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Trapped in the lands between
Chapter 10. Part 2, The sour taste of sulfurous betrayal.

Chapter 10. Part 2, The sour taste of sulfurous betrayal.

Galus shook his head. "I'm sorry?"

Selen glared at him. "Explain to me what the fuck just happened."

Galus blinked. "Actually I'm gonna need you to do that for me, what happened here?"

Selen's glare somehow got darker. "A fucking merchant ran in here and started shooting flames out of his eyes screaming about somekind of deal."

Galus choked and started coughing "come again?!"

Edgar spoke up. "We passed him on the way here, you seemed to know him." Edgar shot a confused and yet slightly accusatory glance at Galus.

Galus shook his head. "No, he wouldn't... What color of clothing was this merchant wearing."

She looked at him confused. "A greyish tan."

Galus could feel his knees about to give out.

Edgar looked thoughtful. "Well, that explains why the merchant looked like he just got out of a warzone."

Galus hadn't even noticed that detail but now that Edgar said it, he realized Korne had looked a bit ruffled in the feathers. He just fucking hoped that deal he made hadn't gone out to all of the merchants...

Galus shuddered, the idea of an army of brightly colored flashy merchants in their doorstep like a group of medieval power rangers would have given him pause on a good day, but merchants were practically essential to his continued survival, the gear they offered was invaluable.

Edgar looked at the door, it was blocked by a giant wall of Glintstone. "My daughter is in there right?"

Selen nodded, tapping her staff on the wall and the wall shattered.

Galus nodded. "Alright, I'll explain as much as I can..."

Selen, got up. "No, you'll explain everything."

Galus shrugged. "Mostly the same thing." He opened the door, seeing Irina sitting on the floor.

Edgar rushed forward startling Irina, she backed away.

Edgar stopped. "Irina, it's me, your father, Edgar"

Irina clearly recognized the voice. "Father?" She reached out a hand, and it touched Edgar's bearded face. She pulled him into an embrace, and Galus could swear he could hear Edgar sobbing.

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Edgar held her close. "I'm sorry that I left you, I'm so sorry."

She held him, a sad smile on he face even though Galus could see wet spots forming on the bandages in her eyes.

Selen stepped up beside Galus. "This was what you fought so hard for?" She asked, confused.

Galus shrugged, a smile on his face and tears in his eyes, "helping someone in need is just common sense. This world, this fucking world is filled with so much evil and hate and death and so much damn inequality that good needs a fucking won..."

Selen nodded, and if Galus didn't know better he'd say he saw her stern gaze soften just a little. "This doesn't get you out of explaining, so sit down." She gestured to a few chairs that were scattered between desks.

Galus dragged them over one by one and sat down, the four of them sitting at the table. "Shall we say grace?" They looked at him in confusion. But Galus shook his head. "Nevermind, just a joke that flies over your heads and straight into the sky it seems. Anyways, I'm going to tell y'all some crazy shit, and it'll sound down right unbelievable. Irina can attest to some of it though."

The table looked at Irina, and she nodded. "Keep an open mind."

Galus tented his fingers on the table. "So. Where to begin. I'm rather a prophet as you guys put it, kinda, I've seen eight different ways this world ends, all of which end in the world being fucked up beyond all recognition, one of which was the frenzied flame taking Irina as it's own finger maiden, the best ending was with the ruins of the golden order being dismantled and the ice witch Ranni taking over as the new god, detached from our world and acting as a god, not a petty warlord. That merchant, is part of the old great caravan, most of which have been buried alive by the golden order far beneath Leyndell because they were afflicted by the frenzied flame, and from their suffering birthed like a terrible phoenix was made the three fingers, a being of chaos and madness, and there's only one way that I know how to destroy it, but I'm not going to do that, I am not fighting my way through sewers. Besides, the fingerslaying blade is meant for another."

Edgar raised a hand. "You know you just admitted to several beliefs that are blasphemous in the eyes of the golden order right in front of one of their knights correct? You could be executed for that."

Galus nodded. "If the golden order was ad perfect as Radagon says it is then why is it currently tearing itself apart like a rabid animal."

Edgar's fingers curled slightly before putting his hand down.

Galus was about to continue when Selen spoke. "How did my... Story, end."

Galus barked a laugh. "You went on to lead the academy of raya lucaria into an age of enlightenment."

She raised her eyebrows.

Galus looked at her suddenly serious. "For all of a day, and then you got turned into a graven school, not sure how but it happened. So it's best you steer your course correctly Selen the primeval current might not be all it's cracked up to be."

Selen glared but he swear there was a waver in there somewhere.

Galus looked at her his own glare evident. "Let me tell you the story, of dragon hunter makar. He slayed dragons and he did it well, consuming their hearts and forming the church of dragon communion, he gained abilities of dragons, he learned how to breath fire, to roar loud enough to make your heart stop, he wanted more though, he yearned to fly, so he consumed more hearts, slayed more dragons, always hoping to gain wings, he gained a dragons eyes, yet still he consumed, he grew scales, yet still he consumed, he grew so large that he was made to crawl on his belly in the dirt yet still he consumed, eventually his other gifts started to fade, only now he had a new gift, the ability to spew magma from his mouth. Soon he got his wings, but they were so small and pathetic and he so large that they could never have lifted him. He aimed to become something grander than he was made to be, and he only ended up becoming little more than a wyrm. Your fate will be the same if you don't heed my warning Selen, despite your transgressions I want you to have a happy ending as well, teacher."

Selen sighed, He could tell she wasn't completely dissuaded but it was close enough.

Edgar spoke up. "And my story? How did it end."

Galus sighed. "With your daughter dead and you making a deal with Shabriri to bring her back. He did bring her back, with a craving for human eyes. And you, you gave in to madness as part of your deal. And a man, the same man that all of these stories have in common, fed your yellowed eyes to your daughter after putting you down like a dog."

Irina looked in his direction. "Who is this man you keep referring to."

Galus sighed. "A man who has the ability to destroy the world seven ways to Sunday. A tarnished, and a dangerous one at that, he's become the fourth elden lord. Slaying any and all demigods who got in his way or dared to wield a great rune in his presence. Godrick was usually the first to fall, followed by Rennala, though she didn't die, next was praetor Rykard, and then General Radahn, then he moved on to Morgott the omen king, and his twin brother Mohg, He killed his way through even Malenia, he butchered them like dogs and left their corpses runeless, he is one mean mother fucker we do not want to fuck with, the harder we try to kill him the stronger he gets. If I get him early he might be weak enough to die. But I fear he might have already gotten his hand on Godricks great rune."

Edgar laughed. "If he got a hold of Godricks great rune I think we'd all know." Almost just as he said that it sounded like a cannon blast came from the sky and Edgar went pale.

Galus judged by that look it was the sound of a great rune being stolen. "So it begins... The race to become elden lord, who knows, it might be interesting to see what changes he'll make to the world, without the rules in place and without an outer influence forcing his hand."