Today, the Spartans were not my only concern in Salamanca. The mercenaries and I began our day with GLaDOS much like any other, but on this fateful day, we journeyed through the Huerto de Calixto y Melibea to the Cave of Salamanca. I fell victim to the beauty of the lush garden plants, letting my guard down as we were led to the cave. Suddenly, we had arrived, and a dark cloud hung above the group of mercenaries as we observed our surroundings. Our guide, Manuel of Salamanca, spoke of a dangerous demon within the cave that could steal shadows off unlucky visitors. While many of the other mercenaries seemed taken aback by the tale, I was unfazed. Stealing shadows? How dangerous could this demon possibly be? I would later come to regret these thoughts as we continued on our adventure.
We briefly looked around the cave, which was much smaller than I had imagined. It was perhaps three giants high and the mercenaries had to stand very close together to fit inside. Again, I wondered how the tales of this demon could be so notorious if his lair was so small…but then Manuel of Salamanca led us up a tall, winding staircase. The staircase seemed to grow as we continued climbing, and even with all of my climbing expertise, the ground below seemed very far away. When we had finally reached the top, Manuel of Salamanca gestured to a stone crypt at the far end of the room. Before I could reach for my sword, Kayla of Florida looked within the crypt, allowing the demon to capture her and hold her hostage. She let out a fearful cry for help as the other mercenaries and I quickly ran to her aid.
None of the mercenaries had any experience fighting demons. We all exchanged terrified glances as we hurriedly tried to create a plan of attack. I had no idea if my sword could possibly do any damage to such a creature, and for the first time in many years, I was unsure if I could save my friend. As I chastised myself for being unprepared, GLaDOS revealed two colorful weapons with sharp spikes. She threw them at the crypt, and an agonizing scream sounded from far below, and the demon set Kayla of Florida free. Shocked at how quickly the situation was resolved, I thanked GLaDOS for freeing my friend and pledged to never again question her authority or her actions.
Kassandra's Odyssey 