Right as we approach the weird ruin, I feel like this won’t be our normal hack and slash assignment. Reagan has always been a good leader, and I do hope that will be enough. I trust him and myself to make it out of almost any situation, and I hope this isn’t won’t be any different.
“Max, gather 2 squads and send them in.” Reagan calls out, not bothering to look behind him.
“Yes sir.” I respond, already pondering who I should send into what feels like a trap. Hopefully a trap that has long since stopped to work, but I cannot deny the uneasy feeling the place gives me. I call out to Captain Ulrian and Vivienne to gather their squads. They know how to be cautious and not do anything stupid. Probably our most level-headed captains. The Trusted Steel Company does have a lot of hot headed fools. They are useful in certain situations but as always, coming home alive is more important than the assigned mission.
As we come closer, I realize that the temple is bigger than I expected, the roof at least 5 men in height. The entrance, large enough for ten people to go in shoulder by shoulder. I give the orders and start to move back to Reagan. I see him speaking to the old priest. As I come closer I hear the last part of their conversation.
“… kind of protection are we talking about?” Damn, boss does not look happy about this.
“As I have said, these protections should not be active anymore. These are ruins now, protected more by this remote location than anything else.” The priest says in a patient voice.
“But still guarded by some Khalex elites. I know you want to keep all this secret, but any information you can give us will help us, and by extension you, to actually make it out alive.” Reagan retorts to the calm and wrinkled priest.
“Hiring you was more of a precaution Reagan, from bandits and the like than for the imagined threat you think this ruin is.”
That would have convinced me a few days back but now? The boss does seem to share my thoughts, as I can see him frowning and mulling that over. I don’t think anyone could think this place was normal. Ruins are thought after by adventurers for their treasures. And never have I heard about a defenseless ruin or dungeon. And it is logical, if all the magic has disappeared with time and no traps work any longer, the remaining higher than average mana will attract monsters who will make nests there. So finding a dungeon or ruin empty of danger is exceedingly rare.
“I’m no mage but even I can feel that there is something magical about this place. And you want us to go in without knowing anything?” His voice is calm, but tension can be felt in the air. He is not happy about it.
“We have already paid you a hefty sum for your services, do you mean to back on your word now?” Not much to say to that, a mercenary’s word and reputation needs to be trusted for any success to be had. And the Trusted Steel Company has a pretty good reputation. Reagan's hatred for mages crippled us for some time in the beginning, but when he got his first major Skill, it really helped us build up a solid reputation.
“Maybe promise a bonus for us going the extra length against unknown risks ? You do know we could legitimately tell you our mission is now done. We haven’t helped you retrieve whatever it is you are seeking, but as you said, we were hired to guard you, and guard you we have. Plus, if there really is no threat in there, you won’t need us to scout for you.” Well said boss, bleed em dry ! I nod in approval behind him, showing that the company shares his point of view on the matter.
While the priest is considering this, the boss’s face is one of calm and confidence. His sharp nose, short cropped brown hair and mildly attractive face could have made him appear imposing, but his lack of height and slim frame makes it hard to achieve that effect. It is a fact he hates his short stature, that ain’t no secret. But also something he uses very efficiently, for he is far more dangerous than he appears.
After pondering for a while the priest finally gives in. “It would seem you are correct on all accounts. I promise to reward you depending on the threat level found here. Does that sound acceptable?” Sly old man, so if there really isn’t anything, we won’t get any bonus. I guess it’s fair, but as a mercenary, fair really isn’t a concern.
“Alright, send them in Max.” Reagan tells me and I order the two veteran squads to scout out the building. I really hope I’m not sending them to their deaths but I do believe they are smart enough to handle this.
As they slowly go inside, we organize the rest of the squads should anything happen. But after some time, they come back out, not a scratch on them.
“Report.” I ask them sternly.
“We found no traces of battle, or most of anything except dust and footprints. The only place we did not scout was some passage underground that had been opened by someone before us. What is slightly disturbing is that the different footprints we found seem to be from vastly different time periods. Some relatively recent, some barely visible any longer.”
Good, they did not explore further without telling us about the situation. Happy about picking smart squad leaders, I walk up to Reagan and explain the situation. After thinking it over for a bit he finally shares his thoughts.
“I’m thinking the real problem won’t be to find this artifact or whatever, but actually getting out without the Khalex killing us. But that they are willing to let us get it and kill us after doesn’t make any sense. Thoughts? ”
That is a hard one. Boss has always been smarter than me, but bouncing his ideas helps him see more clearly. Might as well throw out crazy theories, maybe one will fit better than I think.
“Maybe the Khalex enjoy the thrill of the hunt?” I guess and he ignores me completely as he continues to think about it.
“It doesn’t make sense. If they wanted to protect it, they would have killed us. If they want it gone, they can move it themselves, and if not, they wouldn’t kill us if we moved it for them.” He ponders it for a bit longer.
“Maybe they want us to destroy it? But then again, why not do it themselves? But can we really afford not to go in there in any case?” Trying to make sense of the insects’ actions might not be smart. No one truly knows them. As I say as much, Reagan looks at me, then pauses for a second. “I guess you are right and it’s about time to get going. I’ll take point on this one. Get the men ready.”
“Yes boss.” I nod.
As we get inside, I wonder how old this place is. I mean the amount of dust in some of the corners is impressive. As our scouts have said, we are not the first to step into this place. I spot the fresh trails made by our own in the dust, but I can also see that there have been small and large parties here. All of them seem to go to the staircase that leads down.
Reagan seems to be thinking that it’s the Khalex that will be a problem going out, but I’m not so sure. If a party as large as I can guess from the dust trails went down there, and the artifact is still there, isn’t something incredibly dangerous down there?
“Max, first squad, with me.” I hear Reagan call out from the front. The first squad is made up of only the best veterans, so the boss is definitely being cautious. But it makes sense as the stairs that go down are not very large, and only about 2 or 3 men can stand side by side. Meaning quantity won’t matter as much and using numbers will become meaningless.
As we slowly descend, I notice the walls are remarkably smooth here. The only sound is the echo of our company. It’s suffocating, I can hear the blood pumping in my veins with how silent this place is. Very unnatural. I catch Reagan glancing behind him at us, and somehow it feels like he is thinking exactly the same thing. Probably not. Nobody dares break the silence, and I can feel that It’s making me tense, but I can’t force myself to relax at all even knowing this.
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The stairs down are long, but finally something changes, the stairs are at an end and a huge room greets us in complete silence. There is a big statue in the middle of the room, and it does not look friendly at all. A man deformed by fear and rage. Huge pillars are strewn about at regular intervals around it. It’s breathtaking. The level of detail and work is awe-inspiring. Even the pillars are carefully carved to represent misery. The place is still old and mostly ruined and it is why I take a moment to notice that there has been battle here, but I don’t see any corpses or even blood. But some of the damage is… familiar in how it was made. A slashing skill used there, a deep impact here. At least a few skilled people have fought here.
We inspect the room slowly, and by the time we check most of the room, the rest of the company except the 2 squads guarding the exit are down here. Behind the last squad coming down I see the priest’s walking in. They seem excited about this while our group is almost completely silent and focused. This is not the kind of place to let your guard down.
I follow Reagan as he walks towards the priests. “We have checked most of this room except the statue in the middle. There is too much magic coming from it, and does seem to be what is dangerous. As long as we do not trigger it somehow this place looks safe.”
“I didn’t know you could sense magic Reagan?” the old priest answers. I don’t like how satisfied he seems. Like everything is exactly how he wants it to be. It’s creepy and really gets on my nerves.
“I can’t, but I have an artifact that helps. You do know we have no mages to detect magic in our company, so we make do with artifacts.” And a very strong anti-magic weapon in Reagan’s case, but I guess they don’t need to know that.
“Yes, well there is no need to fear, what you feel is powerful indeed, but of no danger to us.” I really hope that ‘us’ includes non-priests because the way he said it makes me think that might not be the case.
“I could go into more detail, but what you feel is merely leaked power from a demon.” I fucking knew it. Priests of Kathar are known to have no limits when it comes to becoming more powerful. It’s not the first time they try something with demons. I see Reagan frown at this, but he remains silent. Was this not that unexpected for him?
“Fear not, for the artifact that contains him is here and has held him for a long time already.” He gestures at the temple before he continues.
“Plus, whatever is guarding this place from burglars does not seem active anymore. Most probably the workings of time, which leaves it ripe for the taking.” The priests all seem very excited now. Like they found some new toy to unwrap. I do think I understand why the Khalex are guarding this place now. They don’t want a demon to roam their land, but if we somehow can move it without going insane, they would probably be happy. Or if we destroy it or just take it far away from here. As long as we leave them alone they seem pretty content.
“I’m not so sure there is no trap here. All that power could be masking a trap. And there have been battles here, even if it seems to be a long time ago now.” I nod to Reagan’s statement. I just hope these lunatics can listen to reason.
“We will be careful Reagan, now, we have lost enough time.” He turns his head to his acolytes. “Get in position.” He turns back to Reagan, now serious and all business. “Please keep out of the way and be sure we are not disturbed, understood?” Reagan rolls his eyes and nods halfheartedly.
The priests form a circle around the statue, and before long start chanting in low voices. The air hums and I can feel every hair on my body stand on end. The empty globe is in front of the old priest. Do they intend to contain it inside that? That does seem incredibly dangerous. The men all stand back, fear on more than one face. Some try to appear calm and collected but betray some sort of tick of nervousness.
Reagan seems to be as restless as I am. He is pacing back and forth while I just stare at the ritual. Time passes slowly as we wait. The wait is horrible, and even though I am no mage, even I can feel the currents of power emanating from the center of the room. Thick magic flows through the strange orb and blood red mist soon appears inside of it. It slowly, slowly forms a sphere that then ever so slowly changes to a spike, anchored in the sphere, pointing straight at the statue. After what feels like an eternity, they finally stop the ritual. I don’t understand why, because nothing has changed, the statue still stands and they extracted nothing.
I see the priests gathering around the statue and Reagan walking up to them. I hurry along to back up Reagan just in case he needs me. As I come up to them I quickly understand the situation, as I overhear them talking. The priests merely located the artifact. It seems to be inside the statue. They claim there are no traps at work here and want to destroy the statue to collect the artifact. Reagan is against it, claiming he just knows there is a trap and they missed it, that he can feel it in his gut. The discussion continues for a while, getting predictably nowhere.
I can’t say I don’t agree with Reagan but they are the magic experts and maybe he is a bit paranoid on this one. He usually is extra touchy when it comes to magic. I understand why but in this case I do think it might be unnecessary. This place still gives me goosebumps but I’m not as afraid now after being here a while.
I spot one of the acolytes pick up a hammer from a backpack and walk up to the statue. Neither Reagan nor the old priest seem to notice him. As he positions himself with the hammer to break the statue's foot, both finally notice him. The priest looks pleased while his acolyte stands in position, waiting for the go ahead. The old priest nods to his apprentice as Reagan draws his sword, getting into battle position. Paranoid until the end it seems.
As the hammer hits the statue and breaks its leg, everything changes. I feel a torrent of vicious emotions swirling up inside me. Emotions so powerful, I reflexively grab my head and hunch over. Hatred towards my father, purer and rawer than I thought possible, mixed in with loathing of my own incompetence at having never achieved more than second. The emotions are so raw and powerful I can feel my sanity slipping. It’s too much. It’s so much and so violent the emotions physically hurt, like they are destroying me from the inside. I finally understand that the scream I’ve been hearing for a while is from my own mouth. From the corner of my eyes I can see others going completely insane. One plucking out his eyes and throwing them away while laughing. Another cutting of his hand and giving it to another person. One of the acolytes is actually chopping a guy up while humming.
I stop to really look at them, shocked at first before I understand it all. I laugh so hard I have to hold my ribcage. They’re all having the time of their lives! Something is wrong here, but I simply cannot put my finger on it. I see someone scream as hard as he can while pulling out his gut, and I start rolling on the floor laughing as he measures how long it is. I stop again once he stops moving, something is wrong and I know what it is.
I slowly turn my head and look at my boss and the head priest, not having any fun, now that won’t do. They are so serious, staring at the fallen statue’s rubbles. Huh, I didn’t notice it had fallen apart. Hahahaha ! Why is it funny? Why wouldn’t it be? I don’t know and that’s really funny! I stop laughing suddenly.
No, this isn’t fun if everyone is not having fun. I stalk towards Reagan sneaking from cover and hiding behind corpses, creeping forward, a huge grin on my face. This is going to be hilarious! Almost everyone has joined in on the fun now, fighting, bleeding, laughing. I notice a large black marble in the statue’s rubble, and I feel like it is pulsing at the same time as my heart. Is that the source of all this fun we are having? I bet Reagan is resisting just because of his anti-magic sword, wouldn’t it be a good joke if he suddenly lost it? Yes, I think it would be a very nice prank!
Fighting, Reagan and the priest are having trouble keeping acolytes and mercenaries in check without killing them. But can’t they see? They all want to die and die with you! So mean of them to deny them this last request. Suddenly, this isn’t fun and games anymore, and I can’t stop this blood red rage from welling up inside of me. Hate for Reagan and the priest. So much hate. They have to die. Die, DIE.
I barely notice that they have started killing the people around them and I charge forward, sword in hand behind them, drool leaking as I feel my muscles stronger than ever before. In a blink I’m already behind them, and I swing down my weapon at Reagan’s back. He notices at the last second and deflects the blow. Already surrounded by 10 men screaming in rage now, I notice the head priest bleeding out beside him. Good, but Reagan still stands and I hate him too much to let it stand. The thought rattles me for an instant, but the feeling is squashed and my fury redoubled.
“DIEEEEEE!” I yell at the top of my lungs as I lunge at him again.
I can barely register his movement as I see his body move unnaturally fast suddenly. The hateful man used his best skill on me? His friend? How dare he. How I loathe him for all his crimes, all the misery he inflicted on us all. My hate cannot be stopped, it will consume him.
I roar again as I bring down my weapon on him, only no weapon is swung. I suddenly notice my right arm is missing. I seem to be bleeding an awful lot from my gut too. I fall to my knees, and my vision starts to darken. Why did I hate Reagan so much? Why did he kill me? I’m suddenly confused, unable to understand what happened in the last minutes of my life.
Laying on the ground, bleeding out, I make one last effort to understand. I try to look up, and see that Reagan is by the shimmering black stone. Muscles strained even though nothing is pressing against him. But he seems to be struggling to even stand right now. Slowly he raises his sword over it. With a visible effort, he brings the sword down and shatters the marble. I can see Reagan visibly recoil from something, but I have a hard time seeing what’s happening anymore. I hear some screams and laughing, but they slowly die down now.
As my vision fades, clarity comes. I understand what happened. I can feel that I’ll die in a matter of seconds now, but time does not flow like it usually does. Slow, so slow now, but somehow frighteningly fast. I try to open my eyes one last time before I leave this world and I think I glimpse Reagan hovering above me, a tear rolling down his cheek. Heh, softie, I try to smile at that before the darkness consumes everything around me. Goodbye my friend, I’m sorry.