Simon awoke to find himself on a stone floor. He looked at his arms and legs in search of any bats. There were none. He sat up and looked around. A few stray beams of moonlight that managed to find cracks revealed he was in some sort of cavern. An open stream flowed unchecked twenty feet down the tunnel. It was kind of soothing. He continued to look about and summarized that he had fallen through the floor of the castle and was now underneath it. But this cave had to be carved out of the earth, so this was an unfinished part. Maybe it led back up to where he wanted to go.

He blinked. Now he wondered why he wasn’t dead right now. He looked up. There was no sign of the room that he had battled the mummies in. He must have fallen a great distance, since he had been close to the top of the castle, and now he stood below it. Another oddity of this place. Danger threatened his life every step, and yet he doesn’t seem to run out of luck. Because he had just thought that, his luck was going to run out. "Damn," he swore.

Piles of skulls were scattered throughout this place. Odd bones and clothing randomly decorated the cavern. Long stalagmites hung sporadically from the ceiling, along with the occasional icicle. Now Simon realized that this place was very cold. His breath was visible like smoke. It didn’t bother him, though. His unusually tough body barely noticed how cold it was.

He approached the river. It passed quickly and silently, not unlike most of the evils in this place. There were large flat rocks that jutted out of the still stream. Ones that could be used for getting across. He picked his steps carefully. Mist blew in Simon’s face and he was momentarily blinded. He kept leaping skillfully from rock to rock until there was a gap, which he would have to cross by wading the river. He leapt in without hesitation. Little did he know that he still was covered in blood from his previous battle…

He sunk in up to his chest. With powerful strokes, he was to the other side in no time. Even after pulling himself out of the river, he still didn’t feel cold. It felt good to be free from all the blood and dust from his previous battles. He heard a splash behind him. Simon’s head snapped back in time to see a fish-man flying ten feet in the air, straight up from where it came out. It’s jaw started to expand and a compact jet of water pounded the ground in front of him, sending loose stones flying. The fish beast landed back in the water and swam underneath the surface, unseen by him.

Simon took this as a sign to start running. He heard similar splashes behind him, yet was running too hard to get a beat on where they were. High-pressured water streams sped all around him. Luckily, he wasn’t hit by any. He kept going until he turned a corner and came to another section where the river ran free across his path. Apparently, the stream intersected his route at multiple areas. ‘Lovely.’ This time, there were no loose rocks to stand on, so he would have to swim hard to beat the stream. He dove in on this whim and pounded the water as hard as he could. When he came up for air, he had a chance to look back, and see multiple head fins down the river that were following him. Simon went back under the surface and kicked with all his might.

Looking back, he could clearly count four of these monsters directly behind him. One slashed his calf muscle with a long set of nails. It bled freely. Simon reached the other side and hauled himself out of the water and cursed aloud. He held a hand to his bleeding leg. The blood was already closing the wound. He hobbled on down the tunnel. The fish men were already behind him, but even though he was wounded, he was gaining ground. The creatures didn’t do well on land at all. He eventually came to a set of stone steps that led upward. He had to pick his way across many bones and skulls. This place almost seemed like a mass grave…

Simon’s leg was now better and he pounded his way up the stairs. When he reached the top, the moon was again visible. He could breathe the clear night air. He was in a courtyard somewhere in the second half of the castle. Rough iron gating surrounded it, and beyond that, dark forests. He could hear wolves howling in the distance. This was no time to stop. He started running hard. A mist was gathering not twenty feet behind him. It started to follow him. Simon looked back as he had heard another long howl from behind him. This mist was a swirling mass that threatened to envelop him. This unknown foe frightened him more than most of the things he had seen this night. His imagination went wild trying to think of what horribly evil and vile things filled that mist. Simon ran harder.

The mist was starting to lick the back of Simon’s feet. He looked back as he felt a painful cold scorch the backs of his legs. Simon looked ahead and dug deep within himself to find the strength to run even faster. He started moving faster than any human being was able. The mist was being left behind in his haste. It started to lose his trail and backed off entirely, dissipating in the chill night air. Simon kept running though. He was afraid if he stopped, something would leap on him and he’d be devoured whole.

The undead dragon leveled itself with Simon, sizing him up. It stared at him with smoldering eye sockets that were filled with embers. It continued to wait for him to come close enough so it could have a bite of him. Getting impatient, the dragon screeched, opening it’s mouth wide and showing off it’s many rows of dagger-like teeth. Seeing that Simon was still trying to hatch a plan, the dragon made him move.

In parting it’s huge mouth, it sent forth a stream of fire. Instead of moving back, he hurled himself forward under the stream. He kept going until he was clear of the beast.

Before he knew it, the huge dragon was pounding the doorway in search of it’s meal. Simon was forced to run, head down to avoid being snapped up in the huge jaws. He was well out of it’s range. The beast stared at him and realized that it’s food was out of it’s reach. In spite, the beast billowed out a huge gout of flame, filling the entire hallway. The fire was moving fast, so fast that Simon barely had time enough to throw himself into a stream that forced it’s was into this passage. He swam underwater until the bright, orange light died down. He broke the surface, gasping.

Upon reaching the other side, Simon walked the length of this strange hall. It seemed to be used for drainage, yet it wasn’t in use for centuries, as the rest of the castle. To his left and right there were odd

pipes that were oversized. Rats were traversing their lengths. Sopping wet, he was attracting attention of such vermin. Knowing that these rats were the least threatening creatures he had seen this strange night, Simon paid them no heed. He came to a large room at the end of the hall. He turned the corner to find himself in strange surroundings.

This room looked as though it was some kind of experimental laboratory. One wall was lined with shelves containing jars which were filled with fluid and various organs and body parts. The ceiling had a hole so a large steel rod could reach above, presumably for electricity. Tables lined the far walls and were covered in all manner of vial, test tube, burner, tongs, surgical instruments, chemicals… And the door that was his destination was on the far side of this room… But there was also a hunched fellow pulling levers on a panel. On hearing Simon’s footfalls, he turned.

Having a horribly disfigured face and body, the three-foot humanoid started to panic when he saw the well-equipped and determined warrior. Wearing nothing but the most meager brown rags, the little man looked as though he hadn’t seen a bath his whole life. Simon’s eyes followed the hunchback’s own. Against the wall there was a huge chair. In it sat a positively humongeous corpse. It’s head was not unlike that of a caveman, complete with small eyes and protruding brow. It’s large head sprouted hair in patches. Each part from head to toe had stitches connecting everything together in some unholy marriage. It looked like it had been constructed from various bodies….

The hunchback was getting fairly desperate at this time. He began smacking levers down left, right and center. Upon hitting the last two down, electricity began surging into the corpse, causing smoke.

He lost sight of the corpse and the hunchback in all the haze and sparks. Suddenly, out of the mist, flew the short man. He grabbed onto Simon’s head and began kicking him in the chest and pulling his hair. Simon had a hard time getting the thing off because of its smell. It almost caused him to vomit all over the little man. They spun around until he got a firm hold its ankle. He dangled the beast from its foot. It’s oddly misshapen eyes stared at him in hatred. It began flailing and squawking. Simon tossed the annoying little man at the control panels he had just left.

A moan rumbled from the smoke. Simon could see the top of the corpse’s head getting up out of the chair. Huge feet were pounding the floor. Electricity coursed over it’s temples and bolts. Out of the smoke the corpse came… It was positively huge. Ten feet or more of miss-matched body parts. It’s dark eyes paned around the room until they fell on Simon. It’s huge mouth snarled, revealing a sea of yellowed teeth. The bolts on it’s head and neck were still smoking as was his large head.

The corpse in the tailored and tattered green suit began stomping it’s way to where Simon stood.

His jaw dropped as he tried to think of something before this juggernaught got it’s hands on him. This huge monstrosity was not only tall but also well built. From head to toe, it was frighteningly overmuscled.

The thing bared it’s teeth and roared. It grabbed a hold of a nearby table and lifted it with one great arm.

Wielding it like a club, the corpse brought the table from an overhead swing. Simon narrowly missed having his entire body squashed under the intense crashing. The table snapped in two, sending shards of wood everywhere.

Simon kicked the beast in the mid-section with all the force he could muster. It didn’t even flinch. Grabbing a hold of his foot, the beast hurled Simon across the room by his appendage. He soared and landed on his feet in front of a table. He turned to size up his enemy. The titan was at the other end of the room, the hunchback on his shoulder, staring in Simon with defiance. Simon drew his whip and snapped in anticipation.

Taking that as a challenge, the corpse began advancing on Simon, and the hunchback leapt from its perch to try and attack him from the side. Trying to track his foes simultaneously, Simon grew frustrated at his disadvantage. ‘That corpse is the deadlier... must keep my focus on it,’ he thought.

He turned his body to better handle the monstrous undead. He grabbed a hold of his dagger and hurled it. It spun and stuck in the creature’s shoulder. Again, no reaction. "It must not feel any pain. Just what I need," he muttered.

Simon barely had time to duck as the creature grabbed a steel candle holder and fired it with all it’s might. It hit the wall and was bent totally out of shape. Simon whipped to keep the thing back. The snapping of his whip caused a reaction and the beast flinched and its huge hands guarded its face. His next swing was interrupted by something glass shattering on his head. Luckily no glass went into his eyes. He turned to be struck by a beaker, which covered his chest in strange smelling liquid. The hunchback was sitting on top of a shelf in the corner of the room, throwing whatever hand-sized object it could find.

He ran over to the shelf and grabbed a hold of it. He pulled until his face strained red. The entire thing tipped and came crashing on the floor. The mutated man leapt off just before it hit the ground, only to land on top of a chair. But he didn’t land on his feet. He landed on his chest. The hunchback flopped on the floor, gasping for air.

Something powerful and green knocked Simon off his feet. He smashed against the wall, momentarily stunned. He shook his head, trying to clear it. His vision aligned in time for him to duck as a huge fist collided with the wall where his head had just been. Tiny rocks and dust fell on his hair. The corpse pulled it’s monstrous hand from the wall, black blood covering it’s knuckles. It’s brow contorted in fury. It roared as it tried to grab a hold of Simon. He sprang forward and went between the two pillar like legs. Simon plowed his shoulder into the back of the monster. It was caught off guard and was pinned against the stone wall.

Thrashing, Simon was sent sprawling by the sheer power of the animated body. Electricity surged through it’s temples and neck bolts. It’s lips parted and it’s face contorted in rage. It roared and plowed right toward him. Ducking, the beast was again caught off guard. Using his shoulder to stop it’s legs, the beast tripped and fell head first on the rocky floor. As Simon stood, the hunchback was again on his head, pounding his back and head with all its strength. He felt his own anger bubbling over from this annoyance. Simon grabbed its small leg and used it to slam the hunchback on the floor. The creature lay still.

He was kicked hard in his back. Simon fell forward and landed hard. He pushed himself up

while gritting in pain, fearing he had broken ribs. He turned to face the corpse and positioned to narrowly avoid having his entire body crushed by a half of a table. Pain shot through his entire body. Sharp and angry pain. Simon snapped his whip and gashed the chest of the beast. Again, he flicked his wrist and another large tear streaked across the rippling muscles of the monstrosity. It still continued to stomp towards him, unfazed.

Cornered, he saw the hunchback get up yet again and hurl itself at Simon. He was prepared this time. Simon caught the dwarf by its neck and slammed it against the wall, leaving it to crumple, unconscious. The corpse used this time to grab a hold of Simon to try to squeeze the life out of him. Both it’s massive arms wrapped around him and caused incredible pain to his already broken ribs. He screamed aloud in agony. The bolts on the monster’s neck began to glow red and electricity sparked through it’s temples from the effort. Simon couldn’t even inhale again so he could scream aloud.

He opened his eyes and looked directly in those of the beast. It’s small, black eyes enjoyed the decimation of a foe. It’s breathing filled Simon’s face with its awful dead stink. He strained his head and neck back as far as he could. He slammed his forehead into the nose of the smiling corpse. He could hear the crunch of its nose breaking. It let him fall to the ground as it grabbed its broken proboscis, and stumbling backward a step. Even if it didn’t feel the pain, the disorientation and watering eyes threw it off guard.

Simon collapsed and breathed excruciating air. His entire body from head to toe felt as through it were being crashed by anvils. Despite the unconciouness-causing pain and lack of oxygen in his punished body, he was on his feet before he even knew it. He got a run and dropkicked the giant in the chest, sending it to the floor. It sat up and Simon hooked it in the side of the head. He ended up hurting his hand more than the head of the beast. It turned with the blow and craned its head back slowly. Snarling, it backhanded him and Simon was again struggling to push his battered body up off the floor.

He felt a light figure on his back. The mutated man was conscious and pulling his hair. It bit his ear. Simon was lost control and grabbed the little man by his head and feet. As he raised the man over his head, the little creature whined in fear. Simon slammed the body of the hunchback over his knee, feeling bones crunch. He let the body collapse yet again on the floor. He turned, breathing like an animal. Simon’s fury capped and he screamed like a berzerker as he hurled himself at the now standing corpse.

He was smacked by a huge fist and fell to the floor just in front of the monster. He rolled sideways as two huge fists smashed the stone floor where he had landed.

Moving faster than the undead monstrosity could track, Simon leapt while unsheathing his shortsword. He used his momentum to propel the blade through its great chest. The blade sunk in and the tip shot out the back, covered in black blood. Yet Simon didn’t seem to be able to draw the blade back out.

The corpse placed the flat of its hand on his chest and flung him to the middle of the room. Simon rolled and brushed up against something hard. It was the pole in the center of the room that protruded through the hole in the ceiling. He yanked on it and the thin rod snapped off its base.

Wielding it like a jousting rod, Simon pointed the sharp end at the corpse. He got a running start and speared it in the stomach. He backed up to see what damage he had done. A large hand plucked the rod free and let it clatter to the floor. It started advancing with a look of menace in it’s eyes.

Simon looked around for something to throw at it and turned and saw the huge wooden chair the corpse had once sat in. He remembered that an intense current of electricity coursed through the metal wires that were connected. If only he could electrocute the beast again, maybe he could make it overdose…

Simon snapped his whip in the face of the corpse to keep it from advancing, while making his way to the chair. He grabbed a hold of a clamp that connects the wires to it. Yanking hard, he loosed dust and soot until the wire was freed from the chair and most of the wall. Now to connect it to the monstrous beast… Small hands covering his eyes, interrupting his thoughts. Simon grabbed the hunchback by it’s head and closed the clamp on it’s nose. The confused mutant could only stare in wonder and fear. He hurled the midget at the advancing corpse. It wrapped itself around its head, trying not to fall off.

He raced to the control panel and cranked a switch that was labeled ‘on’. The generator hummed to life. Drawing back with the sudden crackling in the air, Simon realized that the corpse could now see and was again drawing near… he found a dial that was labeled ‘volts’. Simon turned it slightly. The hunchback looked as if it were trying to scream, but all it’s muscles tensed so it could not. The corpse

stopped suddenly, enjoying the recharge. The dial was cranked up further. The hunchback now began to smoke with it’s oscillation, and the corpse roared as it’s aggression peaked. The dial was cranked as far as it could go…

Simon awoke to find himself lying on the floor. He had only passed out for a few minutes. Sitting up, he realized that he must have flown a good ten feet because his body crashed through the door he had seen earlier. He plucked wooden shards from on top of his legs and chest. Standing, he pulled his hair down because of a massive charge of static. He walked back into the laboratory to see how his experiment had gone. Fanning some smoke from his face, he could see the corpse. Now it was a real corpse. The flesh had burned until it shriveled and now it was just a blackened skeleton of burned flesh. He walked over to the body and picked up his dagger, which had fallen beside the thing. He gagged on the smell of not only scorched, but also centuries-dead flesh.

Upon hearing some jars rattling, Simon whirled around, short-sword draw. Under a pile of shattered boards and cracked vials emerged the hunchback, still alive. It looked as though it hadn’t seen any of the electrical charged that killed it’s friend. Simon was utterly amazed that this little critter could even stand after the beating he had put into it, not to mention the fatal discharge that should have killed him. It wasn’t just luck, either. This little man had some sort of foul magic cast on him so that he could not die. The little man cowered in the corner upon realizing he was being watched. A large hand fell upon his back. Simon wheeled around to see the corpse struggling to stand.

Despite the fact that it now had no eyes and was mostly charred flesh, the ten-foot beast still was not dead. But it’s body was now very brittle. Simon proved this as he was caught by surprise and slashed out of sheer reaction. The charred arm fell to the ground. Utter horror crept it’s way across Simon’s visage. Out of sheer hatred for the beast, he took one stroke to end it’s miserable existence. It’s ashen head hit the floor and the body collapsed in a heap. He turned, now angered, at the hunchback. To have an immortal foe such as it following him, no matter how weak, could prove fatal.

He picked his way through the rubble to the now screeching hunched man. He grabbed one of it’s mangy arms and made it sit in the throne the corpse once sat in. Slamming an arm clamp, the hunchback was now immobilized. It looked to Simon, then to it’s arm and back to Simon. Now that it understood what he had done, it clawed in futility at the clamp. He winked at the monstrosity as he passed by, heading out the door. Even as he walked down the hall, he could still hear the cursing of the hunched man.