Underground

The tunnel was deep, but Auron and Mallad had finally managed to reach the bottom in ten minutes. Auron rose the torch up, whose light tore through the darkness and they found out that they entered some kind of underground maze full of crossing passages, dark caves and intricate rooms.

The maze looked huge and quite complicated, Auron looked to Mallad, who however ensured paladin that he had gone through here numerous times, well till the entrance was sealed, that he will quid and showing him the right way. And he immediately pointed on the nearest and quite big entrance as a start with his wing. Auron only nodded, having the full trust in the bird and they went through the dark tunnel.

Extended underground building was silent like a grave. Auron and Mallad were walking through the darkened passages, the torch was lightening their way and scared bats were beating heros head with is wings, Mallad occasionally snapped at them with a loud cawing, they were passing the rooms, where the walls were cracking and they were plunging into the dark caves where the mod and rot blew. There was complete silence everywhere, only mice run around at times, hiding in to holes against hero and spiders were running out of ripped webs. Well rather better for Auron who had to listen Mallads constant talking and wisecracking all along.

One hour later, they went through a long passage and Mallad informed Auron, that they are very close already. The end of passage was coming closer, when heroes came through entrance gate to the huge dark chamber, which strongly resembled a tomb. Auron and Mallad slowly stepped in to middle of room, when suddenly a rumbled wall closed the entrance gate and break through the silence.

In the same moment a sinister loud laugh sounded from nowhere and fire of paladins torch faded away. However in the same time the chamber lightened up and Auron and Mallad, shocked found themselves surrounded by the army of "armed skeletons"! They were truly threatening, each of them was wearing a certain type of armor, armed with swords, shields, spears, maces and axes and they engaged heroes with a soulless sighing and growling. Mallad flew to the air loudly cowing, but Auron had stood firmly, clutching the Sword Of Ages in his palm, ready to fight. And then, without a single word he threw the torch to one of the skeletons and it pierced its skull so sharply that the skull backslided.

So the fight started. Auron was slashing and stabbing living skeletons and also cutting their heads off, hitting them by punches and kicks, and also occasionally he threw his sword after them, but then his weapon had immediately returned to his hands, and he was also crafty avoiding and blocking their own attacks of swords, axes, maces and spears and he even threw a skull to another skeleton so strongly, that the skeleton completely crushed on the piece.

Though they were just keep coming, hero kept fighting, when he eventually created a glowing hole ball in his palm, just like before and threw it swiftly to two remaining skeletons, and powerful glowing blast turned them in to the dust. The whole ground was littered by bones and skulls.

Auron sighed with satisfaction and proudly supported himself of his sword and Mallad, watching the fierce fight from the air, encouraging and cheering for the hero loudly flew down and triumphantly cheering for his small victory, which earned a smile to paladin. But, that had been not all, and Auron knew it, when a sudden sinister laugh sounded again. Auron reactively turned, clutching a weapon and he see, that another skeleton emerged himself out of the dark of another passage, though he was much bigger, burly then other skeletons, wearing a shining armor, wielding a big yet beautifully decorated sword and shield, red cape and he a nice golden crown on his skull. Truly a...Skeleton King.

Auron drew his hole weapon, ready to fight again. The Skeleton King rose his sword up, which started glowing by evil green light. In that moment, much for Auron shock and dislike some skeletons, like on mark built together themselves again, stood up, armed and ready for round two. Just like "Good as new". Auron realized that Skeleton King posses some kind of resurrecting powers. Hero once again engaged a fight with skeletons, but this time, every time when he slash or crushed them on pieces, they also once again built together a get back to life by Skeleton Kings dark magic effects.

The situation however get even more delicate, because Skeleton King himself had also engaged the fight with paladin. For Auron it was extremely difficult to fight both skeletons and their bigger and more powerful king at once. Though hero was managing to dodge and block his attacks and strikes successfully, King was much stronger and thougher than other of his warriors and he was really determined to take the hero down, no matter what.

Eventually Skeleton King suddenly knocked Auron down with his shield and in the while, when paladin was lying on the ground, pined by giant skeletons foot, and Skeleton King rose his sword up, in order to deliver final lethal strike to finish him off, though Mallad suddenly flew out of the air down and started fiercely pecking Kings face with a loud cowing. Surprised mighty skeleton howled in pain and he was then forced to step back and he also released Auron. Hero did not waste the time, automatically get back on his feet and engaged another fierce battle to finish the skeletons off, meanwhile raging crow was repeatedly pecking with his beak, beating with his wings and scratching with his claws quite intimidated Skeleton Kings face.

Auron eventually cut the last remaining skeleton off and then he engaged to Skeleton King to help Mallad. King was though too much distracted by crow to react on Aurons counterattack at time, who cut his hand clutching necro sword with his blue glowing sword so the other skeletons did not came back to life again. Then a mighty stab by sword followed through the armor and ribcage. And then as final blow, hero swiftly swung with his weapon and cut Skeleton Kings head off.

The massive skull, decorate by golden crown fall away and then it exploded for little pieces and dust at the moment. Auron then kicked headless and lifeless skeletal body away and it also crushed on little pieces by impact to the ground. While Auron was triumphantly standing above the dump of bones, littered all around, Mallad flew down right to Aurons straightened arm. The bird was cheering aloud for Aurons victory again, how great and powerful warrior he is, though hero thanked Mallad for saving his life, deeply appreciating crows courage.

With a common appreciation and congratulating with each other and after a while of little rest, they continued in their path. They directed right to huge gate, the same way where the Skeleton King came through. They went through the gate and came to the huge circle like room, where the stair led by sides right up. It was actually a central tower interior and it was quite high, posed by windows. Well Auorn and Mallad walked right upstairs. Aruron started to have a strange feeling, that they are getting really close already.

When they finally reached the top, they were standing against a huge gate in the moment. There was something strange about that gate, something enchanted, dark and evil.

Auron though knew it. He deeply felt in his bones, that time had come...the time he will eventually face so known cruel, dark and evil Death Lord, an evil god, who plunged the entire world into darkness, almost annihilated the entire human race and brought an evil on this world. Auron, standing with a talking crow on his shoulder against the evil gate, dug into the deepest parts of his mind, thinking about his whole life, training and upbringing, his adoptive fathers wise talks and advices, handing the supernatural sword Sword Of Ages, meeting a holy being God Of Power, receiving holy powers and his unique destiny, to fight and defeat Death Lord, rid the world of the darkness, instil good, law and justice again and save the human kind as a last chance: The Paladin. And that gave him a courage and determination.

He was suddenly returned back to reality when Mallad, sitting on his shoulder cowed quite aloud, asking if they are going or not. Auron only smiled. So, standing against evil door, Auron clutching his hole weapon firmly, with his feather companion on his side, with a determined and bold expression came right to the gate, opened it and entered in...