Chapter 8

Recollection of a Dream

A distant memory sparkled like a movie for the entire world to see. The O.M. projected its images into the sky, showing the world the scenes like a movie before the people. The majority of the people watched silently, while the bishops continued to sing their songs. Their minds were so in tune with each other that it was difficult to break their concentration. Even if a magical nuclear bomb exploded, they would not have noticed.

A warm fireplace lit the living room of a small cottage, giving it a homely feel. From left to right, wrapped in blankets, were a human male sitting in between a pair of female human twins, a male troll, a stocky dwarf, and a beautiful male elf all gathered in a semicircle in front of the fire. Each one of them was laughing and conversing with each other in happiness.

The human male was seated the second closest to the fire. The stubble on his face was freshly shaved clean, and his sharp features reminded people of a hawk. Even though his body was slim and fit, his simple attire made him look more like a commoner than a warrior. It was apparent that he was nobody to mess with. He was leaning back onto the sofa with one arm draped over one of the twins.

Sitting on both sides of the human male were the twin human women. On his left side was the one with short brown hair and a petite circular face who sat quietly eating hot steaming dumplings and tea. Her rosy red cheeks became round from her chewing. She accidently dropped a couple of pieces of the dumpling onto her brown pants. Her skintight top was overlaid with chain mail hugged tightly against her body, showing off her curves.

On the opposite side was the other twin, who was pushed up against his chest, laughing merrily with him. Her long brown wavy hair was pulled to one side. Her smile radiated like the sun as she glanced up at him with love in her eyes. Her white and blue priestess-like outfit was hidden underneath a brown blanket.

“Kah, this apple cider tastes the best,” the human male said gleefully as if he was drinking some beer. He wiped his mouth with his hands and placed his cup down in front of him.

“Drake, you always act like an old man. It’s just apple cider,” said the short-haired twin as she rolled her eyes and munched on her dumpling.

“Come on, Lilith. Join me like your sister and come under my arm. I’ll keep you warm,” Drake said with a bit of mischief in his voice.

“I’m fine. Lulu should be enough for you.”

“Aw, sis, it’s really warm in his arms. Especially in this cold winter weather.” Lulu pouted a bit.

“Pass,” she stated with no intention of joining.

Across from Lilith was a handsome young male elf. Even though he sat on the floor, his posture was like a prince’s. His long golden hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and his leather sea green outfit stood out from the rest. It reminded people of the ocean rather than the forest.

“It seems our lovely princess still does not take to your personality. I understand her perfectly. Your womanizing skill knows no bounds,” the elf stated with a hint of coyness in his voice.

“Kehahahaha. Samuel, you need to loosen up and enjoy the women out in this world. Your cold personality does tend to push them aside. I always wondered if you ever had any before,” Drake teased. He pulled Lulu closer, and she snuggled into him.

“My race honors women and takes care of them like treasures. We do not flirtatiously move from one to another. It is unbefitting of my race.”

“Kfph. Enough with women. When are we going to eat?” The ugly looking male troll cut into the conversation. His sharp teeth protruded out of his mouth, making him look fierce. His blackish-red mohawk stood out from the rest of the group. His right eye was covered with a patch, which had a black skull design with diamond jewels embedded into the eyes. If one was to see him, they would think he looked like some kind of pirate.

“Cello, is food all you can think about at this time? Give me some more of that apple cider, Drake,” bellowed the dwarf. His bushy beard covered half of his face, and he rubbed his belly cheerily. “I wish we had some beer.”

“Khmpfh. Beer, Beer, beer, beer. Any more and your stomach would be coming out of your belly. I wouldn’t be surprised if you dwarves explode by the time you finish drinking your third barrel of beer,” Cello mocked.

“Khuhuhu, it’s alright. Konnor is the world champ in drinking beer anyways. He won a lot of competitions and received some good prize money when we were close to starving,” said Lulu with a chuckle.

“Food and beer is not the problem here. This snowstorm is. We are going to be delayed till this is over,” said Lilith worriedly. “We need to find a way to arrive at our goal quickly before the curse in my village gets any worse.”

“Don’t worry too much. Give it a couple of days to clear up. We can’t get out of here in this snowstorm. This is our last adventure, you know. We should be enjoying every bit of time together before we go back to ruling our city,” Drake happily stated. “How long has it been since our last adventure? Almost seven years?” His voice was full of nostalgia as he remembered the past.

“I must say those days were full of hardships, but I would agree that they were fun,” Samuel replied. He pulled his blanket a little bit closer, trying to keep himself warmer. “How are your twins kids doing, Drake? The last time I heard from both Lulu and you, you were having kids. How old are they, five right now?”

“They’re doing fine. I left them with Jenova to watch over. I trust him with my life. I know they’ll be well taken care of. Plus I couldn’t bring them with me here and Lulu insisted on coming along,” Drake said with ease. “What about you? Have you found anyone you are interested in yet?”

Samuel’s eyes drifted towards Lilith and turned away just as quickly. He smiled and stayed silent without answering Drake. Lilith slightly blushed and cast her head down so nobody could see. She twiddled her fingers in embarrassment for a moment. Then she looked back up and cleared her throat. “How much further till we reach the dungeon? Isn’t it a day away?”

“It is, but the mountains are not kind during the snowy season. You’re all lucky you guys are in my area. If not we would be stranded elsewhere,” Konnor said after drinking the apple cider. “Whew, that was good.” He placed the empty mug down next to him. “We just need to take a bit of detour before we can enter the dungeon. Our usual route gets blocked up by snow every year, so it would be difficult to go through.”

“Then which route are you taking us through?” asked Drake.

“Through the goblin’s pass.”

“Goblin’s pass? You’re kidding me, right? Isn’t that where mob monsters reside?”

Konnor nodded.

“This is what I am talking about. More blood!” Cello stated with glee. He pounded his hands together as if he was ready to punch someone. “Just like old times.”

Konnor barked out a laugh. “You’re right on that.”

“For old times’ sake?” Samuel mischievously grinned. If any female saw his face at that moment they would swoon.

“For old times’ sake.” Both twins chimed in simultaneously.

“Yes. For old times’ sake.” Drake’s lips curled to the widest smile he could muster.

The scene swirled to white and changed colors once more. Zero’s eyes were glued to the scene before him.

Isn’t this the story of the six heroes I heard so much about in the history of the Fire Continent? The saviors that saved their own respective races? Why would the book of Historia and the O.M. show us this now? When this quest was over, he was determined to look deeper into the mysteries of the Historia and the strange abilities of the O.M.s.

The scene refocused to show the six heroes fighting in the midst of hundreds of goblins. It was midafternoon, and the sunny heat beat down upon the heroes even though the ground was covered in snow. They were ugly goblins that lived in between the mountain passes. Even though they were small and obnoxiously loud, they kept coming nonstop with swords and clubs.

“Kehhaahaah,” Cello laughed with glee. “This is more like it!” He swung his giant battle axe with such ferocity that the monsters were sent flying. Konnor covered his back, swinging his battle hammer down on the goblins.

“Is that the best you could do?” Konnor destroyed a goblin with a single stroke. He was in his Viking-like armor that covered him from head to toe.

“Tch. This is nothing.” Clicking his tongue, Cello charged forward, ramming into many that blocked the path. In a single stroke he cleared away the goblins like bowling pins.

“You guys make my day.” Drake’s hawk like helmet covered the majority of his face but didn’t hide his tears of happiness. “I say we go full throttle all the way!” He punched a goblin with his knuckled armor. His white feathery armor made him look like an angel but was stained with goblin blood.

“Aww, is little Drakey crying over there? It’s alright, your wife will save you.” Lulu bounded forward. She smacked aside a goblin with her oak staff that had green orb on the end. “Let me collect your tears for our remembrance of this day.”

“No, honey, it’s not good enough. We should take a grand prize from the dungeon to commemorate our conquest,” Drake sweetly replied. He swung his giant bastard sword that was embedded with a crystal jewel into a group of goblins and cut them in half.

“Get a room,” said Lilith, who strummed her guitar-like weapon. It increased the team’s ability and spirit for the duration of the song.

“You’re just jealous, sis, that you don’t have an amazing husband like mine,” scoffed Lulu. She casted a light healing spell on Drake, restoring his strength.

“Highly unlikely,” Lilith rebutted. Her song drastically changed, creating an area effect of slowing down the swarms of goblins coming at them from the rear. “Behind us!”

Samuel jumped down from the trees with his bow strapped to his back. He’d spent the skirmish picking off goblins that were encroaching upon his comrades from blind spots with his bow and arrows. In his hand was an amethyst dagger that turned silverish-red. He sliced through each one like butter, weaving in and out through the goblin crowd. The goblins staggered for a moment, unbeknownst to them that their throats were slit, and fell to the ground dead.

“Show off,” Konnor mumbled under his breath. “You elves make it look so easy.”

“That was amazing.” Lilith’s eyes sparkled. “I wish I could do that,” she remarked dreamily. Her eyes were glued to Samuel.

“I’ll teach you when we have time,” Samuel said. He picked off a couple more around Lilith, protecting her from the swarm.

“We need to move forward quickly. Any longer and it’s going to take forever to get through,” Drake said. He kicked a goblin down into other goblins that were making their way toward him. “Duck!”

Everyone fell to the ground in a hurry when they heard Drake’s voice.

“Sword of the Gallant Knight!” Drake’s sword glowed bright yellow, giving him an extra boost of power. “Trinity Wave!”

With a powerful swing of his sword in a 360 degree motion, three waves of magical energy spread outward into three different directions. Each attack sent a crushing wave of powerful energy that defeated half the goblins. The energy wave continued onwards for another twenty feet, killing the ones behind them in one fell swoop and wiping out hundreds of goblins in one go.

“That’s such a cheat.” Cello clicked his tongue. He wasn’t too happy that he did not have such an overpowering attack.

“At least now we don’t have to worry about goblins,” said Samuel. He helped Lilith off the ground.

Drake burst out laughing with glee. “It’s all thanks to this powerful sword.” He rose up his bastard sword for everyone to see. “Thanks to Geala it can level a city. Nobody can stop me.” He chuckled endlessly like a maniac.

Lulu hit him on the head. “Calm down. It’s getting to your head again.”

“Oww. Why did you do that?”

“Because you deserved it.”

“There they go again with their lover’s spat,” Konnor said. He placed his battle hammer over his shoulder. “It was always Lulu who could keep our leader in check. Sometimes I wonder if he does it purposely to get hit by Lulu.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” said Samuel. “We should head into the dungeon before more of these monsters can follow us in. We’ll be surrounded on both sides if this keeps on going. For now there shouldn’t be any more coming this way. We shouldn’t dally here any longer than necessary. ”

“Che. I’d rather be here fighting,” Cello replied as he hacked at a few straggling goblins. His bloodlust was still unquenched from the battle. “This is not enough.”

“Calm down. There more inside the dungeon. You can take it out there. Don’t forget there might be stronger monsters in there then out here.” Lilith replied, cleaning her weapons.

“There better be,” Cello grumbled. He picked off another that was heading towards him with a wild swing.

Drake entered first into the dungeon, carefully observing his surroundings to make sure that nothing would jump out and attack them. The dungeon was darkly lit with only one directional light coming in from the entrance. Small glowworm-like creatures lit the rest of the cave, giving it a luminescent glow.

“Spirit of Luminous.” Lulu’s staff glowed bright yellow as two orb-like spirits appeared before them. They brightened up the room and followed her.

“All clear.” He motioned them to come in and follow. “Hopefully this won’t be a long trip downwards and we can find what we need.”

“Already missing home?” Cello snickered. He pushed past everyone else and went in ahead.

“Hey, Cello. Stick with the team,” Lulu shouted after him to stop him from going too far ahead. “If you get lost we won’t be able to find you.”

“You don’t need to worry about him,” Konnor replied. He grunted with displeasure. “You just need to follow the entrails of dead monster and you’ll eventually find him. It’s not hard to follow a berserker.”

“He always does this.” Lilith sped up to join Konnor at the front of the group. Samuel and the rest followed right behind her.

As the group went deeper and deeper into the dungeon, they were swarmed by Baby Olm monsters with no eyes, skinny arms, and skinny legs. Their primitive bodies were slimy and long, and their backs were covered in spines. Their skin was pure white, almost transparent, except for their red gills.

“What’s with these monsters?” shouted Cello. “They’re dodging my every attack!” His swing missed its target and hit the wall with a loud thud. The battle axe got stuck in the wall, but with a heavy gruff he pulled it out with all his might.

“Maybe it’s because you’re too easy to read. We could see your swings a mile away.” Konnor smirked. He stood ready for the impact of the Baby Olm charging forward. With his battle hammer in both hands, he swung wide. The Baby Olm slipped under his attack and tackled him onto the ground.

“Kehahahahah,” Cello barked out a laugh. “It seems they can see your attack a mile away too.”

“Get off,” Konnor huffed. The Baby Olm’s mouth gaped open, trying to bite off Konnor’s head with its razor-sharp teeth. The only thing stopping the Baby Olm was the battle axe between them. Its jaws tried to break it apart but failed. Samuel came from behind and killed it with one swift strike, then held out his hand to help hoist Konnor up.

“Thanks.” Konnor pulled himself up and spat on the ground. “These things seem to be using some kind of ability to sense us without having eyes. Anyone know how?”

Lilith was watching carefully as the fight unfolded around them while she was playing her guitar-like instrument. She changed her tune to play a different song that brought down the speed of the Baby Olms.

“Great work, Lilith. This is going to help out a lot!” Drake rushed in and continued to slaughter the Baby Olms with one fell strike after another. Konnor and Cello followed, and none of them paused until every single Baby Olm in their vicinity was wiped out.

They made it to the end of the dungeon without much trouble. Drake’s group was talented and powerful enough to get through the whole dungeon more than ten times as quickly as an average group of players.

“Is this dungeon really where difficult monsters live?” The sound of Cello’s disappointed voice could be heard clearly through the dungeon. “Where are the fire-breathing monsters, the boss, the thrill. This is all too easy.” He grumbled so loudly that more Baby Olms streamed towards them.

“Seriously? Your loud voice is making so much ruckus that it’s bringing more.” Konnor sounded peeved. “I would like a little bit of rest here. Once in a while, having easy kills is better than having swarms of strong ones.” He ducked under a Baby Olm’s sharp claws that grew larger in size and shredded through rocks as if there was nothing there.

“Oh ho. That was a close one.” He side-stepped out of harm’s way. His short stubby body was making it a bit difficult to move quickly with his heavy clunky armor.

“A bit too slow there, buddy.” Samuel picked off the surroundings Baby Olms like they were nothing to worry about. “Any slower than what you are doing now and the Baby Olms are going to get you.”

“That’s not true.” Konnor’s battle hammer finally made contact with the enemy Baby Olm and defeated it in one fell swoop. “I’m doing perfectly fine.”

It was a constant on and off battle with the Baby Olms and Drake’s group. They continued to move forward into the dark terrain of the dungeon. Sometimes the Baby Olms came in droves and other times there were only a few grouped together, making it an easy passage through the dungeon. The terrain changed from a dreary dark cave to a beautiful open underground field. With every step they took, the darkish-blue ground gave way to vibrantly colored plants.

Soon they came to the edge of a dome-like area where the bright plants flourished. The group looked over the edge and was awestruck at what lay below them. The colors were so vibrant and were rarely seen in the outer world. It was a mesmerizing display of natural crystals combined with plants that they had never seen before.

From small transparent to large pearly opaque colored crystals decorated the walls and the ground, creating a beautiful display of light. Entwined perfectly with the crystals were giant green plants that stabilized the growth of the crystals from going out of control.

In the middle of the land was a small hut that was covered densely in obsidian-like crystals. In fact, it may have been made out of the black crystals rather than of wood or the plants; it was covered too thickly for any of them to see its true structure.

Drake’s group had only one direction to go: downwards. They saw no monsters or anomalies. It was a peaceful scene that was rarely seen in a dungeon.

“Is this for real?” Lulu whispered, holding on closely to Drake’s arm. “It’s so beautiful.”

“Who would have thought that something like this would be so close to the city?” said Drake. “This world always has something surprising to show us. This is why I enjoy adventuring with you guys.”

“Hehe.” Lulu snuggled closely with glee. “So that’s what we should call ourselves, huh. Adventurers. I like that. From now on people like us are called Adventurers. We should make it universal. It would be great to hear it resounding throughout the world.”

“Are you sure about that? I’m not sure a lot of people would agree in wanting to be called an Adventurer.”

“It’ll be so cool. Come on, honey,” she pleaded with a puppy dog eyes.

Drake could not look away from her cute face. He sighed. “Anything for you.”

“Yes!” Lulu squealed with delight. She jumped around Drake gleefully.

“You spoil her too much, oh great leader,” Lilith mocked. She glanced over to Lulu and shook her head. She placed her weapon strap over her shoulder and let her guitar hang loose at her side. “I wonder how often you have cave into that look that she gives you. Quite often, isn’t it?”

Drake cleared his throat, trying to hide his embarrassment. “Let’s go.” He powerwalked ahead while Lulu closely tagged along.

“That’s our leader.” Konnor laughed heartily, his armor shaking. Cello grunted, slung his battle axe over his shoulder, and followed after.

Lilith and Samuel walked side-by-side so they could talk.

“I’ve heard your people have been having a rough time with the orcs encroaching on your lands,” Lilith said.

Samuel nodded. “It seems that there is an intelligent leader amongst the orcs. Their forays across our border have become more and more frequent. It’s going to take a bit more time before my people will be able to push them back into the Electric Continent.”

“Do you have any plans?” she asked worriedly.

“Yes. It’s going to take some time, but the elders have something in store for when I get back.”

“I see.” She quietly walked next to Samuel. She didn’t know what else to say.

“Lilith.”

“Yes?” Her head whipped towards him so quickly that she felt like she had whiplash.

“I was wondering if you would join me on the expedition to eradicate the orcs from my people…and possibly on many other quests as well.”

“Heheh.” Lilith giggled. “You’re so serious, Samuel. Why can’t you just say that you want me with you?”

Samuel blushed red. “I-I-I…” Even his pointed ears turned pink.

“I would love to,” she replied with a bright smile. She ran ahead laughing with joy like a little girl who’d received something really special.

It took only a few moments to descend into the garden. Now that they were closer, they could see that the garden had an assortment of crystal-like flowers that bloomed beautifully. Their radiance glowed and amplified the light that was cast down from a hole the ceiling. The hole in the ceiling wall wasn’t terribly big, perhaps the size of a small manhole. What was making the whole area glow brilliantly was the effect of the crystal gems that reflected the light in every direction.

“No words could describe this natural beauty,” said Samuel. His eyes were filled with peace, contentment, and hope. The aura around Samuel glowed softly with green energy; his demeanor changed and became peaceful with the world.

Konnor whistled. “I’m surprised that no one has come here to harvest the crystals.” He looked at a large yellow crystal with interest. “With the amount of equipment and accessories this could make, I can’t believe this place has remained hidden.”

“That would destroy this place’s natural beauty,” Samuel said with a bit of warning in his voice. “Living crystals like these should be protected. Not harvested. By unbalancing the natural order of the energy of this world, we would cause a disturbance. It would cause an unknown cataclysm that could wipe out a city.”

“You’re jesting, correct?” Konnor could not believe what he was hearing.

“No. With the number of crystals forming here, the natural magical energy level is abnormally high. Our spells could be amplified here by a thousand fold. Don’t you see how a single small stream of light had made this place glow so extremely bright?” Samuel pointed up towards the small hole where light was filtering through. “That seems to be the only source of light at the moment. Think about it. One mishap and the whole place could create an amplification of the spell. A low-level energy spell could build up and destroy everything.”

He walked over to one of the large red crystal flowers. He stopped and kneeled, reaching out his hand to place it beneath the bloom. A red petal fell into his hand. “Nature will give you just enough when you honor it.”

Samuel turned towards Konnor and placed the red crystal petal onto his outstretched hand. “This will be enough to create one high-class accessory.”

Konnor looked down into his hands and felt a small rush of magical power that engulfed him into a peaceful state.

“I don’t have the time to be all touchy with nature. It’s all about results,” replied Konnor with a humph.

“I’ll be sending a group of my people here to watch over this dungeon,” Samuel replied. “This area is too precious to be just mined as items. The natural amount of energy here is extraordinary. In the future it will be vastly stronger than it is now.”

“You elves just take out the fun of everything.” Konnor clicked his tongue and crossed his arms.

“Think about it. In another hundred years, the energy of these crystals will become stronger than what it is now.”

Konnor eyes glowed with greed. “Really now.”

“Yes.”

“Fine. My people will be taking over and keeping this place safe. This is on our turf and it will be done on our Dwarven honor.” Konnor clasped his hands against his chest.

“That would be wonderful.” Samuel eyes twinkled with mischievous grin. “I know I can count on you to keep this place well protected. It would have been difficult if my people traveled all the way here. Someone of your talent would be better in keeping it safe.”

“Kuheuheu, the amount of money we will be raking in…” Konnor said, his hands rubbing against each other with the thought of getting possibly more profit and better equipment in the future.

Lilith covered her smile with her hand. “You did that on purpose, didn’t you,” she whispered to him as she leaned towards him. “You slowpokes hurry up and come on. We don’t have all day,” yelled Cello in a gruff voice. He was already pounding on the hut door with such force that the door fell forward.

“I can’t believe you just did that.” Lulu sneaked a peek behind Cello’s large body. “We’re going to have to fix that.”

“Hmph. I don’t fix anything. I destroy things.”

“We can all see that.”

“Hello? Anyone here?” Drake hollered and stepped in through the door.

Inside the small hut were shelves of thousands of small vials neatly packed in rows. Herbs and different dead animals were hung up on the ceiling walls. Placed in the middle in the room was a black coffin with intricate gothic designs.

“Is that a coffin? What’s it doing here of all places?” asked Lulu. She went over it and curiously peered around it. “I don’t see a hatch. Is there possibly some kind of great treasure in it?”

“Back up, Lulu,” Drake shouted. He pulled out his bastard sword and placed it in front of him. Lulu skittered behind him, wondering what was wrong. Everyone else raised their weapons in alarm.

A creaking sound was heard as the lid of the coffin slowly opened. A white hand pushed the lid all the way open. Inside the coffin was a beautifully handsome man covered in red crystalized roses. His pearly white skin glistened under the crystal light. His long black hair fell backwards as he sat up slowly like a zombie. The sleeping man opened up his eyes and stared upon his visitors.

“Welcome to my humble hut.” Gently getting out of his coffin, he stood up and bowed to Drake’s party. “Do not worry; I am just a humble vampire alchemist.”

“A vampire? A vampire!” Drake was alarmed at what was in front of him. “Everyone get back. We need to take him down before he takes us down.”

The group was ready to charge forward if the vampire even moved a muscle to harm them.

“No, no. Please. I do not harm weak creatures,” the vampire said. “Oh? Is that what I think it is? A female here in this humble house?” His eyes sparkled when he saw Samuel who was standing next to Lilith. In a blink of an eye he rushed over to Samuel.

“Beautiful lady, would you become the blood donor for this great vampire? I shall keep you alive and give you beautiful things for all eternity.” The vampire bowed and kissed Samuel’s hand it. Samuel stood there in shock, turning white like a ghost.

Lilith rushed over and punched the vampire squarely in the face. “He doesn’t have time for your cliché lines. He’s mine.”

Everyone stared at Lilith, dumbfounded.

“You hit the great Alchemist Vampire Dion?” Dion stuttered with his hands against his face. His cheek was bruised purple from Lilith’s punch.

“I’ll give you another knuckle sandwich if you hit on my fiancé again.” She threatened Dion with an evil glare.

“F-f-fiancé?” Dion face turned dumbstruck from what he was hearing. “The elf is not a she? I thought the elf was a she the whole time. He looked too beautiful to be considered a male. My heart is already broken into thousands of pieces from hearing such news.”

Lilith turned towards Samuel and pulled up his shirt to expose his bare chest. “Do you not see that? No boobs,” she said witheringly.

Samuel’s face burned furiously red, and he pulled down his shirt.

“The only maiden is me,” Lilith continued. “The other one is married and you won’t get a chance with her.”

“Aha, I have been tricked. This ugly human has shown me an illusion that scars my very heart.” He swooned and pretended to faint.

Lilith struck like a viper with her bare hands and pummeled him into the ground. Dion was covered in black and blue bruises. From each punch, Lilith was cursing and stomping on the vampire. The boys and Lulu huddled together in fright as the scene unfold before them.

“I’m sorry, I meant beautiful lady,” said Dion with a tiny voice. His lips were cut and bruised, and his eyes looked like a panda’s. “How can I help the beautiful lady today?”

“Where is the Krustallos?” Like an evil pirate, Lilith’s eyes gleamed with bloodlust as she put Samuel’s dagger to Dion’s throat.

Dion gulped as beads of sweat appeared on his face. “Please. Please calm down. I have it right here.” He pulled it out of his pocket and showed it to them. It was a small crystal gem the size of a walnut. Pulsating power escaped from his hands, warming up the surrounding area.

“Is this it?” Lilith took it out of his hands. “It’s so warm.” She squealed in delight and held it up to see if it would catch any light.

“I must say. You are the first female to hit me.” Dion’s hand rubbed his face and winced from the pain.

“You will get another beating if you do anything stupid,” she threatened.

“I like a fiery woman.” Dion grinned. “Why don’t you become my woman instead? You can leave behind the feminine man and instead have a real man like me.”

Samuel came from behind and punched him hard on the other side of his face. Dion’s handsome gentleman face was turning ugly with bruises.

“What was that for?” Dion turned to face Samuel eye-to-eye, his eyes turning scarlet.

Samuel already had his silver dagger pressed against Dion’s throat. A thin line appeared on his neck, and dark red blood that was thick and sticky dripped down his neck.

“Whoa, whoa. Hold up, we don’t need to resort to violence here. I was joking. Joking.” Dion gulped. His hands were raised up to show that he was not going to do anything.

With a twirl, the silver dagger was gone in a blink of an eye. Samuel stashed it away into his belt. He stood still, watching what Dion would do next. “Let’s go. We should get back before it gets worse.”

Just when they were about to leave, Dion called out towards them.

“Wait. Wait. Wait. Before you leave, tell me one thing. Why do you need the Krustallos?” Dion asked.

“We heard that it could dispel a curse that is set on my village. An oracle stated that finding a Krustallos would help dispel it,” Lilith answered while examining the Krustallos. It was unlike any other gem. Its color shimmered from red to green and pulsed like a heartbeat.

“Dispel a curse? The Krustallos can do no such thing.”

“Then what can it do?”

“That is a mystery in itself that I do not know. I have been studying this crystal for five thousand years now, and I have discovered nothing more than that it is a living crystal. Yet its growth stopped four thousand years ago. I’m not sure why, and I have never discovered a crystal of its like.”

“Have you tried using it before?”

“Yes. It’s a fickle crystal. It does not seem to listen to my calling. There seems to be some reactions to Fire and Earth elements, but that’s it. The reaction is so miniscule that it’s hardly worth using it for that purpose. I have spent countless years living here in the cave, hidden from the world’s prying eyes to figure out the reason why it has a peculiar energy around it. I have to admit I have stolen it from a dragon and incurred its wrath. You don’t want to know what it’s like to meet a dragon. I almost died from its blazing inferno.” He breathed harshly, remembering the past like a dream. “But there was a reason why I needed it. Just like you, I too heard that it could do miracles, but it has done nothing. As time went by, living my life in solitude, I researched through countless trials and errors. The only thing I was able to find out was that there is something peculiar about the crystal. It’s like it is alive, but still even now I cannot seem to figure out its secrets. Maybe trying something different could help find its purpose. Hmmm…”

Dion paced back and forth, deeply engrossed in his thoughts. “To use this to dispel a curse is unheard of. Pray tell, what kind of curse is set on your village?”

“A couple of my people met a demon in the woods. I searched to slay the demon but none could be found. The following day, my people became sickly. They have a blister-like rash on their skin that itches horribly, and many of them have high fevers and are confined to bed. Almost two-thirds of my people are infected. An oracle came to my village and told me that if I came to this dungeon I would find the answer by looking for the Krustallos.”

“This oracle you speak of…Do you remember their name?” Dion stopped pacing and turned towards Lilith, startling her.

Lilith stopped to think for a moment, but the name slipped away from her. “I don’t remember. It’s a bit foggy. Strange.”

“I see.” Dion’s expression darkened. “There are only a few that know I have the Krustallos, and there are only three that know my location. I’ll go with you. Your supposed curse is just an illness that can be taken care of in a week.”

“Really? Thank you.” Lilith sighed, feeling a huge sense of relief. “You truly have saved my people. Is there anything I may do to repay you?”

Dion’s eyes sparkled, and he was quick to answer. “How about a bit of your blood?” he coyly answered. Samuel was quick to draw his dagger. “Okay. Okay. Okay. I’ll just want an exchange for the flower pin on your clothes. I have not seen such an intricately detailed piece for a long time. I love beautiful things.”

Lilith touched the pin, a small handmade tulip. “You want this? Are you sure? I have many other things.” Lilith was curious as to why he wanted something so simple from her. She had hundreds of other valuable things she could trade with him.

“Yes, this should be sufficient for my service in helping out your village, but the Krustallos must stay with me,” Dion replied with a sharp tone. He was not going to budge from this decision.

“Gladly. If this crystal cannot do anything to heal my people, I do not need it. I can’t thank you enough.” Lilith was relieved with the answer that Dion had given, and she was exploding with joy. “Let’s hurry back.”

The scene faded out, and the images warped and accelerated to the time when they arrived at the village. The sun was at its highest point, and Dion lagged behind the group with a black make-shift umbrella.

“Can we slow down a bit? The sun is literally killing me with its obnoxious heat.” Dion panted heavily. “I don’t think I’ll last any longer.”

“You were doing fine throughout the whole trip. Why now?” Lilith rolled her eyes. “What, do you want to be carried now?”

Dion straightened up and smiled the most angelic smile he could muster. “If you don’t mind.” He batted his eyes towards her.

“Pass.” Lilith went ahead and entered the village. Dion’s face fell into a frown, and Samuel gave him an evil glare. The once densely populated streets were nearly empty. Barely anyone was present to greet the returning heroes. A group of villagers rushed up towards her in worry.

“Miss Lilith!” an elderly women called out, “I’m so glad you have made it. We have lost more villagers since the time you left.” The wrinkles on the women made her look older than she was.

“It’s alright, Mrs. Dasme. We have brought help.” Lilith smiled as she patted her shoulder, giving the elderly women comfort.

“Thank you. I’m so relieved.” Mrs. Dasme’s shoulder sagged and she let out a huge sigh. “What cure did you bring?”

Lilith waved Dion forward. “Him.”

Mrs. Dasme glanced at Dion oddly. “Who is he, may I ask?”

“This is Dion. He apparently knows a way to cure the villagers.”

“Really?” said Mrs. Dasme. Her eyes sparkled with hope. “Please, this way.” She grabbed a hold of Dion’s arm and pulled him forward towards the small hospital ward. Dion faltered after her, trying to keep his balance.

It was a small building that was heavily packed with sick people. From left to right, the villagers were all blue in color with black boils that littered their bodies. The air was foul, so Dion had to take small breaths to not inhale the air.

“Here. Please.” Mrs. Dasme pushed him into the building. “The blister-like rash disappeared and instead it has changed into something completely different. If you can do anything for them we would be eternally grateful to you.”

Dion scanned the room, examining each ill villager. His eyes turned red, and from his vision he noticed the change in the air. A heavy blanket of green energy lay over the villagers; it shifted and moved like a living creature. From its dense cloud of energy, it gathered into a four-legged creature that closely resembled a dog. The creature was invisible to any eyes but his own.

Stepping forward into the room, he raised his hands towards the dog creature. Static-like electricity enveloped him, creating a heavily dense air that made everyone’s hair raise up on edge.

“What are you doing!” Lilith rushed forward. Her voice was raised an octave higher in worry. Samuel, Konnor, Lulu, and Drake ran forward with swords drawn at Dion.

“Trust me,” Dion replied, not flinching from their weapons. He stood confidently with his hands raised towards the villagers. With a shout, a pulse-like energy wave shot outwards, making the heroes stumble. The dog creature shattered into a thousand pieces and disappeared into a wisp of smoke.

“What in the world did you do?” Konnor grumbled. He pushed himself up with a chair.

“I just dispelled your curse.” Dion turned towards them and noticed all of them struggling to get up.

“That’s it?” Drake asked, stupefied at Dion’s answer. “It was that simple?”

Dion nodded his head. “A hellhound has been terrorizing the village. I banished it. It shouldn’t bother them anymore. Look. Their skin is returning to normal.”

Just like his words, the villagers slowly became healthy. Mrs. Dasme cried out in pure happiness as she rushed over to a young girl.

“Thank you,” Mrs. Dasme cried. She wiped away her tears and hugged her sick daughter.

Lilith got up and went forward towards Dion. She gave him a bear hug where breath escaped from his body. “Thank you,” she said in happiness.

“It was nothing,” Dion squeaked. “If you don’t mind, I would like to breathe.” “Oh! I’m so sorry.” Lilith let go in a rush.

“You know, you are a very strange vampire. I never heard of a vampire that helped out people,” said Konnor, while touching his beard. “Especially a vampire that’s not dying from the sunlight. Are you sure you’re even a vampire?”

“It doesn’t matter. You saved the village. You’re a hero.” Lilith grinned and laughed cheerfully. “To the vampire that saved the village from the curse.” She cheered out loudly.

“A vampire?” Mrs. Dasme and the group of villagers stood shocked, watching the scene unfold before them.

“Yes. I am what you call a vampire,” said Dion. He folded his arms.

“H-h-he’s not going to kill us, is he?” Mrs. Dasme muttered in fear.

“No. I only drink from the finest quality blood, and even then I’m picky. I don’t subject my taste buds to the infected, the cursed, or the weak. They don’t have great taste.” Dion blanched with the thought of disgusting blood. “Rest assured, the village is never ever going to be a target.” He scowled. “As for the question of sunlight, and helpfulness, it is because I am such an ancient vampire. My constitution does not have the same weakness as the newer generation.” Dion puffed up like a peacock. “Since I am so different from what you know about vampires, I prefer just to be called an alchemist.”

Mrs. Dasme winced from Dion’s sharp gaze and gulped.

“Don’t worry. If he does anything stupid or crazy, you have us. We’ll kill him,” Lilith said with a straight face. Dion grimaced at Lilith’s words.

“If you say so, Miss Lilith, we believe in you,” said Mrs. Dasme.

Lilith faced Dion with her hands on her hips. Her stone-cold-killer look was gone in an instant and was replaced with a mischievous grin. “So, Dion. Would you like to join our little group of adventurers for a while?”

“Really?” Dion asked with a gasp.

“You guys don’t mind, right?” Lilith asked her group.

“Nope. Just as long as he keeps his stinking fangs to himself. I do not want to be the first living vampire dwarf. That would dishonor my name.” Konnor chuckled.

“I wouldn’t dare take a sip of your stinky blood,” replied Dion with a smirk.

“Oh~ We got a new member. I’m fine with that,” squealed Lulu. She was stuck to Drake like glue. Drake nodded his agreement without saying a single word.

“I don’t like him,” Samuel replied without a speck of remorse.

“I don’t like you either,” Dion replied flatly.

“But I can tolerate you, because Lilith has brought you into the group. But if there’s any funny business, I’ll personally cut off your head,” Samuel threatened. His hands were the hilt of his blade.

“Same goes to you,” Dion replied.

“Okay, with everyone’s agreement, we have a new member!” Lilith said with glee. “He’s our new walking encyclopedia, and now we don’t have to scrounge around digging for answers.”

Everyone stared at her response. At that moment they knew why Dion was brought into the group.

The scene faded out, and the images warped and changed to a different period of time. Winter turned to spring, then to summer. The clouds rushed by as if the world fast forwarded and accelerated to a specific time. The world was painted in lush green hues, birds chirped their usual songs, and the open field was filled with people of many different races. Most of them were water elves and humans. In between each seasonal change different events quickly played out where the small band of heroes went out on adventures.

Samuel looked stunning in his traditional elven marital clothes. He was wearing long silverish clothes that looked like a cross between Arab and traditional Japanese wedding ceremony clothes. The clothes had a simple and subtle design in green. Lilith looked beautiful in the feminine version of the traditional clothes. Her short hair was decorated with natural flowers of the earth bringing more life to her appearance.

It was a wedding celebration, and people were dressed in their respective traditional clothes, predominantly in either white or blue. Soft wind carried the scent of food as the sun slowly set, leaving a magical feeling around the place. Lilith and Samuel were surrounded by relatives and loved ones joyfully conversing with each other. Her sister was beside her tearing up, while Drake stood by Samuel talking with him.

Konnor was near the barrel of beer drinking heartily with Cello. They were competing to see who would be able to finish their share the fastest.

“Congratulations, Lilith. I’m so happy for you.” Lulu had tears in her eyes. “I was worried that you were never going to get married. You’re almost thirty years old.”

She hugged her sister closely and kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you for always being there for me.”

“Noooooo. My sister is getting married.” Lulu burst out crying. “I feel like a mother sending off her child.”

“Hehe. Sis, you’re so weird. You have Drake now. Don’t worry about me. You know Samuel will take care of me.”

“I know he will. He better or else I’m going to come knocking on his door and burn his tree down!”

“Sis!” Lilith chastised her. She put her hands on her hips.

“Hehe. I won’t burn his house down,” Lulu replied. “Maybe a little,” she whispered, but Lilith caught it and glared at her. “Okay. Okay. I won’t. Geez.” She pouted, but stopped. “Where is little Jennie? How old is she now?”

“She’s only nine months old and she’s with Dion. He’s been ferrying her away and taking her to strange places. Sometimes I don’t see her for a whole day,” Lilith said, sounding concerned. “But it’s alright. He always keeps her safe. I can’t seem to pry my daughter away from him even if I tried.”

“Nine months already? It feels like it was yesterday that we went to the mountains and met Dion. How is he?”

“Sis, he’s been a nuisance since he began living with us. I’m not sure how Samuel is able to be such close friends with him. He’s always asking for blood from me and has been hitting on the local ladies.” She sighed heavily. “He always seems to be causing some kind of trouble.”

“Where is he now?”

“I think he went to scale the mountains with Jennie.”

“You allow that?” Lulu was appalled. “Isn’t it dangerous?”

“With Dion? Hardly. He always keeps her safe. The blood oath prevents him from going back on his words.”

“Wow. He even took a blood oath with you. That’s like an unheard thing from a vampire. I’m amazed he went through with it. It’s basically his life that’s on the line.” Lulu stood motionless for a second, just to let it all soak in. “He’s taken a liking to your family. Kind of surprising such a vampire exists. He’s more on the line of a caretaker than an alchemist, and even an alchemist vampire is unheard of.”

“I completely agree. I just don’t understand him at all. After he arrived to the village, he went straight to look for the oracle. She wasn’t there. So strange.”

“Doesn’t matter. Let’s enjoy your wedding celebration. I’m so happy for you, Lilith. Took you a while to marry Samuel. You always had those star-crossed lover eyes whenever you looked at him. I was wondering when you would snag him.” Lulu chuckled.

“How did you know?” Lilith gasped, shocked at what she was hearing. She did not expect her sister to find out so easily.

“Well, it was so apparent the first time we all met. Even I had a thing for him, but it confirmed it nine months ago at the cottage when we were sitting around at the fireplace.” Lulu elbowed Lilith and sniggered. “Did you think it would pass my eagle eye?”

Lilith could not say anything for a moment; she blushed red and laughed. “Yes. I was hoping you wouldn’t notice.”

“It does not matter anymore, now that we are finally here and you have a child. What a surprise that was to hear such news. I fell out my chair when I heard from our news bearer.” Lulu pretended to swoon.

“Sis, stop being a drama queen,” Lilith joked.

“Lilith,” Samuel called out and motioned her to come near him.

“It’s time for me to make a special announcement. My heart’s fluttering. Wish me luck.” Lilith winked at her sister and gave her a thumbs up.

Lulu broadly smiled and gave her a thumbs up as well. “Good luck.”

With confident steps, Lilith walked over to the middle of her guests and called for attention.

“I thank you all for all coming here. It truly is a blessing. If you don’t mind I would like to start out with a poem that I found during our last dungeon raid. I thought it would be best to read it now.”

“Wait, you found an old treasure text? Why didn’t you tell us?” Drake asked. He was excited to hear what she had to say, and at the same time was a bit saddened that he wasn’t told such information.

“It took me over a month to decipher,” Lilith answered. “Samuel was helping me out with some of the ancient letters that I did not understand.”

“Is this true? Samuel, why didn’t you tell us about it?” said Drake. “I thought we share all information to help each other out.”

“It wouldn’t make sense to tell you what we got when we didn’t know what we had gotten. We didn’t know if it was going to be a treasure map or just some random writing,” said Samuel.

Lilith cleared her throat and began reading the poem.

-Part one-

Come one. Come all.

Let’s begin the fun.

Let’s play. Let’s see. Let’s believe.

Let’s build our tower of Babel once again.

To unite. To conquer. To become 0’s and 1’s.

Nine phases. Nine rules. Nine powers.

To find. To grow. To evolve.

To build an armor of resolve.

The wings of destiny call,

The tree of life brings to an end.

Let the Song of Infinity begin anew.

Oh woe is to us, for our heart cries out for infinity.

1111

The crowd stood speechless at what they heard.

“It’s a bit out of place.” Konnor walked over with two flasks of beer in his hands, swaying a little. His nose was slightly red from drinking too much.

“Same. When did you take the time to write it?” asked Lulu.

“I didn’t. I was out on a dungeon exploration a few months ago and came upon it. I was so excited that I researched it with Dion and Samuel. I thought it would be a nice poem to read out to everybody during the wedding reception as well as tell you guys that this is just one of the many poems out there,” said Lilith. She raised the old tattered parchment that looked partially burnt. “How do I know? Look!” She pointed at the edge of the paper at a faded number. “It has an excerpt that says ‘part one.’ Not only that, there have been many popular and legendary poems written by this 1111 person.”

“The question comes down to why they would write such a dreary poem.” Cello grunted. He was uncomfortable in his nice clothes. Truthfully it made him even more scary looking wearing something so clean. A couple of buttons looked like they were about to burst from of his chest. “It should be more about the glory of war. Not some wretched plant.”

“No, this is important. The tree of life has many names. It’s an old legend that has been passed down through generations and had been translated in many languages and incorporated into many religions. The old gods called it Yggdrasil. My race calls it the Eternal Protector,” said Samuel. His explanation drew people’s attention about the topic, making them forget for a moment what everyone was here for.

“The eternal green ash tree stands proudly, protecting the Noriene. Its green branches spread out to every corners, keeping the world in balance.” Samuel began to sound like a teacher schooling his student. “The tree of life does not stop with just a tree that protects the world. There are other interpretations where the tree of life is a philosophy or a symbol rather than an actual tree. A stairway to enlightenment to become a sage, or a gateway to enlightenment. The teachings are so vast and numerous it’s hard to tell what’s right or wrong.”

“Either way it’s still out of place. I’m not good with understanding those cryptic messages. Especially on such a happy occasion like this.” Konnor hiccupped and burped. “It hurts my head.”

“Not really. Lately I have been researching and collecting the pages made from this 1111 person. Unfortunately, I haven’t found any more parts to this poem,” Lilith said sadly. “I’ll definitely find the rest.” She clenched her fist and her eyes sparkled with determination.

Samuel was filled with happiness, and he leaned over to give her a kiss. Lovingly he whispered, “I’ll help you as well.”

Lilith blushed red from embarrassment. She was not used to the attention from everyone else. She quickly tried to hide her embarrassment and get herself back on track. She cleared her throat and continued speaking.

“I wanted to thank—”

A loud bang and a flash of blinding light erupted amongst the crowd. The yells of men and women could be heard amongst the bright light.

“Kill them all! Do not leave the heroes standing alive!” screeched a female voice. Large demonic monsters rushed forward, slaying the defenseless wedding guests. Many fell quickly to the vicious large monsters, whose teeth shredded through bones and even metal. They were mutated horse-like creatures with flaming red manes and tails. Their eyes glowed green and their vicious teeth showed through their wicked smiles.

A few were able to readjust their eyes and fight back, though they staggered on their feet. They used forks, knives, spoons, and anything else they could find to fight. No one had their weapons nearby since none had expected an attack to happen during a wedding.

“It’s a Nightmare horse! Watch out for their teeth!” Drake yelled. He was slightly disoriented but was able to readjust in matter of seconds. He grabbed a silver fork off the table and slammed it down forcefully in the top area of the creature’s snout, pinning it into the ground. It buckled and pulled itself free of the fork, creating a large gaping hole in its snout. Drake swiftly stabbed four more pieces of silverware in precise locations that were considered deadly. The Nightmare horse stumbled and fell dead on the spot.

“Gahahahah! This is more like it. This is how a wedding should be!” Cello bellowed as he raised a butter knife and a cake cutter in his hands. It was odd to see a pirate-looking troll with one eye and bulging muscles that were about to bust out of his clothes laughing maniacally with a butter knife and a cake cutter in his hands. He was one of very few people who could make silverware look both effective and deadly.

“Quit laughing like an idiot and get them!” Drake said, busily holding the Nightmares back with a spoon. The spoon was enchanted with magic that kept it from bending or breaking. With a loud thwack in an upward motion the spoon crushed the Nightmare’s leg like a twig. With a horrible thud it fell to the side, screaming in agony. Cello followed after, slicing with his butter knife and cake cutter in hand.

Not too far from him Konnor was chugging beers and throwing the empty barrels at the Nightmares. The empty barrels of beer kept them at bay for only a moment before they aggressively charged forward.

“What are you doing?” said Lulu. She did not like how Konnor was still drinking at the time of crisis. “This is how you’re supposed to get rid of them. Divine Strength!”

A flash of gold light appeared around her, giving her increased strength. She picked up the full barrels of beer and chucked them at the oncoming Nightmares. Beer gushed forth from and doused the Nightmares, snuffing out their flaming hair. They stumbled.

“Noooooooooo! My beer!” Konnor gasped in horror and became sober in an instant. A Nightmare that dodged the barrel attack was upon him in matter of moments. “How could you?” he sobbed, and with an uppercut his bare fist smashed into the Nightmare’s head. With each pounding punch he bloodied his knuckles and the Nightmare, simultaneously sobbing from the anguish of the lost beer as if his heart were breaking.

“You’ll be fine. It’s just beer.” Lulu was busily throwing more and more.

On the other side Samuel was busily fending off the Nightmares with magic. The world around him became icy cold, the grass slowly froze over, and his breath became slower with the chanting of ancient magic.

“Ice wind!” Samuel’s eyes opened wide, and his hands spread out towards the Nightmares that surrounded him. Icy wind blew across the field, freezing the surrounding areas and stopping the movement of the Nightmares. The ice slowly crept up their legs and spread upwards to their bodies, making them into a giant ice statues.

“Lilith?” Samuel caught Lilith running in the opposite direction of the group.

“I’ll be back! Cover me, Samuel! I’m getting our weapons!” Lilith shouted. She started to rip off bits of the wedding dress while running to help her increase her speed. She gathered and rolled her skirt to make it easier to run without tripping.

Two Nightmares followed after her but were completely stopped by piercing magical ice arrows that froze them completely over. With panting breath, she arrived at the small hut where two guards were busily handing out weapons to everyone else.

“Mrs. Lilith,” one of the guards called out. She rushed in to grab her friends’ weapons. The hut was filled with all the wedding guests’ weaponry, to be held for them during the festivities.

With fumbling hands, she grabbed what she needed, but she let out a loud ompfh as her hands slipped carrying the battle axe. It was slightly too heavy for her.

“Take the battle axe and the battle hammer and give them to Konnor and Cello. Quickly!” she ordered one of the guards. The guard quickly picked up the two weapons, saluted, and left in a hurry.

She didn’t have time to dally. With all the weapons she could carry she ran from the hut. It was a difficult run, especially with the weapons in her hands and her wedding dress catching in between her legs.

As she approached, she saw that the Nightmares had dwindled down to a handful. They were being easily eradicated one by one.

“Samuel!” Lilith flagged him down with his bow and daggers in her hand.

A high-speed whistling sound could be heard, and Lilith stumbled forward confused at what had happened. She looked down and noticed her white dress was slowly turning red.

“Lilith!” Samuel yelled in horror. He rushed over to her as quickly as possible, but the world seemed like it was moving in slow motion.

Appearing before them floating with black wings spread out like an eagle was a humanoid demon, his skin as black as the night sky. His eyes glowed golden like a predator’s, his demeanor like a king. He wore pure black and red armor that blazed like fire. His sword was shaped like a great white shark’s teeth that could shear anybody in half. A pure black circlet rested upon his head on top of his golden hair. He stared down upon the crowd with an expression as cold as if they were insignificant bugs.

“A demon,” whispered Drake under his breath.

“Kill them.” The demon flapped his wings and gracefully landed on the ground. With a snap of his fingers, black portals opened behind him. He tucked in his wings, and streams of ugly humanoid creatures with black armor rushed out to combat the heroes and the remaining guests.

A soldier demon appeared before their lord and bowed deeply.

“Sir. The heroes and many highly acclaimed Adventurers are here,” the deep crackling voice said with malice.

“Adventurers? Heroes? What disgusting names to hear. Who thought of these wretched names?” the demon growled with disgust. He waved his hands. “Both names are now a taboo. Don’t ever bring up such foul words,” the demon king decreed. “Place a bounty on every so-called Adventurer and these so called-heroes from now on. We don’t need any more of these rats naming themselves as such.” He spat on the ground with disgust.

“Instead bring me the six heroes’ heads.” The demon king pulled back his cape and walked into the dark abyss, disappearing on the spot.

The soldiers that were bowing before their king stood up. “You heard our lord. Put a bounty on all so-called Adventurers. Find the heroes and kill them all!”

The thundering footsteps of soldiers rushed outwards, overrunning the wedding celebration in a blink of an eye. The world around the small outing was overturned in matter of seconds.

“Pull back! We cannot fight here!” Drake yelled, cradling a broken arm. He knew that fighting right now was a suicide attempt. People scattered, running for their lives, afraid to get killed in the raid.

“Go! I’ll hold them back!” Konnor yelled with a loud cry. He drummed his chest to catch the soldiers’ attention.

The sound of dying, screaming, and clashing of swords echoed endlessly as the scene faded into black. White flashes like lightning could be seen, and the rumbling of thunder-like sounds could be heard.

The world swirled with color and faded black, then in the darkness a soft blue light appeared. A giant test tube filled with water appeared, and inside it Lilith was hooked up to different black lines. Her surroundings were too dark to make out; only the soft glow from the test tube illuminated the dark room.

Lilith slowly woke up. She could not speak, move, nor talk. Instead, she silently watched. Laid out before her were tools, herbs, and items she had never seen before. A bloodied empty table stood in front of her in plain sight.

Dion walked out of the dark and stopped in front of test tube.

“I’m sorry, Lilith. There was no other way. Everyone’s gone.” Dion’s voice was filled with sadness. “I could not stop them.”

A tear escaped his eyes, and he raised his hand to wipe it away.

“I tried. I really did. I was too late. Have I ever told you that the first time you punched me in the face was the first time I was enamored with your fierce gaze? I know this is late, but I have always loved you. I just didn’t tell you till now.”

Dion put his hands onto the glass. “Everything will be alright. I’ll make you better.” Dion’s voice could be heard through the glass container. Lilith’s eyes drooped heavily, and her world turned once again pitch black.

The loud bloodied cry of Lilith’s voice broke apart the memory of the six heroes. It shattered like glass, each piece playing memories of Lilith past like twinkling stars. Tears of blood streamed down her eyes, making her look like she was crying from watching her past.

A clear sound of a horn was blown, waking up the players and NPCs.

“Charge!” a husky male voice called forth.