Disclaimer: I do not own Ragnarok Online. This story, however, is completely mine and may not be redistributed or used without my approval.

Chapter 30

The staircase was beautifully lined with stone statues of mythical creatures. Gryphons, Dragons, even the mighty Pegasus were present. The cave was held up by marble beams which had engravings on them. These engravings seem to tell a story. A story which started out in an almost paradise...and ended in a bloody battle. There were no torches, instead, crystals lined the walls and shone brightly and lit up the cave. No science could explain why they shone or how, it was simply magic.

Soon, we had reached the end of the stairs and the crystals grew dark. The Pecos seemed excited...or nervous, yet despite of their behavior, we head on. It wasn't long before the lighting was dim enough we walked slowly and cautiously, so not to stumble on a rock or root. We then reached a small passageway which seemed to lead into a large room. I expect that that's where the Yggdrasil Tree lay.

As we got closer to the end of the passage, I noticed faint, bobbing lights in the distance. These were too large to be fireflies and they were organized in rows. Someone had arrived before us.

"Raisu." I stopped the group and rode beside the elven girl. "Torches." I pointed to the bobbing lights. In a split second, Raisu fell to the ground. "RAI!"

Everyone started to panic. A dart stuck out of the girl's neck. It was a tranquilizer and I sighed with some relief. Before I could act, however, I felt something collide with the back of my head and everything went black.

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I woke up, finding myself with a severe headache. A cloth was wrapped around my head with little care, but I knew from it that I was bleeding. My hands and feet were tied up and I couldn't move an inch. I looked around but all I could see was a tent.

"Crap..." I muttered as I found my belt to be lighter that before. They had stolen Excalibur, whoever they were. I shuffled myself to a desk and pulled myself up. Before I could do more, however, guards came into the tent. They had jet black armor plated onto their large bodies. Spikes were welded onto their gauntlets and shoulder pads, making them look like demons. Their helmets were even more intimidating.

"Take him to Dalmar." One of the three guards ordered with a voice that sent chills down my spine. "The Lord of the Night awaits." The two other guards bowed slightly and walked towards me. I tried to fight back, but the amount of blood loss I suffered made my head light and I could not think well. I tried to run between the two but was caught and dragged out of the tent.

The others were tied up and whipped if they were to protest. These men had reduced my companions to slaves.