The F***ing Pub (Panakananana and boyo111)

Raul sat with Faerie and Shannon as he watched Osmodeus walk away, something about her tugged at his heart strings. As if she was caught in a tragedy not of her own devising, forced to play out a role over and over with no conclusion. Even thought she was a spiritual being, he was attracted to her, he knew it and even among the three beautiful women where it would be a hard choice for any man his eye had turned to her and never left. Smiling a good bye to her watched her go and then turned his attention to Faerie and Shannon.

Shannon got up and hugged him, her body pressing against him in a suggestive manner, that caught him slightly off guard. She brought her face up close to him saying good-bye and leaving to the inn with Osmodeus, Faerie looked at him as if nothing had passed between him and Shannon, it might not have and only been in his imagination. Swallowing hard he wondered what he had gotten himself into, though being able to stay with three gorgeous women was not a bad thing.

Faerie and he finished their drinks then went back to the inn, as they stepped into the courtyard she pulled a sword and swung towards him good naturedly. Raul was able to pull the sword out and defend himself, Faerie was strong and the swing almost caught him off guard. As they struck blades, no malice at all in the swings, she began to go faster and faster, he was breathing hard and having trouble keeping up. Then Faerie was a blur around him, his sword hung in the air while she struck it from all sides, her body barely more than a shadow as he just stood breathing hard and trying to keep the blade from falling. When she stopped he noticed she was barely winded, but smiled at him and nodded, leading him into the inn.

Within the inn they roomed together, he took the least comfortable bed, to let them have some comfort and to give up something as he could. Faerie had shown herself to be a better fighter, Osmodeus was a magical creature, he wondered what Shannon could do. The high point was as they took off most of their clothes for sleep, Osmodeus stripped naked before catching herself, getting a good look at her body; Raul liked what he saw. The image replaying in his dreams as they slept. In the morning they ate and walked off towards the swamp to see a necromancer, something Raul normally would avoid, but not in this company.

In the middle of the night, Raul turns over to find that Shannon had, very quietly and unknowingly, crept her way into Raul's bed. She was completely naked and asleep on her side, in a way that showed off her young, 15 year old curves. Her legs were barely covered and that was it. Being so used to sleeping naked in the company of the group, next to Lilith of all people, Shannon casually, while half asleep, grabbed your hand and draped your arm over her, with complete access to her C sized breasts. For most of that night Raul was very uneasy, but from what he'd seen so far, this was normal to the group. Raul would try his best to fit in.
In the morning, at the swamp, Osmodeus knocks on the door of the shack that is the necromancer's home. The shack is familiar only to Osmodeus, the rest of the group had not been there for the first visit. The old, short, necromancer answers the door and opens his arms to get a hug from his over 100 year long friend. "Back again I see, and with a new group. That succubus isn't around is she, she almost killed me last time. I'd never seen a succubus before, only read about them, and I want it to stay that way. Well you know the fee".
Osmodeus responds "My home was torn apart by the Zerkist gang and I haven't got much money, could we work out something else maybe". The necromancer eyes each of the group members up and down, stopping at Shannon "I'll take that fancy hammer there. Oh and the rift that teleports you can only sustain up to two people".
Raul steps in front of Shannon and looks down 9 inches to her face. He puts his hands on her sides and tries hard to keep his thoughts where they should be "I know what how you won that hammer, I was in the bleachers of that arena and I witnessed. I acknowledge your sacrifice in giving it up, when this is over, I'll buy you a better one".
"So make the choice" says the necromancer. The others look to Raul and Shannon.

Raul follows along as they make their way to the Necromancer, along the way Osmodeus tells him about the previous time that she had been here. The portal to a land that changed, where pig demons and the undead abounded. To gain the sword there would be trials, he should be careful, the land itself would rise up in some places against them. Raul nods carefully as they walk together, all too conscious of the women around him, especially after finding Shannon naked in his bed over night. Where she placed his hand around her, he was used to women, spending nights with them, but alone, not as a group where he expected a relationship with any one of them to get messy with the others. Raul knew he would have to watch himself, but went along with what they did, not pushing anything, for all he knew the brave warrior he had seen with her hammer, just did not like to sleep alone and it was him last night.

The Necromancer's home smelled like a necromancer, the enticing, sweet smell of herbs and elixirs mingled with the stench of decaying flesh. The others were calm as they entered the shack, he stood in the middle of them, as Osmodeus the leader of the group talked to the Necromancer who demanded a payment. Shannon's hammer, which she did not seem pleased about. Asking her himself, as if hoping to convince her including a promise to get her another from a weapon smith somewhere, knowing what she went through to win it in the contest. She smiled happily, as if not caring and shrugging handed it over. The three women looked to him and he thought about it for a moment. He knew how fast Faerie could be with the sword after their practice, Shannon he had seen fight for the hammer, only Osmodeus he had not seen fight, he sensed power there, but was unsure how she was in a fight.

"Osmodeus, why don't we go?" He holds his hand out to her.

Osmodeus had stayed silent in order to let Raul make the choice for himself, but she is very relieved and thankful that she is chosen. She loved Shannon and Faerie as her close friends, but she did not trust the moronic Shannon to do anything in this situation but to get herself and Raul killed, even with instruction. As for Faerie, Osmodeus knew full well that it was the entities inside of her that made her into the evil sorceress that she was for so long, but after all the pain that Faerie's body had caused Osmodeus, she could not bring herself to fully trust the woman who had been her worst enemy for so long.
"Alright, I'm ready". With the necromancer appeased, Osmodeus holds Raul's hand as they enter the other plane. This would be Raul's first trip of this sort, Osmodeus, however, could not even remember how many times she had been here.
Raul and Osmodeus enter into a thicket of dead trees, and just on the outside are two flying pig demons, as if wating for them. These demons signify that Raoul knows what they are up to. The flying pig demons look much different than before, about 3 meters in proportional hieght with much larger horns and an oddly muscular physique for the extensive gut. The whole area is covered in fog and lit to a point where it is difficult to see more than a few yards away. "Hidden in a tomb here is the Holy sword I mentioned, you'll need that, among some other things, but the Holy sword is the goal. If I should fall here do not try to save me, just complete what we are here for. Here we go again" Osmodeus says, as she lunges toward one of them holding the Vampire blade straight out, aiming for it's chest. The pig demon sees her and catches her blade, pulling it and her into it's horn, the horn pierces her shoulder and then she is tossed down into a valley of darkness with a seemingly painful wrench of the demon's neck.

Raul felt a slight rush as Osmodeus took his hand and led him through the portal and into the land of shadow. Fog surrounded them, there were sounds in the distance, echoes of something. Roars that rose and faded like an evil tide, moans of nightmare that faded with the fog around them. As she told him what to look for he watched the demon take her sword and swiftly impale her on its horn, Raul screamed as he thrust his sword into the pig. It turned its head to look down on him and with an odd squeal-roar it reached towards him. A back swing of the sword and its hand fell at his feet, the other arm caught him in the stomach, the plate in his armor took the blow but he was pushed back.

Desperately he wanted to find her, see if she was ok, but she had told him to seek the sword. If he did that and she was hurt beyond recovery he could not rest comfortably, the pig lurched for him, the hand reforming already on its stump, he turned and sliced the wing off. Stepping on the back and leading it down as they slipped over the edge and down into the valley, the demon screaming in its odd, roar squeal as they hit the ground below. It's head crunching as they struck the ground, he leaped off at the last minute, crouching on the wall as the demon's body crumpled. Sticking his word in its heart heard a gurgling sound as the body lay still for a moment, on the ground he saw a white leg, start against the shattered, dark ground. Stepping over to her saw the wound on her shoulder.

"It means nothing if I lose you here you know," he bent down and tried to help her up, "now which way do we go?" He emphasized the word we so she knew, there was no way he was going to leave her here. They were in this together, and nothing was going to change that for him.

Osmodeus stands up straight and pops her neck, sporting her typical spiked bra, armored panties, and the spiked shoulder pad that she procured on the last quest in the hopes of preventing an injury like this one from happening again. The shoulder pad did little good as the wound was on her other shoulder. Osmodeus bends down to pick up her Vampire sword using her one working arm, and then looks to Raul with a cold stare. She says sternly "next time listen" her tone softens as she continues "thank you though, but from here on out know that this quest is much bigger than you or me, at all costs stick to the plan". She points her blade North to answer your question.
As Osmodeus leads the way down a familiar path, she leads them to a familiar rickety bridge that is the only connection to the large patch of land with the tomb on it. Remembering back, Raoul had broken the bridge by accident during their last visit. Osmodeus stops, trying to think up any options they might have.
Lilith walks out of the darkness and agrees to help you both across for the sword, for her own reasons. "Raoul may have liked you more, Osmodeus, but unlike you, I will stay loyal to him, and I will be the one to save him, though it may go against what you are trying to do. I'll need the Holy sword, but I can't touch it. So get it and hold onto it for me". As she finishes carrying you both across one by one, she grabs hold of Raul's prick, massages it and wishes you both luck, then disappears back into the darkness.

As Raul stares at the winged demon who flew them over the chasm, she looked like a succubus and the fact she spent some time rubbing his hard-on before disappearing made him think so. Looking at Osmodeus with his mouth opened, she gently closed it with her hand, then with a smile slapped him and wagged her finger at him. Suggesting he forget the demon. Coughing as he followed her from behind, admiring the way the armored panties hugged her ass, that with her height placed it squarely into his field of vision.

"I believe, from what you told me before, that your plan did not work last time, so how about we try things slightly different this time." He suggested smoothly, trying to get back to his earlier point. Osmodeus turned to give him a stare, he put his hands up in supplication, "all I am saying is you followed this plan of yours before and it got you where? Back here. I've done things the same way myself many times, trying to get a different result at the end and its maddening. What I am suggesting is while you have a plan you want to follow, allow me to slightly deviate when I think its necessary, in order to accomplish your plan. You have much more knowledge about what we are doing and I will follow that, but there are times when in my soul I may think that another approach might succeed. Just allow me that option without trying to bash my head in is all," then he drew his sword as something around them moaned. "I know I just met you, but I would rather looked forward to make more Fucking Bastards at the pub with you, than just the one we had already." Smiling, he blew her a kiss as the ground suddenly opened up before them.

On the hill that rose above them was a graveyard, and at the top was a tomb, the ground around the tomb moved as if it was churning or bubbling. When he saw the first desiccated arm appear above the ground he grabbed her hand and ran, pulling Osmodeus with him as he ran up the hill towards the tomb. Using his sword to slice through the limbs and heads that rose up from the ground before them. The moaning and the churning rose to a higher pitch as they dashed between the grave markers and fallen stones, he was worried she would be stuck out here, with whatever was trying to rise from the ground. Raul did not want her sacrificing herself again, as she seemed to want to do, for his sake or for her quest. He wanted her at the end of it, whole and in one piece if possible.

Osmodeus stumbles along, being led by your hand, coming to a stop she drops her sword to the ground and drops to her knees, not out of pain but simply to compose herself. She exhales a long breath, then waits a moment before responding. "I suppose that even if I were to say no, I couldn't exactly control your actions anyway. I'll just say that there is a reason why things have been done the way they have, one that is beyond your understanding. There's no way that I could make you understand unless you died first, but whatever you decide becomes fate too, so I cannot tell you what to do, you need to decide on your own. However, chasing after the provocative succubus Lilith, is something that I would advise against, only because I know her, she is trouble. If that is the only thing on your mind, well, I'm here too".
As a group of zombies latch onto Osmodeus while she is on her knees, she is able to rise up and break from their grip even with her useless shoulder. She grabs a zombie by the head with one hand and uses him as a bat against the other. It's obvious that within the time of obtaining the Vampire sword, she has absorbed quite a bit of strength from all of the things she's killed with it.. "I am not able to go very far into that tomb, but inside is a guardian named Goro, kill him and get the Holy sword. Now how would we get back across that bridge?".
The distance lights up as the undead retreat back underground. A large splash of blood reveals Raoul, walking toward Raul and Osmodeus slowly. Raoul has, in his hand, a sword that emanates an evil aura, forged of the magma of hell, a complete opposite of the Holy sword. "So now your fucking this guy Osmodeus, do not try to obtain the Holy sword, Raul. Your life will become Hell with all you'll have to go through, trust me I lived it for a while, then things got so bad that I found Hell to be a comfort zone".
"Raoul?" Osmodeus mutters under her breath. "Yes" reply both Raoul and Raul.

"Lilith," he repeated the name, thinking of the demoness, "eh, I'm not really one to have a wandering eye. Once I settle on someone that is it," he looked at her with a knowing smile as he hears a thick, splash sound.

A man appears, his body tall and muscular, as if within him he holds a lot of power. More power than a human form, should and could contain. The muscles and body bulging with power as if something moved underneath, the body itself twisted and out of phase as it sometimes moved in a disjointed way. Time itself twisted around it, bringing its movements back and forth like a tide that rushed out to a quick view of the past, then back to the now. As he came close and it talked to him, there seemed to be something between Osmodeus and it. When Osmodeus spoke his name, a voice of pain and regret, he knew this was the one before, the one that had gone to Hell to save them. A sacrifice, definitely not a noble one considering what happened to him.

"Your choices are not mine," he replied, keeping his sword up and at the ready, standing beside Osmodeus on her right so his free hand could protect her. Something in him wanted to respond to the taunts from Raoul but he knew better, that kind of fighting was never his style, his sword was silent. Except when it sliced through someone. "I'm her for her, for Osmoedeus."

"Lilith must have told him where we were, I told you Raul" Osmodeus says, not taking her eyes off of Raoul. Knowing full well that this image of Raoul's body is a fake, Osmodeus heaves out a long sigh "you know that you are doomed, and yet you are here, once again trying to scare us into leaving you alone. This time it's different, go ahead and come at us you'll see". Lying through her teeth, Osmodeus tries a different approach this time. Osmodeus swings her sword vertically at Raoul, using her body for momentum, in a flash she is knocked back by Lilith, who again vanishes right after.

Putting a hand on her good shoulder pulled her back, "I get the feeling even if you could hit him that it would do no good." Raul said to Osmodeus, keeping close to her as he carefully backed up towards the tomb. "Let's get inside," he noticed the door was open slightly, the dead beginning to thrust themselves from the ground. Using both their swords to knock away the hands of the dead, they moved up to the tomb, at least inside fewer of their enemies could attack, even if Osmodeus can only got slightly into the tomb it would be better than here.

"It was all lies wasn't it Osmodeus?" Raoul was saying as he came closer, never attacking, only sniping at them with words. "All that hero crap, and in the end what choices did I have? Your easy way out never would have worked and you know it. Just keep dragging me along, in the shadows of your lost loves, and in the end where did I think the best chance we had was? Hell." Raoul came closer, but never got too close, they kept their swords at the ready for him but slowly made the door and as Raoul kept up the words, talking about the past and how he had lost so much. To Raul it sounded more like a whine session, but he knew from what the three ladies had said in the pub some of it had happened, Raoul only took a dimmer view of the events.

When the door was closed and there was little more than a dull roar of Raoul outside, and the loud moans of the undead, Raul turned to her. "Can you stay here and keep the door closed while I get the sword?"

Osmodeus begins to cry silently as Raoul attacks with his words. While Raul grips her hand to go inside the tomb and shut the door, Osmodeus drops down to the floor onto her ass and nods. Osmodeus has finally lost it. At this point she can't even speak. Only able to assume what has happened between Osmodeus and Raoul, Raul decides that he'd better hurry and find Goro to collect the sword before they run out of options entirely.

Raul looks over at Osmodeus as she falls to the floor, the last words of Raoul ringing in his ears. The more he stands and watches her tears fall the angrier Raul gets, turning he looks down the extending hallway. Down into darkness, flickering torches illuminating part of the corridor, around him the stench of decay grows as Raul draws his sword and taking a torch in his off hand moves carefully down the stairs. At the bottom of the short staircase the corridor extends out, running a short distance to a door, pushing it open Raul looks into the wide room, within almost a temple. A circular center with pillars that hold up the ceiling, a broken mosaic of angels and demons fighting, on one side the mosaic is almost intact and that shows a hand holding a glowing sword. Beneath it, sitting on an altar is a silver handled sword in a simple leather scabbard.

Surprised at the sword lying on the altar, Raul was more surprised at the large, bulky demon who stood before the altar. A pear shaped head, pointed ears, dressed in a simple tunic, brown breeches and boots the green shaded beast looked down at him with eyes that glowed with hate. "Donkey!" It shouted and two fists came at him.

Dodging to the side Raul felt the air rush by him as the beast roared, the other hand rising above him and as he rolled over and to the side the other fist rammed down into the marble floor. The tiles cracked under the hand and as Raul rolled aside he threw the torch at the creatures clothes, the hands beat on the tunic that smoked and charred and then stopped burning. Another roar and the green, meaty hands reached out for him, dodging to the side he brought the sword up and cut on the outside of the hand, drawing a line of moisture on the thick green hide. Another roar as hands reached for him, he jumped between and stabbed at the heart, his sword sunk the point through the clothes then stopped at the skin. Arms closed in and trapped him close to its body, the stench of unwashed flesh and soured milk overwhelmed his senses as the arms rolled him over until he we trapped against its body as the arms squeezed while he was able to get his left arm free. Sadly, his sword was still in his left.

Osmodeus rubs her head and stops crying "that is not Raoul anymore". She takes a deep breath and gets up, holding her sword with her non wounded shoulder. "My life is the way that it is, it's not like I haven't been through worse" she starts walking deeper into the tomb, with the aura of the Holy sword, repulsing to her body of a dark creature, becoming more irritating and painful to her with every step. Osmodeus knows that Lilith nor the fake image of Raoul would not dare to follow her into the tomb, if they did, Raoul and Lilith would become severely weakened and leave themselves very vulnerable to the Holy sword. As these thoughts ran through Osmodeus' head, her pace slows down due to the effect of the Holy sword's aura. She slowly makes her way to Raul to find him in the grasp of an ugly replacement to the old Goro. By the time that she finds Raul, the aura of the Holy sword is causing her so much pain and nerve problems that she could no longer carry her sword and dropped it a ways back. Osmodeus looks around and takes heed of the situation, she lunges forth with a final burst of strength and slugs the demon with all that she has left, giving Raul the boost that he needs to grab his weapon. Osmodeus passes out.

Raul stared as he watched Osmodeus stagger into the temple room, she didn't seem that weak before and as he watched her use up what was left of her strength to his the creature he shouted a warning to her. The creature screamed, dropping him, a roar of halitosis and spittle raged over him as Goro stepped back and Osmodeus crumpled at his feet. In a rage he turned, the sword held like a spear as he changed hands, then pushing on the hilt thrust the sword in Goro's right eye. The blade struck the eye, that resisted for a moment then it popped in a small bubble of viscous fluids, as he pushed the blade deeper and deeper into the head. The roar fading slightly as the body fell to it's knees, then with a kick toppled backwards, the sword sliding out of the skull with a slurping sound as ichor and other fluids streamed from the open eye socket.

Raul dropped the sword with a clatter, picking up the unconscious Osmodeus. Calling her name she lay limp in his arms, breathing but with difficulty. The room thrummed with power as he looked at the altar where the sword lay. Placing Osmodeus carefully on the floor, wrapping his cloak into a pillow placed it under her head, walking over to the altar and looked at the sword, it was ordinary by the look, the hilt was of exceptional make, but otherwise it only seemed to be a portal of power. Touching it hesitantly he felt power flow into his body. A wind wrapped around the sword, then him, as it spun about him, tying his hand to the sword with ephemeral threads, and he felt the exertions of the fight leave him. Then as suddenly as the wind and power came, it stopped and he stood before the altar holding the sword. Sliding the sword into his belt he moved back to Osmodeus.

Stroking the hair about her face looked down at her, his heart reflecting in his eyes as he called her name, as if trying to bring her back. Picking her up felt she was lighter than he expected, struggling more with the size than her weight as he walked out of the altar room and back towards the door hoping that whatever bothered Osmodeus in the room or from her wound would lessen if they went back. Propping her against the wall by the door went back for her sword, placing it by her hand Raul stood before the door, the moaning outside subtle but insistent, wondering how they would get out of here.

Osmodeus feels a great relief after being moved from the altar room, the power of the Holy sword is with Raul now, and while the sword itself will always have an aura, it won't be as strong and the pain from being near it is something she's used to. Before Osmodeus opens her eyes, she reaches out for Raul with her able arm and kisses him, not too hard but enough to show him that she loves him, a simple, long lasting brush against the lips with lips much softer than one would think. She gets up from the wall where she was propped and opens her eyes. She sees that Raul has the Holy sword and recognizes that the worst part is over, she thinks. "We'll need to go down into the dark valleys below to try and find a way back to where we started so that we could travel back to the shack". She peeks outside to find that Raoul and Lilith are no longer there, obviously fearful of Raul and his new weapon. "Just so you know, Raoul's demons will be following us from here on out, he will be able to see us through their eyes. But cheer up, our adventure together continues, and I have a different feeling about it this time" she smiles and continues out the door, seconds later, seven of the undead creatures launch after her. She is able to hold them all back with her five foot long blade, using one arm. Osmodeus smiles back at you like this is completely normal.

Raul enjoyed, and was surprised by, the kiss. Thinking that Osmodeus would be out for a while was equally surprised at how she was able to wake up so soon. The kiss was soft and loving, not what he expected from such a warrior woman. As she stood and opened the door, looking back to normal she held her sword out as she told him where they would need to go. Thinking about the sword pulled out the new blade, feeling its power flow through him once more. As he held the blade tight it's weight lessened, until it was as if all he had was the hilt in his hand, yet the blade moved through the air still, in a test he swung towards the wall of the tomb. The tip slicing into the stone as he moved his arm, a slight drag on the blade then it marked the stone, his arm barely struggling to get through the material.

Smiling he followed Osmodeus out of the tomb, watching as she swung her blade at some of the undead who attacked, faster than he would have thought. Standing next to her, basking in the glow of the kiss and her presence, Raul swung the sword through one of the undead who shambled towards them, the body splitting with the blade then falling to dust at his feet. All it had taken him was a swing of the blade, it connected and went through. The power of the blade was impressive, Raul had never heard of or used such a blade but he could now see why Osmodeus wanted it, wondering what was in the tomb to have caused her so much pain.

Returning her smile they dispatched the undead as they made their way down the hill towards where the bridge was, as they looked around a small pathway down appeared in the cliff side. Following it, the undead stopped attacking as they walked away, the numbers falling swiftly as they cut through the bodies like a scythe harvesting wheat. One after the other the bodies fell, Osmodeus getting stronger with each kill as the undead attacked, his new blade turning the others to dust. Down into the misty depths they went, the trail switching back and forth across the cliff face, as they walked down he felt the air become more oppressive, its darkness hanging over them like a thick miasma that tried to penetrate their bodies.

"I see why you wanted this blade, it is most impressive," bored with the quiet and the moans of this place he wanted something to break the tension that surrounded them. "I think it will be very useful, I hope I am worthy of it."

Going down into the dark valleys, where it is too dark to see, they hug the rock walls and advance very carefully, very quietly, and very slowly. In all of the times that Osmodeus had been here, she never needed to take this route and was unsure of what lives down here. Osmodeus feels around for Raul, while Raul does the same for her and puts his hand on the non armored part of her butt. Osmodeus speaks to Raul in the quietest whisper imaginable "impressive or not, the Holy sword is the only thing that can kill Raul without him regenerating, and I cannot touch that sword without being severely burned" she didn't seem to mind your hand at all. They both froze as they hear an ear shattering, loud, howl unlike any animal they have heard. It sounded fearfully close by, and listening to it move around didn't sound like it had feet. Osmodeus is swept away from Raul without a sound, leaving the warmth of her butt on his hand for a moment. Raul is left without sight, or any other clue as to what happened other than that sound.

Moving down into the darkness his foot came up short as he stepped to the bottom of the canyon, above was nothing but a light haze that illuminated nothing. Moving slowly across the bottom, using the sword to check ahead of him, the sound came from all sides. Thinking about calling out hesitated, he was concerned about Osmodeus but he could do nothing for her if he was dead. Sliding his feet slowly across the rough bottom of the canyon, using his feet to check for a purchase and keeping his weight on one leg before placing it on another made his way slowly across the rough bottom. The sound echoed above and around him, he moved the sword around trying to determine where the sound came from, something came nearby as if testing him. Turning the sword at the last moment, in case it was Osmodeus the blade moved through the air striking nothing. Reaching the further wall he moved back and forth, finding another trail that led up.

Gaining the top slowly, with only the sound coming, but never nearing him. Raul reached the top, above the miasma and there he saw the ground stretch away into the mist again. The sound came, only this time it was before him and out of the mist flew two of the flying pig demon's. As they neared he swung the sword up, the blade biting deep into one of the demons it lit up with a white fire then turned to ash, the other squealed loudly and came at him, impaling itself on the blade. Another flash of white fire and that one poofed into ash before him. Looking around he did not see Osmodeus, becoming concerned he looked around and seeing nothing other than mist, and hearing the flying pigs hoped she would make the gate. She was capable, he had to believe in her, she had survived longer than he did and had power so he slowly moved back towards the gate. The pigs stayed back, moving on the edges of the mist as he came to the place he entered, still no Osmodeus and he stood there waiting, wondering if he should go back or not. Knowing they came together, and unsure if they needed to leave the same way.

Raul takes a step forward and, in an instant, he is back in the necromancer's shack. He holds up the Holy sword to show the others that his mission had been a success, though it hardly felt that way to Raul. Faerie comes close to Raul and touches his shoulder, understanding that Osmodeus is no longer with them. Faerie tries not to make such a big deal out of the loss of Osmodeus and goes on to explain the next part of the quest, a visit to Shavok's temple. Everything that Faerie says is a babble to Raul, his mind remains focused on the hope that Osmodeus is still alive, but also that he must carry on with the quest in her honor if she is on. Raul held out his hand, still able to feel her ass on it. Faerie becomes flustered because Raul is obviously not listening to a word, but she tries not to show it.
Shannon blurts out after seeing Raul mope "the necromancer used my hammer to make me these gloves, they're like my old one but have a holy aura. For the good of the quest, I will head into the other plane to find Osmodeus and clear your head. Only one of us can go back or Osmodeus can't escape too, and I stand the best chance with these".
"Good idea Shannon, but I think that who should go, should be left up to Raul" says Faerie.
"So make the choice, Raul" says the necromancer.

Raul looks at the Necromancer, "how could you ask? Of course I want to go back for her." Raul turned to go back to the portal, Faerie placed a hand on his shoulder. The strength in her slender arm stopped him, his feet continued and she held him upright as he almost fell.

"Raul, I know you want to go," Faerie said with a sigh. As if she had had this conversation many times before. "But I also know Osmodeus, is that what she would want you to do?"

Shannon held up her gloves, slapping them together, a thunderous crash sounded in the small shack. The crash threatened to collapse the hut, Raul thought that if not for whatever sorceries were in play here, that the shack would have fallen on them already. "I can do it," she smiled brightly as she took a step towards the portal.

Raul looked at them, he wanted to go back and get Osmodeus, but he recalled her words to continue the mission even without her. Do as she said. Already he had not listened and had saved her in the tomb, then he had and lost her in the mist. If that was what her advice meant did he need to do the opposite to keep her by his side. Not wanting to lose her, or disappoint her he was conflicted. "Is it the right thing to do?" He asked Faerie and Shannon, they nodded. Deciding to believe in them, they were a team so he would have to believe in all of them, not just one. "Very well," he decided, "Shannon, please bring her back, while Faerie and I got to this temple you mentioned."

The necromancer is not used to transporting so many souls so quickly, he feels himself becoming withdrawn slightly from reality. The necromancer waves farewell to Raul and Faerie as he sends Shannon to the other realm to find Osmodeus.
Shannon climbs out of the thicket of trees and yells like a total idiot "Osmodeus, if your alive make noise". Shannon leans on one leg to listen for some noise from Osmodeus. After Shannon's yelling she is almost instantly greeted by an almost 3 meter wide mixture between an arachnid and a scorpion, it crawls up the side of one of the dark ledges quickly and with no warning sounds. This is the creature that has eaten Osmodeus, Shannon could feel her presence, Osmodeus' spirit calling out to her as if Osmodeus were still alive. With some long, furry, preying mantis like legs, the arachnid attacks. Shannon quickly swats some limbs out of the way and watches the limbs burst into white flame as the arachnid vanishes back down the ledge where it came from. Shannon stares down the ledge watching the dissipating flames light up a few other equally fearsome creatures, before the light vanishes. While hunched over, Shannon really feels the cold air in her barely there top. She stands up and scratches her stomach "maybe I should just tell Raul she died".
Back in the human realm, near the mountain range, Raul and Faerie ride an elevator down into the temple where Shavok was exiled. Normally Shavok would have visitors immediately pummeled by his golems, but, seeing that it is Faerie, decides to fuck with her first. In the large granite room of the elevator, Shavok dives up out of the floor to speak to Faerie, his body has decayed back to the horrifying form of Raoul and Osmodeus' first meeting with him. In a possessed voice, Shavok says to Faerie "where are your other companions, especially Raoul, the one who put me here" an intense anger in his face, though it could not be seen past the decayed muscle. Faerie had clearly warned Raul, before entering the temple, about Shavok's abilities as well as their past and every detail concerning Shavok. "I'm assuming that you are back where you started, and are in need of the stone within my eye. Only with a very good reason would I consider it" Shavok continues. Raul notices that his sword's aura is gone.

Shannon looks down, feeling the cool air swirl through her top, it sort of tickled, but then most things did. A look of distaste as she stares down the cliff, knowing there are more of them there, somewhere else is Osmodeus. She can still sense her. But to go down there, with all those creatures, sticking her tongue out with an ick moan escaping her lips she stood and turned around. There stood Lilith, more dressed than she liked, but it was her Lilith all the same.

"Lilith!" She burst out with a giggle, reaching her arms out, forgetting about the gloves, to hug her dear Lilith. "I've missed you so much!" Her tone and step getting happier, and bubblier as she

"You have to go," the tone was fiercer than Shannon remembered, "much as I don't want to admit it, you will need Osmodeus at the end of this."

"Down there," Shannon pouted, it was her cutest pout, one she knew Lilith would not refuse. Stomping a foot onto the ground, the cracks appearing under her foot as she ground her toes into the rock.

Lilith sighed, one that came when talking to a child, from her hand came a small globe that circled around Shannon's head. Following it with her eyes, Shannon giggled as she watched it, "follow the light," Lilith said with a smirk. "If you do good, maybe at the end." Lilith spread her wings, with a hard push, the mist swirled as the wings launched her up she quickly disappeared.

Shannon brightened up at that, "okay!" She shouted at no one in particular. She jumped a little then at the cliff smiled and waved to Lilith had gone, "bye bye!" As she tried to feel where Osmodeus was Shannon concentrated, screwing up her face as she was getting a general feeling to where the creature had gone. Taking a step fell down into the mist, the globe dancing around her and lighting the way into the mists that quickly spread apart from her as she fell, knees bunched up and fists pointing down.

Shannon tries to keep her eyes locked on the light as she starts to step down into the dark and misty valley below her, to rescue Osmodeus from that spider like creature's stomach. Just before entering the depths, she is bewildered to see the image of Osmodeus walk by the ledge above. Osmodeus' form is not one to be easily mistaken. Shannon heads back up the cliff to meet Osmodeus, completely ignoring Lilith. Hoisting herself out of the darkness Shannon speaks to the quiet Osmodeus "There you are, I've been looking for you. I was about to enter certain doom to try and save you, then I saw you up here. Now come on it's time to go back, Raul has returned and left with Faerie to see Shavok, come on". Osmodeus just stands there silently, after hearing Shannon's words. Shannon had been walking closer to Osmodeus as she spoke and as Shannon reaches for Osmodeus, Osmodeus side steps Shannon's glove and knocks her to her ass. Osmodeus looks down to Shannon, on the ground, and without hesitation brings her sword down, with her unhurt shoulder, to kill Shannon. Shannon rolls out of the way with a look of utter confusion. Shannon charges after Osmodeus, in an attempt to knock the sword out of her hand and bring her back by force if needed. Underestimating the sheer strength that Osmodeus has gained, Osmodeus moves her sword out of the way of Shannon's punch, she thrusts her palm into Shannon's face and, using her one arm, lifts her by the head and tosses Shannon into the horizon. Osmodeus' spirit had been devoured by the bug creature, and the body left behind was overtaken by the energy that animates the dead in this place. Shannon lands on the hill near the tomb, having broken her leg in the process.

Back in Shavok's temple, he proposes an offer to Raul and Faerie "bring me something called a rune cipher, and I'll trade you. I think that the Wizard of the West has it". With that information, Raul and Faerie leave the temple.

Shannon lay on the hill, reaching down to touch her leg, "owie!" She said softly as the ground began to stir about her. A head began to appear in the ground by her leg, pounding it with her glove the figure disappeared. She smiled then tried to get up, her leg becoming a stabbing pain. As she closed her eyes there was a soft touch on her leg, the pain melted and her leg felt better.

"Silly girl," Lilith laughed as she took her hand from Shannon's leg, the touch lingering a moment too long. "Follow the light I said, not your eyes. Here everything is meant to distract and fool you." As Shannon reached up to touch Lilith the seductress moved away with a beat of her wings, "touch me with those and you kill me!" The anger within Lilith showed in her face, an arm and the undead stirred no more in the ground.

"But I saw her!" Shannon protested as she stood up, the smile on her face as she looked on her dear Lilith.

"You see only what this realm means you to see," Lilith warned, looking down lovingly at Shannon. A sigh coming that moved Lilith's breasts in a seductive way. "If you can't do what I tell you, then perhaps you should go and leave it to me."

"You'd bring Osmodeus back to us?" Shannon asked innocently, her belief in Lilith was not going to be shaken by her actions now.

"Not the way you want," Lilith warned, "if you want to help do what you are told!" Lilith screamed the last, moving fast and picking up Shannon from behind flew up and then down to the bottom of the dark canyon. Lilith's hands sliding under Shannon's shirt, enjoying a slight touch that distracted Shannon until Lilith left her at the bottom of the canyon amidst the hissing creatures and the light revolving around her head.

---

Raul looked at the form that was Shavok, the decay oozed off of the body, dripping in liquid that smoked and disappeared on the floor as the figure looked at them. Raul wanted to vomit, the essense that emanated from it was evil. As Shavok looked at them with interest, reaching out to touch them, but pulling back at the last moment, Raul stood still, warned by Faerie that to touch Shavok or him you, meant death. As he offered them a deal they left, Faerie breathing easier as they left the temple and walked away. Raul thought over the story they had told him in the Pub, seeing how true it was, and in some ways more terrible.

"So, to make sure I understand this. We aid this Shavok to remove the evil that is Raoul, in order to then have the evil that is Shavok be released?" Faerie turned to him, opened her mouth to say something then stopped, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm not really seeing the win here."