16 - Deafening

by SilkyNoire

The temple didn't get any less murky as Sariel made her way through. The creatures and their gurgling noises kept her heart racing, but she had begun to adapt. Their senses weren't proficient enough to beat her own proficiency in stealth and infiltration.

Sariel liked to think she was keeping a mental map of the temple, but that was much easier said than done. It was more like mindless wandering and avoiding the creatures than a systematic search.

Her random search pattern paid off when she came face to face with a door. All the other doors in the temple had rotted away or been destroyed - probably by the creatures - but this one was completely intact. Even better, it appeared to be unlocked. She put her shoulder into the heavy wooden door and shoved, causing it to slowly open. She only needed it open a slight amount to squeeze through before she could slip in. Inside, she closed the door and looked around.

The only thing of interest was a strange, small statue on a wooden table. In a lot of ways, it resembled a naked dwarf mind flayer, though with a lot more tentaces over its mouth. This must be it! The artifact that the cultist was looking for! She checked it for traps, like a tripwire, pressure plate, and magical sigils. Nothing there. She took a sharp breath, and reached to grab it.

The moment her fingertip touched the artifact, her senses were overwhelmed by a deep, exruciatingly loud roar. She reflexively turned away from the idol and covered her ears, but the pain was immense. Thankfully, after a few moments, the roar subsided. Her hearing took a little longer to come back. But by the time it did, everything had gone wrong.