The Myvarg Abominations

Cautiously we made our way back through the tunnels. We had no idea how many other myvarg had been mutated from the apocalypse mist. There were large gouges in the tunnel walls but they all looked to be headed towards the nursery. It looked like we had already encountered the only one that came this way.

When we arrived back in the large sleeping chamber, it was a mess compared to when we passed through earlier. Bones and other refuse from the pit was scattered around the room. The flesh from the dead myvarg had melted off and laid in pools around their bones and husks.

"Be on guard, there could be any kind of abomination hiding in here." Runa said.

Staying to the outside edge of the chamber we made our way towards the other side. About half way the chill started to enter my heart. I noticed Ivarr and Verdandi tensed as they also noticed something as well. Swirls of spiritual energy that was different from both that of witches and followers of the Light entered the chamber.

"Somethings coming." I said.

"Hurry to the exit!" Runa started running and the rest of us followed.

Before we could get too far we heard Fulvia scream. One of the pools of flesh had started to move and a whip like appendage grabbed onto her and pulled her towards it. Ivarr rushed forward and stabbed into it with his spear. At first it had no effect, then a bright glow spread from his arm into the spear and flesh mound.

Bit of flesh burst off and it let go of her. As he pulled her back another mound of flesh launched itself at his back. An Ice Lance pierced through that one before it could latch onto him. When the flesh mound hit the ground, small pieces that had frozen broke off. All around us the pools of flesh began to move toward us. In addition, their bones and husks began to reattach to each other.

Runa gave up on trying to escape and tried to pull them to her with her magic. While her eyes glowed bright purple, none of them seemed to be affected. More than that, they seemed intent on attacking our ranged party members. I had my Lydos aura circulating as much as possible, sending out Moonlight Lightning Slashes as the flesh mounds whipped towards us.

From the pit came a rumbling sound as bones nearby rolled back into it. A hand made of bones and other scraps the size of a human grabbed the edge. Three heads attached to the same body emerged. The middle one was a myvarg head with some of its flesh still attached. To its right was a goat's skull and to its left was a human skull. Both of them were cracked and enlarged with other bits of bone.

Its body was made of jagged bones arranged into spikes. The other arm that came out of the pit was twice as long and ended in a large bone scythe. It pulled the scythe back and it shot towards us. With her Expert aura moving through her legs, Runa put herself in front of the oncoming weapon. As she was pushed back the ground behind her pushed up to act as a brace.

The other arm began to drag the three headed bone beast out of the pit. Its lower half didn't end in legs but loose bones. It angled it's goat head towards us and as the mouth opened it let out a piercing yell. For a moment I felt the source of the magic within the skull. Many of those around me had to grab their ears to lessen the overbearing sound. As they did, the flesh mounds lashed out at us. An arrow tore through the air at the whips coming towards me and Dagrun. Others got past our defenses, grabbing Alfvin and Verdandi.

I was able to slash through the one that had Verdandi and pulled her back, blocking a claw swing from one of the skeletal myvarg. Njall tried to help Alfvin but his arm was still recovering from being wounded by the apocalypse mist and only cut part way through. As he was pulled into the body of the flesh mound, flames erupted from his body. It let go of him but as he crawled back, one of the skeletons jumped on him and stabbed into his back.

Ivarr and Kalfr came to his aid. Kalfr's flaming blade knocked the head off the skeleton while Ivarr helped Alfvin get out of their range, jabbing at the flesh mound that tried to pull him back in. Verdandi began healing him but he'd be of no use for the rest of the fight.

Next the human skull turned towards us and out of its mouth flames burst out. From the end of Vesta's staff a surge of water streamed towards the fire. The area was filled with fog as the two elements met. We were expecting the whips of flesh this time and Dagrun, Ivarr, Kalfr and I countered their attack. Runa was dealing with the scythe arm and some of the skeletons on that side.

"There's a crystal in the skull. That's where the magic is coming from. Fulvia keep your eye out when the fog clears." Having felt the magic from the first attack I had my eye out when the human skull attacked.

However before it faded away, I felt a third magic spell form and a rush of cold air hit us. This caused the fog to freeze around us and I had to rotate my fire mote to heat up my body. That attack also caused the flash mound to freeze over.

"Dagrun with me." I pointed towards the frozen mounds. When I saw her nod, I charged forward.

As the skeletons slashed at us I blocked their attacks for Dagrun. Her warhammer landed on the bulks of the flesh and the outer part began to crack and flake off. We were able to get two other flesh mounds before they had begun to thaw and we regrouped with the others.

As the goat skull turned towards us, Fulvia loosed an arrow. Before it could hit its target, the three headed bone beast's hand rose to block it. Once again our ears were briefly assaulted but stopped after a familiar popping sound told the presence of a Sound Barrier. This allowed us to be ready for the coming attacks from the flesh mounds.

When the human skull turned towards us, Ivarr stepped forward, "Fulvia, fire right after me." His spear glowed brightly as he launched it towards the crystal. When the hand went to block the throw, the spear burst leaving a hole in the bones for the arrow to fly through. An explosion of fire destroyed the skull.

The remaining flesh mounds retreated into the rib cage of the three headed bone beast. After it did a longer thicker flesh whip launched towards us. It was slower than before but was still able to get the advantage on Dagrun. Before it could wrap around her, Njall pulled her out of the way only to get caught himself.

Kalfr and I were quick to cut into the flesh whip making it drop Njall. In his already weakened state the force from the whip's grip took out whatever fight he had left in him. Seeing that it intended to pull us into the sharp bones along its ribs I got an idea.

"Verdandi, give me the best protection you can. Ivarr can you use the Divide Fatal Hits invocation?" I said.

A spectral shell enveloped me and after Ivarr muttered a short prayer I felt his heartbeat next to my own. When the flesh whip launched at us again, I let myself get caught. With my Osgar aura circulating around my vital area I was pulled into the bone spikes. Most of them cracked under the defenses that were surrounding me. One pierced my right thin and another cut the right side of my chest. I heard Ivarr grunt in pain behind me.

Finding myself under the skulls, I sent the strongest Moonlight Lightning Slash I could. The crystal in the myvarg skull burst in a freezing wind. I wished I had more fire motes as my body seemed to be on the verge of frostbite. It took a moment for my mind to start working enough to attack again. As the flesh whip through me away, the Moonlight Lightning Slash that I sent out missed the crystal but took off part of the jaw.

As Fulvia's arrow traveled towards the last crystal, it pulled its bone scythe in front of itself to block the shot. Runa used the opportunity of not having to keep the scythe at bay to attack. Her mace shattered the elbow of the bone scythe and it fell to the ground. The next arrow found its mark shattering the final skull. Before the destroyed magic could release another death throws assault of sound like the other skulls did, Vesta protected us with a sound barrier.

Without the larger threat of the three headed bone beast, we were able to dispatch the last of the skeletons and destroy the large flesh mound. Verdandi was able to stabilize everyone but Alfvin and Njall were in critical condition. The rest of us were in no better shape. Runa reported the most recent attack through the Communication Stone and we were advised to stay put while they sent a team to collect us.

While we were recovering Ivarr approached me. "You felt something was off before they started to attack right?"

"It felt like spiritual energy but it wasn't like anything I've felt before." I said.

"There are three major traditions of Spiritual magic; witches, the church and the Court of Masks. I can't be sure but it was similar to the Court's magic." He said.

"Not completely though." Verdandi said. "The magic felt corrupted in some way."

"I've never encountered the Court's magic, so I can't say either way." How close were my blessings to the magic Court paladins used? Neither of them seemed to have noticed when my Blessing of Warning activated but could feel the same spiritual energy I did.

Could part of the Court of Masks be working against me? But why bless me only to try and harm me? I needed to learn more about them.

Shortly after that Runa approached me. "That was a risky move you pulled earlier, letting it pull you in like that. There's a saying, 'Good guardians have the stone's luck.' They can take all types of abuse but if hit with the right pick, they crack and can't be put back together again. Just make sure it's worth it when you finally break."

In less than an hour the team that Ragna led arrived and escorted us out of the tunnels.