The dim-lit tunnel stretched as the three bandits sat on the floor. Shadows danced as the green flame from the pit spilt into the tunnel. Deron, Neg and Ryne left the tunnel entrance and settled down on the cold rock floor in silence.
Deron stared into the darkness for a while.
What might be lurking in the chapel?
He kept thinking about the possibilities of what the terror of Ashen Chapel is. Deron knew the history of this place, as he was still alive when the draconic prince invaded their city. So he could deduce the source of the terror.
Hmm, whatever is in there is definitely unleashed by the draconic prince.
Deron tried to scratch his beard, but his hand trembled. Even though he regained his stamina after the perilous climb, his body had yet to recover. He steadied his hand and scratched again, and his beard shifted under his shaky hand as he thought.
Is it a dragon? If it is a dragon, we might have a chance.
He sighed as he thought.
But if it isn't a dragon, then what might it be? Judging by the abominations that roam this waste, it might not be a dragon.
The possibility of an unknown creature haunting the chapel was not impossible, and the horrors of the dead city were proof. The existence of the green flame added to that possibility. If the cold flame was also due to the terror of Ashen chapel, then their lives were in grave danger.
A wave of flickering green light passed through the tunnel as the green flame in the pit shifted for a moment.
He might be able to sacrifice someone to escape in time. However, Deron knew it was not enough to stall the entity till he exited the Chapel, if he could manage to carry a large amount of gold and escape in time. He might escape.
I hope the informant was right.
The greedy informant gave them crucial information, which was about a seal. According to the informant, there were four spires around the city. Each one of them had a seal, and it somehow held the terror in the chapel. Deron postulated that the Arch Devil's Corrupters created them. Even though he lived in slums in his youth, rumours always reached him through the right sources.
According to the rumours, twenty corrupters fought against the terror's will and successfully held it in the chapel. Each corrupter was equivalent to an Eldari Arch Mage, and their presence was enough to bring catastrophe to entire planes.
His eyes widened as he connected the informant's words and the rumours.
Those spires must have been made by them. In that case, we might make it alive.
Deron now believed the informant's words completely. The informant was not bluffing, and this gave him hope. Now he believed that the three of them could make it out with gold. All they had to do was stall the terror and obtain the gold, and finally, escape.
It would definitely not be this easy. This caged terror held an entire city in its grasp.
He leaned his back against the tunnel wall, and all the thinking was tiring out his fatigued body. With a sigh, he looked up at the ceiling. The moss appeared again; however, it was only in a few places along the tunnel ceiling.
Deron was in no mood of looking at moss, and he lowered his eyes and glanced at his bandits. Ryne, the former leader, now looked down at the tunnel floor with his legs crossed. It was clear he did not want to speak. Instead, his index fingers shifted as he kept rotating them as they touched. His horns were now black, as if they had been cooled by the green flame.
Deron shifted his gaze toward Neg. She stared into the dancing shadows on the tunnel walls. A frown was plastered on her face, and it deepened at once as she lowered her head. It was clear she too preferred silence.
However, silence did not prefer them. It was time to decide what to do and escape with life. So Deron punched the floor gently. His heart was cold, and the strange voice no longer disturbed him; a gentle thump disturbed them and drew their attention. Their eyes were dim, as if the fate of their band mates lodged a wound in their greedy hope.
Deron cleared his throat and spoke,
"They chose this. We… chose this."
He paused for a moment to let his words sink in and then continued.
"All we can do now is get the gold and get out of this land."
Ryne and Neg exchanged glances for a second and then nodded, looking back at Deron.
However, Neg spoke before Deron could,
"How can we fight the entity in there? We don't know anything about it."
Deron locked eyes with his mate and started explaining,
"The hordes, wraiths, everything here, is connected to the dead. So the entity might be another wraith, or something that controlled the dead."
In Deron's mind, the words that formed were an amalgamation of the strange voice and his own thoughts. He kept explaining,
"It is moronic to fight it upfront; that is why we won't."
Ryne and Neg straightened their backs and raised their eyebrows. Ryne voiced his doubt as he heard Deron's words,
"Wait, if we won't fight it, how can we obtain the gold?"
Without any delay, Deron spoke.
"Do you remember the spires?"
Ryne nodded as he heard the words.
"They are the seals." Deron continued.
"Until they are broken, the entity cannot cross the chapel," Deron said.
Neg tilted her head slightly and asked,
"How sure are you?"
Deron let the silence stretch for a moment and then answered.
"Sure enough to stake my life, we have no other way."
The words hung in the air as both of his bandmates looked down. Silence swallowed them as neither of them spoke. After a while, both of them lifted their gaze and nodded.
Deron nodded and spoke,
"We rest for now and move."
With that, all three of them lay on their back on the floor and closed their eyes.
…
Cold air brushed Deron's skin as he opened his eyes. The green light in the tunnel pulsed slowly as he sat up. A low groan escaped his fangs as he stretched his body; the fatigue from yesterday was gone. He turned his body left and right to check if it was completely gone and stopped after he felt no ache.
Deron woke Neg and Ryne by calling out their names, and their eyes snapped open. They too looked rested as their eyes were no longer dim. All three of them got up and dusted their leather armour.
Grey dust painted in dim green light drifted out of their armours.
It's time.
All of them moved forward into the tunnel, and with each step, the green light faded, and darkness took over. After a few more steps, a rusted iron ladder appeared. The tunnel ahead was blocked with rubble.
Deron looked toward Neg and Ryne, and all three exchanged glances.
Ryne climbed the ladder, and the rusty ladder groaned under his weight. Neg followed him, and finally Deron climbed out onto the surface.
The cold air now vanished. Instead, heat assaulted Deron's back. He grimaced. It was too hot. He turned to look at Neg, but her gaze was fixed on something behind him. Deron slowly turned around to see what it was. The roar of raging hellfire invaded his ears.
As he turned around, the heat now assaulted his face and chest. However, Deron paid no attention as his jaw loosened and he stared blankly into the sight in front of him. Before him, a huge crater stood. The surrounding city slowly descended into it like stairs. The buildings near the centre melted into blobs of metal. At the centre of the crater, Blue fire raged.
The heat coming from it made the three bandits sweat instantly. It was Infernal fire. The purest form of Infernal energy. Anything it touched turned into plasma. Neg and Ryne stood beside Deron and carried the same expression of shock.
It was getting uncomfortable to stand there and bask. Deron adjusted his collar as he exhaled, while Ryne pulled his sleeves up. Neg, however, scratched her neck as sweat rolled.
Snap out of it, you moron!
The strange voice in his brain lashed at him. Deron returned to reality and growled at his bandmates.
"Let's go! We don't want to be grilled."
With that, Deron, Neg, and Ryne turned back and moved forward. In front of them, the pathway to the chapel was filled with fog. But the Ashen chapel stood high in the sky without any fog around it.
Near its entrance, broad stairs made of metal descended down to the pathway. The voice inside Deron, alongside him, felt awe for a moment. All three of them gradually moved toward the chapel.
Silence surrounded them, and only the distant scraping and wailings were audible.
Where are the wraiths?
Deron and the strange voice thought the same thing.
He ordered Neg and Ryne to move with caution. Slowly, they advanced toward the stairs. The polished black metal stairs were half a mile broad and stretched high into the sky. Its surface reflected the fog around them.
The climb itself was perilous. So they decided to use their wings. Deron quickly summoned his wings, and they appeared out of his back, tearing his flesh. He asked Neg to climb onto his back.
Ryne was also ready, as his wings had already emerged. Deron nodded and took off into the sky, and Ryne followed. Both of them flew toward the Chapel's Entrance.
The Ashen chapel was black, and the once golden walls of it were now charred and carried faint traces of gold. It was colossal, as if it were made to accommodate the Arch Devil himself.
Four small spires stood in its vicinity, each carrying a pale green fire burning on its top. As they got closer to the Chapel, the atmosphere got colder. Once again, they could feel the cold. It was a Relief after being baked by the hellfire.
Deron finally landed near the entrance, and Ryne landed behind him. He let his mate stand on her feet, and finally, all three of them moved forward toward the Chapel Doors.
The Doors stood at a height complementing the Chapel's size. They were huge; it was impossible to break into these doors as they looked more like the gates of a wall. Deron turned toward Ryne and spoke.
"Stand on the right side. I will stand on the left."
With that, both of them stood near the doors. Deron and Ryne both laid their hands on the door. And pushed at once. But the door did not budge. However, they tried again with all their might. The heavy doors budged. A loud scraping noise echoed throughout the city as they pushed the doors.
Deron turned toward Ryne and yelled,
"Stop! Go in you both."
The noise was loud enough to attract attention, so it was better to go in and close the door.
All three of them entered the Chapel's main hall. Deron and Ryne pushed the doors from the inside, and finally, the loud scraping noise that had echoed a moment ago now came to a stop with a loud thud.
Inside, everything got quiet.
The roaring hellfire, distant scrapings of hordes, and wailing souls. Everything disappeared.
Only soft rustles were heard by Deron as all three of them unsheathed their weapons.
The hall was shrouded in darkness, and nothing was clearly visible. Only the pale moonlight was seeping into the hall through the glass near the roof.
All three of them formed a circle and moved forward; their footsteps echoed in the hall. Finally coming to a halt as they felt like they were going nowhere.
But, in that moment. Claps echoed in the hall.
Clap-Clap-Clap.
"Well done!"
A gruff, monstrous voice echoed in the dark hall.
"You played well! Now it's time for you to die."