Dungeon of Doors

~ Andy, Forest Temple ~

I'm leading the way as we go deeper. My keen eyes mean I'm best suited for looking for traps, and since we usually see the merul coming we've changed the order of the party. Will is still close to the front--just behind me--so not much has changed.

I pause, raising my hand to warn the others. They stop and notice the tripwire I've already found. I step over it cautiously in an effort not to trigger it. Once everyone is on the other side I go ahead and cut the wire. The arrow clatters harmlessly against the wall, and we move on.

Things have gotten considerably more noisy at this level of the forest temple. We can hear the clink of metal and shuffling of furniture from somewhere deeper. When we arrive at a crossroad we take the turn right, hoping it is the optional dead end.

Now that we're at the door Will steps forward to be the one to open it. Unfortunately it is right then that a merul pushes open the door from the other side. The mushroom creature is carrying a platter of food in its mitten shaped hands. It doesn't have much time to react before Will brings his axe down on the creature's head. With that the merul falls to the ground dead, dropping the platter and producing quite the clatter.

I swallow my fear as I look past the merul into the open door. This room is a kitchen, and there aren't just merul cooks here. There's a particularly large mushroom monster dressed like a chef. He's got ahold of a nasty looking cleaver.

"Shit, this isn't good. Take up the rear, Andy!"

I follow Teddy's orders. Will stands between us and the monsters as they grab various kitchen utensils to use as weapons. One has a pan, another a rolling pin. Andy readies his spear while I draw an arrow. I strike first, shooting one of the little guys right between the eyes.

When the merul hits the ground the others are sent into a frenzy. The chef thunders his way toward us, his underlings flanking him on either side. Will grips the handle of his axe, his knuckles turning white. The chef monster brings down its cleaver in a startlingly fast overhead strike. Will barely manages to get his axe up in time to block the attack. The cleaver's sharp blade digs into the wooden handle as they struggle against one another.

The merul cooks are coming in now. If something doesn't change Will is going to be at the mercy of these little monsters. Teddy stabs forward, his spear aiming for the arm of the chef monster. Unfortunately he can't quite hit it around Will. His attack glances off the side of the beast to little effect. Will flinches when a rolling pin is swung against his leg.

"Will! Hold on, I'll get you out of there!"

Teddy's shouting doesn't amount to much. He can't really fight around Will as things are. I take the opportunity to nock another arrow, and take a deep breath. My aim hovers on the big monster's head. The thump of attacks landing on Will doesn't break my focus. Nor does Teddy's shouting.

I loose the arrow.

The big monster stumbles backwards. It knocks over one of its minions, clutching its own face as my arrow remains lodged in its eye. Will is finally free to combat the merul attacking him. He quickly beheads the one with the long fork before bisecting the head of the pan wielding one.

With a snap, the big monster breaks apart the arrow lodged in its eye. It trundles forward on its unsteady legs as it goes for another strike on Will. This time Will is faster than it, and before the creature can properly cut him its arm is cut in half. Will only suffers a very minor laceration.

"That was close..."

"Too close! Are you alright, Will?" Teddy worries.

I step past the two of them as Teddy applies a bandage to Will's wound. We aren't wasting healing potions on the minor wounds--though both Will and I feel Teddy should have used a potion for his burns. Stubborn guy refused.

The kitchen is a bit of a mess from the fight. There are pots and pans scattered around the room. Plates and bowls, utensils. Some of it looks old while other pieces new. What's strange is these monsters don't have mouths. Why are they cooking and carrying food if they don't eat it? Probably for the same reason they have a toilet but don't use it. There wasn't anything but mud in the toilet we found.

It doesn't take long for me to find the treasure this room offers. Beneath a wooden countertop I find the chest tucked away, same as most others. I slide it out and pop the lid, finding a pile of silver coins--Greatmane, perfectly spendable. Sitting among the coins is an unfamiliar object.

"Hey guys, you ever see one of these before?"

I hold up the spherical stone. It's a dark charcoal black with faint orange lines swirling across its surface. The thing is warm to the touch, and reeks of dungeon nonsense. Will and Teddy approach. Neither have seen it before. We can't make heads or tails of its purpose, so we decide it best to stow it for now-

Grunting, I accidentally bump into the counter behind me and drop the damn thing! It falls to the ground with a loud clatter. Thankfully it doesn't break, but it does throw a shower of orange sparks! Teddy yelps at the sudden display. I can't blame him. I almost shouted at the sudden wave of heat and the glowing sparks. It was like a blacksmith's hammer struck the ground.

"I guess that's what it does?"

"Let me test it one more time..."

I pick up the round stone and give it a careful throw. It lands across the room from us, and sure enough, it bursts with sparks. The stone itself is unharmed despite being thrown with such force. I glance at the other two before realizing what this thing should be called.

"Spark stone. It's a stone that sparks."

Will gives me a somewhat blank frown. Teddy nods in agreement. While the spark stone is interesting, we're not quite sure what to do with it at this point.

After gathering everything of value from the kitchen we back out into the corridor. We follow it back and then go straight, heading toward what we're theorizing to be an eating area of some kind. This time a merul doesn't open the door while we're preparing. We've got more fire bombs--bottles filled with flammable oil--and a torch handy. The spark stone does help ignite things a little easier.

"Remember, if the room is too cramped we shouldn't use the oil."

Will and I nod at Teddy's reminder. We don't want to completely gas ourselves out with smoke, or get caught up in the fire.

Will opens the door slowly. He pulls it open just enough to see inside. Once he catches a glimpse his eyes widen slightly. I tighten my hold on the bottle of oil in my hand. Will throws open the door, giving us a view of a horde of merul and a few of the big mushroom monsters. They're all mimicking the motions of eating despite their lack of mouths. The noise of the door being opened catches their attention, though.

"Throw it!" Teddy shouts.

I follow his lead, and we both throw the bottles of oil into the spacious dining hall. Each bottle shatters on the head of a mushroom monster. The oil splashes across the tables and floor, dousing a few of the merul. Teddy doesn't hesitate to throw the spark stone into the mess rather than wasting time with the ill suited torch. The orb shaped rock lands perfectly in the oil. The sparks it sprays ignite the room, engulfing the crowd of monsters in flames.

Will backs up with his axe raised. Teddy is sweating from the heat as he holds his spear at the ready. I nock an arrow as fast as I can before loosing it into the flames. The shuffle and crunch of the burning monsters moving competes with the roar of the fire. I watch as the merul start coming through the doorway.

Axe strikes from Will cleave them in two. Teddy skewers the ones that make it past Will. My bow fires arrows into the fire at a regular interval, each one's effectiveness rendered unknown by the fire and smoke.

Will yelps as a chunk of flaming wood hits him in the chest. Hearing the big guy make that kind of noise has me sweating just as much as the heat of the fire. The flames part as a big mushroom monster steps into view wielding an axe. This weapon is much larger than Will's, and the sight of him puts cracks in my confidence.

"You got this, Will!" Teddy encourages.

The big guy doesn't let it show if he is worried about the monster. He goes for a quick shallow slice, cutting a wound across the monster's torso. The monster doesn't flinch at all. It instead raises its own axe overhead in preparation to strike.

I fire an arrow, hands shaking, and it lands true. The monster ignores the projectile as it buries itself in its arm. It swings down with enough force the stone floor cracks on impact. Thankfully Will had the foresight to step back at the last second. If he tried to block the attack he might have lost his weapon, or worse.

"S-Shit!"

Teddy sounds scared. We all are right now. This temple isn't something to be taken lightly, and yet here we are without any outside help. Will swings his weapon again. This time his strike cuts a deep gash in the monster's leg. It doesn't react to the wound.

Something is moving behind the big monster. Small shapes, likely the burning merul. I realize they're squeezing past and call out a warning to Will.

"Watch out!"

Will moves his attention from the big guy in favor of dealing with the flaming merul rushing at him. He cuts it in half while kicking the other one to the floor. The crisis is averted for a moment. In the next instant disaster strikes, as the giant monster brings its axe down for a second attack. Will is completely caught out. The crunch of bone being destroyed and the meaty sound of flesh being rent apart makes me nauseous. Teddy vomits, nearly dropping his spear. Will is shaking as he holds his axe with one hand. His left arm is only half attached, the forearm ripped apart in the middle.

I fumble with my next arrow. The damn thing nearly slips out of my fingers twice, but I fit it to the bowstring after a couple tries. I fire it with worryingly poor strength. It doesn't even hit the massive target. Instead it sails off into the blazing room behind it.

"W-Will! You can't-"

Teddy's pleading falls on deaf ears. Will remains standing, albeit shakily, in the path of the large mushroom monster. It's raising its axe for another attack. I mechanically move my hands to nock another arrow. I fire it, this time hitting the monster in the head. It isn't bothered in the slightest.

Will manages to deliver a glancing blow to the monster. It barely leaves a scrape on the thing's side. Will stumbles back a few steps in an effort to evade its next attack, but he fails. The head of the axe comes down like an anvil. Will's gut wrenching scream fills the corridor as the axe remains buried in his foot.

I'm pathetic. Barely managing to fire a few useless arrows at the beast, my fingers shaky. Teddy steps past Will's now crumpled body with his spear in hand. He's shaking, and there are tears in his eyes. He doesn't back down even as the mushroom monster pulls its weapon free of Will's foot.

Teddy is breathing heavily. His body shakes as he approaches the monster. He's in range of it now, and the beast is drawing its axe up.

"Fuck you!" Teddy shouts at it.

I'd laugh if the situation weren't so dire. Teddy doesn't revel in his awkward taunt, and instead leaps at the beast with all the grace of a clumsy drunkard. Shockingly his attack does land. His spear is driven forward, impaling the creature square in the chest. The weapon buries itself deep as Teddy's momentum carries it forward.

Relief floods me as I watch the beast drop its weapon. It sways, and topped backwards with Teddy sitting atop its corpse. The massive thing is finally dead.

There isn't time to celebrate, though. We need to save Will before it is too late!