Dungeon Annihilation 3-18

Hey Guys, Sorry for not uploading on this story for a few weeks. I sort of hit a wall on it. I'm not sure if i'm over it yet, but I think i've got it covered. 

Chapter 18

Ashliel

The statue of the goddess gleamed in the morning light. A beacon for every and anyone that came to the cathedral to pray for forgiveness or enlightenment. I, myself, could and have stood in front of it for hours upon a time. My life would have ended much sooner if not for the goddess and the church.

The goddess although caring and forgiving, teaches that we must defend ourselves and our beliefs. There were many monsters and devils in the night that would lure us astray. If it were up to me, I would have found a way to hunt down each and every necromancer and burn them in holy fire. Sadly, it was not.

“Inquisitor. We have a purpose for you,” a voice interrupted my prayer. I finished my verses before standing up and turning from the altar and glorious statue.

“Maxim,” I said as I stepped down and joined the man. “Please tell me they got their facts straight this time. I will not be part of another massacre just because some noble didn’t get his gold. We are not here to help the trash.”

He folded his hands in front of him and began to head toward one of the inner sanctums. “I assure you after the last one, the noble was handled properly. As you say, we are to protect the weak, not prey on them. This time the matter is difficult.”

“Good. My only condolences are that they are with the goddess,” I said bowing my head in silent prayer for the lives we had taken before we learned the truth. “Tell me about this problem.”

Out of the glided halls, the inner sanctum was much more homely in my opinion. I knew the purpose was to showcase our strength in this world that thrives on combat and strength of magic, but at times it felt like too much to me. I moved over to one of the shelves and pulled down a book of scriptures. I planned to go over them again later tonight.

Maxim moved next to me and pulled the second volume down before he continued his briefing. “A new dungeon town has popped up in the northern pass. The area technically belongs to Thonaca Kingdom, but an ex-Lecazar noble has bought her way into the graces of a well-known and well-respected marquis. If the stories are to be believed, they are to be married.”

“Why am I listening to this?” I asked withholding my displeasure. “Does it not sound like a squabble between the kingdoms?”

Maxim sighed before he put the book back and turned to face me fully. “We thought so at first and that might be our undoing.”

“What do you mean?” I asked picking up on his serious tone. This must be more significant than I first took it for.

“A cult claiming to serve a goddess named Nyx has formed in the valley. They are reportedly heavily armed, well-financed, and with rapidly growing numbers. At first, we thought it was the lord trying to hide the fact that she was amassing an army despite the rules, but we’ve heard more alarming claims.”

My grip tightened on the book. “Such as?”

“Dark magic being used to heal at a level that requires our priests to be well into tier three.”

“You are sure?” I demanded, slowly putting the book back on the shelf. If this is all true, then it was no time to be reading.

“Positive. The head priest and many of his acolytes claim to have witnessed the healings for themselves. The number of dungeon divers requesting healings has dropped to unprecedented levels for a new dungeon.”

“I see.” I sent a prayer to the lady Lelune to have pity on the heretics’ souls. I resolved to send them to her myself. I moved past Maxim, planning to head to the quartermaster. I had to plan this carefully to ensure the dignity of the church and my lady.

“One more thing, Inquisitor,” Maxim said stopping me after only a few steps.

“Yes?”

“This information is… I have no way of being sure it is accurate, but there are rumors that slaves that enter the cathedral of Nyx and give themselves to her are able to leave free. The Grand Vicar wants you to investigate these claims first and foremost, but you have the full authority of the church behind you.”

I stared at him before I shook my head unable to believe such a thing. “It must be a ploy. If slaves could be freed so easily, our lady would have done it herself. They likely have a master slaver behind the scenes that are redoing the master crests on the slaves.”

“My thoughts exactly, but that is not something the heretics will come right out and say.”

I nodded in agreement and Maxim bowed before he turned to make for his next duty. I stared after him for only a second before I made my way out of the inner sanctum as well. I couldn’t believe that something like this had happened. Were the necromancers not enough of a blight on the world? Now this Nyx or the person behind her was out to create even more confusion in these trying times!

OH! Goddess! Please help me deliver the nonbelievers to your judgement. The more I thought about it the more determined I grew. It took all I had not to start running through the cathedral. If this was a scheme by the lord or the marquis to stow trouble with the empire or even their home kingdom, I would see that they all burned for as long as possible. The record was currently two weeks.

~~

“Deo. I need to request the Goddess’s Wings. A full complement of paladins all tier two with the command consisting of at least ten tier threes.”

“As you wish, Inquisitor!” Deo, the quartermaster saluted before he hurried started pulling parchments from shelves and rushing back and forth around his work area.

I sat in the guest chair and offered up prayers to the goddess while I planned what to do. There were several factors that weren’t adding up. Even if this Nyx was truly a goddess, I found it hard to believe that she could create a cathedral on the scale that has been reported. I had studied the word of Lady Lelune thoroughly, even she couldn’t create something from nothing overnight.

It had only been a few months since its reported birth, but the dungeon nearby was suspicious. Something told me that there was more to it. It had been a few centuries, but I felt it was time for the church to determine whether it was truly good for this dungeon to continue existing.

“My lady,” Deo called pulling me from my meditation. I didn’t like the nervous tone to his voice.

“Yes, quartermaster?” I asked leveling my gaze on him.

He gulped before handing me the stack of parchments. “Here is everything you requested, however, York took the Goddess’s Wings just yesterday. He will be back tomorrow if nothing goes awry.”

That muscle brained idiot! I took a few deep breathes to calm myself before smiling to Deo. “I understand. Please inform me when he returns. While you’re at it. Add him to the list of individuals to accompany me. I’m sure he can serve a purpose or two.”

“As you wish.”

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