“Open the portal to the Dark One,” Kai stated, gripping Wave tightly.
“Wait…wait…wait!” Odium called out, as he entered the Space Dragon’s bridge. The scent of freshly baked pumpkin scones wafted in the air. “You can’t fight a dark, foul demon without something in your belly and Belia’s blessing.”
“Bah! How ye be knowing it not a devil, like yer Belial?” Kildo said.
“Simple. Devils are about influence, not destruction. That’s demon territory,” Odium said, holding out the plate as the party members began to grab at the scones. There were only two left, and Odium nudged the platter toward Kildo.
Grumbling under his breath, he grabbed both. Sniffed, and ate one in two bites. Kildo reluctantly nodded in thanks.
Scomatch pulled the black ring they found on the altar in the werewolf Fzeg’s lair within the Citadel of the Keyholder from his pocket. Placing it on his pinky finger, a white glow emanated from it. A perfectly rectangular doorway opened and hovered in mid-air. It was big enough to allow a large creature to pass through. The portal hummed with energy.
“We ready?” Kai asked.
“Be holding on. This likely be a tough fight ahead, and I be wanted to be prepared,” Kildo said as he cast, Death Ward. The dwarven cleric's fingertip glowed as he drew an ankh, the holy symbol of Rigga the Earthmother, on each of the party’s foreheads. The ankh glowed blue momentarily before it was absorbed into their skin.
“That tickles! Is this some baby spell?” Scomatch asked as he waved off the dwarf when he finished on the halfling.
“Nay, if ye be taking a blow that be killing ya. This spell be keeping ya from being killed,” Kildo replied.
“All right, not a baby spell,” Scomatch said, nodding in appreciation.
***
Exiting the glowing portal, the party entered a ten-foot-tall tunnel. The air was sultry. The ground moved slightly under their feet as tremors traveled under them. The floor was pocked marked, like a bad case of acne across a teenager’s face, with geysers traveling the length. A hissing release, sounding like a scream, proceeded their eruption with a sickly green, steaming muck that stunk of sulfur. It struck the ceiling and then fell like rain to the mineral-coated ground.
“Yuck!” Scomatch exclaimed.
“It looks like we have to go through it,” Kai said as he prepared to move.
“Hold lad,” Kildo said, touching the paladin’s shoulder and muttering a prayer as he cast the cantrip, Resistance.
Kai carefully began to move around the mineral-spewing geysers. A slow-hissing sound began to emanate. The accumulated waste on the ground stirred from an underground tremor.
“Run!” Guo Gan shouted.
Sprinting down the hallway, Kai covered his head as a geyser erupted. It bathed the ceiling with hot muck, and the scalding water fell on the paladin like acid rain. The triton rounded the bend. As the geyser rupture died, they heard Kai shout, “I made it past them, but there is a large swamp ahead of us.”
Kildo cast Resistance over each party member as they followed Kai down the passageway. However, the eruptions were frequent enough that no one escaped the deluge of hot sludge. Last, he also felt the scalding muck seep through any gap in his plate armor. Rounding the bend, the tunnel opened up into a swamp. Typically, water was a giver of life, but this appeared more like death. The liquid had a consistency between mucus and thick muck. The walls were coated in the substance. Like trees, several large outcroppings of black obsidian stuck out from the swamp. However, their sharp points would cut anyone with the slightest of touches.
Nearby were two creatures that looked like a cross between a mushroom with a sombrero-like top and jellyfish tentacles coming out from below. They moved through the swamp’s ichor in a dancing swirl of color.
Kai bent down and scooped up some of the liquid. He immediately flung it off and wiped his hand on the ground. “Acid. Kildo, can you water walk us across?”
Cursing under his breath, Kildo said, “Nay, I be getting rid of me water spells as I be thinking we be traveling to the astral elf’s sun. I ain’t be expecting to be seeing a swamp in this place.”
“I can run across,” Guo Gan said.
“No, we don’t know how far this swamp reaches. Scomatch, what do you have?” Kai inquired.
“Oh, I can get us across, but I’d have to burn some high-level spells, and I’d rather do that as a last resort,” Scomatch replied.
“All right, I have something that’ll work. Come Concorde!” Kai said as he whistled loudly and cast, Find Greater Steed. A blue shimmer began to form. It became more solid until a Pegasus formed. It resembled a white stallion horse with large bird-like wings. However, it had other avian features, as well. Its lower legs were feathered instead of furred, and its mane and tails also consisted of feathers.
Mounting the Pegasus, Kai said, “I’ll fly across and ensure there aren’t any acid-trouts waiting to bite off our toes.” The pair then launched into the air.
As they passed the two mushroom-like rot angels, they became active and followed Kai and Concorde. They disappeared into the darkness. However, twelve seconds later, they heard the beat of Concorde's wings as he returned with Kai. Another pair of rot angels, for a total of four, followed them back to the opening.
“Great idea! So, your plan was to go fly off and gather as many monsters as you can, so I can kill them in one fell swoop!” Scomatch yelled sarcastically as he formed a mote of fire in his hands and cast Fire Bolt. The flames splashed across the front of the third one, leaving a massive scorch mark.
The same rot angel spun and whipped its tentacles. One slapped across Kai’s front, leaving remnants of its fungus decay across his armor. Three others began to emit an increasing pitch of sound, like they were powering up to do something. They began to glow. The party shielded their eyes as a pulse of bright light burst forth. It lasted a moment and then faded.
“So they be wanting a fight.” Kildo cast Toll the Dead. A dolorous bell rang around the third wounded rot angel. The sound waves affected the creature.
“There’s a ledge on the far side! Guo Gan, get Scomatch over there! I’ll pick up Kildo!” Kai bellowed from the back of Concorde.
Another Fire Bolt arched from Scomatch. The flames penetrated its jellyfish-like head, and the rot angel burst into a cloud of burning spores.
“Come Concorde!” Kai commanded as he lowered Wave like a lance. The Pegasus wing beat strongly as two of the trident’s prongs sunk into the fourth rot angel, knocking it into the water with the power of the blow.
“Come on little buddy!” Guo Gan said, snatching up the halfling and dashing across the swampy water.
“Hey!”
Two of the rot angels followed the pair.
As Kildo gripped his war hammer to bash the remaining rot angel, he heard the shouts from Guo Gan and Scomatch’s fire spells were seen in the far distance. Sounds of battle followed. They were not alone.
Kildo saw six swim lanes of bubbles under the watery muck heading toward the small cavern entrance. Four mud-like humanoid-shaped bog bodies exploded out of the water. Two slammed hard into the dwarf. His shield was the only thing protecting him from being completely engulfed in their mess of ropy strands. He began casting, Spirit Guardians. A low, rhythmic pulsing began to emanate from the ground. White light came from the swamp. Fog rolled out fifteen feet from the cleric. Small wisps of air arched out. Longer tendrils began to form. They shot out and pierced all of the bog bodies that emerged.
Concorde circled with Kai. The power of the Pegasus’s wings was felt as it circled and dove at the third rot angel. Wave’s three prongs impaled the jellyfish-like mushroom. Its structure exploded in spores and fell apart on the weapon. Its remains rained down into the swamp.
Nodding at the paladin, Kildo was surprised when the bog body entangled in his shield began to pull at him, hard. He wasn’t going to give it up. The two struggled until the creature picked him up and flung him over its head and behind into the acid swamp. His skin immediately began to sting. However, the creature’s grip loosened, and the dwarven cleric was able to wiggle free.
A moment later, Concorde swooped down. Wave exploded from the creature’s center mass, and it fell apart. Kai’s hand was outstretched. Kildo reached up, and the two attached. The bog bodies slammed into the paladin, but he pushed through the pain and pulled the dwarf onto the back of the Pegasus. They flew northward toward where Guo Gan and Scomatch were battling with an unseen foe.
As they approached, Guo Gan had just rammed Qiekamis into the eye of a floating creature. It appeared similar to a beholder but had deep-blue tentacles and a central, glowing red eye. The beast shriveled upon itself as it died. However, another was floating next to it.
Kildo glanced back over his shoulder. He saw five swim lanes of bubbles from the bog bodies and the remaining rot angel moving toward them. His trailing spirit guardians lashed out at the closest, submerged creature.
“These buggers won’t quit!” Kildo cast Flame Strike, a vertical column of divine righteousness ignited from the heavens. Fire blasted into the spoiled water; steam erupted, engulfing four of the bog bodies and the rot angel, which was burned to a crisp and exploded in fiery spores. The acidic vapor burned his eyes.
A mote of fire arched as Scomatch cast Fire Bolt. Flames blasted the central eye of the remaining floating creature, which was blasted backward and deflated as it died.
“Guo Gan! Scomatch! Get out of there! We’re coming in hot!” Kai barked from the back of Concorde, seeing their pursuers in the water over Kildo’s shoulder.
“We’re moving!” Guo Gan shouted. The monk scooped up Scomatch and Charmander and darted deeper into the tunnel.
“Hey!”
Concorde hoofs landed into a small cave opening, sounding like someone clopping two coconut halves together. They traveled inward a short distance from the swamp’s edge. The bog bodies continued to approach, and it was uncertain if they would follow them onto the shore.
The five ropy, humanoid-like creatures began to pull themselves from the muck. As they emerged, they threw mud-covered rocks like fastballs. They pelted Kai. One struck him in the head. Rigga’s ankh system that Kildo had drawn on his forehead flashed and faded. The Death Ward spell had prevented the paladin’s skull from fracturing.
Guo Gan helped take the wounded paladin away from the battle.
Snarling, Kildo turned and cast Toll the Dead. Dolorous bells rang around the middle bog body, which shook violently at the soundwaves and fell apart into slime-covered debris. He also moved closer to the shore, his Spirit Guardian tendrils blasting into the remaining four bog creatures.
A fire bolt from Scomatch followed, splashing flames across one of their fronts.
In retaliation, the bog bodies flung mud-covered rocks, which pelted both Kildo and Scomatch.
“I be having enough of you lot!” Kildo called out as he cast, Flame Strike. Another vertical column of righteousness burst from the heavens and blasted into the creatures. One burst in a cloud of flaming spores.
Following up on the dwarven cleric’s attack, a bright streak flashed from Scomatch’s fingertip. The fireball engulfed the remaining three, incinerating them and leaving nothing but ash.
The dwarf and halfling nodded to each other and returned toward Kai, resting against the cave wall. Concorde nudged the paladin in a sign of comfort.
“You going to be all right? Where’s Guo Gan?” Scomatch asked.
“Nothing an hour’s rest won’t fix,” Kai said, motioning eastward.
Kildo headed down an east passageway. He saw Guo Gan standing just outside a cave opening. In the middle, black tendrils were all along the walls. However, trapped within was a magical, blue-glowing stag, and it needed help.
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