Chapter 10 – Part 16

Death and carnage awaited his eyes.

For a moment, Orphan’s mind was seized by terror as he thought Delegado was dead as well, but his friend was still breathing.

The half-orc bounty hunter was the only one in the chamber who was.

Well technically the flayer breathed, but Orphan would remedy that. The flayer hadn’t heard the warforged monk, concentrating intently on controlling the few remaining thralls in the tunnel – who apparently were being finished off by something that had been protected by bursts of fire and lightning.

All dead. Everyone who came with them. Save for Delegado.

And K’gah, the gnoll would be coming around the corner with his huge sword in moments.

Perfect.

Orphan dashed forward, leapt, and slammed both feet into the flayer’s back. The thing shrieked in pain, even its resistance to wounds couldn’t wholly block out a double blunt trauma to its spine.

Orphan fell atop the thing, and snaked his arms behind its inhuman neck. The flayer wriggled and tried to bring its tentacles to bear, but Orphan was behind it. “Not so tough when someone has the drop on you, eh?” Orphan crowed.

Shuffling footsteps made Orphan glance to the tunnel. One of the gnolls was shambling forward. Its flesh was white and desiccated, and it was accompanied by an undead thing that had eaten its life-force and changed it.

Wight, the headband noted mechanically. Damage resistant to non-magical attacks. Drains life force with a touch. Creates spawn. Warforged likely are immune.

But a sleeping Delegado wasn’t.