Spirit Taming

Chapter 229: Running water

The level of stone carving was amazing on the outside of the church. It was enough to make anyone praise the one who had sculpted it. Even the gods would feel their hearts sway when looking at the intricate details. However, the outside of the church was nothing in comparison to what was on the inside of the church.

Vibrant colored glass still shimmered even though there were clouds and a soft drizzle outside. The carved pillars depicted many different forms of beasts that did not live within the dungeon. Some were even carvings of humans and other races. It was an amazing level of skill that Clark could only hope to scratch the surface of in one of his hobbies one day.

The ceilings felt much higher than what Clark could see outside. Not to mention the multiple staircases on the left and right of him that climbed the side towers. But the large intricate staircase made of gray speckled marble at the back of the church was the most detailed.

Beside this, there were many pews around for people to sit who would never venture in to a dungeon for a church service. The main stage that a priest would stand on was the only space left aside without anything in the way. However, there was a single stone pedestal where a book could sit if there was a priest speaking from one.

The temptation to begin checking around the stage that a priest would stand on was strong. However, there was a dripping sound that caught Clark's ear coming from the left side staircase. He could only move to investigate it with Devi and Crim at the ready to attack at any moment.

Upon looking up to search for the source of the dripping water, Clark saw at the top of the stairs another gargoyle face looking down. However, he could see that this one had a blue tint to its skin. He also saw the system analysis and realized that this was the water variant of the gargoyles that Alexander had tamed. It had the same information about being stuck at a level below pure water gargoyle.

The following scratch of stone on stone caused the dripping sound to become a torrent of water. Clark was quickly pushed down the few stairs he had climbed while Devi and Crim returned to his side. "Trying to stop me from climbing up there to search for the silver statue!?"

For some reason, Clark felt very angry that he had been so easily pushed away by a torrent of water. It was almost like a joke. The reinforced doors were one thing. He could break that using his strength to push through it. His spearmanship had ensured that along with his teamwork. But this?

It was a dirty trick!

The anger that had grown in Clark nearly spread to Devi and Crim. But Devi was a lot harder to make angry than Clark or Crim. He was able to refocus Clark's attention on him by getting right in his face. Crim on the other hand had become angry. The pride of his tamer had been insulted and that was the same as insulting him, a dragon.

"Crim…Devi is right. Stay calm. Take a breath. The issue isn't that we fell down and got soaked." Clark sighed after taking a deep breath to calm himself. "The problem is that we have to get up there now." The way that the staircase was made was not helpful to them.

The stairs were stone like everything else. That made them able to carry the water all the way down from the top no matter how it twirled. The spiraling staircase even gave the water gargoyle the perfect chance to see them coming so that it could attack again with even more water. The worst part was that it would not run out of water because of the constant rain in this dungeon.

The more Clark thought the more he looked. He had to look at every minute detail so that he would be able to find the best possible way for him to get past this challenge. "I am soooo going to hit this gargoyle when I get up there." Just because he had calmed himself did not mean that Clark had given up on his annoyance. He was soaking wet now.

It would bother him the remainder of the dungeon because he would constantly be cold and not in top condition to fight.

Crim and Devi watched as Clark put away his spear and started to step up the skills again, however, they were shocked when the screech came and Clark jumped. He jumped right up on to the wall latching on to the carvings of the stairs.

The single outer side to the stairs had been left there to stabilize it. The central spiral being the only open space which was why it was so good for the gargoyle to look down. But the water only fell there and on the steps, not hitting the wall at all because it was not trapped there to do so.

The carved walls were also perfect for holding on to. The stone had been there for who knew how long, it was old stone. However, it was stable stone. Clark fought the water that hit him on the way down while pulling himself upwards. The more he fought the blasts of water that flooded down the steps the more he relished the fact that he might be able to get a little revenge.

Devi and Crim were forced to wait downstairs because of the water. There was also the oppressive gaze of the gargoyle that forced them back where they wished to rush forward to help Clark. It was his test and his test only. No one would interfere. Alexander had made that clear to his tamed beasts.

The further that Clark made it up the spiraling stairs the more his muscles screamed out for him to stop. But he could not stop. He forced himself to reach out to the next carved handhold to pull himself closer. He had lost sense of direction after being hammered by the water over and over. The only thing that stopped him was a single stony cold hand pulling him to his feat.

The grinding stone sound that came with a mist of water seemed to be the approval of the water golem that had been challenging Clark over and over. All the anger that Clark had that was fueling him to hit the gargoyle when he reached the top fell away. He didn't feel like it was worth it seeing the approval in the stoney eyes before him.

With the water stopping. Crim and Devi were free to rush up after Clark only to find that the water gargoyle had leaped from one of the windows. This left the three in the tower room alone just soaked to the bone. "well…I made it." Clark wanted to laugh a little since it felt that he had gotten nowhere. There was no sign of the silver statue that he had to find.

He had been tested and tempted by the gargoyle easily.

"Crim, Devi, check everything up here for a scripture." The goal was not fully focused on the system quest. He had to find the scripture.

The best way that Clark could tell he would find it was looking for the stones that were different from the others. This is what the first one within the door frame had taught him. And since the carvings had continued to flow and take over the open room, Clark knew that this was exactly what he needed to do.

The search began as Devi and Crim sniffed and prodded at the walls trying to find loose stone. Clark on the other hand spun in place looking at the intricate battle mural carved in to the walls. They showed scenes of golems, gargoyles, and other unknown beasts battling against others. It was a grand view that showed incredible skill.

But the odd part was that the top of the ceiling seemed to be the focus. It was the beasts that seemed to be fighting and running toad the pointed ceiling where the carving became flat.

"That doesn't seem right, Devi, Float up there and see if you can move that flat piece of stone. It's wrong." Without hesitation, Devi did so.

The entire church seemed to rumble as the stone fell away easily. The rolled paper that fell with it wasn't what Clark focused on. Instead, he was focused on the image of clouds that every single carved beast was reaching for. "So they are reaching for the heavens. Does that mean they want to be gods?"

The question was one that many had. Some beasts seemed to gather and strive for strength without reason. Every race did. But what was their end goal? To become strong? Or was there a deep instinctual desire to become more than what they were?

To achieve a goal that would put them above the heavens, to become a god.