Chapter 54: The three cardinal sins

Awakening again here my journey started, I get down from the work table, only to find a sealed letter next to where my head had rested. Looking outside through the stained windows I am greeted by fading moonlight and the faint smell of flowers and wet earth.

Walking outside the house I am taking a few deep breaths of air I calm my frenzied heartbeat. Looking up to the sky and my immediate surroundings I am unable to see the moon or any structure, only some light breaking through a field of clouds.

Irritated I walk back inside to the table to open the letter reading.

-You are the champion of worldsend. The esteemed lady awaits your attendance on the top floor of the Astralclocktower in the third district.

P.S. Your ax is on the altar.

Signed doll.-

Crumbling the letter in my hand I dress in the only clothes available that is a black leather and gold metal hybrid armor with its main body being leather and the edges strengthen with metal.

Just by putting it on I feel the armor resonate with my blood.

-This must be a class specific armor set.- I note when moving to the altar where I originally got the holy claymore from to pick up my Leviathan Ax.

Feeling a sudden shake-up, rattling through the ground, a strong gust of wind picked up. Ax in hand ready for everything I move outside only to be utterly shocked. The clouds are gone and an ashen white low hanging full moon illuminates everything. Cocking my head further back I find parts of Worldsend where the sky is supposed to be.

Locking in every direction at the horizon I can see streets lead up into the sky. Feeling suddenly dwarfed by this phenomenon I take two tentative steps forward. Continuing to moving forward I raise into the now fully visible tower and up its stairs. Entering into the cathedral I am instantly greeted by dust and rubble. Looking up I find the previous ten or more meter high sealing went and three very female looking shadows covered up by the dust clouds still lingering in the cathedral.

Moving in the direction of these very tempting forms. Hitting against something metal lying on the floor I crouch down to retrieve the object with my left hand. Looking at it it looks an awful lot like a piece of chest armor worn by the Valkyries.

Hearing warm female laughter from behind I turn hastily around ready to strike only to find the dust settling, revealing three women. Feeling a sudden rush of male lust for the conquest of a woman, I am enchanted by the three Gs. Namely the most likely last living Valkyries Gunnr, Geirdriful, and Gondur. Seeing the three of them fully nude, huddled together, their heads almost touching. I can feel the air around them get heavy with an erotic charge building up. They stand, leaning slightly inward, seemingly simply enjoying their closeness. Their hairstyles are similar, braided and held atop their heads in a knot, the only difference being their individual hair color, Gunnr having fiery red, Geirdriful a sunlight gold and Gondur a nighty black.

As I already said enchanted by the sight of them and the lust for the conquest I let go of both my ax as well as the armor piece. With one laude thud, the two metals hid the floor, not in the least bit disturbing the three classic beauties. Seeing Gunnr and Geirdriful suddenly kiss with Gondur watching fascination and will to conquer rises to new heights.

Seeing Gunnr and Gondur also make out while Geirdriful touches herself all my inhibitions fall of me.

Before I am able to get rid of all my clothing and join them in blissful nudity Geirdriful and Gondur also aggressively kissing each other, Gunnar even pressing all their three boys together by hugging her two companions.

Seeing the three slender female figures become one in each other's embrace, I am suddenly reminded of Merry and Lara when seeing Gunners firey red hair mix with Honduras seemingly brown one.

-I want that with Merry and Lara!- Acknowledging this desire I am able to return to my senses not a minute too late.

Only now, my senses clear do I realize that the three valkyries still embracing each other and now pleasuring each other on the floor are in fact standing on a slowly charging sacrificial altar adorned with three wreaths of flowers.

Walking a view steps back I get my ax of the floor. Seeing the three women succumb to the mindless pleasures and blissfully unaware of their impending violent end, I make a choice.

Coating my ax in a white flame I calculate the perfect trajectory and throw out my leviathan. Spinning around itself in a perfect powerful arch The white ax blade decapitates all three beauties, their last facial expressions showing carnal pleasure.

Before seeing my blade reach the first Valkyrie I have already turned my back on them. Hearing three heads hit the ground I recall my ax while holding my right hand out and moving to the main entrance to exit.

Stepping outside of the cathedral I feel unbearable thirst accompanied by severe muscle spasms occur all over my body, the most painful ones in my hands, calves, and feet. Walking down the stairs in front of me I find a small blind boy desperately hugging a waterbottle huddled over at the foot of the stairs.

Having heard me come close he stands up pleading with me. ''Have pity on me the small blind Lazarus and dip the tip of your finger in water and cool my tongue. I am already shaking in agony. If you do me this favor I will hand you my mother's empty water bottle.''

Seeing the boy shakingly holding out a blue bottle filled to the brim with water my first impulse is to cheat the poor boy. Feeling a headache coming up I look at the seductive liquid contemplating the possibility of clenching my urgent thirst and then fulfilling his request by giving him the last drops of remaining water.

Still deep in thought, the boy basically hands me over his filled waterbottle while pleading. '' Please. It's the only thing of any value that I own, please... Take it in exchange for a single droplet of water.''

The impulse is further enhanced by a mind cracking headache making me nauseous. Remembering my own words when judging a cheater I resist my first impulse of cheating and my own unbearable thirst I open the boy's water bottle the water calling me to drink it I tell the boy with bleeding vocal cords. ''Your bottle is a dull boy. Take it back.''

Helping the blind boy who eagerly gulps down the water I lose all control over my body thanks to a sudden seizure.

Feeling my body hit the stairs I black out.

An unknown span of time later I awaken lying inside a bubbling fountain my thirst, headache, and muscle cramps gone. Getting out of the water I find myself only a short walk away from the Astraltower.

Moving closer to it I find myself again standing on a bridge. The same bridge to be precise on which Henry betrayed both Gauker and me by killing us off. At the end of it, I find a bathed in blood but still alive Red, her wings torn out of her back and an ax wound half separating her head from her torso.

Seeing her unsuccessful attempts to claw her way into the wide-open portal of the astral tower a sudden killing intent arises and grows inside of me. Fed by the image of Red executing Hell, her own mother the intent results in me pressing the cold steel of my weapon at the fallen valkyrie queens mingled neck.

Feeling my abyssal intent and the cold metal nick her neck Red ceases her desperate attempts. Retreating my blade while looking into her empty liveless, giving up all hope of redemption eyes anger clouds my senses. Coating the ax blade in a finite black flame with the intention of freeing the world of one more monster I ready myself to strike the former Valkyrie down, ending what Henry began.

-I am not like him or my mother.- A deeply buried part of me suddenly tells me. My ax already in full swing it is the distance between atoms close when I change the black flames for white ones. The blade easily slices through the woman's neck before burying itself into the gates wooden doorframe.

Pulling the ax out of the frame something dawns on me.

-What a minute wasn't this the heavenly trepidation? With the 'Three Graces' representing the first cardinal sin 'Lust', Fraud being tested through the 'rich beggar boy' and Red representative of 'Malice' this should be it...-