In the center of the room was a head supported by a stick, about two meters above the ground; below it was a torso—limbless; and around the body were the quietly distributed statues of removed limbs, forming a cross with the torso's position.
"What a perverted cult!" echoed in the mage's mind.
"Show your strength, or offer your body!" came a sentence from the mouth of the head statue. But that head, whether made of stone or iron, hadn't moved at all. Lynch knew that among mages, there was such an Illusion Technique that could replay prerecorded sounds under certain conditions.
"Offer my body? What a joke!" Matron Batana gestured behind her, "Go and smash these statues!"
Lynch stepped back a few steps, avoiding the area where a battle might occur. He silently watched the mercenaries behind him swing their weapons—great swords, wolf fang clubs, massive knives, and large war hammers—as they charged at the six unmoving statues.
