Chapter 27: Condemnation
Doraat Fortress, 338 Solar Year

The sounds of steel swords banging against a metal shield began to echo throughout the hallways and corridors. Several night guards heard the noises and went to investigate. As they got closer to the source, they heard a blood curdling scream. Someone had been stabbed and was now dying. The guards quickly ran around the corner as a scene of blood covering the ground and part of a wall met their eyes. One man was dead on the ground and two were alive standing near him engaged in battle.

The Nethergate assassin was attacking Robert with a sword. The warrior had pulled a shield off from a suit of armor and was blocking the blows. The knights charged the assassin just as he had managed to knock Robert over from the force of his sword strikes.

The three men tackled the assassin hard and fast. He dropped his blade as he fell to the floor striking his own head on the ground as well. The ninja instantly passed out. Robert stood up and thanked the men for saving his life. The Queen's Knight looked at the dead assassin and then to the unconscious one saying, "Strip him down, make sure he has no surprises hiding in his garb. Then, lock him in the castle dungeon with full chains and manacles. I want him under a full guard and continuous watch. No one talks to him until I do first, understood?" "Sir, yes, Sir" they said in unison.

Walking over to the unconscious Nethergate, Robert reached down and began feeling around his mouth to the confusion of the men. Then, he seemed to find what he was looking for. He pulled out a fake tooth that was hollow and filled with a strange chemical.

Robert carefully removed it without spilling the contents in the comatose man's mouth and then he added, "It's poison. Kills them instantly. I saw them do it in the last war. They break it and die instantly rather than get taken prisoner. And I am not about to have this dirtbag off himself before I get a chance to interrogate him."

A few hours later, as the assassin awakened, he became quickly aware of his situation and of his missing tooth to his dismay. A now fully dressed and irritated Robert entered the prison cell. He told the guards to bring him and they did.

The prisoner was led to a new room with a table and two chairs at either end. He was seated on a chair fully restrained in chains as the knight had ordered. Robert took the other chair opposite the table and ordered the two be left alone.

Robert said bluntly, "Well, it looks like the assassin failed to carry out his assassination. I hear there is a high price for that kind of failure where you come from. I doubt you'll be alive too much longer when your Order finds out. You're no longer useful to them. You might as well be useful to me before your miserable life ends."

The prisoner said nothing, but rolled his eyes defyingly. The black-haired man continued, "You see, I think you guys aren't working alone here in this country. I think you've had help. There is no way you could get into a fortress like this without someone on our side helping you. I want answers! I want names, you son-of-a..." Again, more silence.

A more vexed Robert pressed on, "After you killed me, where were you going to go? Back to the Twilight Forest? No, I doubt that. I think you were going to meet up with your friends somewhere. You see, I heard some of your friends tried to attack Sun Palace last night as well. They failed! Just as miserably as you did and from what I heard they're all dead now too. So, you see it's over. I want to know where you guys were going to meet up after you murdered the leading figures in the Queendom?"

At last, the Nethergate assassin spoke up, "Ask all the questions you want. I am not telling you shit! Robert stood up and a great big grin came over his face. He flipped over the table that divided them. He stood to his fullest height and smashed his fist into his other hand, "Oh, that's great to hear! Honestly, I was hoping you would say that. I tried to do this my brother's way. Now we do things: MY WAY!"

In an old house on the outskirts of Rainwall, the sedative started to wear off as Lazlo groggily came too. Dim light began to fill his eyes as he became more aware of his surroundings. It was cold, damp, and dark. It was some kind of a basement that had been converted into a makeshift dungeon. Then, reality came flooding back over him.

He had been in the forest dueling Razi. He was about to finish him off when he had been hit by that powerful tranquilizer and poison. It should have killed him instantly, but the True Rune had preserved him. Yet, his whole head was still foggy and dizzy. He felt nauseous as well. It was like the largest hangover he had ever had.

Despite his groggy head, he realized he was standing up and so Lazlo tried to move, but he could not. Finally gaining full awareness, he looked up at his arms and down at his feet. All his appendages were shackled in manacles and chained to the stone wall.

He tried struggling, but it was no use as the chains were strong and secure. Also, he was shirtless. His chestguard and weapons were gone. Moreover, Lazlo was alone in this make shift prison for the moment.

The Islander looked down. This time he caught notice of some strange lines under his feet. The lines seemed to be interconnected. From what he could see and smell the lines were drawn with blood. But it wasn't his. These bloodlines seemed to form a pattern. The lines formed a triangle, then a second triangle facing the opposite direction. The affect was the two triangles created a 6-pointed star or hexagram. A large circle had also been drawn around each of these points.

Lazlo did not practice the dark arts, but he had enough sense to recognize their symbols when he saw them. And this one below his feet seemed especially sinister and dangerous. The Obel prince thought about the Rune of Punishment. Maybe, he could use some of its power to break the chains and escape, before Razi, or whoever, came back to discover that he was missing.

It would require precise aim. One wrong move and he might hit himself with his own runic spell. Taking aim with his mind's eye, Lazlo began to summon the True Rune's power. The image of the Rune started glowing on his hand, but nothing was happening. He tried concentrating harder, summoning forth more of the Rune's power.

Then, suddenly the star-shape lines of blood under him started to illuminate. It was glowing like hot ambers burning in a campfire. Without warning a sharp pain formed out of nowhere in Lazlo's left hand and then started traveling through his whole body. He screamed out in agony at the excruciating pain pulsating throughout his entire being.

The pain was so intense he stopped trying to cast his spell. With the Rune of Punishment no longer being channeled, the pain in his body subsided. Also, the glowing glyph stopped as well. The burning star returned to its normal natural color of crimson. Lazlo now understood the purpose of the magic under his feet. It was meant to suppress runic magic; even a True Rune user couldn't cast a spell without it inflicting intense pain on the spell caster himself.

Lazlo grimaced as the lingering pain faded away. How could he have been so foolish to let Razi get the better of him like that, he thought to himself. Suddenly, he heard an old heavy metal door begin to screech open. The new wave of extra light flooded the dimly lit basement as Lazlo could now make out various shelves on the far walls.

Some shelves had what looked like potions and herbs. Others contained old books and tomes that looked old and worn out and covered in dust. More importantly, he saw his swords, knife, armor, and other personal effects laying in the opposite corner of the room.

As his eyes adjusted to the new source of light, he could make out the silhouette of a skinny man. It was Razi. He had a burning torch in one hand and what looked like another old book in his other. Placing the torch in a wall holster near Lazlo and placing the book on a nearby table, the exiled priest looked over the chained Lazlo with the greatest expression of glee. He then reached for Lazlo's gloveless left hand and examined the rune's image under the torch light.

"That toxin would have killed not only a man instantly, but it was strong enough to bring down a Behemoth. The fact that you're not only alive, but awake so soon tells me that rune in your hand is powerful, indeed! It is very fascinating! I've never seen anything like it or its patterns before. I am sure its rarity is only matched by its power."

"I have studied about nearly all of the known runes. And this one must be quite rare. Perhaps, even a direct product of a True Rune itself like Lord Nyoka's Half Moon Rune, or even the Dawn Rune. I'll only ask once more. Where did you get it?" demanded Razi. Lazlo remained silent, but only stared him downed with very fierce and intense eyes.

"So, the little hero doesn't want to say, eh? It matters not. I have ways of making you talk." stated the young magician in his normal haughty voice. He continued, "My master wants more than just the Sun Rune for its power. He wants all 3 solar runes. He thinks that with them he'll become like a god. Apotheosis and what not. But I don't plan on letting that happen. He's already dangerous and powerful enough. I shudder to think of him with a True Rune as well. No, he is too old and unstable to rule this land. Someone younger and in more control of his faculties should rule."

Lazlo retorted, "Let me guess, that person is you, right?" "Precisely," a menacing voice retorted, "and that unique Rune of yours will give me just the edge I need to oppose him before he acquires all the solar runes for himself."

"Speaking of solar runes, I sent my Nethergate assassin and a few other local mercenaries after your dear little princess and her Dawn Rune. Soon, I'll have both it and your Rune in my hands... Literally! Haha."

"You won't..." Lazlo was interrupted by Razi before he could finish, "I won't, what? Get away with this? You stupid Islander. I already have! Once I get possession of that deadly rune of yours, I'll need to try it out and see how strong it really is. But on who? Oh, I know. I shall practice on that little luscious princess of yours. Well, after I've had some fun with her first. I wouldn't want to bruise the fruit too much before I've had a chance to sample it. Hahaha"

The twin swordmaster felt a sudden rage boil up inside him, he tried to charge at Razi, but couldn't take more than a step forward before the chains pulled his arms and legs back to the wall. Razi continued to sneer and jeer at the warrior several more moments before he composed himself again.

"You're a very dangerous man, Lazlo. You think I'd be down here alone if you weren't chained both physically and magically? As I am sure you've already learned judging by the screams I heard before I came down here."

He pointed below Lazlo's feet to the arcane magical hexagram star on the ground drawn in blood. This dark magic prevents any kind of runic spell from being cast without causing the user to experience unbelievable physical pain. But he was right, Lazlo had already learned this for himself; the hard way. His muscles were still sore from the spell he tried to cast prior.

He was bound and swordless, but he reasoned he still had a few weapons at his disposal, which were time and Razi's pride. The young clergy didn't seem to know that Lazlo's Rune of Punishment was indeed one of the 27 True Runes. He thought it was just a rare and unique one. Maybe, there was a way he could use that ignorance to his advantage. He knew he'd have to wait for the right moment.

Lazlo knew he had to keep the priest talking, "So, tell me Razi, where did you learn such a powerful magical binding spell like this? And what makes you think you can just wield my Rune? Let alone, think I'll just give it to you?"

The exiled Nagarean laughed. "How foolish do you think I am? But I suppose it doesn't matter. You'll be dead before this day is done anyhow. He walked over to the table and grabbed the old book. Tell me Mr. Ambassador, have you ever heard of the great magician called Erkanos?" Lazlo nodded no as he knew he had the man going now.

Razi started into a monologue: "Erkanos was a peerless mage in his day. It is said that he helped Hikusaak overthrow the Kingdom of Aronia during the Hero's War and establish the Holy Kingdom of Harmonia over three centuries ago. After the war, he departed Holy Harmonia to study the secrets of the Sindarians and their incredible magical feats."

"Several decades later, he returned to Harmonia writing down all he had learned about the Sindarians and their magic arts into this book. This Tome of Erkanos, as it was later called after the magician died, holds in its pages several dark and powerful spells including the one my Master and Lord Hikusaak both originally used to make clone vessels for themselves."

He went on, "In addition, the magical containment spell that now resides under your feet comes from these pages. Indeed, this book was a national treasure in Harmonia before the exiled Bishop Nagarea stole it prior to coming to this continent decades ago. Nyoka took the book for himself last year and shared its dark secrets with me."

"Well, good for you two. That's a cute little story you have there, but I still don't see what it has to do with me." said Lazlo a bit more reckless in tone than he would have liked to have been. Razi sneered then walked up to the chained and defenseless Lazlo and punched him very hard in the sternum.

The prisoner lurched forward from the blow and he groaned in pain. A very pleased Razi returned to the table and grabbed the book. He started to flip through the pages until he found the one, he was looking for.

"This is what it has to do with you my dear friend," a haughty voice replied, "The more powerful a rune the harder it is to control. Some runes even develop a will of their own. This spell will allow me to extract that rune from your body whether it wants to or not. I will place the rune into this orb here." He removed an empty sphere from his side pouch and placed it on the table.

Suddenly, a great dread came over Lazlo. The thought of the Rune of Punishment being free again to plunder innocent lives again filled him with fear. With desperation in his voice he shouted, "NO! You can't! Razi, you don't know what kind of danger you're unleashing not only upon yourself, but this world. It is too…."

"Shut up! I don't give a damn what you have to say. You'll say anything right now to avoid the ungodly pain your about to experience. Oh, didn't I tell you? The dark arcane spell under your feet not only inflicts pain on you if you try to use your own magic, but any spell used on you or near you will also inflict untold pain on your body and soul. I doubt you'll live through this. But don't worry, I'll be sure to tell your dear little princess your last thoughts were of her. I am sure that will be comforting to her, when I kill her too."

The clergyman began to read an incantation from the book in a tongue Lazlo didn't understand. Not that it mattered much, because right now the bearer of the Rune of Punishment was powerless to do anything to stop Razi. A dark blue light began to emanate from the book as a gray mist began to fill the room.

Moments later, rays of the same dark blue light began to leap forth from the old tome in midair and darted for Lazlo. His whole body was covered by the strange and eerie light. He could feel power being drained from his body as a suction feeling now cascaded through his flesh. In addition, the Rune of Punishment started to glow on his hand. Lazlo again yelled to Razi to ask him to stop.

The young priest either couldn't hear or chose to ignore him as the ritual continued.

Then the star-like hexagram under Lazlo's feet started to glow blood red again just as the conceited priest said it would. Like being attacked by a thousand sharp daggers simultaneously, pain was sent traveling throughout every fiber of Lazlo's being. He tried to cry out, but couldn't because so unbearable was the pain that his mouth and voice box had stopped working.

More bursts of excruciating anguish flooded into his core causing him to feel such an intense agony. He yearned for release. He wanted the pain to stop. In that moment, he wanted to die as he could feel his very soul on fire.

Then, suddenly the pain stopped. The spell hadn't stopped though. He could still barely make out Razi performing the ritual. But his pain was diminishing. Quickly he realized, he had gotten his wish. He was indeed now dying.

Fading into nothingness. His last conscious thought was of Olinda. Lazlo saw her standing in front of him. He tried to reach out his hand to hers. But it was no use. He couldn't move any part of his body. The former prince tried to say her name one last time, but it was too late. The dark void had over taken him. Lazlo was gone.

A grave look overcame the small priestess' face. Ms. Jeane turned to her shorter friend and asked her, "What's wrong?" She replied, "A strong fear, Eresh does have for Comrade Lazlo. In trouble, she thinks Lazlo is."

"He is with Simeon right now. Plus, he's a very capable young man. Tee-hee. Also, he has that True Rune of his. Very powerful is the Rune of Punishment. For many years, I watched Lazlo use that Rune time and time again. It should have killed him. However, he only came back stronger than before. Even now, I believe there are still many untapped mysteries in the Rune of Punishment that even Lazlo still has yet to discover." Jeane replied.

Eresh still didn't feel totally comforted by Jeane's consoling words. Instead, she said, "Comrade Jeane, would you be mad at Eresh, if she went back North to see Comrades Lazlo and Simeon? Will Comrade Jeane be okay here alone in Doraat with the Falenan Army?" Jeane nodded and gave a small giggle before she hugged her old friend and left the inn room where they were now staying to look for Tanya and Desmond.

She, likewise, gathered her things and prepared for the journey back to Mt. Amdort. If she had to be honest with herself, she had been too afraid to go there before. Which is why she didn't go with Simeon and Lazlo.

But now this new and sudden concern she felt in her heart toward her newest friend Lazlo being in danger pushed her to go beyond her fear of her brother. It was time to face him at last. She took one last look around her room before exiting and began the journey back toward the territory of Rainwall.

Where does the soul go when the body dies? Heaven? Was he in Paradise? Heaven, he thought, wasn't it supposed to be a happy place where a person felt no more sorrow, hurt, or burden? Yet, right now Lazlo did feel free, but he still felt a huge burden hanging over him. The warrior didn't know where he was. These were Lazlo's only conscious thoughts.

He suddenly found himself floating in a space, an empty space; a void. This area was a bright light, pure white. Yet, nothing was giving off the light as it had no source. There were no shadows, not even the confused swordsman was casting one.

Lazlo began thinking to himself, where am I? Then, the last memory of what had happened to him: the pain, the chains, Razi, the book, everything including his Rune came back to him. He looked down at his left hand, but the symbol was gone. The True Rune was gone and he could feel it. Well, rather the lack of it.

So long had he felt the powers and energy of the Rune of Atonement and Forgiveness emanating throughout his body-healing it and strengthening it. That he had nearly forgotten what it was like not to have it. To feel normal. To be a normal man once more.

Becoming more aware of his location in this empty endless void of bright light he said in a soft audible whisper "Is anyone there?" Then yelling very loudly, "Hello, is anyone there? Anyone!?" Expecting to hear his loud voice to echo off into the distance, he waited, but it did not. There was no echo! No sound! Only silence.

Though he was floating in this void he felt he should try to run or something. He tried moving, to run. It was futile. He went off in one direction and then another. He felt like he was making no progress. The horizon seemed just as far away as ever before no matter which way he went. He gave up. Lazlo screamed out in frustration and let himself fall backwards in mid-air, floating. His eyes closed as exasperation filled him.

He floated for what could have been hours or minutes, he could not tell. The Islander started to hear a faint sound. It sounded like a song. It was music! He opened his eyes immediately as familiarity and joy suddenly swelled up inside him. That was the song his mother's music box played. That melody always played before he saw his mother's memories trapped in the Rune of Punishment appear to him while he dreamed.

He still didn't have the Rune of Punishment, did he? Was he dead? Or was this a dream too? Lazlo was even more confused now than before. But as the song got louder and louder, he didn't care anymore. Lazlo now heard a voice call, only a whisper, but still loud enough. He heard it say, "My son." He started looking around for his mother. She had never said that before to him.

In fact, she had never spoken to him any words before. She had always been silent, but she replayed Lazlo's only childhood memory of her speaking in his mind again and again to the Rune Bearer, which he had come to understand to mean, 'I love you' from his mother. The strange voice called out again, "My son!" This time it was clearly louder, and more interestingly it was not a woman's voice, but a man's.

A new brighter light began to appear in front of Lazlo. He tried to shield his face with his arms, but to no avail. The light was too intense. However, it soon started to dim and Lazlo could now make out a form. It was indeed a man. He was tall, middle-aged, he had a strong build, and well-tanned skin.

The figure wore high leather sandals, blue denim shorts cut off at the seams, no shirt, just a light-colored salmon vest exposing most of his chest. He also wore a necklace with a large feather hanging in the middle of it, along with 2 smaller feathers on either side of it.

His head was narrow with short spiky blond hair with a little of the same-colored hair on his chin. He had blue eyes. His smile was rough, but friendly, and seeing it filled Lazlo with great joy. This man was dressed common and lack luster, but he was in fact the former King of Obel, Lino En Kuldes, and most importantly Lazlo's father.

The king raised his hand and waved hello. He looked at the young man standing before him and said, "You look bigger. Stronger than I remember too. So, how have you been?" Lazlo was speechless.

He hadn't seen Lino in years and had so many things he wanted to tell him, but in this moment, all he could think to say was, "I really don't know. How about you!?" "Me? I'm fine. Better than fine really. Haven't felt this nimble in years, truly!" the old king replied and then laughed in that deep voice of his. Lazlo couldn't help but smile as well at the familiar and very missed sound of his father's words.

Suddenly, another voice called as a new form appeared beside Lino. It was his wife. The Queen of Obel. She was slender and blonde. She wore a white and blue top and long red skirt. She, also, wore a red headband and belt. Once she appeared and was fully formed Lazlo was now speechless.

He could feel tears begin to fall from his face. After nearly 50 years here were both of his parents together standing before him. His mother walked up to him and embraced him warmly. Then pulling back she said, "We don't have much time. The Rune of Punishment will only remain dormant for only so long. I can't be here long. Soon the Rune will take control once more and draw me back in."

"I don't understand how is this possible? Where are we? You 2 are dead. So, am I dead as well? Or is this some kind of a dream or something? I am just lost. I've been lost for so long. This accursed Rune. The burden is just so much! I just can't do it anymore. I can't do it alone. I thought I could, but I can't. What do I do? What do I do?" a very emotional and broken Lazlo poured out.

Sharing the full burden of his heart after so many decades with his mother and father.

The Queen clasped her hands around his and looked him in the eyes and said, "Lazlo, from the moment I first held you in my arms after you were born, I knew you were destined for far greater things than either your father or I could have possibly imagined. And I was right. I have watched you for years from inside the Rune. I've seen the kind of man you have become. And I know that there is nothing you cannot do if you set your mind to it. Plus, you are not alone. You have friends and people who care about you. Your father and I are with you, always! Not in your left hand, but we live in here (she pointed to his heart)."

She stood up and look at her husband, "The Rune of Punishment is regaining control. I can't stay much longer. When I go, you'll have to leave as well." Lino nodded, "I know."

The former king of Obel turned to his son and said, "You must stay strong. Don't forget there are many people who are still counting on you. I know you can do this. Because, I know you. There is a great power in you, and I don't mean that Rune stuck on your hand. I mean in you, Son, just you! However, you're going to need this Rune's power in the upcoming fight. It will be the most difficult battle you have ever fought in your life, but I believe in you. Now believe in yourself!"

Lazlo said in a confused voice, "But, how can I fight? I am chained to a wall and my Rune is sealed. How can I fight back?" Lino answered calmly, "I don't mean this fight. I mean against that Ancient One." "What?" said Lazlo, "Ancient One? You mean, Nyoka?"

Before Lino could answer, the Queen interjected, "Our time is up husband, we must go. He'll need to learn the rest for himself. Lazlo, my dear son, your father is right you have a great power in you. You will need to use that strength and the power of your True Rune, if you are going to save your loved ones." she said walking away and then fading away in the void with Lino holding her hand as they both dissolved into nothingness.

His parents' voices faded. The last thing he heard from his mother was, "I love you too, my child." And his father's words echoing in his heart said, "I know you can do this because you're my son!"

The Islander closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. Suddenly, he was back in the dark damp room chained to a wall. The leftover pain came soaring back to him like a dam bursting forth. He felt a rush of adrenaline move throughout his body, which was covered in several magical burns that pierced his whole flesh.

Lazlo tried standing up. Leaning against the cool stonewall brought the burns on his back much pleasant relief, if only for a moment. Reaching deep down Lazlo grit his teeth and pulled himself up to his feet.

The spell was over and he could hear Razi laughing with joy as though the ritual had been successful. Lazlo now recalled the power of his True Rune being drained from his body. He overheard Razi cheering, "This rune's great power is mine and soon Nyoka you shall face my wrath!"

Lazlo looked up at his left hand, the Rune of Punishment was still there. In fact, he could now start to feel its power flow passively throughout his body once more. So, he wondered, what rune did Razi have in that orb?

The clergyman looked over at the glimpses of movement coming from Lazlo's corpse. He wasn't dead after all. Razi was stunned. How could this be? Such agony and pain should have killed even the likes of him. Who the hell was this guy anyway? He thought. Then a sinister idea entered his mind.

He walked over to Lazlo who was still staggering to his feet. "I was going to try this out first on your dear little princess, but since you still have some fight left in you. Why don't I try out this newly created rune on you?"

Lazlo made sure also to hide the back of his left hand from Razi's gaze as he didn't want him to see that he still possessed his True Rune. Using his rune sage skills, Razi placed this unknown orb in his left hand.

The symbol confused Razi, as it was different than the one Lazlo had had on his left hand, but he could still feel the same kind of strong odd dark magic now pouring into his own body that he had sensed coming from Lazlo. So, this minor detail didn't concern him for the moment.

Instead, the fallen clergy then turned to the twin swordmaster as a look of certain victory overcame his face. A symbol of this strange rune appeared over his head. The runic symbol didn't look like the Rune of Punishment. However, the magic felt the same: powerful, but malevolent.

No, this rune had the same spiral center as Lazlo's, but it also had a strange sickle on the left side of it and the face of something sinister looking. Lazlo couldn't figure it out in time as the punishment magic-type attack spell was coming at him.

Lazlo clinched his teeth harder waiting for the new wave of pain to flow in his body as he wondered how much more he could take before he died for real this time. The blood hexagram under his feet glowed once more. Lazlo could feel the magic coursing through his body, but it didn't hurt. The pain from the hexagram filled his being and that did hurt greatly, but there was no extra pain from Razi's rune.

He cried out as his old magic wounds from before started to burn anew, but the intensity wasn't as bad as he thought it was going to be. Subsequently, he saw something even more unexpected, Razi himself in pain. The spell not only had hurt him, but Razi as well.

The young warrior stood up confused, "I don't understand!" he yelled with great anger. "What happened!?" He tried again to use the rune in his left hand once more on Lazlo. Everything repeated itself exactly the same as before. And again, Lazlo and Razi both yelled out in pain just as before too.

After he caught his breath, Razi demanded of Lazlo what was happening. The bearer of the True Rune, breathing deeply himself started to laugh in-between his gasps for air and coughing. He turned his shackled hand over to reveal the Rune of Punishment still very much attached to him.

"Your little ritual didn't work precisely as you had intended, I think, did it? Oh, you did, indeed, forcefully take my Rune's power, but not even close to all of it. You think this Rune is some one-of-a-kind rare rune like the Dawn Rune or something? Your dead wrong! Those runes are small lakes compared to the ocean of power I wield." proclaimed Lazlo boldly.

A flabbergasted Razi asked, "Wait, what are you saying? Do you mean you have one of the..." Lazlo spoke over him," One of the 27 True Runes? Yes, yes, I do. The Rune of Atonement and Forgiveness, better known as the Rune of Punishment. And you just got a small taste of its old curse. This True Rune requires a terrible price to use its awesome power: your own life energy."

"This cannot be!" a desperate Razi began ranting and raving like a mad man. "You're lying! A mistake. Yes, something went wrong with the incantation." He tore into the pages of Erkanos' tome looking for the spell. "I, I just need to do the ritual again. Yes, that's it. Yes, it is a True Rune after all. That's more power I need to absorb. An ocean of power like you said… I just need to, need to... An ocean, an ocean." he continued to rant on.

Meanwhile, there was a loud disturbance now coming from upstairs. Lazlo could hear shouting and the clashing of steel upon steel. A battle was ensuing, but Razi paid it no attention. his pride refused to allow him to believe he could have made a mistake this big and it was now impairing all his better judgments.

Lazlo didn't know what was happening upstairs, but he knew this was it. This was his chance. His only chance. The warrior knew he only had enough strength for a single final attempt. He had an idea. It was risky. It would either kill the Islander or set him free.

He called out to the insane cleric, "Razi! My True Rune allows me to judge: to forgive or not forgive. And that is your sin. Besides your great pride, your other sin is you don't know how to forgive. And that is what condemns you! I would think a priest would have known the power of mercy… Everlasting Mercy!"

The former prince reached deep down into his soul and mustered all the fortitude he had left. Trusting his parents had been right and that there was something inside him that was stronger than the True Rune's power, because he was about to experience its' strongest magical attack first hand in his weakened state.

The familiar headless angel appeared and he directed her, not at Razi, but at the star shaped hexagram. Lazlo looked down to see the blood barrier starting to glow again, he felt the enormous pain surge through his body like deadly lightning. It hurt beyond words for a moment, but his plan started to work as the angel's feathers made contact on his flesh.

They were healing him at the same time the blood spell was trying to kill him. The pain was now neutralized for Lazlo. Next, the angel blew the enchanted barrier away as well as Lazlo's shackles. He fell over instantly on the floor as they were all that had been holding him up as he no longer had any control over his body.

He tried to give one last command to the decapitated cherub before passing out, which was to attack the bewildered cleric. However, before the celestial being could do anything else, Razi acted first.

Out of sheer instinct, he instantly raised his hand and summoned as much of his new cursed rune's power as he could to attack the angelic host. But, as he still wasn't in his right state of mind, he hadn't realized what he had just done. The rays of power struck it, but it had no effect. As weaker punishment spells, couldn't hurt their original source: The Rune of Punishment itself. This is why Razi's earlier attack had not hurt Lazlo. A child rune cannot hurt the parent rune who made it.

Finally, Razi seemed to realize what he had just done, but it was too late. This dark power came at a price and it meant to collect it from its host, just as its parent True Rune use to do to Lazlo. Black rays of light poured in and out of Razi's body. An unholy scream echoed throughout the stone dungeon walls. The deformed angel seeing it had no more target and since its master was unconscious faded away into nothingness once more.

The heavy metal door upstairs opened. With halberd in hand, Robert and a few other knights came down the stairs in only enough time to see the angel disappear, hear that eerie scream, and watch Razi fall over dead.

The men ran to Lazlo to check on his condition as he was now drifting in and out of consciousness. As Razi's corpse vanished into thin air, the newly birthed rune that had been in his body fell onto the ground and rolled over next to the old spell-book; pages wide open.

Sensing the book's own dark power, it gladly attached itself within the tome. Suddenly, a dark glow started emanating from this newly formed duo. Powerful rays of light started coming forth and were destroying all they touched. Robert still confused about all he had seen grabbed Lazlo and shook him back into consciousness, "What the hell is that? How do we stop it!?"

The injured warrior's words could barely be heard as he whispered, "Pull me up. This condemnation must end!"

The Islander couldn't move on his own. He had Robert lift-up his left hand and the Rune of Punishment was glowing now on its own. Lazlo couldn't speak with words, but in his mind, he was telling the Rune of Punishment to take control of its child. The parent responded and acted accordingly.

As Lazlo's True Rune grew brighter, the runic book stopped shining. Robert ran up to this unholy book, closed it instantly, and firmly attached the leather strap binding that kept the book sealed until it was ready to be opened by the reader. Dead silence filled the room at last as now all runic light shows had stopped.

Robert, the large man that he was, grabbed a sleeping Lazlo with one arm and flung him over his shoulder. He told one knight to grab the ambassador's personal affects in the corner over there. And the third knight had the rather unpleasant task to carry that ominous old book.

The Queen's Knight told the men, "We're going to Barows' mansion. They'll have first aid and medicine for Lazlo. Plus, they have a large furnace. With any luck, we should be able to burn that. What did Lazlo call it? The Book of Condemnation? Or something like that, I couldn't hear him. Regardless, I don't have to be Graess to see that that thing is evil and dangerous."

The knights all had several questions about the strange things they had seen and why Lazlo was even in that place, which the captured Nethergate assassin had been so generous to tell Robert about after some tough convincing by the short-tempered Queen's Knight.

Robert could tell Lazlo had been through hell, but he was still alive. That made him happy. Even happier was Robert, due to the fact that unless his eyes had deceived him, Razi that arrogant bastard, was now dead.

They made their way to the noble family's estate in Rainwall. In no time, Lazlo's wounds were being treated by both Barows's personal nurse and rune sage. Not that it mattered much to Lazlo, as he was sound asleep and for this single moment of time was dreaming happily of his own parents.