Strena The Dark Gods Part Six

 The Goddess Of Sacrifice 

They arrived in the next village. They had spent a good week on the road, taking out the dark gods and that last goddess, Bash, Chashathrophogh and Cerpheres could sense that Dark Lord Gajellidor Darcrogh was still on the continent.

“Wonder what’s taking them so long?”

“Maybe they’re having a hard time?”

Chashathrophogh narrowed his eyes.

“Well it is hard to find a coral the size of a sphinx’s brain that grows naturally.”

They all spotted a temple ahead of them. It seemed that that was where they were going, even though it would take three hours to get in there. Yet they noticed that there was no one in the village.

“This is the fifth empty village that we have come across.”

“And all have shown signs of aging.”

That was when Leonardo started painting the temple and then squinted.

“What is it?” Strena asked.

“Oh, I see it!”

“What is it?”

“That temple.” He said, pointing to it with his brush. “It is new.”

“Oh.”

“Which means that there should be a mass sacrifice.”

“Well, that does explain a lot! Especially if that is made of black glass and black coral.” Chashathrophogh spoke as he looked at it while pulling on his stubble.

“How come?”

“A black temple made of black glass and black coral that takes three hours to climb to the entrance is a temple of Sacralia. And to activate the temple for her, her worshippers must sacrifice no less than one hundred people each.”

“What! But we have to stop her!”

“One hour, remember?”

“But-”

Chashathrophogh let out a huff.

“Fine, we go in that direction. Check it out and beat the goddess and get out.”

“Right.”

“And nothing flashy!”

They all ran as fast as they could, to decrease the time it would take from one hour to half if that. In the next, what would have taken them three hours, due to their running, turned out to take an hour and a half. Yet they could sense the entire time that the black glass and black coral had been magically fused.

That was when a group of them saw them. Soon their hands grabbed them and pushed them to the front. The next they felt another set of hands separate Strena and Chashathrophogh from the rest of the group. The next thing they knew was that they were being dragged out another set of stairs. She looked at him for help, but he gave her a look that told her to just go with it. She looked down as age but her lip and glanced to Cerpheres, Bash and Leonardo, who were being shoved in a cage.

Why? Why are we being separated from them? Why is it just us?

The next moment she was looking at a screaming woman as her heart was pulled out of her chest and cut it off from the body and, as she died, it was given to a large woman. She looked like she was made from a dark shade of gold and clothed in bronze. With hair that looked like it was made from silver. Her eyes were large and bright pink. She looked at the heart with delight as she ate it!

At this Strena screamed. Kitsuné Ryu flooded her mind with laughter, making her jump.

“What? Can’t you handle that?”

No!

“Maybe that’s the next thing I will make you do!”

Please! No!

That was when she noticed that Sacralia smiling at them.

“Ahh, good! You brought them!”

“What! Why?”

That was when she felt her blades fall.

“Well, I must confiscate those nasty weapons.”

“No! What? Why us?”

“Place the girl on the table.”

“Don’t touch her!” He snapped as he stepped on the man’s foot the next moment he pulled out his sacrificial blade and slit his throat and the man’s head rolled. The next one charged at him and he soon cut the head off that one. He spotted the head priest raise his blade to Strena’s neck. Quickly he dived at him and whacked the tip down, causing the blade to flick down. He pulled Strena away from him. He kicked his stomach and slit his face in half.

“Ohhh! Don’t forget that Conra!”

That was when more came.

“Please know Prince Chashathrophogh, I am doing you a mercy. After all, you should want to die, while you still can!”

He rolled his eyes as he dived at one group and beheaded five to the right. Then rammed in the blade to the left and spun and beheaded the ones behind him. Then kicked off the last.

He then charged at her and stabbed the ankle on Sacralia. At this she fell and he laughed as he jumped her back and raced to the back and stabbed down.

The next thing he landed on the floor as her blood flowed from the top of the temple and out of the entrance and down the stairs.

Then he dropped the blade and walked to Strena.

“Took you long enough!”

“Shut it, Kitsuné Ryu!” He snapped as he uncuffed her.

“Fine!” He moaned as he changed. Soon Strena was back in control.

“Thank you.”

He pulled her in and hugged her tightly.

“Don’t mention it, kid!”

Soon they heard screams beneath them. He pulled back with a smile.

“Must have figured out she’s dead.”

“Yes.”

She got off and looked down at the crowd.

“What did you think she meant?”

He shrugged.

“Who knows?”