Novels2Search

12 A second attempt

Misa awakens at the hall of altars. The death altar crumbles into pieces. Her body is completely restored, except the cut on her wrist, which has reappeared.

She's angry. She's furious. They betrayed her and made her experience possibly the worst way you can die that she could think of. It's time for vengeance. They have to pay.

They think she is dead though. She walks over to the entrance hall where they killed guards earlier, takes their daggers and looks around to collect some gold.

Then she makes way back to Venenia's place, where she changes clothes. Venenia asks her how her mission went.

Our cover was blown, so we had to abort. Misa lies. Can you and Abaddon go with me to the temples tomorrow? I need to collect a scroll to remove my entrapment seal.

Abaddon likes the idea, there's tablets containing ancient spells in those temples too that he's interested in.

Next she makes her way to a weapon salesman where she sells her golden bracelet and uses the money to buy fire and smoke bombs.

Misa then leaves and makes her way to the rebel hideout. She performs the secret knocking code and a guard opens the door.

Misa? I thought they exchanged you for Luther? The guard says shocked, Misa stabs him in his throat, and then throws a smoke bomb and fire bomb into the room, setting the wooden furniture ablaze.

They were celebrating Luther's return, and the place is packed. Panic spreads rapidly but not with a tempo as high as that of the fire. Misa closes the hatch and makes her way to the other exit.

Several rebels are already rushing out of it, and it reeks of burning flesh and wood. She throws another smoke bomb, then throws a fire bomb inside. Now both exits are set ablaze. She hopes they all burn to death. It's too bad she doesn't get to see the look on their faces as they realise their mistake.

Misa doesn't feel any remorse that the other rebels are burning to death. She simply doesn't care anymore.

Back at Venenia's hideout they prepare for their trip to the temples. They use the same entrance she used last time. But to her surprise, there's 8 guards at the entrance this time. The guards take their battle stance and progress towards Misa and Venenia. Abaddon creates a large black orbs which he moves forward, through a pillar, instantly deleting a massive chunk of it. The guards stop in awe. They drop their weapons and surrender. Misa and Venenia tie them up to make sure they can't alarm anyone.

They're just people doing their jobs, whenever possible we will restrain them. They continue their path to the large cavern with the temple areas. If you want those scrolls you should talk to one of the head priests. If anyone knows about it, it has to be them. Every temple has a head priest, so just pick anyone you like.

Misa picks the temple of death, since it probably has lots of death altars, it is the safest option.

Okay then, me and Venenia will enter the temple of the god of wisdom, the arcane temple, to collect our tablets. It won't take long. Then we'll catch up with you in the temple of death.

Misa's eyes become watery. I don't want to split up, can't I just come with you. What if something bad happens? Every time I go alone bad things happen, she says frantically.

Don't worry about it Misa. We only have a limited amount of time, Abaddon says. Here, Abaddon instructed me to buy some potions for you, I don't know what they are but he says they're good for demons. Venenia hands Misa a bag of Sanguine potions. We'll be with you shortly. And when we get back we'll have pancakes to celebrate! Venenia firmly hugs Misa, who accepts it. Then they walk off.

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Misa reluctantly enters the temple of death on her own. On its walls are black tapestries with runic symbols. The place is poorly lit by white-blue glowing crystal lanterns. She drinks a potion before facing the first door. Two guards open it, but they step aside to let her pass, without uttering a single word. Misa figures they assume she is associated with them because of her clothes, which bare many of the symbols hanging on these walls. In fact her loincloth is just a re-purposed tapestry, they're exactly the same.

It isn't long before an altar to the god of death is found. It's already covered in blood, but she makes a sacrifice anyway. To her surprise the symbols still start to glow.

Compared to the temple of life, this place is very empty and silent. There's hardly anyone here besides the guards she met earlier.

Every altar she finds she makes a sacrifice too. Occasionally she drinks some potions to recover health. All the blood loss makes her tired and she faints over an altar. She awakens some time later, unaware of how much time has passed.

I'll wait here for Venenia and Abaddon. I'm starting to reach the higher floors and there's probably lots of priests there, I don't want to face those by myself. But she waits and waits, and nobody comes.

Could it be? Did they set her up also? Looking back it is suspicious the guards just let her enter freely. But then again she chose this temple. They couldn't have known that. Although it was an obvious choice. They could've predicted it.

Maybe something happened to them? I should go and find them.

Misa runs back to the exit, passing the guards, and she enters the arcane temple.

The first door is opened and 2 guards are sitting on the floor with their arms tied behind their backs, attempting to free themselves.

Did you guys see a girl with a talking hat? Yeah she went that way.

Can you free us? We will help you catch her.

No, and you guys better stay put till we leave, or there will be dire consequences.

Misa hurries along the halls.

More restrained guards, how far did they make it exactly? I'm almost at the upper floors by now.

I can hear whooshing sounds in the distance. Like someone is casting spells. This can't be good.

Misa starts running down the hallway to the origin of the sounds. The temple itself, it's shaking, like there is a miniature earthquake going on.

She enters a large open room with altars to the Arcane god. What she sees shocks her.

On one of the altars lies Venenia, with a large part of her torso removed. Abaddon is floating high in the air, casting black orbs and explosive spells at an army of followers and everything else he sees, destroying pillars as he goes. Part of the ceiling collapses.

He's gone completely mad, the loss of Venenia removing any semblance of mercy from his soul.

YOU WILL ALL PAY FOR THIS he yells. ALL OF YOU WILL PERISH. NOTHING WILL LEAVE THIS TEMPLE ALIVE. DIE. DIE YOU INSOLENT PESTS

Misa begins to cry. Venenia is dead. Her only true friend. Why did she have to die? Abaddon is so strong, how could this happen? No more dinners with Venenia. Why did she have to die? She is a kind-hearted person who never harmed anyone. She didn't deserve this.

Abaddon! She screams. Abaddon doesn't even look but he throws a large black orb in Misa's direction. He's overcome in a blind rage and unaware of what he is doing. She attempts to dodge it but it moves too fast and hits her in the chest, she dies shortly thereafter and awakens at an altar in the temple of death.

What should I do now? She gets on her knees and hands, facing the ground, tears hitting the floor. I hate it here. This place is horrible. There's only death and betrayal, this place is a literal hell. Everything is horrible. She sobs.

She grabs one of the sanguine potions and drinks it to feel better. It energises her, her sadness somewhat gone. Push on now. I can grieve later. I have to get that stupid seal removed so I can get out of this horrible place.

Venenia would've liked to see me escape. She was rooting for me.

She continues to the higher floors to a large, open and poorly lit room. It's filled with death altars. There's like at least a 100 of them. They're all different and beautifully crafted. Perhaps this is where they make the altars.

Stupid as it may seem, she feels compelled to activate all of them. She cuts herself in many places, leaking blood across all of them as she goes, activating each one. She dies from blood loss several times, but continues to make sure they are all activated. If it wasn't for the god of death, she would've never made it here to begin with.