Never thought Id be back in here, Miaden thought, looking across the roofs of City 17. It mostly looked the same, except for the armed teams driving the streets, fixing the House Thana crest to lampposts and walls. Not that it mattered to the common-folk, their only thoughts on the matter was a hope that it would provide them with some safety from the Warlords.
But warlords were not why Miaden and the Huntress were here this time. No, they had gotten word of a group of Apostates (possibly heretics) that had moved into the area. The Church was busy with other matters, so the Huntress were going to capture them and bring them in. She wasnt sure what the Church did to Apostates, however she did know what it did to Heretics.
Aiden, contact teams three and four, and ask if their ready. Miaden asked over her shoulder.
k, I got it gov.
After moment, she received her confirmations, and headed out.
A while later:
Ok, our sources say this is the place. Miaden said, stopping in front of a smallish door. This leads into a network of rooms and corridors, with lots of modifications to layout, be ready for doors, rooms and passages everywhere. All ready? Lets go.
The first few minutes were uneventful, quietly moving through a maze of rooms and passages towards what they believed to be the Apostates headquarters. Uneventful didnt mean easy thought; there were lots of dead ends, doubling back, and a steadily growing unease.
Where is everyone? Lurai asked, the large orc having to duck frequently to avoid splitting her skull open. These look like apartments, but we havnt seen anyone since enterin.
Ya, its maken me nervous too. Should be people all over this place. Looks, thars stuff averywhare! Aiden said, kicking a straw-and-rag mattress.
Maybe they all went for a smoke, Pancreator knows, if you lit-up in here, youd probably burn the whole building down. Anyais, formerly Delta Sierra 6, said, a disgusted look on her face.
Hold the chatter, I think there something up ahead. Miaden said curtly, the familiar feeling on he scalp. Something bad was going on.
And when they reached the large room, she was proven right.
Whelp. Guess we found the residents. Aiden said, her expression and tone contrasting sharply with her flippant words.
While it wasnt clear if they were the building residents, there were lots of them, piled around the edges of the room, in heap on the floor, stacked upon tables and shelves, pale and naked. And utterly dead.
Makers breath! one of the Huntress gasped, before vomiting. Miaden couldnt blame her; while they were used to death, this... this was not a normal sight. Slowly, Miaden walked along between the mounds of bodies, noticing how they had been carefully heaped to leave clear paths between them. And when she reached the far end of the room, she stopped, and icy feeling crawling down her spine. She hoped her thoughts were wrong.
Here, there were chairs and beds, all with restrains, all with a body still strapped in. Before she could suppress her horrified thoughts enough to speak, Aiden stepped up to the closest chair, and touched the womans cheek.
Still a little warm. She said quietly, her speak more conformed in proper. And look-needle marks.
Umm, maybe their junkies? Lots and lots of... Maraise started, eyes wide, only to tail-off quickly, then give a strangled cry and Aiden cut a long, deep piece of flesh from the corpses arm with her knife.
Hmm, Aiden said, looking at the cut and piece of flesh, which she then squeezed in her fist. When that didnt seem to satisfy her curiosity, she leaned on the cut arm, as if trying to squeeze something out of it. She then knelt and placed a log cut on its calf, ignoring the sickened moans and groans from the others.
As I thought, she said to Miaden, standing. Completely drained of blood. Im guessing its the same for the others.
Wait, what!? Why would someone drain their blood!? someone asked.
Oh, lots of uses for human blood. Aiden said, Healers need it for transfusions, potions, growing certain herbs, feeding the leeches. Some warlords and ganglords like to mix it with wine and beer to drink from skulls, some nobles keep pets and plants eat/drink it. Then youve got the type that fancy their vampires of myth. Heard theres a quiet market for that in Als land. She finished with a wink, then met Miadens eye. She deliberately hadnt said what both women were scared of.
Come on, we need to keep moving. Well get some priests to give them Rites after our mission is complete. Miaden said, hurrying the soldiers to the door opposite where they had entered. With one last look over her shoulder, she began to follow, then froze, and looked back. One of the corpses was looking at her. A moment of paralysing terror and horror kept her from moving or shouting, at least, until the corpse stood of from its mound. As did two more.
Inferi! she screamed, her rifle sending bullets ripping through the firsts head. OUT OF THE ROOM!
As she ran backwards, part of her mind was running through the checklist: despite its head being destroyed, the corpse was still standing, so it wasnt an Undead. That left a Puppet or Possessed. If it was a Puppet, destroying the sensory organs and limbs should stop it chasing them. If it was Possessed, then all Huntress had a small kit with a small, hard biscuit and a vial of holy water, which could be used as a substituted for Last Rites.
As it turns out, she was only slightly faster than the Dead, one of which scratched her arm. However, she reached the door and her soldiers had started to close it before the corpses could come through. At least almost, as one wiggled through near the top, launching itself at a Huntress named Oonear, sinking its teeth into the bridge of her nose and clipping a millimetre or two of flesh from its tip before Luria dragged it off and hacked its limbs of with a hatchet, then threw the snapping head down the hall.
Shell be ok, Liala, the medic, said a she looked Ooner over, except for some mental trauma. She shouldnt fight like this.
Well we cant leave her alone, and we cant spare anyone to leave with her. Miaden said, pointing down the hall, the opposite to the way Lurai had thrown the head. I think the Apostates are that way, so-
No way, hold on. Anyais said, waving her hands. Apostates are one thing, but weve dealing with mages! Necromancers! Maleficar! We need to get out of here and get reinforcements.
No time. Miaden responded, shaking her head The mages must know were here, so if we leave theyll be gone by time we get back.
Much as I hate runnin into things like this, Miaden is right. Aiden said, stepping forward. We leave, then so will the mages, then well neva find em.
Right, so move out.
As the others began down the hall, Aiden touched Miadens arm and leaned close to her. You certain about this? If happened to stumble on an exit, no-one could blame us for trying to get help before going back in. You saw those corpses-Blood Magic.
Yes. Miaden whispered back. For all that blood theyve taken, every mage and Thaumaturgist on the planet would know they were here if there was more than a handful. Beside, Ive fought Blood mages, and this feels... different.
Ok. But if you get us killed, Im going to kick your soul-ass.
The next few minutes were uneventful. They didnt see a single living thing, or mobile dead thing. The awful feeling was growing, however, guiding them towards whatever was waiting.
Ok, hold up. Miaden said, stopping the group in front of a non-descript door. Its through here. Weapons check. Ready? On three. One... two... THREE!
There was a brief moment of frantic activity, the Huntress shouting and waving their rifles across the walls and floor, then silence.
Barbatoses Holy Ascot! someone gasped (or something very close). The rest could only stare in silence. There were only a few bodies, but those were possibly the worse.
Well, Aiden said in a weak voice amid a chorus of gags and vomiting. I like the decoration, but I dont think liver and brain go with black velvet.
It looks like... they exploded. Maraise said, staring at the remains of what looked to be a man. Or three, plus a cat. And they were the lucky ones.
Further scrutiny was cut off at that point as running footsteps began down the hall behind them. It didnt take much thought to realize what the stamped of feet was caused by.
This way! Miaden shouted, herding people towards a nearby door. Behind the door came a short hallway, door at the end that seemed to have a sliver of like around it. Quickly!
Miaden waited for the others to be most of the way down the corridor, watching the far door, then closed this door and bolted it. It wouldnt slow the Dead by much, but they might not follow them outside. She almost made it to the far door, when a crudely-boarded over door partway down the hall smashed open, allow a corpse the appear just behind her, grabbing at her flackvest.
Miaden! Aiden screamed from the exit, starting to run back in.
Get out! Miaden shouted, her knife stabbing through the corpses elbow before her rifle blasted both knees off. At that moment, the door to the room with the mages remains opened, allowing more Dead to rush into the narrow corridor. GO! Miaden turned and shouted at Aiden, feeling a flash of relief as Aiden ran out. When she turned back, however, a corpse was already grabbing for her. She felt the searing pain as its fingers punctured her arm just below the elbow, the other hand slipping through the seam of her vest. Then she screamed as it bit into her bicep.
