Chapter 44: Stubborn Bones

  Taking aim, Chastity flung her javelin at the nearest skeleton. It was a direct hit, shattering a rib and lodging within the torso. She could see the back of the javelin protruding through the ribcage. The skeleton stumbled back, then resumed its forward stalking.

  Ah, they don’t exactly have any vital organs to target, Chastity realized. When in doubt, aim for the head!

  Chastity drew another javelin from the elven quiver and launched it at the skeleton’s head. With an audible crack, the javelin penetrated the hollow eye socket and burst through the back of the skull. At this, the skeleton teetered and fell face down on the cave floor.

  Yes! Chastity silently cheered.

  She drew her third and final javelin. The other skeleton was still closing on her and was now outside of her ideal projectile range. Not wanting to lose her final javelin with a potential miss or awkward deflection, the Paladin wielded it like a short spear and jammed it straight into the center of the skeleton’s forehead.

  Cracks spiderwebbed across the skull and the creature’s motion stopped. It sank to its knees with a clatter, then sprawled inert on the ground.

  Not too bad, Chastity congratulated herself. She retrieved her javelins, blowing gross bone dust off their tips, and stowed them in the quiver. Now back to exploring.

  But wait. Something was off.

  Shouldn’t I have gotten experience points for that? Chastity thought. She usually got experience for resolving any kind of threat or problem, and here she had handily dispatched two Level 2 undead creatures. Is it because I’m double their level or something?

  The answer soon revealed itself, as a scratching and creaking noise drew her attention back to the ground. Each skeleton drew itself slowly up to a standing position, turned toward Chastity, and threateningly advanced once more. They continued their deliberate step, step, step–making no sound beyond the clacking of their bones and expressing no emotion or intelligence beyond their unswerving advance.

  No! Not as easy as I thought…

  Chastity drew a javelin again and backed away. She swung her torch side to side, making sure not to fall into a pit as she retreated. The skeletons were slow, and that gave her time to think.

  I only have 16 Focus Points left. Smite Evil costs 10, and besides, I can only do that once per day. Still, maybe double damage will put these things down.

  Chastity backed away further, glancing at several deep pits that had been carved out during the mining operation. She got an idea. Maneuvering through a narrower stretch between several holes, she could create a bottleneck. If they didn’t just walk into one of the pits, the two skeletons would bunch up and she just might be able to hit both with a single throw.

  The skeletons, despite their apparent mindlessness, stepped around the holes in their pursuit. But her strategy was working, as one skeleton was now walking closely in front of the other. She looked at the skeletons, trying to recall some of her pre-med anatomy lessons.

  Maybe if I can hit the first one right in the sternum, or even through the cervical vertebrae…

  “Smite Evil!”

  Once again, hot energy radiated down her arm and enveloped her weapon-clutching hand. She narrowed her eyes and threw with all her strength.

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  Bullseye!

  Chastity couldn’t be sure if she had actually gotten the two-for-one special she had hoped for, but the force of the attack caused the first skeleton’s ribcage to burst apart. The skull was separated, and one of the arms fell to the ground. The second skeleton was also knocked back, various bones splintering off from the impact.

  “Yes! Take that!” Chastity hollered.

  Looking at the heap of bones, Chastity decided to kick them down into the nearest, deepest hole she could find. One looked to be roughly nine feet deep and the pesky bones made a satisfying crashing sound as they landed.

  That’s more like it! Chastity thought. Hold on… still no experience points?

  After a brief silence, an ominous clattering began once again. Holding the torch and peering into the pit, Chastity prepared herself for the disappointment. It was much worse than that.

  Before her eyes, the pile of bones reassembled itself by whatever dark power animated them. But instead of two skeletons, the bones merged into one dreadful creature. Instead of a humanoid shape, the creature now had what looked to be four long protruding skeletal legs, each with an assortment of grasping fingers at the ends. The two skulls were smashed closely together in the center of the bony body at the end of an arching spine, one missing its lower jaw.

  Chastity got goosebumps all over and shivered.

  “Identify,” she said, not even really wanting to know.

  The new creature was wreathed in a glowing outline.

  Chastity backed away from the pit, moving to the far side of the chamber. She brushed away the notification about her Identify proficiency increasing. She could hear the monster scrabbling, clawing at the walls. Based on the size of its combined form she didn’t doubt it would be able to clamber out of the hole soon enough.

  I’m burning Focus Points and the creature is just getting stronger! Chastity realized. Should I run away? I might be stuck down here with this horrible thing if I can’t contain it or defeat it.

  Chastity remembered the last undead creatures she had faced–the high level Ruin Wraiths. They had been incorporeal, and only through the holy water-infused stone sword was she able to damage them.

  Oh no…

  “Inventory,” she said.

  At her command there was a chime, and her inventory grid appeared in her vision. She saw the scroll, the codex, the map, and… the jar of Holy Pickled Elf Ears. She scrutinized the item.

  Holy Water was just one ingredient Charlie used for this. Probably much too diluted to coat on my javelins. Do I need to… eat the mushrooms? Will it even do anything? It seems like sacrilege!

  The clattering noise intensified. The bone crawler was actively trying to escape the pit, its actions more frenzied than before.

  Here goes nothing, thought Chastity.

  Propping the sputtering torch against the cave wall, she extracted the jar from her invisible inventory and wrestled open the lid. The scent was tangy, acidic, vinegary–but way, way better than the pickled fish. The mushrooms really did resemble ears. Chastity forced herself not to think of a specimen jar of animal parts floating in formaldehyde in some lab or museum basement.

  Chastity reached in, grabbed two of the mushrooms and popped them in her mouth. She chewed quickly, watching as the tips of bone appendages scraped over the lip of the pit.

  Hmmm!

  The flavor was actually not bad. Musky, umami, herbaceous notes, a little bit of tangy sweetness too. The mushrooms were slippery–not the nicest texture–but Chastity immediately felt a swell of heady power within her. An inner warmth without heat.

  “God bless you, Charlie Cucumber and your sacrilegious pickles!”