He never held his breath and never heard his heart like this before, the aura of the island was unsettling. They set foot in a swift at the island of Viloria, the towering structure seemingly blowing a light cold wind, mere the swirling presence of dead souls was touching him.
It was near midday and the rays of the sun at the distant west was drifting a chill, strange as it may seem, as though the tower of the undead was not enough for them to be peculiar. The Prince of Venalia was standing, waiting, and smiling below the arch of the gray stone door together with a stern man, pale and grim clothed with plain black from collar to foot.
Prince Aagal was in clutch of the chest containing the key that was kept by Lord Admiral Radir two days ago, precious to win as it worth to run with. Two guardsmen on each, as well as Grand Morken has been rendered immobile of any escape. They released one's hold from their arms after they stood upon the stone steps, absent was the iron but the trace of the chain was still on his wrist. A never-ending numb that the butterfly can feel, but there was no such pain nor joy, nor fright when he looked upon the grand magus' face. He was neutral like a pond, crossing his arms rather than taking it back.
Prince Aagal: Welcome to the Island of Viloria. Come follow me inside, you must watch while I make use of the key.
Come follow me inside, you must watch while I make use of the key [https://img.wattpad.com/0c0a86e54e3318f116ec8b83be32ecc7fd9890dd/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f41456d63487344674d37674161773d3d2d313239363635333839342e313733346633343330373830616534303334363831313831373735372e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
(The Island Castle of Viloria)
Salagor was weak and walking slow. It was not the beating nor the outrage of soldiers around him, but his strength was repelled by anger, sadness, and regret. The shield was broken, thought him, he defended a fisherman that now as a prince; an only friend who is an innocent mortal within the realm of blood and duties, the good past was mere consigned to oblivion that will last throughout the ages of him being an heir.
Salagor: Agaal, my Prince...You don't have to obey them...how about our friendship? The said that we will always sail before the dawn passes.
Prince Aagal: It was my duty now Commander, I don't have any choice but to forget our connection. It was the law you are now facing, there was no sympathy in here.
The Prince shown the eyebrows that became forbidding as it slant, mouth sulk and the eyes are not friendly as what he knew before.
Salagor: You weren't easy to tame so you've chosen a comfortable path.
Prince Aagal: I am happy for where I am now. Away from the sea, away from any misjudgement because of my looks, they soon be kneeling in front of me while I laugh.
Salagor: I, a sworn sword and joined in the elite ones as you set sail to feed us. I respected you so much and disregarded your wrongdoings because I see you as my true friend. What about now Aagal? You are blinded by greed and you choose to be a slave of it.
Salagor looked behind, he saw the ship of red and black are sailing back quick; it reminds him of the glorious tides of war, they are fading like the smog of morning devouring them whole.
Prince Aagal: A slave you say? Do you know how much it benefits me to be an heir on my brother's throne? I hope you are aware that soon enough, I can command forces and fortify castles at my own will.
The guards nearly put him out to ground but the luminous tower door opened by nobody, it was heavy that only magic can make it widen, and by the reason their fists stops to engrave his beaten flesh. Out of deep curiosity, Salagor peered behind the right swung door and there he saw what the realm used to describe an appearance of a crypt lord. They wore a loose garment of dazzling black that hangs from the shoulders and feet. Their hands are tight together and unseen, mouth and nose covered with that remains of their bright yellow eyes surrounded with tattoos.
The sun gazed in the middle of the tower, it was lit by the perfectly circular gap atop of it [https://img.wattpad.com/91e4ef04db9425d70d67d6b473c69e30151b531b/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f7273695650546353734d6e6e66513d3d2d313239363635333839342e3137333466326664366662653737353933353835343839303630362e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
The sun gazed in the middle of the tower, it was lit by the perfectly circular gap atop of it. There shown, a symbol of a spider with glittering red and smoking with blue. The smoke appears like a snake following its prey, and the six preys were the unnoticeable vaults in the distant walls guarded by crypt lords with different colored eyes for each. The crypt lords of the barred vaults were having their arms up and hands opened, searing out the magic from their palms towards the wall for which summons a mystical entry onto the unknown.
The Prince opened the chest once more and did what he said earlier, to make use of the key while now stood at the center of the tower where the sun glows bright.
Prince Aagal: Jeweled with red, a ruby. What a great little one that the gods truly want. Are you ready to be under there? It is going to be fun.
He constantly spinning the key right through his opened eye while the other was closed shut, admiring its beauty and purpose while it was dancing in between them two. Now he turned left, walking while he still gazes at the fundamental. Salagor heard only a deaden sound of his interaction to the crypt lord of red, he then turned his head towards the Grand Master, and it acknowledged nothing of his worries by showing a slight smile.
Grand Morken: Do not be scared child, this is just another day of our trial.
Salagor: You tricked me, sending a vile statement to rebuild the Garrick whilst it was not ours to declare.
Grand Morken: We're living in a statecraft, the action done for the realm should be ours but sadly, they did not listen to us. Despite I, who studies necromancy and wizardry, I know where all things end at its time.
Salagor: Statecraft? How would you know the system of this realm when you only dwell on that mountain castle? You are a wizard with no use of convincing lords to believe you in your prophecies, I assume there were no books for you to study that.
Grand Morken: There are no books for me to look for that. I believe that Lord Artifar Saneya the Second was given the opportunity to keep the ancient books, books that are driven with magic for it to write itself, maybe there is a book of prophecy for me to read soon.
The Elder Wizard sighed, Salagor felt humbled by his sensible reasoning for him to be silent. At the time when they stopped, Prince Aagal whistled and signalized to come forward, mimicking by rattling the keys in the hole. They followed and arrived in front of the crypt lord that appears to be frozen still beside Agaal, all of its magic were consumed to the portal and so the hands of the red-eyed lord were now clasped.
Prince Aagal unlocked the barred boundary, and there they saw a red portal that appears to be a symbolic cloud of storm and on its eyes was a sun-like bright of a core.
Prince Aagal unlocked the barred boundary, and there they saw a red portal that appears to be a symbolic cloud of storm and on its eyes was a sun-like bright of a core [https://img.wattpad.com/3c879fcafb8bda72a046fde0c8c770aaf252cdc5/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f6f6d6d6a306d70796a4272774c413d3d2d313239363635333839342e313733333039356138306537373766363936343632393437353134382e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Prince Aagal: The dungeon of the Red Serpent is now open for its visitors. You may now enter the trial of the Gods and wish you both luck.
Salagor stepped beside the portal of the red circular cyclone swirling in the wall, and like the storm, he is hearing feeble roars of thunder and rains.
Salagor: I should've let you in as well, you must join for what hell you are bringing us.
The knight of the butterfly with all wits and strength coming from the delight of its wings, was pushed by the Prince himself as he choose to go closer. His shout echoed all through the storm and it roars even stronger, a portal through another chamber without omitting a beam like above. He was knocked down on the cold floor, swearing over the plummeting pain. There as a companion of the wizard, he got through as well, but strangely enough that he was on his bare feet when he descended beside him.
Salagor: Where were we?
The pain is pulling him down to harden himself be upright, then he stared above and saw the immense circular red storm shrinking into a void. Then when the portal disappeared, the light suddenly be revealed, and it was coming from eight massive fire torches dappled with different colors attached on the wall, surrounding them with prism-like rays as the chill crawls still.
Grand Morken: Colorful wasn't it? I believe we are at the first stage of the Vault of Nature's Torture. We have a quests to do to escape this trial they put us through.
His heartbeat flows the rhythm of a thunder and his breathing cold, loud that nearly it was the only thing that he can hear.
Salagor: I am promising good things to happen for us when we are released. I know none of us wanted to be in another dimension.
Grand Morken: This dimension, was used to be my home. Down under the ground we are crafting potions, practicing magic and witchcraft, shifting and summoning...until it was forbidden by the first king of Agarino when all those living illusion brought chaos upon the realm.
Salagor started to circle oneself in the capacious prism of colors while the Grand Wizard states the lore. The floor was littered with glass-like leaves, stepping onto it releases a music of deep hellish cries. The walls holds no spirit nor prayers, it is painted with dark brown and smooth as silk, it was covered with multiple vines of black that are moving like a worm.
Salagor: Ahh, that is why I noticed that you are not surprised to be here at all.
Grand Morken: Now they were using our kin to summon those colored portals through unworldly planes, it was used to be our home in a secret, now they transformed it into a sort of torture chambers.
Salagor: The Unworldly planes you mentioned were your old home.
Grand Morken: Yes, and the Shattered Helm is my prison cell.
When the soul started to weep, the ground suddenly shakes and from the black worms in the wall, the mass fissures crawl towards them. The fangs of the world truly be born before their eyes and below their feet, a beastly tremor begotten a humanoid wrapped in dry tree branches with eight lingering limbs like a kraken, and five eyes below the horns of a moose.
There resides the devilish spirit inside a cursed nature beaming its purple pupils in every direction on its will [https://img.wattpad.com/8c70df054a0c1ee08c9b8677e840e8820fe798b2/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f644e513667745635797a356764513d3d2d313239363635333839342e313733346533653232373337383263613634363830363133313432372e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
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There resides the devilish spirit inside a cursed nature beaming its purple pupils in every direction on its will. Its mouth gaping with dirty milk sap and using its eight massive arms of thorns to swivel across the dungeon walls.
Salagor and Grand Morken ran circling, crouching and jumping in an unbelievable speed to dodge the blades of death flying in the air. The trial is going to be fun, for him, he thought...thinking that he might be watching in that silly portal above. The fissures he saw opening once more, the shakes started it to widen, creating an opening for the underground roots to knock them over. Salagor never held to weakness, unleashing the sword and so the tree monster mercilessly wields a monstrous tree against them, bashing the wall and debris be fall.
Salagot started to swing aggressively onto the spinning roots and when a slash is created for some, the milk sap started pouring from it creating a flood. The Timber Monster wails as if it inflicted pain, it dug onto the ground when it can no longer hold such sap be spilled. The monster left with purple smoke and dead leaves that seemingly revolving within a tornado until it was gone.
Grand Morken: Don't breathe too much, boy! Do not let the liquid go onto your wounds if you have one! Covenis Skelegi...Covenis Skelegi.
He started to pick up what suppose to be the wizard's voice from the distant fading smoke, but he was commanded to not inhale to much as the smoke is still not lifted.
Grand Morken: Be careful! It's an Entrion, a Parastic Tree Monster. You must take the gems inside those arms! Rip them all out and put it in the gate!
The butterfly blurred its vision, keeping up his right fingers in the floor to find his lost sword, the other on his mouth and nose to keep the smoke away from inhalation. The smoke grow less, and he can see the shadow of petrifying beings around the staffed wizard. When the smoke finally lamented, there he saw four skeleton warriors rapidly charges towards his stead, fast enough that he got no time to react.
Salagor leaped towards the side, nearly ending up at the cracks [https://img.wattpad.com/f8b11a1c80b998a51666e5109d9540b7a7f25468/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f48373371667244565f6d64466d513d3d2d313239363635333839342e3137333465333266613833643661623138303338393135303934332e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Salagor leaped towards the side, nearly ending up at the cracks. Thinking that it was his end, each of the skeleton bears a purple gem, and they bind each of them in the wall carved with shaped holes where he jumped off.
Grand Morken: Those are Skeleton Warriors, they won't harm you. Pick up your sword and let us help each other defeat the Entrion.
He saw the other empty gem holes in the wall, standing up to seek the Entrion and he immediately got his wish. It spawned again but this time, above the ceiling it hanged, growled, and four of its arms were now missing. Enchantra ferricion inferna! The wizard's arms and with his staff held high, he mouthed of a buffing spell to cast an essence of black fire in his steel. The dark fire was casted so strong that the fire spreads around Salagor's position.
When the hanging limbs of thorns hanged down and plunged right through the dungeon floor, the knight did not hesitate despite the world ruptured worse [https://img.wattpad.com/6e599222bc97f07a6c464e3aec7e11d084aa3ceb/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f45326d76324539634b766a3969673d3d2d313239363635333839342e313733346632633063323630366536383330373635383036313139372e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
When the hanging limbs of thorns hanged down and plunged right through the dungeon floor, the knight did not hesitate despite the world ruptured worse. He slashed them half with ease while charging, charging across what appears to be a labyrinth of trees. A screeching sound that wrecked the dungeon, the parasitic being is crumbling into pieces, pieces that turns the dust into crows that ascends atop of the black void, and the said stage of hell was finally completed.
Salagor: Is this as well, one of your homes or no? Freedom, perhaps.
Grand Morken: The second stage, I apologize in advance that I never learn what's behind this.
The knight cannot talk straight a slight, tired but he kept on moving to change a thing. Salagor attached the purple jewels into the empty hollow shapes, binding them perfectly. With all forces acted to connect the puzzles into a new stage, the gemstones in the wall started to melt off and the will of its magic engrave a new door that peers a light. Two, right beside was a replica of the other door, so then the knight assumed that the other was his, he stepped aside and the rays of white started to belch out of the door.
A wall in between like an eye spewing light apart, there are two horizontal edge revealed in a single gate. For which who will step up first, Salagor turned to peek at the right one then the astonishment be diminished.
He saw another dimension, an extinguishing distortion of reality in a cunning plane of life [https://img.wattpad.com/5bfc1a2ccc4bd4ea282d053e1f8b9ca3fff18480/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f363738533168334d4a47345832413d3d2d313239363635333839342e313733363636326336396336306431303331373937313031333335322e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
He saw another dimension, an extinguishing distortion of reality in a cunning plane of life. There born a phenomenon of a white sun above and the massive tidal waves crashing loudly at the eight towering mirrors, placed in an islet formed by stepping stones smelled of the seaside, it was moving and swaying like a bridge between mountains.
There born a phenomenon of a white sun above and the massive tidal waves crashing loudly at the eight towering mirrors, placed in an islet formed by stepping stones smelled of the seaside, it was moving and swaying like a bridge between mountains [https://img.wattpad.com/0558918285ec5cbd327db07056aafd99776112f8/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f2d74727552573530676777364b413d3d2d313239363635333839342e3137333636363265636632643464666135353033373637383632362e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
He then proceed to hover onto the left gate, it was hellish as the dawn angers the whole word. Volcanoes of counted five spitting fiery phoenix-like lavas that flows in thick rivers, red wisps rise from the top like the fumes shown the natural secret smoker, and the rocky yellow splintered cliff was surrounded, spat enough to pool aside many cities and forest within it. Above was nor white but a black sun staring in the just blue of a sky until it turns reddish gray. Oddly, he observed that his own octagon of mirrors were included in the crawls of the burning path at the hellish plane.
Salagor: This is very strange. The boundary...the entrance wall indicates that we are on a different realm, but if I go to my side, I can see your mirrors on the same world as I do.
Grand Morken: Pick your poison.
The wizard giggled, smirked, he throws aside his staff and looked at Makaela's eyes with full pride. The staff tumbled across the room, the skeleton warriors began withering into white plume of soul then sank, they stand like statue with their mouth gaped open while they slowly sink into the nether secrets.
Grand Morken: I need no help, and so do you.
Salagor: But what task am I supposed to accomplish here?
Grand Morken: You hurt yourself enough to spill blood within your body. Freedom shows quick if luck was present, if not, you might destroy yourself. Hurry up, or else the nature swallows you whole.
Salagor never startled but the wizard did not identify clearly the task to be done, until he was gone, leaving behind the hints of flowery words to accomplish something in the eyes of their doom. It will pass to him, the bad charm will pass to him, over and over he whispered while he was stepping into the loose, rocky, narrow moving shore. When the waters controlled by the white sun comes, it was not the gentleness of summer waves that rains but a power of a shockwave blasting. The nature's chaos gradually shrinks the unseen barrier of the hall of floating mirrors. Hurry up, or else you'll be swallowed whole. A relevance of his word fused, and now he knew he must act up.
At the edge of the horizontal shore was the circular altar of eight mirrors, aligned into an octagon, only seeing himself covered in purple shades of blood from the Entrion's sap. His sword in the right and the other was an empty hand clasping his injured leg. Trying to think straight as the hints still echoed but muffled by the shrieking dire tides. The mirrors were clear as still pond, eight of his faces watched as the beauty eats away his broken reflection. Salagor was intimated, perhaps, joyous on the buffering taints of blood from his body as if the reflection was actually his. When he tried to touch, it was not the glass he touched, but himself.
Hurry up, the voices wailed again as the tide grows more violent and the invisible barrier shrinks rapidly towards the center of the octagon. The desperation propelled where he turned aside and breaks the glass with his charred sword by one hand. From what it reflects at the moment it turns into pieces, his sword suddenly shattered like a crushing of an ice. His right hand was severely sliced, the thick red fluid flows no warmer nor cooler as if it was slashed by multiple daggers.
Salagor: FUCKING SHIT! Aggghhh for...FUCK SAKE!
Freedom shows quick if luck was present, if not, you might destroy yourself.
With all his remaining wits for survival, he touched the mirrors one by one, stained them with blood, and some turns out to be contiguous to his senses. There was only one mirror that never reflects reality, and it was directly the mirror behind his starting stead. He touched himself in the mirror, he never felt a thing whilst ruling out the bleeding hand. Salagor used the remains of the hilt to break the illusionary glass, wind blew strong and freedom dwells above the celestial body among the stars.
Salagor used the remains of the hilt to break the illusionary glass, wind blew strong and freedom dwells above the celestial body among the stars [https://img.wattpad.com/f422055d341953dfa109c0ec61bcd5e65f1d537a/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f5869705137684139567a577363673d3d2d313239363635333839342e313733363731646666633433393263643533333831333931303838302e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
He casted a brief look onto the dark heavens laying the universe as it cradles the starlight. In the very ether of the universe he saw the Grand Master standing at the vicinity of a black cliff, looking straight towards the mirror on where he peered. Salagor intercedes the unknown empty world; No castle, nor village, clouds, living and feeling but lakes of milk and jet black land, with many erected terrestrial spears that seemingly pointing the intergalactic neighbors of the rouge above the open sky.
Grand Master Morken brought up a floating stone above his left palm, carved and polished in a shape of a pyramid with perfectly circle hole on one side and to the other. He handed it to Salagor with his bleeding hand, the small device was smooth like silk, cold as ice, and odd as the planes.
Grand Morken: Stunning wasn't it?
Salagor: Yes it is, the last stage was beautifully frightening.
Grand Morken: The planet of Senthelmarsh, strange it is to be in the sister planet of Northrom for once. Our home was right there my friend, where every human and other races, every magic, every creatures, every books and mysteries lies.
He pointed at the direction of another planet floating in its glory, leaving heavens on its patience to know more about what glimpse of life and death Northrom perceives. The spherical habitat of such natural marvel of the system was so close to the sky that they though it will crash collide to them.
Salagor: Why can't we see this planet there in our home?
Grand Morken: Read books Salagor, perhaps you'll learn why. I am glad you sacrificed yourself to survive.
He suddenly changed the means of their conversation, the knight just kept the pace of the chosen thing as respectful as possible.
Salagor: I did, yes. And I assume that you never sacrificed a thing since you know the way around your home.
Grand Morken: Senthelmarsh is not my home, I don't even know what lies beyond this peculiar planet. You see this?
He was going way around and round to their talking, slithering any matter that comes into his mind. Salagor saw that he revealed a smoking charred wrist, hand missing that is been a blazed by what plane he escaped from. You tend to think that I did not sacrificed a thing, the old man whispered, without a second thought the present right hand bears a claw-like dagger, close to figure a hilt with five steels.
Grand Morken: Giving you illumination to my castle doesn't satisfy me, now you must give me your eyes as a price to escape this place!
At the middle of his last word, the claw dagger sang its song without delay. The old wizard was hungry for his eyes, Salagor stared across the ring summit, there was no way to escape this one. Another test for sacrifice and survival as fear coursed through his heart. The one-handed stifling turncloak put out aside his magic, when the knight was struck, there remains only an empty air.
The one-handed stifling turncloak put out aside his magic, when the knight was struck, there remains only an empty air [https://img.wattpad.com/28227626280e57131f6a16fdcc342f2e5f07a952/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f6f424661427751663466594b50673d3d2d313239363635333839342e313733363735346136393935323634653238313832323238383038372e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Salagor's motion was beautifully fluid, backing and turning to the right.
Salagor: Not bad for an old wizard.
The Knight's reactions were those of an elite sea assassin, and trained to a peak the people had never seen even without a sword. Grand Morken backed into the center of the circle as Salagor's fist are as quick as a snake bite, blood dripped rapidly, but he carried on. Salagor pounced while he recovers, the rebel wizard fell like a limp rag after a punch of five, face down, gasped once and turned his face towards Salagor. His dead eyes stared out like beads of dark glass onto the blanket of stars, and the knight never hesitated to pluck it out on its sockets. He watched the flesh and blood crumble while the moans and groans of the dying old man be sung below the celestial eyes.
He attached the pearls of black and white onto the empty component of the pyramidal device, it was a key, the betrayal of one's powerful wizard amongst the realm was a key for him to unshackle himself to the chains of unfair justice. Salagor was distracted as the portal of thunder appeared once more, the device vanished in his hands and finally, wend one's way towards his home.
Salagor: Finally, the debt has been paid.