AN: Before you move onto the new chapter, I need to inform everyone present that I may be taking a couple days off to write. This is so, as the heat in my little corner of the world has become unbearable to the point that it's shut off the AC unit for a full day. 

Not so bad right? Well... it wouldn't be if not for the fact that I tend to become irritable, manic, and my insomnia kicks itself up a notch until my brain and body refuse to function properly.

"What does this mean?" It means that I haven't been able to write anything concrete for the past couple of days, and my buffer chapters are running dangerously low. So if it continues by tomorrow, then I'll be taking a couple days to a week off in order to try and get my thoughts straight enough to continue writing.

So yeah. Life threw its curve ball at my face, and I failed to catch it.

As always, folks, thank you for reading thus far. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please do not hesitate to voice them.

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"What the hell is that thing?" muttered the male Elf called Tanis, of whom was your typical sort. Blonde hair, large sky-blue eyes, thin build, and leather armour, of which was mirrored with his female counter part who was busy trying to restore some semblance of movement in her bruised arms.

"It's probably a Human, but I've never seen one with almost no clothing, nor that strange mask. Did you hear it speak? It felt like it was right in my ear." The female shivered whilst her fingers twitched from the sudden movement, "How do we go about removing it?"

"Removing what? The mask?" The other appeared surprised, but contemplated the idea slowly, "Well, we'd have to kill the Human, but how would we-?" He paused for a time to glance in my supposed direction, and found my person gone. This startled the pair, who believed their Elven heritage was superior to that of a Human. So how did I vanish from their sight so quickly and effortlessly?

Well, being a God does have its perks. For example, one is allotted the ability of teleportation, but it can alert the residential Gods and Goddesses to such a movement. Which was not what I desired to do. Instead, I simply found a hidden switch along the right side of the altar, which opened up the space in front of it. Therefore, I simply entered the space due to my curiosity, and left the Elves to their own devices.

Down below the altar, I found myself within a long hall of dirt and grime. Which appeared to go on for quite some time, and was cramped due to my large size and sword. Yes. I had to remove it from my back as I slouched forwards enough to allow my person enough room to walk. Of course, I could simply move the earth away from my person, but with the False God watching closely, I decided against that venture.

In any case, my person would trek through the hall for approximately one decca-turn before I was able to glimpse a line of light coming from ahead. Though, if any others were with my person at that time, they would be excited about reaching the end. However, as I was who I was, my pace slowed as I softly intoned the spell, '<>.' Of which conjured up a large, spectral image of a Lizardman behind my person. This then merged with my body, allowing my person to blend with the environment until I was almost completely invisible.

Yes. There was the normal spell for such a thing, but as I was pretending to be a Human Warrior, of sorts, I did not wish to alert others that I was something more. This then led to my person utilising the various spells and abilities for such a Class. However, I was, and still am, very much a hypocrite.

As I grew ever closer to the light at the end of the tunnel, the sounds of cries soon pierced my ears with terrible screaming. This was followed by an indistinguishable battlecry, along with a peal of thunder as the light grew even brighter.

Curiosity gripped my person like a vice at this point, which led to my masked head to peer out of the tunnel. Which then allowed my eyes to behold a sight which many of you have already seen before. A male Dwarf, wielding a large hammer, fighting against endarkened robed cultists. Of course, the one you have all viewed was one of Forge's Dwarves fighting to get to a great treasure in the next room. Whereas this one was of the Azarathian race of Mountain Dwarves, and was protecting what appeared to be a girl-child without clothing.

What was truly strange about this scene was from the fact that this child had strange, geometrical shapes painted upon the body, and was chained to the wall behind the male. There was no reason for such a venture, which really irked my person, but was not enough to desire the destruction of these cultists.

Ah, but before I forget, every cycle one of the Dwarven clans upon Forge produces a play, of sorts. In that the actors have to experience what it was like for others of their kind to journey through the dungeon called "The Tower of Babel". Of which was my own creation, and one that was used in order to conquer their world, but that tale is for another day.

Now, this Dwarf held a few distinct features which made him out to be of the Mountain race. In that his skin was stone based, whilst the eyes and liquids within the body were molten rock. Yes. They are quite strange, but effective miners when it comes to excavating metals and jewels. Whereas the armour it wore was of wood, of which was a strange occurrence to those of whom have never met their race.

As to their reason why they chose wooden armour over all others? Well, it's a religious notion which they abide by quite fanatically. In that it is from the fact that no armour made of metals or animal skins may be worn about their persons. Once again, it is a strange race. Even more so are the customs and religion, which led to the wooden armours they are able to create. Yes. I have my own set, but will never wear as it is simply decoration.

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Which leads to the weapon he wielded. For although the race was not allowed to wear metals or leathers, their religious texts said nothing about wielding them as weapons or tools. Therefore, they were given the freedom to use them as any other of their race was allotted.

In any case, the male appeared to be wearing down considerably, as the cultists seemed to continue to appear. For they desired the child, of which was unresponsive, and would be willing to sacrifice a great many of their number to obtain it. However, I was in quite the pickle, as many Humans have said before. Do I save the Dwarf and slaughter the cultists, or do I help the cultists and kill the Dwarf.

For you see, my dear audience, if these beings worshipped what appeared to be my skeletal self upon the altar, then I would have a few choice words with whomever was in charge. Whereas if I were to save their only obstacle, then I would be bereft of my answers. Though, by this thought alone, I decided to kill the one protecting the girl-child. Which began as a bellowing roar from my position within the tunnel.

This caused all actions to halt momentarily, as I emerged with an intonement of, '<>.' Once again, a spectral bear appeared behind my person, reared up upon its hind legs, and melded with my person. Of which caused those nearest my person to tremble, as they believed I had come for their lives.

Instead, they became relieved, as I hefted my broadsword in order to charge at the Dwarf. Of whom quickly raised his warhammer just in time to parry the blow which would have surely cleaved his body in two. The others on the other hand, not know what was occurring exactly, moved away as I continued to hammer at my opponent with stronger blows.

It was at this time I felt a little fear coming from the other, whose molten eyes had widened as they noted my masked face. Of which held no eye holes, nor anything for a mouth and nose. All that was available for him to view was the white coloured metal, and small ruby which shined a baleful colour beneath the mass of auburn curls. Whereas I simply grinned mentally at the surprise he was showing my person, and continued to rain heavier blows upon his person.

To which he side-stepped quick enough which caused my blade to crash through the stone floor. However, the other did not take advantage of this, and leapt back in order to inquire, "Why are you helping these cretins? Do you not see that they mean to sacrifice the child?" The male's voice was much like gravel being ground into sand by a pair of large boulders, as its gauntleted, left hand pointed towards the girl-child.

'So what if they do?' came my mental reply, which startled all others. For the words seem to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time, 'These cretins as you called them, have answers to the questions I hold. Who am I to say if they can or cannot sacrifice a child or two to whomever they worship?'

Of course, my words shocked the Dwarf, who looked upon my person incredulously as I pulled the large and battered broadsword out of the ground below. This was then held up in front of my person at the ready, with the pommel resting in front of my groin, and the blade angled towards the ceiling high above. "Aren't you a Human, though?" he called out, shaking his rocky head slowly.

'I stopped being Human a long time ago, Dwarf,' came my reply, as I called upon the abilities of a Warrior once more. '<>,' my mental voice began slowly, as an endarkened fire slowly erupted from the hilt of the blade. Of which slowly spiraled along the length in two trails, whilst it ate the whole of the metal as though it were an offering to the spell.

This caused the other to widen his molten eyes, and slowly step back whilst searching for an escape of some sort. Of which there was none, as the robed cultists seemed to have caught on that I was there to kill the Dwarf, and not themselves. These individuals seemed all the more ready to allow my person to complete my task, and blocked the other from reaching any escape routes whilst the spell upon my weapon slowly consumed its entirety.

Of which appeared to others that the sword in which I held had become nothing more than a great, shadowed flame which did not burn my person. In actuality, however, I still held onto the blade itself, whilst the spell simply took over its shape until I released it with the last intonement. Whereby my mental self did speak it, but only after I did leap high into the air, gripping the blade's handle, '<>!'

Landing in front of the Dwarf, I did swing the blade in an arc which slashed from his right shoulder down to the left hip. However, the moment the spell touched his body, it did snuff out and returned the appearance of the blade to itself. This confused all onlookers, as they believed it would have caused a great explosion, or something to that effect. Instead there was nothing, save for my person who slowly stood tall before the other.

Of whom slowly twitched his head in my direction as motes of pure darkness slowly oozed from the cut across his armour. These then quickly dripped upon the ground, where it did pool in a puddle beneath his body. Afterwards, tendrils and tentacles shot themselves out of the darkness, wrapping themselves around a stunned Mountain Dwarf, and swiftly pulled him into the pool. Whereupon he did vanish, leaving behind nothing beyond shadows.

"Well," muttered one of the perceived cultists, "that was anticlimactic." To which I could only agree, as I turned around and noted a tall, crimson robed being making their way towards my person.