6.7
- Location
- Great Khanate of Scotland
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Midsommer's Day came bright and early. Iris blinked in the morning sun as she emerged from her tent, her head throbbing. She actually couldn't remember how they'd gotten back to the camp from the woods, but she'd woken up in her tent next to Alessa.
"Ugh," Alessa muttered, shielding her eyes as she emerged behind Iris, "Is it a sin to be hungover on the Lady's Day?"
Chiri was already mostly dressed. She finished pulling on her boots and handed a small flask to Alessa.
"Here, drink this, it'll help. Come on, Julia wants to see us."
"Already?" Alessa groaned.
"Today's the day," Julia announced as they joined her at the platform overlooking the workings, "I can feel it."
Iris glanced at Alessa. If Alessa had any thoughts about what had happened the night before, she wasn't sharing them. In fact, Alessa was acting so normal that Iris almost wondered if Alessa even remembered the events of the previous night. She felt like the three of them had taken an important step in…whatever complicated arrangement they had together, but there wasn't time to talk about it.
The workers had discovered what they believed to be the main entrance, filled in by rubble and earth, and had cleared it away, piling up the tailings in great heaps. Only one obstacle remained.
When the Sanctuary had been abandoned, its keepers had placed a great block of stone over the entrance. The pilgrims swarmed around it, fastening great chains around it and hooking them up to the crane. Iris watched as the operator threw a wrought iron lever, slowly releasing the counterweight. The counterweight went down, and the stone began to rise. It tore away from the entrance, revealing a stone passage like a dark, open mouth. The operator shouted a signal, and dozens of workers threw themselves at a windlass that turned the whole crane on its base, swinging the heavy stone away. The operator pushed the lever back, and the stone dropped to the ground as the counterweight swung back up.
Iris watched the whole process with interest, her mind following the sweep of machinery, admiring the grasp of physics involved and the work that must have gone into building the crane out of the materials here in the wilderness. Evidently there were guildsmen among Julia's followers, skilled workers who knew their business.
"We're in!" Julia said. The pilgrims all broke into wild cheers, throwing caps into the air and dancing and praying. Julia turned to Iris and her companions. "This is where you come in."
Alessa and the others had donned their armor and armed themselves, and Chiri was weighed down with her traveling alchemist's kit. Even Father Clovis was present, a holy symbol and a flask of water hanging from his belt and a small pocket book of prayers in his hand.
"We'll try and get an idea of the general layout of the Sanctuary. If something's in there, we'll find it pretty quick."
"Or it'll find us," Chiri added.
"Mhm. If the coast seems clear, we can send in more armed parties until we've mapped the whole complex," Alessa continued.
"Not so fast!" came Brother Ezekiel's voice. Chiri hissed, and Iris turned once more with her hand on her sword hilt to face the Purifier as he approached. "I demand to be permitted to join you!"
"Absolutely not," Iris said, baring her teeth.
"Iris," Alessa said, her tone laden with warning. She looked at the Purifier. "I'm sorry, Brother, but can we even trust you enough to accept your help?"
"You have need of me. I will be able to assist your priest when it comes time to resanctify the space."
"Father Clovis, is he right?"
"…he may have a point," Father Clovis admitted. Alessa hummed thoughtfully.
"I will come alone. Truly, I will be at your mercy."
Alessa pulled Iris in close.
"Iris, it's your decision," she whispered, "Technically this is your quest."
Iris felt her breath coming fast. She tried to slow down and think.
"He won't dare spill our blood on holy ground. He's not a threat, just an asshole," she decided. "Can we tell him to fuck off anyway?"
Alessa shrugged.
"We could, but I don't think Julia could physically stop him from bringing his men in after us."
"Fuck. Alright, we'll deal with him alone."
Iris would still try and keep herself between the Purifier and Chiri, but they could all handle a bit of aggression. She turned back to the minister.
"Okay, Brother, you're in. But Chiri is coming with us. If you can't stomach that, you aren't coming along."
Brother Ezekiel stared at the catgirl for a moment. Chiri shifted uncomfortably, her fur standing on end, but she didn't break eye contact. Brother Ezekiel was first to blink, looking back at Iris.
"I accept the presence of your companion. My concern is only for the sanctity of this place."
"You know, I even believe you," Iris said. She drew Fang. "Alright everyone, gear up, we're going in. Uh, may the Lady be with us."
***
It was Alessa, Iris, Chiri, Father Clovis, and Brother Ezekiel who went into the Sanctuary. The second they stepped across the threshold, Chiri sniffed.
"There's definitely something not right about this place," she said. Everyone turned to look at her.
"What do you sense?" Alessa asked. Chiri stuck out her tongue, tasting the air.
"Something's in there. Something…wrong. A monster, probably."
"What would dare corrupt a holy place of the Lady?" Brother Ezekiel asked, radiating suspicion and fear.
Alessa drew her sword.
"I guess we'll have to find out."
Alessa went first, the two priests behind her, with Iris and Chiri bringing up the rear.
The whole structure was carved into the living rock, winding passages that followed the natural contours of the stone. In places tree roots trailed from the ceiling, and the floor was flagged with paving stones. Every so often they passed rooms leading off to the left or right, or staircases leading down. They didn't diverge; their goal was to inspect every level of the Sanctuary, from top to bottom.
"This refuge was meant to house many people in secret," Father Clovis said, holding up a lightstone to show what was once a dormitory, alcoves for sleeping carved into the walls. "It would have held dormitories, larders, common areas, even workshops...people would have lived, given birth, and died here."
Every so often there were niches in the walls, perhaps for holding lamps or lightstones, others holding small statues of the Lady. At first their priests stopped to brush the dust off them, but there were so many. There were murals as well, some showing Charlotte Van de Graf being burned at the stake, others showing the Lady battling demons and evil gods.
"Iris, you've gotta check this out," Chiri whispered. She was holding up a lightstone, inspecting a carved stone surface.
It was a relief of the Lady of Light in all her glory, sitting on a throne. On one side was a wolf, on the other a giant black cat.
"You've gotta be fucking kidding me," Iris said.
"The Mistress of Animals," Father Clovis mused as he peered over her shoulder, "This is a very old depiction."
He smiled at Iris and turned to follow the others. Iris watched him go.
"Do you think Father Clovis suspects that I'm an Outworlder?" Iris asked Chiri, her voice a whisper.
"Alessa's parents probably told him," she replied, "But honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if everyone in Doncaster knows at this point."
"Oh."
At first, they found no sign of life; like the Temple of the Wolf-Goddess, the Sanctuary of the Forest of Dern had been abandoned for decades, and had been in disuse for much longer than that. There was only dust on the floor, and some moldering belongings left behind by the last inhabitants. The larders they found had thin films of grime from decayed food long turned to dust, and they didn't even see evidence of vermin.
"I would have expected rats, at least," Alessa said, frowning as she inspected the shelves.
"Maybe something's been eating them," Chiri replied.
They descended, and the feeling of unease grew stronger. Iris could smell it too now, a musty odor, one that seemed familiar somehow. It set her on edge.
They found a chamber full of bones stacked ceiling-high, rows of skulls, vertebra and femurs all arranged in columns. Iris thought it was deeply macabre, but Father Clovis bowed his head and read a passage from his prayer book, and Brother Ezekiel even joined him.
"Alright, new plan," Alessa said, "We're going straight to the fane. I want to find out what's causing this, so we'll start at the center."
At the bottom of a long, spiraling staircase they found the fane. It was dominated by a massive statue of the Lady of Light, tall enough to support the vaulted ceiling. There were huge tunnels branching off in every direction.
The smell was overpowering.
"It's not just magic," Alessa said, crinkling her nose, "That's a monster."
"What kind?" Iris asked. She didn't need to ask, for it soon appeared.
The first signal of its coming was a susurration of noise, like something heavy being dragged or scraped across the stone floor.
"Oh, no," Alessa said, bringing up her shield as she adopted a fighting stance.
"Wyrm!" Chiri said as a reptilian head appeared from one of the tunnels. It was wedge-shaped, with a blunt nose and huge, luminous eyes. Tongues darted out, tasting the air. The head was followed by a writhing, serpentine body as thick around as a person's waist, more and more of it coiling and uncoiling as it spilled into the chamber, pushed along by stubby legs. It bunched up against one side of the room, staring at the intruders.
"I welcome thee, guests," it said, its voice wet and smooth, "I pray thou shalt tarry awhile yet."
When it opened its mouth, it revealed rows of retractable, needlelike teeth and a cluster of writhing tongues. How it spoke Common from that throat, Iris couldn't say.
"Foul wyrm! You desecrate the Sanctuary of the Lady!" Brother Ezekiel roared, drawing his sword and stepping forward.
"No, don't!" Chiri screamed. The wyrm reared back and laughed, a terrible leathery sound.
"Yes, listen to her. My very blood is poison – spill it, and thou shalt poison the ground here for a century. I deem thou shalt not risk it, holy man."
Brother Ezekiel paused, sword held high, hesitating – and that was enough. The wyrm struck, sinking its fangs into his leg. He screamed in pain and fell back, sword slipping from his hands as he tried to staunch the bleeding. The wyrm turned to face Alessa, who strode forward.
"Try me, wyrm. You will only break your teeth against my steel."
The wyrm paused, and it writhed and coiled. They were at an impasse; Alessa could not strike the wyrm, and it could not bite her.
"Oh, brave knight," it said cooly, relaxing as it realized Alessa would not attack, "Thy companion shalt die soon, for my poison is already in his veins. Why dost thou persist?"
"It is not for his sake, but the Lady's, that I stand before you," Alessa said firmly.
"Ah, yes. Thou art so noble, my lady knight. Tell me, is it thy parent's pride thou seekest, or the love of a fair maiden?"
With the wyrm distracted, the rest of the party leapt into action.
"Help me," Father Clovis said as he rushed forward. He grabbed Brother Ezekiel's cassock and dragged him backwards into a nearby tunnel. Chiri, remarkably, joined him, dropping her alchemist kit at the minister's side and opening it. Iris, Fang in hand, stood over them. Brother Ezekiel's face was pale and slick with sweat, and his cassock was torn. Blood soaked it and glistened red on his ragged thigh, along with oozing green pus, and a noxious smell arose from it.
"Wyrm poison," Chiri muttered, "Great. I'll need an antidote before I can dress that wound, better hope it didn't tear an artery."
Chiri started packing herbs into a mortar and pestle and muddled them. She put another wad of herbs in her mouth and chewed them before spitting them into the mixture as well. A sprinkle of some powder completed the mixture, which went into a wide-mouth beaker.
Father Clovis leaned over the minister, his prayer book open.
"Brother Ezekiel, do you desire absolution for your sins in this life?" he asked. Brother Ezekiel muttered something incoherent.
"Father, may I use your holy water?" Chiri cut in, "In this place its healing properties will be multiplied."
"Of course," Father Clovis said, taking the heavy flask from his belt and handing it to her.
"Will that even work?" Iris asked. Chiri ignored her.
"I need a bandage," she continued. Without hesitation, Father Clovis tore the sleeve from his cassock and handed it to Chiri.
"Will this do?"
As Chiri began to apply the compress, Iris was only fixated on Father Clovis' arm – and the scars there. Thin, white scars, all along the length of his arm.
Brother Ezekiel noticed too, his eyes focusing through the fever.
"You're…a Flagellant…"
"I was, long ago," Father Clovis said, "Before coming to the True Church."
"Stop talking before I sedate you," Chiri hissed.
Iris looked back at the wyrm. It was creeping forward, stretching out its coils. Iris realized that it was trying to get in between Alessa and the rest of the party, either to attack them or to corner Alessa – it couldn't bite her, but Iris guessed that it could at least ensnare her in its coils.
She narrowed her eyes. How do you kill a creature without spilling its blood?
"Chiri, you got this?" Iris said, "I'm gonna help Alessa."
"You got an idea of how to beat that thing?"
Iris nodded.
"Then go ahead, love. Father, I want you to put pressure on this and, I don't know, pray."
Iris strode out into the fane, sword in hand. The wyrm turned, whipping its head around to face her. Its body was flat against the ground, ready to strike. Its many tongues flickered out and tasted the air.
"There you are, girl! Hmm, I thought there was a strange scent about thee. Outworlder, I deem thee."
Iris was shocked. She suddenly felt exposed, afraid. She saw herself reflected in the luminous yellow eye of the monster, in the black void of its slitted pupil. She checked her step – but only for a moment. She moved within striking distance.
"Iris, do you have a plan?" Alessa asked.
"Yep. Follow my lead," Iris said through gritted teeth as she brought her sword up. The wyrm laughed at her.
"So, thou wilt try thy hand at dragonslaying? Perhaps save thy lady love?"
Iris punched it in the eye.
The wyrm shrieked, a noise more animal than human, and reared back.
"Vermin! Arrogant flith! Thou shalt die slowly for that!"
"Run!" Iris screamed as she sprinted for the stairs that led back to the surface. Alessa followed her, reaching the stairs at about the same time as Iris. Iris looked back only once, to see the wyrm crawling after them. The eye that she had struck was bloodshot and weeping pus.
"Vile…weak…" the wyrm's voice rasped.
Iris shuddered in fear as she and Alessa started up the stairs. She was actually afraid, and she realized now that without the Wolf-Goddess she had to rely on her own strength and will – and she wasn't sure how much of those she had. She ran, boots pounding on the stone steps, driven more by fear. The wyrm wasn't fast, except over short distances, and it slithered up the steps behind them at a distance, the rest of the party completely forgotten in its rage.
They reached a landing, and Alessa leaned against the wall to catch her breath.
"What do we do…when we reach the surface…?" Alessa asked between gasps for air.
"Get to the crane. We'll-"
She stopped as the wyrm slithered into the passage behind them, its body following.
"So, you run and abandon thy comrades? Coward! Turn and face me, rather than hiding, or do you fear death?"
Iris gritted her teeth and turned, raising her sword, but Alessa put a hand against her chest to check her.
"Its words are magic, they play on your emotions," Alessa said, "Don't do what it wants."
Iris reluctantly put up her sword and ran. She tried to remember the way back to the surface, up those stairs and then to the right and then up again here...
She turned to see if the wyrm was still following them. It was, at a leisurely pace.
"Shall I tell thee secrets, girl? Thou art not aware what the Mother of Serpents has in store for thee."
Its voice was calm, now, smooth as silk. Iris realized that Alessa was right, she couldn't ignore the wyrm's taunts, if anything she couldn't stop herself from thinking about them. How could the wyrm know about that? She shook her head to try and clear her mind.
"Creature of lies," she spat, racing up the final flight of stairs to the surface.
Alessa had gone ahead of her and was shouting orders to the assembled pilgrims.
"Everyone get away! Clear the entrance, now!" she barked. She was a noble, and the pilgrims were conditioned to listen to her. They scattered, even Bors and the Purifier men who had been lingering at the surface to serve as a rearguard. Alessa vaulted onto the crane, looking over its controls. Iris could only hope that Alessa had guessed her plan.
Iris turned, looking around. The chains still dangled from the crane's arm, hanging loose and trailing across the dirt in front of the entrance. She picked up a length of chain by the hooked anchor fastened to the end, and faced the wyrm as it came slithering into the daylight.
She didn't have her Wolf-Goddess to give her strength. She only had herself, but she knew she couldn't run. If she didn't stop this monster, it would probably kill a lot of innocent people, and even if her friends took it down then its blood would poison this place for generations.
Really, she had no choice but to face it.
"I'm right here, bitch," she spat as she raced forward. The wyrm lunged, and Iris dropped under its striking head – she had a sudden, absurd memory of playing baseball as a kid, sliding into home. She dragged the rattling chain behind her, under the arch of its neck, and she leapt up. The wyrm reared back, and Iris threw herself across its body, grabbing the length of chain she had dragged behind her, fastening the hook to it to make a loop around the wyrm's neck.
"What-?" the wyrm started to say, but Iris tugged hard, choking it.
"Alessa, now!" she screamed.
The wyrm started to thrash and wriggle, and it probably would have thrown Iris off, or crushed her under its writhing bulk, but Alessa threw the lever, dropping the counterweight. The chains rattled as they were drawn upwards far faster than they were meant to, taking the wyrm – and Iris – with it. Iris yelled as she was yanked into the air, clinging tightly to the chains, her legs locked tight around the wyrm's body.
The wyrm was suspended twenty or more feet about the ground, its tail lashing as it dangled there by its neck. Its stubby legs scraped at the air uselessly, its eyes bulging. Its jaw was open, retractable teeth working back and forth and tongues writhing as it tried and failed to breathe. After a while, its movements grew feeble, and it went limp, its eyes glazing over.
Iris had watched it die, fascinated, unable to look away. She was clutching the chains so tightly it hurt, her knuckles white as the metal links dug into her skin, and her heart was pounding. In fact, she started to realize that her whole body was trembling. She forced herself to relax her grip, and carefully took stock. She was unharmed. There was Alessa, standing at the controls, her visor pushed back as she grinned at Iris.
Iris heard the cheering. The whole camp had seen her, and from the noise it was like they'd just witnessed a genuine miracle.
She glanced up. It was, in fact, high noon.
"Ugh," Alessa muttered, shielding her eyes as she emerged behind Iris, "Is it a sin to be hungover on the Lady's Day?"
Chiri was already mostly dressed. She finished pulling on her boots and handed a small flask to Alessa.
"Here, drink this, it'll help. Come on, Julia wants to see us."
"Already?" Alessa groaned.
"Today's the day," Julia announced as they joined her at the platform overlooking the workings, "I can feel it."
Iris glanced at Alessa. If Alessa had any thoughts about what had happened the night before, she wasn't sharing them. In fact, Alessa was acting so normal that Iris almost wondered if Alessa even remembered the events of the previous night. She felt like the three of them had taken an important step in…whatever complicated arrangement they had together, but there wasn't time to talk about it.
The workers had discovered what they believed to be the main entrance, filled in by rubble and earth, and had cleared it away, piling up the tailings in great heaps. Only one obstacle remained.
When the Sanctuary had been abandoned, its keepers had placed a great block of stone over the entrance. The pilgrims swarmed around it, fastening great chains around it and hooking them up to the crane. Iris watched as the operator threw a wrought iron lever, slowly releasing the counterweight. The counterweight went down, and the stone began to rise. It tore away from the entrance, revealing a stone passage like a dark, open mouth. The operator shouted a signal, and dozens of workers threw themselves at a windlass that turned the whole crane on its base, swinging the heavy stone away. The operator pushed the lever back, and the stone dropped to the ground as the counterweight swung back up.
Iris watched the whole process with interest, her mind following the sweep of machinery, admiring the grasp of physics involved and the work that must have gone into building the crane out of the materials here in the wilderness. Evidently there were guildsmen among Julia's followers, skilled workers who knew their business.
"We're in!" Julia said. The pilgrims all broke into wild cheers, throwing caps into the air and dancing and praying. Julia turned to Iris and her companions. "This is where you come in."
Alessa and the others had donned their armor and armed themselves, and Chiri was weighed down with her traveling alchemist's kit. Even Father Clovis was present, a holy symbol and a flask of water hanging from his belt and a small pocket book of prayers in his hand.
"We'll try and get an idea of the general layout of the Sanctuary. If something's in there, we'll find it pretty quick."
"Or it'll find us," Chiri added.
"Mhm. If the coast seems clear, we can send in more armed parties until we've mapped the whole complex," Alessa continued.
"Not so fast!" came Brother Ezekiel's voice. Chiri hissed, and Iris turned once more with her hand on her sword hilt to face the Purifier as he approached. "I demand to be permitted to join you!"
"Absolutely not," Iris said, baring her teeth.
"Iris," Alessa said, her tone laden with warning. She looked at the Purifier. "I'm sorry, Brother, but can we even trust you enough to accept your help?"
"You have need of me. I will be able to assist your priest when it comes time to resanctify the space."
"Father Clovis, is he right?"
"…he may have a point," Father Clovis admitted. Alessa hummed thoughtfully.
"I will come alone. Truly, I will be at your mercy."
Alessa pulled Iris in close.
"Iris, it's your decision," she whispered, "Technically this is your quest."
Iris felt her breath coming fast. She tried to slow down and think.
"He won't dare spill our blood on holy ground. He's not a threat, just an asshole," she decided. "Can we tell him to fuck off anyway?"
Alessa shrugged.
"We could, but I don't think Julia could physically stop him from bringing his men in after us."
"Fuck. Alright, we'll deal with him alone."
Iris would still try and keep herself between the Purifier and Chiri, but they could all handle a bit of aggression. She turned back to the minister.
"Okay, Brother, you're in. But Chiri is coming with us. If you can't stomach that, you aren't coming along."
Brother Ezekiel stared at the catgirl for a moment. Chiri shifted uncomfortably, her fur standing on end, but she didn't break eye contact. Brother Ezekiel was first to blink, looking back at Iris.
"I accept the presence of your companion. My concern is only for the sanctity of this place."
"You know, I even believe you," Iris said. She drew Fang. "Alright everyone, gear up, we're going in. Uh, may the Lady be with us."
***
It was Alessa, Iris, Chiri, Father Clovis, and Brother Ezekiel who went into the Sanctuary. The second they stepped across the threshold, Chiri sniffed.
"There's definitely something not right about this place," she said. Everyone turned to look at her.
"What do you sense?" Alessa asked. Chiri stuck out her tongue, tasting the air.
"Something's in there. Something…wrong. A monster, probably."
"What would dare corrupt a holy place of the Lady?" Brother Ezekiel asked, radiating suspicion and fear.
Alessa drew her sword.
"I guess we'll have to find out."
Alessa went first, the two priests behind her, with Iris and Chiri bringing up the rear.
The whole structure was carved into the living rock, winding passages that followed the natural contours of the stone. In places tree roots trailed from the ceiling, and the floor was flagged with paving stones. Every so often they passed rooms leading off to the left or right, or staircases leading down. They didn't diverge; their goal was to inspect every level of the Sanctuary, from top to bottom.
"This refuge was meant to house many people in secret," Father Clovis said, holding up a lightstone to show what was once a dormitory, alcoves for sleeping carved into the walls. "It would have held dormitories, larders, common areas, even workshops...people would have lived, given birth, and died here."
Every so often there were niches in the walls, perhaps for holding lamps or lightstones, others holding small statues of the Lady. At first their priests stopped to brush the dust off them, but there were so many. There were murals as well, some showing Charlotte Van de Graf being burned at the stake, others showing the Lady battling demons and evil gods.
"Iris, you've gotta check this out," Chiri whispered. She was holding up a lightstone, inspecting a carved stone surface.
It was a relief of the Lady of Light in all her glory, sitting on a throne. On one side was a wolf, on the other a giant black cat.
"You've gotta be fucking kidding me," Iris said.
"The Mistress of Animals," Father Clovis mused as he peered over her shoulder, "This is a very old depiction."
He smiled at Iris and turned to follow the others. Iris watched him go.
"Do you think Father Clovis suspects that I'm an Outworlder?" Iris asked Chiri, her voice a whisper.
"Alessa's parents probably told him," she replied, "But honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if everyone in Doncaster knows at this point."
"Oh."
At first, they found no sign of life; like the Temple of the Wolf-Goddess, the Sanctuary of the Forest of Dern had been abandoned for decades, and had been in disuse for much longer than that. There was only dust on the floor, and some moldering belongings left behind by the last inhabitants. The larders they found had thin films of grime from decayed food long turned to dust, and they didn't even see evidence of vermin.
"I would have expected rats, at least," Alessa said, frowning as she inspected the shelves.
"Maybe something's been eating them," Chiri replied.
They descended, and the feeling of unease grew stronger. Iris could smell it too now, a musty odor, one that seemed familiar somehow. It set her on edge.
They found a chamber full of bones stacked ceiling-high, rows of skulls, vertebra and femurs all arranged in columns. Iris thought it was deeply macabre, but Father Clovis bowed his head and read a passage from his prayer book, and Brother Ezekiel even joined him.
"Alright, new plan," Alessa said, "We're going straight to the fane. I want to find out what's causing this, so we'll start at the center."
At the bottom of a long, spiraling staircase they found the fane. It was dominated by a massive statue of the Lady of Light, tall enough to support the vaulted ceiling. There were huge tunnels branching off in every direction.
The smell was overpowering.
"It's not just magic," Alessa said, crinkling her nose, "That's a monster."
"What kind?" Iris asked. She didn't need to ask, for it soon appeared.
The first signal of its coming was a susurration of noise, like something heavy being dragged or scraped across the stone floor.
"Oh, no," Alessa said, bringing up her shield as she adopted a fighting stance.
"Wyrm!" Chiri said as a reptilian head appeared from one of the tunnels. It was wedge-shaped, with a blunt nose and huge, luminous eyes. Tongues darted out, tasting the air. The head was followed by a writhing, serpentine body as thick around as a person's waist, more and more of it coiling and uncoiling as it spilled into the chamber, pushed along by stubby legs. It bunched up against one side of the room, staring at the intruders.
"I welcome thee, guests," it said, its voice wet and smooth, "I pray thou shalt tarry awhile yet."
When it opened its mouth, it revealed rows of retractable, needlelike teeth and a cluster of writhing tongues. How it spoke Common from that throat, Iris couldn't say.
"Foul wyrm! You desecrate the Sanctuary of the Lady!" Brother Ezekiel roared, drawing his sword and stepping forward.
"No, don't!" Chiri screamed. The wyrm reared back and laughed, a terrible leathery sound.
"Yes, listen to her. My very blood is poison – spill it, and thou shalt poison the ground here for a century. I deem thou shalt not risk it, holy man."
Brother Ezekiel paused, sword held high, hesitating – and that was enough. The wyrm struck, sinking its fangs into his leg. He screamed in pain and fell back, sword slipping from his hands as he tried to staunch the bleeding. The wyrm turned to face Alessa, who strode forward.
"Try me, wyrm. You will only break your teeth against my steel."
The wyrm paused, and it writhed and coiled. They were at an impasse; Alessa could not strike the wyrm, and it could not bite her.
"Oh, brave knight," it said cooly, relaxing as it realized Alessa would not attack, "Thy companion shalt die soon, for my poison is already in his veins. Why dost thou persist?"
"It is not for his sake, but the Lady's, that I stand before you," Alessa said firmly.
"Ah, yes. Thou art so noble, my lady knight. Tell me, is it thy parent's pride thou seekest, or the love of a fair maiden?"
With the wyrm distracted, the rest of the party leapt into action.
"Help me," Father Clovis said as he rushed forward. He grabbed Brother Ezekiel's cassock and dragged him backwards into a nearby tunnel. Chiri, remarkably, joined him, dropping her alchemist kit at the minister's side and opening it. Iris, Fang in hand, stood over them. Brother Ezekiel's face was pale and slick with sweat, and his cassock was torn. Blood soaked it and glistened red on his ragged thigh, along with oozing green pus, and a noxious smell arose from it.
"Wyrm poison," Chiri muttered, "Great. I'll need an antidote before I can dress that wound, better hope it didn't tear an artery."
Chiri started packing herbs into a mortar and pestle and muddled them. She put another wad of herbs in her mouth and chewed them before spitting them into the mixture as well. A sprinkle of some powder completed the mixture, which went into a wide-mouth beaker.
Father Clovis leaned over the minister, his prayer book open.
"Brother Ezekiel, do you desire absolution for your sins in this life?" he asked. Brother Ezekiel muttered something incoherent.
"Father, may I use your holy water?" Chiri cut in, "In this place its healing properties will be multiplied."
"Of course," Father Clovis said, taking the heavy flask from his belt and handing it to her.
"Will that even work?" Iris asked. Chiri ignored her.
"I need a bandage," she continued. Without hesitation, Father Clovis tore the sleeve from his cassock and handed it to Chiri.
"Will this do?"
As Chiri began to apply the compress, Iris was only fixated on Father Clovis' arm – and the scars there. Thin, white scars, all along the length of his arm.
Brother Ezekiel noticed too, his eyes focusing through the fever.
"You're…a Flagellant…"
"I was, long ago," Father Clovis said, "Before coming to the True Church."
"Stop talking before I sedate you," Chiri hissed.
Iris looked back at the wyrm. It was creeping forward, stretching out its coils. Iris realized that it was trying to get in between Alessa and the rest of the party, either to attack them or to corner Alessa – it couldn't bite her, but Iris guessed that it could at least ensnare her in its coils.
She narrowed her eyes. How do you kill a creature without spilling its blood?
"Chiri, you got this?" Iris said, "I'm gonna help Alessa."
"You got an idea of how to beat that thing?"
Iris nodded.
"Then go ahead, love. Father, I want you to put pressure on this and, I don't know, pray."
Iris strode out into the fane, sword in hand. The wyrm turned, whipping its head around to face her. Its body was flat against the ground, ready to strike. Its many tongues flickered out and tasted the air.
"There you are, girl! Hmm, I thought there was a strange scent about thee. Outworlder, I deem thee."
Iris was shocked. She suddenly felt exposed, afraid. She saw herself reflected in the luminous yellow eye of the monster, in the black void of its slitted pupil. She checked her step – but only for a moment. She moved within striking distance.
"Iris, do you have a plan?" Alessa asked.
"Yep. Follow my lead," Iris said through gritted teeth as she brought her sword up. The wyrm laughed at her.
"So, thou wilt try thy hand at dragonslaying? Perhaps save thy lady love?"
Iris punched it in the eye.
The wyrm shrieked, a noise more animal than human, and reared back.
"Vermin! Arrogant flith! Thou shalt die slowly for that!"
"Run!" Iris screamed as she sprinted for the stairs that led back to the surface. Alessa followed her, reaching the stairs at about the same time as Iris. Iris looked back only once, to see the wyrm crawling after them. The eye that she had struck was bloodshot and weeping pus.
"Vile…weak…" the wyrm's voice rasped.
Iris shuddered in fear as she and Alessa started up the stairs. She was actually afraid, and she realized now that without the Wolf-Goddess she had to rely on her own strength and will – and she wasn't sure how much of those she had. She ran, boots pounding on the stone steps, driven more by fear. The wyrm wasn't fast, except over short distances, and it slithered up the steps behind them at a distance, the rest of the party completely forgotten in its rage.
They reached a landing, and Alessa leaned against the wall to catch her breath.
"What do we do…when we reach the surface…?" Alessa asked between gasps for air.
"Get to the crane. We'll-"
She stopped as the wyrm slithered into the passage behind them, its body following.
"So, you run and abandon thy comrades? Coward! Turn and face me, rather than hiding, or do you fear death?"
Iris gritted her teeth and turned, raising her sword, but Alessa put a hand against her chest to check her.
"Its words are magic, they play on your emotions," Alessa said, "Don't do what it wants."
Iris reluctantly put up her sword and ran. She tried to remember the way back to the surface, up those stairs and then to the right and then up again here...
She turned to see if the wyrm was still following them. It was, at a leisurely pace.
"Shall I tell thee secrets, girl? Thou art not aware what the Mother of Serpents has in store for thee."
Its voice was calm, now, smooth as silk. Iris realized that Alessa was right, she couldn't ignore the wyrm's taunts, if anything she couldn't stop herself from thinking about them. How could the wyrm know about that? She shook her head to try and clear her mind.
"Creature of lies," she spat, racing up the final flight of stairs to the surface.
Alessa had gone ahead of her and was shouting orders to the assembled pilgrims.
"Everyone get away! Clear the entrance, now!" she barked. She was a noble, and the pilgrims were conditioned to listen to her. They scattered, even Bors and the Purifier men who had been lingering at the surface to serve as a rearguard. Alessa vaulted onto the crane, looking over its controls. Iris could only hope that Alessa had guessed her plan.
Iris turned, looking around. The chains still dangled from the crane's arm, hanging loose and trailing across the dirt in front of the entrance. She picked up a length of chain by the hooked anchor fastened to the end, and faced the wyrm as it came slithering into the daylight.
She didn't have her Wolf-Goddess to give her strength. She only had herself, but she knew she couldn't run. If she didn't stop this monster, it would probably kill a lot of innocent people, and even if her friends took it down then its blood would poison this place for generations.
Really, she had no choice but to face it.
"I'm right here, bitch," she spat as she raced forward. The wyrm lunged, and Iris dropped under its striking head – she had a sudden, absurd memory of playing baseball as a kid, sliding into home. She dragged the rattling chain behind her, under the arch of its neck, and she leapt up. The wyrm reared back, and Iris threw herself across its body, grabbing the length of chain she had dragged behind her, fastening the hook to it to make a loop around the wyrm's neck.
"What-?" the wyrm started to say, but Iris tugged hard, choking it.
"Alessa, now!" she screamed.
The wyrm started to thrash and wriggle, and it probably would have thrown Iris off, or crushed her under its writhing bulk, but Alessa threw the lever, dropping the counterweight. The chains rattled as they were drawn upwards far faster than they were meant to, taking the wyrm – and Iris – with it. Iris yelled as she was yanked into the air, clinging tightly to the chains, her legs locked tight around the wyrm's body.
The wyrm was suspended twenty or more feet about the ground, its tail lashing as it dangled there by its neck. Its stubby legs scraped at the air uselessly, its eyes bulging. Its jaw was open, retractable teeth working back and forth and tongues writhing as it tried and failed to breathe. After a while, its movements grew feeble, and it went limp, its eyes glazing over.
Iris had watched it die, fascinated, unable to look away. She was clutching the chains so tightly it hurt, her knuckles white as the metal links dug into her skin, and her heart was pounding. In fact, she started to realize that her whole body was trembling. She forced herself to relax her grip, and carefully took stock. She was unharmed. There was Alessa, standing at the controls, her visor pushed back as she grinned at Iris.
Iris heard the cheering. The whole camp had seen her, and from the noise it was like they'd just witnessed a genuine miracle.
She glanced up. It was, in fact, high noon.
