Sparda's Revenge: Story 2

Pandora's Temple's insides proved to be a rather difficult journey. Between every inch and every wall seemed to launch a trap. From deadly traps across the area to violent Demons who waited for him, Sparda faced his challenges ruthlessly. If it wasn't for his superb might and unequal strength, he would of fallen as those around him. For hours Sparda made his way though without a rest. After finishing off a couple Cyclops, Sparda gasped a breath full of air and crouched down to rest. He stood in a narrow hallway that was constructed to have rare sharp iron across the walls. Just straight of him was a stairway that was lighten by very damp torches.

Sparda: "How much more must I travel!"

Out of frustration, he stood and kicked a corpse of a soldier that was impaled in one of the maiden like walls. Finally sighing, he headed for the darkened stairway. As he placed his foot on the first step a large blade fell from the ceiling and nearly took off Sparda's leg. Nearly having his foot lost, Sparda watched as the blade retreated to the ceiling.

Sparda: "Damn, the whole stairway must be trapped…"

He though for a moment before finally deciding that there was no other way through. Sparda gently backed away but stood on the flats of his toes, ready to run. With a burst of speed, Sparda flew up the rigged stairs. Close behind him the blades fell which each passing step of stairs. Finally sing the end, Sparda made a mighty dive to avoid the last blade that fell at the top. Sparda rolled over on his back and sighed before closing his eyes.

Sparda: "This be too much."

Sparda opened one of his eyes to find one final blade ready to fall on him. He rolled from underneath the trap as it fell just inches away from his face. His reflection on the polished iron seemed to jeer him as he smiled nervously.

Artemis: "My, my Sparda…That was quite a show."

Sparda's eyes moved to the left as he saw a reflection of a specter like figure on the blade.

Sparda: (Standing up in a jolt) "Artemis."

The Goddess wore a black silky dress with a fur skin hanging by her shoulders. Behind her back was a large silver bow with arrows that had silver tips as well.

Artemis: (Laughing)"My Sparda, I could of swore I saw a bead of sweat on her forehead."

Sparda: "What is the Goddess of night and snow doin…"

Artemis: (Interrupting) "You forgot hunting."

Sparda: "…and hunting doing here?

Artemis: "Well seeing how much trouble your getting yourself into, Elder God sent me down here to do… Why did he sent me here?…hmm."

Sparda: (Irritated) "Come out with it!"

Artemis: "Calm down little Sparda, I was just playing. He sent me down to give you something."

Sparda: "What it be?"

Artemis: "Uhuh, you must do something for me Sparda."

Sparda: (Sighing) "What?"

Artemis: "I always wanted to see how it felt like to be kissed by the Legendary Dark Knight Demon." (Talking in a baby like voice) "That is unless you aren't as good as you say you are."

Sparda lifted his hands in defeat and headed for the goddess. Grabbing her by her hips, he planted a long kiss on her lips. He closed his eyes as he kissed her but he felt a rather strange sensation. Artemis' lips seemed to have changed and where rather more wet. Sparda's eyes burst open as he saw himself kissing a troll like woman. Disgusted, Sparda threw the creature away from him and spat on the floor. Behind him, Artemis was laughing in a hysterical matter.

Artemis: (Laughing) "You look like the perfect soul couple."

Sparda: "I have had enough of your bothersome jokes, now give my what you have came to give me!"

Artemis: (Finishing laughing) "Yes…I apologize."

She flicked her hand and the troll like creature vanished in a cloud of smoke.

Artemis: (Clearing her throat) "Sparda. The Gods demand more of you, you have learned to use the Blades of Chaos well, but they alone will not carry you to the end of your task. I offer you the blade that the gods have personally designed for you."

The Goddess held out her hand as a small glowing orb appeared. Curiously, Sparda reached for it but Artemis pulled it back to her chest.

Artemis: "Careful! Don't go grapping something you don't know."

Sparda cracked his neck from left to right has he held his irritated anger inside.

Artemis: "Draw out your blades."

Sparda did what he was told and held the murderous blades.

Sparda: (Quietly) "Ecursed things."

Gently, the Goddess placed the orb on top of one of the Blades of Chaos' handles. The blades instantly started to glow in a violent red color and seemed to expand. As it dimmed down, the blades appeared to look the same.

Sparda: "So, what is my power?"

Artemis smiled in a mischievous way.

Artemis: "I'll tell you only if you give me a…"

The look on Sparda's face indicated the Artemis should stop before she lost her head. She smiled uncomfortably and rubbed the back of her head.

Artemis: "Ha…Never mind…Just hold out your blades."

Sparda held out the Blades of Chaos and to his surprise, the pair of cursed blades had transformed into a longer and slicker shape. They now looked as if they where just recently welted by a blacksmith. Amazed, Sparda watched his reflection on the smooth blade tip instead of his old rusted cover one.

Sparda: (Holding the blades out towards him) "Perfect. This will be grand when I drive them through Argoton's heart."

The childish Goddess simply smiled and bowed her head a bit before faded out of vision. After admiring his blades, Sparda averted his eyes towards the pair of round doors that blocked his path through the stairways. In the center of the grand doors was a crystal like orb that was covered in dust and cobwebs.

Sparda: (Wiping the orb) "What is this?"

The orb exploded in a violet color of light that caught Sparda off guard.

Voice: "Sparda!"

Sparda slowly recovered from his daze and tried to focus his eyes on whoever called his name.

Sparda: "Who is there? Show your self!"

The voice that Sparda had heard call his name now refused to answer him. Instead what Sparda heard was the sound of large steps coming from the other side of the doors. The steps became more intense which each passing seconds before they finally stopped with one final forceful step. The silence now was more overwhelming to Sparda then the mysterious figure from the other side. Finally, the suspense got the better of Sparda and he charged through the doors with his blades drawn. To his confusion, there was nothing waiting to attack him. Whatever had been waiting for him had now disappeared in thin air. Sighing, he placed his blades back onto his back and looked around his surroundings. He was standing on a broken wooden stairway that led around some off the unfinished ecological structures. It seemed that with a hard enough step, the entire platform would crumple down towards the endless sands. Without a moment to hesitate, Sparda ran across the rigidly surface but with such grace and speed that not a single board of wood moved. Towards his running, he stopped by a mysterious looking shield that seemed to beg for him to draw closer to it. Mesmerized, he placed the back of his hand and stroked the shield to check if it was safe. Then with a single fast swipe, he removed it from its platform.

Sparda: "What is this?"

While he spied the mysterious shield, a number of undeads emerged from behind him. Though Sparda was aware of there presence, he didn't take it into consideration. He simply stepped of towards the end of the stairway and picked up a boulder, still surveying the dense shield. With a weak throw, the boulder hit one of the boards that held the stairway together. Within a second the entire platform of the stairway cave down along with the bothersome fiends. Simply as he had done, he placed the shield next to his bag with held the head of Medusa. Finally Sparda had come to terms and regained his focus away from the shield towards a tunnel like chamber. With in the tunnel was a mass grave of solders that had attempted to reach the treasure within Pandora's Temple. They all where horrible dismembered with their limbs and torsos spread across. It seemed as if a saw like instrument was used to rip and tear through their bodies. Kicking a soldier's lower half, Sparda witnessed several hollow pathways that circled around the chamber. Still this paid Sparda no believable reason to be threatened, that is until he saw what emerged from the within them. A group of disk saws emerged and began to circle around Sparda in great speed.

Sparda: "How welcoming, another trap. It seemed that the Gods were most serious when they refused to give up that damn box."

Nearly avoiding one of the saws, Sparda ran through the death trap until he was caught off guard by a saw that rearranged it's direction. It tore through the side of his leg, causing him to fall. Still in pain, he rolled towards his sides to avoid the upcoming saws. He managed to get onto his feet and jump across the corners of the end of the chamber. Grabbing a hold of a wooden piece of lumber up the ceiling, he swung himself thought the camber's colorful window. Landing on the dusting marble floor, Sparda kneeled down to examine his injury but found that it had already healed. Getting to the balls of his feet again, he carefully walked around the dark new room that he had entered. It was a wide room that was rather damp that had a enormous statue of a God holding a large boulder upon it's back. By it was a lever that Sparda immediately took notice of and headed for. With one bend, the lever pulled itself down in an aging cracking sound. For a few moments nothing happened until the statue slowly rolled the large boulder off it's back. It crashed to the floor as Sparda dove to avoid being crushed by it. It rolled until it crashed against a wooden blockage that was to the right side of the room. Instantly, water rushed through the room and engulfed it in mere minutes. The force of the water caused Sparda to lose his balance and gulf him up as well. He struggled to swim against the current of the water but found it to no use. The force of the water hit him harder then anything had as it gulfed him. He could feel the water taking control and guiding him through random locations before finally it calmed down. The entire room was now flooded under water along with the Demon Sparda.