"Hey." Panting heavily, Akatosh slowly leaned to one of the stone cubes. "Can ya… wait for me to catch my breath."

"Mm-hmm… I think there's no need for you to catch your breath." The entity chuckles manifesting through dark spectra.

"And why is that."

"Do you even realize what you're into?"

Akatosh Sigh. "Well, I've been through shit, and you and I better speak normally. Don't worry we're the only one here."

"Hahaha… Interesting I sense no fear in you nor even--" The entity paused, looking around the discarded items and the headless creature.

"What, cat got your tongue."

"Intriguing… how did you a lowly life human as daring to fight and even killed this beast."

"Ohh… him. We have our differences, but we've settled them eventually. And you're one of a few, to entertain a wounded man."

The spirit chuckles. "Tell me… have you ever heard of a stillmage. A story of a man who defiled the life of a thousand. A monster they called it."

"There're dozens of that story even bards sing it. Are you telling me—"

"Yes! It is I, the one who killed the first. The one who burned people for pleasure."

"Mm-hmm… nice words for someone so powerful and evil to be killed by a single mage." Akatosh laughs. "What can they say, light always triumphs the evil no matter how hard the situation is light always prevails. Ain't that right poochy."

"Poetic ballads hide bastard truth! Even books themselves are tainted! Replacing the ugliness of truth with shitty-ass purity." The entity shout. "It was not just him, but another special mage that burns my scar. Yet even them cannot usurp what I've been through. So they tricked me. I tried to become a lich, yet they anticipated they turned my body and soul into nothing so that I wouldn't be raised again. Except, I manage to detached my soul leaving my powers so as I wouldn't be notice. And then I was forced to wander in this empty chamber full of nothing but rocks-- hiding. For thousands of years, I've cowered. The spirits and wraiths that stood below my foot, now I faced them as giants. But as time goes I slowly gain my powers thanks to feeding others but only in the spirit realm can I."

"Let me guess, you want a vessel." Akatosh smirk

"Indeed, so there's no point in healing your wounds when I shall take your body. Don't worry I shall cure that wounds of yours when I'm in control." The entity intrigue projecting its soul at Akatosh's body.

"Do you even know what's inside?"

The spirit carved through deeper to his body till he met a different void. "What is this!" The spirit utters in despair.

He had entered the boundaries of faith worse than death. He began the feel it; he can tell his existence fading to nonexistence. All of the memories of him, his tales, his past legend. He was being erased in the very existence of time. In barter for his survival, all his years of building up power were traded just to escape Akatosh's body.

"Gahh!!!" the spirit gasp loudly, emerging. "What are you!" the spirit asks in fear of what he'd experience.

"HAHAHA… help me heal my wounds and we can trade words. How's that?"

With the source collapse, little by little the plague that scattered throughout the place subsides. Yet there's still one last thing that Chifya had to destroy. A cloud of black force is trapped by her magic, unable to escape the greenish-globe it rages to break her barrier.

She may have trapped the dark spirit, but she wasn't a priest. All she could do was hold, preventing the entity from fleeing while thinking, devising a plan on how to eliminate the dark spirit.

"I can't--" Just as she was about to lose control as her energy depletes returning to her human form an adventurer step in front of her, chanting miracles.

"Mother of Life, may thy heed my call my prayers for in your power the enemies which stood by evil may give a breath of new repentance. REDEMPTION!" the priest exclaimed, pointing her shining staff towards the obscured cloud. Whereas a burst of golden light explodes through the dark spirit leaving a cloud of sparkling dust. "It is done," the female priest said.

"Why did you return?" Chifya says, panting heavily.

"We couldn't let someone who saved our life just go alone in a dangerous place." The priest said, offering her hand to hers.

Not long after the priest comrades came, inspecting the place. Gathering the bodies for the priest to do her work. Like Ashalain, the priest conjures a blue flame cremating the bodies eating all the flesh and bones till nothing was left not even a single speck of ash. But before she could burn the bodies the leader of the party checks all of them to see nineteen adventurers perish. All he could do is gather their guild crest bronze or not for them to give honor.

For the head of the creature that Akatosh decapitated, the adventurers are in shock. They know this type of monster, a creature from the nether planes that serve the Deedra. A demon that even they had a hard time in killing so they speculate it was Chifyas doing since she was a gold tier. They didn't have the slightest care for Akatosh considering he left a scar on them.

Seeing Chifya's panting for air the leader of the party calls this mission to an end.

"Don't worry I'll carry you." Said the man in leather armor helping her stand.

"I can walk." She said, before falling unconscious from draining all her energy.

Elsewhere....

"What!" Akatosh said.

"This is useless. Is this all the potion you have? A mating portion (Endurance Potion) what are you a traveling hooker. And what are these potions."

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"Damn you and your uselessness can you just find another solution," Akatosh said, barely holding the pain.

"Don't worry you're still breathing" Replies the entity

"Just--"

"This might work. We'll use this holy water. Now, when I place some of my dark essences to your injuries pour the holy water. This will react with my essence closing the wounds."

"Fine do as you wish."

"Great let's get this over with." The entity says laying some of its dark mist from the surface of the wounds.

Akatosh felt the cold dark mist enveloping his torn flesh. And without hesitation, he quickly pours the holy water healing his wounds.

"That's quite good." Feeling relief. "As for the second part, how do you fix a broken bone."

"You serious?" The spectra said. "Look I'm no healer or priest."

"And you call yourself the great stillmage who--", Jokes Akatosh

"Shut your trap! I was framed because they feared what I hold. And truth to be told I didn't kill the first nor it was I who burned those two cities but the third one… well it was I." The spectral interrupts.

"I see, so tell me what's your name."

"It's Amaragnum." A soft tone coming from the entity.

"I see. I can still walk for a few broken bones. But let me ask you, would you rather stay here cage like a bird waiting for someone to free you from this jail or let's go for a trip... Amaragnum?" Akatosh smile.

"Seems I have no choice then." Amaragnum agrees.

"That settled, but how can we get out from this place." Akatosh stand

"See those signs over there." Points Amaragnum.

"Yeah what about it"

"Those are wards before I confront Azageis and that bastard special mage or whatever they called him. I ask my trusted man, to place my grimoire--"

"What! So, this is your book!" Akatosh was surprised

"Yeah… that's my book alright anyway, I was foolish enough to trust that man. That book is my last chance of escaping after they defeated me, teleportation in short. Linking my own soul to that book I was able to cheat death but that man. Choosing the path of righteousness and justice he caged me to this place-- betrayed me."

"Wait, if this is the other side. That skeleton behind this wall--"

"Yes, I know, because I turned him into a lich using those forbidden magic which weak people are capable of. Ironic but it did fill my retribution and I thank you for picking my grimoire."

"As I thought about it good for you to be cage since being a megalomaniac." Akatosh smirk, going towards his belongings. And when initially packs everything into his bag Amaragnum was stun.

"Is that what I think it is."

"Surprise, yep it's a magical bag," Akatosh says, stuffing the last items except for the grimoire.

"HAHAHAHHAHA… interesting, what are you." Said Amaragnum

"Like I said, a journey for an answer." Akatosh smile facing Amaragnum. He too was stunned by how things turn out to be.

Amaragnum couldn't help but laugh in amusement, "This is too unpredictable." resuming his jag.

"Enough chuckles, get us out of here," Akatosh said.

"Interesting idea but considering that my powers are gone. Even holy waters can beat my ass. We just have to use my book tell me; how did you manage to fill it with large quantities of energy."

"I don't know; I was beating this ass when suddenly a flash of light slaps through my eyes. But there's one thing I'm certain of." Akatosh said, pulling the cube.

"Oh… that seems to be familiar to me, I've might have seen it somewhere before."

"Now I get it! The book must have absorbed some of its energy, triggering teleportation. But the problem is the place."

"Don't worry I'll take care of that," Amaragnum said

"How?"

"Well, it's like this. In teleportation, when using a large amount of mana to activate the spell it will leave faint energy. It is why people use a standard amount of energy when they use a scroll of teleportation. Now if I put myself to my book, I can locate that faint energy sending us back to where you last teleported."

"Mm-hmm… I see"

Harnessing the energy of the cube both of them teleported to where he fought the nether creature. But when they arrive, the place had changed no more black-water, no oozing blob the place was purified.

"What happens here. Last time this room was hell." Astoundingly looking at the foliage.

Growing moss and plants emerging from the surface of the walls. Floating golden orbs fly across the room, serving as light. All this variation came from Chifya's power, depleting all her energy.

Much to his injuries and Amaragnum's emotion to see the light of days. Akatosh crutches his katana supporting his maimed leg. Thereafter an hour of difficulties in climbing the dungeon they finally reach the top in his heavy panting and showering sweat. Until he couldn't bear his injuries he then decided to rest apprehending the pain for another three hours.

"Scout every surrounding! We mustn't let this place known to others!" Shout a man in silver plating. Wielding a majestic sword and with a face of a truly charismatic commander.

Hiding through the maze the voice alarms Akatosh comforting his emotion when Amaragnum interferes. "Wait! This isn't right."

"What do you mean?" Akatosh whisper, hearing the stomping sound of boots going down the dungeon.

"I sense dozens of priests, and if they manage to detect me lingering with you, they take no chances of mercy," Amaragnum said, binding himself into the grimoire. "This is the only thing I can do to evade those enlighten ones." Amaragnum continues, communicating through their thoughts.

Hiding his bracelet, Akatosh crawls through the shadows, peering through the entrance. Amaragnum was right, dozens of soldiers and cavaliers are blocking the entrance. And the most intriguing was, they are legionnaire of Endregar, which can be seen through their banners and crest.

Not long, a group of people returns with their report.

"WHAT!" The man in silver plating shouts in an unease tone.

"I'm sorry, but it would seem that either the adventurer's guild or someo--"

"Move!" The commander interrupts, descending down to be struck by what he sees.

The place is empty; no books or things can be seen. Running to see where the cube is, he was again in sweat. Unsealing the barrier, all of them were surprised. Even the mages are speechless as to how a person could cunningly outpass the barrier.

"How did this happen!" The commander says. "Find the person who did this, I'm going to consult those adventurers' guild." He continues exiting the dungeon.

"So, how can we escape this place. We cannot just sit our asses here waiting to be exposed." Akatosh said.

"If perceives, I can cast a high-tier invisibility spell undetectable by magic. The only problem is... it might last a mere minute. Considering your injuries, and with my current power I'll take this as a gamble." Says Amaragnum.

"Might worth the shot. I can bear the pain a little longer." Akatosh stand, drenched in sweat and blood.

Once Amaragnum quickly cast his spell, Akatosh hastily move, dragging his crippled leg. And when they emerge they saw dozens of mage and soldiers securing the place. Without wasting time Akatosh turns towards the forest escaping the place before nightfall.

Walking nonstop he accidentally stumbles down greatly affecting his injured leg. He couldn't help but muffled his groan tightly grasping and uprooting the grasses. Following his harsh pain Akatosh lounges near a tree contemplating their next move.

"Hey Amaragnum, you know where to teleportation right?"

"I a place, but I have little mana to use such a spell."

"I don't know but I have tons of scrolls do know if there is one." Says Akatosh having a difficult time extracting the scrolls.

"I see you still haven't uncovered the secret of that bag." Emerging from his hideout.

"Tell me."

"It's like this." Amaragnum envelops the bag revealing a floating screen, showing all the items he stored. "I Just activated its secret."

"I see…" Akatosh jags

"Also, I can enhance its privilege making you the only one to use it," Amaragnum said.

"Really but can I trust you?" Implore Akatosh uncertain by his words.

"There's nothing to worry about." He replies, remodeling the satchel into a medium leather belt pouch bag. Not only did he revise its design but also he added a pouch for the grimoire. Whereas it hides the black presence emitting from the grimoire.

When done Akatosh begun searching a teleportation scroll supervised by Amaragnum. Luckily, there was three teleportation scroll which brightens their happiness. Upon picking the image, it magically appears in his hand.

Before they could teleport the stillmage ask Akatosh their location. And again, he right away conjures the map.

"I think this is where we are," A difficult tone he implored, pointing their location northeast from Dragons Lake.

"Northovil… if my marking is still there, we might find a place to cure your injuries." The stillmage says, utilizing the scroll teleporting them.