Draconic Shennanigans - Episode 18

 Finally! A new chapter! After an enforced six weeks away I'm finally back to writing Draconic Shennanigans. The party are still bumbling about in the dark but they have come across something rather new. These plant pots are rather more mobile than terracotta usually is.

Chapter Eighteen: Golems in the Glow

 "Lead on oh Goddess of the Thunder-voice," Jeremiah gestured to the last tunnel in the cavern that they had not yet tried.

"Hold you hard there," Thorian looked round from cleaning off his blade, "Goddesses shouldn't be leading the charge you know, that's putting them in danger, that is. After all the next thing we come across might be faster them we are and if Haggis gets a puncture then our Goddess is hardly going to be able to sing properly. We ought to go first, then we're ready to meet any danger."

"I agree, old boy," Ulrich grinned as he put the elven forged blade back in its scabbard, "Those with the sharp edges ought to be at the sharp edge of the action."

"As you wish," Jeremiah grinned and waved them forward, smiling as the goblins crowded along to follow Thorian, chattering around their bigger cousin's feet. "Coming my dear?" He gestured to Kaelin.

"I think I prefer the back of the group," Kaelin's sullen expression also conveyed a heavy dose of active dislike for the fat priest. 

"Of course, my dear," Jeremiah bowed to her, "Far be it for me to prevent sacrificing yourself to let the rest of the team know that there is something black, silent and running like molasses squelching after us, longing to dissolve our boots and the feet inside them."

 Kaelin shuddered at the reminder of the oozing black sludge puddle that had chased them down the tunnel leading to the mushroom cave and glared at him.

"Alright you win," she rolled her eyes and fell into step beside him but jerked her arm away as he reached out to take it, "At least your minions don't smell at the moment." She suppressed a shudder as the Ash Elves with the glowing blue eyes closed in around them. The hairs on her arms stood up straight as she fought down the urge to bolt from the trap. They were just plain freaky, their glowing eyes and slack jaws, the disjointed but somehow synchronized steps. She was just grateful that this time it was the soft flap of leather soles that landed on the stone beneath their feet and not the click-clack of bare bone tap, tap, tapping off of the rock. Glancing back she saw that the blue glow of the kervead building up over the mess they had left on the ledge but so far none of the little bugs were following them, though she doubted that they would take long before they started swarming after the group again, especially with Jeremiah's new toys tagging along. They must be leaving a scent trail half a mile long. She could only hope that they managed a half decent rest stop between then and now. Her stomach was beginning to remind her again just how long it had been since they had breakfast at Black Randle's and the uncomfortable heaviness was beginning to build in the back of her eyes. How long since she'd had a sleep? A whole night of unbroken, uninterrupted, honest to God sleep? It could have been on the ship, or maybe when they had been staying with Elisha. She definitely remembered having a few nights sleep without interruption there. Maybe it was making her soft, being able to remember laying down and sleeping all she wanted but now the day's stresses where beginning to catch up with her and she wasn't sure just how much further she was going to be able to go before it really hit her. Not that she was going to say a thing about that when Jeremiah was stumping along beside her.

With a complete lack of regard for health and safety the goblins bounded up and over the stone bridge that arched over the pathway the King's Special had first entered this cold corner of hell by, crowding across the bridge in a pushing, shoving knot that threatened to send them tumbling of the edge at any second. Some how they made it across without have a casualty but Kaelin had no idea how. She shook her head as she stepped off the bridge herself, gaining the relative safety of the cave opening at the other end. She glanced back again to double check whether or not the kerveads were following them yet and then, on impulse she turned more fully and looked down the stone throat of the void that dominated the center of this cavern. No light glowed in its inky depths and she wasn't sure whether that was reassuring.

"Something interesting, my dear?" Jeremiah enquired.

"Just double checking," Kaelin admitted as she turned away, part of her still wondering just how deep that pit had to be. Then she decided that she really didn't want to know, as long as nothing else crawled up out of it. "Oh, will they be quiet?" she asked in a suppressed hiss, realizing just how far ahead the goblins had traveled and just how clearly she could still hear them, "Are they trying to tell everything down here where we are?"

"My dear Kaelin," Jeremiah smiled as he paced along surrounded by his body guards, "I thought you had already done that with Haggis?"

Kaelin went to snap at him and then clicked her teeth shut. Haggis' penetrating voice probably had traveled far down these tunnels and she'd been playing him in several different locations so it was more than likely she'd let things down here know that they had something intruding on their territories but she wasn't going to given Jeremiah the satisfaction of hearing her admit that. Instead she kicked a stone along in front of her as she clumped forward, mouth set in a more sour line than it usually was, trying not to flinch as the stone closed in around them as they entered yet another tunnel. She just prayed that this one was going to lead them to what ever it was they were supposed to find down here. She was becoming a little tired of going round in circles with no apparent progress.

Despite her misgivings the tunnel was clear of any and all apparent dangers, for which she heard Jeremiah muttering a pray of thanks as they saw the walls open out ahead of them. Then the yelling started as the goblins crowded up to the edge of the opening and the heads of the creatures in the cavern swung round to look at them, great sideways mandibles scissoring and clicking as long bodies reared back, front legs waving as they scented the prey entering their den. The goblins yelled and shrieked but, stuck behind the log jam of their bodies neither Jeremiah nor Kaelin could actually see what the matter was.

"Great!" Kaelin yelled, craning to try and see, "Now what's happening?"

"Pincer bugs! Pincer bugs!" the goblins squeaked, waving various rusty looking blades.

"Fancy centipede leg stew for dinner?" Ulrich called over his shoulder as his elf forged, fae given blades whispered from their scabbards.

"It's Thorian time!" the orc cross breed yelled with glee as his great broad sword swung through the air but the giant centipedes were stunningly unimpressed as they swarmed towards the group from two different directions, mouths gaping wide to bite and tear. It proved to be a serious mistake on their part as Thorian charged forward to meet them. Whooping with glee Thorian swung and the first centipede parted, head and forelimbs flying off to smack against the wall as the rest of its body went into spasm. The second juddered to a halt, a puzzled look crossing its face before it collapsed, yellow ooze spilling from its split carapace.

Ulrich's blades swung in glittering arches, the blue glow of Hat shining off of them to dazzle and confuse the centipede in front of him. It reared back, jaws snapping on empty air and Ulrich's first blow missed. The second did not, bisecting its ugly skull with deft precision. The loss of three of their number did nothing to slow the others down. There again neither did it slow down the goblins, if anything they seemed more determined than ever to do their part.

"Death to the enemies of Goddess of the Thunder-voice!" their leader yelled, "Death! Death! Death!" 

Whooping they dog piled forward into the cavern, meeting the giant bugs with a crash and a lot more enthusiasm than skill, most of their blows going wildly a rye. It was almost a surprise when one of the rusty blades did manage to jab in between two of the chitin plates of the thing's armor. Certainly the centipedes warbling screech sounded surprised, almost shocked, as if it had never expected a creature that should have been prey to be able to bite back.

As the goblins pressed forward, they cleared a small gap between the crush of their bodies and the side of the tunnel mouth. Flicking a finger, Jeremiah directed his Ash elf puppets to plug the breach, giving himself and Kaelin room to step forward behind the press and actually see what was going on. Kaelin immediately lifted Haggis' blow pipe to her lips and began to blow.

"Now my dear," Jeremiah smiled, "I thought we were supposed to be making less noise down here."

Haggis let lose a very sour, off key note. Kaelin glared at Jeremiah and tried again.

The blast that ripped across the cavern, buzzed through Thorian and Ulrich's nerves, burning new energy into their flagging muscles. Thorian threw back his head and roared an orcish war cry at the centipedes crowding closer.

"NAAAARRGH!"

The bugs paused a step but then came on.

Expressionless and glowing eyed, the two puppeted Ash elves that could reach a bug struck out, arms swinging with a mechanical tick-tock rhythm that none the less manage to land a hit on the centipede with the goblin's dagger stuck within its shell. It shrieked as one of its antenna clattered across the floor, yellow goo splashing and trailing through the air as it twisted from side to side. Still shrilling it lunged forward, mandibles scissoring shut with a snap around a goblins neck, neatly snipping it head clear off. For a few second the goblins body continued to hit the centipedes shell with its fist as it twitched and spasmed and then it over balanced and fell beneath the centipedes many legs. The Ash elves fared no better as one of the other centipedes rippled in close and instead of rearing up, bit at leg height, sheering through a puppet's knee joint. As the Ash elf fell it bit again and again, jointing the puppet into quarters more efficiently than a butcher. As it sheered through the elf's neck the glow in its eyes faded and then went out as skeins of light threaded shadow spiraled up from its mouth.

"You do not know when to take a hint," Ulrich observed as he fended off the centipede biting at his face.

With another thunderous battle roar Thorian plunged forward, blade slicing through the air, chopping out deadly, vicious arcs. The first lost a bunch of its legs and then lost its head. The second fell, legs clutching at the rift that split it from chin to half way along its length.

Grinning, with the music of Haggis buzzing through his veins, Ulrich ran towards Thorian's broad back and vaulted up him, balanced on his shoulder's for a moment and then sprang towards the centipede that had not yet come close enough to do battle. Thorian yelled and struck out, only just pulling the blow as he realized that what had clambered up him was not an enemy he had not seen but an overly exuberant Ulrich. There was a rip and a piece of Ulrich's coat fluttered unnoticed to the ground.

Ulrich landed squarely on the centipedes back, gripping with his knees. It reared up, shrilling out a rasping cry and plunged down, throwing itself across the cavern, Ulrich laughing as he hung on to its hard carapace.

"I really don't believe that," Jeremiah shook his head, even as he spun his hands through the air, pulling the light tainted shadows escaping from his mangled puppet towards himself so he could then feed it back into the rest of his puppets as they advanced across the cavern floor, expressionless faces chilling in their mindless purpose. The goblins at their side were much less restrained, screaming and yelling as they swarmed over the nearest centipede, little weapons proving that some times it wasn't size that mattered but sheer, unwavering numbers. High, squeaky voices jabbered and shrieked as little fists punched and punched and punched again, the centipede snapping first one way and then another as the goblins swarmed it under, grizzly crunches sounding out above the din of battle as its struggles became weaker and weaker. Still screeching and yelling, the goblins battered it into the floor until it finally lay still.

Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, the undead Ash elves advanced on the last two centipedes, weapons rising a falling to a dread, unceasing beat that drummed from reality's counter-point. The centipedes, at last, hesitated, antenna twitching, confused by the smell of so many of their own dead and the fact that the dead flesh in front of them still moved. It wasn't a good time to hesitate.

Thorian crashed into one of them, an avalanche of  battle rage that snapped its foe like an dry twig, while the undead Ash elves closed with the other. Their blades draw back as one. As one they stabbed.

The centipede writhed for a moment, twisting on the impaling blades and then it flopped over and became still. The Ash elves stepped back, faces unchanging as the last notes of Haggis faded away. Kaelin let the blow pipe fall from her mouth as she watch nonplussed as Ulrich went laughing passed.

The last centipede crashed into one stalagmite, turned, lunged and smashed into another. It span, trying to bite the thing on its back, the thing that was digging something sharp and cold, it between its armored plates. It span some more, turned and rippled its length, managing to make the shape of a horse trying to buck its rider off. It lunged and slammed up against a stone pillar again.

"You can break easy or you can break hard!" Ulrich grinned, giving the dagger another prod. The centipede ran straight at the wall and charged up it, legs scratching and scrabbling. Ulrich hung on like a limpet and quite deliberately leaned back until his weight peeled them both off the wall, the centipede whistling like a holed kettle as it fell. It slammed into the floor and squirmed until it managed to rippled itself over on to its many, many feet. It bounded over the cavern and whip turned, Ulrich hung on. It charged up a pillar and threw itself off, Ulrich hung on. It lunged and turned and coiled, Ulrich hung on. It dashed across the cavern, charging full speed at the wall... and miss judged its stopping distance.

There was a solid sounding crack as it head butted the wall, Ulrich leaning back just in time to avoid the same fate but he still hung on. The centipede, wobbled and wove into the center of the cavern and juddered to a halt. Ulrich still hung on. The centipede stopped, its head hanging low and Kaelin was sure that if it could have panted it would have done so.

After a moment, Ulrich sat up straight on the centipede's back.

"There we go," he smiled and patted his new mount, "You see, good people, discipline, time and patience are the great levelers." He nudged the centipede with his heels and tapped it with the fingers of his right hand. It slowly curved to the right. "There are those who would tell you that such a beast could not be tamed, there are those who would tell you that goblins would never try to be something more than little thieves and brigands." The goblins nattered and waved their little weapons in salute as Ulrich rode passed them. "And there are those who would tell you that it is impossible for surface dwellers to survive in the Underworld." The centipede came to a stop at his touch. "And it is precisely that sort of small minded thinking that says that we are nothing and can never be anything more that what we all ready are. Well I say differently, I say we can be as great as we choice to be, I say we can take on anything and everything this place or any other can throw at us and we can win! We can be the greatest heroes that this world as ever seen and when we are finally gone, we will still be for we will be legendary! Who's with me?"

The goblins cheered, jumping up and down. They may not have understood everything Ulrich had said but the fire in his speech had light them up and they were all for it.

"I'd say that is a jolly good idea," Jeremiah said, clapping his hands, "And to make sure that our legends reach the surface again." He spread his fingers and began to chant.

"You do you have to?" Ulrich's look of disgust mirrored Kaelin's.

"You said we should be as great as we choice to be," Jeremiah smiled as the power gathered around his hands, "And I choice to be the greatest at providing us with a few more body guards." Ulrich wasn't sure whether the glow in Jeremiah's eyes was just reflected or whether he was beginning to echo his own creations.

The goblins yelled and fell back as the threads and ropes of light laced shadow squirmed over the floor, trickling down the throats of centipedes that lay unmoving and shattered. Thorian frown, he wasn't entirely sure that he didn't see something in the light, something like faces, or even whole figures. Figures that poured into the cadavers as if they were shrugging on a new set of clothes. For a second, as the nearest centipede reared up, its broken shell still leaking, he looked into its eyes and saw something else looking back at him. Something else that was definitely a meanie, a meanie that wanted to hurt and destroy. Then the moment was gone and the glow settled into the dull minded stare that was usual in Jeremiah's creations. Thorian shivered.

"I don't think your god is very nice," he said to Jeremiah.

"Now my dear Thorian," Jeremiah smiled, "That is hardly a good thing to say about the god that has helped save us more times than I can count. After all, he has provided us with all these extra hands." Jeremiah gestured to the dead eyed Ash Elves and the centipedes that were now ranging themselves beside them.

"Aye, I know," Thorian shifted uncomfortable, "But sometimes people help you out for no good reason. Sometimes they help you out 'cause they want something out of you afterwards and they know you wouldn't give it if they just asked for it. They want to have a chain on you and that's the ones who just use you good feeling for people to muck you up. You're talking about a god. They have all sorts of those scroll things that you put your mark on and then they have you forever, you can't ever say no."

"What you are talking about old boy are contracts," Ulrich interrupted, "Contracts and bargains and deals. Now usually gods don't go in for that sort of thing but with some of the darker gods you have to wonder if there is any difference between them and the other side of the coin."

"Well that is the thing," Jeremiah smiled, "The thing people forget about coins. Yes you have two sides but you also have the edge between them and in that edge, well perhaps you have malevolent gods and caring demons."

"Aye perhaps," Ulrich agreed, "But you have to ask, which one is your god?"

"I'll have you know that the Abbey were firm believers in Father Amater, god of light and creation," Jeremiah bowed.

"Of course they were," Ulrich noted, "But that doesn't tell us who your god is."

"My dear Ulrich, what a thing to suggest," Jeremiah smiled as Hat fluttered down and perched on his miter, "Are you suggesting you suspect me of being a heretic?"

"Suggest nothing," Ulrich said bluntly, "Raising the dead is not part of Amater's preview."

"Ah but does not the holy texts say that all things are possible with Amater?" Jeremiah replied, "That if you have faith enough you can tell the mountains 'go, throw yourselves into the sea and they will do so'?  Next to making mountains move surely reanimating the dead is such a little thing?"

"I think we should give up, Thorian old pal," Ulrich said wryly to the orc crossbreed, "We are never going to get a straight answer out of him and I'm not even sure that I want a clear answer out of him. I'm beginning to wonder if it the sort of stuff that just might break our minds."

"Er, what does that mean?" Thorian asked, scatching an ear, "How can answer be clear? Do you ever have cloudy answers? And how can your mind get broken?"

"When talking to Jeremiah, yes, you most certainly do have cloudy answers," Ulrich smiled as he turned his mount towards the only tunnel that lead out of the cavern, its many, many legs scrapping and scratching over the stone floor, "As for breaking someone's mind - well some get their minds broken by a big event like a war or a disaster, some its lots of little things building up over and over again, until they don't have the strength to bare it any more and some unfortunately have their minds broken quite deliberately by other people who enjoy harming others."

Thorian frowned and then shook his head.

"Sorry, I still don't understand wot you mean," he admitted as he feel into step beside Ulrich.

"Some people go through some stuff that changes them forever," Ulrich tried to explain, "And not in a good way. They lose their trust in other people, they lose their ability to be calm and steady around others or even around themselves, they lose the ability to know danger from safety. Come to think of it - Sweety Rod."

"What about him?" Thorian asked as he had to step forward to stay close to Ulrich but not beside him as the tunnel walls closed in around them. He peered into the gloom ahead. He wasn't sure but there seemed to be light up ahead.

"The way he constantly twitches, the way he's constantly ready to bolt, the way that he freezes up half way through talking to you," Ulrich bent his head to avoid knocking it on a low part of the roof, "There is a man who has seen far too much in far too short a space of a time to cope with it all. Part of me wonders what he's been through, the rest of me says I'd rather not know."

"So what has this to do with Jerry's not telling us what god he's praying to?" Thorian asked over his shoulder, frowning even more than ever. There was definitely light ahead but it wasn't the usual sort of light, it was blue.

"Because sometimes knowledge is enough to break your mind," Ulrich explained, "There are tales of books that wizard's have chained shut or buried in lead caskets in the bottom of the ocean because they were scribbled by mad men and the insanity leaks from them to any who touch them."

"That would certainly explain the fun and games we had back in the mushroom cavern," Kaelin called out from behind them, where she was walking along with the goblins swarming around her feet, "If Jerry," she sniggered, "Has been dabbling around with books penned by the King in Mellow then it is not surprising that he disputes the right to breath without his gods permission. It would also explain why his god doesn't have many followers."

"My dear Kaelin, are you pocking fun at my god?" Jeremiah's face smiled but something unpleasant stirred in the depths of his eyes.

"I don't have to," Kaelin replied, "You did a fine enough job of that yourself when you went all dribbly at the edges. How's the hat dried out?"

"I will have you know that this miter is a badge of office..." Jeremiah began, lifting a hand to his head gear as he stumped along.

"That you stole the very first night I knew you," Kaelin replied, "And people accuse me of being light fingered. At least the only stuff I steal is food and clothing. Anything else is too difficult to get rid of."

The locket knocked against her collar bones in a sharp reminder that she'd taken a few other things from the Wizard's Tower. She rubbed at it.

"Everyone's a critic," she muttered under her breath and then her mouth dropped open as the walls opened out and the light washed over them. It was blue and purple, shining from the great shelves of the bracket fungus that sprouted from the walls around them, the color rippled were bands of darker color passed through the flesh of the fungus. The way was still not wide and seemed to branch, one going to their right and the other straight ahead. Ulrich nudged his mount on wards but Thorian stood and peered into the glow down the right hand way.

"There's something down there," he muttered and stepped forward into the glow.

"My dear Thorian," Jeremiah called, "I really don't think that splitting the party is a good..."

Chittering and chattering the goblins followed their bigger cousin down the side passage, wandering towards whatever it was that had caught Thorian's eye. Jeremiah dropped his hand with a sigh and then gestured to bring his puppets in line to form up around him in a protective huddle.

Thorian stopped short and stared at them. "Well you don't see that everyday of the week," he said after a moment.

The... things slowly turned round to regard him, blocky broad heads swinging ponderously on the ends of their long necks. Their long, bowed legs lifted and stepped with deliberation, each step accompanied by a creaking, cracking sound like potty under stress. They back were great domed humps that seemed to be covered in something that from the distance looked like fur but closer up.

"They've got plants growing out of them," Thorian called out, "They've got all these little plants growing out of their backs." With the noise of crunching, crackling pottery, their long necks stretched out even longer and a snorting blowing noise came from them.

"You're cute," Thorian gave one of them a pat. It turned its head slightly to regard him out of an eye that didn't blink and shone with the light of a well banked fire. The other opened its mouth slowly and exhaled a breath that smelt of deep forest loam and well turned earth. It hung there gaping at him.

"You hungry?" Thorian asked and reached up a hand, "Here you go." He pulled a lump of fungus down and split it apart. The two things creaked and cracked and then closed their beaky mouths over the offerings. They ruminated over the offerings and swallowed with the sound of water going down a wide ceramic drain. They gaped for some more.

"You're so cute," Thorian grinned, "Wish I could keep you." He tipped another chunk of fungus down the waiting mouths.

"I think they would be a little slow there, old boy," Ulrich called as he nudge his mount further along the tunnel he had chosen, "I'm not sure that they would be able to keep up with us. Oh..." He'd nudged the centipede a little further forward and stopped in surprise. Another group of the creatures slowly lifted their heads from whatever they were doing to gaze at him with their almost unnerving gaze. With a creaking, cracking gate, one of them stumped into view from a tunnel a little way further up the right hand wall.

"Er, Thorian," Ulrich called, "Can you see a tunnel any where near you?"

"What do you mean tunnel?" Thorian called back as he continued to pet the pottery creatures., "The cave just curves round to where you are gabbling at me."

"It's not a dividing way," Jeremiah interrupted, "It's a supporting pillar blocking our view. That is one supporting pillar and a half. I wonder how many centuries it took to grow."

"What do yah mean grow," Thorian half turned back, "Stone don't grow you numty. Trees grow, animals grow, even slimes grow but not stone. I thought you were more clever than that."

"I hate to break it to you, my dear Thorian," Jeremiah said through clenched teeth, "But some stones like limestone do grow but very,very slowly, rather like your brain." Thorian didn't raise to the bait so Kaelin elbowed Jeremiah for him.

"Ow!" Jeremiah jerked away from her, "My dear Kaelin, what on Hestia was that for?"

"For you being unpleasant and inconsiderate," Kaelin said flatly, "And yes I do actually know what those words mean."

"I most assuredly know that," Jeremiah smiled, rubbing his side, "But I'm not so sure that our esteemed friend Thorian understands them. Do you Thorian?" Thorian didn't answer, apparently fascinated by something up near the ceiling. "I do say old boy, there is no need to be rude."

"No, no there isn't" Thorian agreed, slowly reaching up for the handle of his sword, "But tell me, is there a need for something large, hairy and with eight legs?"

"No!" Jeremiah snapped, "No there really isn't!"

The spider pounced, its weight and speed nearly bowling Thorian over. The pottery golems creaked and cracked, turning with their ponderous steps to avoid the hairy monstrosity as it closed with Thorian. Thorian roared as he blade flashed in the blue light, the swing arches, too artless to wound, driving the spider back counter clock-wise round the column.

The goblins yelped and yelled as they spotted the dog sized spiders closing in with Thorian's unprotected flank. They threw themselves forward, screeching and punching, some even scrambling up the walls to close with their foes. One spider at the back, apparently smarter than the rest, came to a stop as it witnessed this craziness and then turned and scuttled back into the shadows of the ceiling, disappearing above the layers of bracket fungus. The others closed with the goblins with hunger shining in their eyes.

Ulrich prodded his mount onwards, swinging it round the supporting pillar clock-wise, veering round the pottery golems that shuffled and creaked around him.

"Thorian," he called, "This is no time to be playing with a new pet, we need to get on." The cracking of pottery in high distress sounded behind him. Ulrich turned his head and the dark mass blotted out his vision.

Jeremiah pulled himself up to his full height and grinned, calling on his god's name as he muttered a prayer for destruction and agony. He clicked the fingers of both hands, expecting the embers and sparks to form in the air around his fingers. The light, bright and red in the blue glow, formed... and winked out.

As Thorian's sword crashed into the spider, breaking pieces off, Jeremiah stared at his hands in consternation and clicked his fingers again. The light flared... and died. He clicked his fingers again and again. Each time the light formed and died with little snaps and pops that almost sounded mocking. He looked up even as Haggis roared into life at his side... and one of his own puppetted Ash Elves turned its head and pocked its tongue out. He felt himself go cold as he saw what looked out of its eyes at him. His god had enjoyed the slaughter but he, Jeremiah hadn't taken an active enough hand in it. His god wanted blood to be split in his name by Jeremiah's own hand, not through the hands of his puppets. Jeremiah needed to step into the striking distance but who would haul him out of that fire if it was too close and something struck back. His puppets might but he had already lost one this very day. It suddenly dawned on him just how much he had made his teammates despise him.

Ulrich screamed out of sight.

"Oh Globers!" Jeremiah swore, turned and found his way blocked by the bodies of his own puppets. "Get out of my way!" he snarled, physically pushing them with his hands to try and make them moved faster. With a distressed groan one of the pottery golems nearest the fight between Ulrich the thing that had attacked him shook itself, sending a cloud of sparkling seeds billowing up from its shell. The thing paused for a moment and sneezed but then it bit again.

"Oi!" Thorian roared, "Get off mah friend!" The huge spider turned its head to look at him, making Ulrich cry out again as its fangs dragged in his flesh. It hadn't quite got him in the neck but he hadn't moved fast enough to totally avoid its bite, its venomous teeth dug into the big muscle in his upper arm, the flesh around the puncture wounds already turning dark and oozing. Ulrich's sword clattered against the stone floor and his head flopped forward as his mount bucked and hissed, threatening to crawl out from under him as the spider's column like legs tapped, tapped, tapped around it.

Thorian scrambled up and over the dead back of the first spider, even as the goblins finished pulling apart their foes, waving spider legs above their heads in victory. The huge spider yanked its fangs from Ulrich's arm, letting him drop on to the back of the centipede, where he hung on, eyes half closed in pain as the he started shivering, teeth clattering in his head. Without being told the centipede turned like a string of mine carts on rails and headed for the only viable tunnel out of the cavern, heading further into the maze by pure chance as the way back was most assuredly blocked.

Thorian climbed to the top of the dead arachnid, paused for a second as the behemoth still standing charged towards him and then launched himself into a flying leap towards it. His blade smashed through its head with a crunch that echoed through the cave and he stumbled to a stop on its back as it crashed down on to its deceased twin.

"How is he?" he called down to where Jeremiah was trying to marshal his puppets into following Ulrich as the back end of the centipede disappeared into the tunnel mouth.

"Not sure," Jeremiah panted, "I'm not sure his mount is likely to stop."

"Ah cack," Thorian cussed and slid down the spider's side. His foot landed on something that went clang against the rock below it. He frowned as he looked and then bent to fetch it up. Ulrich's elf made, fae granted blade shone in the fungus light. With a grin he went to follow Jeremiah's sweating bulk into the tunnel. The grin faded as he catch moment out of the corner of his eye. Something was forcing its way out through the gap in the spider's leg joint. Thorian peered closer. The thing opened out two little, rounded leaves and flapped gently at him. Thorian's eyes went wide as he realized that it wasn't the only one, others were forcing their way out though the gaps in the spider's hardened skin and then its hair stirred as the rampant growth forced its way out through its skin.

"We need to go," he said backing up, "We really need to go!" He turned on his heel and dashed for the tunnel.

"Where is Thunder Warrior?" the goblin leader squeaked, gazing in wonder at the mountain of dead spider. Some of his companions were not so restrained, hacking into the mountain with their little knives and claws, pulling lumps and chunks of legs free, chattering with glee. Kaelin was about to turn her nose up and then noticed that the pottery golems were creaking their way closer to the heap, beaky mouths snipping dainty chunks out of the pile. She shrugged, remembering everything down here was a resource for something else. She froze, remembering that everything down here was a resource for something else. Thorian was most definitely right.

"This way," Kaelin called, "Our boy with the centipede horse has managed to get himself injured and we need to be some where else before the..." The blue glow flooded into the cave, a shimmering stream that flooded across the floor. Kaelin slapped them desperately from her legs and the goblins started squeaking as the kervead's broke over them like a wave.

"They bite! They bite!" they howled. Even the stoic pottery golems seemed to be upset by the sudden flood of glaring brightness. First one and then the other, creaked a croaking cry and shook itself, causing clouds of glittering seeds to swell in great dome shapes around them.

"We need to go now!"Kaelin barked, hopping from one foot to the other. The goblins scurried to her, yelping and yipping, slapping the glowing blue bugs from themselves as they ran, a couple sneezing as they went. Some how they made it out for the tsunami of biting, nipping insects, hands slapping at each other as well as themselves as they tried to haul away some they bounty minus the bugs. They gained the shelter of the tunnel with some of the glow still clinging to them. Kaelin slapped the last one on her leg off and watched it bounced away, only to start as a goblin pounced on it.

"What..." she started. The goblin popped it in his... hers... honestly it was difficult to say... mouth and bite down. The glow faded out as she saw the other goblins pull kerveads off of various parts of themselves and their dripping booty and chewed them down like children who had been sprinkled with candies.

"Not all, not all, you ninny hammers," the goblin leader barked, slapping a few over the lug holes and snatching the kerveads out of their fingers. He stalked to the head of the bunch and held the insects up. Kaelin fought to keep her expression neutral as she realized what the little goblin was doing. It really wasn't comforting to see the bugs writhing slowly in his grip, it reminded her too much of maggots on the end of a hook.

Following the faint glow of the bugs held aloft by the goblin, they made their way down the tunnel until a more orange-yellow flickering light took over. The goblin leader peered ahead then, once he was satisfied that the light was true, he stuffed both bugs into his mouth and chewed happy. Kaelin closed her eyes and swallowed at the pop that sounded out.

It wasn't really a cave they found themselves in, more of a wider space where the tunnel bent round a double corner, arching first right and then left. It was wide enough for a small stove to be set up and filled with oil, giving off a warm light and enough heat for Thorian to be setting up a tin mugful of water to boil on its top.

"We need to stop," he said glancing up, his faced worried, "Ulrich isn't good."

"Um," Kaelin looked round and saw the living centipede surrounded by the knot of its reanimated fellows while puppeted Ash Elves stood sentry at the bend in the tunnel. As Kaelin and the goblins stepped in closer, other Ash Elves to up positions at the bend they had just come round.

Then Kaelin saw Ulrich. She put a hand to her mouth.

He was laying on his right side, the sleeve of his tunic cut away to reveal the injury in his upper arm. Muscle tissue should not be black with rot and skin should not ooze green and yellow as it curls back from an injury. Ulrich shivered on the blankets that had been piled up under him, eyes fever bright.

"Oh come on, come on," Jeremiah muttered, hands riffling through his pack, "I'm sure I saw... Ah ha."

He pulled out a box and flicked it open to reveal rank and files of vials, stoppered and labelled. He started lifting them out and popping them back.

"No, no, no. No! Oh come on there has to be something... here!" He pulled one out the full way and popped the stopper out. "Kaelin," he ordered, "Help me with this!" For once she didn't argue with the fat priest, scooting over and helping to roll Ulrich on to his back and hold his head still so Jeremiah could tip the contents of the vial down his throat. Some of the color came back into his face but he was still shaking and the wound in his shoulder seemed no better.

"Its not enough," Jeremiah muttered, "Damn!"

"Should you watch your language?" Kaelin asked, trying to distract herself from the fact that Ulrich appeared to be dying in front of her eyes.

"Seeing as my god is feeling a little temperamental right now and I am about to lose one of our best fights, then I don't really think so," Jeremiah snapped as he dug back into the case of vials. He flicked a look at one and then read it more fully.

"Kaelin, if I hand you the set of small knives I've found in my pack, would you start heating them up in the lamps flame please?" he asked reading the label for the seeond time, "And Thorian, would you come here and hold Ulrich down, please? If needs be lay on him, I just need to be able to reach the injury site."

"What are you up to?" Thorian asked, wrapping a bandage around his own leg, binding a deep gouge that he hadn't noticed taking in the heat of the moment.

"This will work to neutralize the poison but the, to quote, 'corrupted tissue must be exercised first'," Jeremiah looked a little unnerved, "Guess I'm going to have to put some of my training to good use. Never wanted to be involved in the infirmary..." He trailed off.

Wordlessly, Kaelin started holding the small but razor sharp knife blade in the flame of the lamp.

It was unpleasant.

Ulrich screamed a great deal to begin with and then seemed to pass out as chunks and lumps of blackened, gooey tissue was lifted from the hole in his arm, the spider's venom having eaten deeply into the muscle below the skin. After each lump with lifted out, Kaelin dripped a little of the potion into the space just vacated, in between heating knives in the lamp flame. Even one of the goblins was roped into help, holding a thieves lantern to aim the light at the gaping wound so Jeremiah could see what needed to be removed. Kaelin wasn't sure but at one point she was sure that she could see bone gleaming yellow and grey in the depth of the injury. And every drip of potion smoked. Finally Jeremiah sat back on his hunches.

"Right, pour the rest of it in there," He wiped a sleeve over his forehead and poured the mug of hot water over his hands before reaching for the bandages, "I want it well flushed out."

Ulrich jerked and moaned, even in his unconsciousness, as the last of the potion was poured into the hole in his arm.

Jeremiah didn't bother unrolling the first bandage, just pushing the whole roll into the wound end first and then pouring another potion marked 'For Healing' on top of it. He bound the second bandage around Ulrich's upper arm.

"Why'd you do that?" Thorian asked as he sat up from holding Ulrich still, "How's it supposed to heal like that?"

"Its called packing the injury," Jeremiah washed his hands again, "If we don't the skin will heal over the top of the void and leave it to fill up with fluid. After that, well it would be a miracle if it doesn't poison his blood. As it is, I've done everything I know how to do." He put another cup on to boil and sat leaning back against the wall of the tunnel come cave.

After a moment, Kaelin pulled a bread roll out of her pack and handed it to him.

"Here," she said, "Get that into you and then get some rest. Thorian and I will take first watch, make sure those bugs don't come sniffing for Ulrich."

"That is really rather considerate of you, my dear," Jeremiah managed to claw back some of his oily smile.

"Look, I know you only saved his life 'cause you are scared of being left down here without protection if your god decides to leave you high and dry but, well," she gave a one shouldered shrug, "You did good just now so don't push it."

And for once he took a hint and laid down without another word, his rumbling snores soon punctuating the silence. Kaelin stood up and walked to the bend of the tunnel where they had come from, eyes open from any sign of the kervead's blue glow. She looked down as something brushed her hand. The goblin leader looked up at her, sympathy in his eyes.

"You got a name?" she asked.

"Thank you," it said.

"That's your name?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Nah," he shook his head so hard his ears rattled, "Thank you for thinking goblin have name worth knowing. I is Stink of the Midden."

"Wow, cool parents," Kaelin said wryly.

"You mis-under-stand," the goblin said the word with noticeable effort, "Goblin not give name by life givers. Goblin given name by first place he nearly died."

Kaelin didn't say anything else, just took his bony, knobbly, scarred hand and held it as they waited out the long dark of the under ground.