《Divine Exiles》 Chapter 1 ¡°Order!¡± called an authoritative voice that cut across the chatter that had permeated the vast amphitheatre, bringing silence to the gathering. ¡°This meeting has been called to decide what needs to be done about the human race. The floor is now open, you may voice your complaints.¡± ¡°The human race has strayed from the true path. They bring nothing but hatred and anguish to the world. They enslave other races and behave as though the world should belong to them and them alone!¡± said an enchanting elven woman with long brown hair and stunning green eyes, dressed in an elegant blue dress. ¡°Celestria is right. The humans have done nothing but war with the dwarven people for millennia now.¡± Added a brawny dwarf with a neatly trimmed beard and short brown hair, wearing shining silver armour with a red cape that hung from his shoulders. ¡°There is no point to this. We can each take turns standing up and stating how the human race has transgressed each of our races, just as Celestria and Thorgar have done, and it won¡¯t change anything. Something needs to be done to stop them!¡± interrupted an enormous lizardman, scanning the faces of the gathered races. ¡°Very well Kallarak, what will you have us do?¡± asked the speaker of the assembly, an elderly sage with pale skin, dark brown eyes, a long grey beard and matching long hair that hung below his shoulders. ¡°You demand action, so surely you have something in mind?¡± ¡°I do Mythus, I suggest that we wipe humanity from existence. Without their presence in our world, the other races will be able to live more peacefully.¡± ¡°We cannot simply wipe humanity from existence, we don¡¯t have the authority to do such a thing!¡± yelled a scantily dressed orcish woman from the other side of the gathering, glaring at her opponent with defiant green eyes that complemented her long red hair. ¡°Are we not Gods, Narzula? Do we not hold power over life and death?¡± ¡°We may be Gods, Kallarak, but we do not have the authority to wipe an entire race from existence!¡± ¡°If not us, then who? Who would you suggest we address this matter to? Aerabus?¡± ¡°That is exactly who I would suggest! Is he not the eldest of all Gods, the creator of all life, The Progenitor?¡± ¡°And pray tell, when was the last time that any of you have even laid eyes on him? The mortal races have long since forgotten about his existence, there are scarcely a handful of living beings that even know of his name! And let¡¯s not forget that it was he that created humanity, their transgressions are his transgressions!¡± ¡°You are crossing a line here, Kallarak!¡± interrupted Mythus, the speaker of the assembly and God of Wisdom. ¡°Aerabus created all life, not just humanity. He created every race that exists today. Each of us rose to divinity from the mortal realm through our actions in life, for which he chose to grant us divinity, whereas Aerabus has existed since time began. How dare you stand here and judge him for the actions of one of the many races that he created!¡± ¡°Spoken like a true lapdog of The Progenitor!¡± yelled Thorgar. ¡°Is it mere coincidence that the humans bear more of a resemblance to Aerabus than the other races? Perhaps he intended for this to happen all along!¡± ¡°Why does he not come before us and speak for himself? Why does he always send you, Mythus, to speak on his behalf?¡± added Kallarak. ¡°You wish for me to speak for myself? Very well then, I am here now and will hear you out!¡± said a kind yet stern voice from above, as a bright golden light filled the divine realm. The assembled Gods all scrambled to their feet and stared up in awe at the figure that appeared from the blinding light. There before them was the figure of a well-built human man, barely thirty years old, with brown hair, brown eyes, and tanned skin, dressed in simple long white pants, a long sleeve white shirt with its sleeves rolled up and a brown, sleeveless open cloak that hung almost to his plain brown shoes. The figure''s enormous golden winds allowed him to effortlessly touch down on the ground in the centre of the amphitheatre, and though the initial bright light had subsided, the being still gave off a golden glow that showed his true divinity. With his feet now firmly on the ground, the gathered Gods instinctively dropped to one knee with their heads bowed. ¡°Lord Aerabus, what brings you to the amphitheatre?¡± asked Mythus with his head still bowed. ¡°You need not bow before me. We are all Gods here and should stand as equals in this place!¡± ¡°But we are not equals Lord Aerabus, you are The Progenitor, the first true God!¡± ¡°And I gave divinity to each of you. That makes us equals in my eyes! Now I wish to hear what problems the humans have caused in the mortal realm!¡± ¡°Very well Lord Aerabus. The humans are nothing more than warmongering, hateful creatures that desire nothing less than the subjugation of all other races!¡± ¡°Thank you, Kallarak. Do you all feel this way?¡± ¡°We do Lord Aerabus. The humans enslave many of the other races, forcing them to perform humiliating acts or act as labourers to build their ever-growing empires. They have even gone so far as to create new Gods and religions that make them the only true race, claiming that all other races are abominations that need to be purged from existence.¡± ¡°I did not know that things had gotten so bad in this world. It saddens me to learn of this.¡± Said Aerabus as he looked down at the ground, causing it to suddenly vanish, creating a window into the mortal world. The other Gods looked on in amazement as this window started showing scenes from the world below, as Aerabus used the eyes of the birds of the world to show him what was happening. Aerabus watched on as scenes of vicious wars, slave camps, false churches, and atrocious crimes were being committed across the world that he had created. ¡°I can see that the humans of this world truly have turned from grace and have started behaving in a deeply misguided manner. What is it you would have me do about this?¡± ¡°We would ask that you rectify this world, Lord Aerabus!¡± answered Narzula. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°And how would you have me do this?¡± ¡°I would ask that you erase all humans so that the world might return to the way it was meant to be!¡± answered Thorgar. ¡°But is this not the world that you desired, Thorgar?¡± ¡°Why would anyone desire a world like this?¡± ¡°Are you not all Gods? Do you not have the power to influence the minds of mortal beings? If this is how the world is, then it is that way because you made it so.¡± ¡°You would blame us for the way your creation turned out?¡± ¡°I would, Kallarak. I have never had any influence on this world. I created this world and gave each of its beings the free will to do as they see fit. I watched over it for a few millennia and hand-picked a few beings that I thought would be capable of overseeing it. After that, I moved on and continued to create other worlds. This world is as it is because you, its Gods, did not use your influence correctly.¡± ¡°This is rubbish, you are only blaming us for your failings!¡± yelled Kallarak. ¡°You are out of line, Kallarak! You will not speak to The Progenitor in that way!¡± interrupted Mythus. ¡°It''s quite alright Mythus, did I not say that we are all equals here. I can see that mere words will not resolve this situation. However, I also have no intention of wiping an entire race from existence. Every race that I have created is precious to me and has the potential to be either good or evil¡­¡± ¡°You stand here before us, after having witnessed the atrocities of those humans for yourself and you still choose to defend them?¡± yelled Kallarak getting more worked up. ¡°As I said, all of my creations are precious to me. If you can suggest another method to rectify the situation that does not involve culling an entire race, then I will hear you out.¡± The amphitheatre fell silent for some time as each of The Gods thought about Aerabus¡¯s words before Kallarak finally broke the silence. ¡°I would have you live among the mortals and attempt to sway them from this evil path that they have turned down!¡± ¡°I find this to be an interesting proposition that you have given me Kallarak. Very well, I will go along with this idea of yours, provided that you allow me to modify it slightly?¡± ¡°As you wish!¡± answered Kallarak smugly. Aerabus looked around the amphitheatre and examined each of the thirteen Gods in turn. Before him was a male and female of each race; Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, Lizardmen, Fairies, and Humans, with Mythus being the thirteenth and third human God. With Aerabus¡¯s eyes passing from one God to the next, the divine realm began to shudder. ¡°From this moment on, myself, and each of you will live among the mortals. Each of us is to use our power and influence to change the mortal world for the better. You will continue to be Gods with all of your current powers; however, you will no longer be able to directly influence the minds of mortals, nor will you be able to use your power to unjustly attack a mortal that is not from the same race as you are. If directly attacked, you may use whatever power you see fit to defend yourself, but only if you have not instigated the altercation, and you may not use the altercation as an excuse to destroy kingdoms or entire races. Mythus, you alone will remain in the divine realm to oversee both realms and you alone will be able to see what each of the Gods is doing, but you may not under any circumstances intervene. Each of us will be allowed back into the divine realm only after we are truly content with the world as it is, I on the other hand will only be able to return to the divine realm after all other Gods have returned.¡± Announced Aerabus as magical circles appeared at the feet of each of the Gods, bathing them in a golden light. Before another word could be spoken, a blinding flash of golden light enveloped the Gods. With the light slowly subsiding, the Gods found themselves standing in a large clearing deep in a forest at the centre of the mortal realm. ¡°Why have you brought us to the mortal realm Aerabus? This makes no sense, we are Gods, we are not meant to interact with the mortals.¡± Asked Celestria, patron Goddess of the Elves. ¡°All of you are of the opinion that this world is not as it should be. This is your opportunity to set the world on the right path. You may go where you like and do what you like, just go out there and make this world better, in whatever way you see fit.¡± ¡°What does that even mean?¡± asked Thorgar, the Dwarven God of Protection. ¡°It means whatever you want it to mean. Just know that you will be here in the mortal world until you are truly happy with the way the world is. Now go out into the world and improve it!¡± said Aerabus, causing the other Gods to pause and look at each other. After several moments of contemplation, most of the Gods sprouted their wings and took flight, each headed in a different direction, with only the two Elven and Dwarven Gods choosing to travel together. As one of the only Gods yet to depart, Kallarak stared at Aerabus for a while longer before his scaled wings sprouted from his back. ¡°Very well, if you want me to do your work for you, then so be it. I will make this world into a paradise for all races!¡± he said, before propelling himself into the air with such force that he left Aerabus standing in a cloud of dust. ¡°Do you also believe that I made the wrong decision, Fellaroth?¡± asked Aerabus of the small human God who was now the only God to have not flown off in a hurry. With no answer from Fellaroth, Aerabus slowly approached him and watched him intently for a moment. ¡°The other Gods were saying such hateful things about your people and yet you said nothing in their defence, why is that?¡± ¡°It would have made no difference, they have already made up their minds about what is happening in this world, even though very few of them have even bothered to look in on the mortal realm since receiving their divinity¡­ Though I suppose I don¡¯t have room to talk, my own people no longer know my name. They worship false Gods now. Gods who desire nothing but ruin and destruction. Was I truly such a worthless God that it took so little for my people to forget me?¡± ¡°Do you think that being able to walk among the humans will allow you to set things right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I was unable to do anything from The Divine Realm. A God that is not believed in is powerless. Perhaps this way I can find the beings that have taken my place and purge them from this world.¡± ¡°I can sense your anger Fellaroth, I would advise you to let go of that anger before you face this foe, or it might be your undoing.¡± ¡°How in the world do you expect me to let go of my anger? They have perverted the human race and led them down a path from which there might be no redemption!¡± ¡°Every God of every race now walks beneath the same moons once more. Perhaps, if provided with enough evidence, they will be able to influence their races to make amends with the humans. But make no mistake here Fellaroth, you have more work to do in this realm than the others, for you have fallen further than the rest, though I must admit they were not too far behind you.¡± ¡°And what of Mythus? He was the first being that you chose to grant divinity too and I was the second. How is it that he is the only human God that still has followers?¡± ¡°That¡¯s simple, because Mythus never stopped performing his duties as a God. He guided his followers and even interacted with those who he thought needed to hear his voice. Can any of the other Gods say as much?¡± ¡°Is that why he was exempt from this punishment?¡± ¡°It is!¡± ¡°So you admit that this is a punishment then?¡± ¡°You can look at it in any way that you see fit Fellaroth, though if I were you, I¡¯d choose to see it as an opportunity to fix past wrongs. Before I leave you, I¡¯m going to give you some advice. Do not raise your weapon to another God in anger, and should you even encounter any of the other Gods, it would be best to interact one on one, if there are more than two of you, I would keep the interaction to less than ten minutes.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand, why am I the only one you are giving this information to?¡± ¡°I highly doubt that the others will be seeing each other directly any time soon, and besides, I will be watching each of you very closely.¡± Said Aerabus as he vanished, leaving Fellaroth standing alone in a large clearing deep in a forest in the middle of the human realm. Chapter 2 The mortal realm seemed to be a far emptier and lonelier place than Fellaroth had remembered. Now standing alone deep in a part of the world that had scarcely seen human life, he wondered to himself how he had ever earned his divinity in the first place. What was it that Aerabus had seen in him that made him worthy of being a God? As he stood beneath the setting sun, he could think of nothing that could have deemed him worthy. Anger grew in the pit of his stomach, causing him to clench his fists at the thought of the beings who had led his people down the path of destruction. As his anger grew, Fellaroth was about to shout to the heavens when a gust of wind blew across his path, bringing with it a smell that was worse than death. Fellaroth looked around and saw that beasts of all kinds seemed to be fleeing from the origin of this unnatural odour, which piqued his interest. He started to make his way through the forest, following the pungent odour that was the bane of monsters throughout the forest. With the smell growing stronger, faint memories of a very distant past flashed through his mind. He remembered a time when he stood around a fire with a group of faceless people, laughing as they too burned something that produced this very odour. ¡®Who were those people? Was that my past? I¡¯ve been a God for so long that I can¡¯t even remember my human life anymore!¡± he thought as the glow of a fire in the distance started to come into view. ¡°That¡¯s quite the smell you¡¯re making!¡± said Fellaroth, stepping out from the forest into the open with his hands in the air. The group of adventurers that had been seated a short distance from the fire scrambled to their feet and pointed their weapons at this strange new arrival who could not have looked more out of place. There standing before a group of dirty adventurers stood a perfectly clean young man in his thirties, wearing loose-fitting long silk pants and a short-sleeved silk shirt that made him look as though he had just wandered out of the famous markets of Silver Peak City. ¡°Are you some kind of demon?¡± asked one of the adventurers, stepping forward with his claymore squared and ready to attack. ¡°I can assure you that I am nothing of the sort!¡± ¡°So you say, but how else can you explain your sudden appearance this deep in the forest with no weapon and not even so much as a speck of dust on you?¡± ¡°I have a weapon; I simply chose not to draw it in the hopes of showing that I was no threat to you.¡± ¡°And where is this weapon? I can see no axe or sword anywhere on you! Are you perhaps a magic caster?¡± ¡°My weapon is right here!¡± answered Fellaroth, reaching for his lower back, where a small thirty-centimetre spear had been fastened. ¡°Is that some kind of dagger, or short sword?¡± asked a second adventurer who was holding two battle axes, one in each hand. ¡°Oh no, this is a spear!¡± Answered Fellaroth, to the amusement of the adventurers. ¡°Ha! Don¡¯t make me laugh, what could you possibly do with such a weapon?¡± yelled the axe wielder, trusting Fellaroth even less. ¡°There is no way you made it this far through the forest with that tiny little dagger. Tell me the truth, who or what are you?¡± asked the claymore wielder. ¡°I am human, as to how I got here, I would prefer not to say. I will prove to you that I am strong enough to make it this far into the forest without an escort. Why don¡¯t the three of you attack me together, if I can defend myself against the three of you, then will you allow me to spend the night at your fire?¡± ¡°And that¡¯s all you want, to spend the night at our fire?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind some conversation to go along with it.¡± ¡°Fine, but what if you lose?¡± ¡°I will leave it to you to decide that.¡± ¡°Very well then, prepare yourself!¡± yelled the Claymore wielder, barely finishing his sentence before launching his attack, followed quickly after by the dual axe wielder, while their third party member fired arrows at Fellaroth from a distance. The adventurers were a well-oiled machine, each one would move in for an attack, creating the perfect opening for the other to attack, while the bowman would fire his arrows into any gaps left by the other two. Had they been fighting any other opponent then the fight might have been over in an instant. However, they were not fighting just any opponent, they were fighting Fellaroth, who for better or worse was a God. Fellaroth effortlessly dodged the swing of the claymore, and the subsequent onslaught of the two battle axes, while using his thirty-centimetre spear to deflect the arrows that managed to find the gaps between the two vanguards. The three adventurers stepped back and paused to reassess their opponent, while the claymore wielder issued his first order of the fight, saying, ¡°Calvin, drop the bow, we¡¯re going to need you in close quarters with us for this one!¡± at which point Calvin replaced his bow on his back and drew two dual-wielding swords from two scabbards on his waist. Seeing as he was about to face off against three skilled fighters in close quarters, Fellaroth spun his spear once in his right hand, at which point it rapidly grew in size, until it was just as tall as he was. He then grabbed the spear with both hands and readied himself for the next attack. The next barrage was far more fearsome than the first, the three adventurers were able to perfectly time each of their attacks to ensure that their opponent would have no time to rest. The moment one attack was made, whether the attack landed or not, the member would immediately withdraw, creating an opening for the next to launch their attack. In spite of this terrifying tactic, which saw Fellaroth fending off multiple attacks at once, he was still able to parry attacks with his spear, often deflecting one attacker into another, while still managing to dodge any attacks that he was not able to block with his spear. After two or three minutes of furious unrelenting attacks by the adventurers, they each jumped back, panting and out of breath, before the claymore wielder said, ¡°Fine I suppose you have earned the right to join us for the night.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe it, how is it possible that none of us was able to land even a glancing blow!¡± asked the axe wielder, who had by now started making his way over to the fire. ¡°I know, nothing has ever been able to face all three of us in close quarters and escape without so much as a scratch!¡± added Calvin, placing his swords back in their scabbards as he too walked back toward the fire. ¡¯Perhaps I should have gone easier on them, maybe if I had let them land a few blows then they would be less suspicious of me.¡¯ Thought Fellaroth, noting the glances he was getting from the other two. ¡°Don¡¯t mind them, they¡¯re just sore losers.¡± Said the leader of the party, extending his hand to Fellaroth. ¡°Names Riegert, I¡¯m the closest thing we have to a leader.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Fellaroth.¡± He answered, shaking Riegert¡¯s outstretched hand. ¡°Where did you get that spear? I¡¯ve never heard of a weapon that could change its size before!¡± added Riegert, watching the spear grow smaller in Fellaroth¡¯s hand until he replaced it on his lower back. ¡°Also, are you sure you¡¯re human? I mean, I¡¯ve never seen anyone move the way you do. Though I suppose it would explain how you¡¯ve made it this far into the forest alone.¡± ¡°The spear is just something that I¡¯ve picked up in my travels, and for the last time, I am human!¡± ¡°Very well, we¡¯ll take you at your word.¡± Said Riegert, leading his new guest over to the fire. ¡°Fellaroth this strapping young man is Jackson, he is our party¡¯s berserker and as you saw for yourself, he is quite talented with those axes. This other fine-looking young man is Calvin, he¡¯s our party¡¯s scout and is also very talented with dual swords, as you have no doubt seen. Gentlemen, this is Fellaroth and as per our agreement, he will be spending the night with us at our fire, make him feel welcome!¡± Now standing by the fire, getting his first good look at the young men he had just faced off against, Fellaroth was shocked to see that they were a group of men who could scarcely have been in their mid-twenties, making their earlier performance all the more outstanding. ¡°From the skills you¡¯ve just displayed I would assume that you were a highly ranked adventuring party, but looking at the shabby leather plate armour that you¡¯re all sporting, I think I¡¯m going to reassess and say that you¡¯re just starting out?¡± ¡°Oh, that one hurt!¡± said Calvin, looking down at his armour that had just been insulted. ¡°It¡¯s the best we can afford, low-ranking parties don¡¯t exactly get paid well you know!¡± ¡°You appear to be a merchant, though you fight like someone who has seen real war, how much do you know about the adventuring system?¡± asked Jackson, while cleaning one of his axes. ¡°Well let¡¯s see, if I remember correctly the rankings started at ¡®G¡¯ and progressed all the way up to ¡®A¡¯, from which point you then get ¡®S¡¯ ¨C ¡®double S¡¯ and ¡®triple S¡¯, is that correct?¡± ¡°That is correct!¡± ¡°And where on this scale would we find your party?¡± ¡°We are currently E-ranked.¡± Answered Calvin, as though it pained him to admit it. ¡°But there¡¯s no way, not after the performance you just put on, I would have thought that you would be at least A-ranked!¡± ¡°That means a lot coming from someone who was able to fend us all off so easily. Might I ask what rank you are? I mean you have to be at least S or even double S-rank, right?¡± asked Riegert. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, I¡¯m not registered with any guild.¡± ¡°Then what in the world are you doing this far out in the forest? The only reason for any person to be this far out is if you were on a job from the guild. I mean there¡¯s nothing out here but monsters!¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid that that¡¯s not something I¡¯m willing to share just yet. Let¡¯s just say that I¡¯m glad I followed my nose, as it led me to you lot. Speaking of, what in the world are you burning that could cause even the monsters of this forest to flee?¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised you would follow that smell without knowing what it was, you must be a truly brave man. That smell is burning goblin blood. We¡¯ve just completed a job that had us track down and kill a small horde of goblins that had been raiding a farming village not far from the edge of the forest.¡± Answered Calvin. ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain why you¡¯re burning goblin blood though?¡± ¡°You really aren¡¯t an adventurer are you, Fellaroth? When you complete a job for a guild, they require you to bring back trophies as proof that you have completed the job. In this case, we had to collect a single ear from each goblin that we killed. And in the process of cutting off goblin ears, you will inevitably get your gloves soaked in their blood, which is impossible to wash out and the horrid smell never fades. The best option is to burn your gloves or any other item of clothing that has their blood on it. The best part about it is that the smell that is produced by burning the gloves is enough to chase off any other monsters in the vicinity, ensuring that you will have a good night¡¯s sleep before heading back to the guild!¡± answered Jackson, with more enthusiasm than Fellaroth would have thought him capable of. ¡°But there¡¯s more than just gloves on that fire!¡± said Fellaroth pointing to a second fire that was burning a few meters away from the one they were seated around. ¡°There¡¯s almost a full set of armour in that fire, and it doesn¡¯t look to be bad armour either.¡± At Fellaroth¡¯s observation, both Jackson and Riegert burst out laughing, while Calvin seemed to want to shrink from view. ¡°Oh yes, that would be Calvin¡¯s newest armour, he was quite proud of it actually, until he managed to get it almost completely drenched in goblin blood that is!¡± said Jackson, battling to speak between bursts of uncontrollable laughter. ¡°If you had arrived only five minutes earlier you would have caught Calvin here prancing about completely naked!¡± ¡°He can be thankful that I had thought to pack a change of clothes.¡± Added Riegert, managing to pull himself together. ¡°It was some really good armour you know, cost me almost all of the money I had saved in the past few months!¡± said Calvin, looking over at his burning armour with regret. ¡°I¡¯m certain you will be able to get another set soon Calvin. With the skills that you have all shown today, I am certain that you will all be getting promoted before you know it!¡± ¡°Unfortunately, that¡¯s not likely, the guild requires us to have a party member who can use healing magic before they are willing to promote us. The problem is that there are very few people around here that can cast healing magic, at least very few humans.¡± ¡°So then why don¡¯t you party up with a non-human magic user?¡± ¡°I wish it were that simple, non-humans don¡¯t exactly like humans, you must have seen that in your merchant dealings, right?¡± asked Jackson. ¡°Are things really that bad?¡± ¡°They are, and I can¡¯t say that I blame them. The past few human kings have done nothing but advocate for war and try to enslave the other races.¡± Answered Riegert. ¡°It¡¯s the damn church''s fault! What kind of sick God is worshipped in those churches that tells people that they should hate anyone different from themselves?¡± interjected Jackson, barely able to contain his rage. ¡®This is your opportunity Fellaroth, tell them that you can use magic and ask to join their group!¡¯ the sound of Mythus¡¯s voice in Fellaroth¡¯s head was almost enough to startle him, but luckily, he was able to keep his composure. ¡®What are you doing Mythus?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m trying to help guide you down the right path!¡¯ ¡®By telling me to join a human adventuring party?¡¯ ¡®How else are you going to learn more about this new religion? Don¡¯t forget, you don¡¯t have the luxury the other Gods have. They can walk into any city or village inhabited by their people and be recognised as a God. No one in this world will recognise you as a God. The best thing for you to do is to join up with this party and make a name for yourself. Then you will be able to collect more information about the current religion that the humans follow and when the time is right you can reveal the truth and regain your place as their true God.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s a fine idea Mythus, but do you really think that I deserve to be a God anymore?¡¯ ¡®Aerabus believes you do. If he didn¡¯t then you¡¯d no longer be a God. But I suppose the true question here is whether you believe you deserve to be a God anymore?¡¯ ¡®I honestly don¡¯t know the answer to that question Mythus.¡¯ ¡®Well then take this advice Fellaroth. Join that party of adventurers, live a human life again and along the way, when you discover what is truly going on in that world, then you can decide what you want to do next.¡¯ ¡®Very well Mythus, I¡¯ll do it, I¡¯ll join this party!¡¯ ¡°You alright there Fellaroth? You kind of zoned out there for a bit.¡± Asked Riegert. ¡°I¡¯m good, I just got lost in thought for a moment¡­ listen, what would you say if I told you that I was able to cast magic? More specifically I¡¯m quite skilled with healing magic.¡± ¡°I¡¯d ask if you wanted to join our party¡­ but that¡¯s just silly, right? I mean there¡¯s no possible way that you could be that talented with a spear and be able to use magic¡­ but then again for your spear to change its size the way it does would mean that you would have to use magic, but that can¡¯t be, can it?¡± the others could only watch on as Riegert rambled incoherently as he tried to grapple with the idea of Fellaroth not only being skilled with a spear but also being skilled with magic. ¡°Well then I¡¯d say, I¡¯d love to¡­¡± Fellaroth¡¯s words brought Riegert to a sudden and complete silence as he simply stared agape at this stranger before him. ¡°Excuse me?¡± stammered Riegert. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Fellaroth, Riegert¡¯s brain seems to have taken a break. What he meant to say was welcome aboard!¡± said Calvin, pushing Riegert aside and extending a hand to his newest party member. Chapter 3 Golden rays of sunlight started to penetrate the undergrowth, bringing the warmth of a new day as the woodland creatures emerged from their dens and started to forage. The rich fragrant aromas of the forest were stirred up by a light breeze that passed through the trees, tossing around the dried leaves that littered the ground. The smaller creatures that called this forest their home scurried about on the woodland floor unhindered by any predators, they chirped pleasantly, calling to each other as they did every other day, but on this morning their pleasant chirping was quickly replaced by urgent calls and panicked responses as a party of adventurers charged through the underbrush like demons possessed. ¡°How in the world did an entire pack of stubbies manage to sneak up on us without anyone noticing. Who was supposed to be on watch last night?¡± called Riegert between breaths, as he tried to evade the wild beasts that were pursuing them through the forest. ¡°That would be me Riegert, but I swear I didn¡¯t fall asleep!¡± yelled Jackson, while trying to evade vicious attacks that left gouges in the trees that the beasts hit when they missed him. ¡°Wait, aren¡¯t those obsidianjaws?¡± yelled Fellaroth, now that the rising sun had finally given him a glimpse of what it was that they were running from. There behind him was a pack of enormous, snarling, snub-nosed hounds with jagged teeth protruding from their drool-dripping mouths. They had plated leathery skin that was almost completely impervious to stabbing, spiked spines that protected them from above and barbed tails that protected their rears. All of that coupled with their keen sense of sight and keener hearing, made these beasts a force to be reckoned with. ¡°They are, why, do you know some secret way to defeat them?¡± asked Calvin, silently hoping that the answer would be yes. ¡°Maybe if it were just one or two of them, but there must be nearly twenty of them!¡± yelled Fellaroth. ¡°Our best bet is to either evade them or find them some better prey.¡± ¡°Well, we are in a forest filled with monsters! Everyone pick a direction and run with everything you¡¯ve got, find those things something else to hunt!¡± yelled Riegert, causing the group to split up and run in different directions. Fellaroth looked over his shoulder as the group split up, trying to see how many beasts were following each member. The tall and generously proportioned Jackson, who for his size was surprisingly just as nimble when running away as he was when fighting, had turned right and was being chased by three beasts. Turning left and heading farthest from the group was the small slender frame of the ever-capable Calvin, leading five beasts away. Continuing in the same direction they had been going was Riegert, who Fellaroth was only able to spot thanks to the morning sun glinting off of his bald head. Though very well built, Riegert, much like the rest of his party was no slouch and was easily able to lead the five beasts that followed him. All of which meant that Fellaroth, who had chosen to double back on himself was now being followed by seven obsidianjaws, which for any normal man would be a serious problem, but thankfully Fellaroth was no normal man. After running for a reasonable amount of time and feeling sure that the others were far enough away, Fellaroth came to a dead stop, barely dodging the obsidianjaws that snapped at him as they ran past. Now surrounded by ten snarling, grunting wild beasts, Fellaroth smiled a faint smile as he remembered a time long ago when he had found himself in a very similar situation. He pulled his spear from his back and extended it until it was almost as tall as he was and then waited to see what the beasts would do. Several tense moments passed as the obsidianjaws seemed to be sizing up their pray when suddenly from behind Fellaroth, one launched its attack. The creature moved swiftly and with true intent but was sadly not fast enough to catch a God off his guard. The beast passed by Fellaroth to his right and left him the perfect opportunity to drive his spear into the space between its leather plates, skewering its heart and killing it in an instant. With the body of the first obsidianjaw hitting the ground, two more attacked from the rear, allowing Fellaroth the same chance to kill two more in the same fashion. Three beasts had fallen in as many seconds and the remaining four were growing wary of their prey. They stepped back and began to circle Fellaroth, growling and grunting all the while, as though communicating their intentions to each other, or debating what they should do next. After several more tense moments had passed, three obsidianjaws launched a simultaneous attack from the left, right, and front. This time as the beasts approached, Fellaroth used the side and pole of his spear to brutally bash in the skulls of the attacking monsters, leaving just one left to contend with. Time stood still as the two able killers stared each other down with not a sound to be heard in the world, when suddenly the lone obsidianjaw, whether out of fear or a sense of self-preservation, decided that it would not fight this foe this day and chose to flee deeper into the forest from which it had first emerged. Fellaroth stood still for a moment and simply observed his surroundings, he listened intently to try and detect if there were any other monsters nearby that he might lead toward one of the others, when suddenly as though being drawn in by the smell of fresh blood, a lone vorpalbear, with its deceptively feline features, wandered out of the undergrowth, from which its striped coat allowed it to blend in almost flawlessly. ¡°Well hello, big boy¡­ or girl? I think you¡¯ll do just fine!¡± he said before turning on his heels and running in the direction, he had seen Jackson go. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Jackson ran through the forest as fast as his large body would allow him, using his axes in each hand to fend off any attacks that did manage to reach him, before abruptly changing directions, while still searching for something else that might catch the obsidianjaws attention better than himself. ¡°Come on you stinking beasts! This forest is always crawling with monsters prowling around every corner just waiting to kill you, where are you now that I need one of you!¡± he yelled, feeling his stamina starting to fade. ¡®If I don¡¯t find something else for them to hunt and quick, I¡¯m not going to make it. I can¡¯t keep running at this pace for much longer. Dear Gods, if any of you can hear me, please send something or someone to help me!'' ¡°Jackson, I need you to run straight toward me!¡± yelled a familiar voice from off to his right. Jackson looked over to his right and saw Fellaroth running toward him with a vorpalbear hot on his heels. ¡°That¡¯s a great idea Fell, but how do we make sure that we¡¯re not caught in the middle?¡± ¡°Up ahead, you see where the ground on the left is higher than the ground on the right? Head there!¡± yelled Fellaroth pointing ahead of them both. Looking ahead to where Fellaroth had been pointing, Jackson saw nothing but a cliff, but he chose to believe Fellaroth who at this point had at least managed to prove that he could escape some obsidianjaws. Jackson used the last of his stamina to run toward and then along the cliff, which by now he could see was not as high as he had previously thought. With the obsidianjaws snapping at his heels, he looked off the side of the cliff and saw there just below him was Fellaroth, still being chased by the enormous vorpalbear, which he could now see had a large wound on its back. After Jackson noticed the gaping wound on the back of the vorpalbear, it wasn¡¯t long before one of the obsidianjaws saw it and took its opportunity to pounce on the injured animal, which caused the others to follow suit, allowing Jackson to finally slow down and catch his breath. ¡°Great job Jackson, that worked perfectly!¡± said Fellaroth, resting a hand on Jackson¡¯s shoulder as he bent over trying to catch his breath. ¡°Woah! Oh Fell, it''s just you, I¡¯m glad you managed to get away too! Thanks for that, I¡¯m not sure how much longer I would have been able to last.¡± ¡°It''s all good Jackson, catch your breath and we¡¯ll head off to see if we can find out what happened to Calvin and Riegert.¡± ¡°I¡¯m good, I¡¯m good! Riegert should be the closest right? I think I saw him headed in that direction.¡± Said Jackson, who to Fellaroth¡¯s surprise had pointed in the exact direction that Riegert had gone. The two walked on in silence for some time until they reached the spot where the group had originally split up. Jackson kneeled down and examined the ground before saying, ¡°Riegert had five on his tail and so did Calvin, those aren¡¯t very good odds.¡± He then walked a little further down the path the group had followed before they split up, and turned back to face Fellaroth. ¡°You had seven on your tail and managed to lose them, that¡¯s impressive! Perhaps there is hope for the others.¡± ¡°Wow, Jackson, you¡¯re a pretty skilled tracker. Were you seriously able to tell all that by just looking at the tracks on the ground?¡± ¡°Jackson¡¯s quite amazing that way!¡± said the voice of Calvin approaching from their left. ¡°Ah, Calvin, so you too managed to get away from those beasts!¡± called Jackson upon seeing his friend returning unharmed. ¡°As it turns out, they can¡¯t climb trees very well. I just climbed the tallest tree I could find and waited for them to get bored and run off.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really all it took?¡± asked Jackson in disbelief. ¡°It is! I think we should probably head in the direction that Riegert had gone, if I¡¯m not mistaken it''s also the direction of the farming village that was being raided by the goblins.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t mean that Riegert would have led those beasts toward that village do you?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe that you would even ask such a thing Fell, of course he wouldn¡¯t do that, but it is the most likely place for us to find him after he has lost those stubbies.¡± Answered Jackson. ¡°Fell, I like that, you mind if I call you that too?¡± asked Calvin, after hearing Jackson abbreviate Fellaroth¡¯s name for the first time. ¡°If you¡¯d like, I mean it doesn¡¯t disturb me.¡± ¡°Fantastic! Then Fell it is!¡± called Jackson, far louder than he ought to have. ¡°Must you always be so loud?¡± asked a voice from high above the group. ¡°Boss, you made it!¡± ¡°Why do you sound so surprised? Is it really that hard to believe that I would be able to evade a handful of those things, especially considering that you lot all managed to evade the ones chasing you?¡± ¡°Well, to be honest, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape them if it weren¡¯t for Fell, who came to my rescue.¡± ¡°Is that so, well, Fell, thank you for saving Jackson. Today you have officially wiped away any doubts that I might have had about letting you join our party.¡± ¡°Thanks, Riegert, that means a lot. I know it couldn¡¯t have been easy to accept a random stranger into your party like that, but I will continue to do my best to prove to each of you that you were not wrong to let me join you.¡± ¡°Great stuff! Now on to the task at hand. Before we head back to Pivoton to collect the reward for this job, I want us to check on the village that was being raided by those goblins. I just want to be sure that we didn¡¯t miss any of the buggers.¡± Said Riegert, leading his party out of the forest at last. Chapter 4 Standing at the edge of the forest, looking out over the open, overgrown grassy planes that stretched out before them, the adventurers breathed deeply, enjoying the fresh air that swept across the land. The sun was fast approaching its highest point when they finally crested the final hill that would bring the farming village into view. Before them, to their great dismay were several towers of smoke, rising over the village they had just fought goblins in order to protect. ¡°But I don¡¯t understand, we were so careful to ensure that all of the goblins were in that cave before we entered. We spent days tracking their movements and staking out that cave. How could this possibly have happened?¡± asked Calvin, upon seeing the devastated village. ¡°Let¡¯s not jump to conclusions Calvin, we don¡¯t yet know what the cause of this was. Let us first go down there and speak with the village people before we start casting blame.¡± Said Riegert, resting a reassuring hand on his comrade¡¯s shoulder. Covering the distance to the village over the few rolling hills was short, taking no more than a few minutes, but to the adventurers who wanted to know the cause of the devastation, it felt like hours, as they agonised over every minute of the past few days, wondering if they had somehow missed a handful of goblins in their haste to clear the cave. Having reached the border of the village, which was marked by a small stone wall, the adventurers could hear the sounds of desperate voices calling for aid. Some yelled out in pain, while others called in vain for their Gods to bring back those who had lost their lives. The group walked through the village, trying to assess the situation and see where their help would be needed most. Before they were able to make it more than a few paces beyond the village border, a short busty woman with intense red hair and vibrant green eyes seemed to fall from the sky, landing in the middle of the street, preventing the adventurers from going any further. Brandishing a large, curved sword she boldly declared, ¡°Not a step further you despicable fiends! Was it not enough for you to almost destroy our entire village? Are you not happy with the lives that you took last night? Ready yourselves to meet your Gods, for today you die!¡± she proclaimed fearlessly, before launching an attack that almost shattered Jackson''s dual axes as he attempted to block. ¡°Please young lady, we are not your enemies! We have come here only to help your people!¡± said Riegert, attempting to defuse the situation. ¡°You arrived in our village mere hours after we were raided and are coming from the same direction that our attackers fled last night, how do you expect me to react?¡± said the woman, still brandishing her weapon. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about your attackers or what happened here last night, but I assure you, we are here to help. My friend Fell here is capable of casting healing magic. Take him to your injured and he will do all that he can to help them!¡± said Riegert, looking over to Fellaroth as though pleading for him to go along with this. ¡°Is this true?¡± asked the young woman, looking over at Fellaroth, who did nothing more than nod confidently. ¡°Very well, please follow me, we have gathered the injured in the church at the end of this street!¡± she added before turning and running in the direction of the church. The group followed the young woman through the village toward the small church, noticing the number of fires that were still burning throughout the village. People had formed lines from the well at the centre of the town and were passing buckets back and forth as they tried to get water to the fires in an attempt to extinguish them before they were able to spread any farther. ¡°Fell, you go with her, the rest of us are going to try to help the villagers put out these fires and look for anyone else that might need some help.¡± Yelled Riegert, leaving Fellaroth to follow this strangely assertive woman alone. ¡°Quickly, please do all that you can for them!¡± said the woman as she flung open the doors to the church, revealing rows of injured people who had been laid on straw mattresses throughout the church. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this Kattalina? Yelled the preacher upon seeing the doors so violently flung open. ¡°This man can perform healing magic, Father, please let him help!¡± ¡°The great and powerful Mythus informed me that help would soon arrive, though I did not know that it would be so soon!¡± said the Father as Fellaroth noticed the sizeable statue that was a surprisingly good likeness of the God he knew only too well. Fellaroth smiled a faint smile before approaching the first in the line of injured people. ¡°Some burns to the face and arms, and a few minor lacerations¡­ don¡¯t worry madam, I will have you back on your feet in no time.¡± He said as he held his right hand over her body and closed his eyes. moments later a green magic circle appeared in the air above her body, followed by a glow of magical power which caught the attention of the priest, causing him to rush to the woman¡¯s side. Kneeling beside the injured woman, the priest watched on in amazement as the woman¡¯s wounds began to fade until they were no more. ¡°She is fine now, but it will be some time before she wakes, her body is still exhausted and will need time to rest.¡± Said Fellaroth before moving on to the next in the line. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Fellaroth repeated the same process over and over again with each patient. First, he would identify their wounds, then he would hold out his hand, create a magic circle, and then close his eyes before casting his magic, which glowed with a brilliant green light each time. More and more people from the village began to gather in the church as word of this incredible healer had begun to spread. The people watched on in awe as time and time again this mere human was able to move from one person to another and heal all of their injuries without issue and without taking a break. It was not long before Fellaroth started hearing the voices of the villagers as they started to doubt the existence of their patron God, who to their eyes had done nothing to help their people, while this single man was able to save so many lives. Approaching the last in the line, Fellaroth noticed that a small gathering had formed around a small body, and the sound of weeping quickly came to his ears. Approaching the crowd Fellaroth saw the body of a young child who had been very badly injured. ¡°Please kind sir, we can see that you have the power to heal any injury, please can you heal my baby? He fought fearlessly against those vile people, doing everything that he could to give someone else enough time to escape!¡± cried the mother as she held the body of her child in her hands. ¡°It¡¯s true kind sir, if this young boy had not done what he had, then my daughter might have been killed or worse!¡± said another woman with tears in her eyes. Fellaroth kneeled before the child and was immediately aware that the boy of no more than eight had already lost his life to his injuries. Closing his eyes Fellaroth spoke within his own mind. ¡°Are you there Mythus?¡± ¡°I am, Fellaroth.¡± ¡°And are you aware of what lies before me?¡± ¡°I am.¡± ¡°This boy has passed no more than mere moments ago; can you not restore his life?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I cannot.¡± ¡°And why not?¡± ¡°Because these people¡¯s faith in me has faltered. Seeing your power to heal their wounds, has planted seeds of doubt in their hearts about my existence.¡± ¡°If I can restore their faith in you, then will you be able to help this child?¡± ¡°Yes, but only if you lend me your power as well.¡± ¡°Very well Mythus, I will make it so!¡± Fellaroth then took a deep breath and looked up at the statue of Mythus that stood behind the gathered crowd and said loudly. ¡°Dear Mythus, God of Wisdom, it was through your guidance that I found this village that was in need of my aid, and for that I thank you. However, dear Heavenly Father, this young hero, who saved the life of another, is now in need of healing. His injuries are beyond my power alone to heal. I would ask that you please grant me a portion of your power so that I might heal the injuries of this young hero so that he might live to save another life one day!¡± as the gathered people saw Fellaroth address the statue of their chosen God and heard his words, they closed their eyes and began to pray with all their might that the words of this miraculous healer might be heard by their God. Feeling the prayers of the people around him, Fellaroth raised his hand over the body of the child and created a magical circle that was so large that it engulfed the entire church, catching the attention of the villagers outside who were still fighting fires. He then closed his eyes and felt the presence of Mythus appear behind him and rested both hands on his shoulders. Feeling an immense power enter the room, the gathered people opened their eyes and saw the ghostly image of Mythus standing behind Fellaroth. Upon seeing their God in person, the people in the church began to weep with joy as a flash of brilliant green light filled the church, healing the boy¡¯s injuries and returning his soul to his body. The flash of light vanished, and the gathered people gasped and proclaimed how they had seen the image of their God standing behind this young healer. A miracle was declared as the people ran from the church and informed the others that Mythus had brought them a powerful healer and even lent him the power he needed to heal the injuries of a young child who was on the verge of death. With all the injured people in the village having been seen to, Fellaroth left the church and walked out into the middle of the street, where he saw that five columns of smoke still rose from burning buildings. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there! I¡¯m grateful that you healed those people, Fell, but now you need to grab a bucket and help us put out these fires!¡± yelled the rambunctious redheaded woman. Doing his best to ignore the woman, Fellaroth raised his right hand into the air, causing the skies over the village to suddenly grow dark. Seeing the sudden darkening of the skies caused every person in the village to stop what they were doing and look up and wonder what was to happen next. Suddenly five enormous twirling funnels of wind descended from the sky directly onto each of the burning buildings. These immensely powerful funnels of swirling wind seemed to have no effect on the rest of the village though as they touched down on each fire, it was immediately extinguished, and the funnel of wind quickly vanished without a trace. Once all five fires had been extinguished and the funnels of wind had vanished, the skies cleared up once more and the villagers were able to rest at ease at last. Dropping to their knees from exhaustion, the people of the village were overjoyed that after so many hours, their fight could finally come to an end. ¡°Thank you, for everything you¡¯ve done for us, Fell, but could I ask one more favour of you?¡± ¡°What is it Kattalina?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t leave this village tonight, I am certain that those bandits will return tonight to finish what they started, and if they come back with more men than they had last night, then this village won¡¯t stand a chance!¡± said the young woman, now on the verge of tears. ¡°I can¡¯t fight them alone again!¡± ¡°What do you say Riegert?¡± asked Fellaroth seeing his party leader approach. ¡°We cannot walk away from this village knowing that they might still be in danger. Get some rest men, for tonight we will be on guard!¡± Chapter 5 With a number of the villagers¡¯ homes having been burned down during the raid of the previous night, the village church had been converted into a shelter for the homeless. Children ran through the church laughing loudly as they played their games, while the men and women of the village tried to salvage what they could from the destroyed houses. Fires had been made next to the church, where villagers had gotten together to prepare meals for all those who had spent their day working to help clear the rubble of fallen houses, as well as those who had lost their homes. Under the supervision of Calvin and Jackson, the villagers had started using the rubble from destroyed buildings to block any pathways into the village other than the main entrance, in the hopes of ensuring that they could funnel the attacking bandits down a single path and make them easier to deal with. Meanwhile, Riegert had spent his day assessing the fighting abilities of the villagers to see who if any would be able to assist them in fighting off the onslaught that was sure to happen that night. It came as no surprise to him that in a village of farmers, the only person with any true ability for fighting was Kattalina, the young woman who had accosted them earlier that day. So, to ensure that they did not needlessly put themselves in harm¡¯s way, Riegert decided that he would arm the villagers and have them simply stand guard for their own families, responsible for fighting only those who managed to get past him and his party. ¡°Um, Mr Fell, Father Ingstrum asked me to ask if you wouldn¡¯t mind speaking with him in his office?¡± said a young woman who had appeared at Fellaroth¡¯s side as he helped the others clear the rubble. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about us Fell, you¡¯ve done more than enough for the people of this village, feel free to take a break and go speak with The Father.¡± Said an older man who had been working alongside him. ¡°Very well, but I will return as soon as I¡¯m done!¡± ¡°You needn¡¯t rush son; you¡¯ve done plenty today!¡± the old man called after Fellaroth as he headed for the church. Fellaroth climbed the few steps to the church and pushed open its large doors, allowing a group of laughing children to run past him as he did. ¡°Don¡¯t you go disturbing the people that are working out there!¡± called a mother after the group of children, to which she got a unified response, ¡°We won¡¯t!¡± Fellaroth did his best to smile at the church¡¯s new inhabitants, who had put up dividers to cordon off areas for each family, creating a small town within the church. At the back of the church, Fellaroth walked through another door, which led him into a small corridor with only three doors in it, two were on the wall to his left, and one was on the far wall, while the wall to his right had three sizeable windows in it. Knocking on the second door to his left, as he had been told to do, Fellaroth said, ¡°Father, you wished to speak with me?¡± After a few moments, Fellaroth could hear some rustling from within as the priest was clearly scrambling to tidy up his office. ¡®I would have thought he was prepared.¡¯ He thought to himself. ¡®Especially considering that I am here at his request.¡¯ ¡°Just a moment, Fell, I will be right with you!¡± called the priest¡¯s almost frantic voice from within. A few moments later, the door to the priest¡¯s office swung open, allowing Fellaroth his first view of the room beyond. ¡°Please do come in!¡± added the priest, stepping aside. The room was a small one, with the wall to the right being covered entirely in bookshelves that were littered with books of every description, and the wall to the left baring a single large portrait of Mythus, in front of which stood a stone podium with a gold lined bowl carved into its top, which was filled with water and a single floating lit candle. In the centre of the room, consuming most of the space, was a large table with one chair behind it and two in front of it. The desk was covered with a number of holy texts and off to one side was a small mountain of paperwork that appeared to have been hastily pushed aside. A painfully obvious clear space at the centre of the desk, directly in front of the priest¡¯s chair caught Fellaroth¡¯s attention as The Father closed the door and asked him to take a seat. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Let¡¯s not beat around the bush here, Fell, your true name is Fellaroth, God of Prosperity and Good Fortune, is it not?¡± ¡°I am surprised that someone in this world actually knows who I am.¡± Answered Fellaroth, taken aback by this turn of events. ¡°I will be honest with you, Lord Fellaroth, I didn¡¯t know who you were, I had to look you up in this ancient holy text.¡± Said the priest, producing a large book from a drawer and placing it on the table, perfectly filling the cleared space. ¡°I see, and what made you want to look up this information in the first place?¡± ¡°It was your healing magic. Normal healing magic knits a wound back together using the skin around it, and almost always leaves a scar. Your magic, on the other hand, made it as though the wounds never happened. I also noticed that you closed your eyes when you cast those spells, I can only assume that this is because your eyes glow when you use God-level magic.¡± ¡°That was very perceptive of you Father Ingstrum, does anyone else in this village know of this?¡± ¡°They do not, though I don¡¯t understand why you are hiding your true self from the world.¡± ¡°I am a forgotten God, Father Ingstrum, I have no place in this world anymore.¡± ¡°If that were true, might I ask why it is that you are in the mortal realm?¡± ¡°All Gods aside from Mythus are currently in the mortal realm, we are undergoing a form of punishment if you will. We are to remain here in the mortal world until we can set the world back on the right path once more.¡± ¡°Wait, you said you were being punished? Who exactly has the power to punish the Gods?¡± ¡°He is a great being that has long since been forgotten by the mortal races. His name is Aerabus, and he is the Progenitor God, he who came before all others.¡± ¡°Alright, I have far too many questions about that for right now, so I will rather ask, why exactly are the Gods being punished?¡± ¡°I cannot speak to the reasons for the other Gods being punished, however, for my part, I feel that my punishment is for allowing myself to be replaced by those false Gods. That is my mission to rectify in this world.¡± ¡°Is there any way that I can help you with this task?¡± ¡°If you have any information about these new Gods, I would greatly appreciate it.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I do not. Each of my predecessors chose to learn about no God other than Mythus. What I can tell you is, that religion is a very new one, only a few hundred years old, but for being so young it is amassing followers at an alarming rate. It saddens me to see that the race of men is so easily swayed by such evil teachings.¡± ¡°Humanity has always wanted to find a way to feel superior, especially considering that the other races are not only far longer lived, but also stronger and more capable with magic. However, they always fail to see that these attributes alone are not enough to declare any race superior to another, each has their strengths and their shortcomings.¡± ¡°No offense Lord Fellaroth, but you have mentioned what makes the other races different from us, but what exactly makes us different from them?¡± ¡°That is far simpler than you may think, it¡¯s our ingenuity. Did you know that humans created the first enchanted weapons to help bridge the gap in abilities between us and the other races? It was done by a masterful blacksmith by the name of Araclease, who just so happens to have been friends with Mythus when he was still mortal. Then there was The Great Mage Elodrian, my twin sister, who took the idea of enchanted weapons and over many years of experimentation, developed the first magic staff that was capable of amplifying a human¡¯s magical power until it was able to rival that of an elf. Sure, the other races have since improved on these inventions, but they would never have come up with them, because they were already naturally powerful.¡± ¡°I had no idea that these were things that were created by the hands of humans!¡± ¡°The problem is our short lives. There are so many great things that have been invented by humans that it quite literally fills many libraries across this world. We simply cannot live long enough to learn of all the amazing feats that humans have accomplished, and over time, these feats seem so amazing that we simply attribute them to the older races.¡± ¡°I would like to ask you one last thing, Lord Fellaroth. Would you mind if I started to preach to my congregation about Fellaroth, the God of Prosperity and Good Fortune?¡± ¡°I would not stop you from doing such a thing, however, I would ask that for the time being at least, you not spread the word of my having returned to this realm. I feel it would make it far more difficult for me to travel this world.¡± ¡°As you wish, Lord Fellaroth, until you make your presence known to the world, this village will keep your secret.¡± ¡°Could you also refrain from calling me Lord Fellaroth in front of my party? I would rather they not know that they are travelling with a God.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem, My Lord¡­ Um, Fell.¡± Chapter 6 The sun rested on the horizon, tinting the scattered clouds in hues of red and yellow, letting everyone know that evening had arrived in the little farming village. The fires next to the church had been extinguished and the villagers had gathered their children and barricaded their homes. The village defenders, comprising of Kattalina, the party of adventurers, and a handful of men who felt they could not simply stand by and leave the defence of their village to strangers, had gathered in the centre of the village just in front of the church. A bonfire was lit, and a regular patrol of the area had been organised, ensuring that no one was ever sent out on their own. ¡°Do we really expect to see those bandits return tonight?¡± asked one of the villagers, as he returned from his patrol. ¡°Tell me this, what were they able to make off with last night?¡± asked Riegert. ¡°Not much to be honest, maybe a little grain, but Miss Kattalina here did a fantastic job of chasing them off.¡± ¡°Well, the grain was probably their target to begin with, it¡¯s a product that they can easily sell to almost any large city. There¡¯s a very good chance that we will be seeing them again.¡± ¡°Is that why you stationed that big fella out by our barn?¡± asked another villager. ¡°Precisely!¡± ¡°But then shouldn¡¯t we have more people stationed there?¡± asked Kattalina. ¡°Bandits don¡¯t like being made to look bad. So, even though they will come back for the grain, their first stop will definitely be the village, they¡¯ve got a score to settle now. Besides, if any of them did choose to go to the barn first, I can assure you that Jackson will make them regret it.¡± ¡°Great, so are we just supposed to let them take our grain? I mean if it weren¡¯t for you passing by when you did, then this village would have been wiped off the map by morning.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, that happens all the time. That¡¯s why it¡¯s important for villages like yours to encourage adventurers to make their home in your village. Let them buy a house at a cheap price, or if you have a talented blacksmith who can work on weapons, let them offer their services for free. Do whatever you have to in order to encourage some adventurers to make this place their home. If they are able to make a name for themselves and return here often enough, that will be enough of a deterrent to keep bandits away.¡± Said Fellaroth, causing everyone to silently ponder his words. ¡°Is this a common practice where you¡¯re from?¡± asked one of the villagers, after a long pause. ¡°It used to be, a long time ago. I honestly don¡¯t understand why the practice has died out.¡± ¡°What about you lot?¡± interjected yet another villager, causing Fellaroth to look to Riegert for an answer. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t do that. Jackson, Calvin, and I are from a small village near Brightwatch, so we return there quite regularly.¡± ¡°Brightwatch, you say? That¡¯s a very long way away from here! What brings you all the way out here?¡± ¡°We couldn¡¯t exactly call ourselves adventurers if we stayed in our backyard now could we?¡± laughed Riegert. ¡°No, I suppose not.¡± The fire continued to crackle long into the night, as the small group of men continued to spend their time talking about topics that seemed to have no other purpose than to help pass the time. Hot beverages were prepared by people in the nearby houses and were brought out to those on guard, and as the night stretched on, they started to question whether they would indeed be seeing the bandits again. Morning was fast approaching, and a handful of the volunteers had long since fallen asleep next to the fire. The people from the nearby houses had all but stopped bringing out hot drinks and all conversation had ended, leaving only Kattalina and the adventurers fully alert and on guard. ¡°Do you think Jackson will be doing alright out there by himself?¡± asked Kattalina, breaking a silence that had seemed to have lasted an eternity. ¡°He¡¯ll be just fine; I have no doubt about that!¡± Answered Fellaroth, standing up from next to the fire and extending his spear to almost his own height. ¡°It looks like our guests have arrived; I think it would be best if we don¡¯t take any of their lives here tonight!¡± ¡°I see you¡¯ve done a little remodelling, was this all for us?¡± a voice from the darkness beyond the village limits spoke so loudly and so fiercely that the tired villagers snapped to attention. ¡°You lot injured my men¡­ I think it¡¯s time that we returned the favour.¡± ¡°Your men wouldn¡¯t have been injured if they had just left when they were told to!¡± exclaimed Kattalina defiantly. ¡°I take it you¡¯re the one that sent my men running for the hills?¡± asked the aggressive voice of a silhouette that approached the village boundary. The large figure lumbered through the gate and approached the group, stopping just as his scarred features were lit by the dancing fire. ¡°I am, what¡¯s it to you?¡± ¡°We could use someone with your skills, why don¡¯t you join my crew?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather carve out my own eyes with a splintered wooden spoon!¡± ¡°A simple no would have sufficed!¡± exclaimed Calvin, after having that image implanted in his mind. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°You may just live to experience that!¡± said the bandit leader as he drew his sword. ¡°Kill them all and burn this village to the ground. I don¡¯t want there to be a single building standing when the guards arrive in the morning!¡± at that, a raucous cheer erupted from the darkness as a hoard of bandits rushed into the village brandishing weapons of every description. The villagers stood around the fire, frozen with fear as they saw this crowd of bloodthirsty bandits charge them with lethal intent, leaving only Kattalina and the adventurers to defend the village. The wave of advancing bandits was met by Riegert, Calvin, Fellaroth, and Kattalina, who had become an awe-inspiring vision to the villagers who watched on, seeing them beat back attacker after attacker with very little effort. The clash of iron weapons was always and quickly followed by a soft thud, as the adventurers used either the side or back of their weapons to knock out their attackers. Bandits fell in quick succession as the adventurers advanced from the fire, pushing the invaders back and away from the villagers. Seeing his men fall to mere adventurers so easily enraged the bandit leader, causing him to raise his large greatsword and charge his adversaries. Approaching Riegert, the bandit leader suddenly found that his path had been blocked by a streak of red that he quickly recognised as the short woman who had so openly defied him mere minutes ago. ¡°Come to beg for mercy, have you?¡± he taunted with a devilish smile. ¡°Not a chance, I¡¯ve simply come to put an end to all of this. I¡¯d bet anything that if I were to separate your head from your shoulders, then your men will stop attacking us!¡± ¡°I like your thinking, girly, care to test your theory?¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d never ask!¡± she said, disappearing from view, only to reappear in the air above the bandit leader. She swung her curved sword with all her might, only to be parried at the last possible second, sending her crashing to the ground a few metres away. ¡°My, you¡¯re a fast one, aren¡¯t you!¡± chuckled the bandit leader, looking past his enormous sword that was still next to his head. ¡°But that won¡¯t be nearly fast enough to catch me!¡± he added, suddenly appearing next to Kattalina, and thrusting his sword toward her chest, missing her by a hair¡¯s breadth. Kattalina had managed to scatter, just as the gargantuan sword was baring down on her. Barely out of its way and still down on her hands and knees, with one hand on the ground and the other on her sword, she felt a sudden pressure in her gut as the bandit¡¯s boot made contact. With a swift kick, the bandit lifted Kattalina from the ground, only to send her crashing back down with a single blow from his large fist. ¡°This head of mine doesn¡¯t appear to have moved just yet!¡± he laughed triumphantly. ¡°Well, my sword hasn¡¯t left my hand yet, so this is far from over!¡± said Kattalina, managing to slice through his enormous thigh as she darted past him to the right, only to be intercepted by his mammoth sword that was on a perfect path for her head. Staring death in the eyes, Kattalina had no time to react as the massive sword was about to make contact with her skin, she closed her eyes tightly and awaited her end, only to realise that she had been waiting far too long. After another moment¡¯s pause, she hesitantly opened her eyes and saw that the colossal sword was still there, inches from her nose, and yet completely motionless. The world had fallen silent and Kattalina dared not look around. She wondered if this might not be the moment before her death and if her brain had somehow extended the moment to allow her to appreciate the folly of having challenged a man who she had known nothing about. Continuing to contemplate her fate, Kattalina heard the sound of the crackling fire and realised that time had not frozen, she looked up and saw a pole protruding from the bandit¡¯s left eye, with blood pouring down his face. She followed the flow of the blood down the pole and saw that it was a long spear that was being wielded by Fellaroth. ¡°My apologies for interfering with your fight Kattalina, I just couldn¡¯t see how you could have escaped that blow!¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite alright Fell, I¡¯m not so arrogant as to not be able to admit when someone has saved my life. Thank you!¡± she said, looking back at the sword that was still just inches from her face. Fellaroth then pulled his spear free, allowing the bandit¡¯s body to crash to the ground with a thunderous thud. With the cloud of dust rising around the body, the sounds of clashing iron rang out in the village as some of the bandits began to throw down their weapons, while others ran off into the darkness. ¡°Collect all of their weapons and restrain them, the man we sent to Pivoton should be returning with the town¡¯s guards in a few hours, we¡¯ll just have to hold them until then.¡± Instructed Riegert. ¡°What about the ones that ran off?¡± yelled one of the villagers. ¡°We can''t do anything about that, there are far more of them than there are of us.¡± Answered Calvin. ¡°You mean to just let them regroup somewhere out there and attack us again after you¡¯ve left?¡± ¡°Their leader is dead, they¡¯ll be fighting among themselves for a while, at least until one of them can prove himself to be stronger than the rest, that will likely take some time. Until then, I don¡¯t think this village has anything to worry about.¡± ¡°That is not a satisfactory answer, you have saved this village, that makes you responsible for us!¡± ¡°You seem to be mistaken, sir. We are not guards; we are adventurers. If you would like someone to look after you then I would suggest hiring some guards. We will be leaving with the Pivoton guards as soon as they arrive, make no mistake about that. Whatever happens here after that is no longer our concern.¡± ¡°How dare you threaten to leave our village unprotected after you failed to capture all of the bandits. I will see to it that each of your ranks is lowered, just you wait!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a fantastic idea!¡± interrupted an elderly lady from the church doors. ¡°Let¡¯s all run off to Pivoton and tell every person we meet about the group of passing adventurers who healed our wounded, helped us barricade our village and then fought off seventy-plus bandits while our people stood by and watched. Let¡¯s also be sure to mention that they are also the same group of adventurers who completed our goblin request that we placed with The Guild a few weeks ago. Yes, let¡¯s show our thanks by telling everyone how we would like to see them lose ranks for their troubles. I wonder how many adventurers would be willing to assist this village the next time we call for aid?¡± ¡°You completed our goblin request? But why didn¡¯t you say anything when you arrived here?¡± ¡°We were only passing this village to make sure that none of the goblins had escaped us and raided the village again. When we arrived, you were recovering from a bandit attack. You needed our help, not for us to tell you that we had dealt with a problem that at that moment didn¡¯t matter to you any longer.¡± Answered Riegert. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about this fool!¡± Said the elderly lady, who had by now arrived at the fire. ¡°He is just afraid that¡¯s all. We are truly grateful for everything that you have done here and will not soon forget it. I wish there was some way for us to pay you for your efforts, but we spent almost all of the village¡¯s money on the request at The Guild.¡± ¡°You needn¡¯t thank us for helping you here tonight, there is no way that we could ever pass a village in need and not lend our aid.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very kind. I tell you what, the son will be rising in a short while, why don¡¯t you collect your friend that¡¯s out by the barn and we¡¯ll have some breakfast made for you to enjoy before you continue your journey!¡± ¡°I¡¯m on it!¡± yelled Calvin, running in the direction of the barn. Chapter 7 The city of Pivoton had finally come into view after nearly a full day of riding in the wagon driven by its city guard. This beautiful ancient city had multiple walled districts that had organically developed over time as the needs of the city changed, creating a city that seemed to have no real flow or intention to its layout, and yet one that perfectly met the needs of its people. Entering the city through a large, well-guarded, ancient wooden gate, the adventurers noticed the level of security that other people were forced to pass through before gaining entry to the city. ¡°Has something happened? Security wasn¡¯t this high when we left this city only three weeks ago!¡± asked Riegert of the wagon driver. ¡°We¡¯ve had a sudden influx of radicals from that Church of Xechegan in the past few days. They don¡¯t seem to like any God other than their own being worshipped.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know they were being viewed as radicals. I mean I know that it¡¯s been said that there is something strange about their teachings, but no one has called them radicals before.¡± ¡°Three days ago, they invaded a Church of Mythus in The Old Quarter and attempted to burn it down, claiming that it was a pagan faith that needed to be ¡®cleansed.¡¯ That was the third such attack in as many days. The Margrave was forced to outlaw the religion as a result. A decision that, as you can imagine, has not gone down well with its followers.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of any religion being outlawed in Xenendoria before?¡± said Calvin. ¡°What will The Queen say when she finds out?¡± ¡°As I understand it, we are not the first to take this stance on this religion. Most of the Southern cities have done the same. It is clear to those of us who still value the old ways that something is not right with that religion¡¯s teachings. I mean, why would anyone willingly follow a faith that spreads hatred among living beings?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a question I would like to see answered as well!¡± exclaimed Fellaroth without thinking. ¡°Really Fell? From what the villagers said happened in the church, I understood that you were certainly religious and that Mythus even saw fit to grant you some of his divine power, but I didn¡¯t take you for some sort of religious paladin.¡± Asked Jackson, intrigued by Fellaroth¡¯s statement. ¡°I¡¯m nothing of the sort, I just have my own reasons for wanting to discover the origins of this Xechegan religion.¡± ¡°Is your reason one that you care to share with the rest of us?¡± asked Riegert. ¡°I¡¯d prefer not to¡­ would that be an issue?¡± ¡°As long as it doesn¡¯t interfere with party business, or bring our names into disrepute, then no.¡± ¡°Well then, for the time being at least, I would like to keep my reasons to myself.¡± ¡°Very well, Fell, just please don¡¯t let us live to regret this.¡± Said Riegert, as the wagon came to a halt at the steps of The Adventurer¡¯s Guild. ¡°We will see to it that those bandits see justice!¡± said the guard, indicating with a twitch of his head to the second wagon that had followed their own and had walls of solid wood instead of cloth. ¡°Thank you for allowing us to ride with you into town!¡± said Riegert. ¡°Least I could do, considering how long we¡¯ve been trying to track this lot down, and you were able to take down their leader too! Things in the countryside should settle down for a while thanks to you!¡± said the guard as the two carriages moved off. Entering the guildhall alongside his party members, Fellaroth was hit with a wave of nostalgia, as he remembered having walked through this very hall many years ago, with people whose faces he could no longer recall. At the centre of the large building was an enormous hexagonal pillar, one that was three metres in diameter, and held up the ceiling three storeys above their heads. Around this central pillar was a counter, from which the guild receptionists could assist its members. All walls other than the front, bore balconies on each of the building¡¯s two upper floors, with each balcony being lined with a number of doors. Two staircases, one on the right wall and at the front of the building and another on the left wall and at the rear of the building allowed access to the second floor. Each of the many doors on the walls of the second and third floors was a room that could be rented by adventurers at a fair rate from the guild, ensuring that local inns couldn¡¯t extort adventurers who were not locals of the city. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Looking around, Fellaroth was surprised to see that aside from a few workers doing paperwork behind the central counters, and a handful of people walking on the balconies, the hall was almost completely deserted. ¡°Welcome back, Hidden Fury!¡± said a friendly guild receptionist as they approached her counter. ¡°Hidden Fury?¡± asked Fellaroth, seeing his fellow party members trying to ignore the name. ¡°It''s our party¡¯s name!¡± answered Riegert, after a long pause. ¡°You see, it¡¯s a long-running tradition of The Adventurer¡¯s Guild to have inexperienced parties named by more experienced parties who have seen them in action. A party can only name themselves once they have reached C-rank.¡± ¡°Alright, I can understand that part, but how did you earn the name?¡± ¡°That would be because of a fight that broke out when we first formed our party. A group of adventurers were passing through Brightwatch on the day we were registering. They passed some comments about our Baron and how adventurers from such a small barony would never be able to amount to much. Well, you¡¯ve faced our three-pronged attack, it¡¯s almost impossible to defend against, and they found that out the hard way. As it turned out, they were an A-ranked party from The Capital, they said that we had some Hidden Fury, and the name just stuck!¡± answered Jackson, appearing to be embarrassed by the story. ¡°It sounds to me like your party earned the respect of a high-ranking party that day, do you happen to remember their name?¡± asked the guild receptionist. ¡°The silver chariot or golden chariot? Something like that, it was years ago, I can¡¯t remember anymore.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t mean, The Warriors of The Golden Chalice, do you?¡± exclaimed the woman so loudly that it drew the attention of the other receptionists. ¡°Yes, that sounds right, why is that important though?¡± ¡°What do you mean? The symbol of Her Royal Majesty¡¯s house is a golden chalice with two dragons facing each other over its lip with their tails wrapped around its stem. Which means, your party was named by The Prince¡¯s party!¡± ¡°Oh, wow, I don¡¯t know why we never figured that out.¡± Said Riegert, looking more embarrassed than he did just moments ago. ¡°They also happen to be our country¡¯s highest-ranked party, being the only party in almost a century to reach Triple S-rank! You should be proud to be quite possibly the only party to have ever been named by The Prince, apart from his own obviously.¡± ¡°Well, when you put it like that, the name doesn¡¯t seem quite so bad anymore!¡± said Calvin, in a tone that Fellaroth wasn¡¯t quite sure was honest. ¡°That¡¯s better!¡± said the receptionist before continuing. ¡°Now, Hidden Fury, what can I do for you today? Have you completed the request that was made by that small farming village?¡± ¡°We have yes!¡± answered Riegert. ¡°Fantastic, how many goblins were you able to kill?¡± ¡°There were thirty-seven in total, one of them was a shaman.¡± ¡°And you have proof of this?¡± she asked sceptically. ¡°We do!¡± answered Riegert, placing two bags that bore magic runes on the counter. ¡°Very well, would one of you please accompany Julia here while she inspects your proof?¡± said the receptionist, gesturing to the woman beside her with her hand. ¡°Julia, could you please inspect this party¡¯s proof for me?¡± ¡°Of course, Miss Andria, it would be my pleasure!¡± she said, taking the two bags and heading for a door at the far end of the guildhall while Calvin followed. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can understand that we prefer to verify goblin kills outside, where the smell won¡¯t fill our hall.¡± Added Andria, turning back to the paperwork Julia had left behind. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Andria, could I disturb you for one more thing?¡± asked Riegert. ¡°Absolutely, how can I be of assistance?¡± ¡°My friend Fell here, would like to register as an adventurer. He¡¯s a magic user who can use healing magic and he would like to join our party.¡± ¡°Is that so? You realise that this is a very unusual request, don¡¯t you? Most people join the guild at thirteen. You don¡¯t appear to be thirteen.¡± ¡°I am not, I am twenty-seven years old!¡± answered Fellaroth, trying to place himself in the same age group as the rest of his party. ¡°Really, you look closer to thirty-two to me. Besides, with the way you¡¯re dressed, I would have pegged you as more of a merchant than an adventurer.¡± ¡°I get that a lot.¡± ¡°Very well, please wait here while I inform The Guild Master, in situations like these he likes to conduct the registrations himself.¡± Said Andria, turning around and walking through a door in the central pillar that was not noticeable until she opened it, and subsequently seemed to vanish from view as she closed it behind herself. Chapter 8 Returning from outside with Calvin in tow, Julia looked tired and defeated after her ordeal in counting the severed goblin ears. She returned the empty sacks to Riegert, in full view of all present, before taking some paper and making a note for Andria to find on her return. The note read; ¡°Thirty-seven goblin kills confirmed, thirty-six goblins and one shaman.¡± She then placed the note where Andria had been working and returned to her other duties. After a few minutes of watching adventurers walk the balconies, entering and leaving rooms, the hidden door in the pillar opened once more, with Andria stepping to one side and allowing a rugged-looking, well-dressed man to step past her before she closed the door behind him. This dapper gentleman radiated authority as he entered the room. He looked toward the other receptionists who had been distracted by his entrance and paid them a simple greeting with a soft incline of his head. He had a perfectly groomed brown beard, excessively tidy hair, and clothing that was perfectly clean and crease-free, even the scars he bore on his face and lower arms seemed to add to his impressive looks. ¡°Are you the one who wishes to register as an adventurer?¡± he asked of Fellaroth as he approached the counter. ¡°I am.¡± Answered Fellaroth. ¡°Very well, my name is Ignatius Kroth, I am the Guild Master of this Adventurers Guild, and I will be conducting your registration. Please follow me.¡± He said, before turning and walking back toward the central pillar. Andria lifted a portion of the counter, allowing Fellaroth to pass and follow The Guild Master through the hidden door. Passing through the door, Fellaroth saw a spiral staircase that led both below ground and up toward the roof of the guildhall. Andria closed the door behind Fellaroth, bringing sudden darkness to the stairway, which was quickly replaced by a pale white light, immitted by magic stones mounted behind cages on the walls at regular intervals. Seeing The Guild Master make his way down the stairs, Fellaroth quickly followed after, making sure not to get left too far behind. The Guild Master led the way down these steps for longer than Fellaroth had anticipated, heading deeper and deeper underground. They passed several ornate doors before finally coming to a stop when The Guild Master opened and stepped through one, inviting Fellaroth to follow. The room beyond the door was a strange one, it was a long thin room which had a number of oddly shaped mirrors mounted on its walls, leading to a desk with a single chair in front and behind it. The only source of light in the room was a single lamp on the desk at the far end of the room. Staring down the length of the room, The Guild Master stepped aside and with a gesture of his hand said; ¡°After you!¡± Fellaroth was momentarily perplexed by the situation, but stepped forward and made his way toward the desk at the far end of the room. Walking past each of the mirrors in turn, Fellaroth noticed that his reflection did not appear in all of them, and in the ones that it did appear, he wasn¡¯t sure that it was truly him staring back. Passing the last mirror in utter silence, Fellaroth stood beside the desk and waited for The Guild Master¡¯s next instruction. ¡°Please, take a seat!¡± said The Guild Master, as he himself sat in the chair on the other side of the desk. ¡°So, Fell, what exactly are you?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°That hall of mirrors that you just passed by was crafted many centuries ago by The Great Mage Elodrian when she herself was a guild master of this very guild¡­¡± ¡°I had no idea my sister had ever been a guild master.¡± Thought Fellaroth. ¡°It serves a multitude of functions, such as divining a person¡¯s true intentions, revealing their true nature, and even dispelling any magic that is used to disguise their appearance from the world. Over the centuries we have used this room to interview any person who wishes to register as an adventurer at an ¡®irregular age,¡¯ I¡¯m sure you can understand why?¡± ¡°I suppose it¡¯s because it must be a highly uncommon occurrence?¡± ¡°That it is, but more than that, it is very suspicious. Adventuring is an extremely dangerous career, the mortality rate is exceedingly high, which is why higher-ranked adventurers are paid so well. Furthermore, it takes a great deal of skill and experience and no small amount of courage to succeed as an adventurer, it is not something that should be taken lightly.¡± ¡°And so, you evaluate older potential members to not only lower the potential death rate but also to ensure that their reason for wanting to join the guild is not one that has its roots in malicious intent?¡± ¡°You are correct. And to that end, the walk through those mirrors shows me not only who the person I am interviewing truly is, but also if they can be trusted, and whether or not they are dangerous. It is for this reason that I have a very good understanding of how the mirrors work. Which brings about our first problem. A number of those mirrors showed nothing as you passed them by, this is something that should not be possible¡­¡± said The Guild Master, pausing as he stared Fellaroth down. ¡°However, I was still able to gather some information from the mirrors that did reflect your image. First of all, it showed me that you are a man of great integrity and that you can be trusted. Secondly, it showed me that you do not mean that party of adventurers or anyone in this Kingdom harm, however, if provoked, you could become someone who could be a significant threat to all of us. The issue I¡¯m having is with the mirrors that showed nothing, they were supposed to show me your true race, your true appearance, your true age, and your mortality.¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°I don¡¯t understand, so I can be trusted, but I am somehow hiding my race, appearance, age, and mortality, what does that mean exactly?¡± ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m not entirely sure. With regards to your race, age, and appearance, though I am interested in why you would feel the need to disguise those, they mean very little to me. It is the part about your mortality that has really piqued my interest because it either indicates that you are dead, which from this conversation I am going to rule out, or it indicates that you are immortal, which believe it or not I am inclined to believe.¡± ¡°Excuse me? You believe me to be immortal?¡± asked Fellaroth, feigning incredulity. ¡°What in the world would make you think that I was immortal?¡± ¡°That would be because of the one mirror that¡¯s purpose I could never truly understand until now.¡± Answered The Guild Master, looking up at the ceiling, where a large round mirror had been mounted. Following The Guild Master¡¯s gaze, Fellaroth saw a truly strange sight. Nothing at all was reflected in that mirror, apart from him. He appeared to be sitting on nothing, simply floating in a void. ¡°What exactly am I looking at?¡± ¡°That Fell, is a very good question. That mirror is one that no guild master, apart from its creator, could understand. I mean, we knew what it did, we just could never truly understand the need for its existence, until now that is. You see Fell, that mirror¡¯s purpose is to only reflect things that should not exist in this world. Which brings me back to my earlier question. What exactly are you, Fell?¡± ¡°Ah, I see. I suppose there is a kind of poetry in the knowledge that something created by my own twin sister would be the thing that would give me away¡­¡± ¡°Excuse me? Twin sister? Are you referring to The Great Mage Elodrian? That can¡¯t be, she lived during the first age, many, many centuries ago!¡± ¡°Really, Guild Master, you just told me that you believe me to be immortal and that the mirror above our heads, which is showing nothing but my own reflection, only shows things that should not exist in this world, and yet you don¡¯t believe that I could have been twins with The Great Mage?¡± ¡°Well, help me put all of this in perspective then. Does this mean that you are indeed dead then? And if so, what has brought you back to the world of the living?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not dead, well, I am, but I¡¯m also not.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not making this easy for me to understand Fell.¡± ¡°The truth is that I am a God.¡± ¡°Alright, but you don¡¯t appear to be one of those Gods of Xechegan, so if you are not one of them, are you then The God Mythus?¡± asked The Guild Master. ¡°I am neither of those. My name is Fellaroth, I used to be The God of Prosperity and Good Fortune. Sadly, through the ages, my popularity fell and eventually, I was forgotten by humanity, only to be replaced by those false Gods.¡± ¡°I have been hearing rumours about the other races'' Gods suddenly appearing in this world, so it wouldn¡¯t be impossible for what you are saying to be true, and the mirror is a clear indicator that you¡¯re not of this world, or at least not anymore. If you are who you say you are, then why exactly are you attempting to join an adventure party, and why are you hiding your divinity?¡± ¡°Like I said, I am a forgotten God. Do you think people would believe me if I just walked around telling everyone who I really was? And that¡¯s without considering the fact that a new religion has replaced the old one, humanity now follows the teachings of Xechegan.¡± ¡°Not all of humanity. There are still many people in the Southern cities that still follow Mythus¡¯s teachings.¡± ¡°Of that I am glad. Under Mythus¡¯s guidance, humanity will not be led astray.¡± ¡°So, God Fellaroth, you have yet to answer my question. Why are you here in Pivoton attempting to join an adventure party?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just Fell, I am after all trying to hide my divinity. I want to join that party so that I might live a normal life while I am here in this world. And along the way, I hope to find out more about this new religion and its Gods.¡± ¡°Very well, Fell. Those mirrors have never steered me wrong before, so I am going to choose to continue to trust in them and in my own judgment. I will allow you to join this guild and that party. All we need to do now is to evaluate your skills, which we can do by having you place both of your hands flat on this desk if you don¡¯t mind.¡± Fellaroth did as was asked of him and placed both of his hands flat on the table in front of him, as he did, the tabletop glowed with a white light, within which words started to appear. ¡°This is exactly what I feared was going to happen. The magic is unable to gauge your abilities properly and so has simply assigned you to Triple-S rank. Under weapons skills it just says unknown, and under mana and everything else it just says¡­ ¡®incalculable?¡¯ I have to admit, this does tend to lend further credence to your claims of being a God. However, you did say that you wanted to keep your divinity a secret did you not?¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°Then perhaps we should lower your rank so that it is closer to that of the members of the party that you are joining. Your party members are all C-ranks, so I think it would be best if we go ahead and make you an A-rank, how does that sound?¡± ¡°I think that would do perfectly, thank you, Guild Master.¡± ¡°Very well, then let us conclude your registration and proceed with raising the rank of your party from E-rank to D-rank. I wish I could do more, but if their rank rose too high too fast then it would only draw unwanted attention.¡± ¡°Not at all Guild Master, I think you are exactly right.¡± ¡°Very well then. Now that your registration has been completed, I think you should re-join your party, Andria would have been informed about your registration by now and will be preparing your documents, which means that by the time you get up there, she would probably have told your party that they have been bumped up in rank as well. I hope you like to drink because they are going to want to celebrate!¡± said The Guild Master, getting up from his seat and leading Fellaroth back toward the door they had entered from. Chapter 9 The sound of his friends¡¯ excitedly discussing, what must have been their promotion, made it back to Fellaroth before he had even reached the door back to the guild hall. Fellaroth saw the looks of true delight on the faces of his party members as he entered, pausing only to allow Andria to lift the hinged counter for him to pass. The excited discussion continued as Fellaroth approached. Now that he was within earshot, he was able to make out what was being said, and it was not a discussion about their party¡¯s promotion but rather one about a potential job. ¡°This is the kind of job that comes around once in a lifetime! If we take this job and do it right, we stand to make a real name for ourselves, Hidden Fury could become a household name, and our next promotion will be just around the corner!¡± Calvin¡¯s excitement was unmistakable as he and the others saw Fellaroth approaching. ¡°Fell, this is all thanks to you, we now have the opportunity of a lifetime and it¡¯s all because you chose to join our party!¡± called Jackson with a broad smile. ¡°Alright, alright you two, give Fell some breathing room, he probably doesn¡¯t even know what¡¯s happening.¡± Said Riegert, playing the voice of reason as usual. ¡°I take it the party has gained a rank?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, and the rise in rank brings some new perks with it! Not only are we now able to earn more for each job we take, but we are also now eligible to take more difficult jobs, which are obviously worth more coin!¡± ¡°That¡¯s fantastic news, well worth celebrating!¡± ¡°That it is Fell, but that¡¯s not what has us so excited. We¡¯ve just been told about a new job that came in only a couple of hours ago, a pretty lucrative job at that. Oh, and did I mention that it was a request made by The Queen herself!¡± said Riegert starting to sound more like Calvin and Jackson with every passing second. ¡°Alright, I can see why that would have you so excited. What does this job entail?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a simple investigation of The Cruwshant Mountains. Apparently, there have been reports of strange things happening out there of late, and now people have started disappearing. The Queen wants someone to look into it and report back.¡± ¡°And how much is the request worth?¡± ¡°Four gold pieces!¡± interrupted Jackson, trying to contain his excitement. ¡°That¡¯s more than we¡¯ve ever made!¡± added Calvin. ¡°Is it normal for a D-rank job to pay so well?¡± ¡°Well no, but this is a request being made directly by The Queen, so it only makes sense that she would pay more than the usual rate.¡± ¡°Does it really Calvin? I mean wouldn¡¯t completing a request by The Queen already stand as a substantial reward for any adventurer? I mean it allows that party to get their name known to The Queen herself. And besides, isn¡¯t The Prince an adventurer? If I¡¯m not mistaken, he¡¯s quite a capable one at that. Wouldn¡¯t it make more sense for The Queen to simply ask her son to look into this matter?¡± ¡°You¡¯re overthinking this Fell. The Queen wouldn¡¯t ask her son to take on a request like this, because investigations of this kind are always handled by lower ranking parties. We go in and find out what¡¯s happening. If it¡¯s something that we can handle, then we handle it. If it¡¯s too much for us, then we report back to The Guild so they can have an appropriately ranked party assigned to the job.¡± Answered Riegert. ¡°Then is this a job that we are thinking about taking on?¡± ¡°I would like to, but there are some issues that come along with it, namely the distance. Even if we had horses or a wagon it would take us several weeks to reach the Cruwshant Mountains. I highly doubt that The Queen is going to want to wait that long.¡± ¡°Give me just one moment.¡± Said Fellaroth before turning and walking back to the reception desk. ¡°What do you think he¡¯s doing?¡± asked Calvin. ¡°Do you think he¡¯s asking if The Queen would be prepared to wait for us to travel to Cruwshant?¡± Jackson¡¯s dry joke did little to put the group at ease as they watched Fellaroth speak with Andria. The receptionist¡¯s expression turned from confusion to interest, then back to confusion and finally reached understanding as she pointed North and nodded in agreement. ¡°Whatever he¡¯s saying must be very interesting, I¡¯ve never seen Andria so captivated before.¡± ¡°And you don¡¯t think it could be his good looks that have her so captivated?¡± Calvin spoke without ever looking away from the strange scene that was unfolding at the reception desk, captivating even the other receptionists as it happened. ¡°No chance, Fell¡¯s not her type, none of us are!¡± answered Riegert, just as captivated as the rest. ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Calvin, looking away from Fellaroth and Andria for the first time as he turned to Riegert. ¡°Do I have to spell it out for you? She prefers women!¡± answered Riegert now also looking away from the reception area. ¡°He¡¯s coming back, and he looks very pleased with himself too!¡± announced Jackson, returning the focus to Fellaroth. ¡°And? What was that all about?¡± Fellaroth smiled knowingly at Riegert¡¯s question. He had made sure to speak quietly with Andria to ensure that he wasn¡¯t overheard. The topic of their discussion was one that needed to remain known to very few, even Andria hadn¡¯t really understood what the true value of the information she had shared was, to her it seemed to be little more than arbitrary information. She hadn¡¯t really understood the need for the hushed voices but chose to honour Fellaroth¡¯s wishes all the same. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°It¡¯s not something that I would like to discuss out in the open. Are we planning on spending the night here?¡± ¡°We are. We booked some rooms while you were off with The Guild Master. You and Calvin will be sharing a room, while Jackson and I will share a room. I hope that won¡¯t be an issue?¡± ¡°Not at all. I think we should retire to our room. If you don¡¯t mind!¡± the group stood and stared at Fellaroth for a moment, not sure what to make of his request. They turned and scanned the empty guild hall which played host to only the receptionists and no one else. They then looked at each other and after a moment of silent deliberation, agreed to retire to Fellaroth¡¯s room, if for no other reason than to learn why Fellaroth was suddenly so secretive. Not long later they found themselves standing in a room on the second floor of the guild, eagerly waiting to hear what Fellaroth was so keen to keep from other people¡¯s ears. ¡°So, what¡¯s this all about Fell, what did you speak with¡­¡± started Riegert after he closed the room door behind him, but before he could say any more, Fellaroth had shushed him, then pointed to his ear followed by the walls. Riegert, Calvin, and Jackson stood in the centre of the room, which had little more than two beds that were separated by a side table, and a small table that had two chairs to either side of it. With everyone having entered the room, Fellaroth clicked his fingers causing a haze to drop from the ceiling and cover the walls like a mystic curtain that he had conjured from thin air. ¡°Now we can speak. I apologise for my antics, but this is a closely guarded secret that very few people have ever known about. In fact, as far as I know, I am the only person alive who is in possession of this knowledge.¡± ¡°Why do I suddenly feel like we would be better off not knowing this information?¡± ¡°That, Jackson, is probably because you have never trusted mages, and even though you trust Fell implicitly, you have held a lingering doubt about him ever since we found out that he was a magic user.¡± ¡°Wow, Calvin, thanks for the full psychiatric evaluation. I now know that I have real trust issues that I need to work through!¡± Jackson¡¯s voice dripped with sarcasm even though he knew that on some level Calvin¡¯s words, all jokes aside, had held some truth in them. ¡°Enough you two. Is this information that you are guarding so closely going to assist our party?¡± ¡°It is Riegert, this information will most certainly give us an advantage with this job in particular.¡± ¡°This is clearly information that you have chosen to keep to yourself for some time, especially considering that you seemed quite certain of the fact that you were the only person alive with said information. Are you sure that you want to share such a secret with us? How can you be sure that we wouldn¡¯t turn around and share the information with others?¡± ¡°Before I share this information with you, I would have each of you sign a blood covenant, swearing to never reveal any information pertaining to this secret with another being, living or otherwise, without my express consent.¡± ¡°That magic is taboo Fell! Does this secret mean so much to you that you would use magic that is frowned upon by almost every kingdom in this world?¡± ¡°That magic, as you call it, is only taboo because the rulers of this world don¡¯t like that we mages have secrets that could potentially ruin nations, secrets that they will never get access to.¡± ¡°What do you mean Fell, what is a ¡®Blood Covenant?¡¯ I¡¯ve never heard of this magic before.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you don¡¯t like magic, so you tend not to listen when people speak about it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true Calvin. I don¡¯t listen when people talk about magic because I can¡¯t use it, so it doesn¡¯t really appeal to me.¡± ¡°A blood covenant, Jackson, is a form of magic that ensures that secrets are kept.¡± ¡°And how does it do that, Fell?¡± ¡°If a blood covenant is ever broken, or if the intention to break it is held, then the signed party will forfeit their life.¡± ¡°And I take it that ¡®forfeit their life¡¯ is not going to make for a very nice death? Not that there is such a thing as a nice death.¡± ¡°No, I have seen someone break a covenant, once. It¡¯s not a pleasant sight, and I can assure you that it most certainly is not a pleasant way to die either.¡± ¡°But I still don¡¯t understand why you want this secret protected so badly. Is this some sort of powerful weapon or evil magic that you know of? Why is it so important for this information to be kept secret?¡± ¡°All I will say is that it is a kind of magic that the world just isn¡¯t ready for yet¡­ then again it might never be ready.¡± ¡°You¡¯re making less, and less sense Fell. Who are you to decide if the world is ready to discover this magic or not?¡± ¡°If you choose to sign the blood covenant, I will explain what I can, and then you will understand everything.¡± Riegert and the others stood in silent contemplation for a long while, leaving Fellaroth to wait patiently for them to come to a decision. As each of them thought it over, they found themselves more concerned by the use of ¡®forbidden magic¡¯ than about the secret that they were going to have to keep, potentially for the rest of their lives. Jackson, in particular, found the idea of this magic to be disturbing, however, the issue that concerned him far more than the magic itself was the fact that Fellaroth, a trusted member of their own party, would so casually suggest the use of this form of magic. The three of them stared at each other for a moment, unsure of what each of the others was thinking. The silence in the room started to feel like a weapon being wielded with such malice that fear started to creep into their hearts, a fear of being judged by their party members, by their friends. After the silence had dragged on for an uncomfortably long time, Jackson finally spoke up. ¡°Very well Fell. We agreed that you would become a member of this party, and though we did it rather quickly, it is still a decision that I stand by. As a member of this party, you are given the full trust and confidence of all other members. I mean we¡¯ve been into battle together and we trusted you with our lives. In my mind, this situation is no different. If we could trust you with our lives then, we can trust you with our lives now. I will sign this ¡®blood covenant¡¯ Fell!¡± ¡°Jackson is right, if we can trust you with our lives in battle then this should be no different. I will also sign that covenant!¡± Riegert¡¯s words were enough to sway Calvin, who at this point was the only member who was still having trouble making up his mind. ¡°You know what. The others are right, this is no different than battle, and if they both trust you, then I will too.¡± ¡°Very well. I will now perform the spell. Could each of you stand around, facing me!¡± As Fellaroth spoke, Riegert and the others followed his instructions to the letter, never deviating even for a second. They started by forming an incomplete circle around Fellaroth, with each of them standing facing him. ¡°Now I need each of you to raise your right hand to chest level, with your palms facing me.¡± With their palms facing Fellaroth, magic circles appeared mere inches from their hands, glowing with an ominous purple light. ¡°Do each of you swear, on pain of death, that under no circumstances will you ever reveal to another being, living or otherwise, the information that you are about to receive?¡± as each member of the party agreed to the terms of the spell, a magical dagger immerged from the circle and sliced the tips of their middle fingers, causing blood to trickle down their fingers to the palm of their hands. As the blood reached the palm of their hands it pooled into small orbs, which then floated into the magic circles, turning them from purple to a deep crimson, before they vanished from view. ¡°It¡¯s done!¡± said Fellaroth when the circles had completely faded from view and the room''s lighting had returned to normal. Chapter 10 ¡°I really hope that that was necessary!¡± said Jackson, now looking at his hand, which showed no signs of a cut finger or of blood ever having been present on his skin. ¡°I can assure you it was. Tell me, do you know about The Great Mage Elodrian?¡± ¡°You would be hard-pressed to find anyone in this world who didn¡¯t know about the greatest mage to have ever lived!¡± answered Calvin. ¡°Great, but did you know that she had a twin?¡± ¡°No!¡± answered the three unified and confused voices. ¡°Well, she did. She had a twin brother who was nearly as brilliant with magic as she was. I just happen to be named after this great mage. His name was Fellaroth. Fellaroth was a curious young boy, always tinkering with new kinds of magic, or trying to find ways to improve older magics, much like his better-known sister. Over the course of a lifetime, Fellaroth was able to accomplish a great many feats, including founding a great and prosperous empire that stood for a thousand years after his death. The empire he founded was the first empire known to mankind and was one in which all people thrived. It was known as The Dyzanthian Empire, and it was a place where all people were welcome, and peace was never interrupted. All races came together in the great Arcane Academy, which encouraged its students to further the development of magic in all facets.¡± ¡°An Arcane Academy, and The Dyzanthian Empire? Surely if such a thing truly did exist, then knowledge of it would be commonplace today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that records of this would still exist in some of the older libraries of this world. I¡¯m talking about events that took place many thousands of years ago Calvin. There have been several empires to rise and fall in the days since Dyzanthia stood tall. The truth is that there would likely only be a handful of people in this world today that might have lived back then.¡± ¡°Wait, you just said that you were talking about an empire that was replaced many times over, so how could anyone from that time still be alive? And on that same line of thought, how is it that you are named after and know so much about this person who lived during the first age, a person who has long since disappeared from living memory.¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple Calvin, as I said, there are books in libraries around the world that still keep records of those days. Just because most of the people who lived back then have now passed on, doesn¡¯t mean that the information is gone. And as to people that could still be alive since those days, there are races in this world that have vastly longer lives than elves and dwarves.¡± ¡°What, no there aren¡¯t, if these beings do exist, then where are they, and why don¡¯t we know about them?¡± interjected Jackson. ¡°There are beings in this world capable of living indefinitely, provided they do not lose their lives violently. Over the millennia it became apparent that the other races came to envy them, to the point that they were being persecuted. After some time and a number of wars, some of these races were killed off, but one decided to go into hiding, somewhere they would be able to live in peace, without ever being disturbed by the mortal races again.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand, if they are immortals then how can they lose their lives to violence?¡± ¡°They are not true immortals Jackson. They have what is known as eternal life. So long as they do not lose their lives violently, members of this race will grow and mature until adulthood, at which point the ageing process will stop and they will then be capable of living theoretically forever. These beings are the chroniclers of history, the people who observe and record everything that takes place in this world, or at least they used to be¡­ I would love to know what has become of them since the second age.¡± ¡°You speak as though you know of them personally Fell.¡± ¡°Nonsense Jackson, I have just read books and different accounts about them. So many in fact that I feel as though I may have known them at some time.¡± This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°As interesting as I find all of this, it¡¯s not the reason that we signed that blood covenant, is it?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not, sorry I got a little sidetracked. What I was supposed to be telling you about was the magic that Fellaroth had created. As he grew older, Fellaroth started a hobby of collecting rare and bizarre kinds of magic, the sort of magic that could change the colour of a person¡¯s hair or slightly change their appearance, or maybe make a flower bloom faster; magic that most people would find to be a waste of time. He had developed an intense love for magic in all of its forms. The problem that he had come across was that he found the need to travel vast distances to find these rare magics, once he heard rumours about them. He found it tedious to have to travel for months on end just to collect a single strange spell and then have to travel home again. So, over time, he started to develop a new form of magic to make these journeys easier and faster. He started to create gates that would allow him to travel vast distances in the blink of an eye.¡± ¡°I fail to see why you think this magic should be kept secret from the world, Fell. If this magic truly does exist, it could change the world forever. Elderly and sickly people will be able to travel without fear of death. Important messages or medications could be delivered much faster than ever before. The world could truly be made better for having access to this magic!¡± said Riegert excitedly. ¡°What you¡¯re talking about is teleportation and if such a thing did exist in this world, without proper regulation it could spell disaster for everyone. Think about it Riegert, a person could simply appear behind the king of the elves, drag a knife across his throat and be gone again before anyone knew.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s not what Fell said. He was talking about physical gates¡­ weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Well yes, I was talking about physical gates, but¡­¡± ¡°But how long would it take for crafty mages to develop the magic until it reaches a point where a physical gate was no longer needed? This kind of magic should not be allowed to exist in this world, at least not until there are magical precautions put into place to prevent its abuse!¡± ¡°I think Calvin has a very good understanding of why I would rather keep this information secret.¡± ¡°That story was all good and well Fell, but was there a point to you telling us all of that? Do you know where one of these gates are and where they could lead us?¡± ¡°I do Jackson. The reason I spoke with Andria, was to find out about an old fortress not too far from here that used to be long to m¡­ Fellaroth¡­ If my research is correct and that fortress is still untouched, then we should hopefully be able to find one of his gates there, which should hopefully allow us to travel to a location closer to The Cruwshant Mountains than we are now. Meaning that we could stand a chance of completing The Queen¡¯s request in a more reasonable time.¡± ¡°I love the idea in theory Fell, but what are the odds that he ever actually completed the magic, and if he did, are you sure that we will find one of his gates there?¡± ¡°I am confident that we will find what we are looking for in that fortress!¡± ¡°How can you be so confident Fell?¡± ¡°Because I have been researching Fellaroth for a very long time, I feel as though I have lived his life myself, and Andria assured me that no one goes anywhere near that fortress because of all the traps in it. So, I feel very confident that we will most certainly find what we are looking for there!¡± ¡°Hang on, now we¡¯re talking about traps, we¡¯re not equipped to deal with traps. We¡¯re going to need to recruit a scout to our party or find some kind of magic artefact that can detect traps.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you worry Jackson; I know a spell that will allow me to detect any trap that is set in that fortress. And besides, just think about it, he was the first true king of humanity, there is bound to be obscene amounts of treasure in that place!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like this. A few minutes ago, you were questioning every aspect of that request and suddenly you¡¯re rearing to go? What is it about this dead king that has you so keen Fell?¡± ¡°Like I said, I¡¯ve been researching him for a very long time. I couldn¡¯t possibly turn down the chance to walk through that fortress again¡­ I mean for the first time.¡± ¡°Well, what do you guys think? Should we try to find this fortress and hope that this gate Fell is telling us about really exists and that it will help us, or do we start the long journey to Cruwshant?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to side with Fell on this one. I don¡¯t think he would have wasted our time with some random fable, I think that Fell knows what he¡¯s talking about, and we need to trust him. I mean there¡¯s no way he would have gone through all of the trouble of making us sign a blood covenant if there wasn¡¯t some truth to what he was saying. Besides, if it turns out that this ¡®gate¡¯ isn¡¯t really there, then at least we will still be able to tell everyone that we were the first people to conquer a fortress that has stood untouched since the first age.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see how anyone could possibly argue with that logic. Fine, I will also trust you Fell; I mean it looks like we might be in for an amazing adventure either way!¡± ¡°Then that makes three yeses. It looks like we¡¯re headed for The Lonely Bastion!¡± said Calvin. ¡°The what now?¡± ¡°The Lonely Bastion, it¡¯s the only fortress around here that has yet to be raided, so that has to be the one you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. Well, in that case, we are headed for The Lonely Bastion!¡± Chapter 11 A mild storm drenched their surroundings as the group huddled beneath an invisible roof that Fellaroth had conjured to keep them dry. A fire had been lit, and hunted meat was slowly roasting, while Jackson told stories about their adventures that had the group in stitches. Off in the distance, atop a small mountain, stood a single castle, isolated from the world and completely untouched by living beings. This moderately sized fortress had several roofed towers, a handful of courtyards, and even a couple of rooftop gardens. The sun started setting behind them, casting delicate hues of red and yellow onto the castle¡¯s fa?ade, enticing Fellaroth to steal the occasional glance at the place he had once, so very long ago, called home. ¡°¡­and then Calvin bursts through the door with his sword raised above his head, ready to kill anything in sight, only to find Riegert and I, knee-deep in dead slimes. Never seen anyone shut a door that quickly in my life!¡± Jackson¡¯s animated storytelling had himself and the others in tears when he turned his attention to Fellaroth. ¡°It¡¯s quite alright Fell; I can promise you that it won¡¯t go anywhere by morning.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that now?¡± hearing his name mentioned snapped Fellaroth back to reality and left him slightly embarrassed when he realised that he had been zoned out for quite a while. ¡°The fortress Fell, I can assure you that it will still be there come morning. Wow, you really are keen on that place, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry Jackson, I¡¯ve thought about that place for a long time now. The thought of it being so close is a little unreal to me.¡± ¡°I suppose I can understand that, on some level at least. I mean we all have our own goals that we want to achieve, and when that moment finally arrives, and you can almost taste your success, it is a little hard to focus on much else.¡± Said Riegert, now also looking toward the ancient fortress. Morning had arrived before Fellaroth realised, and now in the light of a new day, he stood in the still wet grass, at the edge of a small forest where they had camped the night before, with his goal of walking in his own castle once again within his reach. He shaded his eyes and stared at the many rooves and gardens of the castle before him and remembered memories that had long since faded from his mind. ¡®I truly did lead an incredible life. I founded the first human empire and brought peace to its many warring tribes. I travelled this world a few times over, creating beautiful fortresses like this one that functioned as waypoints and gates for my travels. I created new and interesting magics, some of which have been forgotten of course, but they were still my achievements. I can¡¯t believe I grew complacent as a God and stopped checking in on this world, perhaps I truly wasn¡¯t meant to be a God?¡¯ ¡°You ready to head out, Fell?¡± Riegert¡¯s words were almost completely obscured by the hissing of the dying fire as he poured water over it, causing a cloud of smoke and ash to waft into the air. ¡°Of course, he is! I doubt he took his eyes off of that place for more than thirty seconds last night.¡± Said Jackson, walking up behind Fellaroth and patting him on the shoulder. ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing else for it, we might as well head out!¡± added Calvin, throwing his haversack over his shoulder. With every passing step bringing the growing castle closer, Jackson and the others soon found that their anticipation and excitement was starting to mount, much like Fellaroth, who at this point had started smiling broadly. Standing at the foot of the small mountain, which had around it a small forest, the group saw a winding path that cut through the forest and made its way up to the castle. ¡°Does no one else find it strange that no one has come near this place in Gods knows how long and yet that path is still pristine? I mean not a single tree or even shrub has encroached on that path.¡± Asked Riegert. ¡°Well, assuming he was even half the mage that Fell makes him out to be, he has to have used some form of magic to maintain this path and the castle.¡± ¡°Actually Calvin, it¡¯s a little more impressive than that¡­ according to the books that I have read, this entire castle is literally made from magic!¡± interjected Fellaroth, revelling in his own genius. ¡°No, that couldn¡¯t be possible. I mean, who would have had the mana reserves to cast a spell on this scale? The magnitude of mana required to conjure something of this size would surely kill a human caster?¡± ¡°But that¡¯s the genius of it, this castle was conjured on a mountain that is rich with byzanthianite, which as you may know, is a crystalline ore that attracts and stores magical energy. By channelling the magical energy that naturally occurs here, I¡­ HE¡­ was able to not only cast a spell large enough to construct this entire castle but was also able to ensure that it would continue to maintain itself indefinitely!¡± Stolen story; please report. ¡°Great, which also means that all of the traps will also be in perfect working order, we best keep our wits about us.¡± Remarked Riegert, who has in his time fallen prey to more traps than he would care to admit. ¡°You have nothing to worry about Riegert, I will be able to detect any traps before any of us walks into them!¡± said Fellaroth with the castle¡¯s great gate coming into view. Getting closer, the group found that this great ¡®Lonely Bastion¡¯ turned out to be more of a picturesque chateau than a fortress of any kind. Its so-called great gate turned out to be little more than an enormous ornately carved archway that didn¡¯t prevent anyone from entering the castle grounds. The castle¡¯s welcoming veneer was quickly lifted as they drew closer and discovered a dead dear just past the archway that granted entry to the castle grounds. ¡°I¡¯m no expert on the matter, but something about this situation is giving me cause to believe that this entrance might be, and bear with me on this one¡­ a trap!¡± said Calvin, pointing to the dear that had been sliced in two, more theatrically than was necessary. ¡°No offence Fell, I know you¡¯re named after this guy and that you have a great deal of respect for him, but this guy was clearly deranged! I mean who in their right mind builds an entryway as inviting as this one, with nothing at all that would prevent innocent people from simply wandering through it, and then make it into an immediate death trap! I mean we haven¡¯t even crossed the threshold of the castle grounds yet, and already it wants to kill us!¡± ¡°I have to admit that this was overkill! Why don¡¯t we test it and see what happens?¡± Said Fellaroth, who had at this point long since forgotten that he had even created such a trap, or in fact the reason why he might have created such a thing to begin with. He then picked up a stone and tossed it through the open archway. Seconds later the stone landed in two pieces on the other side of the archway, leaving the group utterly dumbfounded. ¡°Did anyone else see that, or was it just me?¡± asked Riegert, still staring at the stone. ¡°I can scarcely believe it myself. It happened so fast that I¡¯m not entirely sure that I actually saw what I think I saw!¡± stammered Calvin. ¡°Well, I saw an enormous blade fill this archway in a fraction of a second and then disappear just as quickly. It was like a guillotine from a horror story!¡± said Jackson. ¡°Then it wasn¡¯t just me!¡± remarked the other two in unison. ¡°Are we sure we still want to do this? I mean it¡¯s not too late to turn back, is it?¡± asked Calvin, after witnessing that terrifying display. ¡°Since when are you so scared of an adventure?¡± asked Riegert. ¡°Since the adventure is clearly a suicide mission! We haven¡¯t even passed the entry point yet and we have already found our first dead body. That should be reason enough for us to leave!¡± ¡°That dead body is a dear Calvin, it¡¯s not like it was an adventurer lying there.¡± ¡°Yes Riegert, but if it weren¡¯t for that dear, one of us could be lying there right now. There was no sign or even a hint that this archway could have been a trap! And just to reiterate, we haven¡¯t even made it onto the castle grounds yet!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you go worrying about all this Calvin? We¡¯re just going to need to take it slow and I¡¯m certain that I can get all of us through this place in one piece!¡± ¡°Care to prove it?¡± asked Calvin, gesturing with both hands for Fellaroth to lead the way. ¡°Very well then, you may follow me!¡± said Fellaroth. Walking through the archway without fear. Calvin and the others held their breath and looked away as they heard the giant blade slam down. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, they finally looked toward the archway, only to see Fellaroth standing unharmed on the other side. Looking up, Riegert saw that Fellaroth had conjured a barrier that was actively holding up the blade. ¡°It¡¯s perfectly safe, I can assure you of that!¡± said Fellaroth, prompting Riegert and Jackson to quickly dart across the opening, leaving Calvin still staring at the massive blade. ¡°That barrier won¡¯t last forever Calvin, it¡¯s now or never!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not fair Fell, you know how much I dislike this place!¡± said Calvin, as he too dashed across the opening. ¡°It¡¯s also not true by the way. As long as we are here, that barrier will last forever! I¡¯m tapping into the magic that is stored in the byzanthianite, just like Fellaroth had done all those years ago.¡± ¡°You know how to do that?¡± Calvin could do little to hide his admiration for Fellaroth upon hearing that he was able to channel the mana that surrounded them. ¡°Well yes, I can feel the flow of the mana in the air and ground around me, it¡¯s just a matter of allowing that mana to flow into me and then channel it out through a spell.¡± ¡°You speak as though it were so easy, but you¡¯re talking about some of the highest tear magic in existence. If every mage could channel the mana that surrounded them into their magic, then we would never bother to measure a caster''s mana reserves!¡± ¡°And you speak as though you know exactly what you are talking about. Are you sure you¡¯re not a mage?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not, I just had a deep interest in magic, that¡¯s all. Call it a fool¡¯s interest.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing foolish about wanting to understand one of the driving forces of this world Calvin.¡± ¡°There is when you have no talent for its use, nor any mana reserves to speak of.¡± ¡°I suppose, it''s better to have a good understanding of something and not be able to use it than it is to be able to use a thing and have no understanding of it.¡± ¡°Spoken like a true mage!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry Calvin, it was never my intention to¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite alright Fell; I came to terms with my lack of magical ability a long time ago. Now why don¡¯t we head inside this castle and see what other imaginative ways Master Fellaroth thought of to kill people!¡± Chapter 12 Before the group, and between them and the castle, stood a large, perfectly manicured garden. This stunning garden boasted plants of every colour, in the form of beds, shrubs, and even trees, each pristinely maintained to present a warm welcome to any who would walk the path to the front door. Being sure to tread carefully and to never deviate from the gravel-laden path, Riegert and the others followed cautiously behind Fellaroth, taking careful note of where he placed each foot. ¡°Would you slow down Fell; you¡¯re acting like this place didn¡¯t try to kill us mere moments ago!¡± ¡°Relax Jackson, we¡¯re in a garden, what do you think could possibly happen to us here?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tempt this place Fell, it¡¯s not natural, I think it might be listening in.¡± ¡°Oh, now don¡¯t you start with that, first Calvin, and now you. How can I make it clear to you that there is nothing unnatural about this place? It¡¯s all just magic!¡± ¡°Yes, but it''s magic that is controlling itself. There is no longer a person in control of this place, which means that the magic must have some level of intelligence.¡± ¡°No Jackson, each spell is simply continuing to complete its original function. There is no need for anyone to control a spell if all it needs to do is fulfil a certain set of parameters. For example, if motion is detected near the archway, activate the blade. In essence, a collection of very simple spells that work independently yet look impressive when viewed as a whole.¡± ¡°Well, when you say it that way¡­ it still doesn¡¯t make me feel any better! Let¡¯s just take our time, avoid the traps, find this gate, and leave this place. Sooner rather than later, please!¡± said Jackson as they approached the main doors. ¡°You¡¯re not going to like this, but I think we need to do one thing before we look for the gate.¡± Fellaroth stopped and faced the others, knowing that he was about to have yet another difficult conversation. ¡°And what exactly do you want us to do Fell?¡± asked Riegert. ¡°I want us to find Fellaroth¡¯s study on the higher levels.¡± ¡°Why would we want to do that?¡± ¡°Because there is bound to be a map there that will show us all of the active gates across Xenendoria. That will give us a good idea of where we can and can¡¯t travel using his magic.¡± ¡°You mean to use this magic more than once?¡± asked Calvin. ¡°Well, why wouldn¡¯t we? This magic will allow us to travel safely and unhindered across Xenendoria, it only makes sense that we should use it.¡± ¡°No Fell, I don¡¯t think that would be a good idea. I think we should just use it to travel to Cruwshant, complete this job and then report back to the guild there. If we use this magic too often then we¡¯re bound to draw unwanted attention and run the risk of other people discovering the gates.¡± ¡°Fine, I can see that you¡¯re right, but we still need to go to the study to see what gate is closest to Cruwshant.¡± Said Fellaroth, turning and continuing toward the main door. Three curved steps provided the approach to the opulent wooden door which bore exquisitely carved designs, and a single round window at face level, just large enough to get a tantalising view of the castle¡¯s interior. Seeing the small window, Jackson stepped forward and was about to lean in closer to get a look inside when Fellaroth placed a hand on his arm and said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you!¡± causing him to quickly recoil from the window. ¡°What, is that little window somehow a trap?¡± ¡°Shall I show you?¡± answered Fellaroth, pointing toward the ground at the foot of the stairs and rapidly lifting two fingers into the air. With this subtle gesture, a golem of sand and cobblestone rose from the dirt and started to approach the door. The group watched on as this human-sized monstrosity hobbled its way closer to the door before leaning close to the window, as though it were looking inside. The instant the golem¡¯s face was a few inches from the glass, the small porthole morphed into a gaping mouth filled with jagged, serrated, monstrous teeth, which lurched forward and consumed the golem, leaving only its legs below the knees still standing in front of the door. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°What in the world was that?¡± asked a horror-struck Jackson. ¡°That my friend is what we call an epigone. They are normally found deep in caves where they mimic rocks, hanging moss or the like so they can catch their favourite food, goblins! It would appear that our esteemed host was able to capture such a creature and bring it back here to take the place of his front door.¡± ¡°And how exactly has such a creature managed to live this long?¡± asked Calvin, closely examining the door from afar. ¡°Epigones can live impressively long lives and need to eat very little to sustain themselves, though I would wager there is some sort of life-preserving spell that has been cast on it.¡± Answered Fellaroth. ¡°So how do we get past it?¡± asked Riegert. ¡°Simple, just stand to one side, do not look into the little window, and turn the handle!¡± answered Fellaroth, standing to the left of the door and turning the handle. The squeak of the door handle was followed by a loud moan as the door swung open, though no one could tell if the moan was from the tired, aged hinges, or from the epigone complaining about a lost meal. ¡°It still operates like a door; it¡¯s just triggered when someone looks through the window.¡± ¡°Why would that be its trigger? Why not when someone turned the handle?¡± asked Jackson. ¡°One would assume that Fellaroth would like to enter his own home without being eaten alive, and let¡¯s face it, it''s human nature to peer through a window in a door, particularly if the door is to a place you¡¯ve never been to before.¡± Answered Calvin as he followed Fellaroth across the threshold and into the castle. ¡°Wow, this place is amazing!¡± he added, upon seeing the lavish interior that would have made any king of the modern era die of envy. ¡°He really went all out, didn¡¯t he!¡± remarked Riegert as he saw the number of busts, statues, sculptures, and gorgeous works of art that adorned almost every surface of this luxurious castle. ¡°Well, you have to remember that by the time he had built these castles, Fellaroth had already become the first true king of mankind and so had become accustomed to a certain way of life.¡± Answered Fellaroth. ¡°Be that as it may, this place is extravagant, even by the standards of today¡¯s royalty¡­ hang on, did you just say, ¡®these castles?¡¯ meaning that there is more than one?¡± ¡°Yes, each gate was built in a castle of its own, that way I¡­ he had a place to stay when he reached a new location.¡± ¡°And just how many locations are there exactly?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, a few dozen, though I can¡¯t be sure how many of them are still standing at this point.¡± ¡°A few dozen! Who in the world was this guy, and where did he get the time to achieve so much in a single lifetime?¡± ¡°I suppose, when you look at his achievements collectively, he did manage to do a lot with his time in this world!¡± answered Fellaroth, beaming with pride. ¡°How long did you say he lived?¡± Asked Jackson. ¡°I¡¯m actually not sure. I know that through his extensive experimentation with magic, he had managed to extend his life to far longer than that of the average man, but I¡¯m not sure exactly how long he actually lived.¡± ¡°Well, that actually makes a lot more sense than him having achieved so much in a single lifespan. Either way you choose to look at it though, this guy should have been far more famous than he is. He should have been a household name, hell, he should have been a God!¡± added Calvin, leaving Fellaroth to smile proudly. ¡°Calvin, I appreciate that this Fellaroth was a great man and that his achievements are certainly praiseworthy, but I have to be the one to bring us back to ground here. We have come here with a particular goal in mind, and it was not to marvel at his many achievements. We need to find that study, then the gate, and move on from here. Preferably before this place manages to kill one of us!¡± ¡°We¡¯re inside now, surely there won¡¯t be any more traps from here on out?¡± asked Calvin. ¡°I don¡¯t believe there will be, but that doesn¡¯t mean that we should drop our guards just yet. Let¡¯s find that study and that map.¡± Said Fellaroth, walking toward a grand staircase that led up to the second floor. A subtle red carpet muffled their footsteps as they climbed the stairs and walked along the second-floor corridor, passing door after door without so much as a passing interest. ¡°You seem to really know your way around this place Fell.¡± Remarked Riegert after they had walked down several corridors and up more than one flight of stairs. ¡°Um¡­ there was a map in one of the books that I read¡­ it was more of a floor plan really¡­ and it showed the way to the study, that¡¯s all. It¡¯s not far now, just down this last corridor!¡± being back in a place that he hadn¡¯t seen in so long had caused Fellaroth to forget the act he was putting on. Without thinking he had led the group straight to the study without checking a single room along the way. ¡°This is it, Fellaroth¡¯s study!¡± he said as he turned the handle and eased the door open. Chapter 13 A familiar smell of well-used parchment, precious ink, and aged books filled Fellaroth¡¯s nose and lungs as he breathed it in deeply, remembering the time he had spent in this very study, working on new spells or weapons, much like the spear he now carried on his lower back. He paused on the threshold of the room and stared at the space that had remained completely untouched since the last time he had been there, a time that he could no longer recall. The room was lined with shelves that were covered with books of every description and some of the smaller trinkets that he had picked up on his travels. In the middle of the room was a large spherical map table with a rim that appeared at a distance to be far larger than it needed to be. Off to the left was a table that was littered with all kinds of alloys of varying sizes and colours, along with an assortment of weapons in varying states of completion, such as daggers, swords, bows, and staffs. Off to the right was another table much like the last, however, this one contained an assortment of different kinds of chemicals, minerals, and ores that were clearly being studied and experimented with and on. Beyond the central map table was yet another large desk that was littered with writings, schematics, and diagrams that had all been written in Fellaroth¡¯s own hand. At a glance and on closer inspection, this was clearly a room that Fellaroth had spent much of his time in. ¡°I don¡¯t think I have ever seen so many different schools of study being conducted by a single person in a single space like this before! Whomever this Fellaroth was, he must have been a truly incredible person¡± said Calvin, marvelling at the room as he walked toward the central spherical table. ¡°What in the world is this?¡± he asked, standing in front of a table that bore mountains, lakes, rivers, forests, coastlines, and even miniature cities. ¡°That¡¯s actually exactly what it is, the world, or more accurately what was once Dyzanthia.¡± Answered Fellaroth without looking up from the weapons desk he had once spent so much time working at. ¡°But the cities on this map perfectly correlate with the cities of Xenendoria. I am quite familiar with the capital, and I am dead certain that this is The Capital¡­ Hang on, is that rain?¡± ¡°You are correct on both accounts. That map is a magically produced, real-time representation of the real world, complete with weather patterns and if you were able to see far enough, you would even see a representation of every person in the kingdom where they are at this very moment. It''s kind of like a God¡¯s eye view of the world, or at least Dyzanthia or rather Xenendoria.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re sure he wasn¡¯t a God?¡± The shock in Riegert¡¯s voice was plain as he looked closely at the map and was able to see dragons and wyverns flying across the land, he could even see whales and other sea beasts breaching the waters beyond the port cities. ¡°He wasn¡¯t when he made this.¡± Answered Fellaroth before he could catch himself. ¡°You mean to say that he did eventually become a God?¡± asked Jackson, dropping the axe he had been examining, causing it to effortlessly wedge itself into the stone floor at his feet. With his eyes wide with shock and amazement he slid his foot back, wiggled his toes in his boot, just to be sure, before bending over, retrieving the axe, and sliding it into the holster on his back, in place of one of his own. ¡°So, why don¡¯t we know of him?¡± ¡°Fellaroth became a God several thousand years ago, over the millennia he became complacent and stopped performing his duties as a God, and in time his followers found new Gods to worship, relegating him to the history books, known in this world by only a few. It¡¯s a sad tale really!¡± he answered, walking over to the main desk, proud to know that Jackson valued one of his weapons enough to want to keep it. So many memories came back to him as he looked at the desk filled with papers, but one item in particular caught his attention as he looked over the desk, a small silver framed picture. Fellaroth ran his finger over the delicately engraved silver frame, feeling each carved leaf and flower petal beneath his fingertip before he picked up the picture and stared into the eyes of the woman who stared back at him. ¡°He¡¯s just a proud man Fell, he¡¯ll come around in time.¡± Said the beautiful brown-haired woman lying with her head in Fellaroth¡¯s lap as they sat in the shade of a large flowering tree on top of a hill. She looked up at him with her piercing grey eyes, which always felt to Fellaroth to be looking straight into his soul, and said, ¡°My father really does like you Fell, I mean how could he not! You¡¯re so young and you have already brought peace to this world, you¡¯ve united all of the tribes of mankind under a single banner and proved that we don¡¯t need to fight each other to get what we want. He¡¯s just afraid that marrying you will place my life in danger.¡± ¡°Could you honestly say with any certainty that he¡¯s wrong Clair? On my path to creating this empire of mine, I destroyed a great many tribes, taking power away from their chiefs and subjugating their people. Your father¡¯s tribe was one such tribe! I have created many enemies for myself in this world, some who might even be prepared to harm you just to get to me!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a risk that I¡¯m prepared to take Fell, if it means that I am able to spend the rest of my days with you. And you never took any power away from my father, he willingly placed his people in your hands, because he could see that you would be capable of leading his people to a better life than he would have been able to.¡± Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°It¡¯s kind of you to say such things Clair, that¡¯s just another reason why I love you so much.¡± ¡°Those words were not merely my own Fell. My father spoke words much like those on the night that he decided to submit to you as his king. Those are words that I suspect were spoken by many chiefs in many tribes across this land when they too decided to bend the knee. The only people that lost their lives to your campaign to create this empire were those who were evil and had no right to be leaders of men!¡± ¡°Evil by who¡¯s standards? Who are we to decide how people should live? Who am I to decide how people should live?¡± ¡°You are The King of this land my love, a King that the people have willingly chosen to follow. I am one of those people you know, I love you with all of my heart and I want to stand at your side as you continue to grow this empire of yours, as you continue to show the people of this land that there is a better way to live!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t deserve you, you know that? Here and now, I vow to love you, and only you for as long as I live, no matter what hardships may come, whether I am a king or a pauper, I shall always hold my love for you, and only you!¡± said Fellaroth, staring deeply into Clair¡¯s stunning grey eyes. ¡°Hey, are you there Fell?¡± Calvin¡¯s voice brought Fellaroth back to the present just as a single tear dropped from his cheek onto the delicate picture that he held with both hands. ¡°Sorry Calvin, what was that?¡± ¡°I was asking where you came to know all of this information about this Fellaroth, I mean I doubt you found it all in a single library.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not important right now!¡± interrupted Riegert, having been the only one to see the tear fall from Fellaroth¡¯s cheek. ¡°We''re here to find the map of the gates, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Um, yes, yes, you¡¯re right!¡± answered Fellaroth, snapping fully back to reality. ¡°It¡¯s right in front of you actually!¡± he continued, pointing toward the spherical table that both Calvin and Riegert were standing in front of. ¡°You see, if one knows how to properly use it, this map can show you a great many things.¡± He added, noting the way that Riegert now studied him. Fellaroth then waved a hand over the map causing a handful of towers of light to rise up across the map. Fellaroth grimaced as he inspected the map and saw far fewer towers of light than he had hoped. Had his castles been raided, had they been conquered or had they simply fallen prey to natural disasters? These were all questions that flowed through his mind before Jackson interrupted his thoughts. ¡°So, where exactly is Cruwshant? I can¡¯t seem to make heads or tails of this map like this. Where¡¯s North?¡± ¡°Here, this is Cruwshant, and I¡¯m certain that there should be a tower of light rising from this very mountain! Which means that the next nearest gate will be¡­ here in Ponderoth! It¡¯s a few weeks'' journey to Cruwshant from there, but that still beats the journey from here.¡± ¡°Alright, now that we know where the gate is, what do we do next?¡± ¡°Next, dear Calvin, we use the gate and travel to Ponderoth!¡± ¡°Fantastic, so where exactly is this gate?¡± ¡°Follow me, it¡¯s in one of the rooftop gardens.¡± Answered Fellaroth, leading the others from the study. Fellaroth led the way down one corridor after another, and up several more staircases, yet again leading the way straight to their destination without any deviation or hesitation. Flinging the door to the garden open, Fellaroth looked back and saw yet again that Riegert was studying him far more closely than he¡¯d like, he wasn¡¯t yet ready for his companions to know the truth about his identity, but at this point, all he could do was try to be more aware of his own actions. Calvin rushed past Fellaroth into the garden, eager to learn more about this mythical figure who had now captured his imagination. He made it no more than a few paces into the garden when he was brought to a complete halt, unable to believe the sight that lay before him. There in front of Calvin and the others was an enormous garden complete with trees, shrubs, and even a small pond that contained still living fish. At the far end of the garden and overlooking the rolling hills and the city of Pivoton off in the distance, was an enormous empty archway that stood nearly four storeys tall. ¡°Is that it? Is that the gate?¡± stammered Calvin upon seeing it for the first time. ¡°Yes, that is the gate!¡± The group walked as one through this bizarre garden, which they still found strange to think was located on a balcony high above the ground. They admired the flowers and blooming shrubs, looked into the pond, and watched the fish perform their hypnotic dance, and enjoyed the view of the world in the distance, as they slowly made their way over to the imposing structure that Fellaroth had told them would be a gate. Now standing before the gate, unsure of what to think, the group turned their attention to Fellaroth, who stepped forward and up to a small alter, which was a simple plinth that had a bowl, filled with a clear liquid, carved into its top. He then placed both hands on either side of the bowl, closed his eyes and began to picture his destination. As the image of his destination grew clearer in his mind, the liquid in the bowl began to cloud over, slowly morphing into the image that was present in Fellaroth¡¯s mind, the image of a gate in a rooftop garden, in a castle far to the North. Calvin and the others approached behind Fellaroth as they saw that the empty archway had begun to fill with a strange murky cloud that seemed far more than just unnatural. Peering over Fellaroth¡¯s shoulder, the others were astonished to witness the cloudy archway start to clear, revealing another garden and castle beyond. ¡°It¡¯s ready, we can now travel to Ponderoth.¡± Said Fellaroth at last. ¡°Is it safe?¡± asked Jackson, approaching the gate, looking behind it and then looking through it once again. ¡°It¡¯s eery to see a destination through a gate and know that it is miles away and yet also just mere steps away.¡± ¡°I can assure you, Jackson, it is quite safe. However, it will close once I step through, so all of you will have to go ahead of me. The journey will feel instantaneous though in reality, it will take a couple of seconds. Whatever you do, do not venture beyond that garden without me!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong Fell, you sound like you¡¯re afraid of what we might find on the other side?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just it Riegert, I don¡¯t exactly know what you¡¯ll find on the other side.¡± ¡°Very well, Fell, we will wait for you just beyond the gate.¡± Said Riegert, drawing his sword and stepping through the gate. Chapter 14 The gate shimmered for the fourth time as Fellaroth passed through it and emerged into a second garden, which was fairly similar to the one he had just left. Unlike the other garden, this one was only flanked on two sides by walls and towers and did not have more gardens on higher levels. This garden was at the highest point of a much smaller castle, boasting one-hundred- and eighty-degree views of the surrounding area, which included an enormous lake that encircled the castle. ¡°Wow, it actually worked!¡± exclaimed Jackson, approaching the edge of the garden, and looking out over the lake. ¡°We¡¯ve really travelled to another part of the world! Now how do we know that we¡¯ve come to the right place?¡± ¡°I have to admit, I was a little sceptical of that actually working, but here we are in Ponderoth.¡± Added Riegert. ¡°How can you tell?¡± ¡°Over there, that¡¯s Cruwshant mountain.¡± He added, pointing toward a single mountain off in the distance. ¡°This Fellaroth was a genius! It¡¯s no wonder he became a God. He established the first empire of mankind, crafted magical weaponry, studied the properties of minerals, created teleportation magic, and Gods know what else! Oh, how I wish I was alive in his time to have seen him achieve all of this.¡± ¡°The truth of the matter is that aside from being king, very few people of the time actually knew of his other achievements. Fellaroth conducted his experiments and research for no one other than himself.¡± ¡°I suppose that when you¡¯re a king, you don¡¯t really need to seek other people¡¯s approval or accolades.¡± Remarked Riegert in passing. ¡°How long would you estimate the journey to Cruwshant will take us from here?¡± he added, steering the conversation away from the forgotten God that Calvin had become so enamoured with. ¡°About a month on foot, less than half that if we can get some horses.¡± ¡°Right, horses. There wouldn¡¯t happen to be a stable nearby would there?¡± asked Jackson, already knowing the answer. ¡°Near this castle? Sadly not. Though I did check the map before we left The Lonely Bastion and there should be a village nearby, perhaps we can come to some kind of arrangement with them in exchange for passage to the Cruwshant region.¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely worth trying, and far better than spending a month walking in the Northern territories!¡± ¡°What do you mean? What¡¯s wrong with the Northern territories?¡± asked Fellaroth, opening a door and standing to one side while the others entered the castle. ¡°The Xechegan religion is prevalent in this part of the kingdom, and it has led to xenophobic attacks on non-humans, which has in turn led to retaliation from the other races. The Northern territories are not a safe place to travel¡­ it¡¯s also worth mentioning that you should keep any thoughts on bigotry to yourself, most everyone here is some form of a bigot.¡± The anger in Riegert¡¯s voice at the mere thought of non-sensical bigotry seemed to reverberate through the corridor they now walked down, almost as though the castle itself agreed with his views. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°I had heard that there were problems between the races, but I was hoping that it was being blown out of proportion.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t spent much time in the North have you Fell?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t.¡± ¡°It shows. The North is nothing like the South. In the South, your race or religion means very little, your actions are what matters most there, but here in the North, race is all that matters!¡± ¡°Is this not something that the Queen should be addressing?¡± ¡°She is trying, but her influence isn¡¯t as strong in the North, as it is closer to The Capital. The truth is, up here, The Bishop has more power than the Queen.¡± ¡°I take it that this would not be The Bishop of The Mythus faith?¡± ¡°You would be correct; it is The Bishop of Xechegan. The rumours say he¡¯s a vile man who has lived far longer than any natural man ought to.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± remarked Fellaroth as he continued to lead the group through the castle and toward the exit. ¡°Is that another epigon?¡± asked Jackson as they approached the final door. ¡°No, not in this castle.¡± Answered Fellaroth, opening the door and allowing the others to pass through. A garden of tropical flowers greeted the group upon exiting the castle, with aromatic fragrances being accompanied by bees, butterflies, and all manner of summer-loving insects. Birds chirped from the treetops, while a soft breeze rustled the leaves. This island castle was truly an oasis of peace and tranquillity that could soothe even the most restless mind. The sounds of the lake water lapping at the shoreline added to the tranquillity of the island as the group walked through the lush garden, enjoying all of its sights and sounds along the way, never for a second thinking of the traps that had been laid at The Lonely Bastion. The crystal-clear turquoise waters of the lake granted an unobstructed view of the aquatic life that called this lake their home. Stunning fish of every conceivable colour and size swam through the calm waters of this loch, further putting the minds of the adventurers at ease. ¡°I can see why Fellaroth chose this island as a location for one of his gates! Had I been the one to construct a home in a place like this, I think I might never want to leave.¡± Said Calvin in a daze as he watched a single longboat come around the corner, scarcely upsetting the lake''s mirror finish as it effortlessly drifted across the picturesque scenery toward them. The boat came to a gentle stop at the shore and allowed each of them to step in and take a seat before it effortlessly set off for the opposite shore. The silent world continued to reflect in the undisturbed waters of this peaceful lake as the magically propelled longboat gently sailed across its surface casting only the slightest waves. The adventurers watched as fish continued to swim beneath and around them, paying them no mind as they passed by. Calvin leaned over the side of the boat, about to let his hand graze the surface of the water when Fellaroth¡¯s voice quickly stopped him. ¡°Whatever you do, keep your hands away from the water! This may look like a peaceful lake, but I can assure you, it isn¡¯t. Below the murky depths and just beyond our sight, there lies a behemoth, waiting for its waters to be disturbed, signalling that a meal has arrived. That is the one and only trap that this castle ever needed!¡± Stepping onto the far shore, the group of adventurers turned and watched as the boat sailed back across the lake, returning to its island home. Off in the distance and as beautiful as ever, stood the peaceful retreat they had just left. The stunning little chateau on an isolated island in the middle of a picturesque lake, bearing a strangely large archway on an upper balcony, suddenly appeared to them in a very different light, now that they knew of the monster that lurked just out of sight and below the surface of the water. They each took one last look before turning and making their way toward the village that Fellaroth had told them about. Chapter 15 The town that stood before Fellaroth and the others was a fast-growing town of stone and wood, that was still yet to get big enough to earn a name. despite being a nameless town on the outskirts of nothingness, the local people still had the desire to grow their little hamlet into something that might one day rival the great metropolises. A boundary wall of stone was being constructed around the town, leaving only two points of entry and exit, with official-looking guards posted at each. ¡°What business do you have in our city, Friends?¡± asked a guard as the adventurers approached. ¡°We¡¯re looking to offer our services as guards to any caravan that¡¯s headed toward Cruwshant.¡± Answered Riegert. ¡°And I suppose you¡¯d be wanting free transit in return?¡± ¡°It would make for a fair bargain. The protection of a D-ranked party in exchange for passage to Cruwshant. I don¡¯t think a better deal will be walking into this town any time soon.¡± ¡°A bargain you say? Sounds more like extortion to me! Why don¡¯t we just¡­¡± ¡°Dorigg! What in the world are you doing? Do these people look like non-humans to you?¡± yelled another guard approaching from within the town. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for Dorigg you lot, his basket¡¯s half empty, if you know what I mean! Please, go right on in, I hope you find what it is you¡¯re looking for in our town!¡± he added, berating Dorigg as the adventurers continued down the road. ¡°This town isn¡¯t quite big enough to warrant its own Adventurer''s Guild yet, so if we are going to find someone to offer our¡­¡± ¡°Oi, you lot!¡± yelled an old lady from across the street. ¡°What¡¯s with these people and interrupting?¡± asked Riegert under his breath as he turned to face the woman. ¡°You lot adventurers, are you? Looking to earn some extra coin? Why not escort an ageing merchant and her goods to The Cruwshant region? Pay¡¯s decent, I can promise you that!¡± ¡°What is this, divine intervention, or just blind luck? Either way, it¡¯s not an opportunity that we can afford to pass on.¡± Said Calvin before smiling broadly and approaching the woman. ¡°Good afternoon, Madam, we would be glad to offer you our services, but we don¡¯t expect to get paid for it, we are already¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t want to be paid? Why, you plan on robbing me before we reach the other side?¡± ¡°No Madam, nothing of the sort, we¡¯re just already¡­¡± ¡°Well then, you ought to get paid for your work, no?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about getting paid Ma¡¯am, you see, we¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°Two silvers!¡± ¡°Please Ma¡¯am, if you¡¯d just let me¡­¡± ¡°Fine then. Four silvers. And I won¡¯t go a cent higher, you hear!¡± ¡°Calvin, you¡¯re not going to win this one.¡± Said Fellaroth, resting a hand on Calvin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We accept. When do you want to head out?¡± ¡°As soon as all of these goods have been loaded onto this wagon!¡± she said, stretching her back and looking at the pile of boxes that had yet to be loaded. ¡°What you lot doing standing around? You want to get paid, don¡¯t you? Then best get this wagon loaded!¡± she added, causing the adventurers to spring into action and start loading boxes. ¡°How exactly did we end up as day labourers?¡± asked Jackson as quietly as he could. ¡°It¡¯s not so bad Jackson, all we need to do is pack this wagon and we get our passage to Cruwshant just like we wanted, and with the added bonus of being paid a whole four silvers for it too!¡± said Riegert. The group had quickly organised themselves into two groups, Jackson and Riegert were on the ground and passed boxes up to Calvin and Fellaroth, who were on the wagon, packing the boxes neatly. The wagon was scarcely packed with its passengers seated before the old lady struck the reigns and got them moving. ¡°Good riddance to this garbage town, hope the next one ain¡¯t so backwards!¡± she proclaimed loudly as the wagon passed through the checkpoint at speed. ¡°Someone please tell me we didn¡¯t just help this batty old lady steal all this stuff!¡± yelled Jackson as the wagon barrelled down the unpaved road. ¡°It¡¯s all my stuff sonny, you lot got nothing to worry about. I¡¯ve just been itching to get away from that lot of religious kooks! Can¡¯t take their kind. Might head South after I offload some of my goods at the market in Cruwshant. Heard tell people there might appreciate my wares!¡± This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°And what exactly are your wares Ma¡¯am, what might I ask do you do?¡± asked Calvin, inspecting the boxes as they bounced around in the back of the still speeding wagon. ¡°I¡¯m just an apothecary, I make all them medicines and what nots. I make some of the best potions you lot will ever find, mind you!¡± ¡°Please Madam, you can slow down, I can assure you that no one is following us!¡± yelled Riegert, being thrown from one side of the wagon to the other. ¡°I ain¡¯t speeding cause I¡¯m worried about being followed, I¡¯m speeding cause I want to make it to the safe zone before dark!¡± ¡°What safe zone? I wasn¡¯t aware that the North had gotten so dangerous that it needed safe zones!¡± ¡°It¡¯s more like a safe zone for me! Need to put some distance between me and that church of nutters!¡± ¡°You¡¯re in the North Lady, you won¡¯t escape that ¡®church of nutters¡¯ no matter how much distance you put between us and that town. The old woman continued to drive the horses hard for a few more kilometres before finally letting up and allowing them to slow to a normal pace. With the wagon now moving at a more reasonable pace, the adventurers were finally able to settle and find comfortable places to sit, either on top of, between or behind the boxes that had by now shifted and were haphazardly strewn about. Calvin heard the soft clinking of bottles within a box that was level with his head, while Jackson caught the faintest whiff of the herbs that had been packed into the box that was level with his. Riegert had settled at the back of the wagon and was peacefully enjoying watching the world slowly pass by, while Fellaroth had found a seat near the front and was doing the same. The next few days passed quietly with the travellers saying little more to each other than was needed to help pass the time. The old woman had asked nothing of the adventurers, and they had asked nothing of her. This journey had well and truly become no more than a means to an end for both parties, as they quietly watched the mountain and their destination slowly draw closer. As the sun started to set on the fifth day, the old lady turned the wagon away from the path, just as she had done every other night, and drove until their camp for the night would not be noticeable to those who continued to travel by night. Riegert started a fire, Jackson and Calvin pitched tents, and Fellaroth and the old woman prepped their meal. As always, Calvin, Jackson, Riegert and Fellaroth ate their meals together, discussing what they thought they might run into on Cruwshant Mountain, or what might be behind the disappearances of the locals. As per usual, the old lady refused their invitations to join them and instead chose to eat her meal alone and away from the others. The world quickly grew dark on this night, with the three moons each in varying phases scattered across the sky, and no more than the sounds of insects to disrupt the quiet of the night. The others had turned in after Fellaroth had offered to stand the first watch, leaving him sitting alone at the fire with the old woman. ¡°You always were a talented apothecary, Magnatheena.¡± Said Fellaroth, breaking the silence at last. ¡°I thought I¡¯d told you never to call me that Fellaroth, my name¡¯s Maggie!¡± said the old woman, who now in the light of the largest moon looked like a stunning young woman of no older than thirty, wearing an olive-green dress that perfectly complemented both her figure and her brown complexion. She had an hourglass figure that turned the heads of men and woman alike, with her alluring soft brown eyes and long black hair, this woman had turned from a withered crone into a sumptuous beauty in an instant, and Fellaroth had scarcely reacted. ¡°How did we get ourselves into this, Fell?¡± ¡°We let our divinity go to our heads Maggie. We were supposed to guide our people when they needed us and watch over them to ensure that they were safe. If we had been doing our jobs, we would have seen this new religion coming and could have done something about it. We deserve this punishment Maggie, and our people deserved better Gods.¡± ¡°A simple apothecary gets elevated to divinity and is called The Goddess of Health and Beauty, how was I not supposed to let that go to my head?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know Maggie, I was The Golden Emperor, and suddenly rose to become The God of Prosperity and Good Fortune, I fell just as far and as hard as you did.¡± ¡°Yes well, we¡¯re here now and our people need our help and guidance, now more than ever!¡± ¡°What have you found out?¡± ¡°This Xechegan religion is evil Fell! I¡¯ve been inside one of their churches, and the humans are worshipping demons Fell, actual demons!¡± ¡°You mean like the stories we used to tell children to make them behave?¡± ¡°Yes, only these ones are real Fell! And they can wield very real power, power that seems to be getting stronger as the faith grows.¡± ¡°What else could you learn?¡± ¡°As it turns out, this ¡®God¡¯ will grant any request; wealth, power, influence, nothing seems to be beyond his reach, provided you have the ability or resolve to pay his price! Word has it, the bishop gained his position and favour in return for the life of his first-born son.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no wonder the humans have fallen so far, they always did look for the easiest means of achieving their goals. What of the other Gods, have you heard anything of them?¡± ¡°They all seem to be focused on putting their own affairs in order, none of them seem to be paying much mind to the humans for now.¡± ¡°Perhaps they saw that their own houses were not as clean as they thought. Either way, it gives us some breathing room.¡± ¡°Do you have a plan for dealing with these demons?¡± ¡°Not yet, I don¡¯t have enough information just yet. I¡¯m going to keep travelling with these humans for now, hopefully, I will be able to learn more about the demons in time.¡± ¡°It looks like you¡¯re living a normal life again Fell, already made some friends, and have a goal set for yourself. It¡¯s like you¡¯re a mortal all over again.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe my first life was ever all that normal to begin with Maggie. Between my sister and I, we were never not being watched by someone. This time around I can fly by unnoticed by everyone and just live!¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t get carried away and forget that we have a job to do here Fell.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t Maggie, saving the humans from this path of destruction is my first priority!¡± ¡°Save the lies for the other Gods Fell, I know you too well. Just promise me that when the time comes, you will do what needs to be done!¡± ¡°I promise Maggie!¡± Chapter 16 ¡°Where¡¯d the old lady go?¡± asked Calvin after waking to find that both the wagon and the old woman had gone. ¡°She left in the early hours.¡± Answered Fellaroth. ¡°Said she wanted to reach Cruwshant before the market started, needed to set up her stall!¡± he added, noting that Riegert still watched him closely. ¡°What about the money? Did she pay us?¡± asked Jackson, quickly adding. ¡°Not that the money¡¯s all that important, I mean we did plan on offering our services for free.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry Jackson. True to her word she left four silver coins with me before she left.¡± Answered Fellaroth. ¡°Well, the mountain is less than a half a day¡¯s walk from here, we best get a move on!¡± said Riegert as he and Jackson started taking down their tents, while Fellaroth extinguished the fire and Calvin walked a short way down to a small stream to refill their water satchels. The sun had barely started to rise, while a single moon still clung to the horizon. Keeping the sun on their right and behind them, the group had re-joined the main path and had started walking toward the mountain. A solitary buck grazed off in the distance, while the long grass waving in the morning breeze revealed a number of rabbits scampering about. The smell of the dew-covered grass filled the lungs of the adventurers as the sun slowly warm the world, reminding them yet again of the earliness of the hour. An hour passed on the road in the blink of an eye, with the adventurers stunned by the number of travellers headed in the opposite direction. Wagons of all kinds loaded with goods and people passed them by almost constantly and always headed away from the mountain. ¡°What are the chances that all of this is somehow related to what we¡¯re here to investigate?¡± Asked Calvin after another carriage passed them by, filled with people who seemed only too pleased to be leaving the area. ¡°I¡¯ll say this much, we have definitely arrived in Cruwshant at the right time. If it weren¡¯t for Fellaroth, we might have arrived far too late to have been of any help to anyone!¡± said Jackson, who at this point had stopped walking and was watching a particular carriage which had a young child looking out the back, clearly wishing she could return home. ¡°This has to be unrelated to our investigation.¡± Added Riegert. ¡°Think about it, an event like this would have to happen for a while before it would be brought before The Queen. There are channels for reporting matters like this, and Her Majesty is not a part of that. So, if it has been happening long enough to have reached The Queen¡¯s notice, then why did all of these people wait so long to leave the area? No, this is something else, something new!¡± ¡°Your party leader is right Fellaroth!¡± ¡°Mythus? What can you tell me about this?¡± ¡°These people are fleeing from a new occurrence, one that may or may not be related to the disappearances in Cruwshant.¡± ¡°And how exactly are you related to all of this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just it Fellaroth, not far from your current location is a small town that still follows my teachings. A few hours ago, the people there started praying to me on mass, requesting my aid. When I attempted to look into the matter, I discovered that the town and its inhabitants were being blocked from my view, it appears to me, as though no town exists where those prayers were coming from. Something strange is going on in that region Fellaroth, I need you to look into this for me, please!¡± The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°You need only ask it of me, and it will be done Mythus!¡± said Fellaroth out loud, causing each of his party members to turn and look at him. ¡°The God Mythus has spoken to you?¡± asked Calvin. ¡°He has! He says that these people might be from a town not far from here, a town that from his viewpoint appears to have vanished. He is asking us to look into this matter on his behalf.¡± ¡°What are the odds that this is related to our current quest?¡± asked Jackson. ¡°He¡¯s not sure but thinks that it is possible.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not stand here and pretend like we''re about to turn down a request from a God! Where is this town Fell?¡± ¡°Up ahead we turn right and continue for about an hour. He says that there must be some kind of high-level magical barrier over the town. We should proceed with extreme caution.¡± Over the course of the next thirty minutes, Fellaroth and the others came to see more and more carriages and wagons headed away from their intended destination, and after the last had passed them by, it was as though all sound had left the world. The rustling leaves were deathly quiet even though they swayed. Birds appeared to make no noise, and even their own footfalls appeared to make no sound. With their destination drawing closer, the adventurers started to feel dazed and disoriented, almost as though their senses had taken leave of them. They could no longer tell where their feet landed or if they were indeed still walking forward. Before long the world around them started to appear out of focus and even appeared to start to spin. Seeing only a confusing world around him, and having lost sight of his companions, Riegert started to call out but quickly realised that like the rest of the world, he too could make no sound. In his confused state, Riegert no longer knew if he was moving forward, backwards, or if he was indeed moving at all. As panic started to set in, Riegert felt a firm hand take hold of his and start to lead him. Unable to make sense of his direction or even of who it was that had taken his hand, he found himself at the mercy of this person, hoping that they would be someone that he could trust. In an instant the world returned to Riegert¡¯s senses, causing him to drop to his hands and knees in exhaustion. ¡°What in the world just happened to us?¡± he asked as he panted heavily, starting to feel completely drained and exhausted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I let my guard down. I didn¡¯t expect the barrier to have an effect on our minds, I thought it simply blocked this town from the view of the world. It turns out it also prevents people from getting too close.¡± Said Fellaroth taking a seat on the grass near Calvin and Jackson, who by now were lying on their backs and breathing heavily. ¡°I never want to go through something like that again. I couldn¡¯t see or hear anything, and I felt like I had no control over my own body. I¡¯ve never felt so helpless in my life!¡± said Jackson, having still not reopened his eyes yet. ¡°How long were we even wandering around in there?¡± asked Calvin looking up at the sky for the first time. ¡°Ten to fifteen minutes, I think.¡± Answered Riegert. ¡°Unfortunately, it was more like four or five hours.¡± Said Fellaroth, causing Jackson to sit bolt upright and stare at him. ¡°Four or five hours, are you sure?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way!¡± said Riegert after a long pause. ¡°Just look at the sky, it¡¯s going to be getting dark soon. Fell¡¯s telling us the truth, we were wandering around in there for the majority of the day.¡± Said Calvin, causing the others to look toward the sky that had already started reddening as the sun approached the horizon. ¡°I think it¡¯s best that we find a secure building and bunker down for the night. I can cast a few barriers of my own that will keep us safe until morning.¡± ¡°What are you talking about Fell, why would we need to go to that extent?¡± blurted Riegert, seconds before he saw the town before them for the first time, after which he simply added; ¡°Ah, I see!¡± Chapter 17 Another morning had arrived far too quickly for the likes of the adventurers. The night was plagued by the terrifying screeches and woeful moaning of creatures that had roamed the darkness. The occasional unseen creature that happened upon their sanctuary would spend several hours mindlessly banging on the barrier trying to gain access to their shelter, as though keenly aware of a presence that did not belong, before eventually giving up and shuffling off into the unknown. Finally giving up on trying to get any more sleep, the group decided that with the sun starting to rise, they would venture out into the village and attempt to see if they could determine the cause of what made the people of this land flee on mass. Pushing the door open as quietly as he could manage, Fellaroth led the group out into the brisk morning air, only to find that a thick eerie fog had blanketed the village, allowing them to see no more than a few paces in each direction. The bizarre and disturbing calls of the creatures that now inhabited the village filled the air, causing the adventurers to be constantly on their guard. A soft wind whisked through the village¡¯s narrow streets, whistling mournfully as it passed, doing little more than making the adventurers feel more on edge. With their weapons drawn, they slowly made their way between the tall buildings, pausing and peering down every alleyway as they passed. All around them, they could hear the shuffling and scurrying of creatures they had yet to lay eyes on, drawing closer and closer with every passing second. The disturbed incomprehensible whispers of thousands of hushed voices formed a constant dull hum that haunted the adventurers'' every step, delivering a message that could not be received. The thick fog clung to their bodies as though drawn to their heat, making it ever harder to navigate this unnatural place. ¡°Do we have a goal in mind here Fell, or are we just roaming around aimlessly?¡± asked Riegert, not daring to speak in more than a hushed whisper. ¡°I have a destination in mind, though with this fog I couldn¡¯t tell you where it might be. I can sense a powerful presence in this place, one that doesn¡¯t feel as though it belongs in this world. It is filled with such malice and discontent that it borders on pure evil, and yet there is somehow a sense of joy in it too, a sense of accomplishment that doesn¡¯t sit right with me.¡± ¡°Malice, discontent, joy, and accomplishment, none of these indicate that we are going to be in for a peaceful encounter. Are you able to tell what it is we''re up against, or how strong it might be?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry Calvin, I have no more information than I have already given you, though I fear that whatever it is, it is going to be powerful. Anything that is able to shroud an entire town in a fog like this and hide it from the view of a God is likely a formidable threat.¡± Answered Fellaroth as a monstrous grown filled the air, causing the group to throw themselves against the wall of the alleyway, just in time to see the massive foot of a grotesque, malformed creature that stood nearly twenty meters tall trudge past them through the fog. ¡°What in the world was that?¡± asked Jackson, doing his utmost to keep his voice down. ¡°Something that doesn¡¯t belong in this world!¡± answered Fellaroth with such anger in his voice that the others dared not ask any more questions. Proceeding in silence, the group traversed passage after passage, darting across open streets and squares to reach the sanctity of yet another side alley, where they would hopefully be able to continue unnoticed by the hordes of vile misshapen creatures that now inhabited this once peaceful town. After nearly an hour of skulking through the hazy streets of this horrifying place, narrowly missing dangerous encounters with terrifying beasts that clashed violently when they encountered any other living being, the dull muffled tone of what sounded like a demonic church bell rang out across the town, drawing the attention of not only the adventurers but of the town¡¯s new inhabitants as well. A collective choir of horrific moans and terrifying screeches filled the air as Fellaroth stepped back from the wall of the alley and kicked in the door of the nearest building, instructing the group to enter the building as he did. Slamming the door shut behind himself, Fellaroth turned to the others and said, ¡°We don¡¯t have much time, we need to get to the roof of this building as quickly and quietly as we can!¡± as he ran toward and up the staircase at the other end of the now empty tavern. ¡°What is it Fell, what¡¯s happening out there?¡± asked Jackson. Reaching the top of the first flight of stairs, and before Fellaroth was able to answer, a disfigured humanoid creature charged around the corner with blood and drool dripping from its tattered mouth. Without a moment¡¯s delay, Fellaroth dispatched the creature with a single strike of his spear, impaling it and levering it over the balustrade, leaving it to plummet to the wooden floor below. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening out there Jackson, but I do know that it¡¯s not something we want to get caught up in!¡± answered Fellaroth at last, as though he had not just encountered and killed a misshapen humanoid creature. ¡°Quickly now, we haven¡¯t time to waste!¡± called Fellaroth from a landing high above the others. Tearing their gaze away from the hole in the wooden floor below, the group looked up and saw that Fellaroth had already covered another flight of stairs and was actively leaving the others far behind. Looking down one last time as the others began to run after Fellaroth, Calvin noticed that more deformed creatures began to appear, not only on the lower floor of the tavern but also from the doors on the same floor as them, clearly having been drawn out by the sounds of the death of one of their own. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Dashing up the stairs as quickly as their legs would allow, the group found themselves being attacked on all sides, leaving them to have to fight with all their strength for every foot of ground they managed to cover. With far greater speed and strength than the average human, these creatures proved to be a formidable challenge for the adventurers. Axes and swords were being expertly wielded in the confined space of the staircase, with each of the adventurers taking it in turns to strike down any creature that got too close, perfectly timing their strikes so that none of their attacks interfered with the attacks of their party members. It wasn¡¯t long before the numbers of the attacking creatures had begun to thin enough for the adventurers to finally make their way up the stairs to seek out Fellaroth, who had seemingly left them to fend for themselves. Seething with rage and mistrust that had been building for a while, Riegert turned and ran up the stairs, ready to give Fellaroth a piece of his mind, when he caught his first glimpse of the upper floors. Here before him was a scene of utter horror. Mangled bodies littered the hallways and the stairs above. Dozens of malformed corpses told the story of a battle that was happening at the same time as their own. The story of a single man facing off against a horde of monsters far greater than they had managed to fend off. Making their way silently up the stairs of the building, Riegert and the others came to see the bodies of what must have been nearly one hundred monsters that Fellaroth had not only singlehandedly killed, but also prevented from reaching and attacking his fellow party members from behind. ¡°Who is this person that we have allowed to join our party?¡± asked Riegert, loud enough so that only Calvin and Jackson could hear. ¡°We fought with all we had to fend off just twenty of these things, and you¡¯re telling me that he was able to kill this many in the same amount of time. I don¡¯t care what the guild says, there is no way he is only rank-A!¡± ¡°What are you getting at Riegert? I¡¯ve seen the way you¡¯ve been watching him lately. Ever since we entered the Lonely Bastion, you¡¯ve been keeping a very close eye on him. Is there something you¡¯re not telling us?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m just being cautious. We know so little about him and yet we have let him join our party so easily. How many other adventurers have we encountered over the years, each showing great potential to be a part of our party, and one after another we turned them away. Yet along came Fellaroth and without so much as a second thought we allowed him to join us. It just doesn¡¯t sit right with me, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Fell has done nothing to earn your mistrust Riegert, if anything he has proven to be the driving force we needed to propel this party forward and finally break through the ranking barrier. We¡¯re now a D-ranked party Riegert, something that we¡¯ve wanted for so long and with his help we were able to reach it. He doesn¡¯t deserve this Riegert.¡± ¡°I know Jackson, this is just something that I am going to have to work through on my own.¡± ¡°See that you do Riegert. Our party is stronger now than it¡¯s ever been, we need to be united in everything that we do, if we want to keep growing stronger that is!¡± said Calvin before walking off in search of Fellaroth. The fourth floor of the large wooden building was a scene much like all of the others. Dead bodies were scattered about, some had been knocked through open doorways, others had crashed through the wooden walls and were lying limp from the gaping holes they had created with their own bodies, while others carpeted the floor of the hallway. At the end of the hallway, Calvin saw Fellaroth down on his haunches studying the remains of one of the creatures he had killed. Stepping over one dead body after another, Calvin noticed that very little energy had been expended with each of these kills. It was clear that Fellaroth had struck each monster with only enough force as was needed to kill it, before moving on to the next. It was an artful display that showed the other members of Hidden Fury what was possible with the right knowledge and experience, though just where this man of roughly the same age as themselves managed to earn such knowledge and experience was a question that burned in the back of all of their minds. ¡°Is everything alright, Fell?¡± he asked upon drawing closer to Fellaroth. ¡°Have any of you noticed the symbols that seem to have been branded onto each of these creatures?¡± ¡°Do you mean the balanced scales? Yes, I¡¯ve seen them in different places on each of the creatures that we¡¯ve killed. Do you think it¡¯s the mark of their master?¡± asked Riegert, turning the nearest corpse over with his foot to reveal the image of a branded balanced scale on the left cheek of its misshapen face. ¡°I think I have seen this symbol before, though for some reason I¡¯m not able to place it. It¡¯s so familiar and yet so foreign to me, almost as though my brain knows what it¡¯s seeing yet some external force is making it so that I am unable to place it.¡± Interjected Calvin. ¡°Then it¡¯s not just me. I too have a sense of familiarity when looking at this symbol, and yet I still cannot place it.¡± Said Fellaroth while pulling a piece of parchment from his pocket and placing it over the mark on the forehead of the creature he was examining. With the parchment in place, Fellaroth placed his palm over the mark, causing a faint light to shine from his palm, he then lifted the parchment to reveal a perfect representation of the mark that had been etched onto it. ¡°I will keep this with me for now, at least until I can properly identify it.¡± He added, before seeing the parchment burst into flames and disintegrate before his eyes. ¡°What just happened?¡± ¡°That Jackson is the doing of the very same charm that is preventing us from identifying this mark. Apparently, who or whatever it is that has cast this charm, fully intends to keep the origins of this mark a secret. There is nothing more we can do here, particularly now that we know we won¡¯t be able to identify this strange symbol. For now, we need to proceed to the roof of this building, with any luck we will be able to move across this city more freely from up there.¡± Added Fellaroth before entering the room to his left which had in it a window that opened directly onto the low-sloping roof. Chapter 18 Grey slate roof tiles chattered underfoot as the group crept their way to the roof¡¯s peak. The all-consuming fog that had enveloped the town was no thinner on the rooftops than it was on ground level, though now the adventurers ran a lower risk of encountering the residents of this forsaken place. The silhouettes of large slow-moving creatures, taller than the town¡¯s buildings, could be seen through the fog, awkwardly hobbling through the streets as though on a mindless patrol. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like those before! Fell, do you happen to know what they are?¡± ¡°They are beings, brought into this world from another. Beings that have no business in this world. Their presence here explains the fog and why the town has been hidden from Mythus¡¯ view. Whoever brought these creatures into this world is dabbling in very powerful dark magic. Magic that I thought had long since been erased from this world.¡± ¡°Who could possibly have the power needed to pull off such a feat? They have somehow managed to hide an entire town from the world and a God as well, and they have also conjured these colossal monstrosities into this world. It sounds to me like this is the work of a God. I mean, what mortal being could possibly hope to cast magic on this scale?¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong about one detail Calvin. These beings were not merely conjured into this world, they were swapped into it!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand, what do you mean by ¡®swapped¡¯?¡± ¡°Think back to when we were on the road to Cruwshant. How many people would you say passed us on the road that day?¡± ¡°Several hundred at least, maybe close to a thousand, why does that matter now? Wait¡­ you¡¯re not trying to say that¡­¡± ¡°Look at the size of this town, Calvin. It''s capable of housing tens of thousands of people. Where do you suppose the rest of the people went?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think they were ¡®swapped¡¯ for these creatures, do you?¡± ¡°Sacrifices had to have been made for these creatures to be brought here. I¡¯d say twenty or thirty lives had to have been traded for each one of those!¡± ¡°I count at least ten of them out there in the fog, so that accounts for around three hundred people. What happened to the rest?¡± ¡°Have you not figured it out yet Calvin?¡± asked Riegert, with regret and sorrow in his voice. ¡°Figured what out?¡± ¡°Those things that attacked us in the tavern, Calvin. They are what remains of this town¡¯s people!¡± answered Jackson reluctantly. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Jackson¡¯s right. What you saw in that tavern is the ramifications of dealing with dark magic. Whatever is making this fog was brought here at the cost of the lives of all of those people. Their souls will be forever trapped in those deformed bodies, tormented by their regrets and hatred until they are finally killed and sent back to the river of life, where they will be cleansed and sent back into this world for reincarnation.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t understand, what could possibly have had enough power to do all of this?¡± ¡°You were right the first time Calvin. Some fool must have made a pact with a very powerful dark being, perhaps an evil deity of some kind.¡± ¡°Wha¡­ what do you mean by an evil deity? Do you mean to say that there are Gods out there who mean this world harm? I thought that Mythus and the Gods of the other races were the only Gods that existed?¡± ¡°There are others. Some have been forgotten, but others were not intended to be created but rather came into being by a world that sought balance.¡± ¡°I can understand that there may be Gods that have been forgotten, but how are there Gods that were unintentionally created?¡± ¡°It¡¯s far too much for us to discuss in detail right now. Suffice it to say, the foe that we face in this place might be more than your average dark magic user, they might be aligned with powers that could bring ruin to this world.¡± ¡°Which means that this is not a foe that we should be facing alone. We should find our way out of this town and head to Cruwshant so we can make a report to The Guild there and request to have a more experienced party deal with this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry Riegert but I don¡¯t think that that is an option at this point. I doubt that the barrier around this place will allow us to leave. Not until we have dealt with the one who cast it that is.¡± ¡°Are you sure? Is there no way for us to slip out of here undetected? We¡¯re not up for this fight Fell! If this person is as powerful as you say they are, then we¡¯re surely going to need support for this battle!¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I am certain that there is no way for us to leave this place. The person that we need to face is right there in that church!¡± said Fellaroth, pointing toward a large cathedral that stood taller than any other building in the town. The elegant bell tower that stood tall from the centre of the enormous rectangular building had fog flowing from its open archways like a diseased river flowing from the mouth of a poisoned lake. ¡°That¡¯s a long way from where we are now, and I don¡¯t see any building close enough to it for us to reach it without leaving the rooftops.¡± Said Jackson, upon seeing the church that Fellaroth had pointed out. ¡°Indeed, we¡¯re going to have to complete the last leg on the ground, and I don¡¯t think we will be able to simply walk into the church unopposed either.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°I take it you have a plan then?¡± asked Calvin hopefully. ¡°I don¡¯t. Not yet anyway. We¡¯re going to have to get a closer look before we can properly assess the situation and come up with a clear plan of action.¡± ¡°Well then, there¡¯s nothing for it, we¡¯re just going to have to keep low and get as close to that church as we can!¡± said Jackson, prompting the others to fall in step behind Fellaroth, who had started making his way toward the edge of the roof. ¡°Do you think you can jump this gap?¡± asked Fellaroth, upon reaching the edge of the roof. ¡°With ease!¡± answered Jackson, taking a few steps back before running at full speed across the rooftop and vaulting the narrow street before landing on the roof of the opposite building. After sliding to a stop on the slate roof tiles, Jackson turned back to see the others attempt the same jump, only to see Fellaroth frantically waving and motioning for him to get down. Scanning his surroundings, Jackson soon noticed a gigantic being lumbering toward them. The creature seemed somewhat human in appearance, aside from its elongated features which included drooping eyes that were incapable of blinking, a gaping hole where its nose should have been, a crooked mouth that hung open to one side and showed the dull misshapen teeth that filled its mouth. It had long arms that dragged along the ground behind it as it limped on and an enormous gut that wobbled with every step. The skin that covered its enormous naked body looked as though it had been melted in a fire and never allowed to properly heal, while the woeful moans it let out periodically gave the impression of a being that was in constant pain. Seeing this creature approach, Jackson lay flat on his stomach and hoped that the fog would allow him to go unnoticed by the creature, while Fellaroth and the others had retreated several paces from the edge of the roof and had done the same. Several tense moments passed in silence as the group watched the enormous being slowly make its way down the street, completely oblivious to the presence of the people who were scarcely one-tenth of its own size. Breathing a sigh of relief and without so much as a word spoken between them, Calvin, Riegert, and Fellaroth checked to see that no other monstrous beings were approaching before taking it in turns to jump over to the other roof, where Jackson was waiting. With the group back together, they moved on as quickly as their reduced visibility would allow, the group quickly leapt from one roof to another, getting as far away from the giant as they possibly could, before finding themselves hiding yet again from another mammoth patrolman. The church steeple was growing larger with every passing minute, getting more and more imposing and threatening as the number of giants walking the streets began to increase, making it more and more difficult for them to cover the distance to their objective. The chattering screeches and calls of the smaller creatures began to fill the air, causing Riegert to approach the roof¡¯s edge and peer over. There in the streets below, he saw hundreds of humanoids aimlessly roam around and screeching mindlessly when they bumped into each other. As Riegert studied the humanoid creatures below, he noticed that two of the larger creatures were about to cross paths. Before he was able to turn his attention back to the creatures below, the two behemoths started to bellow murderously upon seeing each other. In an instant the giant that had passed the group earlier swung its long arms around in a wide ark, causing them to impact the head of its opponent with such force that it was sent crashing through the building it had been standing next to. Without delay the long-armed giant set upon its foe, using its long arms to keep its distance while unleashing a barrage of attacks that left its enemy unable to get back up and retaliate. With the battle all but concluded, Riegert noticed that the other giant appeared to be getting back to its feet, while holding its shorter, stronger arms above its head to take the brunt of the attack. Down on its haunches, with its head tucked safely beneath its overly muscular arms, the second giant appeared to be patiently waiting for something to happen, then like a snake striking out at its prey, the second giant deflected the incoming attack, leapt into the air and with a single powerful punch was able to separate its opponent¡¯s head from its body, sending it flying through the air. Seeing the enormous head coming in their direction, the adventurers scattered, with Calvin dropping to the roof tiles, Jackson running toward and underneath its trajectory, and Riegert losing his footing and slipping from the rooftop, managing to grip the edge of the roof before he fell too far, while Fellaroth simply stood still and watched as the head careened straight for him. Pulling himself up to the point that his head was just above the edge of the roof, Riegert watched as Fellaroth stood unflinchingly while the severed head appeared to be on a collision course for him. The head passed by Fellaroth within inches, as he turned and looked the giant in the eyes before it impacted the roof just a few meters behind him. As the dust began to clear, Riegert had managed to pull himself back onto the roof and watched on in horror as the eyes of the severed head turned to look at Fellaroth before glazing over as the life finally left it. A stunned silence gripped the group as they turned to look at the victorious giant, who had by this time simply returned to its pointless roaming as though nothing had happened, leaving its dead counterpart¡¯s body to be set upon by the smaller humanoid creatures. Ferociously tearing into the gargantuan deformed body, the smaller creatures screeched in delight as they fought over the meal that had been dropped at their feet, drawing the attention of more of their kind that had been in the surrounding buildings. Before long the streets below were a thronging, chaotic mass of violent altercations that grew louder with every passing second, serving only to draw the attention of yet more creatures. Turning his attention from the spectacle that was unfolding before him, Riegert saw that the street below that led directly to the church, was now completely clear of any obstacles, apart from a few stragglers that didn¡¯t seem particularly interested in what was happening around them. Seeing their opportunity to reach their objective, Riegert turned to the others to inform them of what he had seen, only to meet the gaze of a creature that struck fear in his heart. There in the sky behind them and approaching at speed was a sight that would have made even the bravest of adventurers second guess their choice of occupation. Unable to speak, Riegert mustered all of his courage to simply raise his arm and point a single finger in the direction of the approaching danger. Following the path of his finger, the others came to see a sight that struck the same fear into each of them that had frozen Riegert, there in the sky was a creature with enormous, tattered bat-like wings and a withered, naked human-like body. A large flat disk formed the back of its head and protruded to one and a half times the size of its head. The creature¡¯s skin clung loosely to its skull, creating a long leathery curtain that flowed from its cheekbones, parting at its mouth it hung down below the creature¡¯s knees, covering only its long bony arms. At the end of each arm was a claw with three long fingers, each having long jagged nails that extended their reach. From each shoulder protruded a broken horn that curved up to perfectly match the side of the disk in its head. Its body was lean and muscular with long legs that reached feet with claws that matched its hands, while from behind came a long slender tail that was as long as its body was tall. Flying alongside the strange, horrifying creature was a long spear with a crescent blade mounted on each side of its spearhead, and a second spike at the base of the spear¡¯s pole. Without slowing down, the creature flexed a single finger on its bony hand, causing its halberd to propel itself through the air so fast that before any of them was able to react, Fellaroth had been impaled through his left shoulder and was sent plummeting to the ground below, with the winged creature paying the others no mind and following after its weapon. Chapter 19 Riegert watched on in horror as Fellaroth plummeted to the ground far below. A large cloud of dust and brick particles was thrown into the air from the force of the impact, obscuring Riegert¡¯s view of his injured comrade. Before he was able to react, the massive, winged beast flew past Riegert, passing close enough to him that the razor-sharp tip of its wing sliced open his cheek just below his right eye. With everything happening so quickly, Riegert found himself relegated to the role of a spectator, unable to react quickly enough to be of much use to Fellaroth. The winged beast had covered half the distance to Fellaroth when Riegert saw a shaft of dust spouting toward it from the cloud. Before he knew what had happened, the beast had been pinned to the wall directly below him, with its own weapon. A moment later Fellaroth had smashed into the creature¡¯s gut with his right knee and had driven his unextended spear up through its lower jaw and deep into its head. As the creature went limp, Fellaroth took hold of its halberd and used it to propel himself back onto the rooftop next to Riegert, taking the weapon with him as he did and leaving the body to drop to the ground below. Utterly dumbfounded by the display he had just witnessed, Riegert looked up at Fellaroth with blood still dripping from his cheek and noticed that the wound that had been inflicted to his left shoulder was nowhere to be seen, not even so much as a mark on Fellaroth¡¯s clothing was visible to him. ¡°But¡­ how? How are you standing here right now? That blow should have left you grievously wounded!¡± ¡°On your feet, quickly! There are more of them coming!¡± called Fellaroth, shaking the others from their stupor and making them ready themselves for what was to come. Getting to their feet, the group looked in the direction from which the last beast had come and saw three more coming in at a high rate of speed. Their tattered wings generated a vile sound as they drew closer, causing the adventurers to grip their weapons tighter and ready themselves for the intense battle that was sure to follow. Each of the beasts flexed a single finger on their bony hands, causing their halberds to rocket through the air, perfectly targeting Jackson, Calvin, and Riegert. Seeing the approaching projectiles, Fellaroth threw the halberd he had taken from the dead beast with such precision that it was able to knock one of the approaching weapons from the air, giving him just enough time to step in front of Jackson and using his unextended spear, deflected the approaching weapon, before leaping across the roof and deflecting the weapon that was fast approaching Calvin. Having had barely enough time to save Calvin from being pierced by the beast¡¯s weapon, Fellaroth was momentarily distracted, allowing one of the flying beasts to reach them and with its left foot extended, it drove Fellaroth through the structure of the roof and wall of the building, ending with both him and the beast crashing to the ground in yet another dust cloud. Seeing the second beast approach, Jackson swung the axe he had taken from Fellaroth¡¯s study with such force that it not only cleaved the approaching beast but sliced through the roof below himself, weakening the roof structure and causing himself to fall through into the building. The body of the beast that Jackson had killed, continued on with its momentum, causing its limp body to bounce off of the roof¡¯s peak and subsequently roll off the edge of the roof. With blood still dripping from his cheek, Riegert smacked himself in the face, bringing himself back to his senses and spreading the blood across his nose and mouth. He then took hold of his sword and rushed in to help Calvin, who had by this time been pinned to the roof by the large claw-like foot of the last beast. Slicing through the creature''s ankle, Riegert allowed Calvin enough time to get back to his feet, while the beast recoiled and screeched in pain. As Calvin nocked his arrow and drew back his bowstring, Riegert blocked the creature¡¯s next attack, allowing Calvin to plant his arrow squarely between the beast¡¯s eyes, leaving its limp body to fall from the sky. ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t believe how amazing this axe is!¡± said Jackson, upon landing on the wooden floor of the highest level of the building. Coughing slightly, he waved his hand in an attempt to clear some of the dust from his path, only to see that the room before him was filled with humanoids who had been drawn in by the sounds of the battle above. Sighing deeply, Jackson stepped forward and began to attack the advancing hoard as he exclaimed; ¡°No rest for the weary, I suppose!¡± Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Finding himself completely surrounded, Jackson was soon fighting a battle on all sides, managing to strike down some of his adversaries and block others, before being broad-sided by a particularly large humanoid who had taken up some of the rubble from the collapsed roof and used it as a weapon. Down on one knee and with blood dripping from his head, Jackson attempted to lift his axe to fend off the approaching hoard, only to find that his hand would no longer grip the majestic weapon. Staring down what looked to him like his own demise, Jackson tried desperately with all his might to grapple with his weapon, before receiving a swift kick to his ribs that sent him reeling. Now lying on his back, Jackson attempted to clear his blurred vision, while reaching for his second axe that was still on his back. Taking hold of the axe with as much force as he could muster, Jackson¡¯s vision began to clear, just in time for him to see the large humanoid who had kicked him, now approaching, brandishing his own prised axe. A look of pure malice and hatred consumed the face of the humanoid as it lifted the axe above its head and brought it down on Jackson with all its might. With the axe baring down on him, Jackson managed to pull his other axe free from his back and lock the shaft and blade of his weapon with that of the humanoid¡¯s. ¡°Not today you disgusting creature! Not like this! Not with my own weapon!¡± he shouted defiantly, as he slowly began to overpower the humanoid while getting back to his feet. ¡°You think you can take that weapon from me and then use it against me?¡± he yelled, before using all of his might to force the axe from the humanoid¡¯s hand, causing it to get lodged in the pillar to their left, before placing all of his weight behind his right leg and kicking the creature back. Taking a moment to breathe and compose himself, Jackson reached out with his left hand and pulled his prised axe free from the wall, allowing its weight to cause it to drop to the floor at his feet. Looking down through a face full of dripping blood, Jackson smiled as he took his favourite axe in his right hand and the other in his left, he then raised his head and said; ¡°I told you that today wouldn¡¯t be the day!¡± before launching his next attack in which the enemies fell in quick succession. A sudden gust of wind blew across the square, revealing Fellaroth lying on his back with the creature standing above him, spreading its wings and starting to take flight once again. ¡°Do you honestly think I¡¯m going to allow that!¡± said Fellaroth, as he reached up and grabbed the creature by its ankle. The beast¡¯s large, tattered wings flapped frantically as it tried to escape Fellaroth¡¯s grip, only for Fellaroth to pull down and smash the beast into the paved floor beside him. Without skipping a beat, Fellaroth sprang to his feet and set upon the creature with his spear in hand, intent on ending the fight before it could go any further. Baring down on the creature, Fellaroth lunged for its head, only to find himself being speared through his chest by the creature¡¯s halberd. With his spear still in his hand, Fellaroth looked down at the weapon that now penetrated his body and pinned him in place, before he turned and looked at the creature that had by now started scrambling backwards. He then extended his spear and threw it at the creature, pinning its right wing to the ground, before using both hands to pull the halberd from the ground and slowly slide it from his chest. Spinning the halberd in his right hand, Fellaroth walked toward the creature who had started frantically trying to pull his spear from its wing and the ground. Just a few paces away from the beast, Fellaroth wiped his left hand across his open wound, erasing any trace of it ever having existed, like wiping dust from his shirt. Now standing before the beast with its own weapon in hand, Fellaroth drove its halberd through its chest, killing it instantly. ¡°Are you alright down there?¡± called Riegert from the rooftop. ¡°I¡¯m just fine, Riegert. How are you and the others fairing up there?¡± answered Fellaroth, while pulling his spear from the ground and replacing it on his lower back. ¡°Calvin and I are fine, and the beasts have been dealt with, but Jackson fell through the roof, and we can¡¯t see him anywhere!¡± answered Riegert, as the door on the ground floor of the building was sent crashing across the paved square with a humanoid¡¯s body attached to it, moments before Jackson¡¯s large frame emerged into the foggy air. ¡°I¡¯m a little bloody, but I¡¯ll survive!¡± called Jackson in answer to Riegert. ¡°Fantastic! Why don¡¯t the two of you come down here and join us!¡± yelled Fellaroth as he picked up the body of the beast he had just killed, by the back of the neck and started to walk toward the church. ¡°I think there¡¯s someone that we need to have a little discussion with.¡± Chapter 20 ¡°I think this belongs to you!¡± yelled Fellaroth as he threw the dead body at the large double doors of the church, knocking the door to the right, off of its hinges and sending it crashing into the interior of the church. ¡°Church doors don¡¯t lock you know Fell!¡± said Jackson as he caught up with Fellaroth before he entered the eery building. ¡°Don¡¯t you think we should wait for the others?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll be along shortly. In the meantime, I would like to find out who it is that was behind all of the foul things that have been happening in this town. What kind of monster would do such a thing? Do they have so little respect for human life?¡± ¡°Those people were not human; they were barely alive!¡± answered a deep and commanding voice from within the church. ¡°Those people lived and breathed just like anyone else. They worked hard to provide for their loved ones and cared for each other!¡± yelled Jackson, crossing over the threshold behind Fellaroth. The church¡¯s interior was a truly dark and ominous place, with hundreds of candles burning in dozens of enormous chandeliers that hung from chains, far above their heads, with yet more candles spread out across the church¡¯s interior in large standing candelabras, and yet with all of these burning candles, there was still scarcely any light to be found in this place. ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh! They were no more human than the cattle they raised for slaughter. They would have had nothing if it weren¡¯t for me! I brought commerce to this town. I created the jobs that employed each and every person who lived in this town, and yet I had to stand by and watch as they cheated and lied to the people, they called their friends. I had to bear witness to them breaking their marital vows and taking each other¡¯s lives as easily as crossing a street, and then have the audacity to come before me on the day of rest and ask that I ask the Gods to absolve them of their sins! These were not people! They were foul creatures that didn¡¯t deserve the lives that they had been blessed with!¡± answered the commanding voice, with such passion that his voice reverberated throughout the empty building. ¡°I did this world a great service by removing that filth from existence!¡± ¡°And what exactly gives you the right to determine who gets to live and who doesn¡¯t?¡± asked Riegert, joining the others as they walked down the centre aisle of the church, scanning their surroundings as they went. ¡°I am an apostle of the Gods! Their right hand in this world! A being made perfect by their power and given the task of cleansing this world so that it might one day be a fitting place for them to inhabit!¡± ¡°You are nothing more than a pompous ass! A being who was so consumed by his own power and authority, so self-righteous in his own mind that he was easily swayed from the path of the true Gods and was manipulated by demons into believing that they are the true Gods of this world!¡± Said Fellaroth, clearly starting to lose his composure. ¡°You would dare to come into this holy place and speak such lies!¡± yelled the deep voice as a large, grotesquely obese man waddled onto the stage. ¡°My Gods are the true Gods of this world! They do not simply stand by and watch as the world falls into ruin. They guide their followers and provide them with the power to change this world for the better. They are helping us to create a world where only those who deserve to live will be given the privilege of life!¡± ¡°And how exactly do your Gods judge who is deserving of life and who isn¡¯t?¡± asked Fellaroth, in a calm voice. ¡°Those who are righteous of heart and are true believers will give unto the Gods anything that they desire, anything that they ask of you, and in exchange, you will be granted power! Power over life and death! Power to help mould this world and change it into what the Gods want it to be. And when all is said and done, we will be granted a place in the new world, where we can prosper alongside our Gods!¡± ¡°True Gods do not desire anything of their people! All they want is to see their people prosper, and they ask for nothing in return, except faith in them!¡± said Calvin, stepping in front of the others. ¡°You know nothing of true Gods! Do your Gods grant you power in exchange for your faith?¡± yelled the large man, clicking his fingers, causing the adventurers to rise into the air, gasping for breath. ¡°Do your Gods allow you to have dominion over life and death with little more than a thought?¡± he added as he rapidly extended his fingers, causing the adventurers to fly through the air and slam into the wall at the far side of the church. ¡°If your Gods were so powerful, then would they not have prevented me from killing you so easily?¡± he said as he erupted into laughter, causing his enormous gut to heave and wobble. ¡°No, we don¡¯t grant power in exchange for the faith of our followers!¡± said Fellaroth, causing the large man to abruptly stop laughing and look down in horror. ¡°All we ask of our followers is that they lead good lives, respect each other, and do not take all that they have been given for granted. And in exchange, yes, we will protect them from being killed so easily.¡± He added in a voice that was so calm and peaceful that it struck true fear into the large man¡¯s heart. ¡°But¡­ but how? How are you still standing there?¡± he yelled, peering across the room in an attempt to see if Fellaroth had really saved the lives of the adventurers. ¡°I was granted the power of the Gods! I am all-powerful!¡± ¡°You were granted power, but it was not the power of the Gods, it was just power.¡± Said Fellaroth, as enormous wings spread out from his back, bathing the church in a warm light. ¡°What my companion said is true. We Gods don¡¯t ask our faithful for anything in exchange for our love and devotion, we exist only to guide our people and aid them in creating a world where all people can live in peace. We were not granted divinity so that we might rule over this world. Nor were we meant to interfere with the lives of mortal beings. We were given our divinity so that we might subtly guide this world and its people and ensure that each of the races of man can live good and peaceful lives. It is not for us to grant power over anything to one group over another.¡± ¡°How dare you come before me in this, the house of my Gods and spread such lies! You claim to be a true God of humanity? If this were true, then why have you stood by for so many millennia and watched as the other races have done as they pleased with us? You claim to be of the old Gods who allowed the Elves, Dwarves, Lizardmen, and every other race in this world to believe themselves superior to us. If you are truly one of those Gods, then what gives you the right to come before me and judge me for trying to elevate my race¡­ our race¡­ to where it truly belongs!¡± ¡°The old Gods? So, you are aware of the existence of the true Gods then?¡± ¡°If you are referring to Mythus, Magnatheena, and Fellaroth, then yes, I am aware of the existence of those pitiable excuses for Gods. I am aware of how they stood by and watched as the race of man was subjugated by the other races. I am aware of how they did nothing as the other races treated us as little more than the dirt beneath their shoes!¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°But how? I was under the impression that there were very few in this world who still knew of Mythus, and fewer still who knew of the existence of Magnatheena and myself.¡± ¡°Oh, so you believe yourself to be Fellaroth, the God of prosperity and good fortune, do you? Now that I think about it, you do bear a striking resemblance to the old depictions of him¡­ but even if it is true, and you are who you say you are. You are too late; the race of men has found themselves new Gods. Gods who do not stand idly by and watch as our race crumbles and fades into obscurity.¡± ¡°How is it possible that you know who I am, or even what I look like? I have come to understand that all knowledge of Magnatheena and myself were long since forgotten!¡± ¡°Oh, you have been forgotten, I have personally spent the last thousand years of my life making sure of that!¡± ¡°Excuse me? The last thousand years of your life? How is that even possible?¡± ¡°Oh, how the mighty Gods have faltered. Do you truly not recognise one of your own representatives¡­ The Pope of your faith! Then let me jog your memory.¡± Said the heavy-set man, stepping out of the darkness and into the light that radiated from Fellaroth for the first time. ¡°My name is Elias Maximillian Thaddeus Valtieri, and for many years I faithfully spread the teachings of The Golden Emperor. I was one of the privileged few who were blessed with hearing your voice and receiving your guidance. I studied your life and your achievements¡­ I lived for nothing more than to spread your word to the masses. And hearing you speak your wisdom directly to me was nothing short of a miracle that I took great pride in.¡± ¡°You¡­ I do recognise you¡­ though your appearance has vastly changed since then, it is still you!¡± said Fellaroth, on seeing the distorted features of the man before him for the first time. Before him was a man who was almost as fat as he was tall. He had smooth brown hair that had been neatly combed back and a clean-shaven face that had clearly once been very handsome before the folds of fat had set in until his neck was no longer visible. His arms rested against his enormous sides that were so large that his bejewelled hands dangled beside him, unable to touch his hips without great effort on his part. He wore long flowing vestiges, that though faded and discoloured with age, still looked familiar to Fellaroth. ¡°But how could you possibly be him? That was centuries ago, you should have died a long time ago!¡± ¡°It is only by the miracles of the true Gods that I have been able to live as long as I have. Unlike you, they saw my potential and knew that given enough time, I would be able to help grow their religion in this world. They knew that I was the man who would be capable of spreading the truth that they were indeed the true Gods and that the rest of you were nothing more than idle spectators who cared nothing for what happened to the mortal races!¡± ¡°You were once such a devoted follower, a man that truly believed in me with all of your heart. You are a testament to just how greatly I have failed my people. How did it ever come to this?¡± ¡°Do you really need to ask? I lived my life just as you had commanded of me. I spent every day observing your faith and giving praise to you. I spread your teachings to anyone who would hear it, and you rewarded me with your divine voice and guidance. But even after the many decades, I had devoted to you, the many years I had lived by your teachings¡­ you fell silent. When I stopped hearing your voice, I began to question every decision I had made. I began to examine every aspect of my life to see what I could possibly have done to upset you, to make it so that you no longer viewed me as one who was worthy of hearing your voice. But in time I came to hear that I was not the only one who could no longer hear your voice, as others of the faith began to reach out to me for guidance as they too could no longer hear your voice. I fasted for many days and nights, praying around the clock in the hopes that you would give me an answer as to why I could no longer hear you. And when I had finally given up all hopes of ever hearing your voice again¡­ a miracle happened. I started to hear the voice of another. A voice that opened my eyes and showed me the truth, that we were nothing more than playthings for you and the other Gods, and that you had grown tired of us and had lost interest¡­!¡± ¡°I truly did fail you, Elias, I had grown complaisant in my role as a God and stopped giving guidance to my faithful. I sat back and did nothing as the race of man fell so far from grace. I was so wrapped up in my own divinity that I didn¡¯t even notice when false Gods had usurped my place as your God and, to be frank, I didn¡¯t even care¡­ but I have seen the error of my ways and want to guide the race of man back onto their true path once more. I want to show you all, that this way of violence is not the way forward. You need to strive for peace and balance in this world, if you do not, then this world will become a truly horrid place for all that live in it. Believe me when I say that any God who uses these methods to gain favour in the world will not hold true to their promise of a utopia. They will destroy this world and make it into one where only they will thrive!¡± ¡°What gives you the right to say these things now? You did nothing while the kingdoms of man started to falter when their churches could no longer offer proper guidance to their followers. Without the presence and guidance of our Gods, priests could no longer bestow blessings onto our soldiers before battle, which in turn affected their morale, and led to many defeats on the battlefield. Kings and Queens fell from power and entire Kingdoms collapsed because of your absence, and still, you did nothing! With the help of the new Gods, we were able to help The North recover its lost strength and fight back the Dwarven invaders. With my help the new Gods were able to bring order back to The North, despite the interference of the Mythus faithful in The South, we were able to triumph over the other races and drive them from our territory, placing those who refused to leave in chains, where they rightfully belong!¡± ¡°How have you fallen so far? I could see into your mind back then, and I could see a man who truly wanted to see a peaceful world where all people could live side by side. Now when I peer into your mind, I see nothing but hatred and disdain. What could have corrupted you so deeply? Surely it was not simply my absence that brought this about?¡± ¡°Oh, but it was. How could we possibly remain so pure and innocent when we are forced to what so many people lose their lives at the hands of the hateful creatures that invaded us. They thought nothing of setting our villages on fire or killing the innocent who had not even raised a weapon in their own defence. How could we not grow to hate the people who held so little regard for life?¡± ¡°But how could you possibly have lived long enough to have seen all of this? If I recall, you were a well-aged man when I stopped speaking with you. You shouldn¡¯t have lived more than another ten or twenty years. How have you managed to see so many centuries of life?¡± ¡°The same way you managed to see so many centuries of life while you were a mortal, through gaining immense power!¡± ¡°I see. Though my power was gathered over a lifetime of study and training, you could not have achieved that in the short time you had left in this world. Tell me, Elias, what did you have to give your Gods in exchange for the power that has granted you this long life?¡± ¡°Everything! First, I gave them the lives of my loved ones, my wife, children, and grandchildren. Then I gave them the lives of my friends, and finally, I gave them the lives of my followers!¡± announced Elias with such pride, that it turned Fellaroth¡¯s stomach. ¡°And after the many years you had devoted to following my teachings, you found that to be a worthwhile sacrifice for a little power and a few more years to your life! Do you hold no value in the lives of the people around you Elias? Are you no better than those races you watched invade and kill the innocent?¡± yelled Fellaroth with such fury that the entire building began to shake. ¡°The lives I presented to My Gods were meaningless in the face of their divine power. A few innocent people had to die so that I was able to get the power that was needed to prevent the loss of thousands of more innocent lives¡­ it seems like a fair trade to me!¡± ¡°You disgust me, Elias, I cannot believe that one of my faithful could have fallen so far!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have the right to say such things to me! Not after you so readily abandoned us and left us to the wolves!¡± yelled Elias, raising his right hand as an enormous arm crashed through the roof of the church, slamming into Fellaroth with immense power. Chapter 21 Stone and wood rained down on the interior of the church as Elias grinned maniacally while watching as the gigantic arm of one of the creatures, he had brought into this world, levelled half of the building as it continued on its path toward Fellaroth. Splinters of wood and still-lit candles flew through the air as the enormous hand made contact with Fellaroth, seeming to pass right through him as though he was nothing more than a projected image. Moments later a howl of excruciating pain bellowed down from above, as the gargantuan arm withdrew, with no more than tattered flesh clinging to what was left of its forearm. ¡°You know me to be a God Elias! Did you really think that there was anything in this world that could do me any harm?¡± asked Fellaroth, having never taken his eyes off of Elias even for a moment. Looking down on Elias now, Fellaroth saw that the smile had been wiped from his face and had been replaced by a look of horror and desperation. ¡°You are not the true God!¡± yelled Elias as he scrambled over the rubble of the now-fallen wall of the church, headed for the town square in front of the church. ¡°My creatures will prove that much!¡± Fellaroth spread his large golden wings, and with a single downward stroke, was propelled through what was left of the church¡¯s roof and sored high into the air above the town, leaving dust and yet more rubble to fall from the destroyed structure as darkness once again enveloped its interior. Floating in the skies above the town, with his wings unmoving, Fellaroth surveyed the area, becoming more and more upset as he saw the level of cruelty and suffering that the people of this town had endured. Now able to truly observe his surroundings, not as an adventurer, accompanied by his party, but rather as the true God he was, Fellaroth saw the true state of things. The people of this town had not simply experienced a single dramatic and horrific event that drove them from this place. They had been living beneath the thumb of a cruel and demented fiend, who had misused his ill-gotten powers and had tormented the people he saw as lesser beings for some time. The dilapidated and squalid condition that the town was now in was not the doings of the vial creatures that now roamed its streets, but was instead the result of people who were forced to live in subhuman conditions, given only what was needed for them to survive, while they served the every whim of the being that clearly thought himself a God in the making. Broken rooves and long decaying corpses told the story of this town. A story that had not begun recently. A story that enraged Fellaroth. ¡°Is this what you would do with power? Is this what you would have the rest of this world look like? Do you want nothing more than a world in which people are made to suffer from birth until death while they serve the twisted fancies of deranged overlords?¡± Fellaroth yelled with such anger that the shockwaves of his power pulsated through the town with each question that he asked, causing the windows to shatter, and weakened rooves to fall in. ¡°Is this the result of my own hubris?¡± he added more quietly, as he realised that he was partly to blame for what he saw before himself. ¡°This is all humanity is good for. You taught me that!¡± yelled Elias in response from the ground far below, causing Fellaroth¡¯s gaze to fall directly on him for the first time since he left the church. There in the centre of the town square, standing in the shadow of the church steeple, cast by the brilliant glow immitted from Fellaroth, stood the heavyset figure, surrounded by a number of humanoid creatures and behemoth guardians. ¡°Come forth sentinels of the abyss and show this fool who the true Gods of this world really are!¡± he added, causing dozens of winged creatures to suddenly appear from magic circles in the skies above the town. Each sentinel appeared from the void with their halberds floating alongside it and beneath their large, tattered wings that generated a vial ominous sound that filled the air. The sentinels hovered in the air, where they had each been conjured, their wings slowly falling and lifting to keep them in place, as their long slender tails twitched back and forth impatiently. A faint clicking sound echoed through the air and seemed to be emanating from the withered mouths that were partially veiled beneath the long leathery skin that hung from their cheeks and draped their upper bodies and arms. ¡°What are you waiting for, I am your master and I have ordered you to attack that fool!¡± yelled Elias upon hearing these faint noises that he had never heard them make before. ¡°They are communicating with each other. Trying to decide whether or not it is a good idea to attack me. You see, unlike the other creatures that you have brought into this world, these are not just mindless beasts. These are creatures that were created with a purpose. Given the name you called them by, I would assume that their purpose is to guard something, and seeing as guarding cannot be done by a mindless drone, these creatures were given intelligence, but with intelligence comes mindfulness, which in turn leads to the fear of things that can do one harm. These creatures know that they are outmatched, and are unsure if they should obey you or not.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about! I summoned them here, I am their master, and they are my puppets, and puppets will always do as they are told! Now I order you to kill that false God!¡± yelled Elias with such rage that spit flew from his mouth, spurring the sentinels into action. With his words still ringing through the square, a single long, loose-skinned finger on the left hand of one sentinel¡¯s twitched, causing it halberd to fly through the air, impaling Fellaroth through the chest, causing Elias to scream with raucous laughter as he yelled¡­ ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it, that¡¯s it my pets. Kill him, kill him now!¡± at which point dozens of halberds were hurled through the air, impaling Fellaroth from all sides. ¡°You see! They will always listen to their master, you¡¯re not so smug now, are you?¡± ¡­ ¡°Why hasn¡¯t he fallen from the air yet?¡± he thought to himself as he continued to crane his neck in an effort to see Fellaroth. A dreaded silence filled the air as the sentinels, humanoids, behemoths, and Elias, all stared up, waiting, watching, and wondering what was happening. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°Did you really believe that these creatures could harm me?¡± Fellaroth¡¯s calm voice broke the silence as the halberds that were embedded in his body began to disintegrate into a fine dust that was blown away by a slow gust of wind, revealing Fellaroth to be completely unscathed. Upon seeing their weapons vanish, the sentinels began to summon magic circles of their own, quickly backing into them in an effort to return to where they had been summoned from. Seeing the magic circles appear, Fellaroth reached behind his back and drew his small spear, which he then slashed through the air in a wide arc, slicing not only every sentinel before him in half, but also every building that was in the path of his slash. Buildings crumbled to rubble as the bodies of the sentinels crashed to the ground in quick succession, leaving Elias dumbfounded. Elias stood stunned and horrified as he scanned the scene before him. The bodies of his summoned creatures, sliced effortlessly in half, lay scattered on the ground of the square before him, while on the far side of the square, as the dust began to clear, he saw that all that was left of the buildings that were still standing, had been cleanly sliced through, as though they were no more than paper. ¡°But how is this even possible? You didn¡¯t even make contact with anything? No being in existence should have this kind of power!¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re starting to understand what it truly means to have the power of a God, Elias.¡± Fellaroth¡¯s voice was so calm and quiet that it sent a shiver down Elias¡¯ spine. It sounded so close to him that he dared not turn around. He stood still, rooted in place for a moment, before timidly turning to find that Fellaroth had appeared beside him in an instant, as the creatures that surrounded them both had begun to fall to dust around them. Elias let out a loud screech as he quickly backed away, stepping on the back of his faded vestments and falling to the ground as he cowered in fear. ¡°Those are the vestments of the human faithful, are they not?¡± asked Fellaroth, looking more closely at Elias¡¯ robes and stepping closer, causing Elias to scamper away like a frightened pup. ¡°I¡­ I can see now that you are the true God of this world, Lord Fellaroth¡­ I, I don¡¯t know how I could ever have fallen so far from your grace, or how I could ever have been tempted to commit such atrocities in this world. I cannot ask for your forgiveness for all that I have done, I only ask that you judge me fairly and make my death as quick as that of these creatures.¡± Blabbered Elias, scrambling to his knees and prostrating himself before Fellaroth, not daring to look up from the ground on which his head now rested. ¡°Rise Elias!¡± said Fellaroth, causing Elias to lift his head and see Fellaroth¡¯s outreached hand. Elias timidly took Fellaroth¡¯s hand and continued to stare down at the ground as he was gently lifted to his feet. ¡°You are not solely to blame for what has become of you Elias, a large part of the blame for this outcome lies squarely on my shoulders!¡± Fellaroth said, resting a hand on Elias¡¯ left shoulder, causing him to shudder as a dull light started to appear from under Fellaroth¡¯s hand. The light pulsated slowly at first but quickly grew faster and brighter, until a blinding flash filled the square, causing Elias to flinch and close his eyes tightly. A warm feeling overcame Elias for a moment as the light began to fade, allowing him to open his eyes once again. Feeling both lighter and suddenly very tired, Elias looked down and saw that not only had his once faded vestments been renewed, but he had also regained his slender frame, revealing the handsome young clergyman that Fellaroth had remembered. ¡°But¡­ I don¡¯t understand. What have you done to me?¡± ¡°I have cleansed you of the dark powers that were granted to you Elias. Your large form was a result of a large amount of unnatural and unearned power being forced into your body before it was ready to receive it.¡± Answered Fellaroth, standing with his back to Elias. ¡°Thank you, Lord Fellaroth! After everything that I have done, I don¡¯t deserve any of this¡­ Can I ask why it is that I feel so tired?¡± asked Elias, looking down at his hands and seeing them visibly ageing before his eyes. ¡°I see¡­ Thank you, Lord Fellaroth!¡± ¡°The path you had chosen was not one that you alone had forged.¡± Said Fellaroth, turning and facing the rapidly ageing man. ¡°It was one that was birthed from desperation and confusion. One that could easily have been avoided, had I only done my duties as a deity. Please, Elias, I ask that you forgive me for what I made you become, and know that I am here in this world so that I can set right all the wrongs that I have committed. Rest now Elias Maximillian Thaddeus Valtier, Pope of my religion, and true believer in me.¡± Said Fellaroth, placing the tips of his index and middle fingers on Elias¡¯ forehead. ¡°You need not ask for my forgiveness, Lord Fellaroth, for it is freely given.¡± Answered Elias, as another flash of bright light filled the square. Chapter 22 With the light having faded, Fellaroth was left standing alone in the empty square, contemplating what had just transpired. Letting out a deep sigh, Fellaroth raised his head and looked to the sky and saw that the miasma that had until moments ago filled the town, had now dissipated and the clear afternoon sky and setting sun were once again visible. Looking around the square in the fading afternoon light, Fellaroth saw the corpses of the sentinels he had killed earlier, along with the buildings he had cleanly sliced through, and with a wave of his right hand, the bodies turned to dust and what remained of the sliced buildings fell to nothing more than piles of rubble. Taking a deep breath, Fellaroth withdrew his wings back into his body, and his divine glow began to fade as he slowly made his way back to the church. Entering through the missing door that he had broken down earlier, Fellaroth surveyed the destroyed church, still feeling a profound sense of failure in the knowledge that it was due to his own actions that all of this had come to pass. Turning to his right, Fellaroth saw that his companions still lay unconscious beneath the barrier that he had erected to protect them from not only the falling rubble but also any creatures that may have meant them harm while he was otherwise occupied. Lifting two fingers on his right hand, Fellaroth¡¯s companions¡¯ unconscious bodies rose into the air and floated along behind him, as he walked back into the empty town square. Walking down the church steps with his companions in tow, Fellaroth dropped his barrier, allowing the rubble of the church to finally fall and cover the ground where his companions had lain only moments earlier. The unconscious bodies of Riegert, Calvin, and Jackson rested peacefully on the paved floor of the town square as Fellaroth took one last deep breath before allowing them to wake. ¡°Oh, my head!¡± said Riegert, rubbing his temples as he slowly sat up and tried to make sense of his surroundings. A sudden bolt of realisation hit him, causing him to vault to his feet with his weapon at the ready, as he called to his companions. ¡°Is everyone alright?¡± ¡°We¡¯re alright!¡± answered Calvin, looking over and seeing that Jackson had been sitting upright and was actively and calmly surveying their surroundings. ¡°How did we get outside? Fell, was this your doing?¡± he added upon seeing Fellaroth standing a few paces away from them. ¡°Yes, I managed to drag the three of you out of the church before it collapsed on us.¡± ¡°Thank you, Fell. What would we do without you?¡± ¡°Really Calvin? You¡¯re just going to take him at his word?¡± asked Riegert, now turning his sword on Fellaroth. ¡°I have no reason to doubt him, Riegert, and besides, we are out here, and the church clearly has collapsed!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little too convenient for me! What happened to the preacher and all of those creatures that roamed this town? What happened to that strange fog that clouded this place, and why are you yet again without injury?¡± ¡°Why do you have so little trust in Fellaroth, Riegert? What has he done to earn such distrust from you?¡± ¡°You really haven¡¯t seen any of it? The number of times he received grievous injuries during that fight before we entered the church, the strange powers and feats he displayed, not to mention that he somehow managed to face off against a foe that managed to knock all three of us out without even trying, dispatched all of the creatures in this place and purified the air, while still managing to look as though he has just returned from a midday stroll!¡± ¡°So, he was able to defeat a single powerful enemy who had tainted the land, and in so doing reverted all of the harm that was done by that evil preacher. It¡¯s obvious that without the evil priest¡¯s powers to sustain whatever it is that he was doing, the creatures were sent back to where they came from, and the fog dissipated. Fellaroth has shown time and again that he is far more powerful than the three of us. This shouldn¡¯t come as a shock to you Riegert!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even need to ask if you agree, Calvin. If this is what Jackson is thinking, then I have no doubt that you would likely have come to a similar conclusion.¡± ¡°Why are you so dead set against Fell lately?¡± ¡°Did neither of you notice when we were lifted into the air by that priest, that Fellaroth was somehow miraculously unaffected by his power?¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°He¡¯s stronger than we are Riegert, it wouldn¡¯t surprise me!¡± ¡°None of this makes any sense to me!¡± ¡°Then why not let Fell explain to us what happened himself?¡± said Calvin, looking over at Fellaroth expectantly. ¡°It is just as you two have surmised. The priest¡¯s powers were not as effective on me as they were on the three of you, and after a tough battle, I was able to defeat him. Once he was defeated, his body seemed to turn to dust, along with all of the creatures he had summoned into this world!¡± answered Fellaroth, feeling truly guilty that he was forced to lie to the people who had trusted him so implicitly, and whom he had come to trust as well. ¡°A tough battle you say? And yet here you stand before us without so much as a rip in your shirt. You have no bruises, no cuts¡­ no evidence that such a battle has taken place. You¡¯re going to have to do better to convince me Fellaroth. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to tell you, Riegert. Should the fact that you are alive, and all traces of evil having been cleared from this town not be evidence enough for you?¡± ¡°There are things that you¡¯re not telling us Fellaroth, things that I think we have the right to know about!¡± ¡°Like what exactly Riegert, what is it that I am not telling you?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we start with who you really are? I mean, you appeared alone deep in a forest one night, this strange figure who was able to fend off our three-pronged attack, single-handedly I might add! A feat that even The Prince¡¯s party had a hard time doing. You have knowledge of a long-forgotten past that no one else seems to know about, you were able to navigate those castles as though you yourself had built them¡­ then I watched you get flung off the roof of a building, impaled by a demonic creature¡¯s weapon, only to reappear having killed the creature and with no injury anywhere on you, and now, you are unaffected by the dark magic of an evil priest, who was able to knock the three of us out in an instant, and when we come too, you have managed to defeat the evil priest and cleanse the land as well? You, Fellaroth, are not who you say you are. You¡¯re not what you say you are.¡± ¡°What are you trying to say, Riegert? Are you saying that I am some kind of demon? Are you saying that I am somehow in league with the evil creatures that plague this land, that I was somehow in league with this evil priest?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying Fellaroth¡­¡± ¡°It sounds to me like that¡¯s what you¡¯re saying, Riegert. Fellaroth has been nothing but an asset to our party ever since he appeared in that forest¡­¡± interrupted Calvin. ¡°Now I won¡¯t pretend to know why he was alone in that forest on that night, nor will I pretend that I don¡¯t want to know, but one thing that I do know is that Fell saved each of our lives up there on that roof, and again in that church. Think what you will of him, but if it wasn¡¯t for Fell, none of us would be here to have this argument right now!¡± ¡°What you have said is true Calvin, but how can we trust someone who keeps so much from us?¡± ¡°To trust a member of an adventure party, we need only trust in another person¡¯s skills and know that they will not turn those skills against us. We have taken many people into our party for their skills having known far less about them than we do about Fell here¡­ What about that trapper that we took into our party five years ago to guide us through those swamps that bordered the Elvin land? Do either of you even know what his name was?¡± asked Jackson. ¡°No, but that was different Jackson!¡± ¡°How was it different Riegert?¡± ¡°He was only ever made a member of this party to guide us through those swamps, he was never going to be a long-term member of this party!¡± ¡°He guided us through those swamps for nearly two years Riegert, and for two years you never called him anything other than Trapper!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what he asked us to call him!¡± ¡°But you never asked him for his real name, Riegert, nor did you ever ask him how he came to know those swamps so well. Why does it matter that Fell knows these things? The fact is that he does, and he is using that knowledge to help our party!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right Jackson. It didn¡¯t bother me when it was Trapper, I don¡¯t know why it¡¯s bothering me so much now. I apologise Fell. As long as you continue to help our party, I won¡¯t ask you these questions again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite alright Riegert, I can understand where your concerns are coming from. Be assured that I will always do what¡¯s in the best interests of this party, and the day that I can no longer do that, I will willingly leave.¡± ¡°Wait, you¡¯re planning on leaving us Fell?¡± asked Calvin, truly shocked by this revelation. ¡°There will eventually come a time when we will need to part ways, but for now, I will continue to look out for each of you as I have.¡± ¡°What are you talking about Fell? Why will you have to leave us?¡± ¡°As you know, The God Mythus sometimes speaks to me and gives me revelations of things that I need to do. One such revelation is of a nature that I would rather not drag the three of you into. I will travel with you and continue to gather the information that I need, but when the time comes for me to complete this task, then we will need to part ways.¡± He answered, before adding silently. ¡®Forgive me Mythus, for using your name in a lie like that.¡± ¡°Very well, Fell. For now, we will accept this explanation, but I hope that in time you will come to view us differently, and perhaps see fit to include us in this mission that was given to you by Mythus.¡± ¡°Thank you, for your understanding Calvin, and you two as well, Riegert and Jackson. I really do value each of you!¡± Chapter 23 Standing at the base of an imposing mountain range, Fellaroth and his party paused as their eyes followed the well-worn winding path that made its way up the side of the mountain. Tracing the path with their eyes, they soon came across the sight of an enormous plateau midway up the mountain. There, nestled in a large valley, they caught their first glimpse of the majestic city of Cruwshant. Towering structures could be seen from the base of the mountain, rising high above the already mammoth city walls. This city was like nothing Fellaroth had ever expected to see in all his days, causing him to pause and silently remind himself yet again that he had looked away from humanity for far too long. ¡°Is this your first time seeing this city?¡± asked Riegert, noticing Fellaroth¡¯s awestruck gaze. ¡°Is it that obvious?¡± ¡°I suppose no one is able to hide their reaction on seeing this place for the first time. It really is a marvel to behold. It shows what we humans are truly capable of when we put our minds to something. This is one of the largest and most prosperous cities in all of Xenendoria, not to mention one of very few that has never fallen to outside forces. With a strong military and even stronger merchant ties, it¡¯s a wonder that this city was never made into our capital!¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t let anyone from The Capital hear you saying that!¡± said Calvin with a chuckle. ¡°They¡¯d likely want to have you drawn and quartered for making such remarks. Xendalore has been our Capital since the founding of this country, even the mere thought of moving the capital anywhere else would be considered sacrilege!¡± ¡°I know Calvin, I was merely musing to myself.¡± ¡°Besides, do you really think that the Queen would want to make a place like this her home?¡± Asked Jackson. ¡°I mean do you think she would want to live in a city on the side of a mountain whose peak is forever covered in clouds? That¡¯s the only thing about this city that¡¯s always given me the creeps!¡± Jackson¡¯s observation had brought the attention of the party to the peak of the mountain, all except Riegert, who had kept his eyes keenly fixed on Fellaroth. As the rest of the party gazed further up the mountain, they came to see the sight that Jackson had described, several hundred meters above the sprawling city was a thick body of clouds that had completely obscured the top of the mountain. Upon seeing these clouds, a flicker of recognition followed by relief swept over Fellaroth¡¯s face. It was a quick flicker of emotion that had only lingered on Fellaroth¡¯s face for an instant, but it was there for long enough that Riegert was able to notice and take yet another mental note. ¡°So, it¡¯s still there then.¡± Thought Fellaroth gratefully. ¡°Our investigation will go no further if we continue to stand here. If we want to get to the bottom of these disappearances and report back to The Queen, then we had better get a move on and go and see the city.¡± Said Riegert, as he started to walk off in the direction of the great city. ¡°Do you have a plan in mind, Riegert? I mean, do you have any ideas of what it is that we are looking for, or where in fact we would need to start looking? I highly doubt that we¡¯re the first party that has come here in the hopes of impressing The Queen.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I do not, Calvin. Sadly, The Queen¡¯s request was rather vague. She simply said that there had been too many disappearances in this city and that it needed to be looked into. Beyond that, I don¡¯t know what to think.¡± The trek up the mountain was one that passed slowly and in silence, as the party each thought over Riegert¡¯s words. Why had it only now occurred to them how vague The Queen¡¯s request was. Why had they not thought to ask for any more detail? Were they only too glad to be given the opportunity to impress The Queen or were they so green that they didn¡¯t have the experience to have thought to ask more questions. They had travelled across the land, all be it by unnatural means, but they had made the journey all the same, and they had done so without a clear idea of what it was that they needed to do, or what it was that they were to expect. This felt like the actions of a rookie party, and they had all come across the realisation at the same time. ¡°Guardsmen is this city not open to visitors?¡± called Jackson at the top of his booming voice upon reaching the main gatehouse and discovering not a soul to be found. A long eerie silence took the land, as not much more than the passing wind could be heard. ¡°Something is very wrong here.¡± He added, turning to his party. ¡°Why are the gates closed, and why is there no answer from the guards?¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°You¡¯re right about that Jackson. I¡¯ve only been here a handful of times myself, but I don¡¯t recall ever seeing these gates closed. Do you think there might be another way in?¡± ¡°If such a thing did exist, I doubt it would be all that easy to find. Surely a city that has never fallen to outside forces would not have a ¡®back way in,¡¯ at least, not one that would be easily identifiable.¡± Answered Calvin as he studied the gargantuan gates that barred their path. ¡°If I could get you on top of that wall, do you think you would be able to get this gate open, Calvin?¡± asked Fellaroth, looking toward the top of the city wall, high above them. ¡°Well, it couldn¡¯t be all that difficult, I mean there must be some kind of mechanism in the gatehouse somewhere that would open a gate of this size. The only thing is, how do you intend on getting me to the top of the wall?¡± ¡°I have a spell that will essentially catapult you into the air, it should be enough for you to reach the top of the wall.¡± ¡°Should be?¡± ¡°Well, if you fall short, then I will simply create a funnel of air to ease your landing.¡± ¡°This sounds way too dangerous, Fell. Those walls stand taller than a mountain troll, and what should happen if he is caught on top of the wall by the city guard? He will be arrested for unlawful entry to a major city!¡± ¡°Honestly Riegert, you worry too much. I trust Fell¡¯s abilities. If he says I¡¯ll be safe, then I believe him, and if I see any guards, then I will simply jump from the walls and Fell can use his funnel magic to ¡®ease my landing¡¯.¡± ¡°You¡¯re taking this too lightly Calvin. There are too many variables that we haven¡¯t thought through, lets at least talk about this before you¡­¡± before Riegert could finish his thought, Calvin had given Fellaroth the go-ahead and moments later he found himself soaring high into the air, well over the height of the city walls. ¡°He¡¯s lighter than I thought!¡± remarked Fellaroth nonchalantly. ¡°What does that mean? Is he going to be okay?¡± yelled Riegert. The top of the city wall came into view in an instant, bringing with it Calvin¡¯s realisation that his ascent was not slowing. Before he knew it, the city wall was beneath him and quickly growing more distant. As his ascent finally came to a stop, Calvin had a brief respite in which he caught a glimpse of the beautiful city from a vantage point that he realised none had likely seen before. There below him was a mix of buildings of all sizes, sandwiched together forming narrow streets that from his height looked like little more than a maze. Occasional lofty towers dotted the city like striking monuments to the power and wealth that could be found within the fortified bastions that had ensured this city¡¯s continued security from outside forces. Lost in the awe of the moment, Calvin soon realised that the view of the city below appeared to be coming up to meet him, with the top of the wall offering a far more eager greeting. With the wall growing larger with every passing second, Calvin readied himself for an unpleasant landing, trying to relax his muscles and plan when he would tuck and roll to avoid serious injury. In an instant his feet made contact with the cold stone, his knees bent, and he rolled over his left shoulder, very nearly rolling over the other side of the wall. ¡®Why wouldn¡¯t they have installed some kind of balustrade here? Someone could easily fall off this wall!¡¯ he thought as his legs dangled over the edge and he caught his breath. He took a moment to compose himself, while from far below he could hear Riegert still yelling at Fellaroth for his hasty actions, while Jackson tried to calm the situation. Sitting on the edge of the wall, Calvin couldn¡¯t help but notice a distinct lack of people, both on the walls and in the city below. Besides the sound of Riegert shouting from beyond the wall, there was not a single sound to be heard. He eased himself to his feet, checked to see that he had no injuries and made his way over to the entrance of the gatehouse. Easing the door open, Calvin poked his head through the opening to be greeted by a completely desolate room. Tables and chairs had been arranged in an orderly manner, and the papers that still cluttered the desks were clearly records and logs of visitors to the city. Shifting some of the papers on the desk nearest to him, Calvin found it to be covered in a layer of dust that indicated that it had been some time since this room had seen any people. He slowly made his way through the large open room, checking each desk as he approached the stairs to the lower levels, yet the more he saw of this room, the more uneasy he felt. Footsteps echoed through the empty building as Calvin made his way down the stairs and into the lower level, where he came across a room that was much like a small barracks. Undisturbed weapons racks lined the walls to either side of him, with a multitude of benches and chairs filling the open space. Slowly making his way through the room, Calvin noticed two iron wheels on the far wall that were connected to chains that ran down into the gatehouse. Realising that this was likely the mechanism that would open the gates below, Calvin took hold of the wheel to the right, and with all his might gave it a turn, only to discover that it turned with great ease, as the sound of turning gears filled the gatehouse. Chapter 24 ¡°Did you even for a second consider Calvin¡¯s safety when you devised this ridiculous plan of yours?¡± yelled Riegert. ¡°Fell would never intentionally do anything that would endanger any of us Riegert!¡± said Jackson, stepping in between Riegert and Fellaroth. ¡°Besides, Calvin isn¡¯t a reckless person, he wouldn¡¯t have volunteered to do this if he had, for a second thought that he would have been in danger.¡± ¡°Oh yes, he is, and would have! Calvin has always been a risk-taker, and this has only been encouraged by Fellaroth¡¯s abilities! He feels that he can take more risks, knowing that Fellaroth will always be able to ensure his safety!¡± ¡°I do agree that had it been anyone else, Calvin would likely not have been so eager to have been magically catapulted over a city wall like this. However, that being said, I feel he was perfectly safe in having done so. Had it been offered to me, I likely would have done it too¡­ I mean can you imagine, soaring through the air, being able to fly like a¡­¡± ¡°No I can¡¯t imagine it, nor do I want to. Calvin could very easily have been killed! You saw how high he went, Fellaroth overshot his mark by a long way!¡± ¡°And yet you have no doubt that he is safe! Otherwise, you would have called out to him and asked if he was alright. The fact is, you might have been outraged by the recklessness of the plan, but you have just as much faith in Fell¡¯s abilities as we do!¡± ¡°That¡¯s beside the point!¡± retorted Riegert after a long pause. ¡°Just because we have faith in his abilities doesn¡¯t mean that we should let go of all reason and needlessly risk our lives. We still need to think things through and weigh our options before making such decisions!¡± ¡°You just wanted to be the one to do it, didn¡¯t you?¡± added Jackson with a devilish smile. ¡°Not even remotely!¡± Riegert answered sternly, while the sound of the enormous gates opening behind him cut through the otherwise silent atmosphere. ¡°Dependable as always.¡± Said Fellaroth walking past the others and toward the massive gate. The sound of the two large metal-reinforced wooden doors making contact with the concrete walls of the tunnel-like entrance to the city reverberated far louder than they should have, sending an eerie drone that seemed to echo through the inner city. Making their way through the tunnel that was wide enough for two carts to pass each other with space to spare, the group was given a moment¡¯s pause as a door in the wall to their right was suddenly flung open to reveal Calvin exiting in a hurry. ¡°Something is very wrong here!¡± he said upon seeing the others. ¡°This entire place is abandoned, and I don¡¯t just mean the wall and gatehouse! While I was above the city, I couldn¡¯t see a single living person or even creature anywhere. There were no guards on the walls, no people walking the streets, not even so much as a bird flying overhead. It¡¯s as though all life has abandoned this entire area!¡± ¡°I had feared as much on our approach. It seemed odd to me that a city as large as this one, with walls as high as this, had not a single guard standing out front or even atop its walls. Yet even then I was hopeful that we had simply arrived at the changing of shifts.¡± Said Fellaroth inspecting their surroundings. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°How is this even possible? How could a city as large as this have fallen? And why would someone have bothered to conquer an entire city just to leave it completely abandoned?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that that¡¯s what has happened here, Jackson. I don¡¯t think this city was conquered, I mean, there were no obvious signs of any battle or siege having taken place. At least not from beyond the wall.¡± ¡°Then what exactly do you think happened here, Riegert? Did the people just up and leave of their own accord?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know Jackson, but we¡¯re going to find out!¡± answered Riegert, unsheathing his sword. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to need that here Riegert.¡± Said Fellaroth as they approached the end of the tunnel. ¡°I can¡¯t sense any malice or even life of any kind coming from anywhere within the city. This is truly odd, I¡¯ve never come across a single place in my life where I couldn¡¯t sense any kind of life at all. Now I don¡¯t mean that we should let down our guard or anything like that, I just don¡¯t feel as though we¡¯re in any immediate danger.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Said Riegert placing his sword back into its scabbard. ¡°I wonder if news of this has reached The Queen yet? Or if perhaps we have arrived too late and the threat has already been dealt with?¡± ¡°I doubt it.¡± Answered Calvin. ¡°If the threat had been dealt with already, then either the people would have returned by now, or there would have been signs posted beyond the gate, warning people not to enter. No, whatever has happened here has yet to be dealt with.¡± Every word of their conversation, along with every footfall, echoed through the vacant city adding credence to Fellaroth and Calvin¡¯s claims of the city having been completely abandoned. The shops and businesses that lined the main street were completely abandoned with their doors wide open and street side displays still advertising the marvellous items they offered within. Restaurant tables and chairs could still be found in cordoned-off sections of the pavement, still bearing the utensils their patrons would have used, all of which bore the blackened mark of the food and drink they once hosted, long since having rotted away, leaving only stains as evidence of their past existence. The occasional unnervingly loud bangs of doors and window shutters that had not been fastened, allowing them to become playthings of the wind, would cause the group to constantly be wary of their surroundings. Each time the wind decided to mock them with yet another loud bang, at least one member of the group would flinch in that direction, ensuring that they were never truly able to relax as they made their way through the city. A prospect that unsurprisingly was not unwelcomed to the party. ¡°We¡¯ve covered a good distance now, and as far as we¡¯ve gone, I¡¯ve yet to see any signs of what caused these people to leave, or even disappear. Aside from the obvious absence of the people, this place appears to be just as peaceful as it ever was. There are no signs of battle, or struggle, no signs of dead bodies or anything out of the ordinary. What in the world could have happened here?¡± asked Jackson as they passed yet another business whose inviting signage beckoned customers who would never come. ¡°It''s so strange and disconcerting. I don¡¯t even know where we would need to start to look for clues into what has happened here!¡± ¡°I suppose the best place for us to start our investigation would have to be either the Adventurers¡¯ Guild or the office of The Head of The Order of Knights. If there were some kind of monster attack that led up to this event, then the Adventurers¡¯ Guild would likely have a record of quests having been assigned to deal with them, and if there had been any abnormal happenings within the city leading up to the event, The Order of Knights would likely have investigated it, or at least have been in the process of investigating.¡± ¡°Calvin¡¯s right, if we are to have any hope of getting to the bottom of what has happened here, those would be our best bet for gathering information. Calvin, you and Jackson head over to The Guild. Fell and I will check out the Order of Knights Headquarters. If you find something or not, we should meet at the town square before nightfall, where we can find a safe place to bunker down for the night.¡± Instructed Riegert to the agreement of his party, before each group silently set off in different directions. Chapter 25 Walking the perfectly paved streets of this city, Fellaroth and Riegert felt a growing unease that seemed to be compounded by the disturbing silence of the city. Walking through a place like this that should by right be teaming with people, felt somehow wrong, almost as though they were doing something that they shouldn¡¯t. The streets before them started to become slightly more ornate, with small, once well-manicured trees and flower patches lining the way, marking a clear change from what was now evidently the central business district and what was becoming the upper-classed residential area. ¡°Are we sure we¡¯re headed in the right direction?¡± asked Fellaroth. ¡°I¡¯m certain of it. It¡¯s been a few years since I was last in this city, but I do recall once having had the pleasure of being introduced to the Head of The Order of Knights in his office in the palace of The Grand Duke. He was a monster of a man. Taller than Jackson and with the bearing of a vorpalbear. He was a truly just man who only ever saw things through the eyes of his duty.¡± Walking through the noble district, which despite being devoid of life and regular maintenance, still bore all of its grandeur that spoke of a place within Xenendoria whose wealth could truly rival even that of the capital city. With The Lord¡¯s atrociously large mansion coming into view, the surrounding buildings grew larger and far more ornate, speaking to the wealth the city had attracted. A sudden gust of wind swept through the vacant street as Fellaroth laid his hand on the gate that granted entry to The Lord¡¯s keep, causing him to pause as he sensed a foul, menacing aura being carried with it. Piering over at Riegert, it was clear that he had felt nothing but the wind, he hadn¡¯t detected the malice that had for but an instant permeated the city. Had he only detected it because he was a God, or was this a presence that only a God could detect? Perhaps it had simply passed by so quickly that it had evaded Riegert¡¯s perception. Either way, seeing that Riegert was none the wiser, Fellaroth decided that now would not be the best time to mention anything, particularly seeing as the presence had completely subsided, leaving no trace of its momentary presence. Upon entering the vast courtyard that lay before The Lord¡¯s palace, Riegert quickly veered off the main path walking down a secondary yet no less grand path to their left, which led directly to a large building that was detached from the main building. ¡°Over here. This building belongs to The Order of Knights.¡± He added, walking quickly to the decadent building¡¯s main entrance. Having climbed the few grand steps that led to the main doors, Riegert found himself perplexed to discover that the door to the building was locked. ¡°Considering that every person in this city seems to have vanished in an instant and without warning, I really expected to find this door open, or at the very least not locked. You wouldn¡¯t happen to know how to pick a lock would you?¡± he asked, turning to find that Fellaroth had been standing a few paces away staring at The Lord¡¯s manor. ¡°It is pretty impressive, I have to admit that, but that is not the reason we¡¯re here Fell!¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Um, yeah, it¡¯s¡­ impressive¡­¡± said Fellaroth, clearly not paying much mind to what Riegert had been saying. ¡°So, do you, or don¡¯t you?¡± Riegert added, a little more impatiently. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what now?¡± ¡°Do you or don¡¯t you know how to pick a lock? Did you sense something in the manor? I mean, it''s not like you to space out like this!¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I can¡¯t be sure right now at any rate¡­ ah the door, yes I can open it!¡± answered Fellaroth, snapping from his daze and walking over to the door with purpose. ¡°Now wait just a minute Fell, you are going to pick the lock, right?¡± but before Riegert could fully finish his sentence, Fellaroth had walked up to the door and slammed the palm of his right hand into it, causing the door to burst open with tremendous force, banging loudly against the inner wall, sending a shockwave of sound that was only amplified by the emptiness of the city. ¡°Wow, that door had a surprisingly strong protection spell placed on it!¡± he said, examining the palm of his hand with the echoing bang fading in the distance. ¡°I asked if you could pick the lock Fell, not break the damn door down!¡± yelled Riegert, examining the door that was to his amazement, perfectly intact. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that no one is going to mind at this point Riegert.¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re right about that one¡­¡± Riegert added reluctantly. ¡°Do you remember where the head of the order¡¯s office is?¡± ¡°It¡¯s right behind those doors at the end of the passage.¡± Answered Riegert, pointing toward a large set of double doors that could just be seen down a dark passageway. ¡°That¡¯s kind of surprising, I would have expected his office to be on the top floor. Isn¡¯t that normally where important people like to be?¡± asked Fellaroth as they made their way down the long dark passage toward their intended destination. ¡°I asked him about that when I met him. He said his predecessor¡¯s office was in fact on the top floor, but that he had it moved upon taking office. He said that he felt that this was the best place for his office because, in the event of any kind of emergency, he would be able to respond far faster from here than he could if he were on any of the higher floors.¡± ¡°You know, I think I might have liked this man.¡± ¡°I think he might have liked you too, Fell. In the time that I knew him, he was always serious and methodical in everything that he did, and he always played his cards close to his chest. You never could tell where his thoughts were leading him.¡± ¡°I can see as much from the state of this office.¡± Added Fellaroth on looking around the perfectly ordered room. ¡°Everything has a place, and is in its place, just as it should be!¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to assume that the papers on his desk will likely be the most recent ones that he would have been working on at the time when whatever happened here took place.¡± Said Riegert, taking the seat behind the desk and sifting through the perfectly organised papers, while to his surprise, Fellaroth started routing through the drawers in the desk. ¡°What exactly are you looking for in there?¡± ¡°This!¡± he answered simply, holding up a small black book. ¡°From what you¡¯ve told me of this man, he is, in some ways, a lot like me. And I have a tendency to periodically document everything that happens as a way to both clear my mind and order my thoughts. As it turns out, I was right. This little black book contains his thoughts and remarks that he felt he couldn¡¯t put down in official paperwork, for one reason or another.¡± ¡°Very well then. What does it say?¡± ¡°Give me a moment¡­¡± Chapter 26 Flipping through the little black book. Fellaroth scanned the pages looking for anything that might be of interest to them or might give some insight into what was happening in the city leading up to the disappearance of its inhabitants. ¡°This one¡¯s interesting.¡± He said at last, after what felt like an eternity to Riegert. ¡°It appears to be dated a few weeks ago. It says. ¡®We¡¯ve been getting reports of people disappearing without a trace recently. At first, these cases could have been overlooked as being lovers who¡¯d eloped or simply run off, or even people choosing to run from their debts. However, today marks the seventh such event. This can¡¯t be overlooked any longer. I¡¯m going to have to assign more people to these cases. If there is some nefarious force at work behind these disappearances, then we¡¯d best get to the bottom of it before we have more people turning up missing. I¡¯ll need to speak with The Duke as well, he¡¯ll want to be kept abreast of the situation.¡¯.¡± ¡°Well, that at least tells us that the people of this city didn¡¯t all just disappear all at once, there was something at work here for a while.¡± ¡°I must say, Riegert. I¡¯m surprised to find that the man you¡¯d spoken of so highly, would have allowed seven people to go missing on his watch before deciding that it required his attention. A single disappearance is bad enough, but by the time 3 people had disappeared in quick succession, he should have sat up and taken notice.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be so quick to judge Fell. We don¡¯t know how far apart these disappearances were, for all we know they could have been weeks, days, or even hours apart. At any rate, he did take the matter seriously and even alerted The Duke about what was happening. Does it say anything else?¡± ¡°One moment.¡± He said, turning to the next page. ¡°Truly odd, The Duke refused to see me, even after I had told his attendants that it was a matter regarding the safety of the people. I¡¯ve never known him to not show concern for his people, even if it was only for his own benefit. Come to think of it. I haven¡¯t seen The Duke in some time now. He hasn¡¯t held his usual dinner parties or taken his usual strolls through the gardens. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve actually seen The Duke in some weeks now. I can¡¯t believe I hadn¡¯t realised it until now!¡± ¡°Is that all lit says? Does it end there?¡± ¡°No there is more, but not much.¡± Fellaroth added before continuing. ¡°It¡¯s been two days since I tried to speak with The Duke, and still his attendants bar me from seeing him, they¡¯ve gone as far as to bar me from even entering the Mansion! We¡¯re up to thirty people now who have disappeared. Entire families have vanished without a trace. Men, women, children, people of all races, there isn¡¯t even a pattern here to make sense of. Whoever this is doesn¡¯t appear to be targeting any particular group of people, they just seem to want everyone. I don¡¯t even want to think about what might be happening to these people, are they still alive? Why so many? What could possibly be going on here? Why won¡¯t The Duke see me? Surely by now word of this would have gotten back to him, there¡¯s no way he would not want to get out in front of this, even if only to save face in front of The Queen. His actions of late have led me to have suspicions that he might be somehow involved in this, I personally don¡¯t think that he has it in him to do such things, but I just can¡¯t overlook his actions in this time of crisis in our city. I¡¯m getting a group of my best men together and we¡¯re going to storm the mansion. To hell with the consequences, they can hang me after I¡¯ve gotten my answers out of The Duke.¡± Fellaroth quietly turned over the page before turning it back, scanning the page one more time and then closing the little black book. ¡°And that¡¯s where it ends.¡± ¡°So either they stormed the mansion and forced The Duke¡¯s hand, causing him to dispose of the entire population, or he caught wind of their intentions and wiped out the population before they had the chance to act.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think The Duke had anything to do with what happened here, at least not directly.¡± ¡°What would make you say that, Fell? You read those entries; The Duke was acting strangely. He¡¯d started isolating himself and denied the one person in the city with the power to stand up to him from having access to him. Everything points to him being the culprit.¡± ¡°Nothing points to him being the culprit, Riegert. So, he was acting out of character. So, he stopped having parties or taking walks in his garden. None of that is evidence of his involvement. For all we know he had fallen ill and was unable to do those things, and perhaps his attendants simply denied The Captain access to The Duke for fear of the stress making his condition worse. At this point, we just don¡¯t have enough evidence to point the finger at anyone! I think our best course of action for right now would be to meet up with Jackson and Calvin and see if their investigation of the adventurer¡¯s guild brought any different information to light. Then, if all of our information lines up, we can investigate the mansion to see if there is any evidence there that might point us in the right direction.¡± ¡°Very well, Fell. We should head back toward the centre of town, that¡¯s where the adventurer¡¯s guild is.¡± Said Riegert, leading the way back to the main door of the building, where he was surprised to see Jackson and Calvin walking up the path toward the. ¡°Were you not able to find any information at the adventurer¡¯s guild?¡± he asked as they drew nearer. ¡°No, we were able to find some rather interesting information.¡± Answered Calvin, meeting Riegert and Fellaroth at the bottom of the stairs to the Order of Knight¡¯s building. ¡°It turns out that The Captain of the order had been in touch with The Guild Master regarding the recent spate of disappearances. He had asked The Guild Master if he might be able to spare a few good men to help The Order look into things. Their investigation stalled pretty quickly, much like The Order¡¯s investigation, apparently. It turned out that there were too many people vanishing too quickly, and with nothing that appeared to link the various cases together.¡± ¡°So, not much different from what we had found here then. Was there anything else?¡± asked Fellaroth. ¡°There was!¡± answered Jackson. ¡°The final record that we were able to find in The Guild Master¡¯s notes, was of another request that they had received from The Captain of The Order. This was one that The Guild Master was asked to keep very secret and to only assign those members of his guild that he trusted and held in the highest regard. The Captain of The Order wanted to storm The Lord¡¯s Manor! It turns out that both The Captain of The Order and The Guild Master had somewhat of a good relationship with The Lord of this land, and reported to him on a regular basis, however, as of late, The Duke had started acting out of character and had even gone so far as to stop seeing either The Captain or The Guild Master. The Guild Master believed that something must have happened to The Duke, as it was highly irregular for the man to not take an interest in the wellbeing of his people, so when he got the request from The Captain, he immediately gathered his men and made his way here.¡± ¡°Verry well, it looks like our next course of action is clear. We need to investigate the mansion and see if there is any evidence there that might point us in a direction that might shed some light on what really happened, and if this could possibly be reversed.¡± ¡°Reversed? What do you mean, Fell? Do you think these people could be brought back? It appears to have been weeks since this has happened, do you really think there¡¯s a chance that these people could be rescued?¡± The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I couldn¡¯t be certain, Calvin, but at this point in time we don¡¯t have any clear indication that the people of this town came to harm, for now, all we know for certain is that the people have vanished. We should work under the assumption, for the time being at least, that they have been taken somewhere, and are still alive, in which case, we should be able to return them to their homes. That mindset should be kept until we find evidence to the contrary.¡± Answered Fellaroth, leading the way to the main building. ¡°There¡¯s something off-putting about this place, I can¡¯t quite put my finger on it, but I could feel a strange lingering presence here since we first entered the courtyard. It''s not quite alive, and yet I can still feel its presence. Something truly awful has happened here. We best keep our guard up!¡± ¡°The pieces are starting to fall into place now. The duke was the cause of what happened here, this strange feeling you¡¯re getting is proof!¡± ¡°No, Riegert! I¡¯ve already told you that I can¡¯t place my finger on what it was that is causing this uneasy feeling. That is not cause enough to condemn someone. We need to properly investigate this place with open and unbiased minds if we really do want to get to the bottom of this.¡± Said Fellaroth, placing a hand on the handle of the extravagant door. A flash of dread shot through his body causing Fellaroth to instinctively draw his weapon, causing the others to do the same. ¡°Is everything alright, Fell? Did you hear something?¡± asked Jackson with his favourite axe clenched tightly in both hands. Without answering, Fellaroth gently eased the door open and stepped over the threshold, taking care to scan his surroundings as he did so. Noting that the area was clear, Fellaroth motioned for the others to enter, before turning to the door and pointing out the damage he had seen earlier. ¡°The Duke¡¯s guards clearly didn¡¯t take kindly to The Captain and his men trying to enter the mansion. This door was kicked in with great force, and it had clearly been barred from the inside.¡± ¡°There¡¯s also clear signs of a struggle having taken place in here!¡± remarked Jackson, examining scratches and dried blood on the walls nearest the stairs to the second level. These scratches were made by a large sword, by the looks of the blood here, the sword passed through a person before leaving these marks on the wall. They really didn¡¯t want The Knight¡¯s Order or the adventurers in here!¡± ¡°A wound like that should have easily killed a person, so where exactly is the body? For that matter, where are all of the other bodies? From the looks of this place, there was quite an intense battle in here. Blood is splattered on every wall and across the floors, there¡¯s even some on the stairs leading upstairs. And yet there¡¯s not a single body to be found. Do you think that they could have vanished like all of the other people?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t be sure at this point, what I can tell you is that since we have entered this mansion there has been a very strong aura of malice, indicating that something doesn¡¯t want us here!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand, Fell. When we arrived in this city, you told us that you couldn¡¯t sense any life in this city, did you somehow miss this one?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to tell you, Riegert, not all things give off life essence, some things in this world simply exist, they are not alive and therefore don¡¯t give off life essence, making them far harder to trace, particularly when you are not actively looking for them.¡± ¡°Either way, it appears that we¡¯re not alone in this place, so we should proceed with caution.¡± Announced Calvin, starting to ascend the stairs with Jackson right behind him. Try as they might, the wooden boards creaked and groaned beneath their feet, announcing to all who might be in the mansion that they were there and were continuing deeper into the building. Reaching the top of the grand staircase, Calvin proceeded to his left, following the signs of devastation that had marked the once lavish interior of this magnificent stately home. Large gouges and blood splatters scarred the floors and walls, painting a ghastly tale of the grizzly events that had taken place here. ¡°Are we sure that the Knights Order and Adventurers came here to speak with The Duke? By the looks of this place, they had come here to execute him!¡± said Jackson upon turning the next corner and seeing that the disturbing scene had continued. ¡°Just how many men lost their lives in the course of this single skirmish?¡± ¡°Quiet, there¡¯s movement up ahead, be on your guard!¡± announced Fellaroth in a harsh whisper, leaving the group to proceed in utter silence. Floorboards creaked underfoot as the sounds of shuffling came from the room up ahead. Slowing their pace, Jackson approached the broken door, sliding his feet along the floor in an attempt to further reduce the sound of his approach. With his weapon raised, he eased his head through the door and carefully scanned the room before pulling his head back quickly and thrusting his axe into the air, just in time to counter the approaching sword that had been on a collision course with his neck. The sound of metal cleaving metal filled the air and was quickly followed by the sound of metal being imbedded in wood, as the axe that had been expertly crafted by Fellaroth had effortlessly sliced through the approaching sword, leaving half of its blade to imbed itself in the floor at Jackson¡¯s feet, while what was left of the sword got lodged in the doorframe. Seizing the opportunity, Jackson stormed into the room and brought his axe down on his assailant with such force that he had managed to slice them in two. ¡°This isn¡¯t a human!¡± he proclaimed on seeing the body of his dead attacker lying on the floor. ¡°None of them are!¡± exclaimed Riegert, who had by now entered the room along with the others, and was actively engaged in battle with what could only have been described as misshapen rotten corpses that fought with the fury of a mother dragon finding intruders in her nest. These bizarre creatures who looked like they may once have been human, and yet still looked like they may never have been human, had tattered and torn flesh that hung from their bones, with maggots dropping from them with every movement, seemed to still have the poise and dexterity of a living breathing man. The smell of rotting flesh filled the large room, as swarms of flies buzzed around the decomposing militia. Trying their best not to let the eye-watering stench get to them, the four adventurers squared up to their seven attackers and made very quick work of dispatching them, with effortless grace and precision. ¡°They¡¯re not that hard to beat once you''re aware of them!¡± said Calvin, pulling his sword from the head of the last dead warrior to have fallen. ¡°Surprisingly agile for dead people!¡± added Jackson. ¡°Do you think they¡¯re the adventurers or the mansion¡¯s guards?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell!¡± said Riegert, kneeling down to get a better look at one of them. ¡°The ooze and rotting flesh has soiled their clothing, it''s no longer distinguishable from a common rag.¡± He noted, before noticing a single finger on one of its hand''s twitch, causing him to lurch back with his sword at the ready before he saw a faint white light start to form from within the chest of the corpse. Before he could question what was happening, the dull white light had quickly erupted into a bright white flame that quickly consumed the entire body, burning away any trace of it having ever existed, apart from the weapon it had once wielded. ¡°Apologies for not giving you a heads up, but if I had not dispatched their bodies, then they would simply have risen again. The only way to ensure that the undead do not rise again is to completely destroy the body, either by cleaving them in two or by burning their bodies to ash.¡± ¡°So those things were undead! I¡¯ve never seen the undead before. I have to say, they¡¯re not nearly as terrifying as people have made them out to be.¡± ¡°In small numbers, they¡¯re quite manageable, Riegert, but when you¡¯re facing down a horde of them, they¡¯re not so easily defeated. Fighting off scores of beings that feel no pain, have no fear of death and exist for the sole purpose of killing others, can be quite terrifying, I assure you.¡± ¡°Well, when you put it that way, Fell, you might well be right.¡± ¡°This is all very interesting, but exactly what room is this?¡± asked Calvin, looking around the large square room and noting that distinct lack of furnishings. ¡°The one time that I had come here, a few years ago now, this room had been fitted with several couches and was a sort of waiting area for people who wanted to speak with The Duke.¡± Answered Riegert, looking around the strangely empty room. ¡°Which means that the room beyond those doors is likely where we will discover what became of The Duke, The Captain, The Guild Master, and their men!¡± announced Fellaroth, proceeding toward the large double doors at the other end of the large room. Chapter 27 The doors swung open with ease at Fellaroth¡¯s touch, revealing the pristine orderly office of The Lord of the land. In the middle of the rear of the room was a large stately desk where Fellaroth and the others quickly saw the sight of a seated figure, shrouded in darkness. The musky smell of stagnant air filled the room as they slowly approached the desk. ¡°My Lord, you still live?¡± enquired Riegert respectfully. ¡°We were under the impression that there was no one left alive in this city!¡± the room remained deathly silent, filled only by the sounds of the group¡¯s hesitant footsteps slowly approaching the majestic desk. ¡°Are you well My Lord? We are adventurers sent here by The Queen to investigate the disappearance of the people of your land.¡± ¡°There is nothing to investigate here. My people are fine. You may report that back to your queen!¡± answered the strained voice of The Duke. ¡°My Lord, your people have vanished, there isn¡¯t a soul to be found in the city. Apart from you, that is.¡± ¡°As it should be. I am the only one that needs to reside here. All others are nothing more than pests.¡± Answered The Duke, continuing to breathe heavily between words. Fellaroth and the others exchanged glances before Calvin spoke. ¡°What became of the men from The Knight¡¯s Watch and The Adventurer¡¯s Guild? Did they not come to see you?¡± ¡°I am the only one who needs to be here. NOW LEAVE!¡± The Duke¡¯s sudden booming voice caught Fellaroth¡¯s attention as he heard something strange. Lifting a single finger on his right hand, Fellaroth pointed toward The Duke, causing a small orb of dim light to appear between them. A sharp intake of breath filled the room as Jackson, Calvin, and Riegert saw The Duke for the first time. ¡°What is this Fell? I don¡¯t understand what I¡¯m looking at!¡± asked Riegert after a long-stunned silence. The group watched on in horror as they saw that The Duke¡¯s features appeared to be constantly shifting and changing, almost as though his face didn¡¯t know what it was supposed to look like. ¡°Who am I addressing? Am I speaking with The Duke, or with someone else?¡± ¡°We are Myriad!¡± Answered the figure before them, sounding as though dozens of people were speaking simultaneously, while their hazy eyes seemed to be unable to focus. ¡°How did you come to be, Myriad?¡± for the first time since the light shone on their face, Myriad¡¯s eyes fixed on Fellaroth, constantly changing colours, shades, and shapes, they bore into Fellaroth with intense silent pondering. ¡°Was it you? Were you the one who did this to us¡­ you promised us power and freedom! You promised us that we would live in peace, unhindered by any!¡± their speech was laborious and tiring, causing the last word of each sentence to drag, almost as though the thoughts within their head were not aligned like they were constantly debating what they wanted to say. ¡°Does this look like freedom to you? Wait! You were not the one. Though you are like them. They saw how we were treated by the people of this city. Always beaten, spat on, tossed aside, and looked down on. We were nothing, just those who were forgotten¡­ until they came! They told us that we did not need to live beneath the heel of the people of Cruwshant. They told us that we could rise up and take this place for our own. They told us that they would give us the power to stand, the power to overcome¡­ and they did! They gave us power and guided us here to this one¡¯s chamber, told us to unite our strength and take what was ours¡­ then they turned us into this! We did as they asked, we sent them the people of this city¡­ hundreds of people to do with as they pleased! And then they left, left us here, like this. We are not free¡­ we suffer¡­ we want to be free¡­ will you set us free¡­ one who is like them but is not them¡­ will you set us free?¡± ¡°I will do as you ask, but you need to tell me, where did you send the people of this city?¡± ¡°We sent them to the underneath. The place where the one who is like you, but not you, lives!¡± ¡°I understand, thank you!¡± said Fellaroth, walking around the desk and approaching the constantly changing form. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Wait, Fell! What are you going to do?¡± asked Riegert, as he watched Fellaroth draw his spear from his lower back and slowly and effortlessly drive it into Myriad¡¯s chest, piercing their heart. A sigh of relief left Myriad¡¯s body as it regained the once handsome features of The Duke, before slumping forward as a dozen voices echoed, thank you!¡± ¡°How could you do such a thing Fell? How could you so coldly take their life, without so much as a second thought or even hesitation! Was there no way that we could have saved them?¡± asked Calvin, unable to tear his eyes from The Duke''s lifeless form. ¡°Unfortunately, Calvin, there was nothing that could have been done to help any of them. What was done here was an abomination. It was a crime against life itself. The human body and mind were never intended to be able to house more than a single life. To have crammed so many lives into a single form like that¡­ it¡¯s disgusting to think of what kind of a mind would be capable of such a thing. You couldn¡¯t even fathom the level of suffering those souls would have been going through, intermingling with each other in ways that ought not to be possible, unable to tell when your being ended and the next began. It¡¯s enough to make my blood boil!¡± ¡°You seem to know a lot about this Fell. And then there¡¯s the part about them saying that this was done to them by ¡®one like you.¡¯ What could that have meant? Why did they first think that you were the one to have done this to them?¡± asked Riegert, turning from the desk and facing Fellaroth. ¡°Not this again, Riegert. I thought you had gotten past all of this. They had obviously seen Fell using magic and simply meant that it was a person who used magic to do this to them!¡± ¡°Is that really what you think, Jackson? I¡¯ve never heard of any kind of magic that could do something like this, have you?¡± ¡°Magic is boundless, Riegert. There is no limit to what can be done with it, one need only know-how, and all things are possible with magic.¡± ¡°Not quite, Jackson. The caster would still need to have a very good understanding of what it was they wanted to do. To make fire, you need to understand how fire works. To make water, you would need to understand how it flows and behaves. To raise the dead, you need to understand the human body and how it works. Mages need to be very well-learned people, not just any fool can use magic. In this case, this person would have needed to have a very good understanding of how souls work. This mage would have needed to have been extremely powerful to have been able to do what they did here.¡± ¡°You are of course, right, Calvin. There is more to magic than simply casting spells. Casters need to fully grasp and understand the concepts behind the magic they want to use. This is why you so often hear about spells misfiring or doing things that the caster hadn¡¯t intended. If your understanding of a topic is even slightly off, then the spell that you¡¯re trying to cast could go horribly wrong. As to your question, Riegert. I can¡¯t speak to the inner workings of Myriad¡¯s mind, or as to why they thought me to be the one that had done this to them. What I can say is that we need to find the person who was responsible for this and put an end to them, preferably before they have the chance to do this to the other people of Cruwshant.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, Fell. Now isn¡¯t the time to have our attention divided, now is the time to act. Where do you think this ¡®Underneath¡¯ is? Any ideas?¡± asked Riegert, getting back on track. ¡°I do have a pretty good idea. To my knowledge, there are some caves and a network of tunnels beneath Mount Cruwshant, which is the most likely place for them to have referred to as ¡®the underneath.¡¯¡± ¡°Tunnels beneath the mountain? What are you talking about, Fell? This city has been here for a few hundred years now, surely if there were tunnels and caves beneath the mountain the people of this city would have known about them, I mean they pose a real threat to the security of the city, particularly if there are multiple entry and exit points.¡± The tunnels are very well concealed, you would need to know of them to find the entrance, it would be very difficult for someone to simply stumble across them.¡± ¡°And yet someone had to have done just that, how else would they have been found in the first place, unless of course, they were man-made?¡± ¡°They were not man-made, but they do have a very powerful spell of concealment placed on them.¡± ¡°When we were at The Lonely Bastion, you had mentioned that there was supposed to be a gateway in this location, one that was inactive, is that gateway down in those tunnels? Could someone else be making use of them?¡± ¡°No, as I said at that time, the gateway that is here is inactive, and no it¡¯s not in the tunnel network, though the tunnels can grant us access to the castle that houses the gateway.¡± ¡°But how can you be sure that the gateway is indeed inactive? How do you know that someone else hasn¡¯t modified the magic of this gateway and altered the way that it works?¡± ¡°Though that possibility does exist, it is a very remote possibility and not really worth giving too much thought, that being said, I think we will know more once we enter the tunnels. I think we should head there without delay.¡± ¡°Agreed! Lead the way.¡± Said Riegert, not wanting to cause any further delay in discovering what it was that had happened to the missing people of Cruwshant.