Chapter 33

Valkron was impressed by the way the party didn't even flinch when he said the words. All they did was stare at him. Then Iruna pulled up her blindfold to cover her eyes again and stepped forward. 'We're doing it.'

'What made you think we were going to run when you told us the name of this place?' asked Samaroh indignantly.

The words were barely out of his mouth when there was an eerie howl from beyond the gates. It rose to a yowling screech before sinking back to a mournful moan that resonated in everyone's ribcage. It brought to the mind images of the most gruesome things that lurked behind the walls of the ruins of Glast Heim.

After a while valkron said innocently, 'Still coming?'

Samaroh swallowed and said, 'Yes.'

'Nothing's going to stop us, not even that,' said Eni, although Valkron knew she was afraid.

'Very well.' He drew his sword and untied the scythe from his peco's side. 'Let's go.'

As they stepped towards the gates Valkron's peco honked at them. He turned back and looked at it. 'Stay there, Evlor. I'll be back. I promise.'

The birds watched their riders disappear in between the black gates along with their friends before sitting down, anxiously waiting for their return.

Argath looked up at the ceiling of the underground cavern. Around him darkwings fluttered and twirled like a stream of black water, feeding off the dark magic he emitted.

'They're here,' he said quietly. 'Do you hear that, my friends? Do you smell their rank human scent?'

The darkwings chirped shrilly and broke their flowing pattern to surround him. Argath closed his eyes and smiled.

'Welcome them.'

If the cities around Rune-Midgard had become empty and desolate, Glast Heim was even more so. Abandoned for more than a hundred years and entered only by the bravest adventurers, it was a place no one would go to unless they had to. Most of its grand architecture was still left in place by their previous occupants, displaying the true skills of the builders from the Old Empire. In its heyday it would have been the grandest city in the world. Not even Juno could be compared to it, had it still existed in all its full glory.

But as it has been said many times, pride comes before a fall. The emperors had been far too proud of the kingdom they ruled. Their empire had spanned even further than the current Kingdom of Rune-Midgard, into the unknown lands far beyond the borders. They had tamed the wildest tribes, the most remote countries and the long trade routes that spanned around the world. Because of this they began to treat the empire as a thing for gaining wealth. Eventually the reputation of the empire plummeted as emperors like Ilham Vedlavin ascended the throne and began mercilessly defeating the other countries with their five thousand strong army. It was then that the people realised that their beloved home was no more than a slaughterhouse.

As Valkron waited for the others to make their way across the fallen buildings that were strewn everywhere he reflected on this. He had read most of the history of the Old Empire to know that Emperor Ilham Vedlavin had been the last straw for the residents. He had prevented them from running from the empire. As a result the Fair Wardens had come into existence, and with the help of the people they had overthrown the emperor and declared the destruction of the empire.

The knight wondered about the Fair Wardens. Their leader had been one of the ruthless knights under Argath Iruvedla, but he had risked his life to betray the empire and ultimately bring its downfall. He was also immortalised as the man who killed Argath during the Ri'dhalv Uprising, when the Fair Wardens led a charge against the palace. Six men had died at the Blood Judge's sword before the leader had charged in and fought. In the end the Blood Judge was dispatched, the emperor surrendered and the time of the Old Empire was over.

He looked towards the north of the city. In the distance he could still see the remains of the palace, its towers now jagged spikes and its walls covered in ivy and creepers, and felt a chill run down his spine. How long had it been since he had fought in the grounds itself, trying to keep wraiths from escaping from their ghostly prison?

There was a shriek from Eni. Valkron turned to see her beating off large whispers swooping down at her, giggling as they watched her frantically wave them off.

Emeth aimed his staff at one of them. White bolts thundered down onto it and with a long, mournful whistle it dissipated into a white shroud, which fell to nothing. The other whispers caught the hint and zipped off fairly quickly before Emeth could hit them again.

'Thanks,' said the alchemist breathlessly, brushing her hair out of her face. The wizard gave her a look, but said nothing.

'If you're done,' called Valkron from where he was, 'you'd better get a move on. We need to get into the palace before any other monster comes for us, and I don't doubt more will come.'

The rest hurried up to him, and they made their way with him after that. It seemed very quiet in the grounds apart from an occasional whisper or so, but Valkron knew once they stepped into the palace they would have a hard time.

They were halfway across when all of a sudden two creatures swooped out of the skies. Arrows rained down onto everyone. Iruna made a swiping motion with her sword, and white light surrounded the members of the party momentarily.

Nocturne aimed a single arrow at the two gargoyles. As they fitted arrows into their bows his arrow flashed. He fired up into the air; the gargoyles dodged it and snickered. They fired at him.

When the arrows hit him it was Iruna who cried out. But her strength held; she drew a cross of white light in the air with her sword and sent it at the two of them. As they shrieked arrows rained down from above. One of the gargoyles received an arrow in the eye; the other received one straight through the soft folds of its bat-like wings and fell. Emeth darted forward; an earth spike finished off the creature.

The other gargoyle was still screeching in pain. Khan unsheathed his katars and sprinted forward. He ran up to Nocturne, leapt onto his shoulder and then was speeding into the sky. One, two quick slashes, and the creature was put out of its misery.

'Odin save us...' Eni gasped at the back.

They turned to see a great black horse standing in front of them, tossing its head and pawing at the ground. Great puffs of steam emitted from its dilated nostrils. It gazed at them with its red eyes. Astride its back was a masked and armoured man, carrying a heavily stained and faded flag and a massive longsword covered in bloodstains.

It was Samaroh who moved first. In one move he had cast Blessing, Angelus, Increase Agility and Signum Crucis on the party. They felt their senses sharpen.

But the priest wasn't done. Impositio Manus and Aspersio followed soon after. Then it was a quick dealing of Lex Divina and Lex Aeterna at the abysmal knight. As the horse reared, shrieking in pain, Samaroh hastily cast Suffragium on Emeth and then pulled out a small shimmering blue stone from his pocket.

He held it out into the sky between his palms. The stone began glowing white, before it flashed and shattered. A few seconds later a mighty cross materialised in the air and slammed down on the abysmal knight.

Emeth took this as his cue. As the knight nearly slipped off his steed there was a very short pause before massive pillars of lightning struck the ground where the horse was standing. Right after that great spikes of earth erupted from under the horse's hooves, and then a massive blizzard broke out above it.

Out of the magical mixture the abysmal knight charged, swinging his ridiculously long sword. Valkron met it with the scythe; the crash of blades colliding echoed loudly through the city. At the same time Iruna drew another cross of white light and sent it at the rider.

Valkron charged with the scythe. The abysmal knight was shoved backwards for a few metres when the scythe hit the horse's armour. The spirit raised its mighty sword, but Valkron had already shoved the thing even further.

All the while his other hand had kept whirling his sword. As soon as the mounted knight had recovered the humming sword hit it. The blow sent the creature into what was left of a wall; the horse whinnied in pain.

Valkron sensed something happening behind him. He whirled around to see a great wave of darkwings make a beeline straight for them. He drew breath to shout out a warning--

Samaroh pulled out another gemstone and held it high. As it glowed white and began to dissolve into a white mist around him he threw it into the air.

There was a burst of a white light. The ground under their feet glowed white. They were surrounded by it--

Iruna plunged her sword into the ground. The great white cross materialised above her head and slammed into the ground--

There was an almighty rumble, before the ground shook violently beneath their feet and gave way.

Sagna and Edell were riding across the Prontera Fields to Geffen when they felt the ground shake beneath them. Their pecos honked in distress and nearly tripped over their taloned feet; luckily they were Chivalry pecos and therefore were trained to keep their balance.

'W-What was that?' asked Sagna shakily, gripping his reins so hard that his fingers were digging into his palms.

'Don't ask me that, I have no idea.' Edell looked around at the desolate, white barren forest around them. 'Where did that come from?'

'I'm hoping it's not the spell above us.'

'Idiot!' The crusader gave him a cuff on the ear. 'Don't say things like that! I'm getting worried already with trying to valkron, there's no need to add to the burden!'

'Sorry,' said Sagna, rubbing his ear gingerly.

Edell turned his head towards where he though he had heard the sound. 'I guess we can't do anything now,' he said quietly.

'What do you mean?' asked the knight.

'I mean that it looks like Valkron's reached wherever he intended to go.' Edell turned to look at Sagna. 'We can't go there on our own, it'll be far too dangerous.'

'But it's Glast Heim!'

'They're probably fighting now. Valkron wouldn't want a couple of novices to fight their way through just to try and back him up, and he wouldn't want to waste time trying to rescue them either. I suggest we wait.'

'Wait for what? He needs backup!'

Edell closed his eyes. 'I'm not a crusader without a good reason, you know. I believe that Valkron can accomplish what needs to be done. Something tells me that we should just believe in him and put our faith in the gods. There will be a sign that will tell us when we can go and aid him.'

Sagna gaped at him. Finally he said, 'You seem very sure of this.'

'I am sure of it,' said Edell. 'There will be a sign.'

In his personal opinion Sagna felt like it was far too outrageous to happen. But he knew how dedicated the crusaders were, and that most of them - especially Edell - had solid, unshakeable beliefs.

'Right,' he said at last. 'I'm going to take your word for it, but if it doesn't happen and we all die I'm going to make sure I fight and kill you every day in Valhalla.'

The abysmal knight surveyed the gaping hole in the ground. Then it pulled at the reins and turned its horse around, trotting off to where it had come from. The sound of the horse's hooves faded into the distance.

After a while the howling wind filled up the city again. It swept dust and debris into the hole that had once been where the party stood.

It was not very deep. It seemed to have collapsed into the underground levels - most likely the first one. There was a massive pile of rock and soil all over the place.

A rat scrambled up to the pile and scratched around in search of food, squeaking as it did. Suddenly soil exploded upwards right in front of its nose. It squeaked in fright and scampered down quickly as a dirt-stained hand groped about.

Gradually the pile of soil crumbled to reveal a very dirty knight. He coughed as he clambered out of the pile and scrambled down before it could collapse under his feet. Once he had reached stable ground he steadied himself before digging around.

Emeth climbed out of the mess, shaking his red hair free of dirt. Slowly, one by one, the Raulus party regrouped.

'We look a right mess,' said Samaroh, dusting himself of the dirt.

'Well, for someone who has an idea of trying to consecrate an ancient, desecrated land,' snapped Iruna, untying her blindfold and shaking it to get rid of the dirt that had stuck to the cloth. 'Don't ever do that again, Samaroh.'

'Sorry.'

Valkron looked at the others. They were just as dirty as he felt. Eni stood shivering next to her brother. He felt sorry for her.

'Where are we?' she asked, looking about her nervously.

'I think we're in the culverts,' said Emeth, looking around as well. 'The algae and the broken pipes give an obvious clue.'

Around them there were plenty of what he described and more. Water was dripping from the long strings of algae. Valkron wrinkled his nose at the smell of decomposing vegetation.

'Well, we'll have to go,' he said. 'It should be here, somewhere.'

'The portal might be in the palace,' said Khan, tightening his mask.

'Most of the roof's gone, Khan,' said Emeth. 'No one would summon a portal where everyone could see it. The main purpose is to keep it hidden.'

Valkron turned to look behind him. The Raulus party, faces stained with dirt, nodded at him as one.

They began a long walk through the first floor of the culverts, towards where the signboards on the walls pointed to the lower floors. Once again although the culverts were known to be teeming with monsters they did not meet many, apart from the occasional gargoyle, arclouse and whisper, which they dispatched easily.

The second floor of the culverts was also oddly empty. There were even less monsters running around this floor. Valkron was starting to get suspicious but he did not voice his thoughts. He knew that the others would be observant enough. There was no need to point it out.

The third floor was completely deserted. Valkron finally gave up and stopped the party for a small rest.

'How's everyone?' he asked, as Samaroh got about to healing the cuts and bruises they had received from the fall. There was no time for him to bring out his usual ointments and herbs, so he simply used his magic.

'Fine.'

'Okay, so far.'

'All right. Why do you ask?'

'Well, I've been thinking about this,' said Valkron, gesturing at their surroundings, 'and I am constantly getting nagged by a feeling.'

'Is it because of the lack of monsters around the place?' asked Emeth.

'Well...yes.'

'I have no idea about that as well. I figured there would be plenty here.' The wizard scratched his head, causing dirt to fall off his hair. 'Most of my friends like to come down here and hunt monsters. They always tell me there's lots, and that they give some nice loot if you know how to get the items from the dead bodies. But this is too quiet.'

'Too quiet to be comfortable,' remarked Valkron.

'Could I say something?'

The two of them turned to look at Nocturne. He stepped forward, his sister hanging off the back of his sweater in a bid not to get separated from him.

'I've been hearing things from behind the walls of the culverts,' he said. 'I don't know what they are. Sometimes it's like rustling, sometimes it's like voices.'

'It might be the vengeful souls that still haunt Glast Heim,' said Samaroh.

Emeth shook his head. 'I don't think so. There are no souls in Glast Heim.'

'What?' Everyone turned to stare at the wizard.

'I'm not too sure, but I haven't been feeling a lot of spiritual energy around anywhere.' Emeth shrugged at the blank looks. 'I have a hunch that the spell up there is the one absorbing all souls into it.'

'Why would it suck up souls?' asked Khan, frowning.

'Souls are a source of life force,' answered Iruna, before anyone could speak. 'The portal probably needs life force to keep it going, so the spell, which appears to be functioning without the help of Argath, sucks up souls and transfers the energy to the portal, maintaining it.'

'Why do you all know so much?' groaned Valkron, his head in his hands. 'I'm like an ignorant idiot walking with you in Glast Heim.'

'It's just magical education,' said Emeth. 'Cheer up. Not everyone receives it.'

'Yeah, well, even I didn't notice the sounds from behind the walls,' said the knight.

'Still, you should know something,' said Samaroh.

'The only thing I can say is that I suspect most of the monsters have gone to kill the refugees in the cities at Argath's order. That's the reason why the culverts are empty.'

'Hm...I didn't think of that,' said Emeth thoughtfully.

'You're just trying to be nice to me,' retorted Valkron sourly. 'Let's keep walking. We need to get down to the fourth floor. If there isn't anything there we'll get to the palace instead.'

'A bit of a waste of time, don't you think?' said Iruna.

'We need to find out where the portal is, all right?' snapped Valkron. 'Come on! Stop telling me what to do!'

As they resumed walking Valkron reflected on this. He was getting snappish, but not because his initial plan of going into the culverts was going wrong. He knew he was going the right way. It was just that it wasn't turning out as he had expected.

Somehow he could feel something in his mind. It was pulling him strongly down into the culverts. He let his mind sink with it. Where it went, he thought, would point him the way to the portal.

Soon they came to the stairs that led to the fourth floor of the culverts. Valkron set the torches in their brackets before taking one with him and walking down the staircase, his scythe in his other hand. The upper floors had been bright enough with their strings of luminous algae, but he suspected the fourth floor would not be so kind.

Halfway down the staircase, with the Raulus party edging behind him cautiously, he heard sounds from behind the walls. There were voices and other noises he tried not to think about.

'What's that rumbling sound?' said Nocturne, from behind.

Valkron put his ear close to the wall. At first he heard nothing. Then he realised the wall was vibrating, even though there was no sound. Nocturne had sharp hearing, which was necessary for him as a hunter.

Suddenly a thought struck Valkron. He turned back. 'Get back! Get back, all of you! Up the stairs!'

Bewildered and frightened by the panic in his voice they hurried back up the stairs. They had just reached the top, Valkron the last one, when the wall behind them erupted outwards and smashed into the opposite wall. From the gaping hole that leaked debris flowed a stream of monsters like a river breaking through a dam. Their horrible noises of screeching and yowling sent the Raulus party breaking to their heels almost at once.

They ran down the passages towards the stairs that led to the upper floors, too frightened to fight back. All they could think of was escaping the raging mass of monsters rushing in behind them.

They were nearly there when Amaru skidded to a stop. Khan nearly collided into his back.

'What the-- What's the problem at the front?'

'Monsters at the front as well!'

The knight swore. They were trapped; there was no way out between the two outlets. As the monsters advanced on them, snarling in anticipation of fresh meat, they huddled together, forming a tightly packed group in the centre of the circle that the monsters had made.

Valkron looked around. He could see the red eyes of every monster around them and their open, salivating jaws lined with teeth. It was not something he enjoyed looking at when he was busy trying to think of a way out.

But he had to figure out a way. The people around him were panicking far too easily. They had not been in this situation before. Well...there were far too many monsters for him to compare it to any of his situations, but then again when he battled against a mob he had been completely alone.

He tried to think. A way out...a way out...

Something throbbed in his mind. He clutched his head in a bid to stop it, but it just kept going on and on. No matter what Valkron did he couldn't get rid of the headache that was growing in his head.

Valkron, you fool! Listen to what it's trying to tell you!

It was pulling him down. He couldn't think of anything in relation to it.

'You're...not...helping...' he muttered under his breath.

You're not that dumb, Valkron! THINK!

It was pulling him down...and down…and down...

Valkron opened his eyes. That was it! The way out was the way down!

He straightened up and shouted above the snarling sounds. 'Samaroh! Cast Sanctuary!'

'What?'

'Cast Sanctuary!'

'We'll fall through again!'

'Just do it!'

Although he knew Samaroh was probably thinking he had gone mad he also knew the priest wasn't the sort to disobey. In a few minutes a bright white light shone above the heads of the party and the ground glowed as a white mist surrounded them.

Valkron felt the cooling sensation of the healing spell before the ground under their feet shattered and they fell through.

However, Samaroh must have done something. The knight was sure he had hit the ground below them, before the other floor actually collapsed beneath their weight. he began panicking at that moment.

What was I thinking? he thought, as they fell once more. There is nothing under the fourth floor except for the world of the undead.

But as he fell he knew it couldn't be true. His inner self would not have told him the clue if it had been of no use to him or to anyone else. It had been his way of life. He had done whatever his inner self told him to do, and it had never gone wrong.

Valkron hit solid ground, and this time it did not give way beneath him. He gasped as air left him. Winded as he was he saw Nocturne about to fall upon him, and quickly rolled away.

The debris and dust settled around them as they picked themselves up from the floor and out of the pile of dirt. Above them the monsters that had been about to attack just before Samaroh's spell had destroyed the ground decided that it wasn't the worth the long jump down and moved away from the hole after giving them particularly malicious glares.

'You could have stayed where you were to cushion my fall,' said Nocturne to Valkron, dusting his clothes.

'What, and get me crushed? No thanks.'

'Better than a crusader falling on you.'

'Where are we?' said Emeth.

Valkron looked around them. They were standing on a floor of solid stone. Unlike the slime-covered, cracked floor of the culverts this place was relatively dry. Valkron looked around at the smooth walls around them, illuminated by lighted torches in brackets, and wondered where they were.

'Eurgh,' said Emeth, covering his nose with his gloved hand. Valkron looked up at him.

'What's wrong?'

'Can't you smell it?'

'No, what is it?'

Emeth coughed a little. 'Dark magic.'

No wonder Samaroh was looking sick as well, the knight thought. He was right. The source was from under the culverts.

'So...are we going to walk straight on?' quavered Eni.

'What other choice do we have?'

Still dusting themselves the party moved on. The place they were in was a room with no doors except for an opening in one wall. This was what they walked through.

They came into a long passage. The walls were made of smooth slate bricks with cleanly applied mortar between them. Torches lined the walls here too, lighting their path ahead of them. Oddly there was almost no rust on the brackets that held the torches.

Valkron reached out and brushed the tips of his fingers against the wall as he walked. He had a nagging feeling that the wall wasn't there at all, and yet he was feeling its smooth surface through the thick leather of his gloves. His brain was beginning to reject the idea that the floor wasn't there either.

We're in a place that's not here, he thought. And yet it's here, stone and everything.

Of course, replied a calm voice in his head. Argath wants to restore the Old Empire, doesn't he? So he's turning back time to a point in space where the Old Empire once existed. A brief period between the time it was at its height and the time it fell.

That should be about right. But it still felt unnerving for him to know that they were walking through a place that had once existed a long time ago and, in theory, didn't exist right now.

'I don't recognise this place,' said Samaroh, his voice echoing down the passage. 'I've read about Glast Heim and been on expeditions to this place, but never did any book or person mention that this place existed.'

'I have a feeling I know where this came from,' said Emeth, 'but I'll tell you when we get out of here. I just want to confirm my guess.'

Valkron stopped in his tracks. 'Hang on. Talking about confirmation, I want to make sure that everyone's here. Emeth?'

'You heard me just now,' said the wizard.

'I'm just making sure. Samaroh?'

'Here.'

'Khan?'

'Present.'

'And alive, no doubt. Nocturne?'

'Here!'

'Eni?'

'Definitely here.'

'Iruna?'

'I'm standing right beside you, valkron,' said the crusader reproachfully.

'Sorry. Amaru?'

'Here,' answered the deep voice of the blacksmith at the back.

'Okay, we're all here.' Valkron turned on his heel and walked on.

The passage seemed to go on endlessly. valkron kept looking for a light at the end, a door...anything that would mean the end of the passage. It was like a dream.

Suddenly the passage opened out. Valkron blinked in the orange light that filled the passage, which had opened out to become a large room. This room was missing a wall, so it was like a ledge jutting out above an even larger chamber.

The party walked out onto the ledge and looked down.

Emeth said, 'I knew it.'

'Knew what?' queried Nocturne.

'I was right about this place.'

'And what is it?'

Emeth jerked a thumb at what was below the ledge. 'This was where the emperors tortured their prisoners by setting them in this place.'

'You're joking,' said Samaroh, a few minutes later.

'Do I look like I am?'

There was silence at this.

'No,' breathed Valkron. 'The maze of nightmares.'

'You're spot on,' said Emeth.

Everyone stepped closer to the edge to look into the tangle of walls and winding passages that was the feared, ancient labyrinth of the Old Empire.

And then the floor under their feet cracked.

They looked down at the floor. They looked at each other. They turned to run.

The floor...collapsed.