“We really make a gallant duo, mister Lazlo of Horis.” Said Boran after burning the last skeleton to oblivion.

“You’re overfriendly. Maybe we should keep our distances.” Said Lazlo.

The three continued their path leaving behind dozens of the dead either burnt or evaporated by the blessed church silver. They felt a cool and fresh breeze coming from a certain direction.

“The exit must be from here.” Said the Sun Knight.

“I want to ask you something, Boran.” Said the Herald Knight.

“ Go on.” Replied Boran.

“You said when you saved us that we had saved you already. What did you mean by that?” Asked Lazlo.

“Uhh , I forgot to explain. That mad necromancer hunted me down when I entered this dungeon with his minions who succeeded at cornering me. However, it seemed that they lost interest in me and had gone. Perhaps, they went on to chase someone else…” Explained Boran.

“I see. We nearly lost our lives because of some weird old man seeking trouble with  the realm of the dead.” Said Lazlo.

“Man, that’s so mean!” nagged Boran amicably.

The party reached the outside of that accursed dungeon. It was a sight to witness. Similar dungeons were stuck above and near each other forming mountains of rubble, rocks and bricks in a harmonious and peculiar way.

“Wow! This is a wonder!” Said Acina.

“Only if it wasn’t plagued by these cursed beings.” Said Lazlo as he was pointing toward Thunderbirds roaming above and the dead wandering below.

“This place is fitting for the likes of me! I don’t fear danger. The danger must fear me!” Boasted Boran as he advanced. The maiden and the herald had no choice but to follow him.

“You said that you want to escort this church’s nun to Horis. I think I know a way to the real world.” Said Boran.

“Weren’t you ambiguous when I told you that? .” Stated Lazlo.

“I forgot, man! It was because I had no intention to return to the outside before completing my mission!” Explained Boran.

“And so, how do we return to our world?”

“Maybe, you should give up.” Affirmed Boran.

“Huh?!! What did you say??” Replied Lazlo angrily.

“Sir, why should we give up?” Asked Acina.

“Because you have to basically kill a god.” Uttered Boran.

“A god?! What are you saying?! There might be demons and there might be undead! But gods? There is only ROD!” Claimed Acina nervously.

“I have been in this ‘realm of the dead’ for so long. I saw a lot of things that you would never imagine but I heard that a species of godlike beings exist amidst this treacherous world. Perhaps, they’re gods or maybe they’re not. Assuredly, what I can confirm about them is that they’re nothing like anything and that if they return to reality, they will make life and death one.” Said Boran calmly.

“Quit this silly tale. We don’t have the time for this. Tell us already.” Said Lazlo.

“What you call the realm of the dead is just their tombs. In other words, if you want to return to reality, you  probably have to commune with them.” Added Boran.

“ There’s no mention of these friends of yours in our holy book and so we don’t believe you.” Said Acina.

“Ahaha, young woman. Your faith is ruthless! I really don’t know myself. Maybe, these rumours are exaggerating but what I witnessed made me sure that they are the hands of Fate himself.” Said Boran.

“So you met with them?” Said Lazlo attentively.

“And now you’re suddenly interested in my pitiful legend?! You’re hiding something from me ,my friend! Hahaha!” Laughed Boran.

“This old man is indeed sharp, maybe I should trust his knowledge.” Thought the Herald.

“I’m asking if you had met with them or not.” Replied Lazlo.

“Yes, I did in the day when the Dazbog Sun fell. Fifty years, one of these gods destroyed our village and burnt its legendary tower of the Sun. I saw it when I was still a young warrior who was powerless against that living catastrophe. I… I just had to escape with my brother as the only survivors.” Narrated Boran.

“Hehehe… HAHAHAHA!!” giggled Lazlo.

Acina and Boran were stunned from this sudden change of mood coming from Lazlo. The Herald Knight stopped laughing and apologized.

“I’m sorry. I just can’t stomach that story of yours. This home of madmen and evil spirits played well with your mind, old man. We all know that King Triglav and his Tribal Knights were the ones who conquered the tribe of Dazbog.”

“Ehh…” The Sun Warrior sighed and breathed deeply. “That’s the greatest sin of Mankind, forgetting or ignoring history.” He added.

Suddenly, a wide light flashed across the horizon. It was so bright that they had to cover their eyes or deviate them away. Even the dead were troubled and shocked by that light.

“What was that?!” Said Lazlo.

“I have no idea!” Answered Boran.

Moreover, a violent and massive shockwave emerged from beyond the horizon and blew everything in its way.

“Cover your ears!!!” Shouted the Sun Knight.

They retreated towards the entrance of the dungeon and did what the old man ordered them to do. It was a terrifying and intense echo underlying the shockwave.

“My ears… my ears!!!” cried Acina… even though she was covering them.

“Damn it! What is happening here??” Thought the Herald.

The Storm passed away. However, it did ravage everything around: These dungeons and ruins did crumble even more and the thunderbirds were thrown away to the far sea.

“Is this… one of them?” Wondered Boran. “ Since I reached his island, I witnessed few ‘thunderbolts’ like this one. You witnessed it, isn’t it godlike?” Added Boran.

Lazlo could not answer as he had no idea about it. Despite all the trouble he faced, his priority was to finish his mission.

“What shall we do now, Dazbog’s warrior?” He asked.

“We have one answer: to reach the source of that immense thunder.” Answered Boran as he stepped outside of the cave.

“I guess we have no choice. But it seems we will be hindered even more.” Said Lazlo as he saw Acina fall to the ground.

“Did the shockwave get her head?!” Boran was really worried and tried to examine her. However, Lazlo did not allow him to do so and was the one looking for the maiden.

“Not really, she’s exhausted and she clearly didn’t eat since a long period of time.” Concluded Lazlo.

“Oh! That is the reason why being Undead is bad, you become unaware of the value of life.” Mocked Boran.

“That’s not the time to joke! Curses… as if I wanted to be one in the first place!” Yelled Lazlo angrily.

Boran felt about after what he said and apologized but Lazlo did not say anything as he was lost in thoughts. He was realizing that the state of the maiden was worsening quickly but he could not do anything.

“I can actually help.” Said Boran.

“Huh? What can someone like you do?” Said Lazlo.

“It’s not going to heal her but it should give us more time to save her.” Said Boran.

The old man took her hand gently and closed his eyes. He imagined a morning sun gazing at him from the far horizon. A benevolent golden energy flowed in his body and was transmitted to the maiden’s body.

“Now, she’s better off with this supply of energy. Her body will stop deteriorating for the time being but we have to hurry and find an exit for you two.” Said Boran as he carried her on his back.

Lazlo did not say anything. Perhaps, he was touched by the kindness of the Sun Knight. Or maybe he did see a parental figure in him.

The Huntress was thrown away outside of the monument and rolled over the giant stairs. Indeed, she was bleeding hard and bits of electricity were emanating from her.

Floating in the air, Persolis came outside of the tomb as his eyes were ignited with thunder.

“This is the power of Fate.” Said Persolis as he channeled a wave of thunder at her.

She got up quickly and evaded the strike but it seemed that the attack returned at her from behind.

“Ahhhgh!” Screamed the huntress out of extreme pain.

“That’s a joke really. How come you claim that you’re undead? … So pitiful. I expected a true challenge from the Undead Slayer but it seems that she’s a naïve soul like everyone else.” Said Persolis.

“This is absurd… How did he get such power? There’s no word that transcribes such knowledge or art in the book of the dead… that’s-” Thought the masked one.

“I assume you’re trying to comprehend what’s wrong with your own calculations. You thought that I will be like any other of Elymas’ students, brainless, mindless and hypocritical each in their own way. But I’m different. It’s true that Elymas pushed me to begin my real journey in life but… he was a fool himself. He believed in the supremacy of death above life and worked for that idea and of course such idiotic beliefs will lead one to their one doom.”

“Hehehehe…” the Huntress giggled calmly.

“You’re laughing as if you think you have the ability to defeat me which is a wrong assumption.” Said Persolis as he was moving towards the Huntress.

“If I’m a toy for the threads of Fate then why are you insisting on the futility of me trying to defeat you? Let me do what I want as a pretty good pawn. For that, I never intended to unmask myself, but it seems I have no other choice.” Said the Huntress as she was forcing her mask out of her face. It was connected to her face via few bloody tendrils.

The confidence of Persolis dropped considerably after this new development, he feared that and decided to throw a thunder bolt at her and he did strike her but it accidentally made her quicken the process.

Her face revealed a pretty and young right half while the other half was dark and scarred ugly one with an acute vampiric eye.

“The desires I wanted to suppress, I will let them go for now. Help me to find the answer if they’re real or not, if they’re just a mere fabrication of pure randomness and nothingness…” These were the last words of the huntress before she started screaming like a mad beast and metamorphosed into a cursed abomination: The left half of her body transformed into that of a black demonic and bloody being with gnashing white teeth, grim-eyed and fierce and clawed left hand. In the other hand, the supposedly human right half turned into a lifeless and decaying being with a jade energy twisting and twirling from and around it.

“No way… no way! Could it be that she also acquired the power of one of them too!!!?” Said Persolis as he felt that his foe was not to be underestimated anymore.

TO BE CONTINUED