37 Left or Right?

"Do you have a plan, my Lord?" Ke asked, his voice quiet but full of deadly intent.

Osiris nodded, his jaw clenched. "The proud bastard would only let one of his Hands do the dirty work for him. Left or Right? I need a name. I know where some key figures amongst the White Demon cultists are hiding. We move tonight."

Ke Si nodded, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips. He was a powerful shadow mage and House Trillwolf's top assassin, and tonight, he would show these cultists the true meaning of fear. Osiris and Ke Si moved through the shadows as the sun began to set, their bodies fusing with the darkness. They moved with unnatural speed, their movements fluid and silent.

They soon arrived at the brothel on the outskirts of Saint Anubis City, where the White Demon cultists were hiding in plain sight. Osiris and Ke Si surveyed the area from a distance, trying to devise a plan of attack.

"We can't just barge in there," Osiris said, his voice low. "This is too close to the residential areas. We need to take them by surprise."

Ke Si nodded. "I will scout the area and report back to you. We will strike at their weakest point."

With that, Ke Si vanished into the shadows, leaving Osiris to wait and plan alone. He knew this was a dangerous mission, but he had to do it for Enora and his House's safety. He was already behind in this plot due to his paranoia and negligence.

After a few minutes, Ke Si returned and whispered into Osiris's ear. "There are three entrances to the brothel. The one on the east side is the least guarded. We can use that."

Osiris nodded, his heart pounding with anticipation. He could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins as they moved into position.

Ke Si led the way, moving with an eerie grace and silence as they slipped through the shadows and near the brothel's eastern entrance. As they drew closer, the air grew thick with the stench of sweat and lust. The moans and cries filled their ears, but Osiris and Ke Si remained focused on their mission.

Osiris reached out with his shadow magic to sense what was happening inside. He could feel the dark energies swirling around the brothel, a sure sign that the cultists were inside. With a wave of his hand, Osiris signaled Ke Si to move around the back of the brothel while he entered through the east door.

"We need to be careful," Osiris said via voice transmission to Ke Si. "There are 75 of them in there."

Ke Si nodded, his eyes scanning the guards on the outside. "I'll take care of them. You focus on the cultists."

Osiris was a master of death and desolation forces and had no qualms about using them tonight.

With that, Ke Si melted into the shadows and disappeared.

The gold ring on Osiris's hand flashed as he donned his royal medjay uniform. The fabric was jet black and fit closely to every curve of his muscular body. Runes depicting the sacred animal of his station, the jackal, were etched into the metal plating that adorned the armor. The heavy black fabric of his Nightstalker Mantle draped over his torso; its metal rings twisting down his right side and back. Black runes of jackals lined the steel plating, their sharp fangs baring all who would come for him.

Osiris took a deep breath and focused his mind on his voodoo force. With a quick exhale, he burst through the doors.

Inside, he could see the White Demon cultists, their bodies intertwined in a ritualistic dance. He could feel the feminine qi flowing through the room, and he knew they were using intercourse to enhance their power. As he entered the main hall, he saw dozens of half-naked women writhing around on the floor, their faces twisted in pleasure and pain. White Demon cultists walked among them; their eyes glazed over with lust and the power they were absorbing.

Osiris didn't waste any time. With a flick of his wrist, he summoned a powerful gust of wind that knocked the cultists off their feet. Then, he unleashed arrows of death force that instantly killed seven cultists in the room.

The women, dazed and confused, stumbled around in a panic, unsure of what had just happened.

Ke Si appeared from the shadows and whispered, "We have to find the dark priests and white courtesans. They may know who cursed Lady Enora."

Osiris nodded and followed Ke Si through the next hall. The sight that greeted him was enough to turn his stomach. The brothel was filled with men and women engaged in all manner of vile and depraved acts. Osiris could see the cultists lurking in the shadows, their eyes gleaming maliciously.

Without hesitation, Osiris drew his sword and charged at the nearest cultist. Osiris' sudden attack took aback the cultist, but he quickly recovered, drawing his weapon and engaging Osiris in a fierce battle.

A towering serpent of white-hot flames leaped forward with ravenous speed, its shrill hiss filling the air as it charged at Osiris. Its fiery eyes seemed locked onto its prey, and its fangs dripped venomous lava that singed the earth as it reached out with menacing intent.

Osiris knew he had to act fast as the serpent closed in on him. He focused his thoughts and summoned a powerful shield of ice that surrounded him, deflecting the serpent's flames and protecting him from harm. With a swift motion, he thrust his sword forward, piercing the serpent's heart and sending it writhing to the ground.

As the serpent dissipated into a cloud of smoke, Osiris heard the sound of footsteps approaching. He turned to see two cultists wielding long daggers, their eyes filled with hatred and bloodlust. Osiris knew he was outnumbered but refused to back down from these chumps.

The cultists charged at him with ferocity, their blades glinting in the dim light. Osiris dodged their attacks with grace and precision, striking back with a series of blows that left them disoriented and vulnerable. With a final swing, he decapitated both cultists with a single stroke, their lifeless bodies falling to the ground with a thud.

Ke Si strode out of the darkness like a vengeful spirit, his true force wreaking havoc on the unsuspecting archers. With each strike, their limbs contorted and crumpled in submission as he mercilessly disabled them one by one until the shadows were all that remained.

As the cultist fell to the ground, his body convulsing in its death throes, Osiris turned to Ke Si.

"We have to keep moving," he said.

Ke Si nodded his agreement, and the two pressed onward, deeper into the heart of the brothel. With each passing moment, the stench of lust and depravity grew more potent, and Osiris could feel his stomach churning with disgust.

But he knew that he had to keep going.

The cultists were stunned by Osiris' display of power, but they quickly regrouped and attacked him en masse. Osiris was outnumbered, but he fought with the skill and determination of a seasoned warrior.

Ke Si joined the battle, using his arcane powers to unleash bolts of white lightning that struck down the cultists. The pure, destructive light was a startling contrast to the blitzing shadows surrounding the two. Together, they fought their way through the labyrinthine brothel.

Finally, they reached the inner sanctum, where the dark priests and white courtesans were engrossed in a twisted ritual. The scene was enough to put the nastiest adult plays to shame. If not for Ke Si's reminders, Osiris would have used a desolation curse to obliterate this entire scene.

Instead, Osiris and Ke Si moved in. In a flurry of skillful strikes and magical blasts, they destroyed the cultists and interrupted their petrifying rituals. Once the last cultists had been killed, the courtesans and dark priests surrendered, and the brothel was liberated from their foul corruption.

Osiris used his medjay badge to send a voice transmission to the Lower City Defense squad. At the same time, Ke interrogated the white courtesans after breaking their curses. This was a delicate process, as he had to get real answers before the girls' memories caught up.

Because once they did...

"No...NO....NOOO!!!"

The courtesans, adorned in white gowns and masks, stood still until one suddenly started to scream. She ran her hands across her face in shock, sending blood down her white dress. The other courtesans stood in terror, unsure of what was happening but unable to help as the screaming woman collapsed.

Ke Si considered this momentary distraction the perfect time to search the woman's memory before him. After confirming what he needed to know, he knocked the rest of the white courtesans unconscious. He had done all he was capable of doing by rescuing these women. How they managed to endure from here was beyond what he could do.

The dark priests, however, were bound in shadows to be delivered to the royal palace.

Having accomplished their mission, Osiris and Ke breathed sighs of relief. As they returned to the surface, the sun shone down upon them like a beacon of hope. They had succeeded in thwarting a malevolent force and restoring balance to a place of wickedness. From that day on, the brothel people prospered in freedom and safety.

But Osiris didn't care about any of that. He had found the name he needed to know.

Left Hand of the White Demon— Altis Major.