The Black Temple loomed in the distance, blocking what remained of the setting sun. Lyra grabbed Hunter's shoulder, stopping him with a quick jolt. She nodded to the gray parrot flying overhead.

Hunter grinned. "That's the signal. We'll follow Monty to Mercos."

Monty circled above and descended toward a patch of cypress trees. Their branches stretched to the sky, as if grasping for the last of the light before Gypas' death call consumed them.

"Dark plasma?" Hunter’s gaze drifted from the burnt trees to Lyra, who gave a subtle nod. Now he understood why his father gave passage to the boy who’s beast core turned black and disintegrated. The death cultists cared more about power than any other living thing around them. His father once spoke of a brief encounter with Dark plasma demons during his war days. He wondered if they’d face anything similar inside the temple?

Lyra halted and quickly turned around, her long, narrow blade extended as it clanged against metal. Hunter withdrew his dagger, preparing to fight their attacker.

"You're quick on your feet." Mercos’ dragon tattoos flexed on his arm as he lowered his dragon hammer. "We'll need that if we're about to enter past these walls.”

Lyra pulled back her sword. "Don't you know you're not supposed to sneak up behind someone like me?"

Mercos heaved a heavy laugh, bringing his hammer to rest atop his shoulder. "We're all in good company."

Stowing his dagger, Hunter gestured to Lyra’s weapon. “No hesitation with your knife and quick to raise your light-weight blade in defense. Who was your mentor?”

Tall grass whipped to the ground as she slashed her sword. “A rogue never gives away her secrets.”

Hunter bowed in respect. “You’ve got a nice rapier there for a weapon—be sure to put it to good use once we find our way inside.”

Monty flew down and perched on Mercos' other shoulder, giving two short squawks.

A few feathers fluttered into the air from Hunter’s side. He leaned down, patting Buckie’s head and dropped a couple of seeds. “Has Monty seen anything useful we can use to get inside?”

Monty turned his head up, as though he were indignant, while Buckie gulped the seeds.

Before Mercos answered, Lyra pointed the sharp tip of her rapier at several black flags flitting in the wind. Their purple glow highlighted the centered skull, their hollowed eyes like a black hole. "Death cultists aren't dumb. Even if we know what to expect, we'll have to get past their protection array first."

Mercos raised a brow. "Monty's scouted the area; a number of guards are along the exterior. He's peeked inside the upper windows and says he's caught sight of Jo.” He gave Hunter a grim smile. “But other than that, we're limited in knowing what we'll face inside before we get to the upper level."

Hunter clenched his fist. "There's nothing inside of there that will stop me. I've been through a lot."

Lyra gave a knowing look to Mercos and Hunter. "Not to worry, I can help with both of those." In her hand appeared a scroll that she unfurled as she knelt to the ground.

Both Hunter and Mercos guffawed as they glanced at the scroll.

“Don’t look so surprised.” She shook her head. “You can consider me a Jill of all trades. Not only can I brew a mean beer, but I can fight and sneak about, too.”

Hunter leaned over, gazing at the lines that formed the exterior and interior levels of the Black Temple. “Did you trade your soul or beat someone over the head to gain access to those schematics?”

Lyra rolled her eyes. “I have a few enemies and a few that I keep even closer for things like this.”

Mercos' finger glided across the temple’s interior. “It’s about six levels based on your map.”

Lyra nodded. “Think of it as a tower dungeon. My mentor knew a lot about the death cultists. He'd always said that their favorite minions were made from bones.”

Hunter tilted his head with a smirk. “At least it's not a giant bunny.”

Both Mercos and Lyra glanced back at him, their expressions puzzled.

Lyra raised her hand. “What?”

“Nevermind.” Hunter grinned. “What’s the best way to go inside?”

Lyra pointed to the lower level. “If you don't mind slime, this would be the easiest route.”

Taking a deep breath, Mercos grimaced. “We can get through there, and the next levels past the minions. But, that's not what we need to be worried about.”

Lyra nodded. “Our toughest challenge is Aspa.”

“We've seen her fight in the tavern.” Hunter folded his arms. “I'm not afraid to face her again.”

“You think she was giving it her all against Sabe and the Obsidian Rift?” Lyra shook her head and closed the scroll. “You've got that wrong.”

Hunter tilted his head forward. “Seems like she's not the only one who tries to hide their powers.”

The scroll vanished, and with a flick of her wrist, a blue orb with serpents coiled around it appeared. “I'll start working on disrupting the formation flags with Light plasma from this Aegis Core. It'll counteract with the effects of their Dark plasma, but it will require some time for the full disruption to take hold.”

“So we need something to speed it up.” Hunter placed a hand on his hip, glancing back at the temple through the bare cypress tree limbs. “If we find a weak point, we could focus on that area and break the formation quicker.”

Mercos grinned, scruffing his beard. “This is the Black Temple; there is no weak point.”

Lyra tapped the Aegis Core and held it out front, facing the closest flag. Ocean blue serpents writhed across its glowing surface and then pulsed with silver lightning bursts. “There's always a weak point. Our friend Buckie here, being a beast, he's finely attuned to the fluctuations in the Ley Lines. He could find a weak point with the right motivation.”

Buckie gobbled.

Mercos laughed. “Even with Hunter feeding him, he needs the luck of a unicorn to find that.”

Hunter scanned his inventory and held out his palm. “I have the perfect thing.” He glided his thumb over the soft fur, hoping to the Divine gods that he’d pull in good luck. Considering how Buckie was lucky enough to find him and escape the wrath of Pheres, it’d be his best chance to try it on the beast.

“What the hell is a rabbit's foot going to do!” Lyra shook her head.

“I’m not exactly sure, but I hope it won’t hurt.” Hunter leaned down and held out a palm full of seeds. “Buckie, I’m going to need to borrow some of your good luck in exchange for some delicious food.”

Hunter felt the rabbit's paw heat as energy shot out towards Bucky. With a quick fluttering of his wings and a slight jump, Buckie engulfed the seeds and bobbed his head.

The sensation jolted Hunter through his palm and flooded into his core. His third eye pulsed, and his mental vision cleared. It was as though he was on a leash, being drawn to Buckie by a thin tether.

Buckie gobbled and turned, scampering with a quick step toward the temple.

“Come on.” Hunter followed the gentle tug as it led them closer.

Buckie paused at the sight of two guards, standing still as statues. Their hoods shadowed their faces. If they were anything like the ones Hunter had seen at the Childhood Ceremony, he expected their faces to be gaunt but their auras powerful.

Mercos gripped his dragon hammer. “I'll take care of this.”

Bowing, Lyra waved her hand forward. “Be my guest. If this is where Buckie led us, then I'll start here by disrupting the formation flags.” She raised the Aegis Core as Mercos charged forward like a bull.

Hunter scanned the temple’s walls, but no door was visible in its stone. “This can’t be right, Buckie. Are you sure this is the way we can get inside?”

Buckie gobbled, and Hunter stepped forward as the tether tugged again.

Groans and high-pitched shrieks clashed against loud thunks. A tree branch behind him fell, singed with a blast of fire.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Mercos returned with a smile, his dragon hammer coated with a thin layer of blood. “All taken care of, but there ain’t no entrance there.”

The purple glow of the formation flag flickered as Hunter took another step towards the now unguarded wall. He shook his head and ran his palm a few paces away along the wall, careful to avoid the energy of the protection array. “If Buckie led me here, there's got to be a way.”

Buckie stood still, his head cocked to the side. Hunter gave him a few more seeds.

“Where does that luck come from?” Mercos raised a brow.

“Looks like a bit of bad luck after all.” Lyra sighed. “We have a little longer before the formation flags are fully disrupted. We'll figure out the best way inside, even though you gave it your best.”

Hunter gripped the Lucky Rabbit’s Paw, sweat, causing its fur to cling to his palm. “I've waited my whole life, I'm not going to wait around any longer.”

Lyra shook her head. “A few more moments won't kill you.”

Mercos nodded toward Monty and stepped up next to Lyra, glancing up at the temple. “It seems there’s another entrance…”

Hunter let their conversation drift away as he examined the stone wall behind Buckie. He glanced up at the window not far above, a short flash of purple haze catching his attention. He prepared his Earth chi in case he needed to use his Dust Storm Whip on a death cultist peering down at them. But he released his hold when he caught sight of the yellow cat-eye glasses of the stranger. He watched his movements, but the stranger didn’t shake his finger. This was the place.

Glancing back up at the formation flags, their purple glow faded.

“It’s now or never.”

***

Adjusting his yellow goggles, the Portalier followed the Ley Line that stretched from the island’s edge, through the patch of cypress trees, right to the window where he stood above Hunter.

“This fool is bloody sick and dying, but I'll give it to him, GATO.”

GATO tilted her head, her cat-like ears twitching. Give what, sir?

“He's got guts.” The Portalier leaned forward as Hunter made his way closer to the temple’s wall.

I believe he's too confident for his own good.

“You may be right.” He lifted his goggles, glancing at Hunter, and the grin on his face couldn't be stopped. “It's coming…”

GATO shifted closer to the window, looking down as Hunter glanced over his shoulder, beckoning Lyra and Mercos forward.

“Wait for it…”

Hunter shifted from side to side as his two companions kept their backs turned, engaging in a heated conversation, the gal’s arms flying in the air with disapproval.

Popping his knuckles, Hunter threw his fists down. A subtle orange glow flared around his legs as he powered with Earth chi. He stormed forward with a dagger in hand as the temple’s wall grumbled, the hidden door opening.

“Leeeeeerrrroooyy Jenkins!”

***

Stepping inside the hidden entrance was as unpleasant as a slap in the face with a week-old fish. The cold, damp air penetrated Hunter’s armor, sending shivers deep into his bones. A heavy, sickening stench of rot and decay filled the air.

High overhead, the flap of wings drew his attention to Monty, who let out a screech of disgust. Monty soared, bobbing and weaving like a sailor on a rough sea, avoiding the pulsing green globs that hung from the vaulted ceiling. Reaching safety, he perched atop a stone pillar, marking the beginning of a staircase that disappeared into the inky blackness above.

Mercos' heavy leather boots made a distinct squelching sound as he trudged over the ground, slick with slime. "Behold the underbelly of despair." He lifted his formidable dragon hammer and gestured towards where Monty waited. “Best we not stick around on this level, or we’ll come down with a bad case of death by slime.”

The air was thick and moist, like breathing through a filthy, damp cloth. Hunter kept his breaths shallow to avoid the intrusive smell that seemed to crawl into his nostrils and cling to his throat.

The walls and floors around them were slick with a glistening sheen of slime that pulsed, as if the dungeon itself were alive and breathing. The only light source was the ghostly greenish glow of mushrooms, lining the path ahead.

Monty's impatient squawks echoed through the chamber, urging them onward.

Lyra’s calm, sing-song voice echoed through the entrance as she caught up to Hunter. "Hold onto your feathers, Buckie, or you'll be balder than a eunuch. Don't worry, the evil slime won't get you." Cradling the shivering rooster, she looked around and wrinkled her nose. "What's with this 'eau de decay' in the air? It's like walking through a troll’s sinus infection."

Hunter and Mercos agreed.

As Hunter let chi flow through his channels, heightening his alertness, he led the group forward, hopping over rippling slime puddles and dodging the bright green drips that sizzled as they hit the ground below.

Suddenly, Buckie crowed and darted past Hunter, landing beside a pulsating blob that erupted from the ground.

"Watch out!" Hunter reached out a hand, but Buckie pounced on the slime with spurs and talons gleaming. By the time Hunter, Mercos, and Lyra caught up, Buckie had reduced the slime to a wet puddle.

Hunter's eyes widened. "And here I thought Buckie was just a timid bird."

Lyra chuckled. "Never underestimate him when there's food involved. Seems he's got a taste for slime jello."

The rhythmic pulsing on the wall suddenly intensified.

Lyra gasped. "Damn it, Buckie, you've triggered the Black Temple’s defenses! Better slurp up as much as you can, because aggro slime is a nightmare to handle."

Mercos advanced on the erupting slime monsters, swinging his hammer low as if clearing a path through a dense, thorny thicket.

Slime splattered everywhere.

A stinging burn splashed on Hunter’s wrist, and he quickly wiped it away, grateful his Third Star Refiner skin was tough enough to resist the acid burn. He held back on using his chi attacks to help clear the path, conserving energy for the bigger challenges ahead.

Starting at level 3 in the temple was a boon, but they still had three more levels filled with powerful Dark plasma-infused minions to face. A daunting task for them and their beast companions.

The path before Hunter was a treacherous landscape of erupting slime, akin to a series of green, acidic volcanoes. The ground became a hazardous tapestry of acid pools and remnants of vanquished slime monsters.

Focusing chi into his legs, Hunter delivered powerful stomps and kicks, punting the aggressive slimes into the walls with a wet splat. The gelatin liquid left behind slimy trails as they slid to the ground, only to reform with frightening speed.

The onslaught of slime was endless, threatening to engulf the trio in a relentless tide of ooze.

Mercos, with a growl of frustration, launched a large blob of slime into the air with a mighty upswing of his dragon hammer. “Line up, slime! My hammer wasn’t forged for cleaning duty!” He deftly swung the hammer’s butt, annihilating incoming slimes with a display of brute force. “Gets in all the hard-to-reach places.” He grumbled, flicking off the sticky remnants in a wide arc.

Lyra flanked him, bringing her own swift justice in a stealthy strike, blurring around him and leaving a trail of slimy, splattered remains in her wake. She winked at Mercos. “Be glad it’s not in the crack of your ass.”

Suddenly, a slime monster descended from the ceiling towards Lyra. Hunter, reacting in a swift motion, slid across the slime-slick floor and launched into a flying kick, sending the creature flying before it could reach her.

Lyra ducked and spun to the side just as Hunter sent the slime flying. Wings spread wide, Buckie tackled it to the ground and gobbled it up before racing toward the stone stairs, where Monty let out another impatient squawk.

Mercos growled. “Keep it together, Monty! We can’t all fly. If you’re itching for action, come down and join the fray, like Buckie here.” With a thunderous strike, he pulverized an attacking slime monster.

Monty, perched high, shot a disdainful look at Buckie, shifting restlessly but remaining on his lofty perch.

The pillar shifted like a lever, catching Hunter’s attention. Light shone on the upper stone steps previously hidden in darkness.

Hunter reached Monty first, but the bird seemed focused on Mercos, who soon joined Hunter, his hammer dripping with slime residue. Lyra and Buckie followed in close, eyeing the path behind, now swarming with reforming slime monsters.

Retreat was not an option. Their only way was up the slime covered steps.

The stone steps, slick with slime, presented a new challenge, potentially as lethal as any monster they had faced.

Monty’s urgent screeches cut through the tension. Mercos nodded in understanding. “Monty saw guards taking Jo up these stairs earlier. We need to move fast; these slime-coated steps are a deadly trap.”

Understanding the gravity of the situation, Hunter turned to Mercos.

“We’ll never make it to the top unless…” He placed a hand on Mercos' dragon-tattooed arm. “I know we're all trying to conserve our chi attacks for greater threats. Can you burn away the slime from the steps?”

Mercos gestured for them to stand back, his hands glowing with fiery chi energy. With a forceful grunt, he unleashed a volley of flaming chi orbs, scorching the slime from the steps in sizzling patches.

“Move now!” Hunter commanded, brushing off an attacking slime.

Mercos gave him a firm push forward. “You and Lyra go first. I’ll hold them off.”

Hunter resisted. “No, I’m much faster; you lead with Monty. Who knows what’s waiting at the top, and you’re much more powerful for melee attacks. Lyra, follow with Buckie, and I’ll cover you with my chi attacks if needed and take up the rear.”

Mercos opened his mouth to argue, but Lyra cut across him with a quick counter. “Stop arguing you two! You’ve both got balls the size of melons, okay? But they’ll be covered in slime if you don’t haul ass up to the next level.” She glowered at Mercos. “Come on, big man, move it.”

Mercos gave her a sour look, hauling his weapon into a two-handed grip before leaping up to the first dark patch on the steps.

Lyra blew a playful kiss at Hunter as she scooped Buckie into her arms. “Glad to have you watching our backs. See you at the top!” She spun and dashed up the steps, her cloak blurring into a shadow as she ascended with graceful ease.

Hunter felt a searing sting as a slime monster latched onto his hand. With a swift shake, he flung the creature off, then rushed after Lyra, his senses alert for any further ambushes. When he reached the top, Lyra and Mercos were already securing the next level, a sprawling chamber that, for the moment, lay eerily silent.

Mercos glanced back down the slime-infested stairs. Hunter followed his gaze, seeing the grotesque sight of endless slime creatures below.

"I’d wager my last coin you’ve got Hadad watching over you.” Mercos nodded, a hint of respect in his tone.

Hunter smiled, thinking of Claude. “Maybe one of the gods is…” His words trailed off as a low groan echoed through the chamber. The walls flanking them began to glow with an ominous purple light, revealing unfamiliar sigils that pulsed with dark energy.

“Does anyone recognize these?” Hunter eyed the symbols with caution.

Mercos’ expression darkened as he hefted his dragon hammer, ready for what was to come.

Lyra leaned in for a closer look, her brows furrowing. “Gypas drag me to Hades, if that’s not the handiwork of a damn Necro Mage…”

The groans intensified, heralding the approach of a black mass of shuffling forms from the shadows.

Lyra sharply exhaled. “Must be a high-class Necro Mage given those Ghouls and Skellies are heavily armored.”

Hunter looked at his companions with a determined glint in his eye. “Time to remind these undead horrors of why they should’ve stayed buried.”