Rainbow watched and listened to (the ear wasn’t just for show) Caleb act as the bear messenger with a combination of satisfaction and annoyance. [i]Of course[/i] Caleb would almost mess this up over something as simple as a door. Maybe it was stupid to count on a 12 year old to kill almost a dozen cultists. But Rainbow had made this plan, so he knew he should see it through to the end. 

“Stay here, Ribbon” the small green...thing whispered to the dog, then he cloaked himself invisible with illusion magic and followed Caleb inside the temple.

---

Karrass did indeed lead Caleb to the Hall of Sacrifice. It was a barren yet distinct place, with various wood carvings of bears and murals of bears made out of fish bones. In the center was a pit stained red and filled with decidedly human skeletons. Near there was a wooden pulpit and a golden throne large enough for...well, a bear; surrounding it all were wooden pews, like in a church.

“Karrass is honored to invite you to sit on our glorious throne, O’ Mighty One,” he said with a bow, “Karrass will now gather the others, as to hear your glorious wisdom.”

“Thank you, loyal cub, but please leave your dagger outside the sacrifice hall. Today is a day of rest, after all” Caleb requested at he sat down.

“Yes, of course, O’ All Knowing One!” the dwarf stated with a bow, then scurried to find and gather the other dwarves. It wasn’t subtle. Caleb heard him yell “Come to Karass, true believers! The Mighty One’s Messenger has answered Karrass and wishes to speak to you all! Follow Karrass or the Almighty Bear will smite you!” What the boy heard next was presumably dwarven muttering, followed by certainly understandable praises of the Bear and his messenger as they sat in the pews. The elderly lady who had almost tricked Caleb was the last to arrive; unlike the other 10 dwarves who were there, she looked more confused than estatic.

Karrass rushed back to the stage, noticeably without the dagger. “O’ Mighty One, Karrass has gathered all 11 members of your sacred sloth! Please give us your commands so we may fulfill your every whim.” At this, the dwarf bowed and sat in a nearby pew.

[i]“Okay, Caleb,”[/i] the boy thought, [i]“they’re all here. Time to get this over with...but should I? Is this ri-“[/i]

The elderly dwarf lady walked up to the pulpit and interrupted these thoughts, saying with a bow “O’ All Knowing One, before we hear your wisdom, would you lead us in prayer?” She seemed to be closely examining the messenger as she said this.

Caleb got up, walking towards the lady in his messenger form. He saw Ms. Ardia in her eyes. She had been like a mother to him, the only parent he had ever known, and these dwarves would use that bond to kill him? And how many others had died because of this deception? He realized now that he had to be brave and he had to be strong, or others after him would die as well. He knew what he had to do.

Just like he had practiced at home, Calvin swung his sword, aiming for the dwarven lady’s neck. And like the training dummy back home, the lady’s head came clean off of her body and fell onto the ground.

Unlike back home, Caleb’s illusion had worn off, revealing the 12 year old boy who had somehow managed to escape them the day before. Gasps were heard. “Seize him!” Karrass yelled, his face almost as red as the blood stains on the ground at the embarrassment of letting this interloper enter their church and slay their priest. Caleb took a defensive stance, ready for whatever the dwarves would do next.

“Nope!” was what he heard next, followed by dwarven screams from the pews. Rainbow was now following his part of the plan; waiting until Caleb got their attention, then stabbing cultists with a knife in the ankles to cripple them. There were [i]some[/i] advantages to being small, after all. In all the confusion, the boy was able to fatally slash Karrass with his blade.

Caleb and Rainbow were doing good so far, but it was still two against nine. The fight wasn’t over yet.