The Eldieme Nightmare

Auronffx looked up at the linkshell leader, Stellaluna had tucked her Gluttony Sword into her bag and was ready to head out the door. “Enjoying your stay?” she asked him. “Very much.” He shook his head. He was excited to do things with the shell, and Stella had this all planned out, today she was at his command with whatever he needed help with. She owed it to him, for being so faithful to her shell and by displaying good behavior. “Where we headed?” she asked. “To Batillia Downs.” He smirked, that’s when Stella’s face paused, a smile cupped in Aur’s lips. “No, god no. Hell no.” She screamed. “Come on, you promised.” Aur looked at her with hope in his eyes. He looked at her in her shiny artifact. She symbolized power and respect, both of those she had from her shell. Even in her absence they respected her as a leader, she felt the love and it brought her back. “Please.” He smiled at her, she vowed that in order for her to be brought back to the place of her nightmares she would go kicking and screaming. “What the hell is in there?” she puzzled him. “Stuff.” He avoided the question. He looked at her as her Mithran ears twitched.

She was not lying, Justcartilage and her husband Drakkonis accompanied Aur and Stella to The Eldieme Necropolis, she wasn’t taking a chocobo, and she was being dragged by her husband and longtime friend. “You guys suck.” She shouted the entire time as her butt was dragged over the rocks and dirt. Tough love they showed her as they could’ve just put her on their shoulders. They stopped at the entrance, untied her hands and sat her there and walked off. “Ready?” Aur smiled at her. “I can tell you are excited to help me, your actions scream it.” “Well I said I would didn’t I, sometimes you have to act as I say, not as I do.” “This place is a living hell for me.” She added. But she had to shake it off, she couldn’t let him think any less of her than what was going through his mind, she had promised him this, and even though she hated Eldieme, she was an ls leader of her word. She set her foot inside and her mind flashed back to when she was a weaker Paladin, here to gain access to the shiny armor she is wearing now. She thought of the countless deaths that she, Chell, Soul and Drakk faced here. It played in the back of her mind, All she saw was skeletons, hundreds of them, bloodthirsty, attacking them while they were weak. “Stella?” Aur broke her out of it.” She moved deeper and deeper, each step reminding her of death. She had like Auron, he was a fellow Paladin and a good guy who caused absolutely no trouble in the shell. Tone had given him a pearl a long time ago, but she was taking her break and missed it, she was relieved people were still there when she came back. She decided to be more hands on with the new ls mates, get to know them. “What we after kid?” she asked. “Ghost Hunting.” He said with a smile. “I want freeze. It’s 300k on the auction house at the moment.” “Cute.” She replied. “We should’ve brought backup.” She told him, but she pushed on anyway. She walked past a skeleton, he was too weak to aggro her and she was thankful. “Watch out if you’re hurt, this place is pure hell.” She warned him.

As they winded down the tunnels, Auron began to cast Sneak on himself, limited the amount of noise his boots made. The undead here have a really sharp hearing and the last thing they needed was company. He subbed White Mage seeing as how Stella was stronger, he was playing the role of healer. There was a smile in Auron’s soul, he didn’t care if he got Freeze or not, that wasn’t his goal, he did what seemed unthinkable. He got Stella to come here, she swore up and down never again, and all because she respected him. That was all the satisfaction he needed. “Sneak me.” She whispered to him, her voice barely audible. Here come the tougher mobs as they wound up where they needed to be. “Oh god. They are so close together.” Stella noted at the ghost and skeleton orgy that was happening. Auron decided to pick a safe camp, where nothing was anywhere near them. “So…” he began. She turned to face him, her face overcame with fear. This was the exact spot she’s shed so much blood at. She remembers it, the nightmares still come. “Let’s get this spell and get the hell out.” She patted him on the shoulder, they checked as Even Match to her the ghost, but she knew it would be tough. A Skeleton Mage walked to and fro, guarding his walkway, he looked at them. They weren’t intruders so he let them be. But if they take one step too many, he wouldn’t hesitate to make them into Paladin soup. Auron touched Stella’s shoulder forcing her to jump. “We can leave if you want.” He assured her. “Act as I say, not as I do.” She repeated, she sucked up her fear and removed her gluttony. “Get here and face me.” She yelled as she provoked the Haunt. Luckily he came by himself, and the fight began. It didn’t take long and before they knew it was over. But nothing dropped, so they had to continue. Time passed and they fought and fought with no luck on a drop, they had a scare once when Stella’s hp dropped so low she began to spill blood, that’s when the undead pounce. As they took a break, Stella’s mind had drifted off. She closed her eyes, and there she was, surrounded by Xchelly, Undyingsoul and Drakkonis. They were fighting a skeleton with another one waiting in the wings, lucky for them Chell was able to sleep it. Drakk kept Stella refreshed, and as that mob died they finished the other. “Close.” She sighed a breath. “Too close.” Soul said. They were waiting, and hoping that a key would drop soon so they can leave this hellhole.

Before they knew it, they had killed a dozen skeletons and still not a single coffer key. As Soul grabbed his trusty bow and stepped ahead of them to grab a new monster, his hands were clouted with sweat. He took his aim on the skeleton, “Shit.” Stella swore as she looked ahead up the tunnel. A Spriggan had popped in the walkway. Thats when Soul said a swear of his own. His arrow missed it’s target and smacked a skeleton behind it, and now it pissed him off, and his buddy was up for a fight also. “Shit.” He said as he ran backwards. “Double Shit.” He said at the Spriggan in his way. “Corey.” His wife yelled, as the three mobs approached them. Within seconds they were all dead, all four of them, for the fifth time tonight and the third time on a bad Soul pull. “No soul trains.” Drakk laughed from his spot. The Spriggan stayed on top of them, Chell was able to get herself up and raise the others, but she would be molested if she went now. He had a wild look in his eyes, almost as if he knew Chell could get back up, he stared at her. “Don’t do it.” Stella warned. “Oh I know.” Chell repeated. The Spriggan was acting a little weird. He took out his sword as if he was preparing for battle. “Um… what the fuck is he doing?” Soul asked. He stood atop Stella, knife in hand. He hoisted it above his head, Stella glared up at him, fear caught in her throat as she tried to scream. “What the fuck, it can’t do that.” Drakk cried out. She stared at his face, it was dark and mysterious but it seemed noticeable. He was an Elvaan. His features made Stella wonder, she woke as he slit her throat. She gasped and clutched Aur’s shoulders for dear life. He raised an eyebrow at her. “Stella?” he asked. She stared at him, backing away from him. She equipped her sword and pointed it at his nose. He had to jump back out of fear. He panicked and his brain shutdown on him. She swung it wildly at him, the first attack he ducked, and the second caught him on the wrist as he tried to raise his shield to block it. “What the hell is wrong with you?” he screamed. Hacking and slashing away at her enemy, Stella mind raced away from her body. Aur countered blow after blow but his arms were growing weary. Something has made her snap, she thinks I’m the enemy. He thought.

She knocked his sword out of his hand, it flew ten feet away and lay in the dirt leaving him defenseless. “You.” She pointed the sword chest level. “You evil Spriggan.” She swore as her eyes lit ablaze. “Time for your death, just like you served me.” “I’m not a spriggan.” He countered, he was on the verge of begging for his life, praying that whatever caused this would go away peacefully. “You brutally assaulted me, after I was defeated.” She said never taking the sword down from his chest. He felt the tip of her blade on his neck. Blood trickled downwards as in pinched him. Something made Stella view Auron as her enemy, she was sure of it, he killed them, how, she doesn’t know but that’s what was in her mind. He was a Spriggan, disguised as an Elvaan to gain her trust, and brought her back to this place. It was perfect because it worked, he waited months and months to bring her here. The air turned muggy around them, and that’s when she saw it. His white paladin armor turned jet black. His face absorbed into the shadows with tiny red eyes peeking out. He moved his hand and his sword gravitated back towards him. With it in his hand, he lunged at her, ducking she moved out of the way, she swung her sword upwards and blocked his next attack. After a heated battle, it was Stella the victor, as Auron lay on the ground motionless, she walked over to him. Her sword in her hand, she raised his head, took and made a smooth line across his throat. The area became clear again, the fog was removed, and Stella saw it, she looked down and nearly threw up. Auron was steadily losing blood, it came out in buckets and were gushing from his neck. She looked the sword in her hand, puzzled, horrified all in one. Auron woke up, sweat covering his entire body, it was drenched on his bed. He reached for his neck, it was fine. He heard a knock at his door. He opened it and slammed it immediately, turning back to his bed, he got on one knee and prayed. “Open up.” She yelled, “It’s your big day.” She shouted. He cowered in his bed. “I’m sick.” He yelled, he was not going to cash in his hang out with Stella ticket today. “What’s wrong with you?” he pretended to cough, and said he had a cold. She opened the moghouse door and scanned the room for him, she looked everywhere but no Auron. She checked under his bed and there he was, in the corner, balled into the fetal position. “Are you ok?” she asked him, he quivered his lips. “What you want to do today?” she asked. “Anything that doesn’t involve the words The Eldieme or Necropolis.” He stated. “You look like you saw a ghost.” She stated. “No, just I hate that damn place, it gives me nightmares."