When they reached the town again, another storm came to pass overhead. A wall of rain swept over the area, dowsing and soaking everything to their cores. The arrived at the Dwarven tavern once again, greeted by their little machine. "Oh wow, you guys are soaked" Brina's body was slightly more geared up than last time. The head was now mounted on a double jointed pole attached to a rollable ball. Brina jumped out of her holster which was a large empty planter and rolled in front of them. "What happened to your other friend?"
   
"Rockfall." Tilamo replied. "Went to an unstable cave formation."
   
"Oh no. Michy brought her inside and she's currently resting in a guest bedroom on the second floor." Brina rolled aside and hopped back into her holster. Through the door and up the stairs they went. The second floor of the tavern was small, probably half the size of the main floor.  There were two rooms adjacent to each other, both connected to the hallway the extended off the staircase.

Tilamo knocked on the first door. There was no response. He jiggled the doorknob but it was locked. He walked over to the second door and pushed it open. On the small one man bed laid a sleeping aldail whose face was badly bruised on one side. Tilamo entered the room and approached her, placing a hand on her shoulder. She barely shifted in her sleep.

Michy was passed out in a corner of the room, folded up into a small ball of fluff. Mirvelle sat down beside him and began petting him like an oversized lap dog. Falcher stood in the doorway. "We should probably let them rest for the night." He said softly. However, he was the only one who heard it. Mirvelle had quickly passed out beside Michy.

The next morning started bright and early with a very loud scream. They gathered around Storm who was profusely sweating, ghostly in the face and bug eyed. "Oh fuck..."

Tilamo stood at the side of the bed, half awake and half terrified. "What?"

Mirvelle and Michy were on the other side of the bed, staring at her. Storm took in several deep breaths trying to slow down her own frantic breathing. "By the gods... I seriously hope I didn't see what I thought I saw..."

"What did you see?" Mirvelle asked, reaching out to rest a hand on her shoulder.

"Ack! Don't touch!" Storm scrambled backwards and pressed her back against the wall.

The door flung open and there stood Falcher and the two dwarves. Jodi rushed in and pushed Tilamo aside. "Move!" She hopped onto the bed and pinned Storm down, holding her eyes open. "Good. you're not infected."

Storm launched her legs and shot Jodi off the bed. "Infected?! WITH WHAT?!"

Tilamo helped Jodi onto her feet again. "It's just night terrors, Silver."

"Night terrors? Me being injected with maggots and feeling myself get eaten from the inside out, that's just a night terror?!"

"Even I don't know how you developed that one, Storm." Tilamo commented. He looked over at Jodi in curiosity. "You mentioned an infection?"

"There's a disease that exists in these parts that causes the pale ghostly look, internal hemorrhaging and the first night of sleep with it active causes a horrific night terror, damn near exactly what you said 'eaten from the inside out.' It has a noticeable feature by leaving green gunk underneath the eyelids."

"That's... that's just wrong..." Falcher rubbed his eyes hard, trying to not imagine the gunk build up.

Storm went pale again and laid back down. "I'm going to be up now for hours... thank you Jodi for that description..."

"You'll pass out from exhaustion." She headed for the door, "C'mon the lot of you, leave the poor girl alone so she can sleep in peace."

Downstairs, they gathered around one of the booths and drank some normal drinks, mugs of milk, water and otherwise non-alcoholic beverages. It was slowly getting brighter outside but still too dark to be considered morning yet. "Injected with maggots..." Tilamo mumbled.

"Don't bring it up please, I don't want to barf into my drink." Falcher groaned, putting down his mug of water.

Mirvelle was sitting beside Michy and she was distracting herself with his fluffy tail. Gelmen was on Mirvelle's right occasionally getting an elbow bump from Mirvelle. "Where to?"

"Hm?" Tilamo's concentration had been broken.

"Where next?" Gelmen shifted towards the edge of the booth.

"Next?" Tilamo looked up and grabbed his chin. "We got a gamble of where this necromancer is but we know next to nothing about the fort that he is in. I say a trip south is inevitable so might as well make it our first stop."

"What do we do with Storm, she's in no condition to travel." Mirvelle spoke up. "It's not like we can leave her here."

"Actually we can. Jodi and Kathanac seem fond of us for the moment, I'll use that to see if I can work out a little deal with them."

"Works for me." Falcher said as he stood up headed out towards the door.

Gelmen hopped out of the booth and followed him, Mirvelle and Michy joined a minute later. Tilamo got up and headed back upstairs. He knocked on the other bedroom door. "Jodi? You up?"

There was a mumbled groan and the door slid open but it was not Jodi who answered. "It's too-" Kathanac yawned loudly. She was half awake and barely recognized Tilamo. "-early..." The door slid closed.

Tilamo opened up the door into Storm's room and peaked in. Jodi was sitting on the edge of the bed, keeping a watchful eye on Storm. There was a book in Jodi's lap. Tilamo pushed the door open more and stepped inside. "How fares the zombie?"

Jodi's head sluggishly turned towards Tilamo. "She's asleep, finally."

"Would the book in your lap there have anything to do with that?"

"It's strange really. She's a full adult but she falls asleep to these fairy tales like a child would."

"Does she now?"

"Yeah. Is that new to you?"

"That's news to the lot of us in the guild."

"Huh." Jodi shook her head as if to rattle her brain into awakeness. "What'd you need?"

"I have a favor to ask."

"You want me to look after her?"

"We're heading down south to the Fummau city, so yeah. It would be much appreciated if you could. We should be gone only for a few days."

Jodi yawned again. "I can, sure but you owe me for the sleep loss."

Tilamo nodded. "Gold is no issue. State your price and it's a done deal."

"Three thousand. That'll cover any potions or medical care she may need if she breaks out as well as my sleep-" She yawned again. She was quickly passing out. "Deprivation..."

Tilamo opened his inventory and grabbed three thousand denarius and placed it on the night stand in a large bag.

Hesitantly, Tangurple put on the robe and held the maul in hand. He leaned on it like a walking stick, testing its grip; it would hold. He looked to his right where the circular staircase went up the tower. "A special concoction that could kill Boudal... I would love to drown him in that."

"Later, You need to get out of here." Enderia rushed over to the stairs and looked up. He wasn't coming back yet. She looked down; it appeared infinite.

"How did you get in here?"

"Teleportation. Only works on me so I'll have to guide you out of here."

"You're mortal now aren't you?"

"Weakened to that state yes but not mortal. Still can't die."

There was a loud cackling that came from up the staircase. Tangurple limped his way over to the staircase. "Figures..."

"New plan," Enderia picked up Tangurple and slung him over his shoulder, fireman carry and hurried down the tower's staircase.

The sickly man walked down and into the torture chamber. "I am going to enjoy-" He looked up and saw the prisoner clasps empty. He set the potion aside and sneered, "Hide and seek? Two can play at that game..."

A minute of running down the stairs was enough to tire out Enderia and they settled down on one of the lower floors despite not knowing if they were above or below ground. The stairwell opened up into a large room. It seemed to be a centralized feasting room that hadn't been properly used in centuries. Tables, chairs and other furniture were broken, rotting and molding. Everything was damp and soggy, reeking of mold and mildew. Corpses laid around, many of which had varying hues of green on their decomposing flesh. Then they moved.

One by one, the corpses reanimated. Most of them had full bodily function despite being half decomposed. Enderia mumbled a spell and out came a shockwave which knocked them all down again. She ran across the room, dragging Tangurple behind her. The door into the next room was in her hand when it suddenly locked.

"Going somewhere?" the sickly man hacked up a lung as he trudged down the staircase. He looked up and gave a devilish grin, "If it isn't Enderia, the goddess of fear. Surprised to see you out here in my neck of the woods."

Enderia huffed and let go of the door handle. "You know me but you persist-"

"Sound carries in this tower and I find it ever so convenient that you're weak."

Tangurple limped his way in between them. "This is my fight Enderia. I know you came here to save me but I have a bit of righteous vengeance to bestow upon this ill-fated bastard."

"Righteous vengeance? Oh look at me, I'm twembling in fear." The sickly man scoffed and spat at him, losing a few teeth. "I'm a dying man. I know what is waiting for me and I gleefully embrace it. I made a deal with the devil so that I can make Boudal's diseases ineffective."

"Forceful inoculation?" Tangurple was suddenly intrigued.

"You saw her turn to ashes, I see that burning rage in your eyes. She is one of a thousand who have fallen prey to failed experimentation. I've cured five of Boudal's worst and most painful diseases, and you were going to be the next test for disease number six: Swamp Blood."

"The green veins..."

"Yes, the green veins." He pulled out another syringe filled with a green goop substance. "I heard rumors that you otherworlders had miraculous healing properties. Something my little birdies told me. Thanks to some of Sura's very own henchmen, I was able to acquire you."

A woosh of wind come from their left as a midnight black portal opened and Sura stepped through. "Honestly, Enderia. I was not expecting you to be that gullible."

From the portal came out a dozen Gnolls, geared to the fangs with spiked clubs and leather armor. Tangurple raised the maul over his shoulder. "Too chicken to fight the mighty Catholic yourself?"

"No general fights the war, he just sends the minions. Sura, if you'd be so kind as to rid me of Enderia..."

"What did he promise you?" Enderia was backed into a corner, her voice was shaky, loaded with fear.

"Werewolves are exceptionally vulnerable to poisons, diseases and Boudal never offered my people any protection. He did." Sura turned to her group of gnollish companions. "Fetch."

All twelve gnolls howled as their bodies grew three times its original size, muscles the size of human heads. Their armor unbuckled and ripped off. They bared their fangs and flaunted their razor sharp claws.

The old man laughed briefly and then broke out into a coughing fit. He turned his back and headed towards the stairs. Tangurple turned to Enderia, switching glances between her and the werewolves. It was an uphill battle, one he could not win without his sword and shield. He turned and ran after the old man. He charged with his warcry on full volume.

The old man grinned and spun around, casting a quick ball of sticky slime which rooted Tangurple in place. He started chanting a second spell, a larger and stronger one.

Tangurple extended his arms out and around his head. He gritted his teeth and brought the maul a full swing like he was hitting a baseball, except he let go and watched it fly.

The last word of the spell slipped past the old man's lips merely seconds before the heavy iron maul crashed into his head. The slime root duration had ended as a massive sphere of fire came hurtling towards Tangurple. He tried to duck but to no avail. It was a direct hit to his head and down he went, feeling the fire spread and slowly consume him.

The old man was face first on the ground, groaning. He rolled onto his back and sat up. He watched the fires dance on Tangurple and he frowned. "Such a waste."

However, that wasn't enough. The burning effect ended and Tangurple stood up again, almost entirely charred black. "By the hand of God himself, you shall be extinguished..." His eyes glowed red with fury, fists clenched as he stomped closer to him.

"I like a lively one." The old man levitated up onto his feet and he once again held the syringe loaded with swamp blood.

From behind, a werewolf bounded over and tackled Tangurple. It snarled and bit into him, ripping a chunk of seared flesh off his back, taking part of the robe with it. He rolled onto his back and jammed his hands into the wolf's mouth, prying its jaw apart. "If the mouth sins, then seal it..." He yanked hard in both directions, snapping the werewolf's jaw in half and left it to hang. The werewolf screamed and bellowed as it toppled over from the pain. He pushed himself up once more and grabbed the maul.

The old man commanded yet another spell and the corpses in the room came alive again, this time making short work of closing the distance. The zombies mobbed him leaving him only one option: fist fight.

Left and right, he struck, punching each zombie enough to stagger it. He aimed for the chins and face. Left, right, left, right, uppercut; one zombie down. They crowded him. He ducked low and grabbed the legs of one. It fell and he leapt out of the pile. Now they all were in front of him. He waited a minute for them to line up and then he charged, jumped and drop kicked the front zombie which caused a domino chain. They all fell over and he scrambled to his feet. Just as he recovered, a werewolf flew in front of him.

Enderia was having the party of life time on the other side of the room. A pair of dark matter warhammers materialized in her hands. She swung high and low, fast and with immense strength. The werewolves struggled to get a single hit in.

His attention was quickly redirected to the pile of corpses in front of him and the somewhat frustrated old man. The corpses struggled to stand up again. Tangurple rushed over to the pile, knocking the top one off and curb stomping it. With the head gone, it was left motionless. He went after the the remaining ones the same way until the last one sprung up on him. It latched onto him and he kept its head back by stiff arming it. He fell backwards and it landed on top but he just barely kept his arm between him and its head. He brought up his other hand and jammed his fingers into its rotting neck.

Flesh and congealed blood  oozed around his arm as he grabbed its spinal column. He yanked on it and the zombie obeyed. Off it went and into the ground. He got on top and used his body weight to hold it down. With a foot to its skull, he yanked on the spine again and broke it off from the skull. It was rendered dead.

The old man's frustration grew. He walked up behind him and jammed the syringe into the back of his neck and pushed the disease into him. Tangurple screamed in pain and doubled over in the fetal position. His skin paled to new records of ghostly-ness and his veins hastily changed colors. Green streaks spider webbed all over him.

The old man laughed and relished in his pain. "Feel the disease consume you from the inside out."

Tangurple lost any response from his right arm and the disease was rapidly being pumped across his body by his own heart. He pushed off the ground and spun, using his limp arm to smack him across the face. It hit with a loud and hearty THWACK. But that was all he had time for. His right leg gave out and down he went again.

The old man picked him up by the collar of the cloak.

Tangurple glared at him, slammed his forehead into his and then bit off the man's nose. He was quickly dropped, taking the nose with him.

The old man flattened his hands to his face. It was at this moment that he realized the werewolves went silent. His attention was redirected to Enderia who held a purple spear in her hand.

"Sura!" He called out.

Sura was standing beside the cold fireplace, watching. "I did my part. You've got the virus in him and with that, my business here is done." A black portal opened up in front of her and she stepped through, vanishing before them.

"Shit..."

Enderia threw the spear at him and it pierced his chest dealing a heavy dosage of dark magic damage. Backwards against the wall and down he went. She rushed over to Tangurple and picked him up. He was weak, immobile.

My limbs were numb, heavy. My heart was in pain, my lungs struggled to function. The edge of my vision was clouded in a green haze...

Enderia sighed heavily. She carried him over to the stairwell and up they went. If the old man was making a cure, even a defective one, it was going to be upstairs. The topmost floor was the floor above Tangurple's holding cell.  She laid him down on the ground, propped up against the wall. He coughed violently and green swamp muck came out.

She looked around the room very frantically. Cabinets lined the walls and in them were hundreds of different colored vials, none of which were labeled. Various alchemical equipment idled on the countertops waiting to be used as well.

She took a second look at him. His head was partially green already. She looked around the room again and caught a glimpse of an old book beneath some leaves. She grabbed it and flipped it open. The book was a journal filled with notes on the various diseases that boudal had created including symptoms and what he knew about them. She flipped through pages, skim reading each one. About halfway through, she found a section on Swamp Muck.

"Swamp muck is a blood related illness that behaves like a cancer except it adds a few extra bonuses. It multiplies, it restructures the blood into a pure swamp-like substance effectively rendering it useless to the body and unable to transport oxygen to the system. It is a fast acting disease that will kill a human in under an hour after contraction. Symptoms include green veins, skin discoloration, loss of limb control, numbness..."

"Damn it, damn it, is there anything you know about curing this?" She grumbled as she hastily read it.

"Test subject 10: Concoction from Coconut juice, Nightshade, Glenwarts and Ydarr's bulb... Subject Killed... Test 109: Concoction from Coconut Juice, Nightshade, Salt, Elk Tongue... Subject turned to ash..."

"That's it?!" She tossed the book aside. She looked over at him again and he was getting worse. "Think, Enderia. Use what you know..." She opened a set of doors which led to an ingredient cabinet. "Coconut juice in water provides a fluid base, Nightshade kills unwanted growths..." She grabbed both of those ingredients. "He used salt? That does needless damage to blood, uh... Demon Ivy! Regenerative properties..."

Enderia rushed back over to the countertop and flushed the alchemy set with a nearby jug of water. "Crush the nightshade to a powder, mixes easier." she added that to the coconut juice mix. "Demon ivy stalks have a gel in them, squeeze that out into it." She then ran it through the alchemy set, adjusting flame temperatures as needed until it came out the other end into a vial. She grabbed it flipped the vial upside down and popped the cap in his throat.

She watched him, looking for signs of the disease retreating. Nothing. Then she had another idea. She grabbed a syringe off the desk, loaded it with her quickly assembled concoction and injected into his shoulder. The virus immediately retreated from the injection site but quickly filled it in again. She needed more, lots more. She grabbed every ounce of those ingredients that he'd kept in the cabinets and put them to use. She found something that looked like a large surgical tube, connected it to the syringe by removing its plunger, stuck it in him and opened the valve.

It took a few minutes for it to start flowing down the tube.  His right eye had completely changed looking more like a large bubble of green ooze rather than an eye.  As the liquid flowed into his shoulder, it met in the veins and little by little, the disease began to retreat from the injection sight. She sighed heavily in relief and stood up. "You'll live-"

Her moment of celebration was cut off when suddenly, his right eye exploded into green fuzzy jelly. He screamed in agony as its gooey strands dangled from an empty eye socket.

Through his obscured vision, his HUD was only half present and it happily displayed a red glow as his hit points steadily dwindled into double digits. Despite the disease retreating, he still had no muscular control over his whole right half. With the injection method that Enderia had quickly assembled, the Swamp Blood disease was eradicated from him but his body lacked the properties and power to rebuild itself. A second look at his health bar gave him no relief: 5 hit points remaining.

Enderia pulled the IV from his arm and picked him up. "I'll get you fixed up. I happen to know some very crafty anti-theists..."

As they left the tower, one priceless treasure remained: A heavy steel maul, fractured in two...