The City Of Vexil.
"Cross when there's another explosion" is the suggestion from the wizard Margin, a murmured "Sounds good to me" comes from one of the other clerics.
Beldane the cleric is in agreement, and when another explosion, the loudest and biggest one so far, rocks the building they're looking at. The group hurries across the street, heading to the building that their prey is within.
The fighting cleric in the church of Glaine doesn't have to fake it, as he grimaces when he sees the pair of dead clerics lying on the street, next to the building that they're making their way towards.
"Into it" says the powerful practitioner of magic from the kingdom of Nastell, who like the other spellcasters, is holding his power within himself.
Beldane shoulders open a door, then standing to one side, waves the others inside. The member of the church of Glaine has no intention of leading the way inside, as he knows what waits for them.
Then as one by one the group starts to hurry inside, with the cleric in the church of Goran leading the way.
A body slams down amongst them, narrowly missing two of the mercenaries, Mercer and Marcus.
"Shit" mutters the Nastellian spellcaster, who then winces and looks quickly at the cleric in the church of Famal.
For the simple reason he recognizes it's Omarc the cleric commander of the church of Famal, who has just hit the ground amongst them.
Having fallen, though most likely thrown from further up in the residential building they're entering.
"Come on, inside" hurriedly says Beldane the cleric, who has to pull the cleric in the church of Famal inside, as he just stood there staring at the dead body of the interim head of his church.
With a look back out through the doorway at the body of the cleric commander in the church of Famal in Vexil.
Margin the wizard wryly says to the fighting cleric in the church of Glaine "I take it, that it's still in here". It, being the prey they're after.
The powerful practitioner of magic who hails from the kingdom of Nastell, nods his head. Then he releases a bit of his power, so that he can sense.
As he figures the elven magic user Salinéll, is sensing what he and the other spellcasters get up to as she hides her abilities to cast, thanks to a ring she wears.
Beldane senses with his locate undead spell, then nods his head, and quietly says "Upstairs" followed by "Top floor".
Looking at them all, the fighting cleric in the church of Glaine says "Like I said earlier, it's going to be difficult" followed by "So get ready for the worst".
After a glance at Salinéll the elven maiden, Margin the wizard who is acting like he leads the group of so called mercenaries, says "We will be".
The Vexilian born practitioner of magic continues with "We'll distract it" he then adds "Just make sure to hold, then destroy it".
The cleric in the church of Glaine nods, then he tells the cleric in the church of Goran to lead the way, when he spots, then gestures to the nearby set of stairs.
They start making their way up through the four storey residential building, here in this part of the city's west.
It's one of the so called mercenaries, Kynil the sword mistress, who voices what some of them are thinking, when she says "Wonder what it's doing in here?".
"Finding a place to live or something" comes the sarcastic reply from one of the others in the group of mercenaries, Marcus.
"What ever it is, we're about to find out" says the so called mercenary, Mercer as they near the landing to the fourth floor of the residential building.
Weapons are drawn, and Beldane the cleric, who is at the rear of the group, takes his magical mace from his belt loop.
The fighting cleric who is originally from the kingdom of Nastell, moves forward to join the cleric in the full suit of plate armour at the front.
Who is looking out into a long, badly damaged hallway. Pretty much half of it, is open to the elements on this cold winter's day, here in the city of Vexil.
"Any idea where exactly it is?" quietly asks the cleric in the church of Goran, as they look out into the badly damaged hallway.
With a nod of his head towards the far end of the long hallway, Beldane the cleric quietly says "Down there somewhere" followed by "Most likely in one of the rooms".
The cleric in the suit of full plate armour nods his head in agreement with the fighting cleric in the church of Glaine.
Then the practitioner of magic who is a member of the church of Goran quietly says "I figure it knows we're here".
The fighting cleric who hails from the kingdom of Nastell, quietly replies with "I agree". Beldane then glances back at the others, and waves for silence, when Mercer asks them "What's going on?".
The powerful spellcaster in the church of Glaine wants someone else to suggest what he's thinking.
As it turns out, it's the cleric in the church of Goran who suggests it, when he quietly says "Should probably send them down the hallway first to draw it out".
They, being the group of so called mercenaries who are with the clerics. "Probably" murmurs Beldane the cleric, who then silently adds, definitely.
The member of the church of Glaine, a god predominantly worshipped in the north of the kingdom of Nastell, looks back at the others, specifically the mercenaries, and quietly tells them "It's somewhere down towards the other end of the hallway".
Beldane follows that with "Best guess from what I can sense of it, it's in one of the rooms down there" he then adds "It's not moving is my guess".
After sharing a look with the elven maiden Salinéll, who slightly nods to him. Margin the wizard quietly says to the powerful fighting cleric in the church of Glaine "You want us to head down, and try and draw it out?".
The wizard in the dark red robes heard the two clerics quietly talking, and overhead what the two of them were discussing.
Beldane the cleric nods yes to that, then he quietly says "If you could, we'd appreciate it". The member of the church of Glaine continues with "Once you engage with it, get out of the way".
The Nastellian born spellcaster gestures at himself, and the cleric in the church of Goran, as he adds "If you make room for us, it'll be easier for one of us to hold it, and the other to attack it, and destroy it".
"We will" says Margin the wizard after he looks at the rest of the so called mercenaries, who all nod yes in reply to his look.
Then the clerics get out of the way, and allow the mercenaries to pass by, and make their way out of the landing, and start heading down the hallway.
Beldane the cleric quietly says to the two other clerics "Follow them, try and delay it as best as you can".
The two clerics, one in the church of Maëlle, and the other in the church of Famal. Who from the looks of it, is still in a state of shock at seeing the interim head of his church, cleric commander Omarc, dead. Nod in reply to the powerful fighting cleric in the church of Glaine. Those two make their way from the landing, and start heading down the hallway.
A few moments later, and after he looks at the cleric in the church of Goran, who nods and quietly says "I'm ready".
The powerful practitioner of magic who has led this lot to this building, and to what's waiting for them, quietly says to the heavily armoured local cleric "Let's go".
The fighting cleric in the church of Glaine who as he makes his way from the landing, and enters the hallway proper. He knows he's led all of this lot to their demise. And he's okay with that.
Along their left, much of the wall along that side of the hallway is gone. And it's open to the elements on this cold winter's morning, here in the city of Vexil.
Heading down the badly damaged hallway first, are the mercenaries Mercer and Marcus. Who can see debris lying on the floor along much of the hallway at the other end, the end they're heading towards.
Mercer nods his head, indicating something further ahead. Marcus nods that he's seen it too. It's a body, by the looks of it, another dead cleric. Who unfortunately came to an untimely end. Due to the prey that they're after.
Just behind the sword mistress Kynil, who is closely following Mercer and Marcus up front. The wizard Margin who has also spotted the dead body further ahead, lying amongst the rubble and debris.
Quietly says "Hold up" and glances at Salinéll the elven mistress, who has moved forward to walk beside the Vexilian born wizard.
"I am" quietly says the wizard in the dark red coloured robes in response to the elven practitioner of magic from the principality of Alínlae, quietly telling him "Get ready to cast".
The wizard who was born and raised here in the city of Vexil, quickly and quietly informs the elven magic user what he's going to cast. Salinéll quietly tells him that she'll supplement his spell, as she's ready to cast too.
Then the wizard Margin, after nodding his thanks to the elven maiden who actually leads the group, quietly says those in the lead "Continue" followed by "Get ready for it".
In front, Mercer and Marcus share a look, then they resume their way down the long hallway, as a gust of wind comes in through the massive hole in the side of the building.
Just then, a large heavily armoured figure steps out from one of the open doorways near the end of the hallway they're heading to.
"Move!" comes a shout from behind the so called mercenaries leading the way down the long, badly damaged hallway.
Marcus, Mercer along with the sword mistress Kynil, all step to the side, as they do. The wizard Margin, along with Salinéll the elven magic user, cast.
As the large figure in the dark heavy plate armour starts to move, a loud explosion, it's actually two if you listen carefully.
Rocks the far end of the long hallway, and the floor beneath the large heavily armoured figure is blasted downwards.
While the intact walls to either side of their prey, and the ceiling above are blasted inwards, and downwards respectively.
And the large figure in the dark blue, black, heavy plate armour, falls, then disappears amongst all the rubble as it drops down in a tremendous roar.
There's a few moments of inaction, then Margin the wizard quickly says into the silence "Hurry" followed by "Who knows if that's trapped it or not".
The so called mercenaries Mercer, Marcus and the sword mistress Kynil barely hesitate, then they hurry forward to where a fair bit of the other end of the hallway has just collapsed.
As do Margin the wizard, Salinéll the elven maiden and Jarkellé the elven warder. Followed by the two clerics, one from the church of Famal, and the other in the church of Maëlle.
Bringing up the rear, is the cleric in the church of Goran, along with Beldane the cleric, who is last out of them.
The fighting cleric in the church of Glaine, who knows that definitely didn't trap their prey. Doesn't mention that.
As the so called mercenaries and the local clergy with him, hurry to the end of the hallway where they think they might of trapped their prey.
As they do, Beldane glances directly below them, as he senses the undead, and he easily finds Lord Farque.
The powerful cleric in the church of Glaine, who is the only one of the four clerics actually sensing for the undead, as the other three are readying to cast other spells. Doesn't mention that the undead warlord is on the move.
Instead he quickly says to the cleric in the church of Goran "If it's trapped, I'll attempt to hold it, then you destroy it". The powerful local cleric in the suit of full plate armour nods to that, and says "I will".
And I won't, Beldane the cleric thinks to himself, as up ahead those in the lead have got to where there's now a large hole in the floor of the far end of the hallway, and are peering down through the dust and debris in the air, looking to see if they've trapped their prey . . . . . .
