch warrior, it manages to wiggle enough to avoid getting smashed in the face with the burning rock. Blast it all, I missed! 

Shaa can feel another shift in the ground. Ak’Ka, this place isn’t stable, we have to go NOW! Ahahahahaha. Shaa had a feeling that Kugamain didn’t worry about paltry little problems like falling ceilings but they had no such luxury. Shaa’s geosense  can feel a more stable section down one of the passageways. Quick this way! It’s just buying time. You are out of time. Die in terror mortals. Let the thought of my face be your last! Screw you buddy. No one is dying if I can help it. Shaa summons a pillar of fire between Ak’Ka and Kugamain. The shadow creature screams loudly as Shaa takes off down the collapsing corridor, hoping that Ak’Ka is following somewhere in the chaos.

---

Kugamain- Telekinesis 

Shaa
Summon Wall
full fire manifest turn 2 of 3
Bare Hands (Deflective)
Prayer of Fire- Fire Construct pillar shaped

In stark contrast to Shaa’s worry about the structure of the chamber. She wasn’t thinkin’ bout much at all. Maybe it was still the last tracts of fear or maybe it was fever setting in but it felt like clouds were blocking her thoughts. But her vision was, somehow, clearer than ever thanks to Shaa’s fire licking at the stones around them. Everything was in sharp focus, the malleability of the devil-creature under her fists, the sound of grating stone and the smell of burning. Action was easy, battle ingrained in every beat of her heart. She didn’t need to think about it ‘cus she couldn’t think.

Not even as the foundations of old rock rumbled around her, threatening to crumble from her fall straight into Kugamain. Returning to dust.

A piece of rock was dislodged, soaring through the air - woulda smashed her skull in if Shaa hadn’t caught it, smoke curling in his hands while he caught it on fire. Ak’ka still had Kugamain in a death grip, pinning it down - the mass of shadows and cartilage writhed in her grip, but she’d die before she let go at this point.^[1] But then the air shifted behind her - and something instinctual told her what Shaa was doing. They were both close range fighters, but Shaa was leagues more versatile than her with his ranged spells, and Ak’ka knew to either mind yer support from behind or get beamed in the back with somethin’ nasty.

She immediately released her hold on the Kugamain, hopin’ that the split second of disorientation would catch it off guard as Shaa launched the flaming meteorite straight at it.

It didn’t.

Ak’ka grimaced as the Kugamain seemed to dissolve into the long shadows cast by the flames behind her, just barely slinking out of the reach of Shaa’s attack. Beads of sweat dripped down her brow from the heat - she was a gal of ice and the mountain blizzard’s chill, didn’t always do so well in the heat. Especially the magic kind. Nothing for her to do but grin and bear it, even as the ground felt like it was gonna knock her off her feet…

No, she wasn’t the one swaying. The earth really was falling apart. She heard Shaa’s voice like it was shouted through the bowels of a muggy swamp; a warning.

Ak’ka… isn’t stable… NOW!

And the ghost of laughter in the wind…

The heat, though, Ak’ka felt clear as day. She ducked back and rolled as a pillar of pure hellfire sprouted from the ground, makin’ a wall between the two of them. A barrier that Kugamain didn’t dare cross, for now. So far the light from the flames had kept it at bay but Ak’ka wasn’t sure how long it would last. She didn’t wanna find out. Stumbling on her feet, Ak’ka spun around and chased after Shaa, leaving the angered shouts of the scorned hunter behind. But she wasn’t outta the frying pan yet. As Ak’ka sprinted, she could still feel the claws of its shadowy grip digging into the flesh of her arms, tryin’ to pull her back.

She couldn’t let it.

“ROT IN THIS SHITHOLE!” Ak’ka screamed ‘til her throat was raw and the wasn’t sure if that was saliva or blood she was spitting. She sure as hell wasn’t thinking rationally, but they only had one shot at this; either they escaped Kugamain or this chamber became their tomb, too. Why not take a risk? With all the power she had left in her, Ak’ka let out a devastating scream, the force of it shattering the wall above her.^[2] She’d rip this place apart brick by brick with bare hands if she could build a wall with it and trap that bastard inside, but they didn’t have the time for that. So she’d have to settle for bringing this place down behind them.

Her about hit its mark, bringing down the hallway with ferocity and dust - but it was only makin’ the citadel’s collapse faster. Ak’ka stumbled, channeling the strength of her ancestors, the gods, any uncaring ghost up there that would listen to her, and she fuckin’ ran with all the strength left in her body.^[3] Just following Shaa’s light ahead, tryin’ to reach some semblance of freedom -

That was when the ground broke underneath her feet.

Solid stone tripped her where it fractured, giving way to whatever was underneath. Ak’ka expected dirt and bones, but to her surprise, as she was tripped up, she suddenly felt… weightless, like there was nothin’ beneath her at all. She should’a figured. If they were in the underground beneath the most fearsome prison in Sol City, it wasn’t any surprise there was something deeper. In that moment though the what mattered much less than the how she was gonna avoid getting swallowed whole. Frantic, Ak’ka punched the nearest wall, fist driving through the side like paper until she was elbow deep. The wall shuddered and groaned, but Ak’ka caught herself just before the ground gave out from her fully. Her feet dangled in the air, the emptiness screaming at her. She squinted but couldn’t see the bottom.

“The hell is this place…”

The sound of Kugamain’s screams reminded her that this wasn’t a mystery she wanted to unravel. She just wanted to get outta here. Whatever this place was, this fuckawful tomb of ghosts and monsters that should’a stayed dead… part of her still wasn’t sure that she wasn’t in hell right now, but if she was she still owed it to herself and Shaa to reach the end of this nightmare kicking and screaming.

No matter how many monsters tried to drag her down with them.

With a grunt of effort and a twist of her spine, Ak’ka slammed her fist against the wall and brought forth another wall of ice under her feet, this time from side to side and not up and down.^[4] Sturdy enough for her to land on and run across the ice ‘til she built up enough momentum to leap - and vaulted herself over the rest of the chasm to hit solid ground again and keep runnin’. Shaa’d put some distance between her and him, but she wasn’t outta the game yet. Winded, muscles sore, and her mind on fire - but she wasn’t outta the game yet. She’d just keep moving, keep moving, the hall still distantly crumbling beneath her, ‘til she followed Shaa to safety.

Whatever safety meant in a place like this.

---

1. Iron Grip (Brawler I)
2. Art of the Soul - ended early for 20 foot beam
3. Tail Winds
4. Glacial Wall

With their small stoney world crashing in around their heads, the next few minutes stretch on as if they are eternity. Even with his advanced levels of perception, Shaa is only catching brief flashes of what is happening around him as he makes for the corridor. He can feel his fire manifestation coming to an abrupt end. He weaves in and out as he can feel the rocks crashing down around them. He can feel the Orc’s heart beating like a drum behind him. He can feel, or perhaps feel the absence of, their shadowy foe writhing behind them. But on the bright side, his fire construct was doing its job and they were making distance from it. They just needed to get a little further.

He can start to feel a dip in the ground but it’s behind him. Is Ak’Ka going to make it? He slows a bit preparing to turn around but he sees the gritty fighter save herself from the pitfall. She was a survivor. And she would stay that way if he had anything to do with it. Turning again, he continues down a hallway then…silence.

He stops briefly and gets a sense of the walls and this structure that they are in. He hasn’t explored this place yet but at least he could tell it was stable enough to stay in for the moment.  And that’s what they needed the most. Just a moment. Sure enough, Ak’Ka joins him in the darkened room. There is still no sign that Kugamain has followed them though he doubted that this would be the last time anyone saw him.

Whoooo made it. Don’t worry we should be ok for now. With that, Shaa’s full fire manifestation comes to an end as they are pitched back into the darkness.

The adrenaline of the battle starts to ebb and his breathing slows, he sits down on the ground and tries to recenter himself. It was bad enough that he was here in a mysterious hole, hungry and without his stuff. But to run into a mythical monster from his childhood down here, it was a bit much. He needed to get back to the business of getting out of here. Amazingly enough, he still had a pretty good sense of where they were relative to where he started from. They were making progress, it would only be a matter of time. They just needed to stay alive long enough to get out.

The passing thought about his stuff made him think about Vulcana. He wondered if the fire fairy had figured out that he was missing yet. She would come looking for him, he was almost positive. They were practically inseparable and he knew she would be upset to find him gone. And when she got upset, she usually got …burny. At least she would be easy to find.

He was not in the best of shape but he was the least of their worries. He turned to check on the beleaguered Orc warrior. She had already been in a bad way and a fight plus life or death sprint surely wouldn’t help anything. Hey there, how you holding up? And be honest, it’s going to dictate our next move. Night vision was tricky. He could see in the dark just fine but it didn’t catch some of the finer details like light di. He had to get clues from his other senses. He could hear her heavy breathing. He could smell the iron of fresh blood. Before she even said anything, he knew that they couldn’t keep on like this for long. They needed a legit healer not janky field medicine. Time was running out. 

There was another option but he was loathe to mention it. All he needed to do was transform into an earth elemental, run through the walls and he could be out in the open in maybe an hour. He could find help and bring them back. He was sure he could find his way back, all things being equal. But that was a pipe dream. They still didn’t know who shoved them down here to begin with and they could have prepared for an escape attempt. There was also the issue of the pissy man bear thing that was still down here and probably looking for them. Could he leave and get back before the bear found her? Doubtful. And what if there were other things down here that they had not even run into yet? There were too many unknowns in the equation. He had promised to get her out and the only way to do it, is if he were here to do it. There was no other way. 

Ak’ka didn’t even stop ‘til she’d reached the chamber where Shaa was waiting. Didn’t fall to her knees, didn’t allow herself to have a break. If she stopped, she had a feeling she wouldn’t get back up again. Her lungs felt like they were on fire as she put her hands on her knees, sparin’ a glance for Shaa as he spoke. Making words was hard when her throat was ragged from all that runnin’ and breathin’, so she only flashed him a thumbs up…

And then Shaa’s light went out.

So far away from Kugamain Ak’ka didn’t panic - nah, she wasn’t much afraid no more. But she didn’t have good eyes for seein’ in the dark, not like some of her other orc-kin. If she had her shit she mighta been able to put together some sorta makeshift fire with the shit she had… but that was with whatever sick bastards had shoved them down there. She wasn’t the only one missing her stuff. She wasn’t sure what Shaa kept in his bag but it was obvious they wouldn’t be strugglin’ anywhere near as much if they had basic necessities they needed to survive.

Ak’ka’d been in worse scrapes before. The situation was pretty damn bad, but they’d made it past the Kugamain. The literal damn physical collection of fear itself brought to life. They could shoulder through whatever else this hell had for them.

… They probably did need to make findin’ their things a priority though. Ak’ka didn’t carry much on her ‘xcept a bedroll, her tree, a flask of ale, and some dried rations. Jerky and shit. Might not mean much in the long run, but they needed the food. Her stomach was an empty put, and she was feelin’ real damn hungry…

She perked up at the sound of Shaa’s voice - in the dark, robbed of her senses, his question was almost like a roar in her ears. She didn’t flinch or nothing, but she did narrow her eyes in the dark, nails diggin’ into the flesh of her knees while she was doubled over.

“Dunno how long we’ve been down here but we can’t keep walkin’ around in circles forever. If we can find our shit, there’s a chance we can find food and the people who took our things. Even if we don’t, havin’ food might buy us some time -” She doubled over, a sudden wave of nausea and bile welling in her throat, and before she could say anything else, hacked up the contents of her empty stomach onto the cold stone below. The world spun while she thumped at her chest, tryin’ to expel all the phlegm, but for a minute, she couldn’t breathe. If Shaa said anything, she didn’t hear it over the warbeat sound of her heart in her chest. Time felt like it was movin’ through molasses, everythin’ sharp and far away at once. Then, down the hall they’d just come from, Ak’ka heard it. The distant roar of a bear.

“... Did you hear that?” She asked, voice a low whisper that caught harshly in her throat. She groped blindly ‘til she found Shaa’s shoulder, turnin’ him in the direction of the sound. “Sounds like we got company. We should hurry and find our shit.”

There was just one problem. No matter how hard Shaa concentrated, he would never hear the sound she was talking about. Because the Kugamain was still between them and the beast. They'd shaken it off earlier in the dungeon, and it hadn't caught back up.

There was no bear on their heels.

Meanwhile, somewhere else in the dungeon…

It had been mostly quiet since the tiny fire pixie had descended into the dark levels of the dungeon below. It seemed to her that she had been going down those stairs for a while before finally leveling off into a large stone landing with several paths branching outward. On the bright side, she had felt that she was finally low enough to be on the same level with her Minotaur. The question was, where was he? From experience, she knew that Shaa was not the quietest of beings in the whole of Charon. Usually you just had to either follow the loudest noise or path of wanton destruction and he was usually pretty close by. But down here there was nothing like that, only stone and the quiet and not so quiet inquests of the dead.

This is the most excitement this place has seen in years. So many very unexpected visitors at the same time. The distraction is nice but, if I’m being honest, I miss the quiet. Vulcana moves a bit closer to the specter who was mostly just talking at her. As a fae being, she dealt with random spirits all of the time. Seeing the undead here wasn’t surprising but, so far, they had not been overly helpful. Exciting dear sir? Why so exciting? The little fairy asks innocently. Why the living my dear. The dead took over as keepers to this place long ago. To see the living here again…shocking. Where are they now? The little fairy pressed. Who knows? Said the voice. One was here than another, very curious indeed. But you should leave little one. There are darker creatures here than need be near such a glorious light as yours I’m afraid. Some that may even resent it wholly. I would hate to have something as beautiful as yourself tainted by such things. Yes…not a place for light. 

The little fairy shook her wings and burned a bit brighter. I have come looking for my friend. And I’m not leaving without him.i dare anyone to try and stop me. The voice laughed darkly. Oh of course not miss, I didn’t mean to presume. But..if I may be so bold, what friend could a being such as yourself possibly have down here? I mean, other than myself of course if I could be so bold. Giving dark spirits information, especially names, could be problematic. Vulcana was young but no fool. My friends name is his own. You know better than to ask such things. Names are the only things we have down here my dear. Not bright and glorious things, just the whispers of who we once were. If you don’t want to name your friend, perhaps a description? He’s not a bear is he? 

Vulcana scrunched her face in confusion. What in the world was going on down here? A bear? Of course not. He is big though. The voice goes silent for a moment. He’s not…per chance, a Minotaur is he? The fairy tries to keep her heart from racing. And what do you know of Minotaurs oh mysterious shadow? Very little up until about ohhh 3 days ago. Then our lives were full of one in particular. If you are here to take him please do, he’s not very pleasant. Gladly, where is he?

As she asks, there is a loud thunderous rumble in the distance. After several minutes, it finally subsides. Ugh…never mind. I think I have a good idea. Glad to help my dear, feel free to stop by anytime…..

---

Then back with the warriors 

Shaa listened very hard in the dark. Despite listening carefully, he couldn’t hear anything. He couldn’t sense anything either. But it didn’t matter if he heard something or not. The course of action was the same. No I don’t hear anything but I agree with you. There is no sense in hanging around here. I really doubt anyone’s selling ice cream or anything. Here take my arm,, if you can, I think we should go this way. Even though he’s tired, Shaa manages enough mana to superheat his hand and make it glow. There is a more reenforced tunnel heading out from the room. If he had to guess, a tunnel like that would lead to a support or, if they were lucky, a staircase. 

---

Scorching Touch

Ak’ka frowned when Shaa said he didn’t hear nothin’. The roar was so loud it was practically boxin’ her ears - no way he didn’t know the bear was hot on their tail. She was gonna protest but whether Shaa heard the Beast or not, didn’t matter. They still didn’t wanna stick around and find out whether it was or not. Ak’ka grit her tusks, grindin’ her teeth to stave off the sudden surge of anger. She was pissed; pissed at what she didn’t know, but Shaa didn’t deserve that. Ugh. The sooner they got outta here the better. Channelin’ her rage to something more productive, Ak’ka clenched her fists, ready for any threat that might jump out at them.

Thinkin’ was hard, but she didn’t gotta think when she was fightin’.

“Hold on. I’ll do ya one better.”

She wasn’t so outta it that she couldn’t take off her cloak and rip off a large chunk’a fabric. The RRRRRRRIIP echoed through the air and made her wince but it wasn’t like they were bein’ stealthy in the first place. At least it gave ‘em somethin’ to work with. She stared at the strip of cloth with a grimace.

“Ugh. If I had my liquor flask and my tinder I’d say we could just put together a makeshift torch somehow.” There were plenty of chunks of debris around here… they could’a made a torch if they could find a stick and soak the fabric in alcohol. Makeshift solutions they still couldn’t achieve in this shithole. Instead, she took the strip of fabric and tied it around part’a Shaa’s belt, and the other, around her belt.

“There. That way we got our hands free when we move around.” And it was flimsy enough it would tear if they needed to jump apart and fight. Shaa managed one more tiny light on his hand, his skin scorchin’ the dust in the air and makin’ everything smell like burnt hair. But it was light. Ak’ka followed him, keepin’ close enough that she could lean on him if need be - but she was a stubborn gal and she wasn’t ‘boutta keel over. She kept an eye out for any more threats. For the Beast.

Didn’t take long for them to find a tunnel. In the dim light it looked like it was made from a different material than its surroundings. It was reinforced, solid stone, clean aside from the dust.

“This don’t look like a place prisoners are allowed to go.”

Had they found a way up to the top?

Whether it was or not, they couldn’t waste time being hopeful when they could just charge forward and make progress. Anything was better than what was behind. She followed Shaa, keepin’ her eyes peeled behind them while Shaa pressed ahead. She was keepin’ an eye for any threats, any ambush. What she didn’t think about was that if there were stairs ahead, and their things, there were likely guards and more danger. Whatever was at the end of this tunnel, it was possible they were walkin’ themselves into another trap. She’d just have’ta trust that she and Shaa could handle it if it was.

As they moved through the tunnel, Shaa finally did hear a sound. Not a roar, but a tiny and familiar tinkle of small bells. From ahead of them in the darkness, he spies a small bright light in the air, and it was coming closer. The closer it got, the more that Shaa knew exactly what it was. He calls out down the tunnel. Vulcana, is that you? The light jostles for a moment then picks up speed. Sure enough, before long the little fire pixy is buzzing around Shaa’s head making all sorts of crazy but exciting noises.

Haha I knew it was you. Did you miss me? Vulcana relays to him her adventures in the bag and with the guards. Specifically what she heard about them an the eventual fate of their stuff. He tries to calm her down but she is adamant about acting out her fighting scenes where she had apparently burned down several buildings and scores of guards to get to him. Shaa felt the tale may have been slightly exaggerated but he wasn’t about to correct her. Oh, sorry. Vulcana, this is Ak’Ka. We have been helping each other get out of here. Shaa turns a bit to Ak’Ka. My little buddy here has a line on our stuff. There are guards but nothing we can’t handle if we hurry. Apparently there is a boss.

Vulcana looks at Ak’Ka and starts to flip out, yelling very excitedly at Shaa. Woukd you calm down a sec? For the love. Sorry about that. She’s not a big fan of strangers. Vulcana keeps buzzing loudly. No, I told you she’s cool. The fire pixy rushes over and burns the line that connects them. Hey! What are you doing. The pixy calms a bit and tries her best to explain. The big Minotaur finally understands. Oh. She’s mad because she’s says your’e cursed? The little fairy nods. Apparently she doesn’t know how but you got magically infected by something. Well we did fight an incantation of fear earlier…or was it something else? The fire pixy makes an obscene gesture. Well I don’t care if she is cursed or not. I said we are getting her out and that’s what we are doing. Stop being a pill. Vulcana perches herself on Shaa’s horns and sticks her tongue out at the half orc. She’s going to show us out.

On the bright side, they now had a reliable light and guide out of the prison. The news that Ak’Ka may be cursed however was not great and added even more urgency to their mission. The trio continued down the tunnel until they returned to the landing with the stone staircase. Up here? The fire pixy indicates quickly the stairs are where they need to go. Shaa tests his weight on the stairs. They seemed solid enough. I think we are good, let’s head up.

Didn’t make it far before Ak’ka, who was watching Shaa’s back, saw a small light. Like a candle, gettin’ closer and closer to them… the half-orc raised her fists, ready to fuck up whoever was fixin’ to challenge them this time. But when it got closer, she threw a punch and missed - cus it wasn’t a light being held by a person at all, but the thing was the light. Confused, Ak’ka watched as the thing buzzed around Shaa’s head like a moth to the flame, who also was the flame…

Ugh. Her head hurt too much for metaphors. Point was, the little thing was excited to see Shaa. A friend? First one of those they’d found in this gods-damned place. She lowered her fists, tryin’ to listen, but the little thing was talkin’ too fast for her to understand, if she was even speakin’ in common at all. But the important thing was that Shaa understood what she meant, and even better, she knew where their stuff was.

“There’s always a boss.” Even injured and probably still with one foot through Death’s Door, Ak’ka didn’t seem too concerned about the idea of a fight. “Figured our stuff had to be guarded by something.”

She was about to say something else when all of a sudden, the little winged thing started flipping her whole shit. Ak’ka turned to Shaa, eyebrows pulled together. “The hell is the matter with her?” She asked while Shaa tried to calm her down, to no avail. She was dancing around Shaa, gesturing to Ak’ka, conveyin’ something the minotaur apparently understood. The explanation didn’t make no sense to Ak’ka, though.

Ak’ka frowned.

“Huh? I ain’t cursed. How the hell would she know that?” But she seemed really damn certain of it. That somethin’ had made Ak’ka sick. She wanted to protest, but… she really hadn’t been feelin’ right since they got down here. No, not since she’d woken up. She had a headache, but nothing worse than that. She’d really been feelin’ unstable since…

“The bear.”

The moment she said it, somethin’ in her gut told her she was right. Wasn’t no rational explanation, but she knew. Fucker took a chunk outta her and left something with her. She didn’t know what; she’d assumed infection, but even Shaa’s cauterization couldn’t burn out no magic.

“Fuck.” She spat, anger stirrin’ in her at the thought. “I should’a killed it when I had the chance.” She ain’t ever been cursed before… injured, broken bones, stitches, anything physical. That was what Ak’ka knew how to deal with. “They got healers for this kinda stuff? What kinda magic could a bear even give me?” But… she’d even said it herself, earlier. It weren’t any normal creature. It musta been some kinda magical beast, and if it had given magic to Ak’ka, was she the same kinda thing?

She glowered at the little thing, who was now sticking its tongue out at her. She guessed she didn’t blame it. Most animals were afraid of what they knew was a predator. Still, she was too tired to deal with this shit. She halfheartedly waved at the little thing, a deep scowl on her face. This was another complication they didn’t need to deal with. “Lay off, will ya? I ain’t gonna eat you or anything if that’s what yer worried about.”

Likely didn’t seem super reassuring, with sweat plastered on her skin and a feral set to her tusks. She really was in a bad way.

“Alright. We just… there ain’t nothing we can do about it now. May as well focus on what we can.” She nodded, following Shaa up the stairs. “Whoever’s at the end of these is about to be up for one hell of a rude awakening.”

Weirdly enough, she thought she could hear their laughter and the soft murmur of chatter coming from upwards. Progress was slow, not havin’ much light except for Shaa and his little bud, but eventually they managed to make it towards another level - leavin’ the deepest pit they’d been thrown in behind, and the unknown, ahead. If she really was cursed, she only hoped it didn't eat her before she reached the end.

As the two beleaguered fighters approach the reenforced wooden door, Vulcana reminds them of who was waiting for them on the other side. Shaa whispers to Ak’Ka. K. There is a Kobold and a Gnoll on the other side, waiting to kill us apparently. Shaa rubs his chin a bit. But I have an idea. I grew up in Kings Valley. Full of nomads and unfortunately…Gnolls. I know the creepy little cannibals pretty well. I also happen to know that they are very superstitious. Watch this.

---

On the other side of the door

The Gnoll and Kobold were still sitting by the door. They had almost left when they had heard about a small fire but felt it best to continue to follow orders. To alleviate the boredom, they had started to play a game of chance on the stone floor. The Kobold was winning when suddenly, there is a loud rapping, coming from the other side of the door.

THUMP THUMP THUMP

The Gnoll nearly jumps out of his skin. What in the hell was that? THUMP THUMP THUMP. The two guards draw short swords and face the wooden door. Who’s there? Yells the Kobold sternly with a bit of a squeak in his voice. From the other side of the door comes a very loud moan. UUUUNNNGGGHHHH! The Gnoll waves his sword at the door accusatorially. You sees? I told you! The undead have come up the stairs! This place is no goods! UUUNNGGHH! THUMP THUMP THUMP. What? No way. It’s just you imagination. The Gnoll looks at him incredulously. We both imagine the same thing at the same time? THUMP THUMP THUMP. BRRRAAAIIINNNNSSSS!! Agghhh it said brains! It’s a Zombie! The Kobold looks at the door stunned. Zombies don’t actually say “Brains”, they just kind of shuffle around. Well this one wants brains and I no staying around to give them. You don’t have anything to worry about. Shut up! No you shut up! THUMP THUMP THUMP. 

The two continue to argue and the door starts to come away from the frame. It’s coming through and going to eat our brains. We have to go! The Kobold is still unconvinced. We are supposed to stay at the door! I no sign up to fight zombies. And when you ever see just one zombie? Hmmm? Always big mobs and they going to bust through! Sure enough, with the next push, the door comes off the hinges and the Gnoll runs away screaming. Nooo eat my brains!!! The Kobold, still standing alone, his sword in front of him, waits for the undead horde. But to his surprise, the only ones there are a Minotaur and a Half Orc. His eyes light up. Ha! I knew it! The Kobold is so elated that he has no time to react as Shaa grabs him by the head and smacks it roughly into the wall. The kobold lands on the floor in a heap. Good for you buddy.

The trio work quickly down the hall, hopefully to retrieve their gear and beat feet out of there. The Gnoll screaming down the hall was going to pretty much kill any chance of sneaking out. Their only chance was to move quick enough before they could fully react. If he could find his bag, there might be something in there that could really help. Or at the very least, get them some food. They are coming for our braaiiinnssds…. They really needed to hurry.

The one good thing was that this place was full of lit torches. Shaa looked at his companion and tried not to visibly wince. He had to give her all of the credit in the world. He knew a lot of fighters who might have given up already but this woman didn’t have an ounce of quit in her. He hoped that, if they made it out, they would stay friends out of more than just necessity. He had honestly grown to respect her which was not very common with most orcs that he had met. She was worth saving.

Vulcana says the rooms just over there. 

And just where do you two think you are going? That voice. Why did Shaa know that voice? He turns slowly to face a tall beautiful woman, with pale skin and violet eyes. Eyes that had haunted his dreams, ever since that day in Zeniav City. That day when that schmarmy vampire bitch stole his popsicle. You? It was you? 

It was almost 2 years ago that it had happened. Shaa was in Zeniav City for a local festival. In particular, he was there to purchase a frozen treat so awesome that it was only available by appointment a year in advance. Through the course of several shenanigans, the woman had stolen Shaa’s ticket and taken the treat for herself. In “exchange”, she had bitten him and given him the ability to drain the life force from people. He rarely used the ability because he didn’t like how it made him feel. But, despite that, a part of her was with him, always. Like an itch that couldn’t be scratched. What was she doing here?

It’s been a long time my dear Minotaur. I hope your time down in the hole has mellowed you somewhat. Can’t say I’m surprised to see that you made it out, if not, a bit disappointed. And look! You even made a friend. A little ragged isn’t she? The Minotaur snorts roughly. No thanks to you. What is this all about? Several more Kobolds and the Gnoll form in behind the woman, several drawing weapons. Oh, just a little bit of history my dear. This place…it’s full of history. Tell me, what do you know of The Ring Of Calibos? He spits on the ground. Garbage. Folklore. Like the Sol Stone? How the hell do you know about that? I know lots of things my dear. When you have lived as long as I have, legends are like yesterday’s history. The ring, is very real I assure you. I used to own it…once. Till it was stolen. Its last owner was a resident…. Here.. correct.

The lithe woman smiles and holds up a golden ring with a large purple stone. It’s been so long…so long. But now that I have it back. I will finally get what’s coming to me. Isn’t that right Ursain? From out of the shadows steps a very large man in a coat. He is bulky with long brown hair and a thick beard. There are several scars across his face, some newer than others. Are we done here? The large man growls. I’m tired of being the watchdog down in the hole. She laughs and waves her hand. Yes yes, my friend, we are done. With the money we’ll make from these two and the others, we should be quite well off.

Shaa looks at Ak’Ka and smiles. You want us? I’d love to see you troll sniffers try.

Ak’ka nodded when Shaa relayed the enemies on the other side of the door. She ain’t ever fought a gnoll - creepy hyena motherfuckers didn’t usually come so far north - but she didn’t think they’d be too hard to take care of. The small fries were nothing. She was more interested in the bigger fish. “Gotcha.” She leaned against the wall, curious to see what he had planned. She half expected him to rip the wall off its hinges and stake both enemies, so when he just knocked on it and started makin’ a bunch of shitty zombie noises to spook the goons, she had to stop from laughin’ and catching their attention.

Gods, there’s no way that would just… work.

… ‘Xcept, it did, cus a few moments later she heard an argument and the sound of thudding footsteps, and she could admit she had to eat her words. Damn. That was pretty cool. For a gal who was used to just shrugging through things, the idea of fuckin’ with your enemies for some laughs was different what she was used to, and not somethin’ she’d expected from someone who looked as serious as Shaa.

Wasn’t a bad thing, though. To others with a less keen eye for battle they’d probably see someone who didn’t care about what they were doing and didn’t take the situation seriously, but Ak’ka could tell. He was the kinda guy who’d seen enough serious shit in his life to know how to deal with it and how not to let it bother him. Weirdly enough, it gave her a lot of damn respect for him, not that she didn’t have any already. Shaa was a good guy. He coulda left hundreds of times and freed himself rather than caring for an orc on death’s door who could probably keel over any moment. But he didn’t. Ak’ka hardly ever said this, but… she was pretty sure she owed this dude his life.

All the more reason to push through to the end.

Ak’ka had a gleeful grin on her face as Shaa finally knocked open the door. “Surprise, motherfucker.” One of the last things that poor bastard ever heard as Shaa grabbed him and smashed him against the wall. The warrior cracked her knuckles in anticipation, callin’ on her old friend rage to push her through this battle. She had to - the others in here wouldn’t be as nice or pretty as the Kugamain, and she wasn’t fixin’ to die in some dank ass dungeon so close to freedom.

That was when she heard the voice.

Ak’ka turned, ready to throw a punch at whatever she-witch made the mistake of trapping them down here. The woman who’d interrupted them was definitely the boss, based on the way she was as beautiful and ageless as most mages Ak’ka’d ever met. But there was somethin’ else nasty lurkin’ underneath her porcelain skin. Ak’ka had the feeling she’d fit right in with the undead down in that pit herself.

What was more surprisin’ was that Shaa recognized her.

Ak’ka didn’t know the history between them, but whatever it was, it didn’t seem friendly - obviously not, since she was fixin’ to sell them to the fighting pits for some coin. That was enough for the orc to immediately hate her; Ak’ka didn’t give many her loyalty, didn’t get close enough to most folks for it. But once someone earned it, they had a fierce ally for life. She wasn’t much now, not as injured as she was, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t gonna fight to the death for Shaa’s survival, too.

Ak’ka flipped the lady a choice finger while the witch continued monologuing and droning on.

“Right, you’re sellin’ us to the highest bidder, whatever. Why shove us in here?” She demanded, her voice rough around the edges, shoulders tense at any moment and ready to strike.

The witch merely laughed, explainin’ some shit about a ring. Not an item Ak’ka recognized, but Shaa sure as hell did. The Sol Stone, though… you’d have to be living under a rock not to hear ‘bout it. Whatever the witch meant by bringin’ it up, it clearly got under Shaa’s skin. Whatever she meant by it, didn’t matter - she was just toying with them at this point. She already had the ring… a golden band with a purple stone so large that Ak’ka could see it sparkling from here.

Gaudy piece of shit.

Ak’ka didn’t know much, but she understood this - this undead bitch had been the one to shove them down here as torture while she looked for some old dusty ass ring, and Ak’ka couldn’t let her smarmy hands keep it - or her life.

“Lotta work for a piece of cheap jewelry that don’t even match yer skin tone.” Ak’ka snarled, a feral grin on her face. “Would look a lot better on mine.” She was about to charge, when the witch called another one of her goons to her side…

And Ak’ka’s blood ran cold.

”You.”

He was a hell of a lot more bear-lookin’ and butt ugly when Ak’ka first saw him - enough that by looks alone someone wouldn’t be able to tell. But Ak’ka knew. She knew as well as she knew the burn in her shoulders, the scar he left on her throbbin’ angrily.

The man - Ursain - looked bored until he saw her, and looked… a little less bored. His eyebrows rose. “You’re still alive.” He noted. “Most succumb within an hour of being bitten.”

Ak’ka flipped him the bird, too. She was too tired for a more creative insult and the gesture got the job done just fine.

“Yer flea-ridden ass is gonna have to try harder than that to get rid of me or curse me.”

“Oh, you’re not free of the curse, brute. If it doesn’t kill you, you’re stuck with it for life. Not like you’ll be around much longer to enjoy it.” Ursain snarled, gettin’ down on all fours. Already, his body was changing… not quite to full bear but somewhere in between. And next to him, the witch charged her magic, a spell cracklin’ in her fingertips.

Ak’ka turned to Shaa and grinned. She wasn’t goin’ down without a fight.

Ursain charged - Ak’ka met him first. She couldn’t let him get to Shaa and do the same thing to the minotaur he’d done to her. Whatever Beast he’d given her, she was already touched by it. She knew. Better to spare at least one of ‘em the fate. She met him head on, grabbin’ his paws from the air and crushin’ his wrists in her grip. “Oi. Yer fight’s with me.”

Ursain growled and struggled in her grip, but since he wasn’t fully transformed yet, Ak’ka was the stronger of the two of them. The half-Orc roared, diggin’ her heels into stone and putting all her momentum into pushin’ him back… before immediately shiftin’ gears, and pulled him instead. Ursain, who hadn’t been expectin’ any give, was immediately thrown off his feet, allowin’ Ak’ka to spin him around like a ragdoll.^[1] And spin him again. And spin him again.

ONE-TWO-THREE, right into the witch’s skull, who hadn’t been expectin’ her own subordinate to be used as a weapon against her. Bone crunched and snapped, her skull cavin’ in, which woulda been the end of it if she’d been alive. But the witch merely laughed and whistled, summonin’ one of the kobold grunts hiding around the area with a whistle. It obeyed, scampering up to the bleeding witch, only to be grabbed by the neck and slurped like a juice box. Before their eyes, the witch’s injuries healed like they were nothin’.

Dizzy, Ak’ka threw Ursain against the nearest wall, the foundations rattlin’ from the blow. Shit. An undead and a Lycan. This was gonna be harder than she thought. But when had she ever shied away from a challenge? Poundin’ at her chest, callin’ on the familiar battlesong, the bear’s roar echoin’ in her ears, Ak’ka screamed.

“Come at me, ya bastards! The Bonegrinder ain’t gonna be felled so easily!”^[2]

---

1. The Wheel
2. Juggernaut’s Fury