Maria carefully scaled down the side of the inn, shuffling step by step across footholds, unsteady bricks, and slight stone protrusions. When she hopped down to the back alley below, she landed squarely on her feet, wobbling, and almost losing her balance. Tanalia had simply double-jumped down, while Chariot had to scale the side of the building behind Maria.
Rynec was waiting below in the alleyway, twiring Chariot’s panties around his finger. “You three take forever.”
“Sorry if we’re not exactly well-versed in the art the thieving,” Chariot said. “Not all of us spend our time scaling buildings to sneak in through people’s windows.”
“No, some of you spend time in formation, marching to orders and doing as you are told. Be a thief, and you don’t have to take orders from anyone.”
“Don’t you have a boss?” Tanalia said, “Working for the thieves guild and all. They have a leader.”
“Eh, I’ll do what he says from time to time,” Rynec shrugged, and led the rio further into the alleyway, before stopping before the grate of a manhole cover. It was left hanging half over the hole, forming a dark crescent shape. “This way,” he said.
“No, I’m not going back down there!” Tanalia protested.
“There is only one way into the church that isn’t through the main doors,” Rynec explained. “The sewers lead directly into a catacomb beneath the church.”
“I forgot about that,” Maria said. “Wait, we’ll just find that on our own.”
“Good luck navigating the sewers then,” Rynec said. “If I remember correctly you three got lost pretty easily last time.”
“That entrance also led to the columbarium,” Tanalia said. “We’ll just go through there.”
“The columbarium that’s right beside the church that everyone will be gathered at?”
Tanalia grumbled.
“Is the sewers the only way?” Chariot asked.
“They are if you want to get anywhere in this city undetected. By all means, walk the city streets back to the church and test your luck. I’m keeping your panties though.”
“No, I’m not going back into that filthy man-made tunnel. It’s sickening!” Tanalia said.
“Tanalia, just push through it. If Chariot can, so can you.”
“This is different! She’s just giving her panties away and agreeing to work with a criminal, this is climbing back into a filthy, unsanitary shit hole that smells worse than a thousand burning corpses!”
“We can’t go back on the street, everyone is looking for us out there.”
“What about the rooftops, I’ll meet you two there.”
“They’ll see you on the rooftops.”
“I’ll use an invisibility potion.”
“Do you have one?” Maria put her hands on her hips.
Tanalia sighed and glanced away. “I’m not going back down there.”
“Okay, okay, here’s a deal. If you just tough it out and follow us through the sewers, then I’ll do anything you want for an entire night.”
Tanalia stopped and glared at Maria. “Anything?”
“Yes, anything.”
Tanalia stood there quietly, pursing her lips.
“Tanalia, just take the offer,” Chariot said. “I don’t want to go down there either, but we have a bigger responsibility to do.”
“Fine,” Tanalia groaned, then looked to Maria. “I’m holding you to that.”
“I know, I’ll do anything. Let’s just get going.”
“Thank god,” Rynec said, and moved the manhole cover, before jumping down the hole. Chariot followed first. Maria then gestured to Tanalia to go next. Tanalia glared at her and sighed again as she climbed down into the hole.
As soon as Maria dropped down, her nose was brutally assaulted by the humid, putrid stench. “God, I forgot how fucking bad it is.”
“It’s not that bad,” Rynec said. “Follow me, I know the way back to that church.” The young boy skipped ahead, splashing the thin layer of sewer water up onto his trousers. Maria shuddered and hesitantly followed the boy. She was more concerned about running into more of those flower monsters again, or another Subterranean Blob. Maria kept a vigilant eye, watching for any possible tricks the boy could pull on them, but, to her surprise, none ever came. It was a slow, meandering walk through the winding network of waterworks. The sun was setting, as the natural rays of light were swallowed up by darkness, and soon, Maria had to cast {Summon Light}, just so the trio could see where they were going. The bright, white light turned the aging, algae-covered brick walls, to a slight, lightish green color. It wasn’t long after night fell that they reached the somewhat familiar entrance into the catacombs beneath the church and the columbarium.
A door with a small window stood before them.
Rynec looked it over, frowning. “Oh right, I forgot about this.”
“Hold on, I have the key still,” Maria said confidently. She pulled from her inventory the key that the Oracle had given her.
“You still have that?” Tanalia asked.
“I never gave it back,” she replied smugly.
“You forgot to give it back, didn’t you?” Chariot asked.
“Maybe,” Maria said after a brief pause. She slid the key into the lock, and turned it with a loud, echoing clank. Maria’s light spell was dispelled as she led everyone into the catacombs. They came into the chamber with eight stone tables organized into two rows. Dried blood still painted them. Over by the cold, stone furnaces, was the door leading into the church, and across from that, the door leading up into the columbarium. The air was still damp, and stuffy, but infinitely better than the musky and god-awful tench of the sewers.
Maria tried using the key on the door to the church, but to her surprise, it refused to turn. She tried forcing the key, but it wouldn’t budge.
“Is it not working?” Chariot asked.
“No,” Maria groaned. She took the key over to the door leading up to the columbarium, and sure enough, it worked. “Great…” she sighed. “We need a different key to get into the church.”
“Not necessarily,” Rynec said. “I know of a small crawlspace I can use to get into the church. I can unlock it from the other side.”
“You think we’re going to trust you to do that?” Maria said.
“Yes, because what other choice do you have?”
Maria sighed and shook her head. “Fine. Just try not to get caught.”
“I haven’t yet,” he said smugly, and hurried back into the sewers.”
Chariot opened her menu and quickly swapped her gear back to her armor. “I still don't trust him.”
“We followed him this far,” Tanalia said.
“We followed him as far last time and when we got there he ambushed us.”
“Do you really think he's ambushing us?”
“Don't be so gullible.”
“I'm not gullible, I'm just trusting that he wants our help to take down the Oracle.”
“You may not have a problem with helping him get back to stealing from the people, but I do.”
“We can deal with him another time,” Maria said. “For now, let’s just tough it out, and work with him, even if we don’t like it. We get the Oracle, free the people of his spell, and find out where the Ringleader is.”
A few moments later, a loud banging came from the other side of the door. The bolt slid out of the way, and the door creaked open. Rynec stood on the other side, a smug grin painting his face.
“About time,” Chariot said.
“I went as fast as I could. There’s a long line of people outside.”
“Anyone in the church?” Maria asked.
“Just him and one other man. He’s reading his mind right now, so as long as you stay quiet, you can sneak up on him.”
Maria nodded and quietly moved past the boy.
“I’ll be staying around to watch the show. Make sure it’s a good one.”
Maria rolled her eyes and pressed on. The doorway from the catacombs led to a basement which was left relatively empty. Empty chairs were stacked with blankets of cobwebs, and dust strewn about. Another set of stairs however led to the main hall of the church. Maria peeked out. They were behind the large statue of the Lunar Goddess. Faint whispers echoed through the cathedral.
The Oracle sat before the wooden pulpit, crosslegged. The light of hundreds of strewn candles along the central aisle reflected in his crystal eyes. He was resting a hand atop a man’s head, who sat bowed in prayer, while in his other hand, he gasped his staff, the crystalized lunar crest shining brightly.
“I see great success in your future,” The Oracle said. “The woman you love… Valeriana... She will find another man. They will wed.”
“What?” the man looked up.
“If you continue down this path, I see you losing her. Accept the divine nature of the lunar goddess, and let her guide you to victory. You can win over Valeriana’s heart with her guidance.”
Gradually, the color in the man’s eyes drained, and his frightened expression fell to one more calm and collected. “Yes. I will.”
“Then go out, and do as I say, for I am her vessel.”
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
“Yes father, I will. Thank you,” the man spoke in a monotone voice. He rose to his feet slowly and marched out of the church. As soon as the doors shut, Maria stepped out from behind the statue of the Lunar Goddess.
“Mina we have a turn?” she said. “We want a talk with you too.”
The Oracle turned slowly and narrowed his eyes. “Well… there you are. I must say I’m a tad surprised you were able to escape all those people. I heard about the little accident you caused.”
The trio walked around the Oracle as he slowly rose to his feet, moving between him and the main doorway.
“No thanks to you,” Chariot said. “Hand over the staff, and free these people of your control.”
“I’m not going to do that,” he said calmly.
“Then we’re taking it from you.”
“I wish you the best of luck.” He slammed the staff down, and a silver gleam wrapped around him like a bubble before vanishing. The Oracle stood there, and waved his staff, pushing the doors of the church open. “Help me, my children. The heretics are here.”
Maria’s eyes widened, and she looked towards the door. She threw her hand out and cast {Wall of Flames}. A long strip of fire stretched across the width of the doorframe, and erupted, blocking the entrance with a towering, and thick wall of fire. “That won’t hold them forever,” Maria said. She cast {Fire Rune} before the wall as well, for in case it fell, and anyone entered, they would be blasted back.
“Then let’s make this quick,” Chariot said. She aimed her Crimson Petal at the Oracle. Vines burst from the stone floor, but as they whipped forward to entangle the Oracle, they instead slithered around him like he was entrapped in a bubble. The vines could not squeeze down on him. “You truly are a coward,” the knight growled.
“And you three are thorns in my side.”
“You’re the one who backstabbed us,” Maria said.
“So that I may secure my spot beside who is soon to be one of the most powerful men in the world. Once he finds the demon king's treasure, you all will be doomed. At least, those of you who do not worship the lunar goddess.”
“You should be against him,” Chariot argued. “The demon king destroyed the moon! He hurt the lunar goddess! Why would you want to rise beside another demon king?”
“Because I have seen the future! Fire and brimstone await. I’ve seen the rise of a new demon king, and I have seen that the safest place to be is by their side.”
“Not if we find that treasure first,” Maria said.
The Oracle scoffed. “You won’t live to see it.” He slammed his lunar staff into the ground. The church rumbled, and from the shadows cast by the flickering candles along the center aisle, figures rose. The darkness birthed forward humanoid creatures, with gray watery eyes, and cartoonishly sharp, and toothy smiles.
Shadow Jester - Lvl 35
“Oh god damn it,” Maria groaned.
The shadow jesters were feeling off the walls like they were stickers, springing to life with, maniacal laughter. Their bones cracked and popped as they moved, jumping around the church like a hoard of monkeys.
Chariot withdrew the vines and backed away as one of the Shadow Jesters leaped down in front of her, clawing viciously with it’s pointed fingertips. She sliced at the monster as Maria backed out of the way of her sword swings. She wandered into the rows of pews and ducked as a Shadow Jester leaped at her from the side. It flew past her, crashing into the long wooden benches and knocking one of them over. She drew her Serpents Blade and whipped the monster as it bounced back up. A trail of sparks and embers flew through the air before the strike violently slashed through the monster's health bar.
Maria spun around and hurled {Demons Fury} at the Oracle. The large, flaming skull burst from her hand, and weaved around the church, narrowly missing Shadow Jesters as it sped towards the priest. He stood there, unwavering as the skull smashed into the forcefield around him. The explosion rocked the church, shattering several of the stained glass windows above. The cries of an angry mob of people filled the chamber as glass rained down on the church.
As Maria ran out of the row of pews, narrowly dodging, and killing another Shadow Jester, she looked to the Oracle. The field around him was visible. Cracks seemed to run through the air, around him in the form of a bubble. The lunar staff in his hands was still glowing brightly.
She needed to shatter it.
Tanalia double-jumped past her, drawing both her blades as she twirled through the air, and sliced at two Shadow Jesters that leaped at her.
“Tanalia!” Maria yelled. “Use {Starfall} on him!”
“In a minute!” she yelled, parrying an attack from Shadow Jester. She swung her blade, sliding down the middle of the monster's arm before beheading it with her other one. As she put her swords together to form a bow, she aimed towards the Oracle.
Maria cast {Enchant weapon: Fire}, just as Tanalia released her arrow. Both Tanalia and the knight’s weapons lit ablaze, sending sparks and embers flying everywhere. The growing fire warded off the Shadow Jesters and dealt extra damage to them.
Tanalia cast {Starfall} just as the arrow struck the Oracle's bubble. It bounced off but left a blinking red glyph floating where it had landed.
Maria returned to fending off the ever-growing hoard of Shadow Jesters as golden ethereal arrows rained down onto the Oracle's forcefield. They bounced off, but progressively cracked it more and more until finally, it shattered, crackling like glass. The arrows fell around wildly around the Oracle, who fled out of the way. He cried out, struck in the back by two of the arrows before they vanished.
“What, didn’t see that coming?” Tanalia called as she ascended the church walls, and leaped across the room, firing several more arrows at the Shadow Jesters below.
The Oracle raised his staff again and slammed it into the ground. A purple pulse of sparkling energy blew out, and suddenly, the entire room was glowing purple. The pews, candles, tapestries. Maria glanced down at herself. Even her clothes were glowing purple. Suddenly, she was weightless. A sickening feeling washed over her as she started ascending upwards with the furniture and concludes ascended with her.
“What the hell?” Maria tried reaching out for anything to latch onto. She grabbed the edge of a pew and tried pulling herself towards the sides of the church.
“What’s going on?” Chariot cried out, struggling to grab onto anything as she slowly levitated higher. Tanalia groaned as she was pressed against the ceiling, and attempted to push off it.
Just as Maria reached out to grab onto the chiseled stone walls, she was violently thrust back down to the ground. Everything crashed loudly against the church floor, with many of the pews shattering into two pieces, and sending splinters and glass fragments flying everywhere. Maria smashed her ribs into the pew as she fell, and rolled to the ground. She groaned loudly, holding her side as pain flared up her torso.
Her gaze fell onto her health bar. {1324/1767}.
Yeah, that was about how much it felt like it hurt.
Both Chariot and Tanalia had fallen just as hard as she did. The three of them were rolling on the floor, trying to get up. Suddenly, Everything was thrown up again. The Oracle chuckled as he slammed his staff against the ground again. Violently Maria was thrown back down, and one of the pews landed on her, crushing her legs. She cried out, but the pain only lasted for a second before again she was lifted into the air. She floated higher and higher, unable to make sense of her surroundings, much less orientate herself. Tanalia tried firing arrows at the Oracle, but the arrows would only fly so far before they too were caught in the gravitational field. She groaned and tried sending her enchanted dagger out, but even it got caught in the field.
Maria looked around frantically. Her health bar had dropped again to {967/1767}.
She wasn’t going to last if this kept up. She couldn’t even control her own gravity.
Wait… yes she could.
Maria opened her menu, but before she could access her inventory, she was slammed down again onto the floor. The pews had all but shattered around her, and her party. Everything was left destroyed, with mounds of wax, splintered wood, and broken bronze altar candles. Maria groaned and tried to stagger back to her feet. Her HP had dropped again to {642/1767}. Her body flared with pain. Her bones were aching, her muscles throbbing. She looked back to Chariot and Tanalia. Both of them were steadily rising to their feet, but even they were wavering. Their health bars were significantly low as well, though not quite as much as Maria’s. Before she could say anything, everything in the church started to levitate again.
“No!” Maria groaned. Her two party members fell quiet as they groaned and strained, trying to swim through the sea of floating debris to grab onto anything solid. Maria opened her inventory and pulled out one of the gravity potions Lycia had given her. It had been so long that she nearly forgot. Maria gulped it down, and with one thought, her gravity reversed back to normal. She plummeted, landing on her feet.
The Oracle paused, glancing at her with wide eyes and stunned silence.
Maria cast {Firebolt}, and struck the Oracle, knocking him into the statue of the lunar goddess on the podium. Everything in the room came crashing back down. Neither Chariot nor Tanalia were able to save themselves, and they too plummeted into the piles of debris. Maria downed a Greater Healing Potion and restored her health before anything else could happen. {1525/1767}.
The Oracle staggered and slowly rose to his feet. His legs wobbled as he used the lunar staff for support. “Why can’t you just die.”
“I thought you wanted us captured?” Maria panted.
“To hell with that. I’ll kill the three of you myself, pluck the throne from my side, and show I don’t need the Ringleader's help to take care of pests like you.”
“Was it you? Were you the one spawning all those Shadow Jesters around Oxfell?”
“The Ringleader isn’t the only one to know magic,” the Oracle barked, his crystal eyes starting to shimmer.
Rynec suddenly appeared out of thin air behind the Oricicle. The boy had a devilish smile as he grabbed the back of the old man's robes, and yanked him to the ground. Caught off guard, the Oracle staggered back and attempted to block his fall, but he only fell into the hands of the young boy.
The old man screamed.
Maria winced and glanced away as the Oracle fell back, cupping his hand over his eyes. Rynec held in his hands the crystal eyes once more, though coated in a slimy substance. He rolled them around in his palm triumphantly and delivered one that fell quickly to the Oracle's side before he was struck by a beam of light emanating from the lunar staff. He flew back into the statue of the lunar goddess and fell unconscious.
“Idiot child!” he screamed, trying to orient himself. “I can see you! Where have you gone? Give me back those eyes and I won’t string you up for the crows!”
Maria hurried over. The Oracle must have heard her footsteps, because he spun around, and swung the lunar staff like a bat, basing Maria’s hip, and knocking her aside. There was so much force behind his attacks she could barely believe it.
Landing in a pile of broken wooden pews, she groaned and tried to get to her feet. The Oracle was limping away, using the staff to feel the carpet of the center aisle and flee towards the doors.
Chariot and Tanalia tried getting to their feet to stop him, but their bodies were still battered and bruised. They needed a healing potion, fast.
The Oracle hurried down the center aisle, nearly tripping over himself. Maria took chase as he waved his lunar staff, and dispelled Maria’s wall of fire. Standing outside was the crowd of bystanders waiting to get in, their blank expressions and lifeless gray eyes seeming almost haunting.
“My children, protect me, the heretics—” The Oracle stepped on Maria’s fire rune.
BOOM!
The explosion shook the air, shattering what windows hadn’t been shattered yet, raining shards of sparkling broken glass, and embers throughout the church fire roared to the ceilings and licked the support beams. The blast had crumbled the doorway, sending bricks and burning splinters out onto the street, along with several of the closest bystanders.
Maria staggered to her feet as the ringing in her ears subsided. The church was burning down, the support beams being eaten away at by the growing fire. The Oracle was lying a few feet away, unconscious. The lunar staff had shattered into a million shimmering blue fragments and all but the pole remained.
Smoke filled the room as a blistering heat rose.
“Maria! Get Rynec!” Chariot yelled as she and Tanalia worked together to drag the Oracle out of the burning building.
Maria ran back and scooped up Rynec in her arms. The boy was limp, but breathing, thankfully. She hurried down the central aisle, dodging falling debris, and flaming piles of pews as the church was swiftly overcome by fire. Water magic would have been a very useful thing to learn right about now!
Maria ran through the door as one of the support beams crashed down behind her, shattering in two, and belching fire and ash from the open doorway. The roar of flames was loud, like a lion, crackling and popping into the night as bright orange colors danced up the city roads.
The citizens outside stood across the street from the burning church, looking at it with wide eyes and gaping mouths. The color had returned to their eyes.
Maria laid Rynec down on the sidewalk and looked over to where Chariot and Tanalia had dragged the Oracle. He was flat on his back, with a crowd of people surrounding the three of them. Chariot put her hand on his heart. “He’s not dead,” she said with a relieved sigh. She gave the Oracle a healing potion, as Tanalia walked over to Maria.
“How is the kid?”
“Not dead either,” she breathed a sigh of relief.
“Nice thinking back there. What potion did you drink?”
“It was a gravity potion. Lycia made it for me back when we first helped her.”
“You’ve been holding onto a gravity potion all this time?”
“I forgot, alright. I only remembered that moment.”
“Well, we’re lucky you had it.”
Maria nodded and glanced around. Even though most of the people around her were distraught watching their church burn down, she felt a sense of relief. The spell had been broken, and the remains of the staff were left to burn and melt with the rest of the church. The great fire was raging high, and from down the street, several city folks came running to the scene. Some who knew water magic started casting it, extinguishing the flames before they could spread to neighboring buildings.
“So, what’s the plan now?” Tanalia asked.
“We question him,” Maria sighed, glancing back at the Oracle. “Find out where the Ringleader is.”