Yuri Looked into the room, his face twisting into a disgusted look, they say you get used to such sights the more your a hunter. But, as Yuri knew all to well, the mythical "they" were full of shit usually. Shaking his head he called over to Marcus
"Nothing more we can do here for him, lets move on." Without really waiting for a reply Yuri carefully made his way out into the hallway, but the further he moved on the stronger the stench of decay became. Yuri tried to power through it, as he could see a doorway at the end of the hall. As he walked he shook his head from time to time as the walls seemed to melt away a points, leaving behind barely hewn or carved stone. All the while the cold feeling at the base of his spine flashed back to life, staying this time, causing Yuri to swear softly.
Finally he and Marcus came to the doorway, beyond which seemed to be a large side shrine. The gate leading to its modest alter was flung wide open, and its candles still burned as if someone had been tending to them this entire time. That mixed with the lack of any form of pew or kneeling area gave the entire shrine a sinister feeling. Looking left and right Yuri took a step into the room, his scythe at the ready, only to have his boot make a squelching noise as he put his weight on the carpet. Casting a quick look around the room, seeing no spilled containers or anything that would have otherwise soaked the carpet to this extent. Against his better judgement Yuri traced his gaze up. As he did the feeling in his spine began to work its way up, it's icy fingers slowly proceeding.
Hanging from the high roof were multiple bodies, in various states of decay, their feet spike to the ceiling. Yuri coughed slightly as he tried to keep from wreching. As he looked however the icy feeling made its way to his neck and forced him to snap his head back to the small alter, where a large skeleton, amalgamed from what looked like three bodies dropped to the floor, making it seem to tilt inexplicably downward at a slight angle. It shuddered as other bodies dropped next to it and began to move.
"This could be fun, bad, or horrific." Yuri said to almost no one in particular, but loud enough for Marcus to hear "My bet is all three."
Marcus simply back out of the room as they made their way further in, He felt that the walls were somehow not real, at least not the stone moarder from the chapel. As they entered the room that instantly felt more sinister, He watched as Yuri stopped, slowly looking upwards. He didnt' want to, but he was torn to do the same. As he did he saw to his horror bodies hanging from the ceiling. Marcus instantly lifted his left arm to cover his nose of the stench. As he two felt the urge to puke. He looked at the skeleton, as it began to move he started side stepping and raised his weapon ready to fight, Hearing Yuri he looked at him, surprised.
"Fun? You seriously worry me my friend." He said...even though deep down, his heart filled with adrenaline as he got excited for the battle himself. Perhaps he should really worry about himself.
A few more bodies fell next to each of them, each moaning as they grotesquely tried to stand up. Marcus instantly decapitated two of them with two quick swings of his sword. Kicking one of the heads up and at the large Skeleton, to gain it's attention.
Yuri followed Marcus into the fray, his scythe launching into a dervish of motion, catching one of the animate corpses under its chin with the point of the blade. Twisting the shaft and sliding his hands down towards the end of the shaft, Yuri wrenched the blade free into a wide vicious side stroke the clean cut another of the corpses head at the jawline. All the while he could feel his heart beat, the rythim of combat someone had called it once. but to Yuri it was a tempo to dance the dervish to. Still he remained conscious of the fact that the cold fingers had begun to try to worm their way into his mind
"Stand down your not needed right now monster" he yelled internally, an action that prompted a response from the cold, a low cackling laugh as well as a wave of emotions. Still he fought through it in internally and externally, his fighting only speeding up as he fought to give Marcus some cover as well as move to a point where he could engage the Amalgam.
The Amalgam didn't even seem to register the impact of the head, save for the fact that the three skulls mounted on the thing turned towards Marcus with a grinding sound, their mouths falling open in a silent scream. Immediately it dropped and charged the hunter, its movement a twisting forest of legs and arms.
It was creepy, seeing the three headed skeleton monster focus his attention on him. He raised his sword arm high into the air, slightly tilted towards the creature in a 90 degree angle. While Yuri was taking the brunt of the undead, Marcus charged the skeleton, undaunted by the creature. He bellowed a war cry as he drew close he raised his shield and full on body slammed the monster with his shield protecting him, knocking the creature over The multiple arms and legs began to thrash as he rolled off and turned around striking at the arms one by one, breaking them with his sword. He was about to slam his blade into one of the heads but suddenly another body fell. Right on top of him. Letting out a grunt as the air was knocked out of him, he quickly rolled around till he was out from under the dead body which was slowly trying to get at him.
This gave the Amalgam time to get up, and a few more corpses falling to the ground surrounding him. He started to fight off the undead with precision strikes, lopping off heads, with relative ease. But the bodies kept on dropping, and pushing him back into a corner. "Ah shit." He said as the amalgam continued towards him.
Yuri couldn't help but grin as he threw his full body into a diagonal downwards cut, that tore one of the decaying bodies to its navel. Ripping his weapon free, Yuri turned to see Marcus be dropped by one of the falling corpses.
"Hold on!" Yuri shouted as he began to sprint his way towards the sword wielding hunter. As he neared Marcus, Yuri twisted his body so his scythe made a full swing with the force of his entire body behind it, the point of the blade easily breaking into the skull of the shambling body. Now normally one would recover their weapon and continue the offensive, but it seemed that one of the cold fingers had wormed its way deeper into Yuri's thoughts than he had anticipated, as to him it seemed that he almost fell into a waking dream, watching from some far off place as his mouth broke into a wide toothy grin and he let off a slight cackle as he rushed the amalgam. Dropping his shoulder he hit it full force, sending himself and the thing sprawling. He could feel the monster inside himself pushing his body to keep going, but Yuri forced his way back into control, much to the monster's dismay. Rolling backwards Yuri came to his feet next to his weapon, which upon wrenching free he used to continue his bloody assault to cover Marcus.
The Amalgam once more tired to get up, it fumbling slightly as it tried to use limbs that Marcus had hacked away. But it eventually stumbled to its feet and seemed to begin to rampage it's way to the two hunters, crushing any corpses in its way. If undead could be angry, it was livid.
Marcus didn't notice the cackle as he focused on using his shield to bash corpse's and lopping off their heads. Saving his energy for the only sure way of stopping them. He did see the huge amalgam be toppled over again, but before he had the chance of clearing the undead, Yuri had managed to get next to him, easing the load. The man was a weapon, not dignified or trained like a knight, but his attacks were brutal and very effective. The Amalgam came back up and charged both of them. Looking more ferocious than before Crushing it's own minions as he came.
Marcus ran forward, and spun to his left, as he did swinging his all the way around his body and slamming it into it's legs, breaking two with one swing The creature had managed to stop and turn, but not before Marcus jumped and crushed the left head with his sword. Causing the creature to roar in pain. He even managed to smash his shield into the other, but only cracked it as he was thrown off.
He let out a grunt as he rolled backwards and onto his knees. The creature was relentless, rushing up to him and slamming it's remaining arms down upon Marcus. He raised his shield, blocked, parried with his sword as much as he could as he managed to get back onto his feet.
He tried to bash the body again of the Amalgam but he had not enough momentum and it did little to gain him an advantage. He missed one arm as it came from the side and hit him in the side of the face, sending him rolling like a rag doll and losing his sword as it skittered across the stone carpet.
He got back up, dazed though at the blow.
"That's the best you can do? My sister can hit harder than that." he said, mostly to himself...he had no idea if the creature could even understand him. He looked for his sword, but while he did he changed his stance to a more defensive one with his shield raised for either attack or defense.
The Amalgam shook as it reared up to its full height, it's remaining arms reached out to seize the knight. Its broken head listed on it's neck as the creature moved, and the more it moved the angrier the thing became, its claw like hands moving rapidly, as if it was waiting to shred Marcus. But just as it began its final assault, Yuri's scythe embedded itself in the thing's shared rib-cages.
Pulling with all his might, the hunter yelled at the top of his lungs as he pulled the amalgam, working an angle on it's bad legs. Once more the thing came toppling down, roaring as it did. Spinning his body, Yuri got out of the way of the thing, but was unable to work his scythe loose before the amalgam toppled, trapping the weapon underneath it's mass.
thinking on his feet Yuri jumped on the amalgam's torso and quickly dropped to his knees, as he began to smash the cracked skull in with his fists and elbows. He could feel the cold working more holds into his mind, but at this point he didn't care, he just wanted this thing dead.
The Amalgam screamed in pain once more as Yuri managed to crack and break the weakened skull. It's hands lashed out wildly, a couple catching Yuri's face and side. The hands gabbed hold and smashed Yuri into the ground as they tore at his flesh. Yuri kicked at the thing and managed to get far enough to stand, blood oozing from the tear marks on his face and a large stain appearing on the side of his overcoat. The Amalgam stood as well, only this time with the loss of two of its heads, its seemed more off balance. Ignoring Yuri's weapon that was till embedded in its ribs, the amalgam roared and began moving. As before it seemed to cut down anything in its way towards it's foes.
Marcus was grateful for the distraction Yuri was able to give as he found his sword. But it was behind more undead. He ran towards it, using the edge of his shield to bash into them as they drew too close. Often having to spin three hundred and sixty degrees to gain the momentum to crush the skulls of the next one.
By the time he got to his sword, the amalgam was standing up once again, and Yuri looked worse for wear. He reached down and gripped his blade backwards, so the pommel was on the inside of his grip.
He then turned and sprinted at the monster, just as another undead was standing back up, he placed his left foot on it's shoulder and pushed off, jumping into the air as he came at the amalgam from the side. As he held the blade reversed, he only had to punch forward for the blade to catch the last head by the neck. easily breaking the last head off. He landed and rolled quickly spinning the sword properly into his hand, spinning and slamming it into it's lower back, severing it's spine,
With it's last head gone, the body of the amalgam shuddered and collapsed in on itself, whatever magic was holding it together undone by the loss. Yuri made his way to his weapon, stomping his boot down on the head a crawling corpse a couple times, until its stopped moving. Shaking his foot, Yuri grabbed his scythe and turned to observe the carnage. Now re-dead bodiess were strewn all over in pieces, bones from the Amalgam were dotted here and there, there were a few bodies still moving slowly, but probably no more than a couple.
Yuri took a deep breath, the sting from his injuries and forming bruises sending an ache shooting through his body. Still he remained standing, seemingly unfazed, but listing ever so slightly.
"Well that could have gone much, much worse." He looked over at Marcus "Nice technique by the way."
As he spoke a latch seemed to open as a door appeared behind what once seemed to be the alter of a small shrine. As it opened it revealed a set of descending stairs, thankfully at a flat angle and not the slight incline the room was still in.
Marcus nodded at Yuri when he complemented his technique, He then said,
"Impressive fighting style you have." He flicked his blade, blood splattering on the ground.
"Never seen anything like it." He looked over to the door that opened, right in front it was the alter, and now he noticed there was a spear...an old spear. that rested upon it. Candles surrounded it and it looked like candles were added ontop of older ones, making a large mess dripping down the side.
He took a few steps forward looking at the spear.
"What is this?" He said mostly to himself.
"Tag," cackled a voice as a hand reached out and yanked Yuri down into the floor. As though he was standing in quick sand and not on solid stone. Dropping him in the curtained room.