- Chapter Eighteen: Inside
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Characters::
Maua || lvl 199 assassin || 29 y/o
Maua is always angry or annoyed at something. She's rather sarcastic and kills with no guilt. She seems to be the main adventurer in the group. She's pretty much a jerk
Sierra || lvl 5 medic || 12 y/o
Sierra is pretty much useless. She complains a lot and is always scared about something. She can shoot a bow pretty well though? And she makes all of their medicinal remedies!
Melanie || lvl 10 knight || 27 y/o
Mel is nearly as useless as Sierra, originally a bartender, Maua forced her to come along on the journey. She's pretty sweet and talkative though!
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The masked assassin,Maua, pushed open the heavy stone doors. Her paws became coated in a purple goop that seemed to be secreted from the castle itself. It stung a bit, but she quickly brushed it off. It must've been some sort of acid. She peered into the dark building cautiously. The assassin gulped, and lit a torch, although it took several tries. She swung it around for a minute. The black stone walls were covered in spiderwebs and dust- and not to forget that awful purple goop. Melanie glanced towards the assassin with a gulp. She should've just stayed outside. This was creepy. She grasped Sierra's hand. The kit rolled her eyes. "It's not that scary Mel." Her voice echoed through the long, dimly lit hallway. Maua lifted her torch a bit, illuminating a chandelier above. A demon of some sort screeched, scurrying back into the shadows. Sierra's eyes filled with worry now. It seemed she'd finally realized what lurked in here.
As they continued throughout the castle, Maua lit a few torches. Suddenly, a black mist seeped towards them. She pushed her companions behind her, drawing her sword. As she drew it, the mist solidified into a hoarde of demons. She tossed a sword to Melanie and a bow to Sierra swiftly, bracing herself. These demons were large, and snakelike. Their sharp teeth oozed with a purple fluid, probably venom. Maua struck out her sword, decapitatjng one of them as it lunged for the group. The others narrowed their eyes angrily. Sierra shot a few, but they didn't go down. The three left lunged in synchronization, tackling both Maua and Melanie to the ground. They bit the pair viciously, venom entering their bloodsystems. Sierra shot two down with one shot, knocking two arrows. Only one remained. From the corner of her eye, Sierra spotted some shriveled herbs in a planter. They were in an old healer's room. That would be convenient when she healed her friends. She drew a sword, chucking it at the demon. She missed and it struck, narrowly missing her outstretched arm. She shot an arrow straight through his eye. At last, the final demon (for now) slumped to the ground. Sierra sighed with relief, sweat dripping down her brow. She rushed around the room, procuring a remedy to the demon venom. "One drop venom.." she said to herself, speaking the ingredients aloud. "Two lamb's ears (the plant), a sprig of crushed mint, a pinch of cumin, and ground dandelion.." she mashed it together, grinding it all in a bowl. She hustled over to her companions, opening their mouths and pouring it right in. She sat back on her feet for a moment as they woke up groggily. "Well- what're you guys waiting for? Let's go!"
The assassin groaned, sitting up slowly. She braced herself on a chair and stood up. Sierra helped Melanie up. They resheathed and restocked their weapons. Sierra made a quick bottle of the remedy for venom, and they continued their treck through the castle. Maua frowned, looking at a floorplan. "We need to go up the stairs. They should be right around this corner.." she said as they turned the corner. They walked up the stairs, which freaked with their every footstep, surely alerting any demons of their presence. Maua kept a paw on her sword- just in case. Sierra boredly followed the assassin, watching as the goop slid down the once beautiful stone walls. Melanie, however, was alert, keeping an eye out for demons. She trailed in the back, making sure they weren't being followed.
Soon enough, they reached their next obstacle. Two large demons waited for them in a dining room. It was dripping in slime substances. There was a long table in the middle of the room, and it was otherwise empty besides a rug and chairs. The demons were unlike any the trio had seen before. They were ape-like creatures, but with a face completely covered in fur. They had extremely long claws, perhaps two feet. They had docked tails. However, their strangest features had to be their huge, membranous bat wings. Those would clearly be a tender, weak spot. They snarled, fluttering towards the three. When the demons landed, a thud sounded throughout the room. Maua drew her sword, Melanie her daggers and sword, and Sierra her bow. Sierra shot an arrow clean through the smaller one's wing. It shrieked in pain, limping towards them. Maua sliced towards it, slashing both wing and leg. It's front left leg fell clean off. She growled, dodging a bite from the creature. It hissed, its companion lunging for her. She twirled, slashing the other demon's ears to a small bump. They writhed on the ground in pain, and Sierra took her chance, shooting one in the heart while Melanie impaled her dagger in the other's.
They continued roaming through the castle, unsure what they'd face next. What roaring beast they'd have to conquer.