The interior of the castle consisted of a large open courtyard surrounded by a series of high walls and towers. The ruins were overgrown with moss and vines, with most of the original stonework covered in a thick layer of dirt. A few fallen statues lay scattered around the grounds—remnants of past glories now lost forever.
Several dark passages led deeper inside the ruins. At the far end of the courtyard stood an imposing stone archway flanked by two stone pillars. Inside the archway lay a flight of stairs leading underground.
A few demons wandered around the courtyard, patrolling the area. They seemed oblivious to Ebonheim's presence, which suited her just fine. She scanned the area for more foes using her Divine Sight, but all seemed quiet.
Strange...
Ebonheim expected more demons to be present here. Especially given how many she fought outside the castle walls. Where had they all gone? And why didn't they come out when she started attacking the others?
Could they all have retreated into the castle, or perhaps deeper underground? The answer seemed plausible. It made sense for the strongest demons to protect the core area of the demonic invasion. But this...seemed odd.
She crept towards one of the passages and peeked inside. Nothing moved in the shadows. She crept further into the darkness. A faint noise reached her ears—a dull roar echoing throughout the stonework. She followed the noise, letting her feet guide her through the winding passageways.
Eventually, she reached the stairwell leading into the dungeon. She crept down slowly until she reached the bottom. A low rumble came from beyond the open iron bars ahead of her—the sound of distant growls and grunting. The language sounded like gibberish to her ears—probably a demonic tongue.
She couldn't understand what they were saying. But judging from their tone...they seemed agitated. Maybe they sensed her presence nearby? Or perhaps she'd triggered something when she entered the dungeon?
No way to tell without investigating further. With cautious steps, she approached the entrance. A foul stench filled the air—mold, decay, and worse. She covered her mouth with her arm as she peered inside.
Her gaze fell upon an enormous room, stretching out before her. The chamber's floor and walls were made of black stone bricks. Along its edges stood several pillars supporting an arched roof above. The room was illuminated with dozens of green-flamed braziers mounted upon the pillars—each one producing a continuous stream of acrid smoke. The flames cast an eerie green light across the stonework.
She couldn't identify the scent coming from the smoke. But it smelled vile.
In the center of the chamber stood several pillars arranged in a loose circle surrounding an altar carved out of obsidian. Several demons dressed in dark robes stood guard over the altar. The symbols etched onto their chests glowed dimly in the darkness. The demonic writings seemed to form arcane symbols that Ebonheim didn't comprehend.
What's more, on the altar itself lay a body covered in a thick, black cloak. The garment's hood concealed the wearer's features from view. Heavy chains etched with runes bound the captive to the table. Their aura shone a muted gold against Ebonheim's Divine Sight—a god. A weakened one, at that.
The demons appeared to be trying to rouse the god from their stupor using some sort of ritual. Dark energies seeped through the air around them.
Without thinking twice, Ebonheim dashed into the chamber and aimed her bow at the chanting demons. A volley of Enchanted Essence Bolts flew from her fingertips and struck them squarely in their backs. Two of them collapsed to their knees while another five turned to face her. They began firing eldritch blasts and dark magic missiles at her in response.
Ebonheim ducked behind a pillar. A couple of blasts hit the other side and blew out chunks of stone. Dust and debris rained down from the ceiling as Ebonheim peeked back out to fire a quick series of bolts from her bow. The bolts hit their marks, injuring four more demons. The final two demons began hurling eldritch blasts her way and she was forced to scurry from hiding place to hiding place, avoiding their attacks while firing her own shots.
Another barrage struck home, felling two more foes. Only two remained standing now. One stood by the altar itself while another had managed to weave its way towards her. It reached for her with long-taloned fingers while opening its tooth-filled maw in a snarl. She dodged to the side and brought her bow around in a wide arc, slamming the wood into the creature's head and sending it reeling. Then she fired a bolt directly into its throat and watched as the demon's orange aura flickered and disappeared.
It fell dead at her feet.
The last remaining demon stood over the captured deity on the altar. It opened its mouth to deliver another spell. Ebonheim let loose another volley of Essence Bolts that sent it stumbling back into the nearest wall. Her attack caused several cracks to form within the stonework behind the demon. It slid down to the ground, stunned, its head lolling forward limply.
Seeing her chance, she leapt over the altar and fired one last Essence Bolt at the demon. Its head snapped back into the stonework with a wet smack. Then she returned her gaze to the bound deity on the altar.
"Don't worry," Ebonheim said reassuringly as she knelt beside the prone figure. "Everything's going to be all right now..."
She placed her hands on the chains and tried to break them. But nothing happened. She gritted her teeth and yanked on the links again, hoping they might shatter under the strain. Still no luck. She tried several more times, but the metal remained stubbornly intact.
The runes carved upon its surface glowed faintly in response to her efforts. Crystal fragments jutted out between the lines etched into its surface. The crystals pulsed rhythmically.
Whatever enchantment was used on these chains...they held fast against her attempts. She ran her fingertips over the runes trying to discern their nature, but they eluded her comprehension.
She had little knowledge when it came to arcane sigils and magical runes. Unless the Akashic System translated it for her through her Divine Sight, she could tell little about what their purpose is. And it seemed this was no exception.
Hold on...
Faint strands of energy extended from the chains, passing through the altar and floor beneath. Following the strands' path with her gaze, she found them converging at a point further underground. This had to be what was preventing her from breaking them off.
If she could disrupt the source of power...that might weaken the magic keeping the deity bound.
Suddenly, heavy footsteps echoed outside the chamber. More demons approached the entrance—a lot more.
Ebonheim swore inwardly as she readied herself for another battle.
A large armored demon led a squad of its brethren into the room. Its four arms held two swords in each hand. A massive horn protruded from its head, adding further height to its already hulking frame. Red eyes glared balefully at her from beneath its steel helm.
[Race] Asura (Elite)
[Sub-Type] Tahariusaka
[Health] 380/380
[Combat Stats] Melee Attack 33; Arcane Defense 27; Physical Defense 30; Divine Defense 25; Damage 30-33 Kinetic (Claw), 38 Kinetic (Two-Handed), Block 30; Evasion 25
[Special Abilities] Damage Reduction 25 (Kinetic, Fire, Electric), Divya Magi; Blink; Flame Step; Fireball; Regenerate 60 Health every hour.
It was larger than the Bovikara demons she had fought earlier—and stronger too. But not by much. Not that that made any difference at the moment—she wasn't keen on facing off with such a foe with an injured god in tow.
She fired several shots at the demon, but they bounced harmlessly off its armor. It swung its twin blades at her head with surprising swiftness and accuracy considering its bulk. She ducked under one swing but the other connected with her divine aura, knocking her back against the altar. She grunted in pain before scrambling aside as more slashes came her way. The altar cracked and shattered behind her. Luckily the captured deity was unharmed.
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Ebonheim rolled across the floor, narrowly avoiding more attacks from the demon's dual weapons. She scrambled back to her feet just as a group of Bhutavas arrived and swarmed around her. She lashed out with kicks and punches trying to keep them all away while firing off blasts at those who got too close. But despite her best efforts she couldn't hold back the horde for long.
It was only a matter of time before she ended up surrounded once again. She fired a few more shots before retreating further back into the room. She kept moving around trying to get away from the demons chasing her. But there were too many now.
She retreated further into a corridor with several demons hot on her heels. Several more were coming from the side passages, trying to flank her. With little options left, she turned and fled as fast as she could down the passageway.
She zigzagged past pillars and walls until finally emerging into another massive chamber. This one appeared to have once held a pool of water or perhaps a cistern at one point as an opening along one wall had been filled by debris and stones. The smell of stagnant water hung thickly in the air here.
Scattered around the walls and ceiling were clusters of glowing crystals, illuminating the whole place with an eerie light. A few piles of rubble dotted the room's floor as well. The floor itself looked cracked and pitted with age. There was no sign of a way out except for the doorway leading back the way she came from.
Great. Dead end. She was trapped in this underground area.
Her gaze drifted back to the crystals embedded into the stonework around her.
Wait...something about them seemed familiar. It reminded her of the same crystals on the god's chains—only smaller.
She focused her Divine Sight on the crystalline deposits lining the walls around her. At first, they seemed inert. But upon closer inspection, she found they pulsated with faint arcane energy. Thin strands of energy stretched between each of the crystals—the threads forming a network between all of them.
Several of these threads flowed and extended to the ceiling above her and then farther beyond her vision. But the direction in which these threads led...was towards that ritual chamber where the other god laid bound.
Ebonheim narrowed her eyes.
This must be it—the power source for the magic keeping the god imprisoned. All she had to do now was destroy these crystals and break the link between them and the ones binding the god.
Worth a shot.
She aimed her bow at one of the crystals and fired an Essence Bolt into it. The crystal shattered, releasing a stream of energy into the air. It exploded against the nearby wall in a burst of sparks. The remaining crystal clusters reacted as well. Showers of sparks rained down from them before dying away.
The Tahariusaka demon let out a fearsome roar of rage. It charged down the passage after Ebonheim. Several Bhutavas followed close behind.
Ebonheim dodged and parried what she could while firing shots at whatever demons closed in. Despite the danger, Ebonheim grinned to herself as she noticed their orange auras grow dimmer after each attack.
A volley of eldritch bolts hit her divine aura. She winced under the strain as their dark magics ate away at her defenses. The demon raised its arm as more dark energy formed into spheres. Another barrage blasted her back. She gritted her teeth as pain seared across her chest and back. Her divine aura flickered. Its golden light flickered and began to wane. Only a few more hits like that...she might not get out unscathed.
This wasn't going well...
She needed to focus on destroying the crystals instead of wasting time fighting off the demons.
Once more, Ebonheim fired off several shots at the crystal clusters overhead, destroying them one after another as the enraged Tahariusaka demon chased close behind. The crystals shattered in sequence sending cascades of energy into the air before bursting apart in shrapnels of light. As one cluster fell, so did others—each explosion triggering further destruction among the crystals embedded in the surrounding walls.
A rain of rubble fell from above as rocks came crashing down onto the ground. Cracks spread across the ceiling, spreading outward from the impact sites.
"Time to go!" she declared as the ground began to tremble beneath them.
After firing a few more shots at the Tahariusaka demon, Ebonheim turned around and ran towards the exit. She ducked under falling pieces of rubble, weaving her way between the falling rocks until finally escaping the cave-in. The earth groaned loudly as the cavern collapsed in on itself.
That had been close. Much closer than she would've liked.
With no further pursuit coming from the Tahariusaka or any other Asuras, she allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief. The demon's orange auras went dim and lifeless in her Divine Sight.
Ebonheim rushed back to the ritual chamber and found the chained god still lying motionless atop the altar. She approached the altar and tried breaking the chains again. This time, the links snapped open under her imbued strength. With effort, Ebonheim picked the unconscious deity up in a princess carry.
Their hood shifted in response, revealing a tangled mop of indigo hair and weathered grey skin marked by countless faded scars.
She gasped in shock as she recognized the god's face—Xellos?! He was the captured god?!
He looked different from when she last saw him. He was far gaunter. His eyes sunken and rimmed with black circles. The mark across his nose and cheek had deepened and extended farther along his face. But...it could still only be him.
His pitch-black eyes fluttered open, staring blankly ahead before focusing on Ebonheim. She saw faint recognition flash across them before turning dull once more. He let out a weak cough as she carried him out of the room.
"Xellos! What happened?" Ebonheim asked. "Why are you here? I thought..." her voice faltered.
The last time they spoke, she had doubts about his claims and suspicions. Now he had ended up imprisoned by demons.
He coughed and winced before answering with a weak voice. "I don't know...The last thing I remember was being attacked by demons while wandering the plains shortly after the Divine Auction. Then everything went black. The next thing I know...I woke up chained onto this altar."
Another round of coughs racked his body.
Ebonheim held him steady as his body twitched under the spasms.
"It appears you have freed me from my captors," he continued. "I offer my gratitude...friend." He closed his eyes as his body finally relaxed.
She examined his body for injuries. Aside from his malnourished frame and the dark circle around his eyes, she found no other obvious wounds or scars on him. The only thing she saw apart from that was the arcane runework marking his body like tattoos. It reminded Ebonheim of the ones found on the Asuras.
But his aura was faint—he must've used up all his energy to survive this long.
Still...she couldn't be too sure. What exactly were these demons doing to him during his imprisonment?
"Can you regenerate?" she asked.
Xellos shook his head. "I haven't been able to acquire the Self-Regeneration ability yet. Whatever those demons did to me, my natural ability to heal has been dampened."
Right. She almost forgot that she was the only one capable of purchasing whatever divine ability she wanted from the Akashic System. All the other gods were forced to wait for the Divine Auction to acquire new powers.
She scrutinized his aura once again with her Divine Sight—just to double-check. Several wisps of dark crimson energy flickered within his core, barely noticeable amidst the golden glow coming off him.
Wait...red?
[Asura's Mark] A malediction upon the host's essence, slowing recovery from damage and draining quintessence whenever divine powers are invoked. Additionally lowers overall attributes by 20%.
Ebonheim narrowed her eyes at the revelation. No wonder his aura was faint. He was inflicted with the demonic version of a curse. One that could be debilitating for deities. Was there a way to cure him?
No response from the Akashic System. Damn.
Hopefully this affliction could be removed with time. For now, though, they needed to leave.
"Let's get out of here first," Ebonheim said gently. "You can rest somewhere safe once we've escaped." She headed for the exit, carrying the weakened god in her arms as fast as she could.
"Thank you," he murmured, closing his eyes again.
"No problem," Ebonheim replied softly. She blinked in surprise at how gentle her voice sounded—when did she get so caring towards this wandering deity? But she quickly dismissed the thought from her mind.
No matter...she had more important things to focus on right now than unanswered questions. "I'm just glad I found you in time. Guess we found out how those other gods went missing. Come on, let's get you somewhere safe."
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Ebonheim and Xellos exited the ruins and headed towards the gatehouse where the Order and the Silverguards waited. As they approached, Evelyne spotted them first.
"Look! Over there!" she shouted. "It's Ebonheim! And...someone else?"
The rest of the group turned towards them. Ardeunius strode forward to meet them halfway. "What happened? Who is this?"
Ebonheim stopped in front of him. "This is Xellos," she answered. "I found him trapped inside the ruins." She briefly explained how she discovered him bound by magic chains to an altar within the dungeon.
Ardeunius frowned deeply as he listened to her explanation.
"That's troubling indeed," he finally commented once she finished speaking. "So these demons captured newborn gods and brought them here to sacrifice them? For what? What purpose did they serve?"
Ebonheim shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe they were using their divine essence for some sort of ritual. Or maybe they were trying to gain more power. Either way...I stopped them before they could succeed."
Ardeunius scratched his chin thoughtfully before nodding. "This is terrible news. If there are demons who've figured out how to capture and harness the power of gods...then we're in for a lot more trouble than I thought. I need to report this immediately."
"What about us?" Ebonheim asked. "Can we go home now?" She glanced down at Xellos. His head drooped against her shoulder as if unconscious, though his eyes were still half-open.
"Yes, you've helped enough already. We are in your debt. And I thank you on behalf of the Order." Ardeunius gave her a small bow before turning away. "We'll take care of things from here on out."
Ebonheim watched him walk away for a moment before looking back at Xellos. "Come on. I'll take you to my domain. You can rest there until you recover."
Through the shroud of his tattered hood, Xellos's lips curled into a faint smile.