Following Aryien and her 5 mercenary companions lead, the party missing one member arrives at the beginning of the darkness.
"Light the torches." Aryien commands as the mercenaries bring out a torch and cover it in oil.
"I can create light if needed. It's far clearer than torchlight." Tika informs the leader of The Silver Sons trying to cooperate.
"Then grant light. However, keep the torches also lit. We don't know if there is anything that deals with magic. And fighting in the dark against creatures who live here is suicidal." Aryien responds, promoting caution as leader of this delve.
Tika sends out small light blue bubbles of light through the small catacomb space. It floats calmly and precisely like her aura. The expedition group continues deeper discovering that corpses were being eaten and swiftly comes across a corpse more recent.
There impaled on a wall is a creature with sharpened teeth and unnaturally stretched out arms, one broken. The spear by which it is impaled by has a dark and bloody aura familiar to the party, especially those trained in the arcane.
"The spear is Sol's." Tika says to avoid unnecessary confusion.
"He's already gone deeper. Quite brave or stupid. We'll discover that later. Mace girl, what type of vampiric being is this?" Aryien asks as she moves closer to the corpse, inspecting it for any potential weakness.
"As I already said I don't know much about vampires. There haven't been any expedition into the Ashen land when I was there. The only thing I know is that true powerful vampires are those who remain sane and in control of their bloodlust. I also believe they actually look close to humans, but I'm not sure."
"I hear two figures coming!" Hellas says loudly making sure every one of the group heard. Everyone's focus immediately goes back to the deeper part of the catacombs. Tika sends her bubbles of light deeper trying to reveal the figures.
About 10 tense seconds pass by until two figures appear in the light. One looks like a human but with two fangs that distinguish it. The other is the same as the creature pinned against the wall.
Their weapons and spells readied the group of ten faces the 2 creatures.
"Surrender or die!" Aryien yells her steel arm sword pointed toward the 2 vampiric beings.
The being that looks like the one pinned jumps onto the ceiling whilst the other more humanoid looks conflicted.
"SKRRRT!" The beast yells loudly as it goes to attack. Whilst the other turned around to flee.
Aryien takes her arm sword and cuts the palm off her off-hand. Squeezing it tightly making fresh blood drip. The humanoid-looking vampire that was about to run away turns around again. Panting and scratching itself with its nails that have grown in length and become far sharper.
"It seems they're one of the weaker sort. Kill them." Aryien commands as she rushes toward the humanoid looking one passing the one crawling on the ceiling.
The party called "Mercy's Blessing" focused on the crawling creature on the ceiling. Hellas and Tika shooting the beast. The magician using a spell of fire whilst the archer shoots an arrow to its neck. The creature that crawls on the roof falls to the ground heavily hurt and burned. On the ground it does not find any respite however as Gunnir grabs it by the back of the head. Keeping it in a grapple whilst Cristal smashes it head with her mace imbued by divine power.
Meanwhile, the mercenaries go to attack the more humanoid one. The vampiric creature rushes toward Aryien the smell of fresh human blood clouding its rationality. Aryien dodges the rushing creature and positions herself behind the creature whilst 2 of her mercenaries take the front. The blood lusting beast turns and tries to carve into Aryien. The attacks are easily blocked by the leader of "The Silver Sons" whilst her 2 subordinates use their spear and one-handed axe respectively to attack the beast from behind.
A spear through its neck and an axe in its skull are enough for the beast to fall limp. With the creatures dead, Aryien takes the lead once again.
"The small fries will lose rationality just as the mace girl said. I will be the bait. Kill on sight."
"What if a more powerful vampire tries to locate the source of fresh blood? Vampires are dangerous!" Cristal asks appalled by the rash strategy.
"If this higher vampire truly was so brazen then it wouldn't hide behind the murders to feed. Besides seeing how there is no sight of your companion whilst he already managed to kill a lower being. Then I'm guessing that he's skipping all the trivial things and going for the leader himself."
"Then we must hurry."
"Indeed so follow my lead and stop asking stupid questions."
The group of ten goes deeper in the catacombs killing 3 more of the lower vampiric beings before arriving at an intersection between a cave and the rest of the catacombs.
"This place is in desperate need of maintenance. Probably the richest city in the continent and it can't even properly maintain its own burrows." Gunnir says the ex mercenary feels angered by the thought that some who gave their lives in this city would be treated like this when they pass.
"There is. Which makes the problem even more severe. Either they're working together or the vampire has them in its control." Aryien explains the gravity of the situation.
"Where are we going?" Hellas asks refocusing everyone on the matter at hand.
"The catacombs are their feeding ground it would make sense for them to be there." Tika says trying to use logic in the situation.
"We'ill clear the catacombs first. The cave can be cleared afterward." Aryien says as she takes her group to the right. The group follows only Hellas staying behind for a bit. The pink haired ranger looks at the cave, his senses telling him that people passed by here recently.
"Why would he go in the cave? It doesn't make sense." Hellas stays behind for a bit trying to figure something out. However, the smell of the dead and low light make it hard to find traces let alone tracking them.
"Hellas, keep up!" Cristal yells as she sees their ranger staying back.
Ignoring his senses, Hellas rejoins the group.