Chapter 12:
The sun was beginning to set by the time the Fygul Cestemus reached Lemnos. The small island located in the Aegan Sea was littered with volcanoes and the ruins of temples dedicated to Hephaestus. The Mighty Forge was hidden somewhere amidst the volcanoes, and the Fygul Cestemus were close to finding it now.
Upon docking, the cultists unloaded all of their goods, which included horses for travel. The caravan of horses and carriages made its way across a rocky, desolate sector of the island. Among them stood an exhausted and frightened Christine.
"Fret not, Christine," assured Valnykuluk, "Our journey is at its end. Thanks to you, Soul Edge will finally be ours."
Christine said nothing. She merely stared at the floor in a near-comatose state.
"It is a shame that Sarpedon cannot be present for this joyous occasion," continued Valnykuluk, "Whether he survived or not, his contribution will be acknowledged."
"The fool served his purpose," Kunpaetku scoffed, "We no longer have need of him."
Christine looked behind her and saw two random cultists engaging in conversation. The pistol of one of the cultists was clearly visible on his belt. Christine took a deep breath and made a break for it.
"HAAAA!" she yelled.
She turned around, shoving one of the cultists back, while tackling the second. Having succeeded in snatching his pistol, she immediately stood back and pointed it at the cult leaders. In response, numerous cultists drew their weapons and aimed them at her. Christine then turned the gun on herself.
"Christine!" said Valnykuluk, "By the gods, what are you doing?"
"I-I-I'll do it!" cried Christine, with the gun planted firmly against her temple, "If I kill myself, the necklace will be useless. You will no longer have your vessel!"
"Everybody," began Valnykuluk, "Lower your weapons!"
The cultists obeyed.
"Christine," pleaded Valnykuluk, "Please don't do this. I promised I'd let you live once this was over, did I not?"
"I'd rather die than help you!" snapped Christine.
Kunpaetku smiled and waved his hand in front of Valnykuluk.
"It's alright," he assured, "I got this."
Kunpaetku moved closer to Christine, causing her to back away. The hand holding the pistol trembled violently.
"Go ahead," insisted Kunpaetku, "Do it. It may take years, or even decades, but we will eventually restore the necklace to full power. After all, the priests of the Fygul Cestemus are the greatest occultists in the world. While Grand Priest Valnykuluk may not live to see the day, I am still a young man. I can wait. Your death is an inconvenience at best."
"I…I…" began Christine.
"Of course," Kunpaetku continued, "We all know you won't actually do it. I can see the fear in your eyes. Just imagine your husband, having survived everything we threw at him, only to reach Lemnos and find your corpse laid out before him, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Not even the greatest of Greek tragedians could have conjured a more delicious irony."
"ENOUGH!" Christine snapped, with tears in her eyes, "Please…"
"Well?" asked the young priest, "Will you do the right thing or not?"
Christine's hand continued to tremble as her necklace began to glow bright orange. For a moment, Christine looked dazed, then suddenly collapsed to her knees and began crying in agony. Several cultists immediately surrounded her and confiscated the pistol from her.
"What is happening to me?" demanded Christine.
As the cultists hoisted Christine up, Kunpaetku brought his face to hers.
"As we near the forge," he began, "The necklace draws more energy from you, weakening you further. While an unfortunate turn of events for you, this is good news for us. You see, we can determine our proximity to the forge based on the frequency at which the necklace radiates with energy."
Christine struggled to look up at Kunpaetku's face while the other cultists held her.
"It seems we are close," he observed, "We best keep moving."
"Excellent," boomed Valnykuluk, "Let us proceed! And please, this time, keep the girl close so as to avoid any further 'incidences'."
And so, the cult continued onward, using the necklace as their guide to the forge. However, as they passed through a small chasm, they began to sense as though they were being watched…
Elsewhere on the island, Thomas and Kyria moved about on horses they found below the deck of the caravel they stole. They searched the volcano-covered region as hard as they could for some sign of Christine and the cult, to no avail.
"The mighty Lemnos," said Kyria, "Once the home of Hephaestus, and a rest stop for Jason and his Argonauts on their quest to find the Golden Fleece."
"That's one mythological tale I was never too familiar with," said Thomas.
"Perhaps," began Kyria, "Once our quest comes to an end, I will tell it to you."
"Yeah," said Thomas, "If only we could find Christine on time. We've no map, no compass and no idea where the forge is located other than that it is in a volcano. At this rate, we won't make it. Our entire adventure will have been for naught!"
"We will find it," assured Kyria, "Just have…"
"'Faith'?" interrupted Thomas, "Look at us! We're going in bloody circles! No amount of 'faith' can…"
Thomas suddenly had an epiphany; while facing the northwest, he saw the bright, orange sun beginning to set. As it slowly descended, it passed behind two large faults, leaving only a small orange sliver shining through. The light reflected off of the mineral-rich ground, giving the appearance of a golden landscape. Thomas immediately recalled Hephaestus' words.
"The orange pillar descending upon the golden pedestal," he muttered, "Of course, that's it!"
"What is it?" asked Kyria, "Do you know where the Forge is?"
"Yes, through there! Come on!"
"Let us ride, then!"
Thomas and Kyria whipped the horses and charged for towards the narrow chasm that lay before them. Thomas had never felt more anxious than he did that moment. The time to save Christine and stop the Fygul Cestemus was almost upon him.
"Hold on, Christine," thought Thomas, "I'm coming!"
Meanwhile, further along the path:
"Grand Priest," said a random cultist, "I don't think we are alone. I saw movement earlier."
"Nonsense," said Valnykuluk, "The nearest settlement is miles away. These hills are uninhabited."
As they continued to march, another cultist looked up and saw a shadowy figure staring down at them from the fault above them. The figure immediately scurried away.
"With all due respect," he said, "I've been seeing strange things as well…"
"Enough!" Valnykuluk snapped as he approached the cultist, "This is not the time for your ghost stories! The entrance to the Forge lies near. If you no longer wish to bear witness to the miracle of Soul Edge, then by all means…"
Suddenly, an arrow struck the cultist in the chest, killing him instantly. Now in a state of panic, Kunpaetku and the others began observing their surroundings.
"Who is responsible for this?" demanded Valnykuluk.
Suddenly, another cultist was struck down by an arrow. Almost immediately, the cultists drew their rifles and crossbows began firing back at the unseen assailants above them.
"Wh-what's going on?" asked Christine.
"Nevermind that," said Kunpaetku, "We need to get you to safety!"
As more cultists were struck down by the hidden enemies, Christine used the opportunity to break free and run ahead of her captors. However, as she ran into a cave, she ended up face-to-face with one of the figures.
"Mon dieu," she whispered.
The creature was reptilian in appearance, with green, scaly skin and clawed hands. It wore very little clothing apart from gauntlets, shoulder armour and a hoplite's skirt. The creature wielded a xiphos and shield, like Kyria, which it banged together in a threatening manner.
The creature hissed loudly and slowly advanced on Christine. As she began backing away, she tripped and fell.
"No…" she whispered, shielding her eyes.
The creature halted its advance upon noticing her glowing necklace; instead, it lowered its weapons and bowed to her.
"Huh?" asked Christine, touching her necklace, "Could it be…?"
"Grab her now!" ordered Valnykuluk.
Valnykuluk and Kunpaetku suddenly appeared behind Christine, accompanied by two cultists, who grabbed Christine and lifted her off the ground.
"They will not harm her," said Kunpaetku, "For they think she is Harmonia. As long as we stay close to her, we are safe."
"Are you sure, Kunpaetku?" asked Valnykuluk.
"Positive. Now, follow me! The entrance is to the north."
"What about the 'final resort'? We…"
"There's no time for that! We must get going!"
The creature raised its weapon and hissed at the men, but did not pursue. Upon fleeing the cave, Christine and the cultists resumed their original route, leaving behind dozens of cultists at the mercy of the reptiles.
Thomas and Kyria continued riding along the path as it led them higher up into the hills. With the terrain growing increasingly rocky and uneven, the duo abandoned their horses and proceeded on foot. By now, it was dusk, and with the surrounding cliffs blocking most of the remaining sunlight, Kyria and Thomas were forced to light torches.
"I hope this is it," said Thomas, as he climbed a small ledge.
"Thomas," said Kyria, pointing, "Look over there!"
Not far from where the duo stood, at least half a dozen dead cultists lay on the ground, all stabbed to death. The duo approached the bodies cautiously.
"Fygul cultists?" said Thomas, as he examined the bodies, "How did this happen? Did they turn on each other?"
"Unlikely," replied Kyria, "Look at the stab wounds; they were caused by a Xiphos sword, not unlike what I wield. The Fygul use curved swords."
"So someone else did this? A third party, perhaps?"
"Possibly. But be warned, Thomas: Just because we share a common enemy, it does not automatically mean we are on the same side."
"I just hope Christine is safe."
As the duo moved forward, an unseen creature spied on them from atop a nearby rock spire.
"Did you hear something?" asked Thomas.
"THOMAS," shouted Kyria, "WATCH OUT!"
Kyria pulled Thomas out of the way, just in time to avoid the creature's attack. The impact caused Thomas and Kyria to fall over, though they quickly recovered. For a moment, the creature circled them, snarling and hissing.
"What the..." said Thomas, dumbfounded.
"Yeah," said Kyria, "Definitely not on the same side."
The creature roared and charged for the duo, forcing them to split up to avoid the attack. The creature set its sights on Kyria and began hammering her with his sword, forcing her to remain on the defensive.
"Kyria!" yelled Thomas, drawing his rapier.
Thomas tried to plunge the weapon into the creature's backside, to no avail. The creature spun around and struck Thomas with its shield, knocking him back a few feet.
Kyria used this chance to slice the creature's chest, though that too had little effect. The creature roared and recommenced its assault on Kyria.
"Thomas," she said, blocking another blow, "You have to aim for its underbelly!"
"Right," said Thomas, clutching his aching chest, "I'll try to remember that…"
Thomas ran up to the creature once more, this time impaling it in the ribs. As it roared in pain, Kyria sliced its shoulder, amputating its arm. The two then finished it off together by stabbing it in the torso."
"Is that it?" asked Thomas.
"No," said Kyria, "Run!"
Kyria grabbed Thomas by the arm and dragged him away from the scene as several more reptiles appeared, this time, armed with crossbows. They fired a number of arrows at the duo, which they barely managed to avoid. One of the creatures hissed out a command, prompting the others to pursue them.
Eventually, Thomas and Kyria found themselves in the centre of a warzone between the creatures and Fygul cultists. Despite their numbers, the cultists were ill-equipped to deal with the threat and were getting decimated. Bodies from both sides filled the battlefield; some on fire, illuminating the darkened area. Thomas and Kyria sought shelter behind a large rock to gather their thoughts.
"What in the hell are those things?" demanded Thomas.
"I-I-I don't know," stammered Kyria, "They appear to be some kind of man-lizard hybrid...'Lizardmen', for lack of a better term."
"You mean, you've never seen anything like them before? You know so much about this bloody forge! You must have some idea what they are!"
"My research failed to mention reptiles inhabiting the forge. The only theory I can come up with is that they are a last line of defense, guarding this place from outsiders."
"Wonderful. At least the cult is taking care of them for us…"
As Thomas peered over to observe the battle, a dead cultist suddenly flew into the rock he and Kyria lay behind.
"Errr," began Thomas, "Spoke too soon, perhaps?"
"It appears the Fygul were no more prepared to deal with this threat than we were," said Kyria, "Fortunately for us, we now have a distraction we can use to sneak into the Forge. If Christine and the others are already inside, then this is our last chance to get to them."
"I'm ready whenever you are," said Thomas.
"Alright," said Kyria, "Go! Now!"
Thomas and Kyria emerged from cover and bolted across the battlefield, using their weapons to deflect any errant crossbow shots. After passing through the dark tunnel ahead, they found themselves at the foot of a long, sloped path resembling a staircase.
"There," said Kyria pointing, "I see an entrance!"
The staircase led halfway up a colossal volcano, where a small doorway was carved into the rock.
"Ugh," muttered Thomas, "More climbing?"
About halfway up, Kyria and Thomas turned and saw a number of cultists emerge from the cave and climb the stairs behind them with swords drawn.
"This can't possibly get any worse," said Thomas.
Almost immediately after, a herd of Lizardmen emerged from the cave and climbed after them.
"Oh," said Kyria, "It just did. MOVE!"
"You've got to be kidding me!" sighed Thomas.
One-by-one, the Lizardmen knocked the cultists off of the staircase to their deaths as Thomas and Kyria continued their climb. Upon reaching the doorway at the top of the staircase, they entered, and found themselves on a stone platform suspended hundreds of feet above a river of magma. A heavily cracked stone bridge connected their platform to another some two-hundred feet away.
"Is this thing even safe?" wondered Thomas.
"Just cross," Kyria commanded, "Whatever you do, don't look down!"
The bridge was narrow and possessed no guardrails of any kind, so Thomas made sure to remain in the centre as much as possible. Thomas and Kyria moved cautiously so as not to deteriorate the already-delicate bridge. Despite Kyria's warning, Thomas did find himself glancing down on occasion.
"We're almost there," assured Kyria, "Halfway!"
A cultist who had managed to survive the slaughter outside came running through the entrance and glanced around momentarily. Upon spotting the stone bridge, he instantly darted across it, cracking the bridge further with every step. Just as he was about to reach Thomas and Kyria's location, a large chunk of the bridge broke off, causing Thomas and the cultist to lose their balance and fall.
"THOMAS!" screamed Kyria.
Kyria saved Thomas by clutching his left arm, leaving him leaning backwards over the chasm. The cultist, meanwhile, managed to hang on for dear life on the bridge's edge. The Lizardmen had caught up to the group and were rapidly making their way towards them.
"I got you, Thomas," said Kyria, "Just…ACK!"
In a desperate bid to survive, the cultist grasped Kyria's leg, affecting her balance.
"Please," he begged, "Save me!"
"Like Hell!" she spat, striking him repeatedly with her shield, "Let go, or you'll kill us all!"
Kyria's blows caused the cultist to let go, causing him to plummet into the molten pit below. With the Lizardmen only few feet away, Kyria succeeded in pulling Thomas to safety.
"Run," she ordered, "Don't look back."
"But what about…" he began.
"Just go!"
Thomas nodded and ran to the other end. Taking a deep breath, Kyria knelt down and repeatedly slammed her shield into one of the bridge's numerous cracks, attempting to dislodge another large chunk from it.
"What are you doing?" demanded Thomas, "Are you mad?"
Just as one of the Lizardmen was about to strike her down, another massive chunk broke off, this time causing the entire bridge to crumble and break. As the Lizardmen fell to their deaths, Kyria sprinted for her life. Thomas waved her down from his side.
"Hurry!" he cried, "You've almost made it!"
Kyria leapt into the air just as the last of the bridge had collapsed. Thomas threw himself to the ground and caught Kyria by the hand, saving her from death.
"Thanks," she said.
After helping to pull Kyria up, she and Thomas lay down on the ground by the cliff's edge for a minute to catch their breath.
"You know," said Thomas, "I was just about to scold you on how utterly insane that was."
"But…?" said Kyria.
"Then, I remembered: I did something incredibly stupid like that once too, during my hunt for Soul Edge...In fact, it was probably worse than this."
"Hm, if you say so..."
Once the duo had rested enough, they stood up and proceeded through the small doorway that lay before them. This was it; they had finally reached the forge.