Darkness washed over the Ashvale territory as night had fully taken form. The sliver of the crescent moon did little to illuminate their surroundings as Ironheartht crept through the dense forest toward the hive.
Sasha led the way, her boots crunching softly against the underbrush. In the shadows behind her lurked Jax who was nearly invisible to the naked eye, his steps entirely silent. Ivy's robes brushed against low-hanging branches and bushes as she tried to hike up her robe to avoid causing too much of a commotion. Taran… He was just Taran and they would have to deal with him. He tried not to make much noise, but it was Taran. Kip trailed behind, ever alert as he scanned the forest for any sign of enemy or Vanguard scouts. It was up to him to alert them if they had been spotted or if their mission was a bust.
Not far behind them, but barely within eyeshot, was the remainder of their guild, at least those who were able to be mustered on a moment's notice. They numbered about fifteen, and with the five core members, they had a decent force of level 50+ players. If something happened to the five of them before everything was in full swing, they were ordered to back off and return to town. No reason to risk everyone when it was their stupid idea to begin with.
"This better be worth it," Kip muttered, his voice barely audible over the soft rustle of leaves.
"It will be," Sasha whispered back, her tone filled with determination. "I've got a hunch there's something going on in that hive that no one is aware of. Found a contact not long before we left town, some kind of Tiefling Sorceress that claimed she was held prisoner. Not sure if everything she said was the truth, but she seemed hellbent on charming me, so some of it might be exaggerated, but it's something to work with."
The route they had discovered was one Kip claimed to have stumbled upon while scouting earlier in the day. A narrow path wound around the outskirts of the Vanguard encampment, avoiding patrols and Vescarid foot traffic. The lack of resistance had felt like a stroke of luck, and with everything they had gambling on this, it didn't strike any of them as odd..
The trees thinned as they approached the clearing between the entrance to the hive and the treeline. The ground ahead of them transitioned from soft soil to a slick, fleshy crimson surface that pulsed faintly.
"This is it," Sasha said, halting the group. She knelt to examine the Vescora more closely, her fingers nearly brushing against its rubbery texture. "This doesn't really strike fear in my heart. I was expecting hundreds of beasties roaming around, but there's only a handful coming and going in intervals… or at least that's what they want us to think."
"Why leave it unguarded?" Ivy asked, scanning the shadows for something off.
"Maybe it's a decoy," Jax suggested, his voice low and gruff. "Or a trap."
"Probably both," Sasha said, standing and dusting off her gloves. "But we're not turning back now. Stay sharp. Kip, you're on point, Jax stays in the middle, you two know what to do."
The scout nodded, drawing his daggers as he moved ahead. He was damn fine with a bow, but despite his lanky build and gauche personality, he was masterful with a set of daggers. It was not quite to Jax's level, but it was a close second. Jax activated Shadow Vale as a cloud of black smoke enveloped them. They could see fine from within, but anyone outside would have a hard time noticing them so long as they took it nice and slow. The rogues in the back each had this ability and knew their instructions when they caught up.
Kip's keen eyes scanned the entrance, noting the way the tunnel sloped downward into the earth. The walls were lined with the faint glow of bioluminescent spores, casting an eerie purple light that did little to guide their way.
The group moved cautiously across the Vescora. They had heard that it had some sort of awareness, but there was no way they could navigate over it in such numbers any other way than simply walking across. Sasha hoped that her theory was correct and that this nest was just holding appearances as the Vescarid hive, while the main forces did god knows what. If she could confirm this, it might help the Vanguard mobilize in the right direction and maybe bring some favor to her group, possibly even recruiting them into the mission.
They made their way to the mouth of the cave, no drones or Vescarid of any kind in the immediate area. As they entered the hive, they cautiously pressed forward with their weapons drawn and their senses heightened. The deeper they went, the quieter the world became. The sound of their breathing, the occasional scuff of a boot against the ground, and the faint hum of the Vescora were the only noises that accompanied them.
"This doesn't feel right," Jax muttered, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade.
"It's not supposed to," Sasha replied, her voice steady despite the tension that threatened to tear her apart.
The tunnel opened into a larger chamber, its walls slick with the same bioluminescent fungus. Pools of viscous liquid dotted the floor, their surfaces rippling despite the absence of movement. Sasha raised a hand to signal the group to stop, her eyes narrowing as she took in their surroundings.
"Jax is right, something's wrong," Ivy said, her voice barely above a whisper. "There's no one home."
"A little further, we need to confirm that they left the hive before we leave. We can't afford to provide a false report, that would crucify us." Sasha responded in a hushed tone.
They combed the area before taking a ramp that led further down, still finding nothing of note. Sasha and the others received a message from the first of the other groups, signaling that they had made it to the cave and were entering now. They also added that they had spotted movement in the woods, likely a wild creature, but it could be Vescarid or god forbid the Vanguard had seen them.
Taran spoke next, "What's that on the floor over there?" he pointed to the far end of the chamber and they all noted the shredded chunks of carapace and gore staining the Vescora.
"Do you think something else is hunting the Vescard?" Jax pondered aloud, trying to figure out why he was finding more and more bodies of worker drones, clearly consumed by something.
"It looks to be leading further down, I think we got what we need Sasha, let's head back. This is solid intel, and you know the Vanguard wouldn't have had the balls to come down here for quite some time. Let's take this to their commander." Kip pleaded, the scene of gore intensifying as they descended yet another floor.
"Last floor, we go in, poke around, and head back out." Sasha declared as Ivy rolled her eyes, having expected that response.
Ivy began preparing a few spells in advance, the arcane energy building around her as she anticipated trouble.
"Well, I think that does it," Sasha sighed, visibly disappointed that they could not find any concrete evidence, but honestly relieved that nothing bad had happened. She could get out of this mission without getting her ass chewed by the guild.
Another message popped into their inbox as the ground faintly shook, a rumble from several floors above, that sounded like rocks smashing upon rocks.
"Something happened up top, we were just about to descend to the third floor, but there were strange noises up here, and then that loud crash. I think we need to group up and make our way out," one of their Captains had messaged the five of them.
Before anyone could respond, a clicking screech echoed through the cave. Their skin immediately went into a cold sweat as their minds screamed for them to flee, but unfortunately, the sound came from the floor above, which meant that they had to group up as soon as possible. Who knows what their team would be going through? reverberating through the chamber.
"Back to the tunnel," Sasha ordered her voice firm.
The sound of battle rang out above them as they ascended the ramp only to find their guild clashing with an unknown force. The incessant clicking noises echoed through the chamber in intervals as another beast launched out and gripped onto a sorcerer before dragging it off into the shadows.
Ivy immediately launched a bolt of fire at the creature, causing it to drop her guild-mate and scamper off deeper into the cave, as its flesh began to sizzle. The bolt of fire managed to do more than to send one of these beasts fleeing, it also illuminated the cave, revealing some thirty monsters waiting in ambush. They were a dull grey, completely hairless, appearing to be malnourished, and sporting a smooth head with no eyes, ears, or nose, just a quivering maw that split open into thirds and revealed a thousand razor-sharp teeth. As the firelight faded away, a chorus of clicking washed over them, nearly deafening the guild and resulting in a dozen more ambush attempts.
Faint shouts could be heard from the floor above them. "Get down there soldiers, we need to save these imbeciles before they kill themselves!" an unknown voice shouted, doing nothing to help the guild's confidence.
"Should've just let them die, they looked seasoned enough, probably knew what they were getting into," another voice argued.
"Caledryn's orders, now move it, on the double," the first voice ordered as the sounds of dozens of footsteps marched down the ramp and toward the players fighting off ambush after ambush. Something about these creatures made it extremely hard to hone in on, and it seems like no two ambushes occurred in the same location.
As a few guild members turned to face the ramp to see who had come to save them, several Blind Rippers took this opportunity to snag multiple squishies in the backline. How they got behind them, they had no idea, it should have been a dead end. Following the screaming cries of those being wisped away to their doom, it was clear there were multiple tunnel systems that they had not seen on their first pass-through. The enemy could quite literally be anywhere at any time and didn't seem to rely on sight to hunt.
The battle raged within the cavernous depths of the hive. The flickering light of spells and torches illuminated carnage as the blind rippers tore through the adventurers, unimpeded by darkness and driven by boundless hunger. Their sinewy, eyeless forms moved with terrifying precision, their horrifying maws snapping down on anyone who broke formation, sometimes snagging players from the back, other times leaping into the fray and lashing out at any warm body within striking range. Ironhearth's members continued fighting back, for they had no choice, but the cramped quarters and unpredictable attacks made it difficult to organize a proper defense.
Sasha swung her sword with reckless abandon, the inevitability of how this would end had gotten to her, and if she was going to die, she would take as many of these out with her. She cleaved through the hide of one ripper that lunged at Ivy. "Move closer, cover each other's flanks, and keep an eye out in every direction, we can't let them catch us off guard" she bellowed. "Don't let them split us up!"
Ivy conjured a wall of ice between the group and a small pack of rippers charging from the side. The beasts collided with the frozen barrier, their snapping jaws and slashing claws thrashing against the strange frigid formation that hadn't been there a moment ago. "This isn't going to hold forever!" she shouted.
"We just need time!" Sasha growled, cutting down another ripper with a two-handed swing. The beast collapsed at her feet, but two more surged forward to take its place.
Kip darted through the chaos, loosing arrows with inhuman speed. One shot found its mark, piercing the throat of a ripper, but his success was short-lived. Another blind ripper slammed into him, sending him sprawling into the Vescora that thrummed with excitement. Its massive jaws snapped shut on his arm causing him to scream in pain as a Vanguard knight drove their sword through its spine, dragging Kip back to his feet.
"Fall back!" the knight shouted, his armor splattered with ichor. "We need to funnel them up the ramp! We need the high ground, and you can't face them from all angles!"
They moved quickly but cautiously, maintaining their 360-degree defense as they worked their way to the ramp. The first ones to arrive were the casters and ranged players who sprinted the last bit and took their place at the top, shooting and casting over the heads of their allies to hammer into the enemy below.
Dravok barreled into the fray with the Vanguard reinforcements close behind. His mace sent one ripper flying into a cluster of its kin. "Rally to me!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.
Sasha's eyes darkened with the dual feeling of sorrow and relief as she swung her sword once more, splitting the skull of a ripper. "This is not how this was supposed to play out," she grumbled to herself in anger.
The Vanguard quickly established a defensive perimeter, their shields locking together as mages unleashed waves of fire and ice to thin the swarm. A knight stepped forward, her enchanted blade glowing as she cleaved through two rippers in a single stroke.
For a moment, it seemed the tide might turn. But the blind rippers' ferocity was unrelenting. They hurled themselves at the Vanguard's formation, claws raking and teeth snapping. Even as they fell, they brought down countless players that night.
What felt like hours, but was likely a handful of minutes passed before the last of the rippers lay dead. The cavern was littered with their mangled bodies, blood pooling around the battered and bloodied survivors. The flickering light of magefire illuminated the faces of the adventurers, each one struggling with the weight of what they had endured.
Ironhearth's numbers had been decimated. Of their original 25, only ten remained standing, most leaning on weapons or companions for support. The Vanguard fared better, but even they had suffered.
Sasha approached Dravok, her sword dragging behind her, cutting into the protesting Vescora below. "We owe you," she said, her voice heavy with exhaustion. "Without you, we'd all be dead."
Dravok wiped gore from his face, unimpressed. "You should've waited. This hive isn't a place for glory-seekers."
Sasha flinched at his words but nodded. "We'll head back with you. No more heroics. But know, this wasn't all for nothing, we gathered some intel that might be useful to your higher-ups." she tried to stay positive but had 15 pissed-off friends and allies who would be waking up in the Tavern with a hefty debuffed attached to them, and little to show for it.
One of the Vanguard officers stepped forward, his brow furrowed. "The tunnel collapsed during the fight. We've stopped the ripper threat, but it'll take quite an effort to clear the debris."
Sasha nodded, glancing at her surviving guildmates. "We'll follow your lead."
As the combined forces of the Vanguard and Ironhearth began their retreat, something still felt off. They knew they had verified Vescarid still using the hive for something earlier in the day, but now there were only these strange beasts, these creatures that were most assuredly, not Vescarid. It could have been a trap, but why were there so many dead drones, why had Blind Rippers taken over the nest, and most importantly, why had the tunnel caved in above them? Nothing made sense.
The ground beneath them trembled as if hundreds of feet marched with purpose beneath them, around them, above them. Every direction shook with the intensity of the oncoming forces. Vescarid drones burst from hidden trapdoors, their chitinous bodies glistening in the dim light. From the walls, prowlers leaped down, their camouflaged forms barely visible until they struck.
"Ambush!" someone shouted, but the warning came too late.
The Vescarid swarmed the group with terrifying coordination. Hunters perched on ledges above, materializing from the darkness as they unleashed venomous spines, striking down mages before they could conjure shields. Drones darted between the legs of the adventurers, stabbing at weak points in their armor with barbed appendages.
Sasha swung her sword wildly, cleaving through one drone before another latched onto her arm, ready to strike. Jax appeared at her side, his daggers flashing as he pried the creature off and plunged his blade into its thorax.
"Keep moving!" Dravok roared, smashing a prowler that lunged at his back. "We can't fight them all!"
The survivors formed a desperate circle, pushing upward through the chaos. The Vanguard knights held to the best of their ability, their shields deflecting attacks as the remaining Ironhearth members covered the rear.
Within the fray, the sound of chittering grew louder. The survivors knew they were going up, but none of this was familiar, had they taken a wrong turn? And then it dawned on them. The Vescarid weren't just attacking—they were herding down foreign tunnels, driving the survivors deeper into the maze of tunnels.
In the distance, a chilling, echoing roar signaled that a new threat was coming.
The group did well to fend off the drones, though the initial ambush took its toll as several front-line infantry began to wobble and shake, the toxins in their system taking root and weakening them significantly. As quickly as the drones arrived, they disappeared back down their hidden tunnels, leaving only hunters and prowlers spread out throughout the cavern.
"Take out the ranged units on the walls and someone uncloak those fucking spiders!" Dravok shouted.
Moments later, a magic flare launched out, filling the room with light, and causing several unaware players to cover their eyes as they adjusted to the sudden influx of illumination. It wasn't just the players that were affected, the hunters missed their marks multiple times as they too adjusted, and the prowlers hissed as their camouflage faulted. Despite the prowlers no longer having the effects of their stealth ability active, the light showed the players another level to this trap.
"STOP!" a soldier shouted to the front line, but it came late and several players ran straight into a nearly invisible wall of web, tangling their bulky frames in the mass of sticky thread. This created more chaos as players struggled to cut their friends free, and mages sent a torrent of fire to burn away the webs. As they just began to make real progress, a stampeed rumbled toward them. On the other side of the chamber was a large opening that most players could have sworn was just rock and debris earlier. They had little time to prepare, as surging from within the shadows were the imposing figures of several Mireguards heading directly for the disorganized defenders.
The Mireguards slammed through the line of shields, trampling players to death underfoot as they threw others to the side and broke into the heart of the defense. The guilds tried to fight back, but in close quarters it was awkward trying to find an opening. Every time they struck, they either hit reinforced chitin, or their blades clanked off of the newly adapted spikes. Those who were less fortunate found themselves skewered or grazed by the razor-sharp protrusions. The group backed away from the mass and tried to reform their defense as mages went to work trying to take down the creatures of mammoth proportions.
It was a slaughter, this time on the end of the Vanguard, who had charged themselves with the role of defending the group. Many fell, and soon Ironhearth only had six members remaining, Kip and Taran having fallen during the conflict. The Vanguard faced further casualties, dropping from a formidable forty down to twenty-one in a single engagement.
The groups were corralled back into a dead-end chamber, the Vescarid guarding the entrance but not pushing to finish the fight. Everyone stood, ready to make their final stand, when the Vescarid forces split down the middle, leaving a gap to pass through. None of them dared to take the route, knowing it would be certain death. Sasha looked around to those who had survived this ordeal with her and let out a command. "Drop your weapons!" she barked, and upon seeing her drop her sword to the ground, they all followed suit. The Vanguard looked on in disgust as they pushed them aside and stood to face the enemy.
From the backline emanated an aura of immense power, as a figure with glowing purple eyes slowly sauntered between the dozens upon dozens of Vescarid, with many more on the back lines, ready to charge to their death if commanded. The figure appeared to be wrapped in a series of glowing lights. A white light bordered with a black void had wrapped around its neck and ended at his shoulder, while a blue light curled around its arm, the other arm adorned in fire as the reds and oranges swirled around. From his right leg, they could see a green light pulsating and a strange transparent glimmer from his left leg.
Darian marched forward, several serpentine figures coiled around his limbs and body, each one facing the humans that stood before him. He scanned the humans and various other races that filled their ranks before his eyes landed on Dravok.
"You've returned?" he inquired, his gaze burning into Dravok, nearly causing the lizard man to shirk away.
"These fools stormed the nest without a single thought about the repercussions!" he gestured to the Ironhearth who turned their heads from his gesture. "We were honor bound to retrieve them before–" he flung his hands toward the Vescarid that blocked their exit, "all of this happened"
"Fools they may be, but you hold your weapons in defiance while the others submit willingly. They had chosen poorly, but at least these fools understand their predicament," he replied coldly. "This is the third time you have attacked us, but because your hand was forced, I will not punish you so severely," the undertone of his intentions made Dravok's already cold blood ice over.
"Do what you will beast, but know–" Dravok's words were cut short as the black lines that boarded the white light around Darian's neck glowed a faint purple. It was then that he noticed the face of the serpentine creature glaring at him. The glow intensified until it reached a crescendo, seeming to both emit and consume all light, until it went dark again, and Dravok fell to the floor dead. The creature hissed in approval.
"Take out the leader!" the second in command shouted, as archers loosed arrows and mages launched bolts of elemental energy at Darian. Though Darian did not flinch upon the onslaught of attacks, rather taking the time to admire their efforts as the various projectiles launched forward. The white snake glowed in response and each attempt to kill the Hive King crashed against a shimmering shield of divine energy, sending ripples through the shell before it exploded in holy light.
Darian tilted his head and appeared to be signaling as his body glowed in every color that adorned him. Dozens of hunter spines launched over them, impacting multiple Vanguard troops, only to be followed by water, fire, earth, air, and death magic erupted from his form, decimating many more. When the dust cleared, only Ironhearth remained standing.
"Tell me, why did you come here?" Darian requested, stepping closer, leaving the comfort of his soldiers and standing before Sasha, no more than an arms length away.
Sasha's eyes were wide as she surveyed the carnage around her. She stammered and struggled to speak. "Zaelith" was all she could spit out as she tried to figure out how to keep her remaining forces alive.
Darian seemed to nearly purr at the sound of his instructor's name. It had been too long, and he missed her dearly. Oh, how she would have reveled in his advancements. This was all thanks to her that he reached this point.
"Zaelith?" he questioned.
"Yes sir, err… Your Highness?" Sasha had no idea what she was doing, but somehow it kept them alive, so she continued. "She told me about you, how you kept her here, how you took care of her, and wanted to learn about the arcane. She said that if I were to ever run into you, I would need to be respectful." the words poured out unfiltered, she was just rambling at this point, regurgitating things she barely remembered.
Darian sighed, but it sounded contented and this brought Sasha hope. "I didn't see her here with you, did she come?" his voice took on a strange excited feeling.
"Uh, um, no. I believe she said something like, 'Stay the fuck away from that hive if you know what's good for you' before ending our interaction. I think she lost interest in me after that." Sasha responded sheepishly.
Darian chittered in a way that sounded like laughing before stepping even closer to Sasha and reaching out to grab her hand.
Sasha reflexively pulled her hand back, but noticed the twitch of irritation in his face and took his hand as he led her through the mass of Vescarid.
"I think there is much to discuss between you and I." Darian mused aloud, dragging Sasha behind him as they stepped into a hidden tunnel, her group cautiously following her with permission from the swarm.