Chapitre 36: Chapter 36
POV Daeron
After a hearty meal and some rest, invigorated, I continued my quest for Qohor's secrets. Specifically, I was on the hunt for information about the art of reforging and anything related to magic.
"Daeron!" Tun called out loudly.
"What's wrong?"
"I think I found something... To the north of the Center, I sensed something quite odd."
"Can you pinpoint the location?"
With the exact location of the building that had caught Tun's attention, I dispatched a few animals to scout the area.
Three hours later
Having found a safe spot, I asked the Arphenians to keep an eye on their surroundings, just in case, as I began my reconnaissance. Fortunately, like any major city, Qohor was teeming with wildlife, from rats to dogs and other animals.
Thanks to an enhancement to my magical reservoir, my warg abilities had improved significantly. At that moment, I was deeply focused on the task at hand, which considerably amplified my power.
"Daeron, be careful," Diya said worriedly, to which I simply smiled and continued with my task.
Before my "eyes," the building appeared, indistinguishable from its neighbors in architecture. From this distance, I couldn't sense any disturbances in the magical background.
"Well, won't know until I check."
As soon as the rats I controlled entered the building, I immediately felt a change in the atmosphere. Even through the bodies of the animals, I could sense the magic permeating the space.
"Is there a barrier here?"
I proceeded with greater caution, unsure if the local practitioners, who might have erected this barrier, had the ability to sever the connection between a human and an animal.
"Need to be more careful..."
With that thought, I meticulously combed through each room in the building. At first, nothing and no one appeared before me—no humans or any other living or dead creature.
But soon, I stumbled upon a very peculiar door hidden behind a secret entrance, discovered entirely by accident. Further attempts to find other entries into this room were unsuccessful, so my only option was to wait for someone to possibly enter.
"Going in there myself isn't an option."
Three hours later, I was still contemplating what to do if no one entered or exited today. Were there other exits? What if there were?
"Guess I'll have to keep one of my eyes near this door on standby and also look for other ways out of this room."
Three days later
For three whole days, I unsuccessfully searched for other paths to the room from which magical waves emanated. Meanwhile, Tun also searched for other sources of magic in the city. Still, nothing turned up, and all I could do was wait. Fortunately, after three days, activity began near the location where I had left my "eyes."
Near the Secret Door
The animal I had left to watch the door communicated that there was movement inside the building. Changing my viewpoint, I could see a group of people, masked and heading towards the secret room. They were all wearing masks that resembled goat faces, each marked differently on the forehead.
Approaching the door, they lined up to clear the way for one individual wearing a goat's skull—apparently the leader of this group. This leader, approaching the door, said:
"Open the gate to the god."
As he spoke, a strange-looking lock appeared before him, into which he inserted his right hand. I then heard a peculiar mechanism activate, and at that moment, a vast amount of magic emanated from the door. The people behind the leader then chanted:
"In the sign of the dark oath!"
What I observed next was the door opening to reveal a staircase leading underground. I couldn't see the end of this staircase, and I harbored some doubts.
"Guys, if I lose consciousness or anything of that sort happens, follow this direction and chant 'Open the gate to the god.' and 'In the sign of the dark oath!!' and retrieve the rat. This is very important," I sternly instructed the Arphenians who were now in the house we had rented.
The three of them just nodded, understanding I was committed to my words.
"Well, wish me luck," I thought to myself as I followed the people who had entered the staircase.
As the people descended, I heard snippets of their conversations—mostly mundane chatter though occasionally they touched on bizarre subjects. These snippets suggested that these people were discussing some sort of insane theories about other planes of existence.
"Could these be religious fanatics?"
Once the last person passed through the door, it closed on its own, and fortunately, I didn't lose the connection to my body, which was a relief. I continued to descend with the group until we reached the lowest level, where I sensed an immense amount of dark magic.
"A demon? No, demons don't possess this type of magic. A deity? But it doesn't resemble the aura emitted by the Many-Faced God or the Goddess of Love... So what is it?"
Ahead of us, a long corridor unfolded, emanating that strange magic. Despite my reluctance, I knew I had to move forward; the fear of the unknown gnawing at me was far worse than other fears, as it suffocated me like a snake.
"Ah... I just have to go forward..."
An hour later
After an hour, the long corridor finally ended, and we entered an arch leading to a spacious room.
Upon entering, I found myself in an immense room centered around a sacrificial altar, surrounded by many more people with goat skulls...
"Please don't tell me these are indeed followers of the Black Goat?"
"So, let the day of sacrifice begin, shall we?"
And there, before me, began the gathering of the followers of the Black Goat…
Before my eyes, people wearing goat skulls gathered around an altar and spoke:
"Welcome, brethren. In the sign of the dark oath."
The one who stood in the center, apparently a figure of some influence, then declared:
"Brothers! Today we welcome a new member to the Horns!"
Following his introduction, one of the individuals wearing the grim mask stepped forward.
"I will strive to do my utmost."
The crowd responded with joyful exclamations. The new leader raised his hand and continued:
"Let us make Qohor great again, all in the glory of the Black Goat!" he concluded with fervent zeal.
The crowd, even more fanatically, echoed:
"All in the glory of the Black Goat!"
"Damn fanatics..." I thought.
The same leader of the crowd then gathered everyone's attention and announced:
"Besides, we have gathered here because our God has sent me a vision!" The crowd went into even greater ecstasy. "Our God demands a very special sacrifice! A sacrifice that will bring our God into this world in the flesh!"
I was slightly dumbfounded... If indeed there exists a being called the Black Goat... I dread to think what would happen to this world if this creature were to enter it.
From what I've understood from the Arphenians, so-called gods cannot physically exist in the material plane. Often, to influence the physical world, they create avatars, sacred sites, etc.
The reasons why gods want to enter the physical world are not entirely clear. But one theory suggests that in this way, these beings ascend to a higher level of existence.
"What will happen to the world if such a cruel creature gains more power?"
As I pondered this, the cultists in ecstasy shouted:
"It is so! It cannot be otherwise!"
One of the group's leaders then said:
"We will find out more today!" As he spoke, an unconscious man was brought forward. He appeared to be no more than 40 years old and looked quite ordinary. "Wake him up!"
A bucket of water was thrown in the man's face, and he quickly regained consciousness.
"Ha! WHAT THE HELL?! WHERE AM I?! LET ME GO!" the man frantically said, understandably terrified as waking up surrounded by people wearing goat skulls is quite eerie. "Who are you?"
The man apparently in charge of the sacrifice merely said:
"Prepare his body for the sacrifice." After gagging the man with a cloth, they dragged him to the center of the altar.
"Let the sacrifice begin," the man said, folding his hands in a prayer gesture.
The people holding the victim proceeded to act; first, they broke the man's arms and legs, a clear crunch of bones audible. If not for the gag, the room would have been filled with screams. Then these fanatics, wielding a ritual knife that exuded magic, said:
"This is for you, our God," and plunged the knife into the man's heart.
What followed was a horrifying spectacle as they removed all the man's organs and arranged them in a particular fashion. Meanwhile, blood flowed from the man's body along the channels of the altar.
The leader, holding the man's heart, proclaimed:
"This is for you, our beloved, mighty God. What shall we create? A history."
At that moment, my sense of magic was overwhelmed by an immense surge of power, and before my eyes, I saw space seemingly tearing open, revealing a throne. Seated upon it was an anthropomorphic Black Goat, whose mere sight instilled fear and terror. The fanatics, thrilled by what they saw, while I was in shock, the leader of the parade said:
"Welcome, master! Accept this humble sacrifice." and offered the still-beating heart, which the goat-like creature, not refusing the offering, extended its clawed paw. But instead of reaching through the breach created by the people, it seemingly took the heart by the force of thought, and the heart disappeared from the leader's hand.
I then saw the heart reappear on the other side, in the paws of the beast. The Goat, satisfied, snorted contentedly and devoured the heart in one gulp... The crunching sound I heard then will probably haunt me for a long time. After finishing his meal, the deity of these fanatics said:
"I have the opportunity to come into your world... But to do so, I need a woman who can bring my vessel into this world. Find her..." At that moment, I felt a magical disturbance, and a second later, the monster continued. "It is her you need to find, as only she can achieve my goal!"
"All as you command. Bring life to your words," chanted all the fanatics without exception.
The Black Goat, pleased with what he saw, said:
"Carry out my commands, and upon my arrival, I will fulfill all your dreams and desires..." But abruptly, he stopped speaking and began scanning the room, and then it seemed he looked straight into my eyes. "There you are!"
Hearing this, I immediately severed my connection.
"Haah... haah..." I gasped heavily, overwhelmed by the terrifying pressure I had felt.
Meanwhile, at the previous location of Daeron's eyes
From a third-person perspective
Seeing that the observer had slipped away, the Black Goat flew into a rage and bellowed:
"FIND THE WOMAN! AND QUICKLY!"
"If it is who I think it is, this will be very challenging. But I refuse to back down, even if it sets all these damned creatures against me," thought the object of the people's fanaticism.
Then, the rift in space closed, and the fanatics merely nodded in ecstasy. Moments later, the leader of the ceremony declared:
"Prepare yourselves! For the arrival of our God is imminent!"
At the residence of one Targaryen and his three companions
POV Daeron
Mission Received
Prevent the Arrival of the Black Goat or Assist in the Arrival of the Black Goat
Without hesitation, I chose to oppose this monster.
Prevent the Arrival of the Black Goat 0/1
Reward: ????
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