Dust fell from the ceiling as the ground rumbled beneath their boots and the door shuttered open. Cracks spiderwebbed through the ancient tiles of the dimly lit corridor as Karos led the way, sword drawn, its edge humming with tension. The air stank of mildew and dampness, the echo of bones rattling together echoing down the hall. Faint traces of necrotic magic clung to the stone like mold.
The spiral stairs descended into blackness, their steps worn smooth by centuries of use. Kara moved silently behind him, her bow drawn, an arrow nocked. Yazdrin was next, bow in hand, a quiver of dark-fletched arrows slung across his back. Shin brought up the rear, watching their flank with quick, darting eyes.
At the bottom of the stairs, the corridor widened into a vast chamber. The throne room.
What remained of the ancient seat of power stood crumbling at the far end, flanked by ruined pillars and torn tapestries depicting battles long since lost to history. But none of them were looking at the throne.
Their eyes locked on the massive skeletal form curled at the center of the chamber.
Clatterbone.
The Bone Naga lay coiled like a giant serpent god, a twisted monstrosity of fused spine and skull. Its body stretched over thirty feet; its ribs arched like the cages of sunken ships. Pale green light flickered faintly within its hollow skull, not flames but remnants of some deep necromantic energy. Jagged fangs glistened in the torchlight. A low rattling sound echoed as its tail shifted across the stone.
It did not roar.
It did not speak.
It simply moved.
Kara nodded once.
With practiced precision, the party launched a coordinated strike.
Kara loosed two arrows in rapid succession, both striking with a dull thud, one in the eye socket, the other through a gap in the cervical spine. Yazdrin followed immediately, drawing and firing two quick shots that peppered Clatterbone's ribcage and shoulder joints. Shin melted into the shadows along the chamber wall, padding silently over the stone, his body coiled like a spring.
Karos charged without hesitation.
The greatsword came down like a hammer, striking the Bone Naga across the spine. The blow fractured a vertebra and sent shards clattering across the floor. But Clatterbone didn't flinch. Its tail whipped around like a scythe, catching Karos in the ribs and launching him into a broken column.
Kara fired in that same breath. One arrow struck Clatterbone's other eye socket, the second driving deep into its exposed neck. Bone splintered but the serpent simply slithered forward, undeterred, jaws open in silent hunger.
Shin reached the creature's flank and with a sudden, explosive movement, he leapt forward and drove both fists into the base of Clatterbone's ribcage. Bone cracked under the focused strikes, and the creature spasmed with surprise, its massive body lurching sideways.
Turning towards Shin, the Bone Naga's body arched upward before crashing down, sending dirt flying up into the warm, still air. The impact cracked the floor and sent dust raining from the ceiling.
Yazdrin repositioned quickly, loosing another pair of arrows aimed at the creature's spine. One embedded itself between vertebrae; the other shattered harmlessly. He snarled and drew again.
Karos was up again, bleeding but moving. He switched his grip and aimed low, smashing his blade into the creature's spine. Clatterbone shuddered, reared up, and lunged.
Kara rolled away as the massive jaws clamped down where she'd stood a moment before. She loosed another shot at close range, the arrow burying itself in Clatterbone's upper jaw.
Clatterbone struck again.
This time, it hit Kara.
The impact sent her flying. She crashed into a stone bench, crumpling to the ground in a heap.
"Kara!" Karos shouted, rage boiling in his chest.
The Bone Naga coiled and struck again but Karos met it mid-charge. With a roar, he brought his blade upward in a devastating arc, severing half the creature's lower jaw. The skull snapped sideways from the force of the blow, bone fragments flying.
Yazdrin shifted position and aimed for the exposed base of the neck. His arrow flew true, slamming into the joint with a crunch. The beast thrashed it's tail once again, smashing Yazdrin against a pillar.
Shin ducked beneath a swiping tail and delivered another punch into the tail joints, forcing the creature's weight to falter.
"Karos, NOW!"
Karos ran.
Clatterbone saw him coming and twisted its ruined head to intercept.
Karos ran towards the serpent's back, charging up its curved spine before bringing his greatsword down with both hands. The Bone Naga, sensing the danger, moved quickly, knocking Karos off balance.
A shockwave burst outward as his sword hit the stone floor instead of it's target.
Light poured from the creature's eye sockets and spine. The serpent coiled violently, thrashing in every direction colliding with Kara and Karos. Shin was able to jump over the tail barely missing the oncoming strike, finally making contact mid jump and landing a hit with a kick. The bones glowed hot, cracking, bursting apart.
Then stillness.
Clatterbone collapsed in a heap of shattered ribs and coiled bone. Its skull rolling to a stop in front of Karo's kneeling form.
Silence returned to the throne room.
Kara groaned as she sat up. Shin hurried to her side, helping her stand. Yazdrin limped toward them, bow in hand, his other arm bloodied and hanging loosely at his side.
Karos stands up from his knees, his sword still clenched in his bloodied hands.
He exhaled slowly. "It's done."
Kara looked around the throne room—its walls cracked, floor littered with bone and blood but no longer cursed.
"For now," she said.
Yazdrin nodded grimly. "What lies deeper I wonder?" he mused.
"We will find out, but first we need to let the goblin know that the serpent is slain. Do you want to talk with him Shin?"
"Yeah, yeah I got it handled. I'll head there now." Shin said with a sigh.
They gathered around the now unmoving pile of bones as the last hints of magic faded away. "I know that would have gone differently if we hadn't gotten the drop on it." Yazdrin said.
"Well, I'm glad we did. That was rough." Kara said bending down to recover what arrows she could from the fight, wincing from the pain in her ribs.
"I suggest we get our wounds taken care of before we move any further." Karos grunts, taking deep breaths between his words.
"Agreed." was the only response he got from the others.
Shin made his way through the winding corridors and back up the staircase they had come down, finally making it back to a small room that all of the goblins had migrated too. Walking in, a fang from Clatterbone clutched in his hand as proof of death, Shin approached, handing the fang to Grivnix with a smile on his face.
"Here you go, one Clatterbone fang. That boney bastard is dealt with." he said as Grivnix snatches the fang from his grasp.
"You kill Clatterbone?" he cackled in amazement.
"He is dead, as promised." Shins smile now twice as big as before.
"You are now named Bonecrusher." Grivnix said, tapping Shin on the chin with his staff.
"Thank...you...?" Shin replied, a puzzled look on his face, awkwardly accepting the new title bestowed on him. "Now, as you said, we can pass through without any issue, right?"
"Yes, as promised. Clatterbone dead. Now shoo!" Grivnix barked, waving his hand dismissively towards Shin.
"Okay, that was easy...I guess." Shin said, quickly turning on his heel and walking away.
Everyone else had somewhat recovered and were ready for what was to come next. Walking toward the throne, Yazdrin and Kara noticed a slight discoloration in the wall behind the throne. The torches positioned next to it flickered slightly as if someone was lightly blowing on a candle.
"Do you see this Karos?" Kara asked glancing at Yazdrin to see if he was picking up on it too.
"I don't see what you are talking about." He said puzzled.
"There seems to be a false wall right here. Is that what you mean?" Yazdrin said, looking back to Kara.
"Yeah, the torches are acting strange like there is a slight draft." She said, squinting slightly.
Shin re-entered the throne room. A slight little jaunt in his step.
"Welcome back Shin, I assume it went well?" Karos said.
"Very well, actually! We are safe to move through without issue." He replied.
"Good, let's get moving then."
Kara gave one of the torches a slight tug and the wall began to shift, the sound of stone scraping stone rumbling through the air as the hidden door appeared. The path was dark and the air smelled stale.
"Right, this way boys." Kara said proudly.
A pulse of energy erupted from the corridor, Karos' dagger vibrating violently in response.
"The heart of the spire is close." Karo's mumbled. "It has to be down there." Karos looked to the others as he clutched his dagger firmly in his hand. "We need to close it before I begins spawning more monsters."
A roar echoed from below, almost in response to Karo's statement, the unnatural sound sending waves of fear through them all.
"What the hell was that?" Shin whispered, his voice laced with anxiety.
"No idea." Replied Karos. "But there is only one way to find out."
"