Scrolls

Perseus: "This morning, I arrived in Delphi. To a hero's welcome of course. They recognized me the moment they saw my steed. I made a great show of disarming before my private audience with their oracle, the Pythia. Much was made of my admirable humility. I gave her my demands. She augured disaster and refused. What she fails to foresee is how far I will go to force her cooperation."

Perseus: "Three days have passed since my arrival, and now my trap is sprung. The Pythia has two sisters. My men have imprisoned them both, no small task I can assure you. With them in my custody, I have all the leverage I need to make the Pythia more... compliant. And if she still refuses, well, I have her sisters' severed finger to show how serious I am."

Perseus: "Day four. The Pythia has agreed to my demands, not at first but I managed to persuade her. Soon, she will trigger the Sentinel trial. My men now gather in the Temple of Apollo. They have been trained, they know what to expect. And they are terrified, my men are no fools."

Perseus: "Day six, and the trial has begun. The Pythia completed the artifact, and-and... I confess I was unready to see this whole city die. The witch promised she would tip the scales in my favor, and at first she did. But I think she is holding back, leading me slowly. I am losing men everyday. Time to remind her what she has to lose."

Perseus: "It has been two weeks, Alcaeus. How are the prisoners holding up?"

Alcaeus: "They... They live, my prince. What information do you wish me to extract?"

Perseus: "Only their pain! The Pythia will sense it and she will know the price for resisting my commands!"

Alcaeus: "Y-Yes, my prince. I shall spare them no agony. Megapenthes, fetch me the flesh worms!"

Perseus: "It has been six months, I think, and despite her poultry bones and whispered hints I am no closer to finishing this thrice damned trial! Half my men have fallen, we are running out of food, and to top it all off my hostages tried to escape yesterday, killing poor Alcaeus in the process. Obviously, I've told the Pythia none of this but her sisters have become a liability."

Perseus: "It has been over a year. I have lost count of the days, of the deaths. Most of my men are gone torn to pieces by the evil we unleashed, the evil she unleashed... for me. But if I can just complete this test and prove myself worthy, I shall take my father's throne the same way he won it."

Perseus: "Final message. I have been fighting forever. Feels like all I've ever done. The Pythia tricked me... trapped in a chamber that she said contained the key to victory. She said I had sacrificed enough. And I believed her.

(Zombies can be heard bursting into the chamber)

Perseus: Come, you rotting swine! Feast on royal blood! But not even death will kill me!! (screams in agony)