Ch. 4 - GQ Done

“Oh-kay,” Lust began. “Anyone of you with the guts to kick the shit out of me, step up.”

The winter trees stood as stiff as ever. The snow fell with extraordinary gentleness, as though every single flake that fell would set off an earthquake. Once again the entire village was enveloped in a deafening quietness. Neither man, bird nor beast had the courage to create noise.

“Anyone. He said anyone of you!” Lady Chaty reiterated Lust’s challenge with arrogance. She and Morpheuz had already secured themselves behind Lust, Mykee and Ash at that point.

Still, nobody moved a muscle.

The anticipated silence however was shattered when Lust’s cell phone beeped. A text message had registered.

Lust clicked it on. “It’s Magina.”

“What’s up with him?” Ash was curious.

“He’s inside Snake Cave, doing guess what, a GQ! Can you believe it?” Lust chuckled.

Mykee interjected, “What a pussy.”

Without warning, Lust grabbed his daggers, a shiny couple of +6 Soul Recall. “Let’s get it on.”

“Hey. What about us?” Ash and Mykee looked worried.

“Suit yourselves,” was all Lust could say. And with complete disregard to friend or foe, he Adrenaline Rushed into the petrified crowd to signal the start of a gory genocide.

. . .

The sacred hall at Snake Cave’s interior was indeed spacious even with all the countless statues of stone that seemed to inhabit it. A cheerful conversation resounded in that large, dimly-lit room. Magina had himself leaning against the wall. He was worn out from all the fighting he’d done. Beside him sat a formidable-looking woman who had scales instead of skin and serpents instead of hair. They were both drinking alcohol.

“So, Medusa,” Magina kicked in as he gulped beer from his bottle. “What is it that you’re going to award me for not kicking your ass? Haha!”

“Oh yesss, I almost forgot!” Medusa’s forked tongue rattled. “Wait here. I’ll go get it.”

Medusa slithered away, went behind several pillars, then disappeared. She’s such a nice host, Magina thought.

Moments later he felt his cell phone vibrate. There was a message from Mykee. It read: DvD3, we’r3 4LL h3Re in SnEwVi113. LV5t iZ 1n PK m3wD 4Nd h3 d1D a 4.1k cr1t to a mOnK. CvM 0v3r, d0n’T mizZ oVt wit 4LL t3H 4Xon. xoxo

He replied: On my way.

Medusa returned carrying something in her hand. It was wrapped in a thin plastic cellophane. She handed it to Magina.

“Oh my… Marlboro Black! How sweet of you. Thanks, Medusa.” Magina gave her a tight fat hug.

“That comes with 10 pieces of disposable plastic filters. Be sure to use’em, okay?” Medusa reminded.

“Sure I will. Thanks so much. I love it.”

“You know, Magina,” Medusa hissed. She was staring into space, like she had a big problem or something. Maybe a deep-seated secret.

“Yep?” Magina had already noted the change in the snake woman’s mood.

“Sometimes, things really get lonely down here.”

“And?” Magina looked at her seriously.

“And… I mean I’m glad you came to visit. I don’t get that much visitors in this kind of place, you know. They all turn to stone. Look at all the statues around, I have 2,352 of them at this time.”

“What’s so sad about that? I still think it’s cool. Here,” Magina passed her another bottle of beer.

Medusa smiled as she received the bottle. “It’s been ages since I last saw you. You sure have grown. Look at that belly.”

“I was level 18 back then.” Magina evoked some memories from long ago. “Lust always told me to finish scenario quests on time. So one day he invited me to join his team, he said he’d help me finish my Snake Cave tasks. He was level 25 when we first came here. I’m sure you still remember that.”

Medusa tossed her bottle. It banged against the hard stone wall and was smashed to a thousand pieces. The liquid it once contained spilled onto the floor. “That Lust, how dare him…” Her face darkened with rage.

Magina placed his hand on Medusa’s shoulder. “It’s okay. If you’re mad I totally understand you. You just need some time to learn how to let it all out… and free yourself from a past ruined by love.”

“Where did you learn that?” Medusa wiped her tears off. “Thank you anyways, Magina. You’re really a saver. Do me a favor, will you?”

“Anything for my gorgeous friend,” the assassin sweet-talked.

Medusa produced a wallet-sized photo from under her scales and handed it over. “Please make sure Lust gets this. And please tell him that his son loves him so much.”

Magina nodded in agreement as he examined the photo. It was a picture of a little brown anaconda playing by the pond with her mother Medusa. All of a sudden he felt chills run down his spine. Cold sweat started to trickle down his sideburns.

“I really need to go, Medusa. Please show me the way out.” Magina hurried. “Thanks for everything.”

“Gosh, don’t you have a token?” Medusa guided him to a door at the eastern side of the hall. “Okay, take this entrance. Once you’re in, turn right, walk straight until you reach the elevator doors. Take care. And don’t forget to write!”

“I won’t.” Magina responded. By that he meant ‘I won’t write’ and ‘I won’t go back ever again’.

As he paced away, he grabbed his backpack and felt the cool, slimy thing inside. He pulled it out and a young anaconda emerged, curled dead and cold. The snake’s brown color matched that of the one in the picture from Medusa.

“Shit.”