by Wolfe Locke
The blond woman shook her head in refusal to answer. A frantic denial as she shook her head again and again, throwing her palms up in the air before closing her hands over her face and rocking herself. Something about the situation wasn't quite right to Seraph, something about her seemed feral, dangerous. He needed to investigate. Holding his spells in an activated state, he approached the woman, carefully keeping his eyes on her, prepared to attack and kill if she made even the faintest of movements. He would not be caught off guard again.
Chapter 39: Prudence
"I'm not a monster, just leave me alone. Get away from me," the blond girl yelled again as her body trembled with fear and anger as she pitifully crawled backward away from him. Her frail-looking body left a trail in the rubbish and grime that filled the room as loose bones scattered in her wake. The entire time she left one hand raised in front of her face as she crawled, seeking the little bit of protection from him she could muster.
Despite the forceful denial, Seraph didn't believe her. The entire room had a stench to it, a smell of old rot and dried blood with a musk he couldn't quite place though it was vaguely familiar of his time in the Naga’s realm on what had been the third floor of the dungeon. His senses knew what his eyes didn't see. A monster lives here.
A pressure built up within him, guiding his actions more than rational thought. A bloodlust he couldn't control as the emblem of the Black Seraph, his emblem, began to pulse unnoticed with malevolent energy. Seraph didn't believe her words and he pressed forward prepared to kill her, to use the full force of the combined flames of his Thousand Handed ability. Kill her.
But for reasons he wasn't quite sure of Seraph hesitated, even as every one of his senses screamed at him, telling him to move, to end it, to take no chances and simply kill her. Seraph managed to catch his reflection in the eyes of the whimpering girl, he stopped as he stared in dejected disappointment at himself. I look every bit the monster I accuse her of being. With these spectral hands of mana and the fire I wield in the palm of my hands why wouldn't she be afraid? Never mind my general ragged appearance and unkempt hair.
The emblem flared and went dark, and with it much of Seraph's newfound bloodlust disappeared. "What are you if not a monster?" Seraph asked softly, wanting a reason to leave her be. "Do you have a name?" But the girl recoiled at the sound of his voice, scuttling backward faster away from him. "Ah, yes, sorry about that," Seraph muttered as he dismissed the two abilities and crouched low to look the girl in the eye as he asked once more and waited for an answer. "I'm not going to hurt you if you don't give me a reason to."
The girl turned and ran away, heading straight towards the shadows behind her, ignoring Seraph as he told her to wait. "I am Ajana, I was once called something else, but I can no longer remember exactly what it was. I have been here a long time."
Seraph stopped following and just looked at her, not wanting to scare her now that she was talking. "Why are you here, Ajana, what did you do?"
The girl closed her eyes, and for the first time, Seraph realized they had been glowing. The girl trembled as if remembering some far-off trauma before shaking her head. "Monsters came to my world. They came for our children and our dead. I tried to lead my people against it, but I was betrayed by those I trusted most. Cursed, and locked away here while my home was turned to dust."
It may have been the time he had spent alone, but Seraph felt a bit of kinship with the girl. "I too was condemned to this place," he responded. "Perhaps we can work together to escape from here. I'm trying to save my world from what happened to yours."
"I did not say I was condemned," she hissed as the atmosphere in the room changed. "I was cursed." The girl's eyes gained a golden sheen as she propelled herself backward with a jump into the deeper shadows of the room. Even with the room's better lighting, Seraph still struggled to see her as her body appeared to gain some sort of active camouflage as it began to warp. Twisting and folding in on itself as bones and flesh rearranged themselves as the visage of the girl quickly turned into something else altogether before disappearing from his sight completely.
So, she was a monster after all, Seraph thought in bitter disappointment as he re-summoned the ethereal arms of his Thousand Handed ability and prepared to fight the monster. As he did Seraph wondered why he had been willing to give the monster a chance to prove her humanity, especially when the impulse to destroy her had been so strong. Maybe because I desire the same chance? A chance to prove myself to be something other than what I really am. The notion turned in Seraph's mind with the recent memory of the judgment against him, a memory that had replayed itself often in his mind during his imprisonment.
Even with his sense of bloodlust wavering and his desire to fight feeling diminished, Seraph still managed to keep his warrior instincts keen, his eyes on a swivel, scanning the dark corners of the room, looking for signs of the monster, looking for signs of movement. He knew that something other than a human was coming for him and even then Seraph almost didn't notice when a long snake-like tail that was nearly translucent with a color to match the stone began to unfurl on the perimeter of the room, slowly encircling him and moving in.
Experience had its merits, and Seraph would not be taken so easily or unaware. With a twist, the thickly corded muscles of the reptilian tail snapped out at him like a whip and even though Seraph was ready for it, he still barely managed to avoid it. He knew even a slight delay in his reactions would have dire consequences. A belief further cemented by the splintering of the stone floor as the tail crashed down into it where he had previously been standing, the rock tiles shattered beneath the blow. If she can do that to stone, she'll do far worse to me. Even if it doesn't kill me, one hit will be the end of me. I won't be able to heal from that kind of damage before she gets in another blow.
The first thrash of the tail was followed up by a second, and then a third. Seraph only had enough time between attacks to evade as it took all he had to just focus his attention and energy on not being hit by the tail. But the more he evaded, the more of the stone tiles were broken and displaced, until finally due to the poor footing, Seraph caught his foot on one of the broken tiles, and though he quickly recovered, his fate was sealed.
That one moment of lost momentum was all it took for the coiling snake tail to land a partial blow on him. Even with the force blunted by an off-balance hit, Seraph was still thrown across the room and hit a wall before falling to the floor. If not for the protected afforded him by his Abyssal Body, Seraph would have been killed on impact or at best severely injured and incapacitated.
I was lucky to survive that one, Seraph thought as he felt his ribs ache and start to swell. But I can't survive much more of this. I need to do something now to end this. An idea came to him as he rolled out of the way of another blow by the tail, thankful that due to his Abyssal Body, he hadn't suffered any immediate breaks. If I need to, I can use that ability to end the fight, but until I know the side effects or the limits, it would be safer not to use it.
With the ghost of a plan formed in his mind, Seraph grabbed at the monster's tail with his spectral hands, trying to keep it in place as he siphoned away energy to heal himself with and began to charge up his Cold Hands ability, making sure to keep connected to the monster as he worked his arms upwards while avoiding the additional thrashings of the tail. If she is truly a lamia, an absolute cold will slow her movements. The heat within her was steadily siphoned away.
In response to his ability and the freezing of her flesh, the lamia yelled out, cursing him. "I said I'm not a monster. I don't want to die, just leave me alone." It was a scream of frustration, and Seraph understood the frustration as the rest of her body came into view, revealing a scaled torso, the only thing that still appeared human was the face. I thought as much, she is a lamia and an old one at that.
Seraph unleashed the stored power he had accumulated by stealing it from her into the air, the effect flash-freezing the cold-blooded monster and creating from it an almost statue
-like form. "It seems you are," Seraph responded as he approached. The frozen monster waited with eyes of bloody fury, glaring at him and unable to move. Cold eyes that reminded him of the look Sadie had given him before she thrust her sword into his heart, nearly killing him.
A monster is a monster, Seraph told himself as he placed his hands on the monster’s head and began to siphon the rest of the heat out of the monster, expecting to continue until the light faded from its eyes and only a frozen body remained. Seraph expected to keep going until the monster died and he could shatter the corpse and look for item drops.
But instead, he stopped, unable to finish it. I can't do it, Seraph thought to himself as he turned away from the immobilized monster to leave. Monster or not, she was sentient and had only attacked him because he had been set to attack her first. He had killed many but today, he drew a line.
As Seraph began to walk away, he heard from behind him the sound of bones scattering on the ground. He spun around half expecting the unfrozen lamia to be lunging out at him to attack, but she was no longer there. Instead, all Seraph could see was a treasure chest surrounded by aged-looking snake bones.
Tentatively, Seraph went over to inspect the treasure chest and it gave him no impression of being trapped or a mimic. What is this? he wondered as he bent over to open it up and inspect what was inside. “I can use this,” he muttered as he picked up a cruel-looking whip whose rope was light and branded together as if from hemp or some other uncommon material while other portions of it appeared to be serrated pieces of jagged metal and bone.
Notification: The First Pillar - The Pillar of Mercy
Details: For showing restraint towards a subdued foe and resisting the compulsions of bloodlust associated with the trial, you have successfully completed the Pillar of Mercy. As such you have gained the item Ajana's Wrath.
Notification: Item Gained - Ajana's Wrath
Details: Ajana's Wrath is all that remains of the Queen of the Arcadians. When Aeon's Blight befell her world, she used her time within the dungeon to transform herself into an Elder Lamia. Fearful of her power and of the changes within her, the corrupt council members of Arcadia abandoned her within the dungeon prior to their own final battle.
Having perished long ago, all that remains of her is the ghost of an imprint her consciousness has left behind and the curse upon the weapon that bears her name, a whip crafted from her hair, and the vertebrae of her back. This weapon is imbued with the strength she knew in life.
Seraph clutched the weapon in his hand, and while he was not familiar with whips in general, it was better than the alternative of going forward unarmed. I’ll have to figure it out as I go. The whip warmed at his touch and Seraph knew it held a power he could rely upon. The spirit within it did not make another appearance, but he was sure he had heard a voice quiet as a whisper say, I am no monster, but I cannot say the same for you. Ignoring the voice, Seraph gave the room one last look around. However, he found nothing else of importance and left the filth and bones behind, content with his prize and progress.
Chapter 40: The Station
Clutching the partially sentient weapon in his hand, Seraph stepped out of the room that had been the Lamia's prison in life and death. The experience had left a sense of anxiousness about him and a desire to leave the musty and foul-smelling space far behind him. Something about this place is warping how I think, Seraph realized, thinking of the sense of bloodlust he had to fight off.
Seraph looked down at the weapon, knowing that it was all that remained of the shade he had encountered in the cell and almost destroyed. From the weapon itself, all Seraph could sense was a deep sadness, rather than the anger he had just seen. Though he could sympathize with the spirit contained within the whip, he had no desire to face its corporeal monster form again. Seraph gave the whip another glance, cautious to see if there would be a response, but if the spirit sensed any of his thoughts, it said nothing; the shade seemed to have gone dormant.
You can rest then, I'll get us both out of here, Seraph thought, trying to direct the sentiment towards the weapon as he looked down the hallway, trying to make sure nothing had changed. He waited, patiently and cautiously as the constantly moving Golem’s Eyes looked for threats and prisoners like him. The stairway leading out of here remained too far away and not once did Seraph see a break in the pattern.
There would be no way for him to get past to escape. His only hope lay in the room halfway between where he was, and the base of the stairway. Maybe I'll be able to find something in there to help me bypass the eyes. It was the only spot where he could see a pattern of blindness that he could try to bypass the red glow scanning above, below, and then horizontally down the length of the hall. Seraph waited, ensuring that the pattern remained the same, knowing he only had a small window to pass through to reach the room.
I've waited enough, thought Seraph as soon as the red gleam started to move, repeating the pattern. That’ll only leave me a small window, Seraph told himself as he started to sprint right behind it, not wanting to miss the opportunity. But right before reaching the room at the halfway point, Seraph noticed a haze of green mist begin rising up from beneath the stone, and the Golem’s Eyes seemed to notice it too as they all locked on it before changing colors from blue to vibrant red as Golem’s Eyes closer to the mist deactivated completely and began to change.
Seraph watched, not moving, not wanting to draw attention to himself as he was stuck in place. Far too fast, a monstrous hand shot out from the mist and began seizing all the remaining Golem’s Eyes as Seraph in a moment of panic began to prepare himself to use his Avatar ability to try and escape. One single Golem’s Eye spun out of control and locked onto him, its pupil completely centered on him as his body became paralyzed.
I’m trapped then, he realized as he found himself unable to shake loose or use an ability. As the arm shot out again from within the mist to seize the last Golem’s Eye, it blinked and exploded as energy flooded through his body and Seraph felt himself began to fall as his vision turned dark until finally he felt his body pass through the invisible film that he recognized as being a portal, followed by the familiar sensation of being transported by magic to somewhere else.
The effect was instantaneous as Seraph was teleported through space. Was the system designed to catch me then? Or is this something else altogether? he wondered to himself as his body lurched forward as soon as his feet materialized, landing on the ground without his balance. The sudden teleportation caused him to fall against an aged wooden and steel bench. Seraph quickly caught himself and settled his balance as he looked around, surprised to have found himself in the middle of what appeared to be an underground train station. Something else altogether then. Something must have gone very wrong.
Unlike when he had been in the prison, Seraph didn't have to strain his eyes to see as antique burning gas lamps lit up the room with a yellow light. Though the long shadows they cast were cause for concern and Seraph kept some of his attention on them after noticing that some of the shadows seemed to flicker a bit more than they should. It would not be the first time I’ve had to deal with such things.
Seraph had an idea and began to channel his Starfall ability. Why take any chances? He counted to ten before shielding his eyes and released it as the room was filled with a blinding bright light and the screams of the monsters within the shadows. Seraph looked when it was safe to see, and though the shadows still appeared to be supernatural, they were far more subdued and for a time at least would not attack him.
Where to now though? Seraph thought as he looked around for signs and clues of what his purpose here was. All he was able to find were dusty suitcases in various states of decay, yellowed pamphlets advertising exotic vacations, discarded clothing, and torn-open bags whose contents lay tossed about in rotting piles. Seraph had to ignore it all as he tried to take a full measure of where exactly he was.
Looks like this was a seating area and over there towards the front is the ticketin
g booth. But I don't see any hallways or doorways leaving out of here, though there is a safety rail in a dark space near the ticketing booth, Seraph thought as he walked over to the rail and looked over it. Train tracks. That's how I'll get out of here.
Grabbing ahold of the rail, Seraph tried to hoist himself up and over but was tossed back immediately by an invisible force and as he fell to the ground Seraph saw the barrier he had tried to pass through ripple before settling back into place and disappearing from sight. I can't go this way then. There must be another way.
Notification: Board The Genesis Train
Quest Discovered: The train leading away from the Genesis Station will be arriving in 5 minutes. You will have until that time to find a ticket, otherwise, you will be left behind.
Seraph dismissed the notification and shook the dust off as he got back up to look around as the sound of a loud clock started up. 5 minutes isn't a lot of time to find a ticket, he told himself as he looked back towards the suitcases and scattered clothes as he heard the sound of movement.
The old-fashioned suits and clothing that littered the train station began to move as shadows filtered away from the walls and the dark places as the lights began to dim. As the lights started to die down, the shadows moved faster, filling up the clothing as they stood up on their own, the shadows using the clothing to create for themselves a body and beginning to approach Seraph. If I hadn’t used Starfall, there might have been too many for me to survive this.
Shadow Men too by the looks of them, Seraph thought. It's been a while since I faced these monsters. They only ever spawned on the floor of the dead or near sites of massacre. Something must have happened here. With his attention focused towards the approaching Shadow Men, Seraph didn't notice the ones that spawned near him, and one shadowy hand reached out to grab at Seraph's ankles. A hand of shadows attached to a dusty old grey suit.