How Balck is the Abyss. Part 2

[Malice]

heres a piece of the first chapter if you actually read the prologe you ill enjoy this.




Chapter 1: Escape


Neither, Lelinia and Kail were led out of the arena by twelve heavily armed guards.
The party was still in a state a shock after the last battle, and they followed the men without hesitation.

They made their way through a series of winding tunnels and many flights of stairs which led under the coliseum itself. Before long they reached they holding cell
A small room with one wall missing and replaced by bars, two beds lined the far wall
The bricks on the walls looked old and on much mold had formed. It as the same on the floor. The floor was bare save, one small drain hole in the center of the floor not even big enough for a child’s arm to fit down. The room was very small and was not designed for three to fit in. The party assumed they would not be here long.
“What are we doing here” Neither asked at length

“who knows” Kail replied “I cant even remember coming here

“me either” said Lelinia

“So you were a paladin?” Neither asked lelinia more to break the ice than the fact that he really cared

“no…I still am” lelinia replied she seemed annoyed by the way the question was put.

“And you, what did you do before we found ourselves here?” Lelinia shot back

“I remember I was a ranger” Neither said in a small voice, he seemed ashamed when comparing his profession with that of a noble paladin.

“and you” Lelinia said redirecting her eyes to find Kail

“cleric” Kail said turning around to face the bars of the cell

“that was……a short answer” neither said . Kail turned to face the elf and shot his eyes to meet his then turned back resting his hands on the bars of his prison. The elf continued to mock kail’s answer “Cleric…Cleric” he continued to say in kail’s low raspy tone of voice
Kail had had enough of the elf, He spun around to face him “Do not mock me ELF!”
Lelinia sat back on one of the beds watching the events unfolding she knew they disliked each other already.

The elf just turned away from Kail and let of a small laugh which was never meant to reach the ears of the cleric, but it did. Kail spun around to quick of neither to react and wrapped his hand around the back of the rangers neck and lifted him of the ground then threw him to the far wall. The elf was surprised at the strength of the man, but he did not have time to think, he lifted his legs to the wall as he flew through the air, as soon as his feet made contact with the wall he pushed off moving into a flip using the momentum he got from push off and landed silently onto his feet in front of Kail crouching low as he landed, the delivered an uppercut to kail’s chin. Kail hit hard against the bars but managed to regain his footing and his grip on his war hammer sitting besides him. Instinctively Kail reversed his grip on the handle and deliver a great blow to the elf’s groin. Neither hit the ground hard moaning and clenching his groin wondering now if it was wise to mock to cleric. “Are you two done now?” lelinia scolded but anyone could see she was half amused at the show.

“I think we are don’t you?” Kail retorted at the semi conscious elf lying on the ground. The elf only groaned.
Many hours passes and it seemed like days to the adventurers stuck in their small cell, it was so hot in the cell that it made it impossible to sleep or even relax. They could only hope that someone would come for them even if it meant entering the arena again.
Their hopes had been answered later that day but not by who they had hoped.

“hello” a female voice whispered from beneath them, the voice was welcome to the board party.

“is anyone there?”

“yes” Lelinia responded to the voice which appeared to be coming from the drain hole in the center of the room. “who are you”

“that question isn’t important right now, do you wish to be free” the voice asked

“yes of course we do, do you think we enjoy it in here” Kail answered in his usual low rasp

“if we free you, you must swear service to the temple of pelor for four months, is this agreed?” the mysterious voice request seemed strange to the party but it was a welcome offer.

“yes, yes fine just get up out of here” Kail whispered at the hole in the floor

“how are we to get out of here” Lelinia asked

“here take this” the mysterious person from under the floor said as she passed up a vial
of blue liquid to the party.

“drink exactly one third each no more no less” she said to the party.

The party honored the strange request, lelinia drank the first third of the vial.
She almost screamed out loud when her arm began to turn into a clear gas like steam

“use your mind to control you body down the drain hole” the voice commanded
and lelinia did just that and passed down the small drain hole in the center of the brown slime covered sandstone floor. Next was Kail he also found it difficult to maneuver himself down the hole. And last was Neither, he gulped down the last of the potion and like the other two, he turned into a white gas and maneuvered himself down the small hole but this time unlike the others as he neared the bottom he began to feel himself materializing early he used all the power of his mind to get to the bottom of the drain pipe. He cleared it save for his hand which he now dangled from

“don’t just stand there help me” neither screamed at his two companions
Lelinia and Kail both garbed one of neither’s legs each.

“ready” lelinia asked with a grin

“yeah just hurry” neither shot back at the paladin

“one…two” and before lelinia got to three Kail had already ripped his hand from the pipe with a mighty pull.

Neither regained his footing and shot his body around to Kail and drove his fist across the more than stunned clerics face knocking him to the ground

“You drank more than a third of the potion!” Neither accused

“no I didn’t elf..” Kail said in a low tone so only himself and neither could hear it

“and if you hit me again I swear I will rip your pointed ears from you head”
and a slight coff came from behind Kail and he turned to find another elf standing before him, a female elf dresses in shining gold robe with black trim, her hair black as the night and her skin white as snow. She dangled a crossbow at her side with a bolt cocked back into the string, and she also carried a long black wand sticking out from her belt for easy access.

“great another elf” Kail complained “not that one was enough”

“I am Vidania” the female elf said

“greetings I am neither, this is lelinia and that over there is Kail” Neither said with an outstretched arm.

“Now who or what is Pelor” Kail said from across the room facing the wall

“pelor is my god and I have been sent to find strong warriors to help the temple. I saw you all fight the trolls” Vidania explained

“that’s nice” that’s nice Kail said to no one particular, anyone could see that Kail wasn’t pleased at the idea of being someone’s servant. But he and the party had agreed to the proposal.

The party studied their surroundings, it appeared they were in the sewers under the coliseum. Large solid slabs of blue bricks lined the walls and the floor was made from the same as the walls the ceiling brown sandstone and braced with large pieces of oak.. They stood in a square room not much bigger than the cell above them, there was no light to speak of except the single torch on the wall.

“Tordek” Vidania whispered, the sounds of heavy foot steps came tumbling up the corridor. They seemed to be from around the bend, then the torch light come into view accompanied by a huge shadow. As Tordek came closer the shadow began to shrink smaller and small with each step and a Dwarf came bolting around the corner as fast as his little legs would carry him

“This be them then?” Tordek asked Vidania
“Yes this is them” Vidania responded “This is Tordek” each of the party members greeted the stout warrior that is except Kail who seemed to become more aggressive and annoyed with every passing moment.

“The Dwarf looked like any other of his kin, his black beards almost reaching past his great belly, he stood just over four foot tall dressed in a chain mail shirt and blue cape
and like many other dwarves carried his races favored weapon, the battle axe which stood as tall as he did, its great head crafted from the finest steel and accompanied by gems of every sort.

“let up lave this place, I do not wish to stay here any longer than
I must” Neither said to the party.

“what’s wrong elf are you scared?” Kail teased. Once again the elf and the human shared angry looks at one another.

“Stop it!” Lelinia commanded, and the elf turned away but not Kail, he seemed to want a fight.

“Let up move” Vidania commanded at length. “Follow me”
Vidania led the dwarf and the three companions around the twisting tunnels and winding corridors of the sewers until they reached a door, Vidania pushed the door slightly with her hand and it swung open easily. Beyond the door was a small room with a single steel ladder bound with metal brackets to the right hand wall and atop the ladder sat a trapdoor
Vidania climbed the ladder to the top and pushed with all her strength against the trap door but to no avail, it would not open. The companions exchanged confused looks at one another

“It wont open something is blocking it” Vidania said with a sigh

“your not trying hard enough move let me do it” Kail commanded. Vidania climbed down from the ladder moved out the was for Kail. Kail climbed the ladder to the top and pushed with all his might but it would not budge, and a secret smile crept across the parties faces. Kail unstrapped his hammer from his back.

“wait!” cried Vidania but it was too late Kail began bashing his hammer against the wooden trap door. The noise echoed out throughout the corridors.
Lelinia began to suspect something about Kail, when they had first met in the arena Kail she had suspected his heart was not pure, the way he fought so relentless as if he had a thirst for blood that could not be quenched, no matter what, she knew there was evil in his heart. She had to know for sure. Lelinia remembered back to her teaching and uttered the ancient arcane words under her breath and saw into Kail’s heart. She saw his aura, and when she did she wished she had not. She had never seen such evil in a man, such a tainted black aura about someone. Before lelinia could act she heard the shuffling of many footsteps behind her coming from the corridor behind her. She turned instinctively ripping her sword from her back and saw eight small reptilian creatures, carrying crude spears, their featured were that for a dog and a small human and a reptilian…thing all crossed into one, kobolds.

“What ye be wanting!?” Tordek asked as much as threatened

“we come to make deal” the leader of the rabble said

“What deal could you possibly offer us!” Tordek retorted
the kobolds laughed to themselves,

“yes we make easy deal we no kill you and you give all” the leader spoke chuckling to himself as much as at the party as he spoke
Tordek let out a might laugh which came straight from his belly, and he lifted his prized axe in front of his body ready for a fight.

Kail didn’t even notice what was happening below he was to intent on breaking the trap door he didn’t notice the small brown skinned reptilian creatures threatening the party.

Before Tordek could react the leader made a sudden
charge for him with his crudely fashioned spear aimed at Tordek’s chest. Tordek was quick to react knocking the spear away to the side and coming back in a low sweep with his axe ripping the Kobold in two. The dying kobold fell to the floor dead. Then it was on, the remaining kobolds charged at the party screaming and cursing them, Lelinia took out the next kobold, slicing its head clean from its shoulders.

Kail looked down at the battle below, “time to escape” Kail said under his breath
He climbed down from the ladder and began to chant a spell. Before long the room and the outside corridor was filled with a think white fog almost impossible to see through.
Kail made his way past the party shoving the kobolds and his companions alike. Kail cleared the fog and continued up the corridor

“KAIL!” he heard the familiar voice of the elf Neither behind him.
Kail continued walking away down the corridor paying no attention to the elf following him. Kail finally turned around he knew that the elf would not let him go.

“Leave before I kill you, Elf!” Kail shot at him as he turned, but he found more than he bargained for. Neither stood facing him sword drawn and ready to fight and as he looked past the elf lelinia emerged from the mist followed by Vidania.

“I’m leaving, anyone who tries to stop me will die at my hand.” Said Kail
“Kail your foolish action already cost the life of one and that I cannot forgive” Lelinia replied,

“What are you talking about woman!” lelinia moved a step to her right exposing the limp body of Tordek, he still had three kobold spears sticking out of him as he lay in a pool of blood.

“He was not my concern” Kail said coldly. Kail turned away from the party and walked off again. Tears welled in vidania’s eyes, Tordek had meant a great deal to her and it was because of Kail’s actions he had died in these stinking sewers.

“we came and helped you and this is the thanks that I and Tordek have received!”
Vidania shot a Kail. Kail turned and bowed low “And I thank you for that” and he walked around the corner of into the dark of the sewers.

“KAIL!” neither called and the bolted around the corner after him. He found kail waiting for him with hammer in hand.

“So you wish to finish what we started in the cell above?” Kail said with a smile on him face.

“yes”, neither said readying his sword. Kail struck first unleashing his hammer in an overhead swing at the elf, Neither dodged the attack and spun to kail’s right bringing his sword arcing around his body at kail’s exposes arm. The cleric moved the war hammer up to parry the sword, the great sword hit the handle between kail’s hands Neither swung again at kail’s leg and found the hammer waiting there to parry the sword again. Kail spun in a counter-clockwise circle bringing his war hammer in low aimed at the Elf’s belly, the agile elf dodged out the way of the attack, kail reversed his grip on the hammer and brought it back around aiming at the elf’s head this time. Neither ducked and spun away out of the hammers reach bringing his sword up defensively expecting another attack, none came.

“stop it!” a cry came from behind Neither they both looked to find Vidania and Lelinia standing there. Neither stepped back to join them leaving kail standing alone in the corridor

“Kail relinquish your weapon and come peacefully” Vidania called to the cleric

“I hold my weapon you may come and try to take it if you like” kail said with a threatening tone.

“must it be this way, cleric?” Vidania asked

“sorry” kail said in his low rasping tone

“Very well” Vidania said as she began to chant an arcane spell.

“NO! stop!” kail pleaded. But it was too late, kail hit the ground hard and blackness filled his vision.

“did you kill him?” Neither asked after a while.

To Be Continued.............................................. ................