The second floor of the dungeon was called the stone forest. Overgrown dilapidated tunnels ruled this winding maze of greenery and stone. Here moss, and vines had taken over the walls and floor. Small puddles of dark water in every corner. And small streams of water ran through broken parts of the ruin, further down into the deep abyss. The paths here were already less traveled and less explored then the ones just a stairs away.
The steps of the small adventuring party echoed through the winding broken halls. Of this somber green ruin. As Tristin led the group he couldn't help but remember the first time he and his brother had descended to this floor. How they had marveled at the stark difference, although it was nothing compared to the absurdity of the lower floors.
"Tristin! what's that" Opip pointed a sharp finger towards a skinny shape just down one of the many broken passages. Four legged and just skin and bones ugly and intimidating.
"A Noem, It's a hairless & Deaf, lion " The creature was a descendant of the Cezean Nemean, a golden lion said to have lived far up in the southern mountains. When the fourth dynasty once settled this land they brought their own domesticated lions, which were both companions and protectors to the people of that time, now however they had become a shadow of their glorious past. No one on the island knew how they had lost their ears and fur. It had happened long before any of them settled the land. It had happened when the Noems decided that the dungeon was a greater hunting ground then the baren island.
"Do they taste any good?" Opip's tail was wagging once more. Tristin wonderd if she cared about anything as deeply as she cared about food. Then again most hounds were probably like that, right, I mean they were in simple terms dog-people.
"Not if they taste anything like the lions I have had" Jakurk had tried lion many times when he was young, but the taste just never really felt alright. The meat was chewy and without flavour there were few ways to make it appetizing.
"You've tasted lion before? Was it when you were with your army?" Opip asked, still looking at the resting Noem, wondering whether she should strike or not. In response it simply yawned at the group as it looked over them with tired old eyes.
"Your army?" Tristin asked skeptisch. It was true he did not know anything about the mage, but him leading an army? had to be a joke.
Jakurk sighed. "I was in an army, I did not lead it, it belonged to my lord" A memory of smoked meat over a fire. A star filled sky, boundless and without end. Songs from over the walls and so many warm faces. Yet it was muddy, old, the taste or smell couldn't be recalled nor could the conversation. But it was there within his heart. An old memory, a treasure for the ages.
"Shouldn't you be at your lord's side, rather than here in a murky northern dungeon?" Tristin wondered how someone who had served a lord had ended up out here. Maybe he had been fierded. banished from the court for a mistake of some kind, nobles weren't exactly the most understanding people. But to have been in his lord's army as well. Perhaps there was a greater story at play. Whatever the story was, it was undoubtedly interesting.
"He's dead" There was nothing more to be said.
He shouldn't have asked, really he shouldn't have. The atmosphere grew cold as they continued into the dungeons' depths. Over moss covered ruble. Through a forest of hanging vines and through a muddy tunnel where everyone's boots got filled with murky water.
"What was he called?" Surprisingly it was Opip who asked, Too tired of the awkward silence. Tristin marveled at how bold his friend could be. And for a moment he wondered if Jakurk would even answer the question.
"...His title was Aldebaran, it means eye of Tartarus, a frightening title, more then deserved" There was a distant memory that burned like cinders in Jakurk's heart. For every word for every memory it ached a wound that would not heal until the end of one's life.
"And his name was Paraquil D'la Orrain, fourth prince of purple blood" It didn't mean much to Opip who did not know her history. But it was a name which shook Tristin to his core. "You..Your lord..was a purple prince?"
"Look out" the shout came from Jakurk who had turned around to the group to state his lord's name as dramatically as possible. It was of course directed to Tristin, the boy with the worst luck. A Noem, perhaps the one they had passed earlier, had followed them. It had already leapt off the ground when Tristin turned around. He could already count the teeth on each side of its mouth. The two large ones at the front, the smaller once in the back and the leathery tongue.
Yet it was not the Noem which got to him first but the shove of his companion which sent him flying to the side. Opip did not have the time to draw her blade, She didn't need to. She caught the beast with the armour plating on her arm. Its teeth sank deep into the metal but did not penetrate. With her free arm, Opip snatched her kniv from its hilt and stabbed the beast's belly fifteen times in a consecutive motion. The creature was dead before it could taste the iron on the warrior's plate.
It was a short lived victory, two other Noems emerged from the dark, one from a passage to the right and another from a hole in the wall to the left. "Stay close" Jakurk said as he joined Opip at her back. Tristin had been thrown against the wall at such force that he had been knocked out, perhaps for the best. "Cover your eyes" Jakurk said as he readied his new torch.
"Got it" The Noem's circled them, hissing with ragged breaths. Noem moved in groups between three to five and lived in flocks of ten to twenty. This part of the dungeon was their hunting ground, a place they knew down to the smallest nook and cranny. Their usual prey was the smaller monsters which dwelled on this floor and the one below, but also more recently the many adventurers who had the misfortune to step into their hunting ground.
"o//o/V" Jakurk displayed a flawless strategy. As the Noems circled closer a blinding light shone from the silvery torch. White pure light. A rather simple spell to light up dark places. A spell almost all mages knew of. But enhanced to an extreme level of brightness. It easily blinded the Nomes.
Opip's sword cut right into Noem's flesh just as it regained its sight. She had aimed for its head but lodged it in the creature's back, it was a poor cut. But she continued her advance. The Noem dodged her next blow but not her second.
Jakurk was slower on his attack than his companion. There were two enemies so naturally it was one each. His approach was simple and direct, bash the creatures head in with his expensive brand new torch. Only it did not go as plan. The creature had already regained its senses when he struck and his valiant attempt was discarded as the cat showed away his torch with its paw. As if it was but a toy.
Jakurk tended to forget just how long he had lived. His body was no longer built for hand to hand combat, long marches, and fighting a lion face to face. It only took seconds for him to be on the ground, the Noem's jaw only separated from his face by the long metal hilt of his torch lodged in its mouth. Even then it was pushing down onto him. His old arms were giving out. He could not expect any help from Opip as she was still fighting her enemy, and he couldn't see Tristin anywhere.
"V)-(/H\)-(V" But nothing happened.
The Noem paid no attention to the mages' vailing. It continued to press down. The heat from its mouth could be felt on Jakurk's face. its breath was awful, like rotten flesh. What spell could he use? Another blinding light?, no he couldn't shield his own eyes while holding off the Neom. A strong wind? but he couldn't tell how far away Opip was, nor did he want to use up so much will. So what was there to do? of course the unthinkable option. A kick to its balls, which would have worked if it had any.
"Fuck" the creatures teeth bore down on the iron torch with all its might. Jakurk could no longer hold it. His arms gave out. And the metal staff of the torch went down precisely over his throat and pushed ever closer to the ground. He couldn't breath, nor chant a spell even if he wanted to. This is precisely why mages tend to stay at the back of the party as long as they aren't a war mage or other.
The beast went in for a bite and so did he. In a final act of desperation he bit into the creature's lower jaw. The action surprised the Noem who let up its grip on the torch. Allowing Jakurk to push off the staggered animal and once more return to his feet. He could hear Opip's sword clash against stone in the distance alongside the roars of the other beast.
Jakurk regained his footing and placed his torch between himself and the beast, using the flame at the torches end to hold off the monstrous animal. They were at a stand still. He had no spell which could hurt the animal. And the animal had no way to reach him. One of them needed to make a choice, a gamble.
And Jakurk did. Once more struck forth with his torch. Burning the animals side. Yet the beast bore with the pain, rushed in under the torch's light and struck at his throat with its shining claw. Yet it did not reach the mages neck in time. For a sword cut its side. Opip severed the beast in two. Half its carcass landed on Jakurk felling him to the ground. "Good work" She reached out a hand.
"Speak for yourself" Jakurk pushed off the halved corpse. Blood had soaked his pants and lower shirt. It would be a pain to wash off. He looked around the small overgrown room. The other Noem was dead, its head by its side in the grass. The hound was ruthlessly effective, worth every coin.
Jakurk felt a little sad that he hadn't been that much of help in this battle. But time had carved wounds upon his body he was yet to see. He begrudgingly took the hound's hand and rose back up on his feet with the help of both the hound and his torch. "Now where's Tristin?"
"Tristin?" Opip looked towards the corner where she had thrown him. He wasn't there. A bit to the side of where she had thrown him there was another path, its top covered by wines. Inside the path was a fourth Noem dragging a small child sized body. "TRISTIN!!!"