CHAPTER 17 - LORD VARAM

At the heart of the snowing and freezing barren land lies a majestic castle that emits terror and eeriness.

That castle was built from ice and bones of the living. It's structure was very subtle and complex.

With its height that could almost scrape the clouds, it gives off the vibe of dominating supremacy in the hearts of everyone gazing at this evil construction.

Yet this so-called 'Ice Bone Castle' had no windows and only had one huge door. Etched on this door's surface were corporeal bodies that were once alive and breathing, with each of their faces portrayed pain and agony.

The insides of this humongous citadel were very plain, with floors covered in ice like skating rinks and had only an odd looking throne as its furnishing.

Sitting on the weird yet large ceremonial chair was a being clad in shining black armor with icy blue linings on it and wearing a black and red cape.

His head were made of deadly vapor with its hollowed eyes glowing with white brilliance.

One look in his eyes could petrify one's soul.

On his large hands was a giant greatsword which he always gripped ever since he was summoned on Hicara to bring terror and grief on every living beings.

Although he was sitting silently as if he was asleep but in reality he was patiently waiting for someone.

As he felt a familiar energy gathering , he moved his gaseous head and directed his unfilled gaze right in front of him.

Within a few meters away from his throne a pitch-black gas started to become visible, trying to build its own shape and structure.

As the dense gases tightly held onto each other, a form could be seen. A creature wearing a tattered black hooded robe and a head of a rotten skull.

After the creature finished materializing itself, it made a solemnly bow.

"Myyy lieeegggeee, yooouuu... awakeeennneeeddd..."

"Kultos, what new tidings did you bring?"

The creature clad in a shining black armor spoke in a domineering and eerie voice. Although he had no mouth, a slight cold vapor could be seen expelling right below his hollowed white eyes.

"Pleeennntttyyy myyy lieeegggeee..."

"How are my fellow comrades are faring?"

"Otheeerrrsss... sleeepppsss... Ufooorrraaa... intaaacccttt... Peeerrrbuuusss... maaaddd..."

"Hah! That miscreant couldn't subdue those low lives up until now. Such a disgrace to the King!"

The liege laughed in belittlement. His laughed made the interiors of the castle to fidget. As for the black hooded skull, he kept on hissing as if taking part on his lord's happiness.

"Shaaalll... heeelllppp?..."

"No. Leave him be. Rather I want you to foil his plans further. His failures would be beneficial to our own agenda. I want him to look miserable in front of the King."

"Byyy... wiiilll..."

"There's another matter that I'm concerned of. I felt a living being has set foot on my beloved realm, disturbing my slumber! Who dares to awake Lord Varam, shall feel my wrath!"

The liege stood up as he nudged his greatsword a little on the ground but that tiny action caused to surge a violent invisible energy that made the black hooded skull Kultos cower in fear. At the same time, it shook the the entire area making few ice shards above to fell on the icy ground like spears.

"Kuuultooosss... haaannndddllleee..."

"Don't fail me. If you ever found the intruder, you know what to do."

"Yeeesss... lieeegggeee... Kuuultooosss... faaaiiillleeeddd... wooonnn'ttt..."

The black hooded skull made a dignified bow and then disintegrated in the chilly air out from sight. The black armored creature with a vaporized pitch-black head who called himself Lord Varam sat again from his weird looking throne made of ice and bones as h tries to resume his sleep.

The castle then was filled an everlasting silence.

------

Outside the castle.

Kultos materialized himself on the harsh environment. His black hooded robe swayed harshly as the tremendous wind blew.

The coldness didn't bother him. Rather, it made him felt at ease.

The fear that his liege stirred was still inside of him, reverberating the sole of his very existence. For him it was a symphony that would shook everything.

"Fooorrr... lieeegggee..."

He hissed like a venomous snake and a sinister wind. As he raised his left skeletal arm, the snow around him began to revolve.

From the ground, a black miasma emerged. Several skeletal warriors appeared in front of him, with clubs made of reinforced osseins sharpened with death auras.

"Fiiinnnddd... intrruuudddeeerrr... kiiilll..."

As he commanded, his skeletal minions were covered in deathly smog as they sank into the ground and started moving.

The harsh wind blew much stronger than before. The snow that fell began to increase in volume.

"Fooorrr... lieeegggeee..."

He hissed again for the second time as his jawed clicking in rhythm with his undying loyalty to his lord. His body then began to break up and was scattered by the blowing wind. Before he can disappear, he made another hissing sound,

"Kiiilll..."