Greegan helped Kage climb up onto the altar next to the wyvern statue. Behind it, carved into the wall, was a giant masked head with flames lighting the great holes forming its eyes. Here the smoke was the thickest, and Greegan nearly passed out.

“Whoa, don’t go now. You have to help me lift the lid. Now, on the count of three….”

As Kage counted, they breathed in deeply, taking more smoke, and then tried to lift as hard as they could. The heavy stone lid inched up ever so slowly. Their faces turned a deep red as Kage slowly walked over to the side, taking the lid off. Sweat pouring down his head, Greegan’s hand slipped and lid feel with a sound so great, that even the natives who were being routed in battle looked up to see their god being assaulted. All of them shouted out “Grinora!!!”, and began to charge back towards the altar. Everett and Stalfor took the advantage to stab the adversaries in the back as they charged at Kage and Greegan like madmen. Denier ran to the edge of the temple and casting he spell, he levitated off the floor to a walkway on the temple’s second level. Viper and Billard cut down three or four of them as they ran past, but the crowd became too thick, and both of them fell under weight. The natives stepped on them and kicked them as they ran past them, but it was clear that they were no longer the prime targets.

Kage looked down into the stone ark to see a dark slimy compound that Kage couldn’t identify.

The smoke that they inhaled began to take hold of his senses, and he began to shake in fear at the enraged crowd charging the altar, totally forgetting about the ark. He grabbed Kage, “Kage, they’re all coming at us… what the hell do we do?!?”

Kage laughed. “It’s just shit. The pearl is crap and they worship it….”

“Kage!!!”

Kage looked up and then motioned Greegan to fall back. As the natives began climbing up the side of the altar, Kage cut down on their hands. Some climbed onto the shoulders of their kin and tried to throw them up onto the altar, but Kage would stab them to death before they could get up. As Kage was severing many fingers on the altar, the other six companions charged into their ranks and stabbed them in the back. Few turned around to defend themselves, so intent on the care of the ark.

On the far side of the altar, five of the native warriors had finally been able to get up on top without being seen. Greegan called for Kage as they attacked him, five on one. Kage kicked a native in the face and then ran to help Greegan, who was now fleeing down the altar from the five men. He came to the very edge of the altar, and deciding to take his stand in the corner until Kage could get to him, he threw his back to wall, and fell backwards. A secret door opened into a room hidden behind the altar. The five men ran into the secret room and Greegan kept retreating, down a hall, and into the room directly behind the giant stone mask. Two cauldrons of burning wood were in here to light the mask’s eyeballs, and Greegan grabbed one of them and threw it into the face of the first native chasing him, burning him in the face. The second native, still in full charge, crashed into the first, and then into Greegan, pinning them both. Meanwhile, behind him, Kage could be heard trading sword blows with one of the other five warriors. Greegan punched the man on top of him. As the second man got off of them, Greegan grabbed the spear of the man with the burnt face off and threw him aside. The second native was about to attack when Greegan kicked the man’s feet out from under him and then pulled the native down on the spear, disemboweling him. Guts poured all over Greegan’s leather armor.

The native’s sword sliced into Kage’s hand, taking two of the knight’s fingers off. Kage cried out in pain, dropping his sword as he grabbed his hand. Another native took his mace, and slammed it into the side of Kage’s head. Kage hit the side of the wall, splattering it with blood. Kage couldn’t believe it. He knew he was better fighter than that native, but at one slip, he would never fight with his good hand again.

“Ahhh….. you orc FUCKER!”, growled Kage in outrage. Was it the smoke that had clouded his mind? Was it the will of some spirit or god thinking it ironic because of all the fingers he had just cut off just a few seconds earlier? How could he have moved his hand left instead of right? Kage had always known that the true warrior lived in the moment, that one second could cost him his life, but now that he was facing that reality so close to his ultimate goal, he couldn’t accept it.