After months of being secluded at a dwarven territory, the king of Dolvathur begun to suspect something from his city. A report of strange activities and suspicious people was roaming his dwarven city. Having suspected it was his ex-friend's grandson, King Korug didn't flinch an iron fist he only strengthens the investigation. Still, they were shifty as snakes.

"We've been here for many days and months are you sure what she said was right. The thing we've been looking for?" Implores Irish taking the body of a female dwarf same goes with everybody.

"I just want to finish our task here." Riza shrug in weariness. "I'm tired of changing my appearance from this to that. And this-this h-hairy thing sticking out of my skin and, this lump of fat and--"

"Now-now Riza we've only been here for months I'm sure we can be more befitting to this place. And I'm pretty sure it's here, somewhere in this city." Roland replies tightly gripping the handle of his legendary sword and vexing his best to lighten the mood of his companions in distraught.

Having that said, Roland check Lisha who was silent thereafter they'd enter the city and disguising themselves as dwarves. And since, commonly, dwarfs are their loathed rivals, Roland shifts his eyes towards the mage knowing Lisha was very much disgusted for having the body of a dwarf. Surprisingly, Rein was more patient and calmer than the rest of the crew.

Behind more passing hours, waiting in the dark alley Ulgar finally came. With a more facial body than his companions Ulgar's dwarven body is more hairy, elderly, and most of all one of the biggest belly of them all.

"Did you find the location? The thing we've been looking for!" Riza shout.

"Riza let's first calm ourselves, let Ulgar first explain." Replies Roland.

"Fine!" She replies stepping back for the paladin to clarify his findings.

"It seems we have our hands full of complications. Given the impression, king Korug noticed our disturbance and won't be long before our disguises are exposed. But not to worry, I have found the location, although we'll be in a tricky situation."

"Then tell us!" His female companions said aside from Rein.

The man who helped Roland named Lon was with the shadow, mischievously watching the party slithering their way into the palace. Being fond of them he once again waits for a more interesting outcome.

Aided by magic and the priestess's blessing, the party had the handicap to prolong the preciseness of dwarven magic. The only dwarven city that utilizes mana, but far from humans, elves, and even demi humans' magical power.

Once they were in a hallway of the palace, large stone carvings of dwarven kings and their ancestors towers the majestic antechamber. Guards were everywhere neatly position in every row and column of the passageway.

Due to their lack of magic and mana manipulation, the dwarves didn't have the slight chance of discovering the heroes 'invincible magic', but not for Lon.

Ulgar felt the place had a prominent danger. The guards are calm and relax, the sound of the great hall had an eerie impact, and what rings him the most is the fact that they were led into a trap. A sensation he was bewildered.

Ulgar stops his track recuperating his mind. He had scouted the massive palace and its catholic space five times. And to his bemused, Ulgar was able to locate the hidden thing the priestess was indicating, but only its entrance.

"What's wrong." Implores Irish.

"Nothing it's just that--" The paladin stops fixing his mind.

As he was about to continue, Roland's treasure sword begun to hum. Shaking like a rattlesnake's tail the massive double-door throbs for a second. And there, far away at the temple of Endregar, the priestess who was sitting in a secluded open room, windowing the large kingdom, slowly she opens her sparkling eyes.

Drawing Roland's legendary sword, the blade illuminates in bluish light. Flashing for a second, and when their eyes recover from the blinding light Ferish was there, teleported in an instant.

"F-Ferish!" Roland stutter.

The priestess bypasses the hero's word and promptly swings her golden staff letting the flickering rod distorts the room.

Lon who was hiding in an invisible magic steps backward and covers his eyes. Once open, he saw the party ogling at him with stupefied faces.

"Y-You!" Riza shouts.

"I was hoping my hiding should be convincing against you. Seems I was wrong for doubting the famous priestess of Endregar." Lon said fixing his hat.

"I knew you were scheming something right after that basilisk. Rain you said there was no one following us." Riza implores gripping her daggers.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"I don't know okay! He's using a powerful item that's why I wasn't able to sense him." Rain irefully replies.

"Hmm, I'm not plotting… I'm just following my orders. And silly girl, I don't use magic items it's just that I'm better than your magic abilities. Ain't that right, a mage from an esteemed family?" Lon smirk which made Rain infuriated. "Oh, noble mages from the academy sure don't want to be inferior. It's a shame then." He happily continues after he had decried Rain's ego.

"What is it that you want, and what orders are you following." Comes Roland pointing his weapon against Lon.

"Don't know, you should ask him."

As said, the two massive double doors reveal an ancient word similar to the letters that were carved from those legendary weapons. Once revealed they bend and form a circle, and begun wheeling counterclockwise.

It is said that only the chosen ones can open such a gate but when the door's seal begun to unfasten. Ferish felt an unsettling feeling. As the door open and the seal vanished so to the massive gate disintegrated. And what faces them was shimmering silver lava.

Silent fell for a second, but once King Korug came out from the shimmering portal the people from the room were in disbelief. Old and tall for a dwarf, he was a king like no other dwarven monarch. Dress in lavender robe but design in dwarven style. Half dwarf and half-human, having long black hair and a bush going down from his chest. He then stops, just a few feet from the open portal.

"Well ain't this a surprise." Lon implores, prostrating himself not to the heroes but for the dwarven king. "Your majesty."

"You're leagued with him!" Irish said.

"But of course, my dear. I was just playing with you all, just to buy some time for his highness to finished his duties."

"What duties?"

"The usual, politics, governing and so on. And once he's done, my king and I just lured you all. Like a dim fish being funneled to be eaten."

"You cast a spell on me." Ulgar interrupts.

"Yep, I just implanted the way, the direction to the place you are finding. In short, you just became a guide, a flue, a tool to lead your companions to a snare."

"Sorry to tell you mister but this fish is going to end you." Comes Riza sprinting her daggers and dashing her skills.

Bursting her dagger, Riza covers the ground within seconds. Though when her weapons slash her target, Lon's body turns to black, leaving only a shapeless smoke.

"Shadow magic!" Riza said.

Riza turns around knowing Lon would backstab her from behind. Then again, as she faces her back, Lon steps out from the shadows absorbing his smoke-clone and ready to put a dagger from Riza's spine. It was a simple dagger but enough to bring death with just a light stroke.

"Don't just charge like a bull!" Rain shout immediately cast a protection spell against a normal weapon.

And so, Lon's hand bounce back so too his dagger flung from his hand just before it would hit Riza. In a blink, three arrows are flying towards him bearing magical energy. With his skill still intact, Lon was able to dodge the incoming attack. His eyes sweep towards the arrows nailing on the walls. And like a seed, it sprouts roots that would entangle a person when hit by one, paralyze to be exact.

"You're wide open!" Irish shout, quickly stepping in to deliver a blow.

"Silly girl," Lon said disappearing from Irish's sight.

Irish didn't flatter but continue her swing. A thought that she might still slash Lon, in the end, all she gets was just wind.

"That's quite enough," Ferish says releasing powerful mana that ceases every movement, all except Korug. "What did you do?" Ferish continues eying the dwarven king. "Only the chosen ones can enter, so why are you."

"Hmm… So, the little girl needs to be enlightened. Or have you forgotten already the man whom you all turn your backs to?" Korug replies, making Ferish eyes distaste from his words.

"The stillmage crisis." Mutters Ferish.

"What do you mean," Roland said, curious about Korug's power and how he obtains such feat to open the door.

When Roland spoke the dwarf hush in laughter. "Why try to tell a truth when all of you are blind by your ancestors' rotten fame and glory. It would be impudent words from your ears, is it not? Heroes."

While they are having their small heated dialogue, hundreds of guards' footsteps are hoofing the ground in seconds. Yet when they arrive, a magical barrier keeps them from interfering with the group. Physical force alone isn't enough to shatter the barrier made by Ferish. Even with the help of a minor dwarven spellcaster, the barrier stood still having no crack to be seen.

"Roland give me your sword," Ferish said and right away the young hero furnishes his sword.

Few swings and then steady poise, the priestess borrows the sword's power which extends her power further for just a few seconds. And with her powers and the sword combined, Ferish unleashes a gush of steaming water followed by a sheering blue light.

The magic fades and what's left are but Korug and his servants. Korug looks to his right seeing his robes melt and flesh burning in steaming blue. The portal gate was no more to be seen revealing an opened door.

"I see, it was not quite enough to stop them." The king said.

"So… What shall we do now?" Comes Lon.

"Nothing. Leave them be, I've already given them their shares." Korug replies, and with a brush of his left palm, the wounds quickly heal.

Appeared from the side of the portal, teleported. Ferish falls from her kneels coughing in blood. Her companions rush to her aid but immediately she stops them from coming by casting a barrier. Upon closer look, the priestess's skin turns dark, vessels are corrupted. She had taken the full brunt of Korug's magic before teleporting.

As a priestess of a God, Korug's magic was dispersed but cost in a painful way when Ferish evaporates the toxins from her body. Although in pain Ferish kept her will to not let her followers in dismay. And with a final exhalation, the priestess opens her eyes facing a vast open world.

The world they stand in was but open water infinite as it goes, not in raging tide but calm as a cement reflecting the clear blue sky. Ferish clings her magic unnoticed, a touching spell that detects a tingling distortion from Korug's magic. Silence goes till the priestess withholds her magic.

"This will do." Ferish sigh. "Take this sword and its power will guide you to this endless voyage, chosen one." She continues offering Roland his sword.

Without hesitation, Roland takes the treasured sword. And when his flesh touches it, he was consumed so too was the sword.

When eyes open, the hero finds himself in a raging torrent but was standing on a desecrated temple. Sheering in light his legendary sword carries him to the center of the temple. Where a beam of light pierces throughout the sky, reaching endlessly. There he laid waste his sword, and a female voice spoke to him, a foretaste of his destiny awoken.

"What's happening." Riza implores, finding themselves fading from their flesh.

"It's done." Comes Ferish and at that time they simply vanish, returned in a different place.