"The illusion of memories," Margot spoke up, running her hand over the scribbled wall, "refers to the ancient magic of the time of the devils themselves."
"What? Really?" The furry one slid along the deity's waist as quickly as possible, on a whim, without touching the naked sword.
Everyone had already gathered around the Leader of the Winged Alliance, where ancient writings could be seen in the light of a burning torch.
Phrases were flavored with primitive drawings, but quite realistic. Sometimes there were intricate sentences interrupted by crooked lines, as if the writer stopped for a moment and stopped finishing his own thoughts.
"And then?" Chimera clicked the scorpion's tail on the torch, sparks flew in different directions, "Oh, I accidentally!"
Noticing the creature's awkward movements out of the corner of her eye, Margot continued, "It's about a cursed place called the Illusion of Memories. This is not the case when young devils were trained, but the most real prison."
"P-PRISON?!" Sputtering, the furry one staggered back, hitting the cyclops' thigh.
"I've heard the stories on the Second level," the armored creature continued, "The arena was built like a tower for training warriors, and the captured creatures were used as a punching bag. But especially dangerous and cruel prisoners, devils crushed with the help of prison. Only I'm hearing this name for the first time."
"Oh, it's good that the devils are gone. These madmen would have destroyed other races long ago," the lion broke into the conversation, lazily tapping his tail on the canvas.
"Hey, we figured out this place! This is a prison... ah!!!" Furry shouted furiously, "I AM A MOSS, ONE OF THE WISEST AND STRONGEST CRITERS. AMAZING EVEN OUTSIDE THE ARENA!!"
"It's too early to relax. We have found the solution, but not the whole idea of the Caretakers," Lion curled his lips, "I am Alexander, one of the least stupid bests in the Arena, and, alas, my brain does not allow me to rejoice in advance."
Truly, the cat world is passive and full of irony.
"Oh," Moss didn't even understand the taunt in his address, "Well, sometimes the most important thing is not to descend to the level of monsters."
"Hm. 'I and my memories are part of the soul, half of which is on the other side of the truth,'" read the chimera, "That's what it says here. I am Reid, the darling of fortune and the son of impressive battles." He flicked his blond bangs with his tail and hobbled over to Margot.
Stop, stop, stop. Do you have any idea who you're rolling your balls to?
Damn, I completely forgot that no one knows Margot's true identity as the Leader of the Winged Alliance. I've only seen her once myself, and that was through a Shadowed Familiars. I never thought that I would meet this legendary person here.
Covering the white silhouette with my body, I took off my helmet. Smiling awkwardly, he blocked the Raid's path, "My name is Kai, nice to meet you."
If you make her angry, she will definitely destroy the canvas on which we are standing!
"Ah," the chimera only answered, "Hey, move a little, you're blocking the dazzling beauty with your inappropriate muzzle."
"Have you even seen your face?" Lion grinned ironically.
"My name is Nami," the armored creature stepped forward into the center of the semicircle.
Cyclops reacted immediately, "And my name is Bohr. So, shall we continue to unravel this place or will we simply shake the air with unnecessary words?"
"Tc, these lovelaces with a cute face are so infuriating that you can no longer try your luck outside the red light street?! Damn, I just tried in vain," pouting, the Chimera turned away.
Hearing the muffled words, I almost collapsed to the ground, who were you going to pick up there?!
Ah.
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
Turning to Margot, I saw her concentrated gaze directed at the writing.
Got through.
"The ceiling is coming down," Alex growled at the almost living mass that was swarming over us.
"Unravel the idea!" Shouted Moss, "My answer is ready. You hear me, don't you? I..." The creature shrank, resembling a shaggy bun, and swaying like jelly, screamed, "I'M TALKING ABOUT A PRISON THAT HELPS TO FULFILL THE DIRTIEST THOUGHTS!"
Everyone looked at furry with strange expressions, but the ceiling stopped moving.
"It... works?" Reid said as darkness began to engulf the cave at double speed.
"Shut up, Moss or I'm not responsible for myself!" Alex said through clenched fangs.
"I did... I tried!" Furry wanted to defend his honor, but when he met with the enraged creatures, he quickly retreated into a tangle.
"The Illusion of Memories. Prison. Designed places and creatures. Everything is interconnected, but there is no common full-fledged key. What could it be?!" Bohr persisted; he was the tallest in the cave and probably the future first victim of the approaching void.
"Maybe this place is a memory of one of us?" Nami asked.
"No, I hate art." Alex shook his head.
"This is the first time I have ventured into such a journey. And you know what, I've seen enough of these paintings for a lifetime, no matter how long it was." Moss poked the protruding bone into the deity's leg.
"Maybe it's the mechanism," Reid began to feel the walls and torches.
"Look for it!"
I stroked the rough surface I was leaning on. The Illusion of Memories. I don't have many of my own, except for the Arena and the ones I've already absorbed. If this place is projected by the chaotic memories of my soul, then we are in trouble.
"I am my body, my family is my soul, the world is my mind!" read the Moss and uguknul at the end, "Some kind of crap, it seems to me they are trying very hard to kill us like that."
"Truth is where the first idea shines."
Darkness gathered two meters above the cyclops' head.
"The first idea! What's the first idea? What kind of truth is that?" Reid curled his mouth, thoughtfully tapping his tail on the canvas.
"Search where gold glitters with fire, where the truth is hidden behind the picture, so take your weapon and kill your fears." I managed to read the whole phrase when Bohr pressed his whole body against the painting:
"May my only eye be swallowed up by emptiness, we will all die here!"
"Wait. These words... I and my memories are a part of the soul, half of which is on the other side of the truth. The truth is the way out, and it's behind the picture." Margot took the torch, which was almost swallowed by the threads of darkness, and brought it closer to the deity, "Where gold glitters with fire!"
Bringing the fire closer to the painting, she tried to burn the canvas.
Too rash. Looking at the notorious writings, I thought about possible false clues.
"Hey, hey, lady, even though you are beautiful, but don't phew act phew so recklessly!" Moss tried to blow out the torch, but it didn't work.
"What if there is also a void behind the painting?" Alex agreed with furry for the first time and joined in the destruction of the first sparks of fire in the picture.
"Don't you understand that we can't wait any longer!" Margot began to get angry, "Stop chewing snot, it's time to act."
Spitting savourily into the rudimentary flame on the deity, Bohr, suddenly dumbfounded, mumbled, "Oh, it seems not at the right time..."
Throwing away the extinguished torch, Margot got to her feet. The void was already reaching for her blonde hair when she stretched out her arms and called for a Destructive Resonance.
And only one of us, pressing his limbs to his groin, muttered:
"The void forbid my devilish testicles! She's from the Winged Alliance!"
With a crackle of a colourful silhouette, the painting began to burn, someone managed to burn the tail, arms, and stomach, but I no longer touched the canvas, hovering in the air with the help of wings.
"There's darkness there too!" Nami whispered loudly, growing sharp bones on his armour.
Everyone was between two aggressive forces.
"We're missing something." Reid paled against the scarlet tail.
"I..." Margot bit her lip, standing on the magic boat that Bohr and Reid were in.
Moss clung to the wall with tentacles and peered at the scriptures:
"There are descriptions of the prison and the connection between ancient magic. So many letters, and the concept is zero." The creature almost sobbed.
"And if the exit is beyond the void?" Alex's question sounded wild, realising that he himself had blurted out some nonsense, he immediately corrected himself, "Yes, no, it's utter nonsense."
"I read about the evocation of Memories, it is a very complex technique that requires a large number of sacrifices. That's exactly what we did on that gallery, opened the gates to the prison. And now we have to break down in spirit here, just like the particularly cruel prisoners a thousand years ago."
There was only two meters of safe distance between the voids.
"Forget your name, your family, and your own world." Memories are taken far from bright, but the most painful and tearful. We kill the ghosts of the past in illusions and in reality inflict great damage on ourselves. And for what? Survival in the worst situations?" Bohr exhaled, "Damn, I'm so tired."
"What did it say about the continuation of technology? I think we should not look for a way out, but find the entrance to the next stage." Alex hung thoughtfully next to me, his sharp claws digging into the rocky rock.
Looking at the black balls hanging nearby, I realised that another crazy idea was born in a bright little head:
"I will try to do something, but I do not promise a successful result."
"What are you going to do..." Reid noticed my movements and also actively began to collect his shadows.
72 elves appeared and almost filled all the free space; those that were above the void did not disappear; fortunately, none of them turned into dust.