A nightmare behind the treasures

Sometimes, when you were a child and your mother was not busy with one of her regulars, she would let you sit with her on her bed and tell you tales of far away places and times from long, long ago. In one of these, the hero, a thief not much older than you were at the time, was taken by a great wizard to a cave of wonders filled with treasures. Precious metals, gleaming gem stones, tapestries woven of silk and gold threads and caskets filled with perfumes, spices and incense filled shelves as deep as a man's arm could reach and three times higher lined the walls of that legendary cave. This vault must be the closest thing to that fairytale as could ever exist in the real world. There seemed to be enough gold and silver alone in this place to buy all of Athenapolis, and that did not even count the jewels that sparkled like colored stars in the darkness. Mixed in among the beautiful works of art, are items that spoke to your warrior's heart. A rack of polished spears stand next to several suits of gleaming armor and a display holding a silver-lined gladius that begged to be in your hand.

Cassia and Adriana seem as overwhelmed as you. The three of you stand in the hall surveying the treasures of the great Temple until Edlynn urges you forward. Even though the priestess is your captive and you hold the chain wrapped around her long smooth neck, she does not seem at all intimidated by you. Her eyes are focused to the dark end of the hall where the light from your lanterns catches the slightest movement in the black stillness.

"What is that?" You can feel the fear radiating from the blonde priestess as she tugs impatiently on the chain in your hand; you draw your sword swiftly. Is this a trap after all? The foul stench of the hall threatens to overwhelm your senses, now that you no longer entranced by the accumulated wealth of the Temple of Athena, you cannot ignore the unmistakable odor of ****.

"You don't need that sword, Captain of Helios." Edlynn's voice is calm, but you can sense her dread as the four of you slowly make your way through the vault of treasures. The source of the rank smell becomes clear as you get closer you make out a pale bloated figure swinging in a slow circle from a chain. "You see," the cleric gestures gracefully at the grotesque display. "The enemy we face cannot be defeated by **** of arms." The corpse of a naked woman dangles chained by one ankle from a ring in the ceiling over a black circular slab rising from the floor. Cuts in the woman's wrists face and breasts explain the dark puddle of congealed blood that covers the polished disk and even more has run of the sides in streaks onto the white marble floor. This young woman must have slowly bled out nearly every drop of her blood as she hung there dying.

"It's Muirielle." Whispers Cassiopeia. It is a wonder the girl is able to recognize her companion with the amount of damage and bloating, but Edlynn nods in agreement. As the hanging corpse continues its slow turn you see that her otherwise unblemished white thighs have streaks of blood that could not have come from the cuts in her face, torso or wrists. Edlynn stops a pace from the hanging carcass her hand covering her mouth and nose partially muffles her words but in the stillness of the deep chamber, you can still here the pain in her voice.

"What have you done, Althea?" Using a white rag that must have been poor Muirielle's tunic, the slender priestess wipes away the globs of congealed blood examining the pitted marks on the smooth stone that show the effects of the drops of blood like water eating away at a limestone block. "I don't know if I can save the wards, Captain." Even without Cassiopeia's gasp of alarm, you can sense the importance of the wards.

The Priestess looks up at you from her knees. "Once this gate has been opened, Captain, the demons of the under-city will no longer be bound by the goddess's power." She places a warm hand on your arm almost in supplication and you cannot help but note the softness of her skin, "The monsters trapped under this city will once again be free to feast upon the flesh and souls of both the city's lawful inhabitants and soldiers like you who think this doomed city is yours by right of conquest." For no reason other than the urgency in her voice find you believe her absolutely at some point, you cannot even remember when you have released your end of the chain wrapped around her neck and it now swings gently between her breasts ending not far from the tuft of blonde hair that covers the prize between her untouched thighs. Like the others, you are more concerned with saving the city than anything else at the moment.

"We can fall back, your Holiness." Looking around with a tactical mind you eye the massive door to the Temple's treasure room. That great door could surely hold back even the most horrific of monsters. "We'll seal the door to the vault and give them the treasures. It's better than giving up the whole city."