A Crown of Broken Runes (ACOBR)

The Floors (Part Two)

"Good morning Impulse!"

Impulse turned around, realising that his friend was awake.

"Good morning! How'd you sleep?"

"Good! Very good actually!" His wide-eyed friend responded cheerily.

Impulse chuckled as his companion sat up with a start. His bewildered expression slowly faded as he remembered where he was.

He sat up and grabbed his bed, stowing it into his inventory. After the last green bedsheet was safely tucked away, the friends left the balcony. Impulse went first, cautiously edging his way up the glass steps.

He could hear Bdubs' footsteps tapping behind him, the only other sound was the gentle bubbling of lava nearby. As they made their way farther, a new sound began to grow louder.

The chorus of groans and wails grew almost deafening in volume as they approached a new pair of doors. The walls shifted abruptly into spiky, black obsidian before arcing over two doors that stood before them. Two pressure plates sat on the floor before the doors, tempting the men to walk forward.

Bracing himself, Impulse walked forwards. Bdubs drew up next to him, and they both entered the room. Once they went through, the doors snapped shut behind them, barring the way back. The moans and keens were even louder here, and another set of doors and plates stood in front of the hermits. Beyond the iron barriers, Impulse could just barely see a writing mass of green, decaying flesh, pounding at the doors hungrily.

"Are you ready, Bdubs?" Impulse said, loading a crossbow.

Bdubs nodded, retrieving a sword from his inventory, "Yes. Yes I think I am."

With that, they opened the doors.

They were immediately separated by the flood of zombies. Impulse kept them at bay with his sword.

How are there so many?

"BDUBS" he hollered, "BDUBS, YOU OK BUDDY?"

A few seconds passed, and Impulse struck down droves of foes. However, several still managed to smack his face.

8 hearts left.

"YEAH I'M—" his friend cut off abruptly. Impulse could just make out the sounds of fighting from the other side of the room.

"I'M OK YEAH!" Bdubs finished exhaustedly.

Impulse fought his way through the writhing horde of monsters. A few made it past his defence and bit him. He grunted in pain, and tossed the zombies back.

7 hearts left.

He could finally see Bdubs, cowering in a corner, barely keeping the mob of creatures at a distance. Immediately, Impulse leaped into action. He swiped his sword through the air. Slicing through the gruesome wall of undead. Bdubs smiled at his friend. He looked considerably more bedraggled, with only 4 hearts left.

"Let's find the door." Impulse said, offering his friend a hand. Bdubs took it and struggled to his feet. They turned towards the horde with Impulse in an attempt to hold them off. Another group of zombies made it past Impulses's defence, and overcame him for a moment. Bdubs tore the vile beings off of his buddy and fought them back again.

"Are you alright?" he asked worriedly.

"Yeah... I think so..." he responded shakily.

6 hearts left.

Slowly but surely, they fought off the horde of beasts. During the battle, Bdubs accidentally slashed his sword in the wrong direction.

"Sorry! Didn't mean to hit you." he sputtered quickly before turning his attention back to the horde.