Chapter Six – The Inner Sanctum
Dani hurried behind Saskila as the lizardwoman strode down the long hallway, the room was huge. It was at least a couple of hundred metres long and the ceiling, which was held up by two long rows of giant black pillars, rose at least half that distance in the air. The whole area was lit by tall braziers which burned with a dark yellow light and let off a pleasant tree-like smell.
Aside from the group of Assassin guards at the entranceway the hallway was almost entirely empty and Dani and Saskila soon reached the end where two massive wooden doors barred the way.
"We are only in the outer defences of the fortress. These doors defend the inner areas, we must wait for the guards on the other side to confirm our identities and then they will let us in." Saskila explained.
"Do we knock or something?" Dani asked.
"No, the mages inside would have sensed our presence long before we reached here, they are simply scanning our minds now to insure we are who we seem to be."
Dani waited a few more seconds, somewhat uncomfortable at the thought of some demon reading her mind but finally the doors smoothly swung open. They revealed yet another hallway but this time much smaller in length and height and much busier. Besides a half dozen assassin guards, again all lizardwomen and dressed in their signature black chain mail and leather, who had opened the gateway for Dani and Saskila many other demons were criss-crossing the hallway and using the many doorways that led of from it. Most seemed to be lizardwomen assassins like the guards but rather than wearing armour and brandishing weapons most were dressed in more casual leather outfits and only carried small knives or swords rather than the more vicious weapons the guards carried. Much of the rest of the crowd was made up of humans, male and female, and obviously all slaves each with a thick leather collar around their neck and several with chains dangling from them.
The remainder of the crowd was composed of other creatures that also looked liked slaves. However these were clearly not. The top half of their bodies looked like that of an attractive, young man or woman but from just below the waist instead of legs there was a long snake like tail which they used to slither along with. As with the human slaves each had a leather collar and whilst their bottom snake half was naked their human body was usually covered by a small leather garment though several of the female snake people were topless and Dani couldn't help but stare at their pendulous breasts bobbing as their slithered forward.
"Where are we now?" Dani asked as she looked around.
"The main courtyard of our temple. All our barracks, administration rooms, slave quarters, armouries and the path to Salrissa's inner sanctum, lie off here. It is the hub of my power and all that you see is under my control." Saskila explained.
"I'm a little impressed!" Dani gasped.
"Come we have dallied long enough." Saskila ordered as she again strode off down the corridor.
As they passed many of the Assassins and all the slaves greeted Saskila with a brief 'Mistress' or 'Milady' and all got out of her way, Dani rather imperiously followed in her wake. They soon reached another large wooden doorway at the far end of the hall though this time Saskila simply pushed the door open and strode through.
Dani followed but then stopped suddenly simply whispering "Oh my god!".
The room they had entered was circular and massive, several hundred metres across and at least double that high, and in the centre stood a giant statue nearly as tall as the room, made of deepest black marble. Dani knew immediately that it must be of Salrissa, she looked much as she had done on the gate back in the library, a beautiful human but twisted and mixed with reptilian qualities to appear slightly snakelike, with sharp fangs, a forked tongue and scales dotting her body. The statue was posed in obvious triumph, dressed in plate mail crop top and scale mail skirt with spiked armoured plates on her knees, elbows and shoulders and a huge, curved sword raised in her hand she looked truly fearsome whilst in her other hand was the severed head of some fallen enemy.
"Come we must hurry." Saskila said and grabbed Dani's hand to drag her across the huge room all the while Dani's eyes not leaving the amazing statue for one moment.
Several large doors made of a dark metal led from the room and each was guarded by at least four armed Assassins. Dani and Saskila made for one on the opposite side of the chamber and with a simple nod from the guards the pair went through the doorway to stand in another, much smaller and more human scale hallway which had a single door at the far end.
"The doorway leads to my mistresses chamber. You must go alone." Saskila said.
Slowly and somewhat nervously Dani crept down the corridor, her hands brushing her dress straight, barely noticing the tapestries and small busts on either side all showing yet more of Salrissa's bloody triumphs.
She reached the door and unsure what to do gently knocked. The door swung open before her. Slowly she stepped into the room, it's shadowy corners hidden from Dani. After a couple of steps Dani felt the door slam shut behind her and she stopped, her eyes slowly adjusting to the dull light of the room, the only illumination coming from a few black candles dotted around.
