DRIP. DRIP.

  Droplets hung long before plummeting to the floors within the the underground cavern, its sharpened stalactites hovering menacingly before being illuminated by the gaining light from an inflamed torch that cut through the darkness.

  The haggard middle aged slave held the torch, carefully treading over abrasive rocks on his calloused and bare feet.

  “With haste,” Perry commanded, rounding behind him.

  “Yes master,” the slave groaned.

  “Never have I laid gaze upon on such wondrous sights,” Alcide said, coming up behind Perry.

  Perry raised a brow in agreement, before jabbing the back of the slave with a sharpened stick, prodding him onward.

  The slave jolted forward and near dropped his torch.

  “Careful, boy,” Perry admonished him.

  The slave winced and bore his teeth, but trudged onward.

  “How long these been down here?” Alcide asked.

  Perry shrugged. “Father showed me when we arrived in these lands. As if he knew of it prior.”

  Alcide nodded his head, though still unsure of what he was even nodding to.

  “Halt,” Perry started up, causing the slave to stop completely. “This...” he circled around the slave, eyeing the floor lasciviously. “It must be...” Perry knelt and put a hand to the cool floor. He reached up and pointed for the slave to hold the torch lower.

  The slave stalled, but finally bent, his back cracking in pain as he stooped.

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  The torch illuminated the now smooth rock floor. The coloring turned from muted browns and tans to splotches of stark red, that had barely faded with time.

  Perry touched his hand upon the rock, running his palms over it with delight. “Yes.”

  “Yes?” Alcide asked in confirmation.

  Perry nodded, looking up at him with a grin. He stood and used his sharpened stick to draw a faint circle from the dust and dirt within the painted rocks.

  “She beckons and we answer her call, just as Father proclaims.” Perry pointed to the slave and tapped his stick within the circle. “Here...you.”

  “The master says so?” The slave squinted with doubt.

  “Father is nay your only master!” Perry snarled and snapped the stick across the ground with a harsh strike, it cracking and mangling into even sharper serrations, before Perry held it out to the slave with malicious intent.

  The slave gulped and slowly walked into the circle.

  Alcide 's brow narrowed as beads of sweat forming at his temples, while he eyed Perry nervously.

  Perry spotted this reaction and waltzed over to Alcide. “We need something of spectacle to draw her out. Unlike what Father does.” He held out his hand waiting.

  Alcide hesitated before retrieving the revolver from his waistband and placing it in Perry’s hand.

  Perry smiled malevolently and raised the weapon at the slave.

  The slave’s eyes near burst from his head as he held up his hands in defense.

  BANG!

  The gun went off, sending the slave reeling to the floor as blood leaked from his chest and began seeping through his white tattered rags.

  Alcide held his ears, as the cavern rang with terror.

  Perry smiled from ear to ear as he approached the slave. He watched as blood drained down over the floor, pooling where it had many times before.

  “Lucretia, we call to you,” Perry said. “With an offering.”

  Silence permeated the cavern.

  Alcide felt queasy, as he stumbled back to the floor.

  “She does not approve of weakness,” Perry turned and chastised him, casting a down-turned gaze upon his 'friend', like the swine he perceived him as.

  “You..." Alcide shook, rage coursing through his veins, "just...took a man's life!” he cried.

  “Not a man...a slave. And you expected play with such a spectacular...tool," Perry waved the gun. "A fool you are then.”

  “You liar,” Alcide growled, pushing off the floor and charging at Perry, grabbing him by the collar and sending the gun flying out of his hands and careening across the floor, slipping into the darkness past the fading torch light. “Where be this god you speak of? At what cost!?”

  The slave writhed in pain on the floor, trying to crawl from the circle and escape. Suddenly, the circle illuminated with fire, drawing the attention of both boys, shocked expressions climbing their faces.

  Two jet black claws emerged from the ground, from a white light and tore limbs apart, dragging the slave down into the fire, piece by piece, as he screamed horrifically all the way down.

  Both men eyes raised in fear as they held still.

  Quiet for a moment, before blackened twisting horns appeared from the hole and up raised the blackened eyes of a red skinned demoness. Her body robed in pale green silk and gold plated armor as she rose, hovering above the hole, her blackened claws and feet beckoning the men forward. She was beautiful, intoxicating...

  “You begged for riches,” Perry grinned, side-eying Alcide, who remained in stunned silence , “and today, you are rewarded.”