by Eric Vall
I had no idea how Morrigan had managed such a trick. While I knew of several necromantic creatures that were capable of passing through solid matter, I had never seen a mere animal perform this feat. Perhaps this was one of the abilities that were fueled by the soul energy that she had spoken of back in the room with the soul collector.
I began my steady count to seven minutes. I hoped that my overestimation of time would prove useful and that Morrigan would have enough time to warn Annalíse. Rana wouldn’t be an issue since Morrigan’s other raven, Macha, was already with her. I wished that the white-haired elf possessed a third pet raven, that would have made things a little easier and would have eliminated all of this back and forth flying. Perhaps I would gift another raven to Morrigan later on. Then again, whatever raven I gave her would have to be truly amazing to measure up to her current pets since they were quite remarkable.
When I finally counted out the last few seconds, I hesitated for a moment. I hoped that swiftness had graced Fea’s wings. I couldn’t wait any longer. There was no telling how long Rana’s cage would hold or if any other nasty surprises were waiting for us.
I walked toward the bronze statue-like scale. Now that I was closer, I could see its ornate detail. The large metallic sculpture was tarnished by time and had lost its luster, it was however still an impressive piece. The folds of the bronze woman’s tunic, the flowers that were interwoven throughout her braided hair, her eyes that somehow had a somber look to them… they were so expertly carved that the statue almost seemed real.
I reached into the sack and pulled out one of the white orbs. Then I took a deep breath and slowly placed it on the left side of the scale. The scale moved in response to the sudden weight, and it began to tilt to one side. I heard no screaming, perhaps my guess had been right, and Rana would not be affected. Either or that or something would happen when all the orbs had been properly placed.
I set down another of the glowing colorless spheres on the other side of the scale, and the device began to balance itself out. Still silence. I continued in this fashion going back and forth between the two sides of the scale until only one orb remained. I held it in my hand for a moment and found myself worrying about my minions. Each of them had placed their trust in me, and there was no telling what would happen once I completed my task. Still, they were capable in their own way, and I knew that if something were to happen, I would save them.
I placed the final sphere on the left side of the scale. The measuring implement slowly began to restore its balance. As soon as the two sides evened out, I heard a sharp click. A door began to slide open in the side of the stone wall, and I readied myself for any potential attack.
As the slab moved to the side, I heard a deep throaty growl and saw a pair of glaring yellow eyes amidst the darkness. At almost the same time, I heard a raven cry out twice. So it was Morrigan who had been affected. I heard no additional raven calls. This was either because she was in no serious danger or because she was being prideful. I hoped that it was the former. Even if the elf was being prideful, I could at least take comfort in the fact that my shadow slaves were there to aid her, whether she wanted their help or not.
A hulking figure moved through the newly formed doorway. It ducked its head as it stepped out, and I grimaced at the vile creature. Before me stood a monster well over ten feet tall. It looked like some sort of demon, with a ram’s head and large sinister twisting black horns. Its arms and chest were bare and had the skin of a human, while its lower body was covered in thick, midnight-colored fur that ran down its legs and ended at two hooves.
In its hands, it clutched a large and menacing spiked club. The creature reared back its ugly head and bellowed the most ungodly of sounds. It rang in my ears and echoed throughout the vast cavern. Then the beast stamped its hooves on the stone floor and growled savagely.
So, this was the pathetic god’s game. Not only had he tried to have us kill each other off by completing these ridiculous tasks, he had laid extra traps just in case, not only for me but for Morrigan as well. I would enjoy feasting on his power. I would take my time and savor it as the life drained out of his fleshy body.
I could see the orange glow of the room with the lava walls from behind the ram-like monster. This abomination was all that stood between me and my freedom. The creature released a blood-curdling bellow once more before it snorted, shook its head, and squinted its beady yellow eyes. It stamped its hooves and swung its deadly weapon over its massive shoulder and charged at me without the slightest hint of fear in its eyes. That was a mistake.
I narrowed my eyes at the creature and stood my ground. The monster’s mighty footsteps thudded toward me. It snarled at me as it swung its club at my head, but the ram’s fate had already been sealed the moment the door had opened.
I held up my hand to the air, and the creature abruptly stopped, its club mere inches from my skull. A growl stifled in its throat as its body began to rise into the air under my dark power. I could have killed it in a dozen ways, but at the moment, I felt like performing a little soul exorcism.
The ram’s terrible eyes started to roll back into its gruesome head, and it dropped its club. The monster’s helpless body hung in the atmosphere. I could feel its fear, I could taste it. Its terror was tantalizing, and it made my mouth water. It had been centuries since I had performed a soul exorcism. I had forgotten how marvelous it felt to tear a soul from its home of flesh and bones.
I toyed with the thought of torturing the beast but decided against it. This monstrous lackey wasn’t the prey I wanted. There was no need to waste time on it. I slowly tightened my grip, and a faint gurgle emerged from the creature’s throat. One of its hooves quivered a bit, and its eyelids shuddered for a moment. Then all movement abruptly stopped when the familiar wisp of smoke emerged from the ghastly beast’s mouth. The soul energy curled away from its home and hovered in the atmosphere like a light fog. I figured this would make an excellent snack for Fea or Macha. They had certainly earned it after their regurgitation. With a sigh, I released my hold on the creature, and its hairy frame plummeted to the ground.
That was when I heard a single caw ring through the cave. Only one? Morrigan and I hadn’t discussed a corresponding signal for one caw. What had happened?
Fea appeared once more and fluttered down to me. It eyed the soul energy that floated in the air hungrily.
“No, Fea,” I heard Morrigan say firmly through the bird’s open mouth. “That is the master’s soul energy. You shall have your meal later.” The raven looked at the cloud of smoke for a moment longer before it broke its gaze and settled down to perch on the ram corpse’s shoulder.
“Actually, I’d saved it for your raven,” I said as I bent over to speak to the bird.
“That is very kind of you,” Morrigan replied a moment before Fea began to absorb the cloud of soul energy from the goat monster, and the strange thing was, I could tell the elf meant it. My offering to her bird had pleased her, and something about that pleased me as well.
“You are welcome,” I told her as I looked back at the statue. “What happened when I placed the last of the orbs on the scales?”
“Once you completed your task, a door much like this one opened,” the raven moved its head in the direction of the newly formed entrance. “However, it closed as soon as the demon emerged. Dare I say it was far more grotesque than yours. I disposed of it quickly, such a waste of dark magic.”
“And Annalíse and Rana?” I asked quickly.
“They are unharmed,” the tattooed elf said callously. “However, Rana has inappropriately dubbed my communication methods as creepy. I do not appreciate--”
“She is grateful to you,” I said hurriedly.
“Yes.” A slight sigh emerged from Fea’s beak. “As she should be.”
“I’m going to send some shadow slaves to help Rana and Annalíse,” I said as I made turned toward the door in the stone wall. “I’ll send some to you as well.”
“It is Rana w
ho needs them,” Morrigan said, and Fea rose from the corpse to fly beside me. “To my knowledge, Annalíse is in no danger. Her challenge was more of a psychological nature. Once Rana is out of harm’s way, and I complete my task, she will be able to cross any of the bridges without consequence. She only has to wait.”
“I understand,” I said as I entered the room with the lava waterfalls once more. “However, I’ll send them to be sure. We can’t be too careful, not around this deity. Complete your challenge and gather the others. I’ll take care of that floating abomination.”
“As you wish,” Morrigan said unfeelingly via Fea, and the bird flew away and disappeared into one of the darkened tunnels. Without hesitation, I sent my shadow slaves to aid my minions.
The path led back to the cavern we had begun in, so I pulled the God Slayer out of my void pocket. As soon as the weapon was in my hand, I tapped the pole hard on the stone floor. As the blades began to extend from the staff, I looked around the cavern, still bathed in a lively orange glow. It was empty, but I knew the bald-headed god wasn’t far away. He was here somewhere, watching one of us and probably whining and simpering because his precious plans were falling apart.
“Show yourself, you insignificant and pathetic excuse for a god,” I shouted as I tightly gripped the weapon in my hand. “It’s over. Never again will you torment another being. Both your power and your life are mine for the taking, and I’m going to enjoy prying them from your useless body.”
The lava from one of the streams that cascaded down the walls began to bubble furiously as though in response to my sharp words. Then, one by one, each of the other streams came to life in the exact same manner. Liquid fire began to seep through the glowing cracks in the ground, and a gigantic amber colored ball began to form as it had before. Within moments, the deity’s body was revealed. He no longer wore his usual smug expression. Instead, his fat face was twisted into a look of immeasurable rage. His cheeks were red, and his fatty pink lips curled into a snarl. He narrowed his eyes at me as he hovered in the air in a standing position and clenched his fists at his sides. Evidently, I had gotten his attention, this was the first time that I saw him in an aggressive pose.
A haughty smile began to creep across my face, and I made no effort to conceal it. I had most definitely struck a nerve, and now it was time to strike at his soul.
Chapter 19
“I’m afraid your playtime has come to an end,” I hissed at the rotund deity. The god pinched his lips together and tightened his doughy fists.
“Not quite,” he said through gritted teeth. “You may have conquered your challenge, but the others haven’t, not yet.” His voice was shaky, as though he were unsure of his own words.
“Perhaps,” I said evenly, “but they soon will. And when they’re done, your power will be mine.”
“How dare you, you impudent--”
“I’ve had enough of your insolence!” I snapped, and the loathsome god flinched slightly in response. “I have tolerated your childish antics and your ridiculous games and your tiresome talk.” I slowly walked toward him. “Your very voice makes my skin crawl, and you don’t have a single speck of honor in that flabby body of yours.” I pointed at his girth. “Your very presence, your very existence is an insult.”
The chubby giant blinked at me in disbelief. His pudgy face began to turn red, and his upper lip twitched angrily. I found it amusing, and I was glad that I was able to get under his skin so easily.
“You have no idea who you are--”
“The fact that a being such as yourself holds such power is sickening,” I spat at him as I continued. “You may be a fallen god, but you had no right to be a god in the first place.” A strange noise began to come from the hovering deity. It sounded as though he were screaming, but his lips were pinched tightly together.
“You can’t speak to me like that,” he seethed.
“Oh, but I can,” I said with a wicked chuckle. “And now it’s my turn to have some entertainment. My minions are going to come back here at any moment, and the game will be won. Then your power will be mine. Until then, I’m going to enjoy watching fear consume you as you suffer.”
The time for words had ended, and now it was time for action. I bellowed and swung the God Slayer over my head as I charged at him. The deity released a guttural yell, raised his palms to the air, and curled his fingers upward. Suddenly, a geyser of lava burst through the floor in front of him. He moved his hands in the air and made a pushing gesture in my direction, and the column of lava abruptly changed course, its movements bent to the god’s will as it rushed toward me. It was too late for me to dodge the flow, so I took a chance.
I took a deep breath and brought God Slayer’s blade down hard on the column of liquid fire. The sound of my weapon striking the magma resounded throughout the cave, and the lava split and splattered onto the cracked ground as it flowed around me like a parting river.
I glanced down at my halberd. The lava hadn’t had any effect whatsoever. The beads of magma rolled off the blade as though they were merely droplets of water. This weapon was truly deserving of the world’s most powerful underdark deity. The sinister blades seemed to challenge anything that dared to stand in its way.
It was hungry for blood, and so was I.
The irate god narrowed his eyes at me, and he shouted as he curled his fingers once more upward into the air. This time, six columns of lava appeared around him in a circle. He gave me an evil grin as he pushed his hands toward me. The geysers of lava rushed at me relentlessly, but I was ready this time.
I quickly sidestepped the first torrent of fiery liquid that was aimed at my torso. As I stepped to the left, I swung my weapon overhead and swiftly brought my blade down on a stream of lava that had been targeted at my face. As soon as the God Slayer cut through the fiery liquid and deflected the blast, I sliced sideways to bisect yet another flow of the scorching fluid that was coming from the right.
Another column of lava twisted in the air and curled toward my chest, threatening to devour my very being in a savage inferno. I waved my palm across the air in front of me and conjured up a black translucent disk formed of dark energy. The lava collided with the shield and splattered against it as though it were overripe fruit. The deity screeched in frustration at the sight of the deflection, but there were still two more columns of lava rushing at me.
The last two spiraled around each other and gained momentum as they sped toward my body. In response, I spun the God Slayer over my head. As I lowered my arms and twisted my weapon in front of me, I visualized the transfer of my energy into the blade. I had performed this technique many times before, but never with such a formidable weapon, and I had no doubt that my strategy would result in my victory. Even though the halberd was still new to me, somehow it felt familiar in my hands, as though it had always belonged to me, that it had been crafted especially for me.
My dark energy coursed through my veins and began to pump into the spinning weapon. The God Slayer pulsated in my hands as though it had a heartbeat. It felt alive, and it was as though we were one. The polearm was no mere weapon, it was an extension of my very being. As the spiraling streams of lava sped closer to me, I spun the halberd faster, and a large circle of devouring blackness began to form around the circumference of the spinning weapon. My fingertips tingled with the power in my grasp, and I released a battle-like cry as the torrents of lava crashed into the circle of inky darkness that I had formed. The force of the currents of liquid fire pushed me back a bit, and my feet slid across the rocky floor, but the God Slayer would not be so easily overcome.
Upon impact, the columns of fiery fluid were sucked into the black disk as though they were being poured into a bottomless hole. Within seconds, they vanished. The ill-fated deity’s mouth gaped open in surprise as I halted my halberd’s spinning movement, and I swung my weapon around to point at his meaty jugular.
He gulped in surprise.
“Enough games.” I held up my palm to the air, invok
ing the power of soul exorcism, and a fearful gurgle escaped the deity’s fat lips. I had control of his body now, and I was going savor taking him apart piece by piece until my minions arrived. His fleshy frame began to shake, and his eyes grew wide with fear. I knew that look all too well, many a time had that look brought me so much euphoria. It was the look of one who knew he was about to die. I casually walked toward him and slowly tightened my grip.
“Please,” he said with a choking whisper.
“Go ahead,” I said darkly. “Beg, it only makes it all the more appetizing. Let me hear you plead for your worthless existence. Plead and remember that you had the audacity to taunt me and mine. Now you will suffer for your sins accordingly.”
The wretched giant suddenly let out a blood-curdling scream as his left foot began to disintegrate into ash right before him. His eyes bulged in his enormous head as the plague of my death projection slowly worked its way up his massive leg. He cried out in agony as I paused my projection at his upper thigh. Despite his immense girth, I could have dissolved his body within mere seconds, but that wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted to take my time on him. He had toyed with us and used us as his own personal amusement. He had seen us as simple game pieces over which he had complete control, then twisted the rules every time he lost. Not anymore.
“Oh dear,” I said with the same mock sympathy he had given us so many times. “Is this uncomfortable for you? Should I stop?”
The deity said nothing. He only panted and shuddered from the duress of the loss of his leg, but I still detected some defiance in his eyes.
“Oh, you have nothing to say?” I raised an eyebrow.
Suddenly, the fingertips of his right arm began to disintegrate, and he wailed from the extreme pain.
“Isn’t that interesting?” I said as I gazed up at him. “Before, you had so much to say, so much to gloat about. What changed I wonder?” I stroked my chin thoughtfully as a guttural cry of pain erupted from the god’s lips. His body spasmed as his hand and then his forearm disappeared fragment by fragment. I stopped the death projection once more. The bald deity’s chubby face glistened with sweat, and he sputtered and grit his teeth as he attempted to overcome the pain. A trickle of blood curled its way from his mouth down the first of his chins.