Titus ran his armor clad finger along the iron door before him. He leaned in and studied the etched symbols that he didn’t recognize.
“What do you think.” a voice came from behind.
Titus turned and looked at the small crowd gathered there, seven men in all.
“Can’t say much.”
“You…feel anything?” asked Grimold, the man who had addressed Titus first.
Titus shook his head “It’d be better to go in.”
The crowd all looked at one another and then back to Titus.
“You sure about that?” asked Grimold.
Titus nodded “It’s the only way to know for sure.”
“You…you want us to come with you?”
Titus nodded one time.
The crowd shuffled forward uneasily behind him. Titus grabbed the circular handle on the door and pulled. The door creaked open slowly. He opened it enough to slip through then went in.
Inside light shone from windows high in the cathedral illuminating the main area below. Above the ground floor ran a second and third story leading to rooms that lined the outer walls. A raised platform sat at the other end of the first floor with a great mural of gold, silver, and pearl behind it. Titus heard the others crowd in behind him.
“No one’s been in here since…well since the darkness came.” said Grimold.
“What makes you think it came from here?” asked Titus walking down the center aisle.
“Where else? After what happened at the water ceremony, it had to have been here.”
Titus looked back at the men slowly creeping through the church, their weapons shaking in their hands.
“It’s been over a year hasn’t it?” asked Titus.
“About a year and a week, why?”
“You still think the darkness resides here?”
“Such darkness does not leave within a year sir.” replied Grimold.
Titus nodded and turned back around facing towards the mural. He walked down the aisle and started up the raised platform to study the work above.
“Sir the water is on the right.” said Grimold.
Titus stopped and looked. There was a basin big enough to hold two grown men carved out of the stone. He walked over to it and looked down. There black water sat filling the basin halfway.
“This is where the water ceremony took place?”
“Yes.”
Titus nodded and continued towards the mural.
“You think it was a demon sir?”
Titus shrugged “Can’t say yet.”
Titus looked back up at the mural that stretched up before him. He heard the men whispering behind him. The mural depicted many different beasts, some Titus recognized from throughout his travels, others were unlike any he’d ever seen.
“The village has given this place a wide berth since…everything happened?” asked Titus.
“Of course, we wanted someone from the capital to check it out before going in ourselves.”
“Hmm.” Titus turned back towards the men and stepped down into the aisle “I don’t-“
A quick screech echoed down from above. The men gasped and slammed together their weapons flying this way and that.
“Calm down, we’ll see what this is about.” said Titus “Grimold where are the stairs?”
“The stairs?”
“That’s what I said.”
“Right this way.” Grimold looked at Titus as if he had two heads.
Grimold led him back towards the entrance and then to a door off to the right “Two stairways sir, one on either side of the entrance both lead up to the second level. The stairs going to third are at the other end of the floor above us.”
“Good to know.” said Titus opening the door and finding the stairs.
“You still want us with you?” asked Grimold.
Titus sighed “Do as you wish.”
Titus started up the stairs and soon heard feet scurrying up behind him. They led to another door that opened up onto an exposed hallway that ran the length of the cathedral. Doors pocketed the side and there was another hallway that ran to his right to the other side that was a mirror image of the hall before him.
“Think the sound came from this floor or the next?” asked Titus.
“Not sure sir.” replied Grimold.
Titus started forward looking at the doors that lined the wall to his left. The doors were made of metal and each had a carving of either figures in robes or more of the fantastical beasts that Titus had seen in the mural below.
Stopping halfway down the hall Titus peered down at the floor below. He looked over at the water in the basin which seemed to be moving as if someone had just gotten out of it.
“Hmm.” said Titus resuming his walk.
“What is it?” asked Grimold panic in his voice.
“Nothing much.” replied Titus stopping in front of the next door.
He looked the door up and down. Something was different about this one. The metal of the door was a red color and it has a golden dragon etched into the middle. The dragon reared back and had flames forking out of its mouth pointing upwards. Titus took a few steps towards the door.
He reached out and placed a hand on the handle, slowly pushing it forward. The door swung inwards revealing a small room. It had red carpet and the walls had a wallpaper of red interlaced with golden designs going up to the ceiling. In one corner was an ornately designed chair next a desk and towards the center a bed, a thick canopy falling down over it.
Titus stepped into the room and studied the floor. It seemed to be immaculately clean. He heard a shuffle coming from the bed and slowly drew his sword as he approached. He stretched out his other hand and pinched the canopy covering the bed. He threw the curtain aside and raised his sword peering in.
There on the bed, on sheets of red and gold, was the skeleton of a woman dressed in white with a veil over her head. Titus turned towards Grimold and waved him over.
“A bride to be?” asked Titus.
Grimold studied the figure keeping one hand over his mouth “Wouldn’t think so, not staying here sir.”
“A nun?”
“I don’t know, a guest of the church maybe.”
“Hmm.” Titus let the curtain fall covering the figure once more “Come let’s explore the rest of the cathedral.”
The men followed Titus out back into the hallway, he once again looked down at the floor below sheathing his sword as he did so.
“What are you looking for?” asked Grimold.
Titus didn’t answer. He continued staring down and then started back for the stairs leading up, at the other side of the hallway. He looked at each door as he passed but none caught his interest. He reached the stairs and started up.
Halfway up the stairs he heard a slam and then a scream coming from above them. He rushed out onto the third floor and looked down the hallway. At the end of it was a door swinging slowly open. Titus drew his sword and started forward.
“What was that scream? No one should be here.” said Grimold.
“You’re asking me?” asked Titus.
Titus paced down the hallway and lowered his shoulder smashing into the door throwing it open. He held his sword out in front of him prepared to deal with whatever pounced. But nothing was there. He sheathed his sword again as he took in the room.
This one had green carpeting with silver designs laced through it with wallpaper that matched. Against the wall to the right of the door was another skeleton laying against it. Behind the skeleton was a great blackened circle as if a ball of flame had been thrown at the man charring the surface behind him. But the man himself still had his clothing intact. White robes and a pointed golden hat.
“Who’s this?” asked Titus pointing.
“Looks like the head priest sir.” said Grimold.
“Was no one surprised when he went missing?”
“He’s been gone for some time. Left before anything happened to the cathedral here.”
“What do you think happened to him?”
“Don’t know sir, your guess is as good as mine.”
“I doubt it.” said Titus walking forward and crouching down by the remains.
“What about the scream sir, surely it didn’t come from up here.”
“Who knows. This is a strange place.” said Titus.
He stood back up and started back towards the door. He started out the hallway and froze. Standing in the doorway to the stairs leading down was a white figure that seemed to be floating in the air.
“Study the walls, I think there might be something there.” said Titus pointing behind him.
The men walked forward and began looking at the walls searching for what Titus had seen. Titus himself walked forward and noiselessly closed the door a bit behind him, making his way towards the figure. It didn’t move. Titus raised a hand but got no response from the thing.
As Titus got closer the figure turned and began going back down the stairs. Titus started running to keep up with it.
“Titus!” called Grimold.
“Stay, I thought I saw something.” replied Titus.
The figure disappeared down the stairs and Titus followed after it. He caught the end of its tattered robes billowing below as he entered the staircase. He bolted down the stairs and came out on the second level, there the figure waited staring at him.
Titus placed a hand on his sword but then thought better of it. He approached the figure and waved again but got no response.
“What are you?” asked Titus.
The figure turned and went back to the room with the red and gold, disappearing through the doorway. Titus rushed to the door and opened it. The figure was there looking down on the skeletal corpse on the bed. Titus walked over beside it and looked down.
“That’s you isn’t it?” asked Titus.
The figure didn’t respond but kept looking down at the corpse.
“Hmm.” Titus got closer to the corpse inspecting it.
Suddenly the figure next to him started wavering, he looked over at it and saw a panicked expression on its face. It started pacing back and forth through the room.
“Titus! Titus!” screamed Grimold from above.
Titus sighed and walked out onto the exposed hallway “What is it?”
“Look! At the basin below!”
Titus looked down and saw that the black liquid was bubbling and spilling over the sides of the basin.
“Get down here.” said Titus.
The liquid continued to flow over the basin and began spilling out onto the floor puddling.
“Basin should be empty by now.” said Titus to himself.
“What do we do? What do we do?”
Grimold and the others came racing down the hall towards Titus.
Titus shrugged “Go down and see what it is.”
Grimold’s eyes looked like they would bulge out of his head “Do what?”
“Whether we must flee or fight, it’ll be best done from down there.”
Grimold nodded uncertainly, he looked over the edge at the bubbling mass below.
“Don’t look at that. Now come, follow me.”
Titus led them back down the stairs and out onto the main floor. The bubbling mass was now coagulating back together on the floor as a shape was beginning to rise. Immediately three of the men bolted for the door and ran away screaming. Titus looked back at the others who were shaking and looking between the thing and Titus.
“Stay a few steps behind me.” said Titus as he advanced.
“Gladly.” replied Grimold falling in behind.
As Titus approached he heard a whimper and then the clapping of feet on the stone floor as another man raced away to the door. The black liquid had coagulated into a goo of sorts and was rising before the men. Titus drew his sword and lowered it towards the rising goo as he approached.
The goo stopped rising and started to take form before them turning into a clay like substance in the shape of a deformed man. The creature had the face of a man etched into the black clay and a giant hump on its back where four appendages stretched out of it into the air.
Its belly was distended and a large tail like growth fell out behind it, the legs resembling a normal mans. The creature turned its head causing the men to jump back.
“Can you speak fiend?” asked Titus.
A hand, still forming in the clay, was stretched forward and a voice groaned out of the creature. It took a labored step forward still staring at the men, a forlorn expression on its face.
“I recognize that face.” said Grimold.
“You do? Who is it?”
“It’s Reginold, he was the head priest’s assistant.”
“Was? What happened?”
“He had a woman he loved that the head priest said he couldn’t see. He was to be banned from the order if he didn’t give her up.”
“Hmm.” Titus stared into the creature’s eyes as it took another step forward. “Reginold…Reginold are you in there?”
The creature froze, as if remembering something.
Now Grimold spoke “Reginold, you remember me? It’s Grimold, I guarded the Duke’s mansion. We used to talk when you’d come with the head priest.”
The creature stood motionless for a few seconds and then a darkness crossed its face. With another groan it started forward gathering up speed. Titus stepped back followed by the others.
“Give it space, who knows what it’ll do.” said Titus.
The creature ran past the men and towards the door.
“Should we stop it?” asked Grimold.
Titus raced forward and got in front of the creature brandishing his blade “Hold on, where are you going?”
The creature turned back and raced towards one of the men. It rapidly picked up speed and crashed into the man as he turned to run. The clay formed around him and his short scream was cut off. It seemed as if the man shrunk as his limbs and body was pulled into the clay.
“What just happened?” asked Grimold “Did it eat him?”
“Careful, we don’t know.” said Titus.
The creature whirled and raced after Grimold. Grimold gave a shriek dropping his sword and turned bolting towards the door. He burst out into the deserted town screaming. The creature paused a few steps from the door and whirled now going after Titus.
Titus side stepped and sliced across the creature’s gut as it went flying by. The clay like substance drooped where Titus’ blade had cut it but the creature seemed unharmed. Again the creature charged. Titus side stepped and cut off one of the creature’s ankles. The creature tumbled and fell, much of the clay flattening against the ground as it did.
Titus was upon it in a second. He sent the blade through the back of the creature’s skull pulled it back and then sliced across the creature’s neck, sending the head rolling down the floor of the cathedral.
Titus walked off to the side of the creature catching his breath. The mass of clay sat on the floor not moving. He started for the door when he heard the sound of something sucking off the ground. He turned to see the clay like form rising again. A ball like stub replacing the severed foot and another unformed ball replacing the head.
The creature took a few stumbling steps towards Titus and then found its stride. Titus raced by it and up the stairs leading up to the mural. The creature followed after. Titus turned as the creature went by cutting across its leg. The creature spun and came at him again. Titus walked up a few more stairs and again side stepped slashing the creature across its back sending it slapping against the stairs.
Titus raced to the top of the stairs and heard the creature behind him, he turned just in time to dodge one of the appendages from its back snaking out at him. He leapt as the appendage shot by. Gaining to his feet Titus ran for the pews as the creature ran to the front of the door waiting for Titus to make another try for it. Titus crept around to the basin the creature had come from and looked over.
There was still some of the liquid at the bottom of the basin, and something was standing out in it. Titus climbed up and put his hand down in the basin while the creature studied him. Biting his lip he stuck a finger in the liquid and quickly retracted it. The liquid fell off and did nothing. Emboldened Titus reached down and felt for the thing that was sticking out of the black goop still at the bottom.
Out came a heart of a man dripping in the black liquid. Titus held the heart aloft and walked back out to the center of the cathedral. He held up the heart towards the creature. The head had reformed as had the foot that had been cut off.
“This yours?” asked Titus holding his sword point towards the heart.
The creature didn’t move.
“If I strike through this will that slay you?” asked Titus.
Still the creature didn’t respond.
“Fine, I’ll set it aside.” Titus went to put the heart down on a nearby pew.
As he set it down the creature screeched and charged forward the four appendages above its head snaking out towards Titus. With a cry Titus drove the sword through the heart. A shriek pierced through the cathedral as the clay form fell apart in front of Titus’ eyes. The appendages turned into liquid that splashed against Titus’ armor and the floor about him.
Titus shook it off with a shudder. He looked down at the black liquid that was spreading across the floor. Searching in a pouch around his waist he found some powder and sprinkled it on the tip of his sword. After doing so he took flint and a steel bit he had and rained down sparks on the tip. The powder caught and a flame gleamed from the end of the sword.
Walking around the liquid towards the exit to the cathedral, Titus placed the flaming sword down to the fluid, it caught and spread rapidly. Titus jumped back as the heat seared his face. Stepping a few more paces back he watched as the last of the form was burnt up, smoking high into the cathedral.
Satisfied he turn and left.
