"This is it."
Merisiel and Ezren halt in front of a small cave mouth, a dark green moss curtain obscuring the view inside. It's a bit underwhelming for a supposed underground fortress. To the left of the entrance is a stone statue of what could be a warrior.
"You're sure?"
"I'm sure, the warrior is to the left and we crossed that stream exactly two miles back."
"Alright...let me check out this statue before we head in."
"Who made you the leader"
"The one who doesn't want to bring down a herd of death on our heads out of nowhere" Ezren shakes his head as he walks to the statue, taking in a century of decay and erosion.
"Thinks he's the boss…" Merisiel looks over at Ezren and slides toward the cave. Whispering to himself all the while, that wine was stronger than he thought. "Probably shouldn't have had all that...but who does he think he is."
He slinks like a shadow towards the green moss wall. Feet shifting in the gravel and he stumbles, rather than slides, through the wall of foliage. Two very drunk watermelon headed creatures stare at him first in shock, then fright, then anger. The Goblins leap at him swinging, driving him back with their short swords. The one on the right notices Ezren's back and leaps straight at him. Striking him across the back in a vicious, but shallow blow. Ezren whirls, leaping backward away from the green devil. Merisiel's rapier is working furiously to repel now two goblin attacks as the goblins join together to face him. He takes blow after blow but manages a solid hit in the ribcage of one of the goblins.
"Merisiel move! I can't strike them!"
"Working on it" Merisiel grunts
"MANARAK!" A huge ball of energy crashes into the injured goblin, collapsing him to the ground. In the confusion, Merisiel slides around the statue to unite with Ezren. The two goblins staggering toward them furious and showing it quite well.
"WHAT DID YOU DO!"
"Now is not the time!"
"ETERNAL FIRE!"
Flames rage towards the goblins but they duck nimbly behind the statue and out of most of the harm. One of them crawling to the heroes in a fury with the other screaming in blind rage. Merisiel whips around the figure and leaps up into the air. Slamming his rapier down into the goblin's throat he sends him toppling to the ground as Ezren calmly walks up to the dying goblin clawing towards him. He strikes, a small stab of his staff, and the goblin falls lifeless to the ground.
Ezren's eyes are flames "what….did….you….do….."
Merisiel coughs blood and tries to retort but his wounds cause him to sag and fall in a heap.
"You flaming...ah!" Ezren slams his fist into the statue but immediately pulls out his spellbook and begins chanting over Merisiel.
Slowly Merisiel's wounds glow and reverse to perfect skin. He sighs and stands up, a little shame touching his youthful face.
"You're welcome you ash idiot"
"....Thank you…...I'm sorry"
"Save it….they would have come out anyway."
Ezren slowly heals himself and the pair set to searching the goblins. Reaping only 2 gold each but still glad for just that.
"Let's go see what else they had,"
Lighting torches they burn away the moss and slowly creep into the cave. Empty now except for two straw cots and a battered chest.
"I'll take the chest"
"Wait you fool!" Ezren looks around slowly, feeling for any magic or anything out of the ordinary. "Alright...there are no traps."
Merisiel sneers but says nothing, there's no room to talk when you almost died already.
"Ok... it's safe. Check out the chest"
Merisiel glides to the chest and, after noticing the lock, whips out his thief kit. Soon the lock springs open to reveal a medium sized Gem, a sack of gold, a Master Dagger, and a small strange glass vial with orange liquid swirling inside.
"Let me see that" Casting magic he quickly scans the liquid. "Huh, some luck, after all, it's a healing potion, a small one but a healing potion nonetheless."
"I'll take the dagger, we can sell the gem in town. Split the gold? There are twenty pieces here"
With the loot from the chest divided up, they proceed towards a heavy set of stone doors.
"Anything of note on them?"
Ezren approaches them "Hmmm yes….some very faint runes here….they say….'let any who enter beware….this place….time will tell' and then it's too faded."
Merisiel scans the blank doors. He stares at Ezren pointedly. "You're full of flaming crap."
"Believe what you want" Ezren smirks as he fakes a cough.
The doors slam open.
"Cut the crap" Merisiel bites while trudging into the room. A golden glow reminiscent of an ocean sunset bathes the room in a beautiful and disturbing light. At the center is a flowing fountain, runes pulsing dark gold. A faint whispering can be heard from the northeast corner.
"What's that noise…" Ezren, serious again, perks up his ears.
"I'll check it out" Merisiel fades into shadow and is gone. Staring at the fountain, Ezren counts.
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8….20,21,22…..36,37,38"
"It's a pack of Goblins" a shadow to the left morphs into a humanoid form. "They were so busy arguing about something they never even noticing me slipping in and out"
"Something we can take on?"
"Possibly...but I wouldn't like the odds. Their King is in there...and you know how they can get when riled. Facing six Goblins head-on won't be fun."
"What other options do we have? Can we sneak around?"
"Well we could take that door"
Ezren half-turns, his eyes widening, being so fixated on the fountain he failed to even see the massive stone door.
"Fair enough"