Keke easily dodged the massive blade, though it required a jump and then a hop propelled off the tunnel walls to do so. She stabbed at the scaly arm of her attacker, biting deep into its bicep, before following with a flurry of slashes as the creature recoiled from its initial wound.
The Aghasura, a giant half snake half humanoid Asura similar to a Marilith but much more bestial and with only 2 arms, reared up in pain, smacking its big reptilian head on the roof, shaking the tunnel to its foundations.
Keke smirked at her opponent's frustration. While the Aghasura were giant amongst their kind, large enough to challenge Asurendras in the physical strength and size department, they were extremely stupid as well. These tunnels were a poor choice for battleground for them, even given their snake like appearance and agility, and Keke was going to take full advantage of it.
As the Aghasura recovered its bearings, Keke had already bounded past it as Whelp moved into position infront of the creature brandishing her spear. While it was a formidable weapon against a mortal, it was norhing more than a twig compared to the giant snake demon. Keke wasn't sure if it was enough to distract the monster, but the warrior priestess channelled her divine energy into her weapon, causing it to flare momentarily with enough holy power to give the snake demon pause.
It was only a brief respite but that was enough for Keke, with her opponent's attention diverted she jumped and bounded once again on the tunnel wall, and on to the monster's great scaly back. She stabbed it once cleanly in the neck, leaving her gladius embedded in it's hide before she nimbly curled up impossibly into a ball till her feet touched the hilt and bounded upwards against the blade towards the Aghsura's head.
The monster's eyes narrowed as its prey practically leaped towards its jaws, but its enthusiasm was quickly cut short as Keke's hands thrust into its head, grabbing and crushing the monster's eyeball and cracking its skull with the force of a storm giant.
The monster roared wildly as its great hands clawed helplessly at its face and its great body coiled and thrashed helplessly. Keke easily shifted her position to avoid sight of its remaining good eye and easily spun out of range with a graceful pirouette. She savored watching the beast suffer, but Whelp put an end to her entertainment as she simply strode past its death throes and pierced it cleanly through the heart with her spear still humming with divine power.
It was over in a flash of holy light.
"Was that really necessary?" asked Whelp as Keke flicked bits and pieces of the snake demon's brain from her hand.
"I didn't have a weapon big or sharp enough to really hurt it, so I naturally went for the eyes," shrugged Keke as she strode to the slain monster's neck and retrieved her gladius, a serviceable enough weapon crafted by ancient Alphatians and ensorcelled by their finest mages, but a poor replacement for her scimitar. "Sometimes you just have to get your hands dirty, literally in this case."
Whelp shook her head.
"Hey, don't put all the blame on me, you are the one that enchanted me remember. Do you think I can shatter that creature's skull on my own? " smiled the shape changed demoness. It was true, while even in her captive form she was a formidable opponent, with Whelp's spells and enchantments she became a super warrior. Strength of a bull, endurance of a bear, agility of the cat and other spells she couldn't even identify. Also she liked the fact that her wounds vanished after the battle under her care. While Whelp's magic was extraordinary even when compared to other clerics, it still made Keke wonder why she didn't keep a few employed with her armies. " So, have you considered joining the army with your talents? They're pretty handy in a fight."
Whelp ignored her as the Aghasura's corpse collapsed into a mountain of smaller wiggling snakes and worms who in turn began to disperse into the tunnels, and looked around at the maze of tunnels still before them. "That wasn't our goal was it? There is a greater evil here."
Keke nodded as she surveyed the area. Multiple crude tunnels crisscrossed in a labyrinth underground. Typical demon construction. They weren't completely random though. They were arranged in several 'nodes' each networking to a larger node like several spider webs stuck together. It wasn't the best design, but given how Asuras and demons did not trust each other, it allowed for swift defense against outside and more importantly internal threats when the need arose. Though confusing, it was just a matter of finding the tunnel that connected to the inner 'node'.
"I think our foe lies this way," commented Keke as she pointed towards a particularly foul smelling tunnel. Though smell and level of power did not often correlate, it amused her to think that Pasurendra stunk, and that was enough logic for her.
Whelp nodded at her 'insight' and the pair continued downwards into the network of nodes. The tunnel eventually lead them to a nest of Dretch demons. The squat spindly limbed demons attempted to overwhelm them with both their numbers and their vile stink but the pair easily dispatched them simply by fighting back to back and using the narrow tunnels to their advantage. While their smell was palpable, it was nothing compared to the miasma from the Aboleth's lair.
Delving deeper, they fought off a pair of Upasunda, three headed ogre Asura similar to Keke but much weaker with no snake tail. While they were practically cousins, Keke felt no kinship to them as she slew them, but she did start sensing something unique about the area they were guarding.
Keke found that this area was not unlike her home of Abaddon. The dread, the aura of evil, and even the crushing hopelessness surrounded them. She wasn't familiar with the area, but it might very well have been a gateway to the Abyss. She felt some of her demonic strength flow into her, as more of her power was recovered. Oddly enough it wasn't enough to break her chains, but it did instill in her a power combined with Whelp's magic that felt overwhelming inside of her. Nothing could stand in her way.
"I think we should turn back," sighed Kalikekeztra. She paused as her own words surprised even herself. "I think this is too dangerous for you to be here."
Whelp shook her head as she waved around her. "This area, I know. It's a gateway to the Abyss. I can sense it. "
"Which is more reason for you to return. If you want I can escort you out…Passy is looking for me, not you…"
"No…this is the true purpose of my life. All my training, all my prayers has lead me to this. I was told at an early age that I would be the key to stop the Asura armies, but I knew long ago I could not live up to it. I even invented some fool quest to recover the Black Scrolls, but I knew long ago that this errand was doomed to fail. Yet somehow, fighting side by side with you in these Abyssal tunnels feels right. This is where I was meant to be."
Keke paused. Stopping the Asura armies? Black Scrolls? How did Whelp know about the Black Scrolls? Did she eavesdrop when she was talking with Pasurendra? No…she mentioned something about a quest, this was something deeper.
"I understand the risks and know that my soul risks falling out of the eternal cycle if I should fall here, my spirit may no longer ascend despite my moral alignment, but it's something I'm prepared to sacrifice . As I said, this is where I'm meant to be.. I feel it so."
Keke shook her head. "Look Whelp, we're not dealing with giant fishmen or treasure hunters anymore. We are somewhere in the lower planes. Either Abaddon, the Abyss, or somewhere in between. I know I asked for your help, but I didn't think it would lead us here. Now I don't care about your personal quest or whatever is driving you. This is my fight not yours. If I fall you can feel free to do whatever you want, but until that time I don't want your safety to…umm…."
Whelp paused and raised and eyebrow. "Don't tell me you're concerned with my safety?" The warrior priestess chuckled. "What would the other Mariliths say."
Keke stopped and stared at her companion. "Wait, you knew? You can see I'm a Marilith? I thought you thought I was a tiefling or maybe a halffiend all this time."
Whelp grinned. "I knew since I found you on the beach on that island. I was initially going to slay you, but those shackles and something about your aura gave me pause. Still, I wasn't going to risk fighting you with those villagers and frog men about, I mean the pain could snap you awake, so I took you aboard the canoe to decide on your fate later. As I have said, I've met demons that have been saints, and saints that have been demons, and I've never been one to indiscriminately kill. Besides, you were an enemy of those Khanians, so that made me curious."
"If you know I'm a Marilith, then you know what I'm capable of. That was a pretty big risk you took. "
Whelp nodded. "One of my mentors is a fiend, and I would never slay her simply because who she is. In the end, I think my gamble paid off."
Keke frowned. She thought she had been so clever deceiving the warrior woman, but Whelp could literally see through her guise the whole time. Keke knew that priestesses could cast a spell that replicated her true sight ability, but that was an extremely powerful spell. Was Whelp hiding her true power this whole time? "Wait…what do you mean my aura? What's wrong with my aura?" she asked as her train of thought ran to a different tangent.
"Besides being evil of the darkest aura, well…there's a light about it, hidden but its plain to see if you look hard enough. I would have probably overlooked it myself, but when I saw you on the beach, unconscious and helpless, well…let's just say I was never one to kill in cold blood, demon or not, and I looked really hard for a reason not to slay you."
Keke wasn't sure if she should be shocked or insulted. Was Whelp implying she was something special or unique, or something broken? Flawed and imperfect. Or maybe Whelp was simply incorrect in her aura readings. "Well, that insight is nice and all, and I'm sure you are proud of your mercy towards me, but that doesn't change the fact that I don't want you here. Leave this place, go back to the boat and wait for me. If I don't return then make sure you sail far away from here. Thing are about to get very messy, and I don't want your moral compass to be tainted by what has to be done."
Whelp shook her head and pointed to her eyes. "See, I knew there was something hidden in your aura. Some measure of good in all the evil bluster of yours. Sadly, that makes me want to stay by your side even more. Besides, like I said. This is where my path has lead. This isn't some ordinary den of evil, or rift to the lower planes. Something about this place resonates with me. Right now, this is where I belong."
Keke considered pointing at the wall behind Whelp, and when she turned she would whack her over the skull and then drag her out. However, given the magical Hoplite armor she was now dressed in, she wasn't sure how effective that plan would be even with her enchantments. "Look, I can't guarantee your safety let alone my own. Leave now why you still have a chance. You might not think you have anything to live for outside your stupid quest, but..but…how about your brother you mentioned, or maybe that mango lover of yours? You can always go find them."
Something in her statement gave Whelp pause, and for a moment Keke thought the warrior priestess would abandon her stubbornness, agree to her plan, and leave the tunnels. However before a resolution to their impasse could be reached, a flash of steel caught Keke off guard.
A great two handed sword flew through the air in deadly circular arcs towards Keke's head. Even her supernatural reflexes were flatfooted before the blade, and it would have chopped her in the neck or head had not Whelp miraculously jabbed the blade from the air with her spear. The two handed sword flew off course but stabilized itself midflight before it flew back into the armored hands of a warrior who caught the weapon easily with a bored yawn.
"I can't believe Pasurendra was concerned about two bickering hags like yourself," said the man that stepped out of the shadows. "That was a nice save with the spear, but this shouldn't take much of my time."
Keke wasn't alerted of his presence before even with her advance scent and magical vision and his sudden attack and appearance caught her off guard. He was a tall bearded human with a large runed two handed sword in his hands, wearing plate armor and an odd tabard with a bat on it like some kind of knight. Except it wasn't real armor, at least not the type Keke had seen on humans previously. It was more like a patchwork combination that gave the appearance of armor. It provided some protection, but was mainly to allow mobility and the ease of spell casting, similar to the type Cambion spell casters or Githyanki Gish would employ. The fact that he threatened them after revealing his location showed he was either a great fool, or a very dangerous individual."
"Bat tabard, two handed sword, affinity for shadows, supernaturally gifted at confusing demons," commented Whelp matter of factly. "You must be Ulfgar the fiendslayer, though my master told me that you were supposed to be hunting demons and not working for them."
The bearded man stopped, a bit surprised, before he bowed before Whelp with a bow. " I'm not the only working with demons it seems. I try to keep a low profile but you are correct, I am Ulfgar of the Bat. Curious, only people in my profession know who I am. A very small and select group I might add. Indulge my curiosity, may I inquire about your master? The Ivory Lady, Captain Cinder, Gerd the Wise, Royal Adventurer Reinhardt, perhaps Martinez? "
Keke was curious as well. Was this man a threat? The Ivory Lady was an albino mercenary from Vinraj with monstrous strength, and everyone's heard whispers of Captain Cinder, a mad Halfling wizard from the West. The other's she wasn't sure about, though Reinhardt did sound familiar. Regardless of her own curiosity, or Ulfgar's questions, Whelp simply gripped her spear and readied herself for battle.
"Ah, I see you aren't the talkative type. I understand, when you encounter a strange man in one of Rovagug's cracks in this world you should keep your guard up. I think I've only encountered one man that dropped his guard in this land, but even he's learned his lesson. To tell you the truth, that's who I await, he has something of mine, but my ….'partner'… needed help in some Abaddon related squabble. Told me to take out a demoness. Well….given that's what I do for a living, I decided to indulge his whim."
Keke was growing tired of this man. He seemed to know a lot, and worse yet he seemed to trivialize the threat that Whelp and herself posed. She was done listening to this man talk