| Chapter Five: The Ruined Temple By Richard LeBlanc After taking a slower - more secretive route the three Setites infiltrated deeper into their former domain. As they probed deeper in from the shadows they watched as armed patrolling parties rushed through the corridors. "They mean business," Catrina remarked. "So do we," Calloway retorted sternly. "Hey! I've seen that look in your eye before hero. I thought we were here to liberate Snake - if he is still here," Corwin reminded. Calloway closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "We are," he admitted. "Once we find him - are we making like the Alamo - or are we making for friendlier domain?" he asked seriously. "I haven't decided yet," he admitted. "Ah fuck - you are trying to get us killed," Corwin muttered as he looked at some of the modified shotguns he had liberated from the would be hunters. "You think we stand a chance here?" he asked seriously. "The wall has been shattered - there are invaders all over the place - potential traitors in the tunnels - yeah. I think we do," Calloway replied calmly. Corwin scowled at him for putting it that way. "Every now and so often I forget why I hate you," he rebutted. "How close are we to the temple?" Calloway asked changing the subject. "Well - if we make a break for it - not long a couple of hours - depending if there is a welcoming committee - traps - and or alarms - but you get the general idea," Catrina answered. "I hate the both of you," Corwin muttered shaking his head. He took out the sword Calloway had given him and handed it to Catrina. "If the fighting gets close - I may need that," he began as he armed a shotgun. "Otherwise - this is my new best friend," he added with a smile. "You any good with a gun?" Calloway asked. The dancer smiled as she slung the shotgun - armed it and rested the barrel on her shoulder. "Never actually learned how to play with one of these before. Ooo - my first time," she teased. Calloway quietly laughed and shook his head. "Like anyone would," he began as he tensed up. He looked over and saw Luther walking about. "The wards are down as well. These bows weren't fucking around," Calloway muttered. "How can you tell?" Catrina asked. "I love - what they did with the place," Luther began with a quiet chuckle as he looked up at the roof. "There is a cosmic wheel turning here - oh yes there is," he continued as he walked over to where the gathering was. "He is haunted by the ghost of a past mistake," Corwin remarked. "Haunted?" Catrina repeated. "I resent that mistake remark," Luther piped in. "You going to be able to stay focused hero? I heard that specters, wraiths and other playful spirits can be - distracting - and not in a good way," Corwin seriously asked. "Failure is not an option. Let's go," he replied coldly as he walked through the ghost. Corwin and Catrina looked at each other and then followed their ally. After a few long minutes - close to an hour to be more precise - Calloway stopped dead in his tracks. The others stopped a few paces behind him - and even the ghost turned a little pale at the site that was before them all. The temple - the place where all of them had gathered - talked about missions - celebrated and mourned - was in smoking desecrated ruins. The walls that had once been lined with shining gold - had been shattered. All of the statues - paintings - religious markings - defaced or destroyed. On the temple floor - the charred bodies of thousands of charred snakes and bodies of defenders that had tried to hold the enemies at bay. "Fuck," Corwin muttered - his weapon lowered. "It is worse than I remembered. We should not have returned," Catrina muttered looking away. Calloway - as if in a trance stepped forward and began to slowly make his way down the stairs. He stepped over the bodies of shot up invaders and looked around the place he had known as his home for years. In his mind he could hear the screams of the defenders as they fought to keep the intruders back. He could hear the screams as flames and heat unlike anything he had ever felt washed the place. "You still with us hero?" Corwin hesitantly asked as he and Catrina hesitantly followed him into the ruined temple. Calloway shook his head and looked over at the entrance they had passed through. There were burn marks on the wall where the hinges to the massive iron door once were. "Can you hear us?" Catrina hesitantly asked. "All of this - everything is like the dreams - how can this be?" Calloway muttered as he walked over to where a destroyed statue was and sat down. "This was no invasion - this - this is," he continued but he could find no word to describe such an unholy act. "I have had fantasies about such things happening," Luther began. "Shut your filthy fucking mouth!" Calloway screamed at the ghost. "In the temple!" a distant voice carried through the tunnels. "Oh dear - the ghost set him off," Catrina muttered. "And he made enough noise to wake the dead," Corwin added as he made sure his gun was ready. "Give me the sword," Calloway hissed. Catrina blinked hesitantly. Corwin motioned for her to do as he said. They watched as Calloway held the sword in one hand and a dagger in the other. "The wall may have fallen - but so long as I stand - none shall pass," he hissed. It was clear to the two allies that he was gone. No longer could he distinguish the difference between the real and imagined. "Ideas?" Catrina whispered - half-afraid that Calloway might attack them. "Intruders are coming! We have to stop them at all costs! Go Calloway! We have your back!" Corwin suggested. Calloway growled as his skin churned to scales. They then watched as their ally - in full rage-induced frenzy pounced. Two started hunters freaked out when the saw the humanoid serpent in mid-air hovering before them. Before they could reach - his blade arched at them beheading them. "There is one over here! A viper by the way he is fighting!" a voice relayed. "The boy knows how to start a party. You watch my back - I'll watch his," Corwin suggested as he hurried over and laid down on the stairs. There he watched as his ally and peer savagely cut down anything that dared stand in his presence. Calloway could feel the impact from some shots that hit him - but in the frame of mind he was in - he felt no pain. Nothing was going to stop him from achieving his goal - slaying anything that had any hand in the unholy desecration. "How is he doing?" Catrina asked - keeping her eyes peeled for potential threats that might try to catch them off guard. "The boy is sucking in impact. He isn't feeling it now - but he will when he gets the beats back in its box," Corwin replied. It was then that Calloway leaped over to where the remaining cluster of intruders were. He watched as Calloway moved around like a veteran dancer and then stopped. Nothing around him moved - and then - all of them collapsed. "Okay - wow," he added. "I only regret," Calloway spat as he lifted up the body of one of the intruders. "Is that Set will only grant me the strength and means to kill you bastards once!" he hissed as he slammed the corpse into the wall. "You with us hero?" Corwin called out - still holding the gun ready - just in case Calloway forgot which side he was on. Calloway closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. "I will take that as a yes," he added. Calloway smiled as he staggered over and leaned against the wall. "That was probably one of the dumbest things I ever did," Calloway strained through gritted teeth. Corwin shouldered his gun as he walked over and helped his ally stand. "Tell me when I am supposed to argue," he mocked. "You two stay here - I'll scout ahead to see if anyone tried to snake around and catch our backside," Catrina offered as she made her way across the temple floor. As she did - Calloway looked over. Something - felt terribly wrong. "Trap," he muttered. "What?" Corwin asked. "Catrina," Calloway began - but the warning came too late. The dancer looked back at him as her foot stepped on a concealed mine. Corwin knocked Calloway to the ground as an explosion shook the temple. "What a fucking," Corwin muttered to himself. "We have to make these mother fuckers pay," he added - trying his best to remain in control - to not let the beats within rule him. Calloway slowly got up and looked to the fire that was raging in the temple. In the center of the blaze - he could see where Catrina had fallen and watched as her body was slowly reduced to ash. "They want to play games," he muttered as he walked over and stood close to the raging inferno. "I will play their game," he said coldly as Corwin walked over and stood beside him. "Everyone of these heretics - every one of these wretched bastards that was here - or was remotely responsible for this - will pray - that Set takes them - before I do," he growled as he made his way around the flames and exited through the other damaged archway. Corwin looked to the inferno - lowered his eyes and then hurried to catch up with Calloway. To Be Continued... |