The "Mermaid" Encountered Again

Because Sister Devlin had already dealt with all the enemies on this side of the corridor, although the burning hallway made Shade's progress somewhat difficult, he encountered no more enemies as he continued onward.

The wine cellar was in the basement, and the door leading down to it was locked. Strange scenes of a colossal beast devouring humans and humans carving up the beast were engraved upon the black iron door.

When Shade reached out to open it with the Door Key, the image on the door actually began to writhe, transforming into a huge human face:

"Give me all your Gluttony, and I'll let you pass."

A humming sound, accompanied by the trembling of the iron door, formed an indistinct voice.

"All of my Gluttony? No, that won't do."

Shade shook his head and reached for the door, but an immense force shoved him directly backward.

"If you won't give me sin, don't even think about getting through."

The face grew ferocious.

"All of my Gluttony is too much. Give me another condition."

"Delicacies. Food that satisfies me will do as well."

After thinking for a moment, Shade reached into his pocket and took out a small bottle pendant. Once he restored the pendant to its original form, it contained fruit wine made with the Blood Brew spell.

"Will wine do?"

He shook the container in his hand. The ferocious face opened its mouth, but inside that hollow maw was not a staircase leading to the basement, but darkness whose depths could not be seen.

Shade, proficient in spatial powers, could sense that another space lay beyond it.

So he tossed the bottle inside. The crack closed afterward, and the ugly, twisted face on the door let out a long sigh:

"Oh, this is quite good. A fruit wine