Appo and Jere bounced through the corridors, zigging and zagging in search of Adok. Eevi’s distraction cleared out the Temple, though both were careful to check for stragglers. Jere found an errant torch, stumbling as he lit it.

“Alright,” Jere asked, sticking his spear out around a corner. “Where did your God tell us to go?”

“There’s a stairway that goes deep beneath the Temple.”

“Know where it is?”

Appo hesitated. “I thought you’d know?”

Jere shook his head. “You serious? Some fucking vision.”

Before Appo could retort, a voice called for them down another hall. The two followed, finding Adok, carrying a torch in one hand and pulling his scimitar out of the back of a legless screamer in the other. There were two other corpses of the lame screamers, so wounded that they could've barely crawled. Adok tried to catch his breath, winded after clearing the hallway.

“You okay?” Jere asked.

“Yeah,” Adok huffed. “Almost didn’t see the bastards.”

“What are you doing, anyway?” Appo asked. “Why’d you run back here?”

Adok raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean? I thought you were taking us here.” Adok ran down the end of the hallway, pointing to a massive stone slab at the end. “Did guard duty here once, saw the High Priest and his sister come here and disappear for an entire night. Has to be here.”

“It could be a damn closet, for all we know,” Jere said.

Appo stepped over the bodies and approached the slab. It reminded him of the slab that had blocked Mena's and Duncic’s bodies so many weeks ago. It looked incredibly heavy, requiring the strength of several grown men to move.

“Or one strong one,” Appo corrected himself.

“Jere,” Appo said, stepping away from the slab. “Think you can push it?”

Jere stepped forward, grumbling. “Looks heavy. This where we go?”

“One way to find out.”

Jere leaned his body against the side of the slab, pressing his entire weight into it. Adok and Appo assisted behind him, attempting to push themselves. At first, the slab remained immovable, but after another grunt or two from Jere, it gave. Eventually, he shoved the two out of his way and began heaving himself into the block. With barely an inch at a time, the slab moved to the side. Finally, after one last heave, Jere slammed his body into the slab enough to provide enough space to slither through.

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Jere gasped, turning to Adok. “How many of the High Priest’s men did it take to move this?”

"Eight,” Adok said, awed by the impressive feat of strength.

Jere grinned, catching his breath. “That’s what I thought.”

The three maneuvered within, finding a hallway. Behind the slab was a strap, which allowed Jere to pull it back in place with ease. This time, Appo and Adok stood out of Jere’s way, realizing how little help they actually provided. After pulling the slab shut, Jere pushed ahead of the two and pulled out his spear.

As the three exited the hallway, they found themselves in a massive stairway. Shaped like a square, the stairway descended downward in a spiral formation. There was no railing. Appo peered over, realizing that he could only see darkness. Jere dropped a rock into it, waiting for an echo. None came.

“Twenty-three stories?” Jere said. “Sounds about right.”

The three descended, hugging the wall as closely as possible. Appo had been familiar with the Shadeonite mega-structures in his journey to Zabukama, but this was Jere and Adok’s first time witnessing it. Neither had any idea the Temple could go as deep as it possibly did.

“We need to discuss what happens next,” said Jere, trying to get his mind off the cavernous hole next to him. “With Juddken.”

“What’s there to discuss?” Appo asked, despite knowing the answer. “We get to the shrine, and we consecrate ourselves to Lowya.”

“That part’s easy, Appo,” Adok answered. “But if Juddken is there, we need to figure out how to get past him.”

“I fought him not two nights ago,” said Jere. “He’s tougher than he looks, but I almost beat him with a broomstick. He’ll be alone and he’s not expecting us. As long as you stay back, you won’t need to do a thing.”

Appo continued on, uneasily. “Is there no other way?”

“Appo,” Jere said, almost in disbelief. “He has flayed people, burned them alive, scalped them, removed their tongues, digits, hands. All in the name of Okkan. If he puts a blade to your throat, you’re not talking your way out of it.”

Appo wondered why this bothered him so much. Had he not wished for Isbibarra’s death not a few nights before? Had he not told himself that he would kill him the first chance he got? Did his eventual death not fill him with joy?

But Isbibarra was a monster. He had just killed two children. And even then, Appo had only acted in self-defense. He hadn't even delivered the final blow.

No, Appo was a healer. Regardless of how awful Juddken had become, this was deliberately seeking someone’s death. He'd pledged that he’d do no harm. Not to Lowya, but to his guild. He had lost his hand, but he could still heal.

But if Juddken killed them? Appo couldn't imagine how many lives that would mean.

“I understand,” Appo said, after walking a few flights in thought. “Do what needs to be done.” Jere grunted, gripping his spear tightly.

“All this time,” Adok suddenly said, looking above himself. “The Heads always knew about this. They always kept secrets.”

“Yeah,” Jere said. “They’re not good people.”

“Maybe we deserved it. The plague, the droughts… everything.”

“There were good people here, Adok,” Appo said. “Good people died here. Friends, families… There’s good people out there, too.”

Jere huffed. “I’ve seen the world, Healer. There’s plenty of shit people out there, too.”

“Then why bother?” Appo asked. “Why keep going?”

“Because I’ve gone through too much to die in fucking Ash.”