I followed Philip and Thomas around the cabin and into the cave mouth. Thankfully Lillith had been able to give us interior details, but I would much prefer having a map or first hand knowledge. Angiola made the 3D diagram and that was going to be helpful, but we were still having to trust Lilith's word. I still wasn't sure if her helping us was a ruse or not. This was still better than going in blind, but The Order made sure to be tip of the spear. Manus Patris was right on our heels, all of them excellent fighters but mortal nonetheless. There was also the somewhat glowing remains of the animated warriors we had been fighting against moments earlier, a wildcard to be sure, but we would gladly accept the help. We went in, the MP activating IR illuminators and flipping down NVD’s mounted to their helmets. The blessings we got from the cross implants meant Thomas, Philip and I could see about as well as a clear night with a full moon despite the darkness. I loved NVD’s but didn't want the tunnel vision even the newest models can cause when going after something as fast as a powerful Vamp. Ahead of us the cave opened up and was roughly 15 feet wide by 12 feet high. The floor was worn smooth but there was the occasional outcropping on one side or the other from time to time narrowing the cave by a few feet. After a hundred yards or so the cave opened up slightly, there was a large area and I could faintly make out markings on the walls from the tribe that once worshiped The Eater Of Souls. The “room” was probably 50 yards deep and 30 yards across. As soon as we got into the common area, absolute chaos erupted from the still animated corpses. They seemed absolutely enraged and tore off down the corridor before we had a chance to take in the room completely. There was another tunnel going off at about 10 o'clock from our current position. The large space around us appeared to be clear and we spread out watching all the angles, including up, just to be sure. We got to the tunnel entrance and stacked at the mouth. If Lilith's information was correct, this should go for about 15 yards then have another opening to the left. This was Sĕigos room, then the cave continued for another 30 yards and opened up to where The Eater Of Souls usually dwelled. That area, we didn't have a lot of information on as Lilith tried to avoid that area as much as possible. I triggered my throat mic 2 clicks to get Philips attention, he turned around and tilted his head. I pointed at myself, then held up one finger, then at him and held up 2 fingers and pointed left, then Thomas, three fingers and right. The MP team paused behind us and would fill out the area as we entered. They were a tight team and didn't need my help with basic CQB tactics. I only stopped Philip because I wanted to take point on this. I was there when Shay escaped our custody and was ready for a rematch. Plus after living through so many of Sĕigo’s memories, I felt like I had a better understanding of his thought process, as twisted as it was. Philip nodded and I had my LMT at the low ready before pausing briefly at the entrance to Sĕigo’s room. I bobbed my head in a dramatic manner as a count down. On the third bob of my head we exploded into the room. I went straight in as Thomas and Philip fanned right and left. Manus Patris was right on our heels and spread out as well. There were no shouts of “clear” or anything like that, we were trying to be as stealthy as possible, although the things we were hunting likely knew exactly where we were. However with The Order, you never knew what protection we may have at any given moment. Despite being apex predators with superior vision, hearing and sense of smell, they may be completely clueless until we walk into the same room. We never really knew how a battle would play out. Stealth and surprise can't be counted on, but are always good habits to exercise.
We were heading back into the main tunnel and exiting Sĕigo's room when we heard an unholy racket echoing down the hall, as well as a call in a language I didn't know but was somehow familiar with. As I led the way down the tunnel towards where The Eater Of Souls normally dwelled, what sounded like a battle continued to echo down the chamber. We rushed down the chamber a bit quicker than normal hoping that when the restless animated dead went on their rampage, they knew where they were going. I got to an area where the cave seemed to open up and it was absolutely massive! I could see into an area big enough an entire baseball stadium could fit comfortably in. Thomas, Philip and the Manus Patris members stacked up behind me as I stood there slack jawed in absolute awe. A glowing skeletal figure was hurled 100 feet or more to slam into the ground with a clatter. There in the pitch black of the cave, the two remaining creatures held off roughly 50 reanimated corpses. Shay and Sĕigo moved like a blur, dismantling anything that got close to them. The deceased warriors, likely sacrificed prisoners from neighboring tribes, were fearless and attacked with total abandon. I watched as Shay grabbed one man in mid air before slamming him to the ground. He followed up with an elbow to the skull and it shattered into dust as the glow left the warrior's body. Manus Patris fanned out around Thomas, Philip and I then paused looking for instruction. I wasn’t sure when we should intervene, if we should wait and let the reanimated warriors have their turn or join in the fight. I didn't want to insult the brave men but we really couldn’t just stand here watching. Thomas took the decision out of my hands, launching an arrow at Shay’s prone form before he could stand up from smashing his opponent's skull. To my amazement, Shay looked up when he heard the bowstring hum and smiled before catching the arrow. Shay and Sĕigo both looked directly to the entrance and smiled at the entering opposition.
The time had finally come and Sĕigo would have his revenge. He recognized Tobias immediately, it was like there was a link between the two of them that lingered in his bones. He stared at the tall man, holding a rifle at the low ready as the rest of his team spread out around him. It was odd because there were several men, but three of them didn't have the night vision goggles like the rest but seemed to see just fine. It would seem that Sĕigo wasn’t the only one here blessed with odd abilities from their Gods. Sĕigo clapped his hands sending a wave of destruction straight towards the opening where the men were fanning out. Similar to what he sent at the sniper who had killed his master, but this would end the battle at once. He poured everything he had left into this attack and he could feel his dark energy draining almost completely as he sent it. He could feel his skin dry out and shrivel and he knew he no longer appeared “normal” as he had right after the sacrifices made to him. It didn't matter, as long as he could kill these intruders and avenge his God he could rest well knowing he had won. The wave of necromantic energy would hit the group like a title wave and sear the very souls from their bodies before peeling the flesh from their bones. As the attack struck, the cave lit up with the brilliance of a midday sun.
I watched as Sĕigo, the lich launched an attack at us. I could feel all the hatred and malice pouring off of him in waves before it was concentrated and was flung outward. I was pretty sure members of The Order would survive this attack but I hated that we would likely lose all of our Manus Patris contingent. The agony of losing these men in battle, after the loss we were hit with from dealing with The Dark Pope hit me like a sucker punch. My guts clinched in response before I felt a welling up in my chest and an overwhelming sense of peace. I felt a joy and comfort flowing out of me and into my companions like a physical force. There was a bright flash of light that accompanied the feeling and I watched as the Manus Patris members all turned their heads and raised the NVD’s when the light show hit. As soon as it came on the light was gone, but the attack wave from the Lich had passed as well. The attack had been completely deflected by whatever that light was. Dust billowed out around us and rocks began to crack as the deflected wave slammed into the walls to either side of us with brutal force. I guess I should probably thank The Pope for the pre-battle blessings? Manus Patris all shed their NVD’s after the light show shorted out the devices all together, before turning on their weapon mounted flashlights. Everyone immediately opened fire on Sĕigo and Shay, as spent .308 brass hit the cave floor. Smoke haze fluttered through the beams of light as the battle commenced in earnest.
We advanced forward and contended to fire at the Lich and Vampire. I tried to break down the body of the lich, aiming for the joint of the knees and hips, desperately trying to cripple him. I hammered round after round into the lich before swapping in a fresh mag from my chest rig. Shay the Vamp almost materialized on top of the Manus Patris man to my left, going straight for his throat. I could feel the warm arterial spray hitting the side of my face as he collapsed. I dropped my LMT and let it hang from the sling as I reached out to pull him off of the man. Philip dropped his rifle to the sling as well and immediately drew his pair of khopesh, the Egyptian blades he was so comfortable with. I grabbed Shay from behind, pinning his arms to his side and yelled “Now!” As loudly as I could, knowing we would only have a fraction of a second to act. I felt the impact on my ceramic plate, as an arrow from Thomas zipped through Shay’s heart. Shay went limp as the wooden shaft was embedded into his black heart. I leaned back as far as I could and Philips blades crossed within inches of my face taking off Shay’s head as Philip crossed his arms and used both blades like a massive pair of scissors, pruning off the powerful Vampires head at last. I dropped Shay’s twitching body as ichor spewed from the stump of his neck, leaving only the Lich to take care of before we could end this chapter and rest.
Sĕigo watched his only remaining friend fell to the members of The Order in absolute astonishment. How were any of them still alive, he had devastated entire war parties with that attack in the past. And what was that flash of light before impact, it felt so wrong, so incredibly alien to any power he had ever known. He caught motion out of the corner of his eye and turned to see an absolute mountain of a man leap towards him, a tomahawk in each hand. The impact was like being hit by a charging buffalo, the tomahawks impacting both sides of his collarbone and not stopping until they were embedded in his thoracic cavity. He tried to bring up his arms to suck the soul out of his attacker but his arms were paralyzed with the metal impediments still embedded. The bruit landed with his knees on Sĕigos chest and the air rushed out of his lungs and past his lips. Sĕigo gasped for a breath to utter a curse that would strip the very soul from his attacker.
I watched as Carter leapt and attacked the lich. I was horrified because I knew what would happen if the Lich had a chance to touch or utter a curse at him. Carter must have known as well, because his attack crippled Sĕigo as well as drove the air from its lungs. Manus Patris knew their stuff, but this still wasn’t over. Quickly I raised my LMT and blew the lower jaw off the Lich so that he could no longer speak, his lower jaw and tongue landing on the floor of the cave. The Lich wouldn’t be able to curse him now! Of course this wouldn’t kill the Lich, and we knew it. The same brave warrior who I spoke with in my vision was immediately at Carter's side. He pulled out his own tomahawk, this one tipped in razor sharp obsidian flint. He stabbed it into the chest cavity of the Litch and pried away the breast bone exposing the blackened and still beating heart. He leaned in close and got face to face with the Lich and yelled out in his native language before spitting in his face and ripping the heart out and tossing it at my feet. I could hear the translation in my head, and from the looks on the faces around me, so could everyone else. “This ends now. You betrayed our people and the clean spirits of this earth, turning your back on everyone to serve that evil beast. No more!” It sent a shiver down my spine as I pulled a white phosphorus grenade off my vest.
“Cover your eyes, It’s gonna get bright.” I said as I pulled the pin and shoved the white phosphorous grenade into the ragged chunk of still beating hate. I let the spoon go and took several steps back, then turned my head away. There was a Puff, and the Lich let out an unholy cry of anguish, even without his jaw. Sĕigo shriveled up, skin cracking and his skeleton becoming visible as the cracking skin flaked off in heaps. A dark orb floated above him and Carter quickly hopped off the rapidly rotting corpse. It hovered there briefly before slowly dissipating. We had destroyed his phylactery so there was nowhere for the twisted spirit to go… It was finally over. Well, this was over at least. We still had The Baba Yaga to deal with. No clue what Simon and her were up to but hopefully we wouldn’t end up in another battle.