Chapter 86

Chapter 86

I kept my eyes on Rhea as we stood between our two forces. I had enough space and troops with me that this could turn ugly if things didnt work out.

Theres something very wrong about this place, I said quietly.

I know, Rhea whispered.

Why dont we work together and root out whatever is here and then sort out what comes next. I smiled, having recast my illusion spell. It just made conversing with her far easier when she wasnt constantly reminded that I was a Lich.

I dont know, Zeke. Rhea gave me a very hard look. Youre still a monster. You have killed people who follow my god and now destroyed a temple.

Two things, I protested. One, that was hardly a temple, two, it was your spell that destroyed the temple, not mine.

Only after you desecrated the corpses of the long dead, she snapped.

You say desecrated, I say repurposed, to-may-to, to-mah-to. I snorted. Besides, didnt something strike you as strange about those priests? Since when do members of Olattee wear black robes?

They are members of a small sect of the church. Rhea glared at me for my flippant response. Many dont like them, though I try to keep an open mind. They walk a different path of purity than the rest.

Friar Brown said something about there being multiple paths, I said. He said I was walking my own path and that in its own way it could be pure as well, just different.

I cannot believe he let you get away! Maybe hes as blind as all the elders say he is. Rhea shook her head then looked around the room. There were broken bodies scattered on the floor, my spell had run out of power before it finished raising all of the available corpses.

I remained silent, letting her think. The last thing I wanted to do was fight. But I had grown to know Rhea in my time in Omark, she was fair, if hot-blooded at times. Something about this fight unnerved her, I could see it. I wondered if she had the same sense of wrongness that I got. It was too hard to try and explain what it meant that they were from another universe, even though the NPCs were very much awake now, that concept was still difficult.

She understood that Maxwell was a player, and that I was not quite the same as either her or Maxwell. This also is just not the place for a conversation that involved. Rhea let out a long sigh and glanced to tunnels.

Ill make you a deal. You send your horde in the one on the left, Ill send my troops down the one on the right. Then you, me, Max, and Tyler will go down the middle. You remember Tyler? Right?

I winced. Yeah. I doubt he is likely to forget me either.This chapter was first shared on the Ñøv€lß1n platform.

Oh no, he is most definitely not likely to ever forget you. Rhea glared at me. He told me what you did. You sacrificed him, and yet you claim not to be evil.

Hey, he killed my cat! And hes a player, its not like I could really sacrifice him, I protested, but part of me wondered if that statement was even true anymore. But I accept your offer.

Something about these looks familiar, I muttered, looking at a painting.

Theyre Rhea trailed off as she stopped and looked at it as well. This makes no sense.

What are they? I asked.

You would find similar things in a regular temple to Olattee, Rhea whispered.

No. Tyler squinted at the picture. You must be wrong. Because that would mean whatever those creatures were they were brought here by whoever inhabits this place.

Maxwell exchanged a knowing look with Tyler. No doubt Tyler also had some quest that mentioned the creatures from another universe.

Im afraid so. Rhea looked very concerned. I dont want that to be true anymore than you do, but theres something so wrong with this place.

The hallway led to a chamber with large stone doors covered in carved images. To the right and left, another hallway spread out, and I could sense my zombies, they were fighting something, but I couldnt tell what.

The carvings covering the door depicted holy men in robes supplicating themselves at some altar. I recognized the symbol for Olattee on the robes and staffs held by the men and women.

Well I guess that confirms it, I said. Whoever these black robed priests are they are both a part of Olattee and working with something that does not belong in this universe.

Tyler, ever true to his role-play, placed both his hands on the big stone doors and pushed them open from the middle of the arch. As the stone doors opened, a massive chamber was revealed on the other side. The chamber was divided into sections, and pillars rose into the air, supporting a stone roof far above. Sconces situated along the walls and pillars burned with white fire that lit the room in stark contrast. I could see what looked like deep trenches in the floor, separating each section of the room with stony bridges arching over the top.

We followed Tyler inside, and men in black robes stood waiting for us. Some held staves similar to Rheas, while others wielded shields and bladed weapons.

What are you doing? Rhea demanded. Consorting with such creatures as those. She gestured to the black-and-white forms standing farther back in the room.

We are serving the will of Olattee, silly priestess, the man wearing the most elaborate black robes emblazoned with platinum white threading in holy patterns of Olattee said. We are the side of Olattee that hides in the shadows and carries out his will. And his will is for us to reach across the Plains of Eternity to summon a being that will purge all impurity from this kingdom.

Man, I do love it when the villains explain everything upfront for us. I snorted, trying not to laugh. Even though you NPCs have woken up, you still have some of the funniest tropes.

I guess theres no more wondering, Maxwell joined in a flippant tone. Both Rhea and the high priest, or whatever he was, were stunned and looking at me in surprise. We found the bad guys, lets just kill them and get it over with.

I struck first. I didnt want a dialogue of Rhea trying to convince them theyre wrong, and them trying to convince her to join their side, and blah-blah-blah.

We would just end up fighting anyways, except that route wouldve taken another five or ten minutes. I was either going to die here, or somehow find a way to survive, and I just wanted to get it over with.