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<blockquote data-quote="SnowleopardVK" data-source="post: 5639721" data-attributes="member: 6677945"><p>Episode 11: Almost there again</p><p></p><p>***</p><p></p><p>“Is our dead ex captain being a dragon really what you should be focusing on?” Cortez asked, seeming slightly amused.</p><p></p><p>“Sorry” Slaal muttered. “You were making an offer of how to escape this place?”</p><p></p><p>“Yes” Cortez said thoughtfully. “In truth it’s just an idea, and I’m not even sure if it will work…”</p><p></p><p>“You’re kidding me” Slaal groaned.</p><p></p><p>“Do you have any other brilliant ideas wizard?” Cortez snapped.</p><p></p><p>Slaal remained silent.</p><p></p><p>“Look, essentially my plan is to smash through the caved-in wall with the ship’s front half” Cortez said. “I’ve been bound to the ship in my death, so the only way for me to get out is for the ship to do so too. I think I could make it move even without its rudder.”</p><p></p><p>“And what would you do after setting out?” Slaal asked.</p><p></p><p>“Set the Fury on the waves for her funeral” Cortez said simply. “I believe I can pass on to the afterlife if I do that.”</p><p></p><p>“I see” Slaal said. “Then what do you need help with.</p><p></p><p>“My body is rebellious” Cortez sighed, “If I tried to take the front half of the ship it would attack. I’m unable to hurt my own body, so I need help from an adventurer to do it.”</p><p></p><p>“You’re asking us to fight you?” Slaal laughed.</p><p></p><p>“Us amigo?” Cortez asked. “Very interesting. You hadn’t mentioned that you’d come with others…”</p><p></p><p>At that point their conversation was broken by a single loud, long scream of “No.” It was Maka.</p><p></p><p>“I… I have to go” Slaal muttered, turning towards the door.</p><p></p><p>“If you plan to help, then gather up your friends and get to the deck of the ship’s other half” Cortez told Slaal on his way out. “I’ll exit the cabin once you’re there. That should provoke my body and any remaining… Unfriendly crew to gather.</p><p></p><p>The door swung shut behind him as Slaal stepped out of the cabin and into the cave.</p><p></p><p>Slaal turned the corner to the stairs that led up to the poop deck and saw another skeletal undead at the top, this one dragging a large club behind it. Had it been lured out of the dark tunnel by Maka’s scream? It was looking across the water as far as Slaal could tell and didn’t seem to have noticed him. Slaal snuck a glance in the direction it was staring; Maka was there on a ledge crouched beside something, Slaal couldn’t tell what.</p><p></p><p>“Acid Spash” Slaal muttered turning back towards the skeleton. His blast coated the bones, causing them to sizzle for a moment, and then without warning the creature was blown forcefully apart!</p><p></p><p>“Good enough” Slaal decided, turning back towards Maka. He saw a slope climbing from the water up to the ledge she was on, and decided to go for it. He dove off the ship and swam to the slope, scrambling up it to dry land.</p><p></p><p>“Maka” he began to call before realizing what exactly she was kneeling beside.</p><p></p><p>“Oh.” Slaal paused, slowly moving up beside her. “Is he?...”</p><p></p><p>“He’s gone” Maka whispered. “I couldn’t do anything.”</p><p></p><p>There was an awkward silence between them for several seconds.</p><p></p><p>The without warning there was a crash and a loud rumble as a boulder rolled out of the left of the two tunnels at the end of the ledge, leaving a trail of shattered bones behind it. It then continued rolling into and down the right tunnel until there was another crash at the end.</p><p></p><p>“What in the world?” Slaal muttered, running over to the right tunnel and looking in. There was a slight downward slope and it looked as though the boulder had rolled around the bend out of sight.</p><p></p><p>Slaal moved to the other tunnel. Lizardfolk bones lay in smashed pieces all along its length.</p><p></p><p>“The undead must have triggered a trap” Slaal mused. “Interesting…”</p><p></p><p>He turned back to the cleric. “Maka” he said, “I’ve spoken to the captain. We can get out of here by getting back to the front half of the ship’s deck.”</p><p></p><p>Maka didn’t respond.</p><p></p><p>“MAKA” Slaal snapped, “I understand that you’re upset, but sitting there isn’t going to change the fact that Sizemet is dead. Right now though, we’re still not dead. I’d like to keep it that way and escape, and I think Sizemet would want us to get out of here with our lives too don’t you?”</p><p></p><p>Maka closed her eyes tight for a moment and nodded. Then she got to her feet and cast a light spell on the mace hanging at her side. With that, she began dragging Sizemet’s body towards the dark tunnel.</p><p></p><p>“I’m not going to leave him in this cave” she said. “He might turn into a tormented ghost or something if I do.”</p><p></p><p>“Fine” Slaal agreed. With that they set off down the tunnel that the boulder had rolled down.</p><p></p><p>When they reached the next small cavern they saw a horrible sight. “Oh geez” Slaal groaned.</p><p></p><p>Yaros’ body lay beside the smashed remains of a skeleton. The undead seemed to have been crushed between the rolling boulder and the wall, but Yaros…</p><p></p><p>An axe was still in the grip of a skeletal hand, detached from its body, and Yaros’ head lay a few feet from his own. It had been chopped clean off.</p><p></p><p>“No” Maka whispered, “No, no, no…”</p><p></p><p>There was a clack as another skeleton holding a small club emerged from the tunnel to their left. Its bones were already cracked and broken, but it moved towards them malevolently. Maka snarled and let go of Sizemet’s legs, she grabbed her mace and lunged at the undead with a scream of rage, smashing its skull to bits with her first swing and causing it to collapse.</p><p></p><p>As she turned back towards Slaal and her two teammates’ bodies she saw the wizard picking up Yaros’ head. “What are you doing?” she asked.</p><p></p><p>“If we’re bringing Sizemet out with us, then I’m not doing this halfway” he said. “Both of our teammates will get a proper burial outside this cave, even if it means I have to drag several hundred pounds of automaton to the ship. He put Yaros’ head in his bag and grunted as he began to drag the metal man along by the legs.</p><p></p><p>The going was slow, but Slaal and Maka were able to drag their teammates’ bodies down the tunnel to the next cave, it was the one they’d entered from with the underwater passage. There was a dead Sahuagin by the entrance, killed by the undead perhaps.</p><p></p><p>“They’ve followed us in” Slaal muttered. “We should get out of here as quickly as possible.”</p><p></p><p>They continued dragging their teammates along the left tunnel toward the spot where they’d first been separated, to where the black dragon had last risen from the water. The ledge was calm now though, and they were able to move all the way along it, past another Sahuagin corpse, this one filled with arrows, to where the bowsprit hung over the ledge allowing them access to the ship.</p><p></p><p>Slaal and Maka together lifted Sizemet onto the ship, but Yaros was a more difficult problem. Even combined they weren’t strong enough to lift him off the ground.</p><p></p><p>“Hang on” Slaal muttered, stepping back and making signs with his claw to cast a spell. “Enlarge Person.”</p><p></p><p>Slaal grew. Large. He towered over Maka now and had to stoop awkwardly to reach Yaros, but when he did he was able to lift the automaton. It still took him visable effort, but Slaal was able to put their second teammate on the ship beside the first.</p><p></p><p>“This is it” Slaal sighed, loading a bolt into his crossbow. “We just have to take down Cortez’s body and we can get out of here.”</p><p></p><p>“I hope you are ready.”</p><p></p><p>Cortez’s ghost floated to them from across the water.</p><p></p><p>“Your team is less impressive than I had hoped” he remarked, “And they are in a less lively state than I’d been expecting” he added, glancing at Sizemet and Yaros’ dead bodies.</p><p></p><p>“But I’ve already left my cabin” he sighed. “My body will be here soon. It’s lost most of the strength, skill, and spellcasting ability I had in life, but it will still be dangerous.”</p><p></p><p>There was a snarl as a wolf made of rolling black smoke leapt down from the crow’s nest, the skeletal body of Cortez on its back.</p><p></p><p>“Good luck, amigos.” The ghost of Cortez said softly, moving aside.</p><p></p><p>To be continued...</p><p></p><p>***</p><p></p><p>Two... Three... Eh, it's a few more updates before the replacements of the dead characters come in. Which is nice, because I've been missing taking part in the story. Soon I'll be back in the game.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="SnowleopardVK, post: 5639721, member: 6677945"] Episode 11: Almost there again *** “Is our dead ex captain being a dragon really what you should be focusing on?” Cortez asked, seeming slightly amused. “Sorry” Slaal muttered. “You were making an offer of how to escape this place?” “Yes” Cortez said thoughtfully. “In truth it’s just an idea, and I’m not even sure if it will work…” “You’re kidding me” Slaal groaned. “Do you have any other brilliant ideas wizard?” Cortez snapped. Slaal remained silent. “Look, essentially my plan is to smash through the caved-in wall with the ship’s front half” Cortez said. “I’ve been bound to the ship in my death, so the only way for me to get out is for the ship to do so too. I think I could make it move even without its rudder.” “And what would you do after setting out?” Slaal asked. “Set the Fury on the waves for her funeral” Cortez said simply. “I believe I can pass on to the afterlife if I do that.” “I see” Slaal said. “Then what do you need help with. “My body is rebellious” Cortez sighed, “If I tried to take the front half of the ship it would attack. I’m unable to hurt my own body, so I need help from an adventurer to do it.” “You’re asking us to fight you?” Slaal laughed. “Us amigo?” Cortez asked. “Very interesting. You hadn’t mentioned that you’d come with others…” At that point their conversation was broken by a single loud, long scream of “No.” It was Maka. “I… I have to go” Slaal muttered, turning towards the door. “If you plan to help, then gather up your friends and get to the deck of the ship’s other half” Cortez told Slaal on his way out. “I’ll exit the cabin once you’re there. That should provoke my body and any remaining… Unfriendly crew to gather. The door swung shut behind him as Slaal stepped out of the cabin and into the cave. Slaal turned the corner to the stairs that led up to the poop deck and saw another skeletal undead at the top, this one dragging a large club behind it. Had it been lured out of the dark tunnel by Maka’s scream? It was looking across the water as far as Slaal could tell and didn’t seem to have noticed him. Slaal snuck a glance in the direction it was staring; Maka was there on a ledge crouched beside something, Slaal couldn’t tell what. “Acid Spash” Slaal muttered turning back towards the skeleton. His blast coated the bones, causing them to sizzle for a moment, and then without warning the creature was blown forcefully apart! “Good enough” Slaal decided, turning back towards Maka. He saw a slope climbing from the water up to the ledge she was on, and decided to go for it. He dove off the ship and swam to the slope, scrambling up it to dry land. “Maka” he began to call before realizing what exactly she was kneeling beside. “Oh.” Slaal paused, slowly moving up beside her. “Is he?...” “He’s gone” Maka whispered. “I couldn’t do anything.” There was an awkward silence between them for several seconds. The without warning there was a crash and a loud rumble as a boulder rolled out of the left of the two tunnels at the end of the ledge, leaving a trail of shattered bones behind it. It then continued rolling into and down the right tunnel until there was another crash at the end. “What in the world?” Slaal muttered, running over to the right tunnel and looking in. There was a slight downward slope and it looked as though the boulder had rolled around the bend out of sight. Slaal moved to the other tunnel. Lizardfolk bones lay in smashed pieces all along its length. “The undead must have triggered a trap” Slaal mused. “Interesting…” He turned back to the cleric. “Maka” he said, “I’ve spoken to the captain. We can get out of here by getting back to the front half of the ship’s deck.” Maka didn’t respond. “MAKA” Slaal snapped, “I understand that you’re upset, but sitting there isn’t going to change the fact that Sizemet is dead. Right now though, we’re still not dead. I’d like to keep it that way and escape, and I think Sizemet would want us to get out of here with our lives too don’t you?” Maka closed her eyes tight for a moment and nodded. Then she got to her feet and cast a light spell on the mace hanging at her side. With that, she began dragging Sizemet’s body towards the dark tunnel. “I’m not going to leave him in this cave” she said. “He might turn into a tormented ghost or something if I do.” “Fine” Slaal agreed. With that they set off down the tunnel that the boulder had rolled down. When they reached the next small cavern they saw a horrible sight. “Oh geez” Slaal groaned. Yaros’ body lay beside the smashed remains of a skeleton. The undead seemed to have been crushed between the rolling boulder and the wall, but Yaros… An axe was still in the grip of a skeletal hand, detached from its body, and Yaros’ head lay a few feet from his own. It had been chopped clean off. “No” Maka whispered, “No, no, no…” There was a clack as another skeleton holding a small club emerged from the tunnel to their left. Its bones were already cracked and broken, but it moved towards them malevolently. Maka snarled and let go of Sizemet’s legs, she grabbed her mace and lunged at the undead with a scream of rage, smashing its skull to bits with her first swing and causing it to collapse. As she turned back towards Slaal and her two teammates’ bodies she saw the wizard picking up Yaros’ head. “What are you doing?” she asked. “If we’re bringing Sizemet out with us, then I’m not doing this halfway” he said. “Both of our teammates will get a proper burial outside this cave, even if it means I have to drag several hundred pounds of automaton to the ship. He put Yaros’ head in his bag and grunted as he began to drag the metal man along by the legs. The going was slow, but Slaal and Maka were able to drag their teammates’ bodies down the tunnel to the next cave, it was the one they’d entered from with the underwater passage. There was a dead Sahuagin by the entrance, killed by the undead perhaps. “They’ve followed us in” Slaal muttered. “We should get out of here as quickly as possible.” They continued dragging their teammates along the left tunnel toward the spot where they’d first been separated, to where the black dragon had last risen from the water. The ledge was calm now though, and they were able to move all the way along it, past another Sahuagin corpse, this one filled with arrows, to where the bowsprit hung over the ledge allowing them access to the ship. Slaal and Maka together lifted Sizemet onto the ship, but Yaros was a more difficult problem. Even combined they weren’t strong enough to lift him off the ground. “Hang on” Slaal muttered, stepping back and making signs with his claw to cast a spell. “Enlarge Person.” Slaal grew. Large. He towered over Maka now and had to stoop awkwardly to reach Yaros, but when he did he was able to lift the automaton. It still took him visable effort, but Slaal was able to put their second teammate on the ship beside the first. “This is it” Slaal sighed, loading a bolt into his crossbow. “We just have to take down Cortez’s body and we can get out of here.” “I hope you are ready.” Cortez’s ghost floated to them from across the water. “Your team is less impressive than I had hoped” he remarked, “And they are in a less lively state than I’d been expecting” he added, glancing at Sizemet and Yaros’ dead bodies. “But I’ve already left my cabin” he sighed. “My body will be here soon. It’s lost most of the strength, skill, and spellcasting ability I had in life, but it will still be dangerous.” There was a snarl as a wolf made of rolling black smoke leapt down from the crow’s nest, the skeletal body of Cortez on its back. “Good luck, amigos.” The ghost of Cortez said softly, moving aside. To be continued... *** Two... Three... Eh, it's a few more updates before the replacements of the dead characters come in. Which is nice, because I've been missing taking part in the story. Soon I'll be back in the game. [/QUOTE]
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