The monk, the magus, and the bard begin walking through the empty dwarven city of Craghold. They are on their way back to the ship docked outside the catacombs. Little did they realize that the city was no longer as empty as they thought.
As they made their way through the plaza, Jin's eyes pop open and look away from his new flask. In the next moment he lept forward and took his two allies with him. He rolled with the impact on the ground, while Zilo and Leo landed on their stomachs. The sound of a cannonball cracking the ground resonated from behind them.
"What they hell?! Shouted Leo looking to see, not a cannon ball, but instead a humanoid figure, only it looked to be as tall as 12 feet. On top of that the figure's skin was solid black, making it difficult to make out it's joints and muscles moving as it stood.
The creature's face had grey eye sockets and two rows of razor sharp teeth. It's feet looked equally bestial, but in it's hands it held a great sword spouting forth with fire and ice in equal halves.
Jin helped his allies up and said, "Whoeva it is, dey have made a mistake makin enemies of us."
Zilo puts out his hand and says, "Hold, this is no creature of this world."
Leo raises an eyebrow as he readies his sword. "Of what world is it then?"
Zilo's Bow forms in his hand and he points to the creature's feet and says, "Look, it lacks a shadow. This is a Eidolon of the Shadow Caller."
The other two look to the shadowless sight then at Zilo and say, "How do we kill it?" Asks Leo as a slow, insulting clap begins to come from behind them. Zilo turns to the sound and says,
"Best way to take out an Eidolon is to take down their summoner."
"Hello knave, we meet again." Says a fetchling blocking the way out of the plaza they planned on going. The fetchling was part of the group who had first shipped Zilo and the others off to this kingdom. He stood with a smug smile, luxurious grey hair, spectacles and a comfortable looking pale blue robe.
"Friend of yours?" Asked Jin squaring up at the summoner now as Leo faced the Eidolon.
"You could say that." Said Zilo aiming his bow at the summoner. The summoner strokes his cheek and says, "I didn't appreciate that cheap shot you worm, you'd do well to remember your betters."
"We aren't home. Here, we are even, so please stand out of the way. We already returned your ship to Jemma." Says Zilo. At the mention of Jemma the summoner shivers. He composes himself and responds,
"I'm afraid that I'm no longer associated with that group, I have a new ally who-" Suddenly the Summoner's head flicks to the side as if struck.
"-I mean, I have a new master, who had heard there were plenty of souls here to harvest. Imagine my surprise to find you here as well." The summoner's eyes gaze at Zilo intensely, and he waves his arm forward as if giving a command.
"And I, Falx, sole heir to house Shada, refuse to allow the insult that is your life to continue! Xlaf, kill them!"
The Eidolon named Xlaf leaped forward and stomped the ground in front of him, aiming to crush the three in his way. Jin tried to take a punch at it as it strode over them, but Zilo and Leo attempted to dodge the charge, avoiding being hurt.
Jin managed to land a powerful blow on the creature's thigh, but he was still trampled under the attack. The massive creature halts it's wild charge by stabbing his blade into the ground to stop before he hits his master.
Jin's leg is hurt, but still usable, as Zilo and Leo form up, a bit further apart to avoid another charge.
Leo flicked his blade as it sparks up with some lightning and he says, "Alright you two stall big boy and I'll take care of mister fancy."
Jin grunts as he stands on his wounded leg and Zilo aims his bow at the giant, saying "Sounds good to me, go."
Zilo lets loose an arrow hitting the giant square in the leg, in the same spot Jin punched it. The creature leans down on the leg, giving Jin the opening he needs. The monk charges forward and leaps into the air, twisting.
First the monk goes in with his leg, kicking Xlaf in the jaw, then he continues spinning with his fall and punches him straight on, finally on the ground he continues spinning and suddenly stops, thrusting his leg straight into the Eidolon's lower jaw, making it rear back it's head.
Leo dashes like a Quickling, past the beast and closes in on Falx with his blade ready, but the summoner saw him coming and sidestepped out of the way. The summoner throws his arm back, and out of it forms a masterwork spear, which Leo barely manages to leap out of the range of. Falx smiles and says, "How foolish to assume me a simple scrawny caster."
Falx stands with his upper robe now hanging, and his undershirt fitted to his body, and his lean body looking more like that of a fighter. At the very least he looked as capable as Cruxis looked without his plate mail.
Meanwhile Jin was hopping around in front of Xlaf, who lumbers his head back down and around to face the little monk Jin notices that after three direct hits on Xlaf's face, he was left with mere bruises and cuts.
"Normally things fall down." Jin takes a quick swig of his tail and says, "Dis is bayd" Suddenly Wukong is the focus of all of the giant creature's rage as the beast whirls about matching Jin's three strikes with more.
The beast grabs the monk with its's teeth and hurls it up, leaving a giant bleeding mark on his abdomen. This is followed by a round house kick cutting Jin's Chest open with a swipe, while Jin twists in the air. The creature then stabs his sword into Jin's side, flaming it and freezing it at the same time. When Jin thinks the beast is done another flesh tearing kick hurtles him toward Zilo's feet.
Leo and Falx trade blows back and forth as Zilo kneels down to the gravely wounded monkey. Zilo quickly looks him over and thankfully he is still breathing, and after a Cure Moderate Wounds, the monk is back and battle ready... maybe not 100%, but at least 30.
After Zilo casts the spell Falx smiles and says, "Oh? Are we using magic now, allow me, Enlarge Person." with that spell Xlaf's size goes from 12 feet tall to closer to 25 feet tall and his sword's size has doubled as well. The group's jaws drops and Leo backs away from the giant, about ready to cast vanish and cut his losses.
"Now then, prepare to diiiiiiiiiyiiyiii" says Falx, who's mouth looks to be being stretched and his hair looks to be being yanked. Once he struggles back to a normal looking face he looks up and shouts, "WHAT DO YOU WANT GROZZIT!"
Suddenly a small Quasit stands atop the summoner's head and it flies off his head and begins to speak, "Greetings, I'm Grozzit the quasit, and this is my slave, throne, and jester Falx."
Leo stifles a laugh, saying, "You serve a quasit?"
"Yes." Says Falx, trying to hide his face.
The little demon smiles and says, "Ah yes, his servitude began in spades after he gave me his last thoughts upon his death, now he obeys my every order." Leo cannot hold back his laughter and doubles over beginning to roll around laughing. In the mean time Zilo retrieves the list of things they need to bring Maldrek and smiles.
The quasit points to the bard and says, "If I give the word my servant will kill you with his servant, but the value of willing souls far exceeds harvested ones, and so I want to offer you a deal. I challenge you to a contest, If I win I get your souls."
Jin raises an eyebrow, and asks, "Do we get anything, besides being allowed to leave?"
"What do you want?"
Zilo stows away the list and says, "We want Falx's last thoughts, your means of controlling him."
The little quasit locks eyes with Zilo and smiles, "This just got interesting. Deal, three souls for the cost of one."
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