15. Berith


"You've got to be kidding me. More terminals!?"

Zael overheard Asthar sigh as the former Count of Lazulis cursed upon seeing one of the terminals only several stairs down into the castle depths. "I'm not surprised that the Gurak planted a few here, to be honest. We should have expected this."

"Good thing I'm here," Zael quipped, approaching the first terminal. As he placed his right hand over it, the terminal turned from orange to blue.

"There are probably three more terminals further along. Maybe more." Asthar managed, looking towards him. "I wouldn't be surprised if the Gurak rigged these so that the entrance into where the Outsider half is sealed from any intruders."

"That is a good point." Therius looked around, brows furrowing. "We should keep an eye out."

Zael noticed Arganan's shoulders tense, and he frowned. "Are you okay?"

"Not exactly." Arganan muttered, shaking his head. "Last time we encountered the Lazulis half of the Outsider directly, I died. I don't expect you to remember."

Zael grimaced, recalling how Arganan dissolved into light while he, Calista, and the others with them retreated. "Right."

He decided it was best to drop the subject for now, and keep an eye out for the terminals.


The good news was that Asthar's guess was right. There were more terminals, as they travelled further into the castle depths.

The bad news was that there were more automatons in place, moving around or planed in the walls. Zael was more than glad that he bought multiple arrows before heading to the castle in the first place, or else he probably wouldn't be as prepared as he hoped he was.

It also helped when you had three dead people by your side willing to help you out. Especially if two of them were knights and one of them was the former Count of Lazulis and knew the castle inside-out, ontop of being the main healer. Asthar and Therius were quick to help take out a couple automatons, and Arganan healed Zael inbetween as needed (Asthar and Therius didn't need healing due to being dead).

Zael wasn't sure how many flights of stairs they went down at this point, but he had a feeling that they were getting close to their location. "Is everyone okay!?"

"We're fine," Asthar called, and before anyone else could speak up, Zael heard a booming sound coming from up ahead. He looked forwards…

Just in time to see a striped beast appear, holding a large bow and arrow. He wasn't really sure how to describe it; it had an oddly blocky body frame, and it levitated in the air. Was it even an actual creature, or mechanical like the other automatons he and his companions faced so far?

Zael swallowed as a memory came back to him; one of Calista screaming in terror as the same beast appeared, with Count Arganan cursing in the background about it. Was it called…?

"Not Berith!" Arganan hissed. "The Gurak brought this beast back, too!?"

"Looks like it." Asthar took out his sword. "We're not getting any closer to the Outsider unless we defeat this beast!"

Zael dove out of the way as Berith shot a glowing arrow. As it hit the wall behind him, he heard the ground shake, and small pieces of debris hit the ground. "Explosive arrows, too. Be careful, everyone!"

"That's easy for us to do." Therius noted. "Guard yourself as well, Zael!"

As Zael got up, facing Berith again, he heard the beast roar at him. He knew that he'd defeated it once, with Calista's help and the others' help, once they arrived.

But could they defeat it again?