Chapter Seven: Cathedral
The group packed and readied their belongings for the rescue mission to save the remaining members of Pyre Fierceshot's warband. Kyte sat with Vekk and organised his belongings: refreshments and injury kits in case they bit off more than they could chew down in the chasms below. Kyte, however, hoped it would not come to that. Because of their numbers, they had to play tactical and wise. It was a good thing Pyre seemed to be a professional at that sort of thing. It made Kyte wonder how he got captured in the first place. The supplies they had found at the Shrine were used to heal the injuries they sustained from the previous assault on the Grothmar Wardowns Stronghold. Vekk's arm was out of its sling and Kyte's burns weren't as severe.
Gwen sat away from the rest of the party, not wanting to be converse or even be close to the Charr brothers. The thought of working with them left a bad taste in her mouth. She still wasn't used to the fact that they were 'allies', or whatever that meant. Her whole life she had treated the Charr as beings of destruction, menace and death. She had been raised to hate them and detest them, but more importantly, she had been specifically trained to kill them. She never thought for a second that she would ever be working with one.
"You sure you're ok with this?" asked Kyte as he approached her and sat himself down in front of the small campfire she had going. "You don't have to come."
"Stay here and remain with the other two mongrels?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "No thanks, I'd rather go where there's still some kind of human presence around."
"I know this is tough for you." Kyte went on. "But we won't have to work with them for long."
"I know." she responded, poking at the campfire with a stick. "I just keep thinking of Captain Langmar and the others, and it gets me through it. I remember why I'm doing this."
"Good." said Kyte, giving her a small pat on the shoulder as he got to his feet. "I wouldn't want to leave you with other two Charr anyway." he walked away with a small smile and Gwen responded with one of her own. She snuffed out the campfire and gathered her things before following her friend to the cathedral entrance, which was located behind the altar.
"We're ready, Pyre." Kyte said as his party of four stood beside him. The Charr nodded and gathered his bow and quiver.
"Let's spring my warband from this hellhole." he grunted.
"You sure you don't want us along, Pyre?" asked Gron Fierceblade.
"Someone has to watch this place." Pyre noted. "We don't want the Shaman's coming back unannounced."
"Tear a few extra throats for me." grinned Gron, and Pyre replied with his own menacing grin as he nodded and led the party into the chasm.
The road down was deep and long. Gwen felt the air change gradually from warm to chilling as they descended deeper into the cave. After a while the flight of steps ended and they were on level ground again. As soon as Gwen saw what was before them her mouth dropped. The chasm was massive. Huge. Flaming torches lined the stony walls, providing light to the path ahead.
"Welcome to the Cathedral of Flames." Pyre grunted, as he grabbed one of the flaming torches that hung on the wall. "This is where the Shamans make their prayers and sacrifices to the false gods."
"How inviting." Vekk muttered under his breath.
"The place is huge, how are we going to know where your brothers are?" asked Ogden.
"I have a map, taken from Scorch Maulclaw." Pyre replied, patting the pack attached to his back. "The prisons are marked."
"Convenient." Kyte mumbled. "Let's get this over with."
Pyre led them through the caverns, intertwining tunnels that all looked the same in Gwen's eyes, but Pyre seemed to know where they were going. He led them through a tunnel of narrow passages before they entered a great hall, lined with banquet tables and chairs. Candles sat on the tables as well, each were lit and still burning.
"This place looks like it hasn't been used in centuries." Gwen commented. "But the candles are lit."
"That doesn't seem good." Ogden muttered.
"It rarely is." Vekk responded, detaching his compact staff from his waist. Being a genius engineer, Vekk had crafted his own mechanical staff, which could extend and contract at his own leisure. Being half the normal size of a human, he found that carrying such a long staff around would prove irritating. His party responded by drawing their own weapons as well.
"It's too dark, I cannot see the end of the hall." Pyre whispered, waving the flame torch in front of him. The light from the other torches mounted on the walls provided little assistance as well.
"It's definitely too quiet." Kyte muttered.
"One of my warband should be located at the end of this hall." said Pyre softly. "Be on your guard."
Gwen could feel something stalking them in the darkness. No doubt it was the Charr, but should could not see anything. Suddenly, something grabbed her from behind and she acted on instinct, spinning around to swing her blade at the assailant, but the blade struck air. Whoever had grabbed her had vanished as quickly as they had appeared.
"Something just tried to grab me!" she warned the others.
"As I feared." Pyre muttered. "Assassins."
"The Charr have Assassins?" asked Kyte, bewildered.
"They are rare, but they do exist." replied Pyre. "And they are deadly."
Upon hearing this news, Gwen turned her vision three hundred and sixty degrees. She had never had an encounter with a Charr Assassin before, and she was unsure of what to expect. She simply held her blade out in front of her, ready to defend. Then it came, two daggers forming out of the shadows into a dark figure. The assassin bore down before her, as if appearing from thin air. Gwen only just managed to block the killing strike, but the force of the blow knocked her off balance and she fell to the ground, exposed. Then, a bolt of lightning struck the attacker, distracting him and causing him to retreat into the shadows once more. Vekk had defended Gwen with a simple incantation, the smoke from the attack still searing from the end of his staff.
"Thanks Vekk." she said, getting to her feet. "How do we beat these guys?"
"We have to expose them in the light." Pyre said. "It's too dark, we need more light."
"I think I can help with that." Vekk grinned. He fished through his pack and pulled out the mechanical light devices they had used back in Grothmar Wardowns. He threw one to Ogden, who activated it instantly. The brilliant purple light emitted from the device, lighting up the great hall. Vekk activated the second light device and shone it the opposite direction. The Charr assassin's covered their eyes and growled as the light revealed their positions.
"There!" Gwen cried out, bounding forward. Vekk kept the light on her position as she sprang ahead to attack the assassin. Her flurry of blows staggered her target, who was still distracted by the beam of light aimed in his direction. It blinded him, making him unable to fully defend against Gwen's assault. She caught an opening in defence and struck, slitting the throat of the Charr assassin and sending him to the cold floor.
"One down." she spat. A twang of bowstring saw Pyre Fierceshot locate the second assassin and plant a well-aimed arrow between his eyes. The assassin dropped to the floor instantly. Then, from the shadows behind them, a patrol of Charr emerged.
"Trespassers will be executed." the leader of the patrol growled. "Kill them all!"
"The one in front is the Prison Guard!" Pyre cried out. "He has the key!"
"Got it!" Kyte acknowledged, bolting forwards. He engaged the Prison Guard in one-on-one combat as their swords clashed together. Gwen, Vekk, Ogden and Pyre took the remaining patrol guards. Vekk cast an incantation and sent a forceful shockwave around him, knocking back all foes and sending them tumbling to the ground in disorientation. Gwen followed up with her magic, throwing several guards into the stony pillars around them. They crumpled to the floor, as their backs broke under the immense pressure of impact.
Kyte back-flipped several paces to recover as he eyed the Prison Guard carefully, before throwing himself forward in a reign of flurries and deathly blows. The Prison Guard defended well, but he was big and brawly, hardly in a shape to move at the speeds Kyte was able to move. The young warrior dove forwards, striking low and sliding between Charr's legs, severing the ankles in the process. The beast dropped to his knees, crippled and in pain. Kyte finished the job by planting his blade deep into the Prison Guard's back.
"Grab the key." Pyre said, as the last Charr fell. "One of my brothers is just ahead."
As the group reached the end of the great hall, they were met with a tall, large wooden door. Pyre grabbed the key from Kyte and inserted it into the lock and twisted. Several clicks and clangs were heard and the door creaked open. The party ventured forward into the dark room, which was more brightly lit than the one they were just in. At the far end of the room, they saw a Charr chained to the walls, arms and legs bound.
"Seer Fiercereign." Pyre chuckled. "I never thought I'd see you in this position."
"Well, well." the Charr known as Seer grinned, as he looked up to see his fellow brother in arms. "I never thought I'd see you again, Pyre." he glanced at the company Pyre had behind him and chortled.
"And what have we here?" he questioned. "Did you bring these human slaves to carry your pack, Pyre? Or are they lunch?"
"You ungrateful-" started Gwen, but Pyre held up a paw to silence her.
"Times have changed, Seer." he responded. "These humans help us of their own free will."
"Some of us help of our own free will." Gwen muttered under her breath.
"Then it seems we fight together." Seer said, as Kyte and Pyre freed him from his shackles. "Cowl and Roan are held further down below. We mustn't waste any more time."
"Agreed." Pyre nodded, clapping his brother on the back, and tossing him a sword. "Good to have you with us, brother."
"Let's tear some throats." Seer grinned, twirling the blade in his paws.
"How deep does this Cathedral go?" asked Vekk, as the group hurried back into the great hall, with Seer now leading the way.
"Quite far, little one." Seer responded. "They separated us, fools were probably afraid that they couldn't handle us if they kept us together."
It wasn't long until the descended deeper into the cavern. Gwen could feel the cold air chilling her bones as they continued to journey through the cathedral. Thankfully, the flame torches on the walls provided some source of heat, as well as a source of light. the cave grew gradually brighter as the amount of torches that hung on the wall increased in number. Soon, almost everyone in the party was holding on.
"Cowl shouldn't be far from here." Seer said as they rounded a tunnel. "I overheard him being guarded by Flameshielders."
"Hah!" scoffed Pyre. "That would be sensible. Always wild with the elements, our brother."
"I heard he took out two of the guards within the first hour of his imprisonment." laughed Seer. "I'm surprised they didn't kill him on the spot!"
The group approached rounded the next corner and came face to face with the prison patrol guarding who they assumed to be their comrade behind a large iron door. As soon as the Flameshielders spotted Seer they roared.
"The Ritualist has escaped!" one of the cried out, raising a spear. "Capture them!" and with that, the group was thrust into combat once more. The enemy was considerably more difficult this time around, due to their use of magic. It was difficult to get close to them to attack. Pyre had no problem with this however, and fired off three arrows, downing three targets instantly, but the others were quick to focus their powers on him, chasing him into hiding.
"They aren't letting up!" Kyte cried from behind a stone structure. Fireballs were being hurled past them, and Gwen could feel the immense heat they were emitting.
"I can seal their magic." Gwen said, stepping up. "But only for a moment."
"A moment is all we need, mouse." Pyre nodded. Gwen moved to the edge of her cover and waited for a pause in their assault. As the last fireball soared past the pillar, she sprang from her hiding place and thrust her arms out in front of her. Her eyes glowed a brilliant violet as she called upon her domination magic to block the Flameshielder's magic. The Charr magisters attempted to cast their magic and incantations, but nothing happened. Momentarily stunned, Gwen's allies stepped forward and launched an all-out assault, wiping out the remaining Flameshielders instantly. As soon as they were dead, Gwen halted her power and dropped to one knee, panting. The spell had taken a fair amount of energy from her, and to use it against such a number of foes nearly crippled her.
"You ok?" Kyte asked, helping her to her feet.
"Fine," she responded, giving him a small smile. "I just need a moment."
"You did well, little mouse." Pyre admitted. "Take a moment while we break out our brother."
Pyre took the key from the fallen Prison Guard and approached the iron door. He unlocked the door and pushed it open slowly, when several ice shard sailed over his head, narrowly missing him.
"What the-"
"Pyre! Seer!" the Charr inside the room announced.
"What kind of welcome was that?" Pyre snapped at his kin.
"Sorry brother, I thought you were them." Cowl Fiercetongue laughed, walking up to his two companions.
"You mangy mess!" Pyre said with a grin. "I thought the Shamans would have killed you by now."
"They wanted to make a grand spectacle of my execution," he replied. "otherwise I would have been slaughtered days ago."
"Lucky for you." Pyre said, handing Cowl one of the staffs he had picked up from the fallen Flameshielders. "Let's find Roan and get the hell out of here."
"Who are these?" Cowl asked, as he spotted the two humans, the dwarf, and the asura.
"Allies, Cowl." Seer explained. "They rescued Pyre, and they rescued me. We fight together."
"Then I will be glad to fight by your side." Cowl said, holding his staff up high as a sign of respect. Kyte merely nodded in response. He still had Gwen under his arm, who was slowly recovering her energy.
"Can we move on?" asked Pyre, glancing at Gwen.
"Gwen?" Kyte asked. She gave a quick nod and took in a deep breath. She had recovered some of her energy, but nowhere near enough to perform the same feat as she had before.
"Then let us get Roan, and get out of here." Seer grunted.
"Sounds good to me." Ogden muttered, following Cowl as he led the way forward deeper into the caverns. They were closing in on the descent into the inner temple of the cathedral when Kyte broke the silence.
"We haven't run into much resistance." he said. "Who is leading the Flameshielders?"
"A powerful Shaman." replied Cowl muttered, baring his teeth in revolt. "One known as Flamemaster Maultooth. He commands the Legion here, and he is a very powerful enemy."
"He must be stopped." Pyre said. "And we will be the ones to do it."
"So why are you helping us?" Seer asked, turning to the young warrior. "Humans and Charr have been at war for decades, this seems like an unlikely alliance."
"The Legion took our comrades, the Ebon Vanguard, captive in order to sacrifice them to their gods." replied Kyte. "As they were going to do to you, I assume."
"So you are looking for them?"
"Pyre agreed to help us rescue them if we agreed to help him break his warband from imprisonment." Kyte said.
"And so we shall." Cowl answered from the front of the pack. "A deal is a deal."
"We're here." Pyre said, stopping short. Ahead of the group was another large door, guarded by several Charr Warriors. "The inner sanctum is beyond those doors."
"Roan is bound to be in there." said Seer, brandishing his weapon. "Let us free our final brother in arms and bury this place."
"Then I shall cast the first blow!" Cowl roared, bounding forwards. The Charr elementalist thrust his staff into the air, and shards of ice began to form from the water in the air. The shards where razor sharp, and soon the Charr Warriors found that out. The shards ripped through their armoured plating and buried themselves deep in the body. The warriors fell within a second, dead on the floor.
"That was easier than expected." Cowl said, triumphant. "Let's get this door open."
Once unlocked, the group had to work together to push the large and heavy door wide open. When they appeared on the other side, Gwen's jaw dropped. Before them, was a large open room, with several trees lined alongside one another. The trees however, were completely charred and burnt. Some were still on fire.
"What is this place?" asked Gwen.
"The inner sanctum." replied Pyre, heading into the heart of the flaming room. In the centre of the room, surrounded by the flaming trees, was a Charr, arms chained to the ground in front of him.
"Roan!" Pyre cried out, causing the imprisoned Charr to look up. "Ah, you're still alive. I was looking forward to selling the armour off your corpse." Pyre laughed in jest.
"Another day, Pyre." the Charr known as Roan replied, glad to see his warband still alive. "The Flamemaster is nearby. His Guardsman possesses the key to the temple of the inner sanctum."
"Very good," replied Pyre, as he unshackled his brother in arms. "Soon they will learn that these new gods of theirs are false when we send them to the afterlife."
"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Gwen, approaching them.
"The inner sanctum is nearby." Roan said, throwing his chains to the ground and retrieved his weapon from a nearby weapons rack.
"Was Roan the last one?" asked Kyte, unsheathing his blades.
"Yes." Pyre replied. "We venture forward for the Flamemaster now, and kill him."
"At least I'll get to bury my blade into some Charr tonight." Gwen said.
"You will get your fill, little mouse." Pyre growled in reply. "But first we need the key."
The group headed deeper into the caverns, where they encountered several more Charr patrols, but it was nothing they could not handle. Through Roan's directions, they arrived at the final gate to the inner sanctum, and sure enough, as Roan had stated before, the Flamemaster's Guardsman stood in their path.
"I heard intruders had infiltrated the cathedral, but I wasn't expecting you, Pyre." the Guardsman said, strolling forwards and brandishing two large twin axes from his back.
"Just toss the key to the sanctum, and we'll make your death less painful." Pyre spat, but the Guardsman merely laughed.
"And you travel with these meat!" he roared, indicating to Kyte and Gwen. "How low you have sunk, Pyre. You are not worthy to stand before the Gods any longer."
"You're gods are false," said Pyre, setting an arrow on his bow. "but you'll find that out soon enough."
"Come, Pyre Fierceshot! Show me what you've got!" the Guardsman roared, opening his arms in a taunt. Pyre responded by firing an arrow straight for his enemy's heart, but it did not reach its target. The Guardsman simply waved his axe in front of him, shattering the arrow. Gwen was the next to attack. She bolted forwards impatiently, leaping into the air with her blade high over her head. She came crashing down with a clang, her blade meeting the twin axes in a shower of sparks.
"Gwen, no!" Kyte cried out. "We need to take him together!"
But it was too late. As soon as Gwen struck the first blow, the Guardsman activated his trap. A wall of fire erupted in around them, encircling Gwen and the Guardsman within it.
"Gwen!" Kyte called out, but the hot flames held him back. None of them could get through. "Pyre, help me!"
"There is nothing we can do." replied Pyre, shaking his head. "These flames have magical properties. The only way they can be put out is if the caster dies."
"But-"
"The little mouse is on her own for now."
Gwen turned backed off and examined the flames that imprisoned her within its walls. Her friends were not going to be able to assist her this time. She was alone. She turned back to her enemy, the Charr Axemaster, who was twirling his large weapons in his furry paws.
"This trap was intended for Pyre," he grinned. "but killing a human is just as rewarding."
"You won't even touch me." Gwen said confidently, holding her blade out in a defensive stance.
"You despise the Charr, yet you travel with four of them?" the Guardsman questioned.
"Believe me, if it were up to me, your kind would all be dead."
"I will let you know one thing today, meat." the Guardsman said. "You will not get past me."
Gwen said nothing, and instead charged forward for an attack. Rage filled her mind, but she knew if she wanted to survive this battle to the death, she would have to focus her mind and concentrate, just like Captain Langmar had taught her. She thrust her blade in a flurry of various attacks, hoping to dodge past her enemy's defence, but the Charr remained solid. She backed off and waited, hoping he would begin the next assault. Her plan worked, the Charr bounded after her, swinging his axes wildly, hoping his attacks would somehow land a hit, but she knew how to defend herself against the Charr, she had been training to do so since she joined the Ebon Vanguard. Her fighting style was bred to fight Charr. The Guardsman roared and threw one of his axes down, but Gwen back-flipped out of the way, and the weapon struck the ground, burying itself in the hard ground. Seeing her chance, Gwen rushed forward and launched herself into the air by using her enemy's disabled weapon. The Charr attempted to strike at her in the air with his other axe, but Gwen's fluid motions made her untouchable. She landed on her enemies back and without hesitation, plunged her weapon into his back. The Charr groaned in pain and slumped to the ground with the blade still buried deep inside. As if on cue, the circle of flames vanished in an instant. The party rushed forward and saw Gwen standing over the Guardsman's dead body, holding out a large gold key in her hand.
"You alright?" Vekk asked. "I have some consumables if you're injured…"
"I'm fine Vekk." replied Gwen, giving him a small smile. "I didn't have to rely on any magic that time. Just the skills Captain Langmar taught me."
"You did well, little mouse." Pyre said, strolling over to examine the Guardsman's dead body.
"Now you know what I am capable of." Gwen said, a hint of a threat in her voice, but Pyre pretended he had not heard what she had just said, and instead proceeded to hold a hand out for the key, which Gwen reluctantly handed over.
"Once we enter the sanctum, there is no turning back." Roan said, heading to the gate with his brothers.
"We didn't come this far to back out now." said Kyte, joining them.
"Why do I feel like I'm going to regret this?" said Ogden, shaking his head. As Pyre inserted the key and turned, a series of clicks could be heard and the door began to slide open slowly. The group entered the sanctum, a large, open square room with an alter at the far end. Many Charr surrounded the room, but it was two large constructs which Gwen assumed to made of many pieces of steel and wood.
"Your reign is over, Flamemaster!" Pyre cried out as the party approached the alter. Within an instant of hearing his voice, every Charr in the room had drawn their weapons in attack, but the Flamemaster simply held up a hand to halt them.
"It was a brave thing for you to come here, Pyre Fierceshot." Flamemaster Maultooth replied, not bothering to turn and face them.
"We will tear this cathedral to the ground, and you along with it."
"The Gods are not in your favour tonight, Fierceshot." Maultooth growled, finally turning to face his opponents.
"Your gods are false!" shouted Gwen menacingly.
"You dare?" Maultooth spat, turning his attention to Gwen. "A mere human dares to question the new Gods?"
"You should have killed us when you had the chance." Pyre said. "We won't make the same mistake."
In one fluid motion, Pyre raised his bow and fired an arrow straight into one of the Charr Guards, killing him instantly. Maultooth suddenly roared in anger and raised a fist.
"You're pathetic excuse for a party has no chance against me!" he cried out. "You should have sent an army! Prepare for your demise, worms! Release the effigies!"
The party turned to see the two large constructs come to life with a breath of fire. They took their first step forward and Gwen felt the ground shake beneath them.
"By the Great Dwarf!" Ogden cried out. "How are we supposed to beat that?"
The effigies sent out a deafening roar that echoed off the walls of the sanctum and caused the party to drop to their knees, shielding their ears. The first effigy raised a large flaming fist and attempted to bring it down upon the group, but Cowl was quick to defend and raised a Ward to protect them from harm.
"My ward will not hold for long!" he cried out. "Go!" Upon his orders, the group scattered and went their different ways, hoping to throw the effigies off. Gwen ran left, cutting down several attacking Charr in her path. Compared to the effigies, the Charr were just a hindrance. Gwen managed to gain protection from a large pillar just as one of the effigies shot a wave of fire in her direction.
"Great, they have in-built flamethrowers as well." she groaned. If she could get behind one of the constructs, should could figure out how to take it down. Across the room, she saw Kyte and Vekk seeking shelter from the flames as well, while their four Charr allies were still under Cowl Fiercetongue's protective ward. Seeing her chance, Gwen sprinted from her hiding place and raced around behind one of the effigies. Mustering all her strength, she slashed at the heel of the construct, hoping that it would at last do some damage, but all it did was anger the construct more. The effigy turned around and roared, before raising its foot and stomping the ground hard. Gwen felt the shockwave and fell to the ground, unable to move. She was vulnerable to attack, and the effigy knew that. It raised a hand to strike, but someone had climbed atop its back and began to attack it at its head. Gwen looked up to see Pyre Fierceshot firing multiple arrows into the effigy's head, hoping that any spot he hit would be a vital one.
"Vekk, assist me here!" Kyte called out, raising his blade. Vekk nodded and began to infuse Kyte's blade with his air magic, creating a weapon covered in electrical energy. Kyte bolted forward and slashed upward, hacking through the effigy's left leg. The construct roared and fell forward, collapsing in a heap before them. Cowl Fiercetongue then ran forwards and cast a an icy prison around the construct, freezing it and dousing its flames.
"One down, one to go!" Pyre shouted, jumping off the effigy and looking over to the second one. The second effigy was struggling with the Charr, who were attempting to keep it under control. The effigy roared and unleashed an inferno, searing and roasting several Charr alive.
"Fools." Seer muttered. "They can't even control it themselves."
"You guys take the effigy." Pyre said. "Maultooth is mine." and he headed towards the alter, where the Flamemaster Maultooth was attempting to flee.
"Leaving so soon, Flamemaster?" Pyre asked, holding up his bow, an arrow strung in.
"It was foolish of you to face me alone, Fierceshot." Maultooth grunted. "I will kill you here and now, and you will realise that your efforts were all in vain."
"Bring it on." Pyre replied. He threw his bow aside and lunged forward, fangs and claws bared. Maultooth did the same, and the two Charr met in fierce close combat.
Elsewhere, the group fought the second effigy with great difficulty. The construct let loose a continuous wave of fire that cooked anyone who got too close.
"We need to take out that arm." Cowl muttered, regrouping with the party.
"That's obvious." replied Gwen. "The question is how?"
"Create a diversion." Seer suggested. "Cowl can protect you with a ward, and Roan can heal you should you hurt yourself."
"What are you going to do?" asked Kyte.
"You, I, and the little mouse will go round the back and attack from there." Seer replied. "The effigy will turn on us, and that will give Cowl a chance to restrain it with his water magic."
"What are we waiting for?" asked Gwen. The three of them snuck off to the side, while Vekk, Ogden, Cowl and Roan attempted to gain the effigy's attention. It worked, and the construct began to attack them continuously, but Cowl's ward seemed to protect them.
"Cowl cannot keep that ward up for long." Seer said.
"Already on it." Gwen said, springing forward to attack the effigy's legs. Kyte followed and began to hack furiously at the other leg. The effigy roared and rounded on the group of three. Cowl saw his chance and began to chant a long incantation while Roan, Ogden and Vekk defended him against oncoming Charr. The effigy struck out with its arm, but being so big and clumsy, the group were able to avoid the attack, and move in to strike again.
"My mind magic won't work against this!" Gwen muttered, frustrated.
"Don't worry about that, just keep its attention on us!" Kyte replied, jumping back several paces to avoid a swipe from the effigy's large hand. Seer was calling upon the power of the spirits using Ritualist magic and using that power to attack the effigy. The construct had had enough and reached for Seer, firmly grasping him with a giant hand. Seer roared in pain as the effigy gripped him tighter. His arms and legs were bound and he was unable to move.
"Damn it!" Kyte yelled out in frustration. The effigy brought the struggling Charr to his mouth, where a furnace was burning. Suddenly, several magical chains rose up from the ground and bound themselves around the large construct, dragging it to the ground. Seer was freed from the effigy's grasp and landed on the stone floor, catching his breath. Over the other end of the hall, Gwen had cast illusionary chains to bound the construct temporarily.
"Gwen, can you hold it?" asked Kyte.
"Barely!" she cried back, her body already straining from the energy being used. At last, Cowl's spell was completed. A powerful icy wind swept over the effigy and froze it solid, the fire in its belly finally dying down to a sliver before going out completely. Gwen gave a huge sigh and dropped to her knees, spent. It wasn't over yet. She looked over to the shrine, where she saw Pyre Fierceshot in brutal combat with the Flamemaster Maultooth. The young Charr appeared to have the upper hand, but the Flamemaster was clearly toying with him. Deciding that he had had enough, Maultooth backhanded Pyre across the face, sending him flying down the shrine steps and onto the stone cold floor.
"The time of your reckoning has come, Pyre, son of Vaatlaw." Maultooth grunted. "Your friends cannot help you now." he bared his claws and roared before leaping from the top of the shrine towards Pyre for one last strike.
"Pyre!" Kyte called out, tossing a dagger towards his ally. Pyre grasped the weapon just in time and thrust it deep into the chest of the attacking Flamemaster, mid-air. Maultooth's eyes widened as the weapon sunk into his heart and his life came to a bitter end. Pyre threw the body aside like it was nothing and stood tall above his victorious win.
"May you see now that your gods mean nothing." he grunted. Without another word, the group turned and departed for the surface in silence.
x x x x
"You have freed my warband." Pyre said finally, when they reached Doomlore Shrine. The morning light peaked over the horizon and trickled through the trees as they regrouped with Gron and Bonwor.
"A deal is a deal." said Kyte.
"He's probably got no use for us now." said Gwen sourly. "Watch, he's going to turn on us now that he got what he wanted."
"You have little faith, girl. I made a bargain, and I shall honour it." replied Pyre. He turned to Gron who was dragging along another Charr by the throat. "Gron, what have you got for me?"
"You missed this one the first time through." he said, throwing the intruder to the dirt before Pyre. "You're getting sloppy."
"You and your pets will pay for this, Fierceshot." the intruder growled menacingly.
"I would not say such things if I were in your position, Torg Bloodspine." said Pyre, standing over him. "Now tell me, where are the human captives?"
"Hah!" the intruder Torg laughed. "What makes you think I will tell you, a traitor to our people?"
"I'll hobble you. I'll stake you out in the harsh sun. Make you bleed until you beg for death's embrace. Then I'll hand you over to the girl here. She enjoys torturing Charr like you."
"Just give me half a chance." muttered Gwen. Torg Bloodspine glanced from Pyre to Gwen and gave a long pause, before finally revealing the information.
"The meat… the humans… they are in the south, in Sacnoth Valley. The Hierophant intends to feed them to our new gods."
"Those are not gods." Kyte said between his teeth.
"Do you think we care?" questioned Torg. "What matters is that the others think they are."
"I know the valley he speaks of." said Pyre, turning to Kyte. "Have you heard enough?"
"More than enough."
"Then release me." pleaded Torg. "I will head north, away from here. I want no part in your petty vengeance."
"You forget." with a single motion, Pyre launched an arrow from his bow that caught Torg Bloodspine in the throat, killing him instantly. "You are a part of my petty vengeance."
Gwen stared in horror at what had just happened before her very eyes. It had been a brutal display of what the Charr were truly like not just to others, but to their own kind as well. Hearing about it was one thing, but to witness it… Gwen's shock soon turned to anger and she strode towards Pyre, her fists tightly clenched.
"You killed him!" she cried out. "Even when he told you everything he knew!"
"Why are you so surprised?" asked Pyre, not even raising an eyebrow. "I thought I did you a favour."
"That was a cowards act!"
"He tried to bargain from a position of weakness." said Pyre, turning to face the young girl. "He was a fool."
"You are savage, cowardly creatures!" Gwen shouted back.
"You know nothing of my people." said Pyre, and he, with his warband turned and walked the other way.
