My World of Hell, part eight

By the time I got back to the natural cavern the wizard was dead. He must have bled internally and finally passed out, and his guts finally spilled on to the floor. I stopped by Hedrack's body and took something important before I continued on.

I went through the secret door and back into the temple complex. I encountered a few guards here and there, but I made quick work of them. Nearly everyone had gone. Not that I was complaining or anything, but it was damn peculiar.

I reached the fourth level quickly. I followed the massive hall to the end. Torches lined much of the hall, but there were some light sources that seemed ambiguous. Likely they were magical lights, like the continual light spell Marc is fond of casting. The room at the end of the hall was lit purely by magic light, and I wished it were pitch black.

The black ceiling was littered with twinkling lights. The might have been jewels. It resembled a night sky. The walls were a combination of marble and onyx. Statues lined the room, and on each statue stood a large, winged humanoid creature. Yeah, we saw these things before. No doubt these things were not just statues. Eight passages lead away in different directions. Against the back of the room was an alter. Scenes of debauchery covered it, just like every other unholy relic around this joint. Behind the alter a set of curtains hung, covered with the same scenes. When I say debauchery, I don't mean your standard internet stuff. I mean things that would make a child molester puke.

On either side of the alter were two pillars that looked like they were made of solid gold. To either side of those (and further back) were two large statues. one showed an elderly man in a robe and horns coming out of his head. The other showed a fat, mushroom like creature with large elephant legs. I discovered much later that the second statue was Zuggtmoy. That meant the first was Iuz.

In front of the alter were four figures. They wore black cloaks with the Temple emblem on the back. Man, they had tons of these things and wore them like concert t-shirts or something. They bowed ceremoniously at the alter, mumbling something I couldn't understand.. I made no attempt to move quietly, but they didn't notice at any rate. I still held my trophy I retrieved from Hedrack. I flung it toward them. It landed at the base of the alter. All four of them jumped back. There robes opened up as they jumped away from the "trophy." I could see they were human, two men and two women, and that the robes they wore were the only clothing on them.

They stared in horror at my trophy. Why, I don't know. It was nothing compared to the scenes painted on the alter and curtain. They looked at me as I strode forward. My sword was still in hand, and probably still covered in blood. They tried to step back, not concerned at all about their obvious nudity under their robes. They stopped when they ran into the alter.

"What's wrong?" I said. I walked up the steps to the alter. They had vestments on it the likes of which I had never seen. "Sorry to see your dear leader so disheveled?"

They looked down again at my trophy. The Hedrack's head had landed upright, facing the alter. How appropriate.

"You will pay," one of the men hissed. He started to speak to one of the statues. I ran him through with my sword before he could give a command to attack. With my foot, I pushed him off my sword and down the steps. The second man raised his hand to start a spell. I slit his throat before he got out two words. He fell over, his life-blood spilling on the alter and the steps.

The two women made no attempt to attack me. They were likely high priests, which meant they had considerable power. Together they might have been able to take me. They would have had better than a slim chance if they hadn't waited until I was less than five feet from them. They watched me with a combined look of horror and hate. It didn't bother me. I realized they were both lookers. I hadn't seen a beautiful body in a long time, and these two would have made a killing as models on Earth.

I smiled. "Ladies."

"What do you wish of us?" one of them asked.

I stared at their bodies for a moment longer. It irritated them, but I didn't care. They were priests of an unholy temple. I saw no reason to give them and measure of respect. A distant part of me suggested I take them here and now. They might have been able to stop me. But then, I saw no reason to stoop to their level either. I could kill them, but they were unarmed as well as unclothed...well, except for the robe. I couldn't hurt unarmed women, no matter how evil they were.

"I want you to leave," I said. I pointed down the hall.

The other priestess gestured at her open robes. "At least allow us to--"

I held my sword under her chin. "No, I don't think so." I gestured toward her robes. "Remove it."

She hesitated, but a quick nudge with my sword changed her mind. She disrobed. "You too," I said to the other. She did as she was told.

I took a step back. Two of the most beautiful women I had seen in a long while stood before me, utterly nude. I had been a prisoner for a long time. I had been tortured for weeks. Now, I was living the dream of any heterosexual gamer. I just killed a bunch of evil people and now I was staring at two beautiful, naked women. I deserved this.

I looked for a moment, and then said, "All right, now beat it, before I change my mind."

They stepped over the bodies of the two priests. They didn't give them a second glance. As with thieves, there's no honor among evil priests (or priestesses). They walked down the hall.

I moved quickly to the bottom of the steps. I banged my sword on the marble floor for effect. The sound echoed throughout the room. "Now!"

They took off into a dead run even as my voice echoed down the hall. If there was anyone left, they would know I was here. I watched quietly as two naked women ran down the well lit hall and toward the steps heading topside. To their credit, they didn't cry out. Of course, they didn't try to use any magic either. Perhaps they didn't see the point with their leader dead.

I took another look at the stone gargoyles. They stared into the center of the room stoically, but they did not attack.

"See you fellas," I said, and I walked down one of the halls that Kella had described. If she was right, it would lead to a node. If wrong...well, I'd end up in an elemental plane.

I walked for sixty feet or so. In a split second I stood on the plateau in the center of the air node. The wind was freezing.

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And that's that. If you want to know the rest, skip back several pages.

Right now, we're in Hommlet. It was snowing in Mitrik, but here in Hommlet it is raining. We're waiting for some of the weather to clear out before we head out to see Dame Gold. We still have some time until this festival thing begins. Besides, we wanted to see some of the people around here.

Audry just arrived to my room here at the Inn of the Welcome Wench. Marc and Anna should be here any moment. They have all been patient with me, and I think I owe them something. When Marc and Anna get here, I'll do some reading out loud for them. They deserve to know.