"Before we get to the details, how do these collars work..." Akatosh implores, touching the collar on his neck.

"The full details or--"

"The full details if very much."

Torval sigh, "these collars were invented by a mad sorcerer at the Maginum. Originally... it was intended to bind astral beings. But soon, it was discovered it also binds people. It was a fitting gift to a slave from its master."

"I see... So, how does it work on us."

"To understand better, these collars will trigger itself when the person steps out from the boundaries of its prison, either killing or incapacitating if the person has high fortitude. Also, it renders the person unable to cast magic, if one manages to find a loophole... the collar will automatically explode. It may be a powerful tool but, it has its limits. One person can only control only five slaves, adding one or more will break its power. Lucky for us..." Torval pauses as the man who manages the collar appears.

"It seems you finally decided, I was getting tired from this place." The man says, unhooding.

When he removed his cloak, Akatosh can tell he was in his mid-thirties. He can tell by his appearance and clothing that he was a mage. But it seems he also wears a collar but is different from him and his fellow prisoners.

"Allow me to introduce my partner, Manok."

"Okay, what's going on in here?"

"Well, that I can't tell you." Torval implores.

"And why is that."

"I have trust issues." Torval smiles.

"Fair enough, but can I get a little beef at your partner." Akatosh smiles, just as the man seems to retort in an unceasing expression.

"I can still do that to you. Want me to do it again? There's still plenty of resistance you have." Manok replies with a sharp face.

"I deeply apologize for my sudden jokes."

"*Sigh…* you both can set aside your places. Since we don't have enough time, we need to act quickly tomorrow. Now, where were we--"

"The part how this collar works."

"Oh, like I said these tools have limitations yet somehow, to control large numbers of people they devise an ingenious way. An average person can control one or two people but, a powerful one can either do five or more."

"So, the ingenious way is that they created a pool of energy that can sustain in controlling vast numbers of people, is that it?"

"It seems I mistaken you for more into brawls than brain. And yes, your right." Manok implores.

"I'll take your compliment, but to sustain such energy, it needs a vast amount of fuel."

"To be honest with you, we are the fuel," Manok said.

"What? can you elaborate."

"It's quite simple really, there's a device that harnesses little life force of every prisoner here. It might not be much but, considering the vast numbers of slaves and prisoners, it's enough to feed the device. It also works as a boundary alarm that triggers the collar when certain prisoners escape from its radius and poof a head explode."

"If you're one of the switches, how come you have a one?"

"You think it's easy to be a switch, following rules and regulations just to stay alive."

"Oh, I get what you mean so, you can shut up."

Three hours pass, Akatosh emerges after that long discussion. It was a simple plan but a high-risk work. A plan to disable the source of the device from which they would use teleportation magic or scrolls to escape. It was explained that when the device was disabled, it would take them a small amount of time to escape before the royal guards would arrive. Gaining access is impossible for him, luckily with his two mysterious partners, they made a big hole in the system.

A task in sneaking through the place where the power would be disabled. With Manok at his side, they took action after a long day of work. Striking at night and with a spare of clothes for disguised they enter a large building.

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"Wear this." Manok implores giving him a ring similar to what he wears.

There were few guards but, as they head deeper, wards were more seen than humans. Just standing in the corridor, they could feel slight vibration tingling from their skin. No doubt they are close to the source.

When they enter, there was a large crystal filled with magical energy circling in ring form. And from every corner of the room lies dozens of strange blue rock emanating with the crystal.

Their original plan was to disable the device, giving them a short amount of time to escape, However, Akatosh had other plans, requesting Manok for glittering dust, Akatosh planned to disable the device permanently.

With his experience, he created a bomb to destroy the devices.

"Hey, I got something to tell you since both of you agreed to my other plan. Our heads won't explode if the device was disabled in a rough way, is it?" Akatosh ask towards Manok hesitating to fulfill his plan.

"Then why would we agree on your plan in the first place."

"Ah, okay..." Akatosh implores, still anxious if he was a hundred percent sure.

Akatosh ignite the bomb and, quickly they stroll off as fast as they could. Manok with limited spells casts invincibility for a short amount of time. Slipping past through the guards and wards, and by then, an explosion burst through. Not loud enough nor powerful enough to shake the place but enough to destroy the device.

They continue their pace as soon as the chaos starts. Once arrived at the prison, someone who knows little of the collar announces that they are no longer oppressed by the devices. Thus, from there on, they rebel-- others cast their magic to escape. Those who didn't know teleportation muscles their way through the mines either magic or weapons.

Slipping past through the chaos, they headed towards Torval's room. When they arrived Torval was somehow busy, kneeling as his palm touches the magic circle.

Akatosh could tell he was constraining some sort of spell.

"Hurry! I don't have enough energy to hold the barrier!"

Quickly, Manok cast a teleportation spell, and by their swift actions, the three escaped without any difficulties.

A shook of sounds emanating from the ground and, with sudden seconds they emerge. Discarding the collar like a wild pig, Akatosh was very much shocked and apprehensive.

"Fuck! Thought my head would be gone." He mutters.

Right when they escaped Torval and Manok was discussing some sort of teleportation spell. Akatosh could tell they were exchanging information just as Torval passed a scroll. Just when Manok utilizes a teleportation scroll, a man suddenly emerges in thin air. To their unwary, the attacker manages to injure Manok. Striking a strong force and needle-like weapon, he pierces Manok's chest.

Disrupting the flow of casting for a mere second, Torval jumps in, shielding Manok. Blocking the assailant, he was able to buy enough time for Manok to teleport.

Because of the sudden outburst, Manok was the only one to profit from the scroll of teleportation.

"What kingdom do you belong to?" The man question in confidence as he watches Torval's injuries.

Unarmed and with no equipment to counterattack, worst reinforcement quickly arrives at the scene.

"Rag... My love, where are you. Raagg!"

"Do anything necessarily but, I want them alive." The assassin shouts.

"Yes, captain!" His five subordinates implore.

Akatosh looks up to Torval to see him weakening. It was a shallow wound but, from how Torval's heavy breathing, he concluded it was poison. Losing all hope, Torval unravels his only strength. A surge of dark pigment energy erupts from his body. Pausing their attack as they captured, witnessing the knight drawing his power from a god.

Once finished they could see a dark pigment aura enveloping Torval. The poison that plagues his body was purged.

Killing four enemies, Torval's power begins to weaken. While acting as a shield and a sword behind him as Akatosh in hiding, watching them. The ground shakes and within seconds dozens of reinforcements arrive. Now with a counter made up of light mages and priests Torval sigh as if it were his last breath.

Guilt overcomes Akatosh, yet from his position, he was but a snail to a bird. They are mages with superhuman powers and magic, it's like using only a fist to fight a man with a machinegun.

Just as they start their incantations drawing their powers to the one they follow... a god, right when they finished their incantation, the stillmage smells one that he despises the most.

Grunting from his injuries Torval slowly kneels from the barrage of light magic. As his dark powers aren't enough to sustain his life force, all it took was a few spells to finally incapacitate although suddenly...

"WHERE ARE YOU BASTARD!"

A surge of chaotic and ominous feeling erupts through the field. A hatred they could feel, and a lingering of death they saw. Like a tiger, he walks on a battlefield, and face of a predator the two were banging for carnage.

When they saw him the priest and clerics quickly cast their anti-undead spells. But for an ancient like primordial beings, the stillmage easily bounces off their attack.

While still on the back of Torval's sight, all it took was a wave of Akatosh’s hand for Torval to fall from the grassy ground sleeping in slumber. To disable them from escaping the stillmage turns to dimensional magic.

Imprisonment... a powerful spell that incarcerates people into one tight dimensional space. Initially it spells traps the victim beyond the passing time. But being a deceptive stillmage, he turns it to his own dimension.

They tried to use every spell they can, to either flee or disrupt the dimension.

Spells ring and for just a moment, the stillmage revamp the dimension into chaos. Rusty skies and pitch cloud descends to their sight, echoes of stone rumbling. Like a volcanic erupting, a whale of banshee pulsates and those who didn't resist its deathly howl have their life fade away in an instant.

The captain of the groups was able to withstand thanks to the help of his companion's protection magic and spells. Using every ability and skill at his disposal the assassin turns invisible and dashes for a backstab. After his sudden attack, the assassin froze unable to talk all he could do was see his death at the hands of Akatosh.

At the material plane, shook of void cracks the air and with a sudden surge, all of the people who Amaragnum trap came out. Although, they were now just empty husks lying on the ground.

After the battle, Torval awakes in a cave. He cites his surroundings only to see Akatosh sleeping warmly.