The Secret King

The Final Sacrafice

Xenophus struggled mightily to release himself from his stony prison. The monster's body began to ooze a jelly-like substance from between the thick soft scales which covered its body in an effort to lubricate itself enough to squeeze its goliath-like frame from the deep channel in which it was trapped.

The slime coated the floor of the cavern flowing along the gentle incline until it reached the edge of precipice covered by the sheet of water cascading down to the sea where it mingled with the falling liquid. The Ürgod undulated its body and managed to exit its tomb significantly further.

Azmeritus stood in front of it unafraid, pointing skyward and yelling to his erstwhile child in a manic voice.
"Above you, O Xenophus! Above you the shield awaits! Nourish yourself!"

The monster paused in its struggling as if understanding the priest's pleas. It raised its head once more through the opening in the courtyard and stretched its glistening body upward to the limit of its reach. Still a hundred feet short of the mystic shield, the creature thrust its tentacles skyward and froze its form, looking like an exotic tower, rigid and alien.

At first it appeared that the monster was well short of the glowing barrier.  The various beasts in the courtyard watched in shock, backing away from the opening and staring slack-jawed at the seemingly petrified colossus rising in their midst.

Then something amazing happened. The extended tentacles began to throb and pulsate, making repulsive slurping sounds. The barrier above the tentacles began to dip down and move until, like water above an open drain, it circled and seemed to flow into the extended pseudopod-like tubes.

As Xenophus began to absorb the shield, he also began to grow in height as well as girth. Down below in the sacrificial cavern, the creature's body began to strain against the constricting stone which trapped it. The sound of shattering and crumbling rock filled the space. Another large tremor rumbled under the castle and the walls of the cave began to flake off onto the ground.

Time seemed almost to stand still as the Ürgod ingested the last of the mystic barrier. Azmeritus was by this time cackling like a madbeast, while Bishop Skaar, Prester Jauba, and the remaining Brotherhood troops in the cave watched on in disbelief.

Suddenly, two things happened almost simultaneously. First an alert was sounded from the opposite side of the curtain of water announcing that the Deev were approaching across the ledge and were about to enter the cave. Azmeritus said nothing, continuing to stare at the Ürgod in adoration. He motioned to Bishop Skaar, who nodded and directed the Brotherhood archers to face the waterfall. At the same time that the Deev passed under the waterfall, the wall behind which Willum and Otto had been trying to watch the ongoing drama, collapsed as result of the violent tremors.

The pirate and the otter stood stock still, almost embarrassed at being discovered. The greater surprise was that no one in the cave seemed to pay them any mind, with the exception of Azmeritus who smiled at them with an insane light shining in his eyes. The High Priest nodded at them in an almost welcoming way.

The remainder of the monks, including Jauba and Skaar, had their backs to Willum and Otto and were fully focused on the corps of Deev, led by Vasheron, who had just entered the cave. Xenophus still stretched upward like a statue, momentarily sated with the magical barrier it had just consumed.

With his Deev in a line behind him, Vasheron strode boldly up to Azmeritus, dismissive of the line of archers, arrows drawn, facing his Minge. He stopped a few feet short of the mongoose, looked up at Xenophus, smiled and addressed the priest.
"I see you have let your pet out for some fresh air. It is a shame you will never see it wandering around the world." Vasheron motioned to his warriors, "We are here to end you, necromancer, but fear not, I will take good care of your Brotherhood when I take over."