Chapter 29- Boss Room?

“Should we start heading to the central buildings?” Morpheus asked.

“Yeah, you want to split up?

“By Odin, no.” He stated, the liquid steel golem terrified him.

“Fine elf boy.” She said while getting up from her sitting position.

The two then leapt from rooftop to rooftop, closing in on the central area of the metal city.

They could see a church decorated in white and red, standing out between the dark colours of the buildings.

“That would be their church, avoid it at all costs.” Rose said.

“Why?”

“They like to set traps, and if people were to come and investigate that would be the first place they’d check. Let’s go over to the building over there.” Rose said pointing to what seemed to be a council type building.

There were no signs on the buildings adding to their mystery, they all followed the same style but in different shapes. The black metal with the stone added to the desolate feeling of the whole city.

“Shit, look at that one.” Rose said and pointed to a seven foot golem.

(Orichalcum Golem, Level 175)

It was more beautiful than scary to Morpheus, it’s metal reflected different colours as the light hit it. It was patrolling the central area with a greatsword in both its hands, marching like a soldier.

“Let’s wait till it gets past us then we can go into that building.” Morpheus said and Rose agreed.

The two dropped down from their building once the golem passed them in its route.

Morpheus creaked open the door slowly, the inside looked completely bare. He entered and held the door for Rose who ducked in.

Morpheus carefully closed the door behind them and he could now take a look at the inside. A large metal reception area was in front of him, the main hall stretched further back behind the reception. Two stories overlooked the main hall, with a variety of doors on each floor.

“Do you think there’d be enemies in here?” Rose asked.

“Let’s find out.” Morpheus said and slammed the butt end of his axe against the hard floor three times, causing the sound to echo around the building.

Rose froze and they waited in silence for a minute.

“Why the fuck would you do that?” She angrily asked.

“It’s better than being scared for every room we enter.” Morpheus plainly said.

A vein grew on her forehead but she calmed down quickly and realised Morpheus was right.

“You want to split up now?” She asked

He gulped and nodded.

Morpheus went right and Rose stayed behind to search the reception. He walked into a room littered with burnt papers, they had clearly tried to hide their traces. At the back of the room written in blood was ‘LONG LIVE THE DITORIAN’. He had seen and heard it far to much, and his hatred for them grew tenfold.

He searched in every room on the right side, the floors had no paperwork, only bits of cloth and rotting food.

He heard Rose shouting from down below.

“I’ve got something elf-boy.”

He jumped down from the second floor, and landed next to her.

“They have more hideouts apparently, these papers say nothing of their whereabouts though.”

“At least that’s some information.”

“Yeah, we should hurry, they could be planning an attack anywhere by now.”

“I doubt they would at the moment, all cities would be on high alert.” Morpheus proposed.

He noticed Rose slightly on edge.

“You ok? You seem off.” He said.

“We are just rummaging through ancient history. There could be information a king would sell his castle for.”

“I understand but regardless we are on a job from the Scarecrows. You can always come back here after.”

“I suppose you’re right, the job comes first.” She said with a sigh.

“You want to check out the Church now?” Morpheus offered.

“Yeah, your funeral though.” She said.

Morpheus poked his head to look out to see if the golem has passed. He just saw its back as it disappeared around the central pillar.

“Come on.” He whispered.

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He held the door open for Rose again and they both followed behind the golem until they reached the church. It was roughly the same size as the council building, yet it was painted a bright red and white. Morpheus assumed it was the colour they painted their churches, a contrast to their beliefs.

Rose put her hand onto the door.

“No trap, can’t say anything about what’s inside though.”

“Good enough.” The young chimera said.

Rose opened the door slowly, poking her head round to see.

“Empty reception area like the other.” She said.

Morpheus followed her in, he was about to tap the ground again but Rose grabbed the shaft.

“Don’t.” She said sternly.

Morpheus nodded.

“Let’s stay close, the hall should be behind this room.”

“Ok.”

The two walked to a surrounding door cautiously, Morpheus tightened his grip on his axe.

They stepped into the main hall, coated in red, white and gold. Crystals hung from the triangular ceiling, illuminating the whole hall. Hair on the back of Morpheus’s neck spiked up, and his gut clenched.

“Rose.”

“Yeah I’ve got the same feeling.” She said without turning back.

“No, I mean we should go.”

“Wait, we still have to look.”

He gritted his teeth and walked through the centre with pews either side.

Suddenly, behind the altar at the back of the church a huge door burst open.

A huge ball of flesh and guts, with the faces of many people embedded in its body. It rolled out, and let off a deafening scream from one of its many faces.

(Manifestation of Axon, Level ????)

“Fuck! Run!” Morpheus shouted.

The ball of flesh and guts tumbled towards them, destroying the altar in its path. It stopped and let off a shockwave, sending the pair flying into a stone wall.

Rose was knocked out and Morpheus’s head was spinning. With his focus dwindling he managed to pick up Rose in a princess carry and barge into a door just in the nick of time. The manifestation of the axon slammed itself into the wall where they just were.

Morpheus began healing Rose as he kicked open the front entrance doors.

“Intruder!” The orichalcum golem screeched.

“Shit!”

The young chimera sprouted his wings and shot off into the sky. He looked back to see if the ball of flesh had exited the church but it hadn’t.

Still with Rose in his arms he flew to the top of a clock tower, kicked the window in and settled her down against the wall.

He shot back out of the window to check if they were followed somehow. He could see no sign of the golem and thankfully no sign of the ball of flesh either.

He flew back into the watchtower to see if Rose was alright. She had suffered a big cut on the back of her head and blood soaked her hair. Morpheus placed his hand on her head and Arcane Restoration flowed into her body.

Her eyes slowly opened and she shot up.

“Where are we!”

“Relax for fuck sake. You’re fine.”

She sat back down again and touched her own forehead.

“Was that thing real?” She asked.

Morpheus nodded.

“By Zeus.”

Both hands were on her forehead now and she started crying.

“Why are you crying?” He asked.

“Cause we almost just fucking died to a ball of shit.” She said with tears running down her face.

“But we didn’t.”

She ignored him and tried to wipe the tears from her eyes.

“Where has this come from.” He asked.

“I just don’t want to die.” She plainly said.

Morpheus stayed silent for a moment and contemplated what he just saw.

“What an ugly fucking god.” He said to himself.

Rose overheard him. “I’ve never seen a manifestation before, and to think Axon looks like that.”

Morpheus laughed to cheer them both up.

“Imagine worshipping that.”

Rose looked at him with red eyes and let off a weak smile.

“I thought you were supposed to be the tough one.” He said.

“So, I can still cry.”

Morpheus smiled and lit a cigarette as he stared out over the city, the end of the river catching his attention again.

“We should check out the river next.”

She got up and looked out over the city too.

“Ok, but if you say we should leave, we will leave.”

“I mean, I did say didn’t I?”

Rose clocked him on the back of the head.

“I’m back in charge now elf-boy.”

“The tough girl act is over now.” He said with a smirk.

Rose grinned and looked out over the edge.

“How did you get up here?”

Morpheus sprouted his wings.

“Oh, forgot about those."

“Mind carrying me down again.” She said while pouting and with an eyebrow raised.

He just smiled at her and scooped her up.

Morpheus jumped off with Rose in his arms, his wings carefully slowing their fall.

“Thank you Morpheus, for saving my life.”

“It’s fine, I really look like a hero now.” He said with a slight chuckle.

“Oh grow up, this ain’t some fairytale.”

They both laughed as Morpheus brought them back onto a rooftop.

“You reckon that was the boss room?” She asked.

“I fucking hope so.”

“Yeah, right let's head to that river area you keep going on about.” Rose said.

The two jumped from rooftop from rooftop, leaping over the different types of golems. They stopped when they encountered an unusual golem.

(Platinum Golem, Level 150)

“Platinum goes for loads.” Rose said.

“Why doesn’t Orichalcum?” He asked.

“It’s common, but stronger. People prefer platinum for jewellery nowadays.”

Following the river they finally reached the edge of the city, where trees were scattered about.

“We can stick to the ground or I can fly us over.” He said.

“Come on then lover boy.” She said, already with a hand around his neck.

His wings spread out and he lifted himself in the air, Morpheus soared across the trees following the river until they had reached where the river met the dome edge.

It had strong steel bars going through it, seemingly to keep out the unwanted.

“If there’s steel bars I’m sure whatever is through there they wanted to keep them out. Are you sure you’re feeling ok about this place.”

“I feel a lot better actually, especially since we are far away from that fucking thing.” He replied.

“I can’t argue with that.”

On the right side of the river there was a wooden door with writing on it. ‘Tako’s experiments keep out’

“That sounds interesting, it was written recently too.” Rose said.

Morpheus smiled. “Let’s find out then.”