Rise of the Eromancer

Chapter 272 The Sister Snakes

The outside of the Shrine of Medusa was already a tell of how the inside would look; it was a sanctuary where the light just shone from above, veiling the plants, the flowers, the trees, and the small pools and fountains that neatly littered everywhere.

It was peaceful, perhaps the most peaceful place Rhys had ever been to. If he could just close his eyes and lie on the ground, he most definitely would. Unfortunately, with the current situation, it was no sanctuary at all. It was just…

…a chamber of noise.

"What do you mean it matters not!? Rhys Wilder, if this is the Rhys Wilder written in the book, then you just corrupted his flesh with your scales!"

"I didn't know beforehand!"

"Ah, of course. Classic sister — putting in cocks before knowing their names."

"H… High Priestess, language!"

"Shut up!"

Rhys has lost track of just how long the two have been arguing. It was a miracle how Miquella was even able to convey what she wanted to say to her sister when all they did was shout at each other.

Yes. Throughout their long and heated argument, they were able to go inside the shrine, gather around a table with the shrine maidens serving them food and drinks, and Miquella was even able to elaborate, explain, and discuss everything she wanted to say.

How they were able to do that, well, perhaps it was an innate trait of the gorgons. Rhys just continued eating while the two continued shouting at each other—granted, he was actually quite attentive at the start and listened to everything. But now, he was just waiting for them to finish.

He found himself, however, staring at the Hearts floating above Miquella and Malenia's heads. Miquella had 3 Hearts floating above her head as soon as he made love to her, but it started to flicker, and it was still flickering now after she found out about his name.

Malenia, however, was somewhat the complete opposite. As soon as she found out about Rhys and started mentioning the prophecy, her previously empty Hearts quickly filled up to the 3rd one… and it wasn't only her.

"Lord Rhys, please… have some more fruit."

"Lord Rhys, are you comfortable? Is the wind just alright?"

While some of the shrine maidens were trying to get in between Miquella and Malenia, most were actually beside and behind Rhys; one of them even feeding him even though he had already refused.

"Can all of you just get out!? Out!"

Unfortunately, Malenia's hair once again started to float as she roared. The handmaidens, although unwilling, just let out a long and very deep sigh as they bid farewell to Rhys before actually leaving the verdant and lively hall.

And as soon as the sound of the doors closing echoed through the sanctuary, silence suddenly washed out and drowned all the noise like they weren't just shouting at each other's throat moments ago. And finally, Rhys heard the calm and peace he was expecting; the water just flowing all around them and the empty large space that sang their whispers.

Sadly, he still couldn't appreciate it as Malenia was now staring at him like he was completely naked.

"If what my sister is saying holds to be true…" Malenia's words were like an arrow as Rhys felt them just piercing him for some reason, "...then I apologize for showing you my rude state. But truthfully, although you are exactly what the prophecy states, my doubts are still clear — what if someone is just setting this entire thing up?"

"Why would I set this up?" Miquella raised an eyebrow.

"I am not talking about you," Malenia seemed clearly annoyed just by hearing her sister's voice, "What if it is an outsider, trying to shake our faith and our people."

"That's possible," Miquella shrugged before looking at Rhys, "But you and I can feel he is not lying — there is also a fact that Rhys just wants to leave and go back to where he came from."

"And where is that?" Malenia let out a small hum as she slightly raised her limb and adjusted it, "In what place did the man from the prophecy live before all of this?"

"He is…" Miquella squinted her eyes, causing Malenia to slightly gulp as she anticipated her sister's answer, "...I didn't ask."

"You have been with him this entire time and you did not ask!?" Malenia's eyes started to twitch. But she was able to quickly calm herself down as she once again focused on Rhys, "Where were you before all of this, My Lord?"

"Please… don't call me that," Rhys could really only sigh while shaking his head, "I'm from the Surface. The cenleons called it the Forbidden Land, maybe you call it the same?"

"You… are from hell?" Both Malenia and Miquella's eyes started to widen as soon as they heard Rhys's words; the two of them, slightly slithering away from him.

"To be fair, on the Surface, we consider this place, the Underworld, Hell," Rhys quickly explained, "There are a lot of things we don't know about each other. But my people are starting to establish relationships with the other species."

"...And you met with the cenleons first? Wait, are you human?" Malenia blinked a couple of times in disbelief, "They eat you. The gods sent you to hell to punish you for your evil deeds!"

"Would you relax?" Miquella let out a loud groan, "What Rhys said makes sense, we don't know anything about each other. Just let him finish what he wants to say."

"You have no right to order me around, I am the High Priestess!" Malenia raised her voice again.

"To be fair, I'm supposed to be the one in your position."

"But you threw it to me!" Malenia screamed, "You threw it to me because you wanted to live a life free of servitude, you wanted to whore yourself!"

More and more, Miquella naming her brothel 'The Temple' was making sense.

"Both of us awakened as saintesses," Miquella shrugged, "I did not care for it, and I thought you would want to live a life being served and treated with the utmost respect. Relax, will you? I gave you a better life."

"...Enough of this," Malenia rolled her eyes and once again just focused on Rhys, "...And what were you doing before our people found you ashore?"

"...I suppose there's no reason to hide it."

Rhys then told the sisters about his mission. The sudden appearance and violence of the nymphs, and how he was separated from the rest of his crew.

"The… nymphs?" Malenia's voice became a whisper as she looked down.

"You were able to survive all of that?" Miquella, however, was focusing on another thing, "Then you really are the man in the prophecy — the Fates want you here, Rhys Wilder."

"The Fates can wait," Rhys sighed and shook his head, "Right now, my people need me. They can't proceed with the mission without me since I am the only one who can communicate with the nymphs."

"You can… converse with the nymphs?" Malenia's eyes widened.

"That is—"

"The nymphs are a peaceful people, that's not possible," Malenia then raised her limb as she looked down at Miquella and Rhys at the table, "They are the protectors of life, why would they kill anyone? Maybe your people did something?"

"Maybe," Rhys let out a soft grunt, "But that's why I was on the mission, to find out. Your prophecy, it's not me."

"..." Malenia just once again looked at the floor as she seemed to be lost in thought — an act Rhys was seeing for the first time with the gorgons. They are, after all, a species who just say whatever is on their mind,

"Shivellans," she then whispered. And as soon as she did so, several female gorgons started emerging from everywhere; some hidden in the leaves and trees.

Rhys immediately put up his guard as the Shivellans started surrounding their table. Before he could do anything, however, Miquella held his hand while shaking her head.

"Rhys… and Sister," Malenia then let out a very long and deep sigh, "Follow me. Shivellans, please be ready for anything."

"Yes, High Priestess."

Malenia then started slithering away deeper into the shrine. And since the shivellans were not really there to apprehend Rhys, he and Miquella just decided to follow Malenia until they reached some sort of large door with a silhouette embossed on it — and this time, it was not the face of Medusa.

"Behind this door rests a sacred nymph," Malenia very gently touched the stone door, "And if what you say is true, then the answer you seek is perhaps something she could answer. You are wrong, Rhys Wilder…

…you are right where you need to be. The Fates can be cruel, but they are never without reason. Shivellans, open the Nymph's Rest."

"Wait, Malenia…" Miquella stood beside her sister and whispered loudly, "...If what Rhys Wilder is saying is true, and that the nymphs have become violent…

…should we really be opening that door?"