A Divine Proposal

Where am I? What happened? I can't see a thing! Why is it so dark? I felt a solid surface beneath my feet and the repetitive swinging of my arm along with the sweat dripping down my body, but I couldn't see my surroundings.

SLASH!

"RRROOOAAARRR!"

What's happening?! What was that noise?! My heart raced, threatening to leap out of my chest as fear gripped my being, but there was something else.

SPLASH!

Something hot and wet hit my face in the confusion.

CRASH!

I felt a sharp pain in my chest as if something big had hit me. My feet left the invisible ground beneath me and my back hit something hard. However, instead of wondering what the hell that was, I felt something else…. Anger.

I got up quickly and ran through the emptiness surrounding me, back to where I was before, and swung my arm again.

SLASH!

SPLASH!

"RRROOOAAARRR!"

I heard the same deafening noise as before and felt the same hot liquid touch my face, but it did nothing to calm the rage burning inside me. My muscles burned, my blood ran rampant through my veins, I clenched my teeth to the point of almost breaking them and kept swinging my arm.

I don't know how long I kept it up, but I noticed a certain heaviness in my right hand, I held something, and that something easily slid and teared what stood in front of me with sickeningly wet noises.

Slowly, the color red filled the void where I stood, but this did nothing to diminish my anger, even if I didn't know why I was angry, my instincts screamed that the thing in front of me was to blame.

I intensified my swings, causing the red to appear in droves, partially obstructing my vision, the noises got louder, and a pang of joy hit my chest because I wanted more.

I wanted more of this red, more of the stuff that splashed all over my body. My furious grimace soon turned into a wide, painful smile as I swung faster and faster.

My hand wouldn't stop, because what I did brought me unimaginable pleasure, I needed more, I wanted more!

More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More! More!

I was in heaven!

-XXXXXX-

An unknown amount of time passed again, and I soon noticed the anger and joy gradually disappearing. The muscles that formed my smile soon changed to a face of disappointment.

Why was that? Why couldn't I feel what I felt? Crashes replaced the wet sounds of something tearing, and the hot liquid stopped splashing my body. My swaying became slow in despondency, panting and tiredness overtook me.

No! This can't end now! I need…. I need more…

I raised my arm again but stopped as soon as an overwhelming pressure took hold of me, something big and impossible, unimaginable and incomprehensible. For a moment, I glimpsed a mountain of mutilated corpses shrouded in darkness, but I noticed some of their familiar details, even if only for a moment.

A muscular red-haired man, a pale man dressed in black, a black-haired man wearing leather armor, an orange-haired knight, a skinless giant, a giant head, a half-naked woman, a golden statue…. And…. A black wolf and a child…

The pressure crushing my body intensified as if I held the ocean on my shoulders, I fell to my knees on top of the corpses, writhing in disgust at the noises and rotten stench they exuded.

My breathing quickened in desperation as I tried to stay upright, shaking violently, I looked around, searching for a way out. Suddenly, I heard the flapping of wings, and as I looked up, at the top of the mountain of bodies, I saw a colossal being and several eyes staring at me in the darkness.

Every fiber of my being screamed in agony as the pressure crushed me, driving me towards the ground. I felt every cruel second as my bones broke and turned to dust, and my flesh turned into a red paste.

The corpses on the ground opened their eyes and stared at me, letting out deafening screams, and pulling me with their putrid hands. Then, with a final scream, I became just another unrecognizable corpse in the pile.

-XXXXXX-

"GASP!"

I filled my lungs, which immediately begged for air as if waking up from a realistic nightmare. I breathed heavily, trying to understand what happened midst the high-pitched ringing in my ears, I wasn't in my bed in my room, but in a…

Oh…. Oh no…. Please don't…

I found myself in a large and dark stone chamber, full of skeletons and mining equipment.

I took a deep breath this time, closing my eyes and trying to calm down as I muttered every insult I knew, mentally praying that this was a dream within a dream, but the weapon and book I held indicated otherwise.

I slowly lowered my trembling and aching right arm, realizing how exhausted I was, and tried to sit down on the ground, but something stopped me.

Looking back, I saw a black-haired, red-eyed she-wolf biting the back of my trench coat and pulling me, preventing me from moving forward. Looking down, I saw a small, bloodied figure hugging me around the waist with all its might, its face a mixture of effort, fear and determination.

Please…. Please tell me this isn't her blood!

The Shark's Teeth became strangely heavy in my hand, even after using it easily before. My grip on the weapon loosened, and it fell to the ground with a thud that echoed in my mind.

I brought my hand hesitantly towards the girl's head, trembling as the strength left my body, feeling like I would collapse to the ground at any moment, so, with one last movement, I rested my hand on her leather helmet, drawing her attention.

Madeleine stiffened, but raised her head a few seconds later, staring at me with tear-filled eyes.

"Did I hurrrt you?"

She shook her head negatively.

"Isss that yourrr blood?"

Another negative response.

"Arrre you injured in any wayyy?"

I received an answer similar to the previous ones.

"Goood, I'm glad about that…." I smiled weakly at the child, allowing my body to finally rest. I fell backward and closed my eyes, not caring about the pain of the fall.

-XXXXXX-

I woke up to Moonless licking my face, making me grumble in delight and irritation at the tickle I felt. I put my hands in the way, asking the she-wolf to stop as I pushed her back.

I stood up with difficulty, sore as if I'd run a marathon, and as I sat down, I noticed Madeleine sitting next to me, hugging her knees to her chest and staring at me intensely.

"I worrried you, didn't I?"

She nodded.

"I'm sssorry about that, I don't know what came overrr me, but the Sssalmonsnake…. Where'sss the Sssalmonsnake?"

Madeleine pointed to something on the other side of the chamber and my eyes went wide at the carnage in front of me. The giant salamander no longer had a head, it wasn't a quick decapitation, but the complete shredding of its skull.

Blood painted the ground around the creature, with piles of crushed flesh and shattered bones completing the scene. The monster's tongue was stretched out like a rope, with its eyes beside it, and pieces of the brain turned into a pink paste.

I brought a trembling hand up to my mouth in horror but stopped as soon as I saw the bloody claws approaching my lips. Following the claws, I saw my new arm, its eyes staring back at me.

"I…. I did that?"

The child nodded again, getting up and walking towards me. I was about to apologize for my actions but stopped as soon as Madeleine pulled up my hood and patted my head.

Several thoughts ran through my mind, confused by the girl's actions, but I laughed lightly as soon as I realized the reason behind them. She was imitating me, as this was the gesture I used to calm her down.

Madeleine frowned, probably because she thought I laughed at her help, but I told her that wasn't the case before I caused any misunderstandings. However, I ran into another problem when I stood up.

"FFFUCK!" I exclaimed as I fumbled, almost losing my balance.

Madeleine and Moonless rushed to my aid, but I held up both hands, stopping them in their tracks and focusing on the real problem here. I shook my new arm in front of my face and went speechless as I saw myself from a different point of view, I could see through the eyes in my arm.

Then I moved my arm from left to right, seeing the floor, the ceiling, left, right, front, and back of the chamber, I had a view of almost three hundred and sixty degrees, albeit all in various shades of red.

This was extremely disorienting, but it was still useful.

"I can sssee through the eyesss in my arm." I said, extending the limb in question, but backed away as soon as Madeleine poked curiously at one of my eyes, generating a pain similar to being hit in the eyes in the face.

Madeleine apologized nervously, but I put a hand on her shoulder, calming her down.

"Aren't you ssscared of my new aaarm?"

She shook her head negatively, gently holding one of my bony claws. I felt a warmth in my chest, probably because she didn't see me as a monster.

I retrieved the Shark's Teeth and removed a Soul Stone from my pocket, heading for the Salmonsnake straight away and meeting the Iron Shakespeare on the way.

"Did you worrrry about me tooo?" I asked provocatively but got no answer.

I felt Kitab shaking in my hand, so I opened the book and read what it had to say.

"PREY SLAUGHTERED! +1 Insight!"

"Congratulations, you've learned a skill! Blood-lust: Enter a state of aggression and trance. A traditional Oldegård folk skill."

"Congratulations, the Old Ones have decided to reward you for your determination, strategy, and ruthlessness in slaughtering such a beast! You've acquired a new spell! Carve: Carve words in R'lyehian on equipment to give it effects. Enchanting the object wears away the mind. Using the enchantment effect also wears it down."

Available words

Fm'latghor

R'luh

Ah'lloigshogg

?

?

?

"HOLY SSSHIT! What kind of ssspell is that?! They want me to go crrrazy?! At leassst give me sssomething more balanced! And Blood-lussst?! That'sss the worst ssskill in the game!"

"Don't come complaining into my non-existent ears! You're the one who's gone temporarily mad and let your anger consume you! As for the spell, I can't do anything about that, the Old Ones have decided, but it's your choice whether you use it or not."

Hm... You know, I feel like an RPG character with complicated mechanics and specific game-play, where you need to invest a lot of time to make it viable. I'll need the Sorcerer's Stone soon if all my skills require intensive use of the mind.

"But leaving these uninteresting matters aside, how do you feel?"

"Ssstrange? Grrreat? Powerrrful? All at once? None of the above? Or sssomething completely different? I'm ssstronger, even though my physssique remains the sssame, but there'sss a nagging in the back of my mind, a desssire for more."

"You've had a taste of power, kid, the power to end something with your bare hands."

"Really? That wasss exciting like a child getting a new toy." I answered semidetached, searching my pocket and finding a five-cent coin.

"What are you…."

"Headsss." I tossed the coin up and cast the spell, smiling when I saw the desired result as it fell into the palm of my hand, crumbling into dust afterward. I immediately felt stronger.

"Wait…."

"Headsss." I said, tossing another coin of equal value and getting a similar result.

"You have no idea what…."

"Headsss." I tossed a ten-cents coin this time, hoping for a bigger reward, and didn't mind when I saw tails, after all, judging by the value, the mutation would be small.

"Fail, mutation acquired! ENOUGH!" Kitab exclaimed and a sharp pain in my arm snapped me out of my trance, making me scream as if I'd put my finger in an outlet.

"Wha-what happened?" I asked confused, looking at my surroundings.

"You just proved me right! You've become addicted to the feeling of power and now you want more! Nothing wrong with that, frankly, I encourage that goal, but you're going too fast! You've just snapped and you're in a low frame of mind, you need to rest!"

I spent a few seconds in silence, processing the words in the book. I clicked my tongue and let out a string of swear when I realized that Kitab was right. I need…. I need to get some rest before I lose control again and do something I'll regret.

I shuddered as I remembered the mountain of corpses and familiar bodies, a chill ran through my spine, but I shook my head, dispelling these bad thoughts, and focused on the Salmonsnake.

The soul stone glowed as it approached the dead creature, and I quickly called Madeleine to my side, but I realized a problem: where would she put the soul stone? She had no pockets, and putting the stone inside her clothes, like the doll, was a bad idea.

Hm... I asked Madeleine to wait and ran over to my backpack lying on the ground, bringing it close while I removed some rope from inside. I cut a piece of rope with the Shark's Teeth and prayed that I still knew how to tie the knot my grandfather taught me.

After several failed attempts, mostly due to having claws instead of fingers, and Moonless and Madeleine laughing at my failures, I managed to make a makeshift necklace, with the soul stone wrapped in rope.

"Madeleine, I have a ssspecial gift for you, this is the Soul of the Sssalmonsnake, it will give you hardened ssskin, and it will also heal and prevent bleeding, infectionsss, burnsss, critical condition, and the lossss of armsss and legsss." I said, putting the necklace around the child's neck.

Madeleine's mouth dropped open in surprise as she held the glowing soul in front of her face, making the light reflect in her wide eyes, then she stepped quickly towards me, offering me the soul, but I denied it immediately.

"No, no, you need it more than I do. I'm a ssstrong adult, armed with an arsenal of ssspells, well equipped, and with a monstrousss arm. I can take a beating, unlike you, so I want you to keep the sssoul, I care about you and I don't want anything bad to happen." I smiled back but raised an eyebrow when the girl looked at me strangely.

"Is sssomething wrong?"

Madeleine opened her mouth, showing her teeth as she pointed in my direction.

"Is there sssomething wrong with my teeth?" I asked and she nodded.

I quickly took out my cell phone, frowning at the slightly cracked but still functional screen or film, and used the front camera to see my open mouth, only to spot huge, extremely sharp teeth in place of normal ones.

As if that wasn't enough, I had the terrible idea of smiling, and cringed as I noticed my mouth stretching inhumanly from ear to ear. So I opened my mouth as wide as I could, noticing how it opened to impossible levels, and then closed it, shuddering with the strength of the movement.

"Well, you've got the mouth and bite of something like a shark now." Kitab commented with what I thought was amusement.

"Probably sssome creature from the deeep, Dagon must be watching me."

"Just hope you don't end up with a fish face like the inhabitants of Innsmouth."

I sighed angrily, leaving the jokes of the book aside, and took stock of my inventory, putting my backpack on my back and asking if everyone was ready to leave. Moonless barked, Madeleine nodded, still hesitant to keep the mighty soul, and Iron Shakespeare remained silent.

With that done, I rummaged through what remained of the Salmonsnake, cutting off a few pieces of its flesh with the Flaying Knife, and finding the Stone Crown buried under a pile of brain.

I gave it to Madeleine straight away, as the crown had a better defense and would help us with the Cave Dwellers if they were aggressive.

Then we left the chamber, Iron Shakespeare and Moonless leading the way while Madeleine held my mutated arm and analyzed the soul in her neck.

-XXXXXX-

We finally emerged from the labyrinthine tunnels of the mines, only to come face to face with soggy, rotting heads impaled on spears, demarcating the territory of the Cave Dwellers.

Madeleine's grip on my arm increased, so I pulled her close to me, comforting her and explaining the purpose of the crown on her head, which served to calm her down.

We climbed the wooden ladders leading up to the balcony made of the same material, except for the great knight, as the old, rotten wood couldn't support his weight.

Smiling at not finding astoned D'arce and the Yellow Mage on the path below, I picked up the Soul Stone from the spherical house next to us, and we sat on the edge of the balcony, our legs dangling in the air.

An uncomfortable silence overtook the place, so I put on some music to restore our minds before starting a conversation. I pressed random and hoped for something good.

"She had a horror of rooms"

"She was tired you can't hide beat"

I removed my hood, iron mask, trench coat, and leather armor, sighing relieved at leaving that oven, because I sweated like a pig.

I removed some food of my backpack, throwing rotten meat to Moonless, who gobbled it in the air with one bite, and grabbed some bread, cheese, and salami, dividing it between Madeleine and me. I would have liked to make a sandwich, but I couldn't now.

"When I looked in her eyes"

"They were blue but nobody home"

"You did a good jjjob taking on Sssalmonsnake." I said between bites, but Madeleine looked away.

"I'm ssserious! You looked amazing riding on Moonlesss' back like a knight saving the day! I'm glad I can count with your help in fights!" I complimented, patting the child's back, making her smile and blush embarrassed with her chest puffed.

"Hey, would you like to drrraw again?" I asked and Madeleine nodded quickly. I handed my notebook and case and let her play doodling on the paper.

I laughed slightly, noticing her swaying from side to side, but stopped as soon as I saw the shadowy figure walking past us. One of the problems that arose after I snapped, the shadow people and the living dungeon appeared frequently now.

"Well, she could've been a killer"

"If she didn't walk the way she do and she do"

The fleshy walls pulsed audibly, supported by bone beams, with dark rows of insects crawling everywhere in rivers of blood, stomach acid and partially digested corpses.

Simultaneously, the shadowy figures whispered in my ear, their words becoming clearer and clearer.

"Kitab, could you put my mind to numberrrsss?"

"No problem!" The book replied and increasing numbers appeared on its pages.

Mind: 05 / 200

Mind: 06 / 200

Mind: 07 / 200

The amount of mind impressed me, twice as much as any other character in the game, and terrified me, by how close it was to zero. Well, the description of my soul warned me about this, including my body.

"Could you ssshow me my body now?"

"Of course!"

Body: 20 / 75

"I only have that muccch body?!" I asked disbelieved.

"You're not a veteran mercenary, hard-living barbarian, or trained knight, even the priest learned to fight, unlike you, who has lived a normal life."

"Damn it!"

"She opened strange doors"

"That we'd never close again"

"Look on the bright side, you're changing your frail physique." Kitab replied, and I knew exactly what it meant.

"She began to wail jealousies scream"

"Waiting at the light know what I mean?"

I licked my sea-monster teeth with my snake-like, but not quite, tongue, then raised my right arm in front of my face, flinching when all eyes stared back at me, blinking at different intervals.

As if fate watched me, the next part of the song was certainly ironic.

"Scary monsters, super creeps"

"Keep me running, running scared"

"Scary monsters, super creeps"

"Keep me running, running scared"

"HAHAHA!" The book laughed at my suffering as I made an annoyed face, but then a deep, unfamiliar male voice caught my attention.

"Could you spare a minute of your time?"

Looking towards its source, I saw an old man sitting to my right, but he hadn't been there before and there was no way of him arriving without me noticing, as he would have to climb the visible ladders and Moonless would have alerted me of his presence.

Tall, with a well-developed physique, a severe face, tanned skin, and long, completely white hair and beard, he wore worn brown robes, and a large raven with a sharp beak rested on his right shoulder.

"She asked me to stay"

"And I stole her room"

I resisted the urge to shout and swing the Shark's Teeth in his direction, I had the bad, supernatural feeling that I would regret it if I did. It was as if my instincts screamed at me to stay as still as possible because this old man exuded a disconcerting presence that demanded fear and respect.

I focused on Moonless and Madeleine instead, seeing how they were perfectly still statues, but the music still played.

"Don't worry, they are unharmed. I just stopped time with a simple spell." The old man replied softly with an empathetic gleam in his eye as if he were my grandfather.

SHIT!

"A-a sssimple spell, you sssay?" I stammered, smiling nervously upon realizing my non-existent chances of victory since such a feat on the level of the Gods was simple for this old man.

"Exactly, but I'll dispel it as soon as our conversation ends, young man. I think we should introduce ourselves first before discussing the reason for my presence."

"Of courssse! Where are my mannerrrs? My name is Micolasssh!" I replied, offering a handshake with my normal arm.

"It's rude not to introduce yourself with your real name, young man. Didn't your parents educate you?" The old man asked, frowning as he stared at my static hand.

SHIT!

"A person of your age shouldn't utter such language."

I bit my tongue and tried to keep an impassive face, but failed miserably.

"Can you tell ifff I'm lying and rrread my mind?" I sniffled.

"Perfectly." The old man nodded as if this were a normal activity.

"She asked for my love"

"And I gave her a dangerous mind"

"Who are you exxxactly?" I asked suspiciously.

"You can call me Nodens." The old man repied.

My breathing stopped and both my hearts raced, cold sweat poured down my face as I shook violently, losing all self-control because the being in front of me was the greatest enemy of those who had brought me here.

I was fucked.

"FUCK! SHIT! DAMN!" I screamed with all my might in a mixture of fear and anger.

"An unexpected but common reaction when I introduce myself to those who know of my existence."

Nodens, a deity from Celtic mythology, called "Lord of the Great Abyss" and master of the night-gaunts, a race of flying creatures. Likely the previous ruler of the abyss where the Old Ones reside before expelling him, and Nyarlathotep's greatest enemy.

There's a good chance he killed Old Ones, you know, creatures of the same race as Nyarlathotep and Cthulhu, cosmic horrors and destroyers infinite universes, incomprehensible beings capable of breaking the minds of mortals and manipulating time and space in any way they wish.

"Now she's stupid in the street"

"And she can't socialize"

"Don't worry young man, I don't wish you any harm, although I offer you a deal if you're willing to listen to me." Nodens spoke, placing an icy hand on my shoulder.

Despite the gentle gesture, the weight of his hand felt like a mountain, not to mention, of course, its crushing grip.

"Of courssse, it's not like I have a ccchoice!"

"But you do, just listen to my words." Nodens replied and I signaled for him to continue.

"I've noticed a certain inactivity from the Old Ones recently, especially my greatest enemy, The Slithering Chaos because it wasn't acting in the way that earned it its title. After my investigation, I found you, a poor child serving as entertainment for cruel gods. So I took part, exerting my influence."

"What point are you trrrying to make?"

"The Old Ones reward you for performing deadly deeds in their unholy names, it strengthens them, similar to the sacrifices and worships of cultists. I want you to do the same for me, complete a challenge in my name and I'll reward you."

"So thisss is all jussst you being petty, not wanting to fall behind in power and influence in your eternal fight againssst the Old Onesss?"

"If you want to put it that way, but I admit felling certain satisfaction in annoying my ancient enemies by interfering in their little game. And you would benefit from the help of a benevolent God." Nodens shrugged, smiling slightly.

I became skeptical about the benevolent part. Something truly benevolent in Lovecraft's mythology is rare, especially in a universe full of arrogant and avaricious entities.

"Well, what do you waaant?"

"Hunting is one of the aspects I embody, so I wish you to continue your hunt for the beasts of this dungeon. Do that and I'll present you with a weapon and spell."

"Well, I love the little girl

"And I'll love her till the day she dies"

"Why didn't you sssay that before?" I exclaimed, smiling broadly as I crossed my legs and joined my hands, resting my chin on top of them.

A spell and a weapon straight from a God, the possibilities excited me, almost enough to make me forget this life and death-situation.

"If you wish to accept my offer then we can seal it with a handshake." Nodens laughed, offering his hand.

I hesitated for a moment, reviewing everything that had happened so far and pondering whether it was a good idea. I'd be making a deal with the enemy of the Old Ones and adding another faction to this damned show.

On the other hand, I need all the resources at my disposal, and as Nodens said, he's a "benevolent" god. Well, I'm already in a horrible situation. If the Old Ones get angry with my decision then they can only blame themselves for getting me into this mess.

I accepted the handshake.

"She wails"

"Jimmy's guitar sound jealousies scream"

"Waiting at the light know what I mean"

"I'm glad you made the right choice, child of the void. I'll watch you closely, don't disappoint me." Nodens replied, his smile widening as his eyes shone a blinding light.

Before I could ask what he meant by that, I found myself in my original position, with Moonless chewing the rotten meat and Madeleine happily drawing.

"Hey!" Kitab exclaimed, sending a shock through my arm.

"What?!" I asked surprised, snapping out of my stupor.

"Are you all right?"

"I think ssso, why do you asssk?"

"You stared at the wall in silence for a long time, no matter how much I called you."

"Would you believe me ifff I told you I'd jussst spoken to Nodens?"

"Yes, because that would explain the words that appeared on my pages."

The Elder God Nodens, the Lord of the Great Abyss, offers you a deal after you caught his attention with your hunting skills. Slay the dungeon's beasts in his name and receive a divine reward.

Beasts Slain: 0 / 100

"A hundred beassstsss and the ones I've killed ssso far don't count?!"

"Why would they count? You didn't accept the quest earlier."

"I would have if they'd offered it when I firrrssst got here!"

DAMN IT! Complaining won't help me, but I'll do it anyway! However, I can't shake the feeling that I shouldn't have accepted the deal due to the enmity between the Old Ones and Nodens.

I'll probably regret it in the future, just like I did so far.

"Scary monsters, super creeps"

"Keep me running, running scared"

"Scary monsters, super creeps"

"Keep me running, running scared"

So, I took a deep breath and enjoyed the music, restoring my mind and trying to calm my nerves that had almost died from shock during the recent interactions.

-XXXXXX-

We prepared to continue our journey after our rest ended. Madeleine showed me her new drawing as she jumped excitedly, revealing all of us facing the Salmonsnake.

I made sure to give another star sticker to the child and her doll, making her sway from side to side in gratitude.

Then we packed our things and put on our equipment, returning the way we came and following the lower path, passing through the pit leading to the Wolf Masks, climbing the ladders, and crossing the wooden platforms until we reached the main entrance of the Cave Dwellers' village.

Any joy I felt at being so close to my goal died as soon as I saw the state of the village, as the dungeon rearranging itself caused more damage than I had anticipated.

The cavernous village stood in ruins, with the new dungeon tunnels protruding from the walls and ceiling, collapsed houses crushed by rocks where everywhere, with the Cave Dwellers clearing the rubble and pulling out injured survivors or corpses.

We entered the village and immediately caught the attention of its residents, who looked at us with haggard and empty eyes, more so than their in-game counterparts. However, they quickly bowed as soon as they saw the crown on Madeleine's head.

The child squeezed my hand tightly but did not back away, and we crossed the village, the slender, naked, blue-skinned beings staring at us the entire way before returning to their previous work.

I grimaced as I passed a pile of misshapen bodies, their limbs broken in unnatural directions and blood leaking from their orifices. Occasionally, we glimpsed a bloody hand or foot sticking out of a pile of debris, but otherwise, our walk to the Altar of Darkness went smoothly.

We climbed another wooden ladder set on another platform and crossed a rickety bridge over a dark chasm. I thought it would collapse under the weight of Iron Shakespeare, but it held up and we made it to the altar.

I spotted the small house where the cube stood, and the walkway leading to the God of the Depths. Whether out of curiosity or paranormal force, I felt compelled to walk to the end of the walkway.

And there it was, its gigantic form hidden by the darkness except for part of its head made of gray coral and its swollen yellow lips enclosing a huge, yellowish mouth similar to that of a human.

I stared at that mysterious being in silence, a true Old God, not just its traces. I wonder what secrets it holds, what truths of the universe it knew and could reveal to me.

A buzzing sound attacked my ears, and I saw the infinite insects converging towards the abyss where the God rested. An absurd pressure threatened to crush me again, a primordial fear overtook me when the being's head moved, staring at me with its nonexistent eyes.

Then a distorted voice, louder than any ocean, spoke.

"Feed me."

My paralyzed legs finally obeyed the command of my mind and I turned my back on the God, leaving the walkway and stopping next to the rest of my group who watched me apprehensively.

I dared to look over my shoulder and saw that God's head in its original position as if nothing had happened. I movedmy hand towards my chest, trying to calm myself, as I felt minuscule after this encounter.

Madeleine approached with a glint of concern in her eyes. I tried to assure her that I was okay, but I failed miserably. She insisted on staying beside me as we entered the small house and found the cube on its altar.

I asked Madeleine to take the cube, as she wore the crown. The child stood on her tiptoes and removed the artifact from its altar with both hands, studying the inscriptions on the mysterious material that looked more like a box compared to her body.

We all had a small celebration, and I congratulated the child for keeping her courage and enduring the hardships. I believe Madeleine tried to do a happy dance, but I couldn't tell, as I'd never seen her dance before.

Does she even know what a dance is?

Putting those thoughts aside, we headed back the way we came, I felt the fulminating gaze of the entity in the abyss burning my back, but those who appeared in front of us on the other side of the bridge caught our attention.

"D'arce, Le'garde." I greeted them both impassively, gripping the hilt of the Shark's Teeth. There is no way this will end well.

"Oh, it's you! I… I never learned your name…" D'arce said happily, smiling when she saw me, but her expression changed to shame as she looked toward the ground.

"Greetings, you must be D'arce's friend. I don't believe I ever thanked you for saving me twice. And I see you've achieved what we came for." Le'garde said kindly, but I didn't believe his words, as his gaze shifted towards Madeleine.

I stepped forward and pulled the child behind me. Simultaneously, I ordered Moonless and Iron Shakespeare to stand in front.

"What are you doing? We're not here to fight!" D'arce exclaimed, frustrated with my actions.

"My companion is right. That wasn't the best introduction, but I don't believe I did anything that deserves such hostility." Le'garde continued, frowning as he assumed a fighting stance.

"GASP! And what happened to your arm?! And your voice?!" D'arce said in surprise, widening her eyes as she covered her mouth.

"A lot hasss happened since we went our ssseparate waysss, D'arce. I'm sssorry, but I can't give you the cube, not while he isss here." I replied, pointing at Le'garde.

The man in question narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on his sword. D'arce tilted her head in confusion but quickly moved to stop her beloved before a fight started.

Screams and sounds of fighting echoed in the distance, and the first attack did not come from Le'garde, but from the creatures that had climbed the platform. Creatures similar to the guards, but covered in fur, with a wolf-like head, and a mouth that extended toward the ground.

The Moonless Guards were here.

END OF CHAPTER