The Sky was clear blue. The water purling nearby and the smell of salt refreshed his lungs.

“Ah? I’m alive. I should have been one with oblivion already…” Said Lazlo after restoring his consciousness. The absence of his church mask revealed a decent face with black hair and blue eyes.

“So you finally woke up!” Said Acina as she was staying beside him.

“Where are we? And how did we just survive that earthquake?” He asked.

“I don’t remember what happened too. When I woke up, I saw the Huntress leaving us.” Answered Acina.

“That damn woman. Did she really save us? And more of that, what trouble did she plunge us into? Where are we?!” Wondered Lazlo. Behind them was a deep sea. In front of them was a barren and mountainous land with lifeless ruins and cliffs.

“And I’m in trouble again because of her. Is she worthy of being protected? Why am I going so far for her?” Thought Lazlo while he was checking his equipment and his mask. “Let’s move. We have to leave this place at once.” Ordered the Herald.

As they got through the land, they only saw skulls, bones, coffins and memorials. Lazlo was becoming further and further skeptical. “This can’t be… If I remember well… this place matches the description of the realm of the dead well. Are we dead already!?” Thought the Knight.

He quickly stepped on to check something in the ground. It was signs of blood. “Follow me, don’t startle!” Said Lazlo to Acina. Through a cliff, they followed the traces of blood until they found something hideous.

It was a very large broad-winged soaring bird with white feathers and a peculiar beak. The two were shocked not only because of its death but rather because it was dead. Its body was decaying. Anyone who would see it would say that it died long ago. But Lazlo was suspicious of it: “The rate of decomposition of this bird is unnatural. It’s too fast. No, maybe it’s not decaying… it’s regenerating!”

“When a living being dies, its body enters in a process of four natural stages toward oblivion. First, the body consumes itself from within. Then, the skin would get discolored and the corpse would bloat alongside putrefaction. After, the bloody tissues would liquefy and get decomposed and only the chthonic components would remain. Finally, it would be the skeletonization. But when an Undead receives a fatal blow, they’re capable of blocking the process of natural death and reversing it when it happens. Yes…Something is telling me that this monster is an Undead too despite going on already to the third stage…” Thought Lazlo as he started stepping away from the bird.

Sparks of bolts flashed from time to time as its body was recovering. “This is insane. It’s Undead and it’s far beyond the imagination of hexers and clerics alike. But who ‘killed’ it? Could it be the Huntress? The traces of blood are not purely coming from this monster… it’s mixed with another one’s.” Believed the Herald.

The Holy Knight took the nun from her hand and ran away from the beast but certainly fear produces more dread.

There was a coarse shadow floating above. It kept homing around. The two stared at its source to see that it was another one from the same species of the king-sized bird. “It’s another one!” Warned Acina. “It reminds me of a beast mentioned in the Divine Tome of Horis. The Thunderbird.” Stated Lazlo. Being something between an eagle and a crow, the Thunderbird dominated the horizon, spread his wings and prepared to swoop on these newcomers.

Lazlo threw in few arrows and made it a close call for them as the bird missed them. Eventually, an electrical field started to phase in and out around the bird and its beak revealed a bulk of lightning. The Herald and his maiden were running through a cliff but their predator was too fast for them to run away. It adjusted its height at a good distance to blast them with its cursed essence. Luckily, they saw an excavation within the cliff they were running through and so they succeeded in hiding and avoiding getting electrified and burnt to death by the bird’s thunder. The beast was relentless and attempted to catch them within their burrow. Unfortunately for it, its preys escaped further within the underground.

As they passed through a dark passage within Earth, tiny sprites crawled and danced to receive these unwelcomed guests. One of them jumped at the maiden’s face but her knight repelled it and struck it with his fist. It was resembling a vicious and featureless insect made of shadow. Few skulls and bones reassembled to form skeletons that attacked them but the archer did not falter and struck them one by one with his bow. Alas, the dead were reanimated again after being defeated and the swarthy sprites were watching them from the darkness waiting for the right moment to devour them.

“There must be a necromancer responsible for summoning these skeletons.” Thought Lazlo. Suddenly, Acina kneeled in the ground out of despair and fear. “This is Hell, isn’t it?!” She said. “That’s not the time to rest!!! We have to keep running!” The Herald scolded her but she seemed indifferent. “Maybe, ROD did abandon us after all.” She said coldly.

“That’s not true! Don’t you dare to give up on ROD!” He said that while carrying her. “If we give up, it is the moment when we know that we’ve been abandoned by ROD.” He added.

The more they advanced, the more revenants chased them. Lazlo began to feel dizzy as he was putting too much effort in both escorting and protecting the nun. He felt that he was going to collapse too soon.

Far from this part, the Huntress was entering a colossal and burial monument, leaving behind corpses of Persolis’ apostles and soldiers thrown across the long stairs of the tomb. Internally, the building was a wide circular platform centered around a massive coffin encircled by a trench with nine apses which contained sacrificial altars. In every altar, there was a disfigured corpse and from its skull appeared an exotic otherworldly thread that was linked to the grand coffin.

The tomb reeked of blood, dead odor and meat. It seemed clearly that it was a place for terrific rituals and unrivaled experiments. Persolis was standing alone in the middle of all of this and was observing the gaping hole at the middle of the building’s roof.

“Finally, I have found you, Persolis.” The Huntress was approaching him slowly while summoning her undead slaying weapon.

“As expected of the infamous Undead Killer. That means you’re not unfamiliar with the ‘Underworld’. You survived through all the traps, the monsters, and even my servants. Very impressive.” Said Persolis as he turned toward her while his fat belly jiggled.

“And you have toyed so much with the forbidden knowledge. You must be stopped as things must be.” Said the Huntress.

“Ay, I see! So you’re a warrior of justice even though you’re no different than any other Undead. What if you’re seeking the Book of the Dead for your own personal benefit? Maybe I’m the good guy here.” Questioned the undead noble.

“Don’t joke with me, Persolis. You have gone so far and you become a real threat to the harmony and the nature of our world. Your punishment is Death! Death to the necromancers! You’re already dead the moment you chose to become accursed! ”

“That’s true. We lie to ourselves, we the necromancers. We’re prolonging the inevitable and delaying death as much as possible but in the end, a reason must kill us. If aging, trauma or diseases can’t kill us then it might be other things like madness and exorcism…Death keeps hunting us no matter what we achieve.” Said Persolis.

“Then so be it! The sinners must die… The madness must end… and only I can stop this curse!!” Screamed the Huntress as she charged toward her target.

“You know. An epiphany came to me once I uncovered one little secret that lies beyond both life and death. What every soul wants in this world is not a life for the hopeful or death for the desperate, it’s their own fate. Fate is what we all want all along. And with this revelation, I have ascended my soul.” Added Persolis as he blocked her devastating attack with his bare hands.

Whenever the Herald banished a wave of skeletons, another one would come and the shady insects would crawl and bite the weak maiden.

“I’m sorry Acina. I might not be able to escort you to Horis.” Thought Lazlo as they were cornered in a dead-end. “Why is this happening to me?! What did I do wrong?!” Cried Acina. For perhaps a split second the army of the dead was instantly burnt and banished to nothingness. Moreover, the two were thunderstruck because of what happened.

“I… I see. Their summoner was defeated. There’s no other logical explanation for that.” Said Lazlo. “Let’s keep going. The area should be safe for now.” He added.

As they moved through a dark passage, they discovered a hole dug at one of its sides. Since their priority was to get out of these catacombs, they proceeded through the hole and found themselves within a cell. Though its door was open. There was signs of something going on here: The cell’s door was broken and traces of ashes and fire were seen around. “I can’t afford to get in one more serious fight. If I do, we will never be able to escape this wretched place.” Thought Lazlo.

It was a massive underground dungeon of the sort made of endless layers that went deeper into the earth. The knight and the maiden were just in the highest layers and the place did not seem to be completely forsaken. Only they remained dazed when they beheld its melancholy.

Lazlo felt that they had been watched since they came through this dungeon and the fact that there was a fight a moment ago worried him. The place felt oddly calm except for some faint moans and sobbing. Furthermore, they saw that few cells were holding not living prisoners but corpses and notoriously phantoms, the ones who were the ones weeping and crying in front of these abandoned cadavers. If one paid attention enough, one would hear them confessing their regrets, their sins, and their pitiful fates.

“Look! There’s someone coming our way!” Said Acina.

A shaded person wearing runic and ceremonial pale robe and wielding a torch was approaching. Every part of its body was covered with clothing except for its face. Lazlo attempted to discern its features but he realized that there was no face, to begin with. The entity was faceless, unphysical and defined only by its robe.

Lazlo prepared to attack this phantom warden as he sensed hostility from it. The arrow struck the formless ghost and the essence reacted to its ether producing a violent explosion that broke the walls and the ground around and nearly got the maiden and her guardian.

“Damn!! If it was a little closer it would have killed us! Why did the Church’s quicksilver react so violently with it?!” Wondered Lazlo.

Certainly, the explosion was enough to evaporate a human but the phantom warden had another opinion. The clothes were shredded and jagged blatantly but pale green radiations appeared from the fibers of the old fabric, regenerating it to its previous state. Perhaps, the revenant was one with its outfit.

“I see… they’re fleeting beings in the waking world but eternal entities in the afterlife… This… must be… without a doubt …the Underworld.” Muttered Lazlo. He was sweating heavily and behind the small gaps of his mask, his eyes were wide-open trying to recognize the reality from imagination.

The phantom warden seemed like it was staring at them even though it had no face. Then in a rushing moment, he charged swiftly at them with its torch to strike the intruders. Lazlo fired an arrow at him but the ghost dodged it as if it was nothing. The Herald was taken by shock and the revenant struck his chest with fire.

“Agghhh! You…cursed thing! Fire can’t do nothing with me.” Groaned Lazlo. When he tried to free himself from the grasp of this phantom. Something pierced his back and then rotated rapidly slicing his flesh and causing more agony to him. It was a spiked wheel that came on its own from the shadow behind them.

“Acina…” Murmured the Herald as he fell to the ground, regretting only that he could not fulfill… his mission. His eyes closed while seeing other phantom wardens encircling them and restraining the maiden.

“To preserve Hope, the Dreamers lay not dead nor alive. Through their sacrifice, Life lasts eternal. Yes, the dream is sweet. But can it be of any reality? Big brother, will you save me at last?”

Bound to a pillar in the middle of an arena, Lazlo woke up suddenly. The runways of the rounded battleground were occupied by ethereal revenants, skeletons and many manners of the dead.

“What’s now? I’m not dead yet?” Lazlo was mocking himself as he knew that he was still alive. He looked to his left and saw the maiden unconscious and bound like himself to a pillar. Eventually, he heard unearthly screeches and roars coming from the grand gate of the Arena and atop it was an honorary platform. From the platform, a slimy and tall necromancer was observing them with red eyes and a gleaming but wicked smile. His robe was rough and lacerated with unusual organic growth.

“Well, what we have today? This realm is for the dead, not for the likes of you living folk. Or perhaps you are a dead one, posing as otherwise? ».” He said.

“Hehehe… You got me there.” Said Lazlo.

“Then we’re just fine. It’s important to know who you are. But we’ll all be nothingness, soon enough. And should you be Undead, well, all the more so. »  Stated the Necromancer.

“Are you working with that damn Persolis? You have the same outfit as his hexers.” Asked the Herald.

“Oh, that Persolis… Yes, it was long ago. But now I’m illuminated by the ultimate truth. He’s still delusional by his petty dreams.” Answered the Necromancers.

“Illuminated? What do you mean by that? All I see is that you had been consumed by Dread.” Said Lazlo.

“Yes, exactly, I went mad.” The necromancer giggled. “Is there any meaning to a world where nothing good can last? I, like the many you hunt, Church warrior, decided to help Mankind discover its own truth. We’re meaningless in a meaningless world. The Threads of Fate are just toying with us, mocking our very existence. We enjoy a little to suffer for long. Don’t you see it? We must die for Life is the true madness. To live is just to suffer. Hehehe… Am I wrong, mister Cleric? We all know that!!! We all know that to exist is to struggle eternally!!! Hahahaahaha!!!” Rambled the necromancer furiously.

“Diiiiiiie…” Echoes and voices emanating from the spectators but Lazlo could not say anything else. He was shocked and hypnotized. “Maybe that’s it for me. I don’t know what’s going to happen to me from now on. They will kill us most likely and if this place is the realm of the dead, I might be cursed for real.” Thought Lazlo. “I never expected that it will go so wrong. Maybe I should have given hope on her. As they told me, she’s a lost cause. She will never be able to return.” Sighted Lazlo.

“I can see that you’re realizing the truth too and so we will reward you with salvation!” Shouted the Hexer.

“Deeeaaaad Eaaaateeeer…” Repeated the revenants.

A monster advanced from the great gate. Its physique was hardly indiscernible in the shadowed twilight of the alley at first but it revealed itself to be an amalgamation of beasts in the form of exoskeleton and stones and a jade radiation emanating from within it. Perhaps, it had a stone worm’s head, a river horse’s legs and the body of a lion.

“Once the Dead Eater swallows your cursed bodies, your guilty souls will become restless forever as the many phantoms you saw already in our crypt!” Triumphed the Madman.

“Is this the salvation he’s talking about? To be lost forever? Maybe, we died the moment we were crushed by that earthquake. It can be that we’re witnessing the… Afterlife.” Thought the Herald after accepting his fate.

Amidst despair, a flickering flame might appear from a long forgotten ember of hope. A burning fire spread in the ranks of the dead spectators, devouring them and turning them into ashes. A friendly and joyous laugh was resonated across the arena, fitting to be that of an old man: “Hahahaha! The dead are nothing against Sunlight!”

“Is there another intruder besides these two?!!!!” Screamed the Necromancer in madness.

The Dead Eater turned its attention to this attacker and jumped over to stop him by orders of the Madman. Its foe was a mighty knight wielding a great sword shining with fire and wearing a heavy armor crafted with thin metal reinforced with bronze. Its helm was taking the form of a lion.

“Come on, you stupid animal, take on a sunbath!” The Orange Knight charged at the beast with his blazing blade, the Dead Eater opened its gaping mouth to devour its prey. However, the knight was remarkably quick despite the heavy equipment he had and sliced the beast with his sword from the side. The bones and the stones that made the being began to fall apart as the flame seemingly was overpowering its essence.

Together, the head of the Necromancer exploded from within with the same flame of that Knight.

“Aghh!! Impossible! How can you oppose the will of Death, you fool!?”

“Oh, so this Dead Eater is linked to your soul. Isn’t it your own phantom?” Said the knight.

“Death gave me the honor to judge the dead!!! How can you disgrace us?!!! Aren’t you fearing your own sins?!” Yelled again the Necromancer while flying in the air to attack the knight.

“Hahaha, bring it on then!” Said the Sun Warrior.

The Black Mage started launching dark orbs at him and the knight could not avoid all of them and took some damage. So, he attempted to counter by launching a burning barrage toward him but the Madman dodged it with ease.

Besides, the burnt ashes of the revenants began to rebuild themselves and to reform their bodies.

“See!!!! Can you even kill the dead? You can’t! This’s the ultimate Truth, Hahahaha!” Laughed the Hexer.

“Your army isn’t bad but you forgot to watch your back.” Said the Knight.

A silver arrow went like the thunder into the head of the hexer who did forget about the Herald Knight. The arrow reacted to his flesh and began to melt him.

“No… No! No way… I can’t die. I’m blessed by Dread! How come I die again?!” The Hexer fell to the ground and his army stopped reforming and turned to ashes again.

The Herald Knight freed the Maiden and checked on her. She was still alive. The Orange Knight approached him while laughing at the sight of the madman disintegrating into oblivion. He removed his helm to reveal a wizened face and a white beard.

“Who are you? Why did you save us?” Asked Lazlo.

“Is this how you thank someone who helped you?” Said the Knight.

“Don’t answer a question by another question.” Said Lazlo.

“Okay, okay, don’t be angry at me! Trust me! I don’t need to make more enemies in this accursed realm already. I’m Boran of Dazbog, a Sun Knight as you can see.”

“From Dazbog? This is insane. The Tribe was annihilated fifty years ago by King Triglav, or perhaps you’re Undead too? Yet, you don’t have the scent of the accursed?” Said Lazlo.

Boran seemed a little disturbed by Lazlo’s remarks but he quickly responded heartily and proudly:

“You Undead are full of yourself I suppose! You think cheating death a little more won’t make you more resilient than persistent humans like myself!? Ahahaha… Think again!”.

“Huh. So you’re a human. And so what are you doing here?” Lazlo asked again.

“Well, I can’t hide it from you since we became buds! Yes, I have a promise to uphold. My brother was consumed by Madness and I’m sure of it, he’s here, not so far from this dungeon. I have to free him.” Answered Boran.

To be Continued.