Underdark- Unending Abyss Region
Cavern of Damnation

I staggered away from the dead boss, that had finally gone down. I had never fought a Black Guard before and it had been an interesting fight. One I did not want to repeat any time soon. I looked around, all the others while somewhat banged up, were alive and well. I hobbled over to the Demons body and looted it before sitting on the damned bastard. "Take a break, eat, and recover then we will push on," I told them as I pulled out some jerky and a canteen filled with water. 

Besides having a bubble skill, Az'Gis had an AoE spell and a direct damage spell like my Shadow Bolts. "Ok, anyone want to educate me on what a Black Guard is in case we run into another one again?" I asked them. 

Thelgrum nodded, "Think of them like a Paladin, but instead of a god for a patron they will have a Demon lord for a patron. Usually, they are only Demons that gain the Class, but if a Paladin falls they can gain the Class as well if they make a Pact with a Demon Lord." the Dwarf explained, no wonder the Demon had been difficult to kill, even with my lucky shot. 

"Ok, so that explains the magic and why it was a tough fight, I thought life-saving skills were higher level Skills?" I prodded the Dwarf who shrugged his shoulders.

"I can't tell you what I do not know. Mine doesn't unlock until I hit Level forty and I assume you are the same?" I nodded my head in agreement and Thelgrum sighed. "I know the Demon had Dark Smite and Dark Desolation spells, anything else, I have no idea." the Paladin stated and I nodded.

The desolation spell was similar to my bog spell, but while my spell dealt Plague damage, Az'Gis dealt Shadow-based damage. Not much, but the cumulative damage had hurt all of us and had left both Drax and Mug desperate to keep everyone alive long enough for the spell to finish. While Thelgrum did have several useful skills to counter Shadow, Death, and Plague-based magic, none of it could counter an AoE. If we had a Cleric or Priest of the Light or a follower of one of the 'Light' gods, it would have been a far different fight. 

The jerky was followed by some dried fruit and bread before I finished the contents of the canteen before pulling up the information on what I had looted. We got another forty gold, a dozen uncut gems, eight potions, and two pieces of equipment. 

Both were excellent finds, while this Dungeon was beginning to suck, at least the rewards were better. "Rory, Thelgrum, come over here and take a look at these," I called the two over and both men studied the equipment as I handed them over. "If they are not upgrades for you, hand them back over and I will find a use for them," I told them as they studied the helm and shield. 

Rory took the helm with only a moment's hesitation, while Thelgrum declined the shield. I shoved it into my Inventory, considering I had been a Ranger before becoming a Dark Templar, I had no idea if it was a good find or something that was more 'eh. I would have to ask Tarren since he was Templar, he probably had a better idea of what good shields stats were. If not him, to the wiki I would go. 

Ten minutes later, Chalxae was scouting ahead again, but the tunnel was surprisingly barren of any life and the Assassin reported only a few traps that she had easily disarmed. The tunnel dumped us into a chamber that once housed what I assumed was the village Gem'Lock Tribe. There was no wall, about two dozen buildings that are ruins now more than anything else, and a building that I assumed was the Chieftain's Hall or whatever the Orc equivalent to a town hall. 

However, my attention was focused on a ritual that was being conducted in what remained of the village common area. Several regular Demons, and at least a dozen Shadow and Fire Imps, surrounded a ritualistic circle where a shrouded figure was casting some sort of spell. If you haven't learned by now, ritual magic=big, huge, dangerous magic. Considering the quest said a Demon horde was coming through if I failed to clear the dungeon, it was probably some attempt to open a portal to one of the Abyssal planes.

We hid at the edges of the village while both June and Chalxae scouted ahead, in case one was caught for any reason, I wanted them to have immediate support from the other. While it was a risk to send them scouting ahead, it would be idiotic to assume that whoever was running this was unaware that someone had infiltrated the Dungeon. Ten tense minutes later, both Drow rejoined us and Chalxae started drawing a rough map on the ground at our feet. 

"Obviously, they are conducting a ritual, three secondary circles are powering the main one where they are trying to open a long-term portal. Each circle has four Imps and two regular Demons. The primary circle has Grurez the Fallen and four Succubii, and another Demon called Borgal is monitoring the whole thing outside all the circles. We got close enough to Analyze Grurez, he is an Undead Revenant. Those are the only two named creatures that we could find." June reported as she finished drawing her map. 

I looked at Thelgrum, "You want the Undead or Demon?" I asked the Dwarf and he pointed to the central circle. "I got the Demon, you realize you will be putting yourself in the greater danger from both the Demons conducting the ritual and if there is any backlash from disrupting the ritual," I warned the Dwarf and earned a nod. 

I looked at the others, "Ok, buff up and get ready for the throwdown, the primary targets are the two named bosses and disrupting their ritual." I told them as I checked to make sure the seal was easy to get to and ready when and if I needed it. I quickly cast my Buffs on the group. "Fenwyn, since your group is taking on the Undead, you are going right at them through the village, our group is going to skirt around and hit them from behind. Give us thirty seconds to get into position before you come out and start the party." I told the Gnome.

She nodded her head and we split up, it was a risk but one that would increase our odds at succeeding. Sneaking and plate armor, really don't mix that well, but I did the best I could, and based on the amused looks I was getting I was failing miserably. Good thing the chanting and whatever else they were doing, covered up any sounds I made. As we stopped and waited for the others to come down the main path I used Analyze on the two bosses. 

I shook my head, these guys while powerful, were getting their health boosted to insane levels by the Dungeon considering their classes. However, I was thankfully neither one was a warrior of some type, otherwise, their health pools would be even bigger. Thankfully, Fate Online used real-world mechanics somewhat. Meaning if your head got cut off, it didn't matter if your health pool had a million hit points, you were still dead. 

That's where armor and skills with actual weapons helped keep you alive and why I had chosen the ranger class. Kill people at a distance and if all else fails, I had Backstab to help even the odds. However once everything had happened with Ava, I needed an edge. A well-rounded class that could both take and dealt damage, had severely limited my class choices. It was also the only thing that had kept me alive more than once since I had tripped over the Vampire Race and this whole diabolical thing had started. 

Any other thoughts were put to the side when Thelgrum and his party showed up. Grurez let out a little shriek of pain as the Paladin hit him with a spell, disrupting whatever he was doing but the Succibi around him kept chanting and whatever spell kept going. "Deal with them, I will deal with the other party!" Borgal snapped at the Revenant before turning our way. He sneered at us and shook his head, "You can't stop us Vampire, and I don't know why you would want to." the Demon stated before darting foreword.

Damn! He was fast and I triggered my transformation and both Elder's Rage and Aura of Terror. While Borgal missed only a step before shaking off the effects, the nearest circle wasn't so lucky and all the Demons there scattered or cowered in absolute terror. While it caused a more noticeable effect on the central circle the ceremony was being conducted, the spell continued. 

FUCK!

Then Borgal was on me and I was too busy trying to keep the Demon at bay. Even with the ten percent boost to my attack speed, I was having difficulty keeping up with the Demon, so I thrust my hand towards the ground and cast Bog of Plagued Shadows as the others started firing at Borgal. I expected the Demon to get a face full of arrows, but he smirked and disappeared ten feet away. "You are going to have to do bet--" I cut off his monologuing as I triggered my charge and taunt skills.

Two things happened, one several of the Demons scrambling to restart their part of the ritual broke off, but more importantly, Borgal was caught off guard and distracted and completely missed me breaking the Seal of a Blood Debt. 

Borgal didn't miss the huge crack of thunder as the Group Teleport was triggered and a squad of the Heart Guard appeared. "Disrupt the ritual, kill the Demons, and anything that comes!" I snarled out before I sent Moonlight slicing towards the surprised Borgals' neck but the Rogue dropped down low as the other Vampires swarmed the ritual and started killing the Demons. 

The Heart Guard were the elite of the Vampire people, they had extensive training, some of the best armor and weapons the throne could build or buy, coupled with decades or even centuries of experience, and you had a badass unit that could take on larger groups. The only way to take them out was with overwhelming numbers or with another elite unit, neither of which Borgal had at the moment. 

More importantly, his imminent failure provided an even bigger distraction allowing Chalxae to finally sink her daggers into the other Rogue. I give credit to Borgal, he recovered more quickly than I would think possible, but it didn't change the fact a quarter of his health was gone or that I didn't miss the guy's neck a second time. The Demon's body staggered a couple of feet before collapsing. 

I looked over to see how the Heart Guard and Fenwyn's group was doing, the Revenant was down and the Demons had pulled back to the central circle where they were making their last stand. "Sessa, drop your smoke them!" I called out to the Pyromancer and she dropped her AoE spell on the tight group. While Demons were innately resistant to both Shadow and Fire Damage, their Resistance did nothing to help with smoke inhalation and the resulting consequences. 

The Demons came stumbling out of the dense smoke, coughing and trying to breathe but we were there to meet them with weapons or magic. Those that emerged were quickly cut down and when the smoke finally dispersed none of the Demons remained. "At least you used the debt for a good reason." I looked over to see Isiah removing his helmet and staring at the wreckage we had created. "Do I want to know what this was all about?" he asked me and I chuckled.

"Probably not, but I will be into the city in the next day or so to report to the queen what happened," I told him and he nodded. With another clap of thunder, they were gone as they were recalled to the city. I quickly looted both bosses, with what was happening, I didn't want anyone to end up with some cursed object or an item of power that could twist them. I hadn't averted a Demonic invasion just to start another one.