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“Snowdrop! Kitty!” I called out.

After pocketing the leftover dragon corpses we picked up the cats muddy footprints leading into the inner castle. The grand doors of the castle swung into a long hallway with a suits of armor lining a red carpet. The walls were decorated with black marble columns, paintings of faces that i had never seen and a great chandelier giving off a golden glow. Following the tracks up a set of double stairs we made our way through twisting hallways following the footprints. We passed several doors, some open some shut. The ones that were open we could see were filled with luxurious tea rooms, bedrooms and more all in the color scheme of red, black and gold. This whole castle screamed luxury and vanity to the point where i was glad i felt out of place.

The tracks went down several winding staircases into a cobblestone passage. The long passage was filled with reinforced doors that had been turned to splinters. We passed several suits of armor that had been ripped to shreds by claws and fangs.

“These guys look like shit.” i say motioning to a suit of armor.

It was missing it’s leg armor and and had deep rips in its chest plate, but despite this it still was trying to stand up.

Name: N/AAge: 1500 Class: GuardianRace: Haunt Grunt(Sub-Race: Haunted Armor)Owner: Red QueenLevel: 50[10%%] HP: 13/500MP: 36/1000 STR: 150VIT: 0 AGI: 50DEX: 120 INT: 100WIS: 100 LUK: 0 Skill Points:0 Skills:

Defender LV25[50%]

Guard LV 30[50%]

Haunt LV 15[40%]

Curse of Weakness LV10[5%]

Titles:N/A

Status: Near Destruction(Unaging)

“Wow, these guys never even stood a chance.” Mirana says.

“Yeah, all the more reason to find the cats before they run into something that does stand a chance. No way all the enemies in this castle are on easy mode.” i say.

We continue down the hall until we come to a T junction where the tracks disappear.

“Where's the tracks?” i ask.

“I don’t know. Not picking anything up on Earth sense.” she says.

The tracks stop abruptly in the middle of the junction and place to hide. Just cobblestone passages lit by torches  as far as the eye can see in either direction.

“Well look around.” i tell her.

I too use Earth sense to try and find anything but it’s useless. There is no mana flow or trail like in the tomb catacombs nor is there any obvious doorway. I was about to tell mirana we should split up and search the lower levels when i noticed something. There was a seam in the wall where the stone was a little brighter than the stone next to it. I traced the line around and found it was in the perfect shape for a door.

“Found it.” i call out.

I take a few steps back and run at the door and blow it down...and then did a face plant. When i picked myself up i found what i had tripped over was a small treasure chest. Looking forward i found there was a huge piles of Magi Crystals, rare metals and ores, artifacts and more chests. Many of the ores and minerals i couldn’t even identify. As expected of the rulers of the earth element, creating precious minerals and ores probably isn’t that hard. As far as i could see the room went on and on and i could only guess how much was in here.

“Its Payday!” i whooped.

Mountains of red and green magi crystals dotted my vision as well as many priceless looking swords and armor. Towers of valuable crystals and jars full of alcoholic spirits. Boxes of Unstable Aetheric ores and a fountains of shining waters with all kinds of mysterious powers. This place probably contained all the treasures in the former boulder kingdom and then some. National and private collections looks like the mirror sucked in the entire boulder kingdoms and it's treasures. 

“Always seen it done never done it myself though.” i said.

I took a leaping dive headfirst into the nearest pile of and started swimming around. Surprisingly it works! I was swimming in magical crystals but i was careful enough to avoid the sharper artifacts. While i was doing all this Mirana was just looking at me like i had gone crazy.(AN Note: Think Scrooge Mcduck’s bank vault  guys.)

“What are you doing!” she shouted.

“Testing how deep it is.” i said swimming downwards into the rainbow of treasures.

“You’re rubbing yourself on tons and tons of coins that people have never washed!” she shouts.

“Don’t care!” i shout back.

I was swimming around just enjoying myself when i felt something claw my leg..

“Hey i’m not getting out just yet. Gimme a few minutes” i say.

“What are you talking about?”

I poke my head up for a second and realize that Mirana is in a corner of the treasury that contains all kinds of herbs, books, medicines and poisons.

“Did you just claw my-” but i didn’t get to finish.

I was sucked under the piles of gems and minerals by multiple clawed hands grabbing at my cloak. I twisted free of the hands and swam to the surface of the piles.

“The HELL!” i yelled out before i was pulled back under.

This time i could feel several things trying to bite me and claw my legs. I could feel small cuts and bites opening all over my body but i since i didn’t want to destroy the treasury i couldn’t use magic or i might set off a chain reaction with so many magical artifacts around me. I thrashed around trying to get them off me while trying not to destroy any of the artifacts when i started getting sucked deeper into ocean of treasures. I reached out with Earth sense and found there were tons of little green dots coagulating around me almost blinding me. Some of them moved.

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The fact that they were moving signaled that i was surrounded by many, many many little creatures. I started ripping them off one by one but there was too many for me to handle by myself. I was about to just chance it and start blowing fire everywhere with the Hind bear Bristling Fur Armor and but then i found something interesting with Earth sense. I turned my head and felt like my eyes were being assaulted by a miniature sun. A green orb glowed so brightly everything else paled in comparison to it.

I activate the Hind bear armor and swim for my life in the direction of the giant mana source. I could feel hordes of whatever creatures where were out there following me. At a certain point i felt an ominous feeling wash over me and the clawed creatures retreating back into the depths of the piles of treasure. The green particles of light around me felt...angry.

I could feel the green lights attacking my mind trying to break me but ultimately was dispersed by the knife at my belt. As i continued towards the source the attacks got more frequent and the green particles were joined by black ones. Most likely more elemental mana. I reached forward with my hand to keep swimming but felt nothing. I reached forward and pulled myself out of the ocean of treasures to find myself in a large swirling air bubble made of crystals and minerals several football fields in diameter. In the center was an old looking house of silver and wood that felt out of place. I shook magi-crystals and precious mineral clumps out of my hair and strode towards the house. The magical energy in here was so great that random crystals and artifacts were floating around and i ended up turning off Earth Sense since i was being blinded by all the light around me.

I approached the door and found a carving on a wooden plaque that read "Secrets are best buried with the dead". Strange and creepy, the two things that seem to screw e over the most. I tried the handle but found it locked so i went around the back to search for a way in. I found a cellar door that i could use to get and proceeded down the steps and into the awaiting darkness. Inside i found myself in a small library with simple silver grey wooden bookshelves housing many leather bound books and parchment scrolls. Many of them were in the fae language but i found a small stash metal tablets in a cubby hole in one of the shelves. The tablets were rough pieces of adamantine with a upside down triangle with a line running through the lower half in the center of an eye. Creepy.

I was a little shaky on my translations but from what i can deduce all these scrolls are the property of some secret order or something and all of them were filled with lots and lots of secrets. The markings on the tablets, the contents of tablets, some of them were even in encoded with self destruction magic. Fortunately the magic circles had lost their magic charge and were duds. The names of spies in ancient fae families, locations of dragon veins, evidence that horrible dictators faked their own deaths. There's even some about that clash with the information that Kyanu gave me.

As i was browsing the trove of information that could likely end the lives of several large fae noble families and royalty several times over, i started feeling hearing an eerie voice coming from above me in the house.

“When..”

“Murder...”

“How could you…”

“Secrets”

“Why…”

“It was…”

“Power”

Over and over the deafening voices in my head said, but the knife gave no defense against the invading sound. Eventually i got fed up with trying to pretend it wasn’t there and stormed upstairs to find out what it was. The steps made a creaking sound as i ascended towards the source. As i did so the air progressively got colder and the voices louder. When i got to the door and threw it open a green mist overflowed from the open door.

“Hello...Anyone there...Jumpscare?” I called out uncertain.

There was no response but a moment later i heard a wispy voice.

“Approach seeker”

...Don’t go towards the creepy. Do not go towards the creepy.

Is what was playing in my mind but like a classical idiot i went towards the creepy. No excuses i acted like an idiot.

I stepped into a room filled with green mist and voices. It was a small living room with simple wooden furniture and table but on the table was a book, a big book. The cover was made of animal skin and wood. Despite its simple appearance as soon as i stepped closer i was again assaulted by mental attacks and insane voices. The book opened and green fog poured out.

“Step forward”

I cautiously stepped towards the book ready for anything in case things went south.

“Cursed of fate, the stars have been forced to change. The balance is ruined. You who was made a plaything for the goddess of whim and destiny. You who is owed much by the cosmos are presented with a choice. I am the true god of fate. I am the mystery that is unraveled. I am the stars that tell the mortals of the world. I am the road to which all must walk. I am prediction and chaos.” the strange voice said.

"So, are you going to put some horrid curse on me or something. Didn't mean to intrude but i needed a place to hide from whatever those things where."

"You're journey here was predicted long before you descended into the mirror or any of those creatures as you call them were born. The strings of fate can be controlled but even before i retired to the mortal realm i, the true god of fate, cannot change some things." the voice said.

True god of fate? Didn’t Kyanu say that the current goddess of fate was originally the goddess of luck? The duties of the old god were folded into her job and the old god retired?

“You mean your the old god of fate?” i asked.

“Ha, old god. That woman dared bare her fangs at me and force me from my position. Old god, as if there was ever a new god. That woman dares meddle with fate so dangerously. She uses my name and power to spread unrest and false prophecy of coming destruction. The mortals cling to their gods and sacrifice to them making them even more powerful. The only thing she wants from my job is the name she can use.” The voice says.

“What do you mean false prophecy?” i ask.

“The strings of fate can be woven in more than one way. However the power to manipulate the threads of life is costly. She has the backing of many powerful gods and that makes her dangerous. I have looked into the chaos and the abyss and seen all that is forbidden.” the god says mysteriously.

“Enough, what did you mean by choice?” i ask.

“It is no longer within my power to change fate, but i can return you to your previous world. You are an anomaly to the fate of this world. You could both destroy this world or change it for better. I can give you the choice to not leave your destiny and the destiny of this world in the hands of that woman. I will cut your bonds to this world and send you back but you will never be able to return. Or you may choose to remain here and help this world. You must choose quickly though. Soon she will find us and the laws of the world may not stop her.” the god explained.

Go back to my old world? This could be my chance! I didn’t want any of this shit about helping the gods, Fuck them. All i ever wanted was to have a good day. No mess, no blood crazed monster after me, no psychopaths, no bullies. Just one, but that was denied me more times than  i could ever count. With my experiences here i could no doubt best any bully that comes after me in that world. I could even get rene back...so why am i hesitating?

This world...it’s full of shitty people and shitty gods. It’s an easy choice right? Go back to old times hanging out with rene and getting into school fights.

“And this world...what will happen to them?”

“Hard to say. With that goddess unopposed she will bring ruin to this world. Sad to say but that's the truth. I don’t particularly care about this world but if it is destroyed then any hope or chance of restoring balance will be as worthless as the ash of this world.” He intones.

“Why...Just why are they all so hell bent on taking control of this world. Kyanu said that there are other worlds out there and the fact that i came from one prove it to be true. What's so important that they would ruin entire planets to get it.” I can only wonder.

“Ah, an interesting question for once. Why are they always at each others throats. I can answer this but knowledge isn’t always a good thing. Are you sure that you desire to know.” the god asks.

“...Yes”

“As you wish. The answer lies in origin.” he said.

The pages of the book spun and scenery around me turned to nothingness and the light faded. Suddenly i heard a great voice.

“In the beginning…”