Thesa pointed her glimmering sword at the beast before her.
The Crow-Lion was a ragged beast of hell and symbol of the [High Devil] Merijest. As the creature reared onto its hind legs, its beak opened, letting out a shriek as the dozen or so worms in its mouth shook like malformed tongues.
Thesa raised her shield, emblazoned with the Three-Horned Bull representing her patron [Deity] Beautuk, son of wisest Owtem and rightful wielder of the Manifest Slate.
“By Beautuk’s name, your ravagings shall cease, putrid creature,” Thesa said. She focused her mind on her [Deity] and cast both [Reject Evil] and [Manifest Blade]. Holy light filled her body and enveloped her sword, respectively boosting her resistance to and damage against [Evil] creatures.
The [Dungeon] chamber flickered. The room was dimly lit by wall-mounted torches. These were mere sparks compared to Beautuk’s magic.
Having cast her spells, Thesa braced herself for the Crow-Lion's first strike. The monster began to retch before spitting out a foul pellet. After a moment, the semi-digested clump began to dissolve into a miasma that inhibited some of Thesa’s Constitution. All the while, the Crow-Lion lowered its avian front-half, its feline tail flicking in the air before it leapt, talons reared, toward Thesa.
With her shield, she blocked one of the creature's talons from making contact, but the other found purchase at the base of her neck. She was knocked prone and the massive claw cut through the skin above her clavicle, curling just enough to get a hold behind the bone. Free strands of blonde hair obscured her vision.
The pain and disorientation might have been intolerable for someone else. But as a Level 19 half-elf [Paladin], Thesa wasn’t phased. Remaining calm, she steadied her blade before casting Beautuk’s strength on herself. As she felt her body fill with the power of her god, Thesa thrust her holy blade into the Crow-Lion’s throat, dealing massive amounts of damage.
With the sword lodged in its throat, the beast shrieked again. Several of the worms in its beak were propelled out by spit and force. Several landed on Thesa’s face. Yuck.
The Crow-Lion held tight to Thesa’s collarbone, scratching against the unbreakable defense of Thesa’s mythril shield. Still unphased, she decided to take a risk. Swiftly maneuvering her shield to serve as a fulcrum against her neck-lodged sword, Thesa applied a powerful pushing force to the sword’s handle. The sword began slashing at the internals of the monster until it broke through the integument skin, creating a huge gash.
The Crow-Lion let out one last, exhausted shriek before it slumped forward, dropping all of its dead weight onto Thesa.
***
image [https://alicepow.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/crowlion.jpg?w=1024]
Crow-Lion
Rank: B
Attacks: Claws, Miasmic Pellet
Notes: Solitary and putrid, the Crow-Lion is a grotesque mirror of its Griffon cousins.
***
After wrenching herself out from under the disgusting pre-rotted corpse of the Crow-Lion, Thesa raised her bloody sword aloft.
“Beautuk,” she cried, “bless this creature’s soul and lead it away from this accursed realm. May it find eternal mercy in the light of your grace.”
The shadowy [Dungeon] chamber filled with holy brilliance until Thesa could no longer see. When it faded, the Crow-Lion’s corpse was gone.
As Thesa approached the obsidian door at the back of the room, she became strangely sentimental. In many ways, her service to Beautuk was about to truly begin. If she could complete this pilgrimage and manage to slay Merijest’s corporeal avatar in the [Dungeon]’s next and final den, she would not only become a Level 20 [Paladin] worthy of great honor but more importantly, she would be doing a great service to Beautuk and to all of the people on earth who had been hurt and led astray by Merijest’s deceit.
All her years of training and all of her adventures had led up to this. She thought all the way back to her first day at the Knight’s Convent.
***
Fleeing a mysterious beast, she and her mother had made it to the steps of a Knight’s Convent only for her mother to collapse dead from exhaustion. Infused with naivete and grief, a young Thesa thought it had all been for nothing.
But the Knights showed her that death could be defeated. One of the Knights explained the [Holy Deliverance] spell and presented his golden sword for her to see. The knight said it would deliver the body and soul to Beautuk’s [Domain] where she would live forever. Innocently, Thesa reached out a small hand and touched the hilt. Gleaming light enveloped the scene. Once faded, her mother’s body was gone. It was a miracle. The Knights immediately took her under their care for training.Years later, she became Beautuk’s champion.
***
Back in the present, Thesa readied her sword and pushed open the obsidian door. She was ready for Merijest to strike her immediately, to hurl a high Level hex, and maybe even to summon more creatures to her aid.
She was not ready to see the [High Devil] crying. Merijest was curled in the center of the room. Her draconic wings, maroon in color, shielded the cobalt-skinned body of the demoness. Black plumage puffed out around her neck like a mane, giving way to the short, shaggy black hair and a pair of horns on her head. Even her pointed tail was curled beneath her.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
She laid on the stone floor crying.
***
Thesa had no idea how she was supposed to respond to this. Internally, she turned her thoughts to Beautuk and asked for guidance. At that moment, her sword began to glow. Beautuk had temporarily doubled the power of Manifest Blade. Thesa hesitated. The lofty voice of her god drifted into her head, something she had only experienced a few times previously.
“Your destiny remains. Kill and deliver.”
Thesa stepped toward Merijest. “Ahem… [High Devil] Merijest…” Thesa began, a little unsure of herself. Merijest did not respond so Thesa continued. “...saint of killers and breather of shadows, in the name of Beautuk, son of wisest Owtem and rightful wielder of the Manifest Slate–”
Thesa was interrupted by the gravelly voice of the demoness. It was surprisingly meek. “Do you know where he sends them?”
For a moment, the interruption actually renewed Thesa’s conviction. She had been trained to ignore the temptations of [Evil]. Besides, it was hardly a question. Beautuk’s [Domain] was the fount of holy magic and energy. It was a place without death. Thesa continued, “I bless your wicked soul and drive it from this realm you have cursed–”
“I can hear their screams, you know?” Merijest said.
This line of temptation tripped Thesa up for a moment, only because she had no idea what Merijest was talking about.
Merijest took advantage of Thesa’s pause and raised her voice slightly. “Each time you smite one of my [Familiars] I receive another unwilling glimpse into that land of eternal awe and revulsion.” Her words were twinged with anger but there was a more palpable sense of sadness and fear beneath.
This was more confusing, but it wasn’t too big a leap to assume that holiness was a [High Devil]’s idea of terror. She tried to remember where she had paused. “...and…and drive it from this realm you–”
Merijest said one more thing with her voice low like churning magma. “I’ve seen your mother’s eternal torment. I was going to save them all.”
Thesa stopped again. “My…my mother?”
“You have [Paladin] spells, dear. Check to see if I’m lying to you.” Merijest shrugged.
Thesa hesitated while also fighting with herself internally about hesitating. She shouldn’t be pausing for any reason. Devils lie. Even if the spell came back negative, it could mean anything.
Again, Beautuk’s voice entered her mind but more forcefully: “Your destiny remains. Kill and deliver.”
At that, she remembered she was not alone. Casting her thoughts to Beautuk, she asked, “one who is illustrious to me, please show me the truth behind her lies.” This was not the casting of a spell but rather a simple prayer. It was the kind of prayer that many followers had when they were in need of guidance. There was nothing wrong with asking for guidance.
“The veracity of her words is of no import, child. Fulfill your task this instant!” Thesa winced as the words shot into her head like a migraine headache that reached its peak and faded in a single moment.
She tried to keep going but she spoke slowly. “...this realm you have cursed with–” What did Beautuk mean about the ‘veracity’ being unimportant. ‘Lord of Truth’ was not his most frequently used epithet, but it was well-known. That was why he granted the spell [Detect Lies] in the first place, right? Why would Beautuk act contrary to the very morals he represented?
She still had a spell slot for [Detect Lies]. It would take only a moment.
“Do not cast the spell. Act! Kill! Bring about your destiny!” This time Beautuk’s voice brought a more debilitating headache. Thesa buckled and fell to one knee. If the demoness intended to make a surprise strike, this would be the moment. But Merijest only sat up. With only her own dark plumage to cover her chest, she looked with a tearstained face into Thesa’s eyes. “I will not strike you. The choice is yours.”
Thesa averted the [High Devil]'s gaze. She lifted herself enough to lean over Merijest. Placing a hand around the demoness’s back, Thesa pulled her close. Her hand gripped just below one of the small black spikes going down Merijest’s back, right where skin gave way to scales. The holy sword was taught against her feathered neck.
“Even if I wanted to,” Thesa said quietly. She looked again into Merijest's tearstained face, eyes like black glass inlaid with ruby irises around a pearl-white pupil. “Beautuk grants my spells. I could not cast it without his agreement.”
“Then he’s already lied to you,” Merijest said. Thesa could see the demoness's sharp canine teeth as she continued, “Once your spells are granted at the start of the day, your [Deity] cannot get them back. There may be consequences, but he cannot bar you from seeking the truth.”
Was that true? The Knights had told her that Beautuk granted each spell as it was cast. That was one of the things that set him apart from other deities. But if that was the case, why did she have to select her spells at the start of the day?
This time, Beautuk’s voice hit like a minor seizure. “Do not cast the spell, you fool!” Thesa’s body convulsed, her sword dropping to the floor with a clatter. Merijest caught the Paladin’s body before she could fall prone.
This wasn’t the Beautuk she knew. This wasn't even the Merijest she knew. This wasn’t right. The real Beautuk cared about truth. The real Beautuk cared about kindness and mercy even for the worst villains. All were welcome in his [Domain]. This must be a trick by the [High Devil] to confuse her. In fact, Thesa was becoming certain that if she killed this passive creature, she would be somehow playing into Merijest’s plan.
“I'm not going to hurt you,” Merijest whispered.
Thesa cast [Detect Lies] on Merijest. The spell came back negative for the whole conversation.
Then Thesa died. Killed by one last word of condemnation from Beautuk.
“Fool.”
Thesa's soul began to drift around the room, watching Merijest gently supporting the armored corpse as she laid it on the ground.
“I am grateful for your mercy,” Merijest said without any obvious trace of malice. “But there are greater debts that must be repaid.”
Merijest placed a hand on Thesa's forehead and Thesa's soul could feel a strange cooling sensation even from across the room. Then Merijest breathed a hex into Thesa's lungs and with a start her soul returned to her body.
Thesa coughed as she opened her eyes.