"...So that moon is an Old God."
Cahara asked as we sheltered from the moonlight in the small room to the left of Ma'habre's entrance.
"Yesss, Rher is a jealous being unwilling to share divinity and the order of the world with humansss and the new gods, possessing various stratagems to impede humanity's progresss. He embodies the concepts of lies and deception, but strangely, he also reveals the truth, exposing the hidden filth within humansss through his moonlight, something known as the Moon's Scorrrching. It is happening right now, if we remain exposssed for too long, we will begin to sufferrr its effects and eventually become monsters created from our fears and insecuritiesss."
"So Le'garde's desire to become a God above others is what brought the moon here?"
Enki spoke next.
"Yesss."
I lied as naturally as possible, knowing full well why Rher had come to Ma'habre. Tension filled the air, followed by a heavy silence. Everyone here had their reasons for entering the city, but now we were seeing the consequences of opposing the gods.
"Even knowing thisss, do you ssstill want to continue?"
Everyone exchanged a glance as soon as I asked my question, expressions trembled and unspoken messages were traded. I knew they were trying to maintain a brave facade, but like me, they feared what was to come.
"What would be the point of escaping? Whatever leaves this Dungeon will spread suffering throughout the world."
Ragnavaldr took a step forward, staring me in the eyes with determination and fury.
"Even knowing that you could live in peace in a dissstant place far from the horrorrrsss that would only arrive long afterrr you died?"
"It wouldn't be worth it, even if I had peace, my descendants would have to deal with the darkness, and I don't want that again."
It was only for an instant, but I saw the pain rising in his face before disappearing into his stony expression. Sighing, I turned towards the others, awaiting their responses, and to my surprise, no one dared to flee. There was hesitation, but they stood firm.
"Ssso be it. As some of you may know, the Gods I worship have granted me visions and knowledge of thisss place, so I will be frank, I am aware of the objectivesss of many of you, so it is in your best interest that you follow my advice if you wish to surrrvive."
"I have no problem with that, as long as we are not being led to our deaths."
I laughed, a sarcastic and distorted sound that escaped as a smile split my face.
"We will face deitiesss, we are dead from the moment we decide thisss."
Ragnvaldr laughed in response, either because he found it funny or because he realized the absurdity of the situation. Either way, I summoned the rats, bringing the various scrolls of spells and skills so that Enki, Cahara, and he could prepare.
So they did, shrinking back as waves of knowledge flooded their minds. I approached the exit, pointing to a tower in the distance.
"That is the Endlesss Towerrr, home of Nilvan, the New Goddess. It's a safe place where we can rest and open a Blood Porrrtal, creating a quick path to the rest of the dungeon if we need to return. That'sss our firrrst objective."
We exchanged a few words of confirmation, and with that done, we left the shelter, walking briskly through the streets, staying under the moonlight as little as possible. The entrance arch and the path to the main square remained the same, with the destroyed statue of the King of Ma'habre ahead.
Each of us prayed to a different God at that moment, Enki to Sylvian and D'arce, Madeleine and I to Gro-Gorth. A familiar sensation coursed through my body, and judging by the reactions of the knight and the child, both felt the same; I had reached my maximum affinity with the God of Destruction while they had reached the second level.
We climbed the stairs to the left, searching barrels, crates, and every corner we found for items, adding everything to our inventories. We passed the blocked door leading to the Golden Temple, barred by the Nameless Figurine, insane after countless ages fulfilling its duty.
"Humans, you are not worthy to cross the gates of eternity. In this court, suffer your personal trials, tormented by the loss of your loved ones… Only through this pain can you achieve enlightenment and understand your place in this world… If you can get through all this without losing your original goals and dreams… Only then will I let you pass."
Again and again, he repeated the same words, his mind long lost, as the New Gods said, he had traveled far but had not become any wiser. The rest of the group looked at the being with suspicion and curiosity, except for the floating head, which clicked his tongue, I suppose knowing he had to complete a test he had already taken in the past.
I don't know what prevented him from floating to the temple or killing the golem. Perhaps the door would close forever if that happened. In any case, we continued on until we spotted the pig statue, where I stopped and took a few steps south, drawing the attention of those present.
I crouched, striking the ground with the butt of Shark Teeth, hearing a hollow sound. Nodding, I stepped back and conjured Greater Black Orb. There was an explosion accompanied by a cloud of smoke; my companions shouted, demanding an answer for my actions. It came in the form of the treasure chest in a hole in the ground.
I opened it, finding the Simple Transmutation and Walking on Water scrolls. However, I didn't read them, focusing on Cahara, who shifted uncomfortably.
"These scrollsss contain useful spells, one to multiply brrread and turn water into wine, and another to walk on waterrr. You could sssell them to help Celeste."
Surprise appeared on his face, his mouth opened, and he stammered a reply as I approached.
"H-how did you…"
He fell silent when I offered the scrolls, alternating his gaze between them and me.
"Divine visionsss, remember? I know a lot, but not everrrything. Don't be sssurprised by what comes out of my mouth; it will be a wassste of time."
A grimace of displeasure appeared on his face; he looked away and sighed, pushing the scrolls away.
"Keep them, these spells might come in handy. Besides, trying to sell magical artifacts will only get me into trouble."
It was my turn to be surprised, but I nodded, reading each one, cringing at the sudden overload of information.
"If it's of any ussse, I know the location of other treasuresss like precious metals and jewelsss, nothing magical."
A small smile appeared on his face and he walked past me, placing a hand on my shoulder before murmuring a thank you. The next stop came further on, across a small bridge and a ruined tower. On the other side, we found a Lord of Flies dragging a knight with a severed arm, Jeanne.
Blood oozed from the stump, which, judging by the wound, had its limb ripped off by brute force. She was barely conscious, but murmured a plea for help when she saw us, a mixture of fear and hope in her voice and face.
The monster, alerted by our presence, turned with claws and fangs bared, though its stench reached us first—a rancid smell that nearly made me vomit, which was surprising considering where I'd gotten myself into this Dungeon.
Calling what ensued a fight would have been comical; the Lord of Flies barely had time to roar before D'arce pierced its chest, closing the distance far too quickly for someone in heavy armor.
Rag came from the right, swinging his giant flail, striking the creature's left arm, the blood gushing from the spear following the sickening crack of bones breaking.
The sounds of combat echoed through the silent city along with the monster's screams, which soon fell silent as Cahara delivered the final blow, decapitating it with a swift swing of the Blue Sin that left a scalding trail in its wake, cauterizing the wound seconds later.
The large body fell with a heavy thud, ending the conflict. Madeleine and I rushed towards Jeanne, both conjuring healing spells. The bleeding stopped, but we had difficulty keeping her still while I tried to tie a piece of cloth with green herbs to the stump of her arm to prevent infection.
The woman struggled and screamed, and I knew why; after all, we were face to face, and I wasn't a pretty sight. I had to ask for help from D'arce and Enki, who, being inhabitants of Rondor, could try to calm her fears by revealing themselves as her compatriots.
I moved away with Madeleine, rejoining the rest of the group while the Dark Priest and the Knight helped Jeanne to her feet. The three exchanged words, the woman still screaming, a mixture of ramblings about the horrors she had seen and the fact that I was still nearby.
She alternated between ordering my death or fleeing before it was too late. I don't know how much time passed in this waste of words, but a well-placed slap across her face, courtesy of D'arce, made Jeanne shut up and listen.
Like it or not, we were her last hope, so she had to behave. Hesitantly and fearfully, she agreed, still staring at my every little move, but the plan remained the same: we headed towards the tower.
However, the pace was slow, and I wanted to escape the moonlight as soon as possible, so I cut my hand and created a Greater Blood Golem that, after a few commands, carried Jeanne on its shoulders like a sack of potatoes.
I ignored her protests and insults directed at me, as well as the stares I received from the rest of the group, except for Madeleine and Nas'hrah, who seemed to be enjoying the display.
The absence of the scarabs was the first difference I noticed; it wasn't worrying yet, but the lack of the little creatures indicated that something had changed. The King's Passage was still there, with the path leading to the secret laboratory and the bridge where the Old Guardian awaited the king's return.
The nearby beacon was deactivated, lacking its cube, and further on stood the tower, rising like a pillar surrounded by a spiral staircase. The climb was swift, pausing only when I saw something flying on the horizon, forming a dark outline between Rher's eyes.
I half-closed all my eyes, gripping the handrail as my shadow crossed its arms. I wasn't the only one to notice this; with the wind blowing in our faces, we witnessed the figure disappearing into the distance.
Great, another unknown element.
Inside the tower, I created a Blood Portal in the ritual circle, transporting us to the dungeon entrance. From there, we used the shortcut through the well to the basement, where Buckman and Sir Seymour awaited.
The meeting was warm, but I kept my distance, wanting to avoid causing another situation similar to Jeanne's, so I simply nodded in response to their thanks.
"Why are we going around in circles?! Can't your visions be more direct?!"
The floating head complained, making me sigh internally in frustration before returning to my previous theatrics.
"Forgive me, masssterrr, but please understand. We are not as powerful as you, nor can we dream of reaching the sssame level. The Gods will be an impossible challenge for us mortalsss, so we need every possible advantage to help you return to the peak of your powerrr. My visions reveal the path to achieving the best outcome, and helping these people will grant us a valuable arrrtifact."
"HUMP! I suppose you have a point; it would be better if no one here becomes a burden if they don't want to become flesh shields. What's the next step, servant?"
"Now, we will seek out Nosssramus; he has something that will be of interrrest to Enki."
Nas'hrah and the man in question showed interest, but for different reasons.
-XXXXXX-
Finding the second laboratory in the mines didn't take long with the help of the rats, even more so now that we had an idea of its path. The lizard-man guarding the place was nothing more than a distraction that had all his resources looted.
Enki used Counter-Magic to open the sealed door in our path, and on the other side, the beautiful alchemist watched us with surprise, which quickly turned to irritation when Nas'hrah advanced, conjuring a burst of fire.
With a casual wave of his hand, Nosramus dissipated the flames while drinking from his teacup, offering a forced smile to the head, briefly breaking his calm and friendly facade.
"You're rusty. Those flames would have melted the room centuries ago."
"And you still look like a woman!"
"Thank you, I've worked hard to maintain my beauty…"
I couldn't be happier about that.
"…Or should that be an insult? You seem to be the only one who didn't like it."
I won't go into details, but the alchemist's good looks may or may not have caught the attention of the rest of the group, who watched him in silence with flushed faces. In any case, I stepped forward, interrupting the discussion before things got out of hand.
"Nosssramus."
I nodded, a gesture he returned.
"Micolash. I see you've changed, and that you're now accompanied by more interesting people, although I don't see that giant guardian of yours."
"Unfortunately, Iron Ssshakespeare met hisss end in combat."
"Oh, I'm so sorry about that."
"Don't worrry, but that's not why we're here. We've arrived in Ma'habrrre, and there's someone here who would like to ssspeak with you."
I gestured for the Dark Priest to approach, and let them both talk while I had to endure Nas'hrah's grumbling.
Enki spoke of his visions, his desire for knowledge and to achieve enlightenment, and Nosramus explained more of his story: about being part of the brotherhood but not sitting on the throne after discovering its cruel trap; about the departure of the Old Gods and the arrival of the new ones, who were responsible for humanity's decadence; about Le'garde's plan to become something greater; and finally, about the Soul Anchor, which he gave to the man before him.
The Dark Priest thanked him, putting on the necklace, but before we left, the Alchemist called my attention.
"Micolash, my friend, I recommend you be careful. Ma'habre has changed, and I'm not just talking about Rher's return."
His tone indicated the seriousness of his words. I thanked him for the advice, and then we returned to the blood portal in the mines, arriving at the tower.
"It's time to get one of the New Gods' soulsss. In fact, we can acquire it here; we just need to sleep to enter the dream realm where Nilvan rulesss."
This caught everyone's attention. With weapons at the ready and steely eyes, we prepared to fall asleep, which wasn't difficult considering the overwhelming exhaustion this place caused us.
There was only one simple problem: there was only one bed, and nobody here wanted to sleep on the hard, cold floor. After much deliberation, also known as rock, paper, scissors, Moonless was the winner due to some force of destiny.
We watched in disbelief as the she-wolf barked and wagged her tail in joy, jumping on the bed and spinning around a few times before lying down as if nothing had happened, soon falling asleep.
"To hell with it!"
I threw my backpack into a corner, using it as a pillow. Madeleine lay down beside me, but I folded my coat, turning it into a pillow for her. D'arce stayed nearby, leaning against the wall. Enki, Rag, and Cahara went to their respective corners, and Nas'hrah fell like a stone, falling asleep in less than a second.
I left the Armored Skeleton and a Golem guarding the tower entrance, and then I closed my eyes.
-XXXXXX-
White was the first thing I saw when I opened them; I was standing in the middle of a long room full of beds surrounded by curtains. There were those IV drips and wheelchairs nearby, as well as other medical equipment and the constant beeping of a heart monitor.
There were no windows, and the blinding lamps buzzed with intensity, assaulting my senses along with the strong smell of bleach and disinfectant.
The others weren't around, which made both my hearts race with anxiety, mainly because of Madeleine. It shouldn't be like this, we should have started with the memories of the others, so why am I here?
I continued down the corridor, searching for an exit, but I only saw rows of beds with dark figures moving on the other side of the curtains. The sounds of the machines grew louder as I approached what seemed to be the end of the corridor.
There, there was a bed like all the others, with Shark Teeth in one hand and Kitab in the other. I pushed the curtain aside with my arm. I couldn't help but recoil at what I saw; it should be impossible. I didn't know how to react. I felt many things at that moment: fear, sadness, longing, and above all, anger.
"HAHAHA!"
A distorted laugh echoed down the corridor, like many voices speaking at once. Looking back, the lights went out one by one. I saw a shadowy figure waving before disappearing into the darkness.
Son of a bitch, that was petty, even for a being like you.
The time for distractions was over, for the thing in the bed writhed and screamed, growing and transforming, merging with the things around it, and throughout the process, its heartbeat accelerated.
BEEP!
BEEP!
BEEP!
BEEP…
END OF CHAPTER